GrondaMorin.com is a blog I just recently started following. From what I’ve seen so far, the posts are primarily politically oriented with large dollops of criticism about the current administration. Although Gronda describes herself as “a person of faith,” in a recent post she worries that “peoples will judge all Christians including Evangelicals by the 80% of White Evangelicals’ lack of courage and decency to stand up for what’s right.”
She then presents a letter written by John Pavlovitz (see this article) that I felt was well worth sharing. In it, Mr. Pavlovitz addresses the “Evangelicals who continue to give cover to President Trump’s abusive way of treating others and for his chronic lying.” It’s titled, “This is Why People Are Through With You.”
Following is his letter …
Dear White Evangelicals,
I need to tell you something: People have had it with you.
They’re done.
They want nothing to do with you any longer, and here’s why:
They see your hypocrisy, your inconsistency, your incredibly selective mercy, and your thinly veiled supremacy.
For eight years they watched you relentlessly demonize a black President; a man faithfully married for 26 years; a doting father and husband without a hint of moral scandal or the slightest whiff of infidelity.
They watched you deny his personal faith convictions, argue his birthplace, and assail his character—all without cause or evidence. They saw you brandish Scriptures to malign him and use the laziest of racial stereotypes in criticizing him.
And through it all, White Evangelicals—you never once suggested that God placed him where he was,
you never publicly offered prayers for him and his family,
you never welcomed him to your Christian Universities,
you never gave him the benefit of the doubt in any instance,
you never spoke of offering him forgiveness or mercy,
your evangelists never publicly thanked God for his leadership,
your pastors never took to the pulpit to offer solidarity with him,
you never made any effort to affirm his humanity or show the love of Jesus to him in any quantifiable measure.You violently opposed him at every single turn—without offering a single ounce of the grace you claim as the heart of your faith tradition.You jettisoned Jesus as you dispensed damnation on him.
And yet today, you openly give a “mulligan” to a white Republican man so riddled with depravity, so littered with extramarital affairs, so unapologetically vile, with such a vast resume of moral filth—that the mind boggles.
And the change in you is unmistakable. It has been an astonishing conversion to behold: a being born again.
With him, you suddenly find religion.
With him, you’re now willing to offer full absolution.
With him, all is forgiven without repentance or admission.
With him you’re suddenly able to see some invisible, deeply buried heart.
With him, sin has become unimportant, compassion no longer a requirement.
With him, you see only Providence.And White Evangelicals, all those people who have had it with you—they see it all clearly.
They recognize the toxic source of your inconsistency.
They see that pigmentation and party are your sole deities.
They see that you aren’t interested in perpetuating the love of God or emulating the heart of Jesus.
They see that you aren’t burdened to love the least, or to be agents of compassion, or to care for your Muslim, gay, African, female, or poor neighbors as yourself.
They see that all you’re really interested in doing, is making a God in your own ivory image and demanding that the world bow down to it.
They recognize this all about white, Republican Jesus—not dark-skinned Jesus of Nazareth.And I know you don’t realize it, but you’re digging your own grave in these days; the grave of your very faith tradition.
Your willingness to align yourself with cruelty is a costly marriage. Yes, you’ve gained a Supreme Court seat, a few months with the Presidency as a mouthpiece, and the cheap high of temporary power—but you’ve lost a whole lot more.
You’ve lost an audience with millions of wise, decent, good-hearted, faithful people with eyes to see this ugliness.
You’ve lost any moral high ground or spiritual authority with a generation.
You’ve lost any semblance of Christlikeness.
You’ve lost the plot.
And most of all you’ve lost your soul.I know it’s likely you’ll dismiss these words. The fact that you’ve even made your bed with such malevolence, shows how far gone you are and how insulated you are from the reality in front of you.
But I had to at least try to reach you. It’s what Jesus would do.
No matter where you stand on the religious scale, I think you’ll find it difficult to disagree with this condemnation of “White Evangelicals.”
I follow John Pavlovitz on FB – he’s a gem. You should read some of the comments on his blog, though. They’d make you weep.
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Thanks for the FB info — just added him. He really seems to have his head on straight … even if he is a Christian. 🙂
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Boom.
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Let me give this an amen! Truer words were never written Shame on you.
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Thanks, Nan.
I saw Gronda’s post a few hours ago, and went searching for John Pavlovitz’s blog, which I am now following.
I came across a reference to Pavlovitz maybe 9 or 10 years ago. I looked at his blog then, but decided that it didn’t interest me. He has changed since then, and in a good way.
Pavlovitz’s version is what Christianity should be. I think I would have still left Christianity when I did, even if his view had been dominant back then. But I would have been more supportive. At least John is following the teachings of Jesus. Conservative evangelical Christianity abandoned those a long time ago.
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(the Professor solemly holds out his arms and says to the congregation) “Let us pray/prey…”
Oh your Highest One up above there and inside the cerebral secretions of our brains,
Please let all White Evangelicals read this John Pavlovitz letter
And PLEASE let them use their intelligence and critical-thinking skills
Assuming that they have them.
And if not, let those who clearly do,
Like Nan here,
Show them the way out of bondage, ignorance, and denial
To the Promise Land of true life,
A better life right now
In the HUMAN family.
Let all the people shout and hear: AHHHHH-men!…
and women, transgenders, asexuals, bisexuals, demisexuals, homosexuals, pansexuals, and whatever else they are naturally!!! 😁 ❤
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Damning, indeed, and well deserved.
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Another note on John Pavlovitz. I see that John Branyan is attacking Pavlovitz. And I’ll take that as a positive recommendation for Pavlovitz.
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Just saw his line which says atheists HATE Christians. Had to laugh. This guy is such a wanker.
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“I see that John Branyan is attacking Pavlovitz.”
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Oh yes! And would it be too outlandish to surmise that he was motivated by MY post? Since he can no longer comment on here, he must resort to writing something on his own blog. Demonstrates a lack of imagination and creativity, I’d say.
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Wow! I wonder what he really thinks!
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Amen, Brother John.
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I see Branyan didn’t get many comments to that post. ..wonder why? 😉
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Beats me. Statements like:
. . . telegraph that we’re dealing with a humble, sincere, and deferential individual who welcomes polite discourse.
So perhaps the lack of comments is attributable to the Super Bowl hangover.
Yea . . . that’s the ticket!
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I figure many of his readers think the same way I do about John Pavlovitz. 🙂
I also read through his blog post and thought, “Branyan, you must be covering yourself in saran wrap again. I can clearly see yer nuts.”
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True story: I read your post and thought, “All evangelicals will do is condemn him for not being a real Christian.” Turns out I’m too late. I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t get to make the prediction; I suppose this is what I get for coming in late to the party.
Personally, I can’t get behind people like Pavlovitz for the same reason I can’t get behind his more conservative detractors. He’s using the same in-crowd/out-crowd rhetoric they are. Unless he’s willing to give up belief in sin, he’s ideologically standing in the same mess they are, maybe just a little more to the left.
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Your point is well-made. However, the “White Republicans” DO need to be called out so for that reason, I find Pavlovitz’s letter deserves as much exposure as possible.
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Providing we always bear in mind that Johnny Pavlovsdogovich believes a corpse came back from the dead, and all non-Christians are going to Hell when they die. Well .. you are, for sure! Me, I’m going to reincarnate as an indestructible bionic mouse and widdle on Branyan’s breakfast cereal every morning.
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Even though I adamantly disagree with Christianity and all it stands for and will continue to point out the fallacies of its teachings, I DO understand where believers are coming from since I’ve been there, done that.
So even if Pavlovitz believes “a corpse came back from the dead, and all non-Christians are going to Hell when they die,” the fact that he recognizes — and points out — the hypocrisy of those that wear the label of “Christian,” I feel his letter deserves broad exposure. Particularly when its subject is the ignoramus that’s currently leading the U.S.
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I consider he is a hypocrite as well. He denies science.
That makes him a hypocrite and a bloody idiot.
The fact he is ranting about more extreme christian views and dicks like Trump makes no difference to his personal worldview.
He is a christian who teaches the veracity of prayer, faith and the supernatural.
To celebrate a bloke like this is tacitly giving his other views the nod. And that, I’m afraid, is hypocritical.
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Ark, it’s more than obvious you have stronger feelings against Christianity than I do. And that’s OK. But please don’t accuse me of “celebrating” Pavlovich or being “hypocritical” simply because I happen to agree with his perspective regarding the “White Evangelicals.” This does NOT mean that I agree with his “other views.”
OK? OK.
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I’d never heard of the bloke until a short while back and that was only a fleeting impression from something else Branyan wrote about him.
He seems to be the hip choice at the moment.
But there are plenty of other people who have no truck with ”White Evangelicals” etc.
Giving this bloke airtime is tacitly helping him to blow his own trumpet.
And I’m sorry Nan, but this is somewhat hypocritical.
Much like saying some bloke is only racist against black people but he’s okay when it comes to championing the rights of Indians, Mexicans and Chinese.”
He is a Christian lambasting other Christians.
In all honesty, what is there to support?
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And I’m sorry Nan, but this is somewhat hypocritical.
Whatever …
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And now you are angry at me and use Mel’s favorite throwaway line?
That is truly disappointing.
I understand that you support his stance on the hypocrisy of ”White Evangelicals” who support Trump and are flagrantly not Christian -whatever the hell that is supposed to mean?
YECs, Lutherans,Catholics ….?
But seriously, who gives a monkey’s uncle?
Everyone knows Trump is a lying SOB and everyone (who has any integrity) knows that these ”White Evangelicals” are equally as bad.
Pavlovich is primarily bemoaning the fact that his fellow Christians are not coming up to scratch by not acting in the spirit of Jesus (sic) . Whatever this is?
Like I could give really give a damn.
This is like all the brouhaha over the Pope when he first took office about how progressive he was and then the shock and horror from True Catholics who thought he was way out of line.
Or, all the supposed heartfelt garbage over Mother Theresa .. until people like Chris Hitchens exposed her for what she really was.
Pavlovich is a Christian who preaches and teaches about sin, redemption, eternal life over to alleviate death anxiety, hell and the supernatural … to kids (as well as adults.
He has two kids of his own that he is currently indoctrinating.
He does not deserve any support from the non-religious community over such views no matter how well-meaning you believe your motivation is.
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No. I’m not angry. I just don’t want to argue with you, Ark. I understand where you’re coming from and for the most part I agree with you. But not entirely.. And surely that’s OK?
BTW …. did you read some of the comments here? It would seem I’m not the only one who seems to think this guy isn’t ALL bad.
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Sure it’s ok. And yes, I read all the comments.
It doesn’t change my personal view.
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White Evangelicals. I dislike the name (and their guidelines), but I’m inclined to agree with Nan; however, I can’t say that Ark is wrong.
Please let nobody wonder who asked me to give my opinion. I’m taking the liberty to do it because I liked this discussion – would almost say that I enjoyed it. No misunderstandings, no mistakes, just differences which I don’t know if we can call them subtle. Whatever… (smile).
.-
.
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Always, always feel free to share your opinion, Federico! What you have to say is always good. 🙂
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