The Prosperity Gospel sham ruined America. [View all]
The big money folks, the one percent of the one percent figured out a great way to get many religious people on their side.
They needed the idea of the evil moneychangers to change into people to be admired and aspired to.
And they did that by creating something called The Prosperity Gospel.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/prosperity-gospel
As the definition explains, greed can now be considered good and not evil.
The whole its more difficult for a rich man to enter heaven than a camel to go thru the eye of a needle Biblical reference was forgotten. Never mentioned from American religious pulpits again.
Just preach that being rich is good, and to get rich, you should give more to God (the plates being passed in church).
Suddenly caring for the poor and downtrodden Jesus teachings were forgotten and never mentioned again from the pulpits because if these downtrodden were just a little more religious and a little less lazy they too could experience Gods bounty (not just in Heaven) but on earth too.
Suddenly the preachers with the billion dollar homes, yachts, and jets were not to be condemned but to be admired.
And the GOP big money people knew they had their IN with a huge segment of society.
Just feign a little nod to religion occasionally and tell the masses that they should worship greed, and not just greed but EXCESSIVE greed.
Then, the pivot to the US vs THEM narrative was much easier to achieve.
Them are evil. They dont believe in the biblical principle of the MAN being the head of the church and the family. Dont discount this patriarchal viewpoint and how prevalent it was and still is. Whether you call it toxic masculinity or not, it exists and The Prosperity Gospel has helped accelerate it.
And its not just men who believe in the principle.
You will still find many women (mostly white) that still believe in and want white men to run their churches, their homes, and (hence) their governments.
The Prosperity Gospel won on November 5 and no brilliant extremely qualified woman or horrible, felonious and extremely unqualified male opponent could change that.
Longtime gone GOP strategist Lee Atwater would marvel at how his old party has brilliantly merged money and religion into such a powerful political force.