When Evangelism Became the "E" Word!

I believe we can safely say that the term “Evangelical” has finally reached the status of being considered  the  “E” word in American jargon? How in the world did such a thing happen in a country that so many still believe is a Christian nation? When did it happen? When did this historic Christian word fall into the same category as the “N” word or the “F”?

Personally I would date the beginning of the term’s demise as somewhere near the time televangelist Jerry Falwell started the process of inserting his Fundamentalist Christianity into the heart of the Republican Party. In fact, the word “evangelical” was one of Falwell’s favorite words in self-describing himself as a “Bible-believing Conservative.”

Little did any of us know back in the day that Falwell’s influence in helping create the Religious Right in America would play such a dastardly role in elevating Donald Trump to such national prominence in American politics? Yes David Duke must be smiling inside in spite of the fact that Trump claims not to know him since Mr. Trump has been living on Mars for the past thirty years or so.

So here we are in 2016 scratching our heads and wondering what in the hell has gotten into American politics? More importantly, what in the Sam Hill has happened to Evangelism that now has gotten so comfortably in bed with the likes of Donald Trump? I halfway understood why conservative Evangelicals were so willing to support a Mormon in 2012 (they had to have held their noses in the voting booth) since he was running against a Muslim non-American Socialist/Communist. The hatred of America’s first African-American President knows no limits it seems.

I used to be proud to be considered Evangelical. Being an Evangelical put me in the company of such towering figures as Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards and Karl Barth, all men with great intellect and vision.

Yet somehow the term Evangelical was polluted by conservative politics, primarily Republican right wing politics.Yet I am reminded of the words of Tony Campolo, an avowed Progressive Evangelical: "Mixing the church and state is like mixing ice cream with cow manure. It may not do much to the manure, but it sure messes up the ice cream." Point taken Tony!

Now we are in the midst of one of the most unlikely takeovers of the grand old party since perhaps the infusion of the Southern Democrats following the Civil Rights Act. Evangelicals in the South are clamoring to support this unlikely candidate; they have helped propel him to victory in most of the Southern State’s primaries thus far.

I wonder if any of these Evangelical Trump supporters have thought to ask if Trump’s views are commensurate with the historic Evangelical Faith? Is their hatred of Mr. Obama so intense that they would compromise their Evangelical principles for the sake of putting their man into the White House? Well they did vote for a Mormon didn’t they? So I suppose the answer is self-evident.

Quite frankly the inconsistency of these so-called Evangelicals is mind numbing to me. I don’t get it. I don’t want to get it. I know that many of them are good people. Salt of the earth folks who are scared and confused and the Donald is giving them what they want to hear. But is it what they really believe deep inside their hearts?

So don’t be offended if from now on I refer to the term Evangelical as the “E” word. It just plain stinks right now. Maybe it will clean itself up over time but it’s going to take a long while for it to be rehabilitated and restored to its once grand status as one of the great Christian traditions.