A Christian pastor just broke the internet with a scathing open letter to Huckabee Sanders and Trump

[TexasTowelie]

With “thou shalt not lie” on the top 10 list of commandments for centuries now, you would think that more evangelicals would be holding the Trump administration’s feet to the burning bush for their sins of conducting illicit and intimate relationships with mistruth.

Yet the majority of evangelical pastors get more incensed over the right to bear arms than oppose the bearing of false witness, at least by members of the Trump administration

Not John Pavlovitz. The progressive evangelical pastor and author is one of the few men of the cloth who interprets the New Testament in the spirit of the Christian teachings it contains, rather than molding the biblical contents into fodder for their own worldly aims.

Pavlovitz’s latest post on his popular website addresses the controversy surrounding comedian Michelle Wolf’s routine at the White House Correspondents Dinner and what some members of the press saw as her outrageously rude remarks towards White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Read more: https://washingtonpress.com/2018/05/01/a-christian-pastor-just-broke-the-internet-with-a-scathing-open-letter-to-huckabee-sanders-and-trump/

[Achilleaze]

1. "Screw all that Bible bullshit." - Dirty Donny* (R)

* aka republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief

[olegramps]

26. They reek with hypocrisy.

[mnmoderatedem]

2. that sentiment should not only be directed at Sanders

but to every evangelical who who voted for him and who want to keep that mulligan assembly line rolling.

[pangaia]

27. Why limit it to evangelicals? Why not all fake christians?

[Girard442]

3. Funny thing, Christians anticipated THAT Jesus

Even have a name for him.

[Cha]

4. Finally, a real Christian speaks

out against the LIES of shs and trump..

snip//

“You see, I’m a Christian and I’ve heard you claim that you’re a Christian too—and watching you work recently, it got me thinking:”

“How does she do it?”

“What I mean is, how do you reconcile your supposed faith in Jesus of Nazareth, with your current position as a mouthpiece for this morally malignant President?,” the evangelical preacher begins his epistle to DC.

Pavlovitz then goes on to detail the many contradictions that any professed Christian should rightfully consider when they work in the service of someone whose behavior is the very antithesis of every value that Jesus espoused.

Thank you, TexasT

[TexasTowelie]

5. You're welcome.

Being a Christian and being a Trump supporter are completely incompatible.

[Cha]

6. Exactly.. it's an Oxymoron..

“I watch you every week as you repeatedly distort the truth,

as you attack journalists who come carrying facts. as you vilify politicians who oppose your employer’s malfeasance,

as you categorically defend his every vile statement, every personal attack, every nonsensical Tweet, every baseless firing, every legislative assault.”

“I watch your face contort with the unmistakable tells of a person who doesn’t believe a word they’re saying; one who’s sold their soul and is now hopelessly trapped in a lie about a lie about a lie.”

I hope Michelle Wolf gets to read this..

[Mc Mike]

8. Boy, I've been wanting to get into her facial contortions for a long time.

It's like watching a dirty cockroach scuttle across a marble kitchen counter top, when she vomits up another lie, the way her mouth goes all crooked and her cock-eyes get cock-ier. That ugly little grimace.

I'm still not sure Sarah isn't just Mike in a dress, with pearls on, and the perfect smoky-eye makeup.

[Cha]

10. And, this Pastor, John Pavlovitz,

does it!

I couldn't stand to watch that.

[Mc Mike]

12. Me neither. I can only watch other people who watch it.

Even then, I have to mute and fast forward some stuff, to avoid getting enveloped in the stench cloud that surrounds all dRump family and operatives.

Credit to Pastor John. Good to see people unhappy with the orange antichrist hijacking their religion, and openly drawing the line.

[olegramps]

25. She has sold her soul to the devil personified. I hopelessly wish there is a hell and heaven.

The good man does is interred with their bones, but evil they do lives after them.

[Mc Mike]

40. Modern Romans. nt

[pangaia]

28. Being a HUMAN BEING and being a Trump supporter are completely incompatible.

[Cha]

7. Drop the mic..

“I imagine you feel that thirty seconds of jokes from a comedian is terrible treatment; that you feel unfairly bullied, that feel that you didn’t deserve to be personally attacked.”

“I imagine you feel like an innocent victim in all this.”

“Given the countless hours you’ve spent lying to the world and claiming Jesus while you’ve done it—I think you got off easy,” he concludes.

[CurtEastPoint]

9. John P doesn't hold back.

[Cha]

11. It's even better coming

from a Christian Pastor.

[el_bryanto]

13. I wish Trump had never been President

But it will be interesting talking to my fellow church-goers when they try to say things like "We have a duty to support people of principle." Then again, maybe God-Emperor Trump will forbid such conversations.

Bryant

[CurtEastPoint]

14. Yes, a person of principle, like John Pavlovitz, a Christian minister.

[Geechie]

15. Watching SHS

is like watching a snuff film in which the victim is the soul. Can’t stand to watch, can’t completely look away ...

[heaven05]

16. excellent

a Christian living the truth. Strange in this time with KKKristians like sanders, trump, sessions et al;

[Trueblue Texan]

17. Pavlovitz nailed it here:

“But for my money, that Jesus is the reason so many people want nothing to do with Christianity anymore.It’s why the Church is hemorrhaging.It’s why the pews are emptying.It’s why people run from Christians.”

That's EXACTLY why I want NOTHING to do with Christians or Christianity. I'm fed up with lying hypocrites like Trump and Sanders and all those so-called Christians that support them. Screw them.

[SergeStorms]

47. No, no, no....

christian persecution is the reason the pews are emptying. The "war on christianity and christians" is in full battle mode. We refuse to allow them to attend the church of their choice, and forbid them to wear religious icons around their necks. We also burn every copy of the Bible we come across. We're a dangerous and blood-thirsty bunch.

Not really, though. We secular humanists will compare our life-styles and choices to any so-called "christian" any day of the week. Our ability to forgive and be non-judgemental would put any so-called "christian's" ability to do the same to shame (if indeed they're capable of felling shame for their actions at all). In the Trump era, shame, personal responsibility, morals and ethics seem to have been replaced with ego, greed, pride, and a visceral hate of the poor and infirm.

Christians in the U.S. need to reboot their hard drives.

[bobbieinok]

18. Great blog!! For each of his posts a few diehard T supporters attack Pavlovitz's Christianity

[OneBro]

19. Here is the original, mic-dropping DEAR SARAH text.

And don’t miss the second article at the link titled “If Michelle Wolf Is Your Problem, You Need Better Problems.” It’s just as jaw-dropping.

https://johnpavlovitz.com/

[WePurrsevere]

20. As always, he nails it. I've been following him on Twitter and...

reading his blog for around 2 years because he reminds me that there are still Christians out there that are truly trying to follow the basic messages of the Jesus I grew up reading and learning about in the Gospels.

He's pretty consistent and has developed an interesting and eclectic mix of followers (like me) and not just what some call 'progressive' Christians.

[dembotoz]

32. he hits the nail on the head so often he should be a carpenter....like someone else i can think of..

he is one of the reasons i became active in my local church again

[Upthevibe]

21. Well put...

It's impossible to reconcile.....

[Nitram]

22. Most excellent! Nice to hear from a Christian who actually believes in the core tenets of

Christianity.

[ooky]

46. I'd bet he doesn't live in a 10 million dollar house either.

[Nitram]

49. Meanwhile Paul Ryan kicks out the chaplain to replace him with someone who preaches the "prosperity

gospel."

[McKim]

23. There are Many Mainline Churches Who Believe in the Real Teachings of Jesus

Christianity isn’t all bad. There are many many mainline churches and ministers who are preaching the original teachings of Jesus. I attend the United Church of Christ where the real Jesus and his values are upheld and carried out. Don’t lump all Christians with the Evangelical types who use His name for their destructive and selfish cults.

[Stonepounder]

36. Anen the that.

I'm pretty much an agnostic at this point in my life, but there's an awful lot in the New Testament that I try and live by. Unfortunately, the area I live in doesn't have any churches that I am willing to go to. So, I just try and live my life as best I can and be the kind of person that Jesus might have characterized as 'flawed but trying'.

[TomSlick]

43. I'm with you and all

but don't lump everyone who attends an evangelical church in the same pile. Evangelicals are a diverse group. I will allow that I'm out-numbered but I, for one, keep reminding folks of Christ's teachings. There are some few of us that are Matthew 25 Evangelicals.

[dalton99a]

24. Kick

[catrose]

29. Gone viral?

That explains why so many trolls have descended on him. Assuming they're not Russian bots (can we?), their comments are examples of how the evilgelicals think. While I found his letter almost tenderly pastoral, they're screaming about how hateful he is.

[mcar]

30. That was brilliant!

Thanks TxT!

[Major Nikon]

31. Go straight to hell for lying. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Revelation 21:8

[Fritz Walter]

48. But what about the indulgences they're buying?!?

Last edited Thu May 3, 2018, 08:42 AM - Edit history (2)

For those who didn't learn about the reason Martin Luther tacked up the 95 Theses on the church door some 500 years ago, the Catholic Church -- back then, the only game in town for Xtians -- used to sell indulgences: for a "donation," the Church would issue a pardon for some or all sins.

Isn't that what we're seeing with the current evangelical movement? As long as you tithe to whatever tent-revivalist, TV bible-thumper, or mega-church pastor, you get a clean slate. They won't go to hell because they got a receipt! And a hefty tax deduction.

[HenryWallace]

33. Our political struggle mirrors a religious struggle....

I disagree with the author's statement:

".... one of the few men of the cloth who interprets the New Testament in the spirit of the Christian teachings it contains."

There have been a boatload of faithful voices speaking out, generally from the Reformed traditions (but, certainly not exclusively) individuals who have been, in effect, crying in the wilderness.

For forty plus years, their congregations have been shrinking; abandoned in favor of the easy answers of fundamentalism. Anything sound familiar here?

[Gothmog]

34. Trump is not a good christian

[central scrutinizer]

35. He has very good posts on grief as well

I lost Mrs. Scrutinizer 14 months ago and his writings on grief are spot on. I'm not a Christian and I appreciate that he doesn't tell a grieving person to find comfort in Jesus.

[LiberalLovinLug]

37. I wish to gawd he HAD broken the internet with this

But this will get lost soon in the cybersphere , if not already.

[Sentath]

38. Source: https://johnpavlovitz.com/

Direct Link

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2018/05/01/dear-sarah/

[Initech]

39. Republican Jesus don't care about no 10 commandments.

[Delphinus]

41. I found him

right after the 2016 election - and he speaks for me even though I am not Christian. He's great.

[apkhgp]

42. The lies that people believe

Lies from people like Sanders, Kellyanne, and that whole group of fast talking con artists. They are selling their snake oil to this country one bottle at a time. One bottle for one vote. They are still calling Hillary crooked. I can not stand it anymore.

[BobTheSubgenius]

44. I'm very glad to have read this, but I have to wonder...

....how could it have taken this long?

[Hekate]

45. If you have not been looking for people like Pavlovitz, you will have missed them. They exist...

...and have been active all along. It's easy to google Liberal Religious Denominations -- Christian, Jewish, whatever -- and come up with a dozen right off.

But what they preach is rigorous. It's hard. It requires self-reflection and work and a certain amount of personal discomfiture.

What Joel Osteen and his ilk are peddling is snake-oil to help the self-satisfied slide through life with the assurance that their god and their jesus love them better than anyone else, and that the proof of this is their white skin and their prosperity and their opportunities and their health. Snake-oil has always been popular.