Good news?: Why Christians can stay hopeful in this time of political darkness

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

Seventy percent of Americans are dissatisfied “with the way things are going in the United States at this time,” according to a Gallup poll. This presumably includes a large number of Christians — a group of people who claim to have reasons to hope no matter how dismal the moment.....

Writer Zach Hoag wrestles with these very questions in his new book, “The Light Is Winning: Why Religion Just Might Bring Us Back to Life.” The darkness is real, he says, but it is also receding. He explains why America is in a time of “great revealing” and how Christians can stave off nihilism and nurture hope.

In another sense, though, I remain hopeful and resolute. Despite the percentage of evangelicals who voted for and support Trump, I believe we are witnessing the last angry gasps of a perspective that is coming to a necessary end as a dominant force in American society.

To read more of this interesting interview:

http://religionnews.com/2017/08/22/why-christians-can-stay-hopeful-in-this-time-of-political-darkness/

[guillaumeb]

1. Also from the article:

Q:The growing number of religiously unaffiliated — the “nones” or “dones” — has garnered a lot of press in recent days. Does this surge bother you?


A: The statistics themselves sadden me, but they don’t alarm me. While the nones and dones are different groups with different reasons for avoiding organized religion, God is present with them and gracious towards them right where they are. The nones and dones are telling us something that we desperately need to hear.

[trotsky]

2. "God is present with them and gracious towards them" - Wow, how arrogant and condescending.

Believers just don't get it.

[Warpy]

3. "Something we desperately need to hear"

I didn't get the impression he's been listening.

[guillaumeb]

5. One person's opinion.

Yours may differ. Is arrogance and condescension to be reserved for Richard Dawkins and people sharing his beliefs?

[trotsky]

12. Yes, one person's arrogant and condescending opinion.

Do you share it? Is that why you pulled out your Whataboutism card again?

[Tikki]

4. For many 'nones' and 'dones', Science happens and Evolution continues...

whether you believe in it or not, is not the flip side of the coin.

Tikki

[AtheistCrusader]

7. I cannot stand religious people that assume I am their god's property whether I like it or not.

Forget dripping, he's spraying arrogance in all directions at high pressure.

[guillaumeb]

8. Is that your interpretation of his motivation?

Interesting.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. Yes.

[Voltaire2]

10. You do know that Trump's right wing supporters

are part of that 70%, right?

So in summary, despite the fact that religiosity was highly correlated with being a right wing shithead who voted for Trump, we can pretend that is going to magically change real soon.

[TlalocW]

11. Ironic title

Because I think because of the rise of atheists/nones, the light is winning. I think we're facing a big upheaval (and subsequent backlash) that's been fomenting since access to the internet became common, and it's been blowing up ever since technology has made it easier for people to use - such as Smartphones. Now anyone can do a video response to the assholes like "Dr." Kent Hovind's lies about evolution, watch videos where people explain in easy-to-understand language the advantages and disadvantages of various moral systems, and even find out what their religion really believes (there was an interesting case of this of a lifelong Mormon reading about what the church believes, finding it crazy, and then asking his elders if it were true. Ended up with his not being a Mormon anymore).

The more info that's out there, the better, and the more informed people become, the more liberal they tend to be. The old guard is fighting it, and at times, it even looks like they're winning, but I have hope.

TlalocW

[MineralMan]

13. Christians can stay hopeful? Just them?

Really? I suppose that's a "sure and certain hope," right?

I've always been hopeful, even when the brown stuff hits the fan. That has nothing to do with religion or any such thing. I'm an optimist, by nature, and know that there's much I can do to keep hope alive. "Do" is the operant word. What I "do" is to try to help and think of the future when I help.

Zach Hoag is heavily invested in Christianity, so he sees that as the reason to hope. Others hope for different reasons.

Religion is not always the answer.