Thursday, January 02, 2020

' 2019 LGBTQ pop culture countdown' & other Fri midday news briefs

Lil Nas X had a wonderful year.

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW: Pop culture countdown - Lil Nas X, the late Whitney Houston's friend Robyn Crawford, Jussie Smollett (ugh), and other LGBTQ moments of 2019. 

New Illinois law requires all public single-use restrooms be gender neutral - Good for Illinois!

A transgender character is joining the MCU, which hasn't had the best record for LGBTQ portrayals - I'm not impressed yet.

Theologian lists 10 ways conservative evangelicals have transformed Christianity to 'TRUMPianity'

No matter what they say, conservative white evangelicals prefer the guy on the left more than the guy on the right.

I read this last week and found it so on point that I decided to post it at a later date. Then I lost it. But lo and behold, it popped right back up again when I was considering what post I would publish today.

Much has been said and will be said about conservative white evangelicals shamelessly embracing of a Trump presidency in spite of the fact that they are supposed to stand against every quality he has brought into the White House - lying, hypocrisy, adultery, corruption. etc. To me, it all about power. As long as he freely gives them access and the power to influence public policy, conservative white evangelicals will contort themselves to justify or ignore all of his vile qualities.

How they contort hasn't been spotlighted as much as it should, except by theologian, speaker, and author Benjamin L. Corey. In an absolutely wonderful piece,10 Signs You’re Actually Following TRUMPianity Instead of CHRISTianity, he breaks down the 10 ways conservative white evangelicals have twisted themselves up in knots to justify their support of Trump and in essence, replaced Christianity for 'Trumpianity.'

The entire piece deserves your attention, but I am to going list Corey's 10 points. For more details on each,  read how Corey broke them down:

10. You spent 8 years criticizing every move of Obama, but the minute Trump was sworn in you started telling everyone that “Christians should respect the president” and that being “divisive” is a sin. 
9. You think, “but we’re a nation of laws” somehow trumps biblical teachings on how immigrants are to be treated. 
8. Your church is planning a “patriotic worship service” for the 4th of July. 
7. You instinctively applaud when Trump threatens to “bomb the shit” out of people, but quickly push back if someone quotes what Jesus taught about violence and enemy love. 
6. You think that having a filthy mouth and boasting about sexual immorality is a sign of being unsaved, but when it comes to Trump you all of a sudden have a “Who am I to judge?” attitude. 
5. You think it’s God-honoring to refuse to bow to a national statue, but that you should be fired from your job, kicked out of the country, or even charged with treason for refusing to stand for the flag. 
4. You want the nation to return to “biblical values”… except for all those socialist sounding biblical things like caring for the poor, welcoming the stranger, giving food to the hungry, etc. 
3. Your church spends one month a year celebrating the story of refugee family who fled their violent homeland and secretly crossed the border to safety, only to return home years later where their son became another unarmed person of color killed by the state’s violent security forces because they “felt threatened”… 
2. You claimed Barack Obama’s election was the result of evil forces, but the minute Trump was sworn into office you started quoting verses about how “God picks a nation’s kings and queens.” 
1. You spent the 90’s saying “character counts” but now say, “We don’t vote for a national pastor.”