Writer, analyst, and Georgia Southern Associate Professor of Creative Writing Jared Yates Sexton fancies himself something of an expert on Evangelical Christianity. So, when he found out about Donald Trump Jr. posing with a gun featuring an image of Hillary Clinton behind bars:
Trump Jr. displays gun magazine showing Hillary Clinton behind bars https://t.co/3pS2e4YD66 pic.twitter.com/pzByU3ORhv
— The Hill (@thehill) January 6, 2020
He just had to analyze exactly what was going on. And analyze, he did:
All right. Let’s talk about Donald Trump, Jr posing with a gun adorned with crusader iconography as America teeters on the brink of a religious war, why the imprisoned Hillary Clinton image plays into apocalyptic white identity Christianity, and how this country got so screwed up pic.twitter.com/dcCB9VW0eC
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
I’ve been talking about this awhile, but I’ve taken to calling white identity Christianity, particularly the strain that’s given itself in full to Trumpism, as the Cult of the Shining City. They live in a fictional reality where they’re fighting a supernatural war.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
The origins of this group’s madness comes from the linking of white nationalism and Christianity, a merging of myth that originated in the concept that America is God’s chosen country and American’s God’s chosen people.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
We’re pretty familiar with the idea of American exceptionalism, but we need to remember what it’s led to. The birth of “Manifest Destiny” in the 19th century was an offshoot of Romanticism, which led to wild nationalism and later Nazism.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
By believing America was God’s chosen people we’ve enable unbelievable wrongs because America, as the arbiter of right and wrong, can do anything it needs to advance. This includes the genocide of native people, enslavement, subjugation of other countries, war crimes, etc.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
In the 1960’s, as Civil Rights leaders used Christianity as a means of equality, white segregationist preachers changed Christianity’s tenets from kindness to a means of gaining power and wealth. It morphed into a white identity movement meant to maintain white supremacy.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
As the cultural wars of the 60s/70s grew in intensity, white identity evangelicals pushed a concept that liberalism was not only wrong but destructive to society and liable to destroy America. Because it was a White supremacist movement in disguise, social justice was included.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
During this time white identity evangelicals start adopting apocalyptic appeals to maintain control. Parishioners are told to eschew intellectualism / liberalism for it’s a means for Satan to gain control. At this point, liberals and the devil become interchangeable.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
Enter Ronald Reagan, whose occult obsessions blend nationalism and mysticism. His partnership with white evangelicals combined the ideas, leading America into a decade obsessed with satanic threats, apocalyptic culture, and political battles framed as good v. evil.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
Isn’t this fun?
He’s on a roll now…. https://t.co/pp6eqEVfUE
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) January 6, 2020
He just can’t stop himself:
At this point, the political narrative and religious narrative are intertwined. There are rumors of satanic conspiracies. Liberals aren’t political opponents but evil interlocutors, traitors, some even agents of satanic evil.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
Because the Cult of the Shining City views America as God’s chosen country, logic dictates it’s invincible. This is another leftover from Romantic ideals. Like all other rabid nationalistic nations, any losses or struggles are blamed on traitors and evil forces.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
You’ll recognize this in Trump’s claims of leaders either being stupid or betraying America. This is the origin of Deep State ideology, which is just an evolution of New World Order conspiracies, which was an evolution of Elders of Zion conspiracies.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
The belief is that America, as God’s chosen country, is beset by evil forces and traitors. Because this is a white identity belief, the conspirators are liberals and minority populations in concert to undermine power and white supremacy.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
This group, the Trump group, the Cult of the Shining City that views them as saviors, literally believe they’re chosen by God and are at war with evil. Crusaders. Their enemies? Anyone who questions America, be it Iranians or liberals.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
If you want to get a headache, go checkout the Qanon narratives. They’re nonsensical because they follow this crazy narrative and strive to connect everyone from Hillary Clinton and Trump critics with worldwide evil movements. It’s a means of continuing the chosen narrative.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
At the heart of this is a belief by these people, including Trump, who believe they’re special and ordained by God. Anything they do is righteous as they’re anointed crusaders. Theirs is a holy cause and thus any action is warranted.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
Just to reiterate, America’s worst offenses originate from the idea that we are a benevolent, ordained, holy country. It enables horrific behavior. War crimes. Great cruelty. The eradication of whole peoples. This myth is as dangerous as dangerous gets.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 6, 2020
Has Jared considered switching to decaf?
Wait. What. Since when are we teetering on the “brink of a religious war”?
Getting into a religious war now, when Americans identify with any religion at record lows, would be really weird. https://t.co/q8oHrF5sJi— Andrea Caruso (@AndreaNRuth) January 6, 2020
Honey.
Really. https://t.co/qLqDEnlOTY— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) January 6, 2020
On second thought let's keep them focused on this nonsense. Chasing the secret White Christian Revolution underground should keep them occupied.
Yes Jared.
Tell the people!!
Expose the conspiracy!
Report back.
No no…take all the time you need.
The world is depending on you. https://t.co/qLqDEnlOTY— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) January 6, 2020
Snort.
Jared isn’t a serious person. https://t.co/l2ovkvRD83
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) January 6, 2020