The death knell of Evangelicalism

When president Trump was elected, he had the support of the majority of evangelical Christians in the USA. President Trump was the most unchristian president the USA had ever seen.

In Brazil, Bolsonaro has the support of most of the evangelical Christians. He is the ‘Trump of the tropics’. He is on his way to destroying the environment and has the support of the ruling class of Brazil’s billionaires.

What is happening here? I believe that this is what is happens when one worships Jesus and then does not pay attention to what he said.

Facts and Emotions

The world is heading into a climate crisis. The overwhelming majority of the world’s scientists have warned us that as fossil fuels heat up the environment, global temperatures will rise – and then extreme weather events ( wildfires, hurricanes, droughts and floods ) will soar. It is already happening.

Using the Bible for Political Gain

Recently Jeff Sessions, the US Attorney General, quoted the Bible to defend the US Administration on the family separation issue on the southern US border. Specifically, the Bible passage he referred is the following:

“Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. Whosoever resists the power, resists the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves condemnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Should you not then be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and you shall have praise of the same.” (Rom.12:1-3)

Reflections on “Convictions

I have just finished reading the book, “Convictions: How I learned What Matters Most” by Marcus Borg. This is labelled as ‘A manifesto for progressive Christians’. There is much that is commendable here. As the book cover shows, Borg goes back into Christianity’s roots so that he can better garner the outgoing fruits that should emerge. This is a call for the prophetic role of Christianity in its struggle for social justice. It is also a reminder of Christianity’s initial stance of non-violent resistance and confrontation of the world’s many evils.

Mythology: A modern interpretation

I am an engineer. I have also spent five years studying theology. Now about 50 years later I ask myself, what did I learn during those years in seminary? The one thing that I finally grasped is the role of mythology in shaping society.

What is mythology? It is a story that society tells to itself to explain its raison d'être (reason for being). And what are the characteristics of the mythological story?

Religion and US politics: The collapse of evangelical Christianity in the post-truth age

During the US presidential campaign Donald Trump

-        Verbally abused many (Mexican immigrants, Muslims, the disabled)
-        Denied the reality of human activity causing climate change
-        Habitually lied
-        Made promises that he won’t/can’t keep
-        Boasted of sexual assault

Despite all of this 70% of evangelical Christians in the US voted for him.
How could this be?

It seems like these evangelical Christian completely abandoned their supposedly moral principles and voted for him for very worldly reasons.

Religion: The unholy alliance between religion and state power

Earlier this year I was in Peru for three months evaluating water supply and sanitation systems for small towns (< 30,000 people) throughout Peru. My work brought me to many different areas of Peru. One of the most fascinating visits was in Cajamarca.