There are a few hard core Southern Evangelicals and Fundies. These few live a righteous life and are nazi-esque in their evangelism. However, they're not the majority... even among evangelicals or 'fundy' Christians.

The majority of 'fundy' and 'evangelical' Christians are lifestyle Christians. They go to big mega-churches to be seen, generally in their new fashions and jewels. They want to be seen as well-off or at least not struggling, but charitable. They give lip service to God and the commandments, but when real life comes up against the creed RL pragmatism wins out pretty much every time. Weekly. Maybe daily.

They sin. A LOT. And they expect that's A-OK because their belief says, "simply accept Jesus once and you are saved." That may not be the actual truth, but that's how they rationalize it to be, because that's the only standard they can live up to.

They assume they themselves are flawed. They assume it is OK to sin and fail in lots of ways. Their biggest motivator and hope -- that they'll be forgiven. Because many of them are pretty damned weak in their conviction and cry for the cosmic "I am saved" do-over on many things little and big on a damned near weekly basis... bolstered by their church-going which not-so-coincidentally is weekly.

Their public confession of faith says they should shun someone like Gingrich. Privately though, they not only root for someone so visibly fallen and Christian yet successful to be redeemed... they ARE him. To a huge extent. Regardless of the particular religious tag behind his name.

 

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Not sure why it matters. I already knew they were pretenders.

 

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It matters bacause people talking about his 'marriage lapses' and 'taking cash' driving away the majority of the fundy vote clearly don't understand the fundy vote.

There's a reason he got a near-universal standing ovation in SC when he turned on the media for bothering to delve into the open marriage question... BEFORE he even bothered to deny it.

 

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The state that has the most Mega-Churches is actually California.

Interesting factoid

 

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Christians shouldn't shun anyone, and they shouldn't mix politics with faith.

Mark 12:17:

"Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him."

I don't think Jesus would vote for Gingrich, but I don't think he'd campaign against him either.

 

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Then what does that say about the several idiots on the board who have proven they don't "get this" for about 6 months, now?

 

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Perhaps they don't care to understand them?

 

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Many people who follow a religion, a philosophy or an ideology are doing it for appearances. The same way you get lifestyle christians, you have Urban Yuppie Buddhists (who follow the Boodah, who was apparently a hedonistic pot smoking trustafarian hippy and social activist), upper-middle class marxists, limousine liberals or so-called neopagans who are mostly just trying to LARP a fantasy novel. These things are lifestyle accessories, hobbies, something to take out and show the guests, then put away when the guests leave.

 

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Hence the point.

It isn't that Gingrich and his failings are just 'consistent' with the profile of most fundies. They actually resonate with and even MOTIVATE most fundies because of the prospect of very visible failure, redemption, and collective affirmation of the sinner. He's a vessel for their own projected guilt, shame and hope.

 

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