I fear that young evangelicals have weighed their elders in the balance and found us wanting. The ramifications of that disillusionment will last for decades.
I would be surprised if younger evangelicals are not more disillusioned with Elders who have elevated party loyalty and ideology to a platform equivalent (or almost so) to the Faith itself. And as time goes on, the immorality of justifying selling our inheritance as a country and the manufacturing capacity that keeps us independent for the sake of cheaper iphones and rank consumerism may become more apparent. Time will tell.
Debra, If you read the last six paragraphs of this article by Dreher, those who minister to young people know exactly where the disillusionment is coming from.
Debra, I have taught youth in church for over thirty years. The disillusionment of the 20 somethings this year was unlike anything I have ever seen before. That is what the youth ministers in the article were talking about.
You have to understand that I live in Texas and many of those young people wound up voting for Trump. Many parents handled the situation well. They talked about the lesser of two evils, etc.
However, many youth have seen their parents and church leaders enthusiastically support Trump and excuse and defend outrageous Trump lies, the degradation of many women by Trump, the attacks on the women who came forward after Trump’s sexual assault confession, etc.
When you work with youth, your credibility is critical. In the last two years many parents and church leaders across the country lost that credibility. It is a tough thing to regain, particularly if the same parents and church leaders are still defending misbehavior.
P.S. I am yet to meet a single youth who was the least bit disillusioned because of his parents’ positions on free trade or tariffs and I have refrained from sharing Milton Friedman or Thomas Sowell with any of my students.
Would those disillusioned youth be happy if we elected an incompetent woman who cared about nothing but personal enrichment?
And the attitude that we owed her the presidency?
Chas, They saw how their parents felt about the debauched husband of that woman. Many heard parents or pastors say Bill Clinton was unfit to serve and should have been removed from office. Then they heard those same people defend or excuse Trump for very similar acts.
Of course the great irony is that those same parents and church leaders woke up this morning to pictures of Trump, Pelosi and Schumer. After less than 8 months, Trump has relapsed into liberalism.
Churchill told his opponents in the late 30s: “Asked to choose between war and dishonor, you chose dishonor. You will also have war.”
Last year, it appeared Republicans were choosing dishonor over liberalism. They will have both.
However, I think conservatives have a lot to be thankful for. A sane but liberal Trump would have behaved with dignity and honesty during the 11 months since the election and made this pivot to the left immediately upon taking office. Had he done so, he could have formed a powerful coalition of Democrats and Trump cultists to do many socialist and economically disastrous things. Since he spent those eleven months in nonstop dishonesty, intellectual sloth and buffoonery, his ability to create such a coalition is much diminished.
One Trump supporter tweets his doubt and the mainstream media and Never Trumpers are sent into spasms of delight. It takes so little to please them. :–)
Not really, Ricky. I still think Trump is committed to serious border security and it is currently ongoing. I don’t relish seeing people who have lived here since childhood deported wholesale, but this is a Congressional issue not a Presidential one. Trump is just forcing Congress to do its job. And having collaborated with Democrats and Republicans on this issue, he may find it easier to bring the parties together somewhat in other matters such as healthcare, infrastructure, and taxes….an absolute nightmare scenario for Never Trumpniks, I know. :–)
Debra, I gave you the nightmare scenario for Never Trumpers (conservatives or taxpayers) back at 8:08, and it had me worried. If Trump had started dealing with Pelosi and Reid from the beginning and eliminated the Comey firing, Tapp Tweets, spats with Nordstrom and Australia, the week of Mini-Trump Scaramucci, etc., he might have got his trillion dollars for infrastructure while seriously damaging the economy with protectionism. Now, everyone knows he is ignorant and crazy. The Democrats will try to use him. Who knows what the Republicans will do with all the cultists in their midst? However, the worst danger is over until 2019. If Trump is still around and the Democrats take both Houses of Congress, the Obama years will be the “good old days” for conservatives.
Ha. Democrats will not take the House and Senate. In fact, most likely Republicans will increase their majorities as they have been doing for some time. The more serious question is ‘What kind of Republican?’ The GOP is fractured with Freedom Caucus/Libertarian types, Neo-Cons, Paleos-Cons, Social Conservatives (small group), Economic Conservatives (shrinking group) and Republicrats (bloated by a combination of Never Trumpers and Bush would-be Democrats), etc. Since voters’ support can sometimes bleed from one group into the next depending on the issues, it ensures that there’s never a dull moment, and none on the horizon. :–)
The Senate will be tougher for the Dems to take because most of the 33 seats up for election are in Democrat hands. Still, 2018 looks bad. The Dems are fired up, the Republicans are demoralized, and it is likely to get worse since our “leader” has gone over to the enemy.
I don’t think the Republican voter is really demoralized, although the legislators, pundits, and leaders may be. Perhaps it’s a little cynical on my part, but it will be a long time before I am able to see our political polls and pollsters as credible. They will have to get it right a few times where it counts first.
Democrats are fired up with their own paid activists and a few professional players—many of them unsavory types. I doubt that translates into votes. But we’ll see. :–)
I am still tired of All Trump All the Time on this thread.
As for the “Twenty Somethings”, Their campus shenanigans and love of Bernie and Socialism shows lack of thought and learning. Venezuela should teach them, but that requires thought and knowledge.
California has about 10% of the US population and 30% of the welfare recipients. Wait until our stupid legislature votes for single payer. Watch all the sick people move here and the MDs move out.
I understand the frustration with Trump, but to be fair your posts are as full of Trump as any other. He does seem to give us all a good excuse to bellyache. Even if it’s just over talking about him. These are strange times. :–)
Wandering Views 
I found several aspects of this shift in opinion to be interesting.
https://mobile.twitter.com/keithboykin/status/908283497365811201
I fear that young evangelicals have weighed their elders in the balance and found us wanting. The ramifications of that disillusionment will last for decades.
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I would be surprised if younger evangelicals are not more disillusioned with Elders who have elevated party loyalty and ideology to a platform equivalent (or almost so) to the Faith itself. And as time goes on, the immorality of justifying selling our inheritance as a country and the manufacturing capacity that keeps us independent for the sake of cheaper iphones and rank consumerism may become more apparent. Time will tell.
LikeLike
Debra, If you read the last six paragraphs of this article by Dreher, those who minister to young people know exactly where the disillusionment is coming from.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/is-the-nashville-statement-a-surrender/
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I’ve read it. What was the reason for evangelical youth disillusionment before Trump?
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Debra, I have taught youth in church for over thirty years. The disillusionment of the 20 somethings this year was unlike anything I have ever seen before. That is what the youth ministers in the article were talking about.
You have to understand that I live in Texas and many of those young people wound up voting for Trump. Many parents handled the situation well. They talked about the lesser of two evils, etc.
However, many youth have seen their parents and church leaders enthusiastically support Trump and excuse and defend outrageous Trump lies, the degradation of many women by Trump, the attacks on the women who came forward after Trump’s sexual assault confession, etc.
When you work with youth, your credibility is critical. In the last two years many parents and church leaders across the country lost that credibility. It is a tough thing to regain, particularly if the same parents and church leaders are still defending misbehavior.
P.S. I am yet to meet a single youth who was the least bit disillusioned because of his parents’ positions on free trade or tariffs and I have refrained from sharing Milton Friedman or Thomas Sowell with any of my students.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Would those disillusioned youth be happy if we elected an incompetent woman who cared about nothing but personal enrichment?
And the attitude that we owed her the presidency?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Chas, They saw how their parents felt about the debauched husband of that woman. Many heard parents or pastors say Bill Clinton was unfit to serve and should have been removed from office. Then they heard those same people defend or excuse Trump for very similar acts.
Of course the great irony is that those same parents and church leaders woke up this morning to pictures of Trump, Pelosi and Schumer. After less than 8 months, Trump has relapsed into liberalism.
Churchill told his opponents in the late 30s: “Asked to choose between war and dishonor, you chose dishonor. You will also have war.”
Last year, it appeared Republicans were choosing dishonor over liberalism. They will have both.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course there has been tremendous weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth from Trump Cultists and Ideological Trumpkins alike.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/09/13/steve-king-if-reports-correct-trump-base-is-blown-up-destroyed-irreparable/
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Which then led to Never Trumpers setting an all-time record for gloating:
However, I think conservatives have a lot to be thankful for. A sane but liberal Trump would have behaved with dignity and honesty during the 11 months since the election and made this pivot to the left immediately upon taking office. Had he done so, he could have formed a powerful coalition of Democrats and Trump cultists to do many socialist and economically disastrous things. Since he spent those eleven months in nonstop dishonesty, intellectual sloth and buffoonery, his ability to create such a coalition is much diminished.
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We don’t seemingly know how to govern ourselves very well anymore.
Which is why … I … continue to live In …. The State of Denial.
When does the new TV season launch? Oh wait. Trump will probably be the veiled subject of many of the 2017-18 show plots coming up. Groan.
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Some of you may know Scott Lincicome for his excellent articles on free trade. It turns out he is also Nostradamus.
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One Trump supporter tweets his doubt and the mainstream media and Never Trumpers are sent into spasms of delight. It takes so little to please them. :–)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Debra, You are drifting into Trump Cult territory. All the Ideological Trumpkins are pitching a fit.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/right-explodes-in-anger-over-trump-deal-daca-dreamers-democrats-pelosi-schumer-hannity-coulter-ingraham
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What a negotiator is Trump! The wall is out and DACA is coming back, but Schumer now has to watch Fox & Friends.
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Not really, Ricky. I still think Trump is committed to serious border security and it is currently ongoing. I don’t relish seeing people who have lived here since childhood deported wholesale, but this is a Congressional issue not a Presidential one. Trump is just forcing Congress to do its job. And having collaborated with Democrats and Republicans on this issue, he may find it easier to bring the parties together somewhat in other matters such as healthcare, infrastructure, and taxes….an absolute nightmare scenario for Never Trumpniks, I know. :–)
LikeLike
Debra, I gave you the nightmare scenario for Never Trumpers (conservatives or taxpayers) back at 8:08, and it had me worried. If Trump had started dealing with Pelosi and Reid from the beginning and eliminated the Comey firing, Tapp Tweets, spats with Nordstrom and Australia, the week of Mini-Trump Scaramucci, etc., he might have got his trillion dollars for infrastructure while seriously damaging the economy with protectionism. Now, everyone knows he is ignorant and crazy. The Democrats will try to use him. Who knows what the Republicans will do with all the cultists in their midst? However, the worst danger is over until 2019. If Trump is still around and the Democrats take both Houses of Congress, the Obama years will be the “good old days” for conservatives.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Trumpkins are actually burning the goofy red hats.
https://twitter.com/clevelandsimms/status/908481834102685696
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Ha. Democrats will not take the House and Senate. In fact, most likely Republicans will increase their majorities as they have been doing for some time. The more serious question is ‘What kind of Republican?’ The GOP is fractured with Freedom Caucus/Libertarian types, Neo-Cons, Paleos-Cons, Social Conservatives (small group), Economic Conservatives (shrinking group) and Republicrats (bloated by a combination of Never Trumpers and Bush would-be Democrats), etc. Since voters’ support can sometimes bleed from one group into the next depending on the issues, it ensures that there’s never a dull moment, and none on the horizon. :–)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Debra, I hope you are right, but this doesn’t look good.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/2018_generic_congressional_vote-6185.html
The Senate will be tougher for the Dems to take because most of the 33 seats up for election are in Democrat hands. Still, 2018 looks bad. The Dems are fired up, the Republicans are demoralized, and it is likely to get worse since our “leader” has gone over to the enemy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think the Republican voter is really demoralized, although the legislators, pundits, and leaders may be. Perhaps it’s a little cynical on my part, but it will be a long time before I am able to see our political polls and pollsters as credible. They will have to get it right a few times where it counts first.
Democrats are fired up with their own paid activists and a few professional players—many of them unsavory types. I doubt that translates into votes. But we’ll see. :–)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am still tired of All Trump All the Time on this thread.
As for the “Twenty Somethings”, Their campus shenanigans and love of Bernie and Socialism shows lack of thought and learning. Venezuela should teach them, but that requires thought and knowledge.
California has about 10% of the US population and 30% of the welfare recipients. Wait until our stupid legislature votes for single payer. Watch all the sick people move here and the MDs move out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I understand the frustration with Trump, but to be fair your posts are as full of Trump as any other. He does seem to give us all a good excuse to bellyache. Even if it’s just over talking about him. These are strange times. :–)
LikeLiked by 1 person