Religion, Sex and Power: Why Evangelicals Are Embracing Roy Moore
Read Time:3 Minute, 37 Second
An expert in the intersection between religion and sex observes evangelicals are flocking to support embattled Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore because maintaining “power” is at the center of their world.
To be clear it’s not about Jesus, or some other mythical deity, as these fanatics would have you believe, it’s about politics and power.
In an Atlantic interview with Washington University in St. Louis Professor Marie Griffith, author of Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics, Griffith explained that Christians defending Moore over accusations that he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old when he was a 32-year-old lawyer isn’t “hypocrisy” – it’s how they see the world.
Griffith went on to explain:
“I think what we’re seeing is an extreme politicization of Christianity. It almost does not feel like the evangelical tradition of a generation ago. I don’t want to overstate that, of course—there’s plenty that’s still evangelicalism. But it has become so focused on power. It looks like hypocrisy to the outside world. I’m not sure I quite see it as hypocrisy, but I do see it as a real politicization of the tradition.”
Interviewer Emma Green asked:
“The women in Alabama who have accused Roy Moore are probably also fairly conservative, and might be Christians. Why are some claims doubted and systematically undermined by conservatives, even when they’re made by Christian women?”
The professor explained it’s all about politics:
“Maybe it really does come down, even unconsciously, to politics. I hate to make people sound so calculating, but in some ways, that is what it seems,” “Those who were already supportive of Clarence Thomas were primed not to believe in any sort of moral failing. By the time [Anita] Hill’s story became public and widely known, there had already been great controversy over his nomination and very strong support coming from the conservative Christian world. There wasn’t a frame in that world except to disbelieve the story she told.”
“On the other hand, with Paula Jones, when her story came to light, there was already tremendous hatred of Bill Clinton, and of Hillary Clinton, too, in those same conservative Christian circles. So they’re primed to believe a story from their hatred of him. In some ways, we forget how primed we are, politically, to believe or disbelieve a story depending on who is telling it.”
Professor Griffith was asked:
“How did sexual politics become so central to religious discourse in the United States? Why do we have such an obsession with sexual morality?”
She responded:
“The Bible has things to say about sex. But for Jesus, in the New Testament, it’s not a major thing at all,” she replied. “He’s far more concerned with feeding the poor and caring for those in need. When you look back over the last century of Christian argumentation and political concern, however, it’s had a lot more to do with sex than with caring for the poor.”
“But the motivating concerns are sex, birth control, obscenity and censorship laws, sex education in public schools, and even abortion, which has a lot to do with sex and sexual morality,” she continued. “I think it’s a lot about women and gender roles, and wanting to hold onto traditional gender norms. These battles have been fought over and over again on that territory, about conserving the home and traditional family values.”
Griffith also said how women’s “purity” is viewed has a lot to do with how evangelicals respond to accusations of sexual improprieties.
“Notions of purity have been very important for Christians throughout history, including sexual purity and virginity,” she elaborated. “Men’s virginity has never been a deep subject of reflection. It comes up, kind of like, ‘Yeah, yeah, men should be sexually pure, too.’ But female virginity and purity has been such a strong theme, and a source of attraction in some way. There’s this desire for the sexually pure, girlish model of womanhood.”
She concluded:
“When you think about the charges against Roy Moore, and instances of pedophilia in different contexts—not just Christian contexts by any stretch—I wonder how that desire for this kind of virginal girl gets twisted.”
You can read the whole interview here.
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Judge Moore is the best man in the USA, behind our great leader Dona;d J Trump, and you snowflakes will soon find out what it means to melt in hell.
Oh look at you trying to fit in with the adults in the room. Many snowflakes can make an avalanche so if I were you, I’d be very careful what you ask for.
signed, prospective hell melter. Ooh my new band name has been found. Of course I WILL give you credit, you don’t even need to ask. I’m all about sharing.
Hell? Hell is living in a country that can elect a man like Donald Trump.
Your Roy Moore cannot even be trusted to simply abide by his sworn oath to obey the law and uphold the Constitution. In his version of religion he is no better than the Islamic Terrorists forcing his beliefs on others. He just used the power of the court to do it instead of a bomb. I would rather deal with the Islamic Terrorist because he is not sneaking around doing his dirty deeds. Roy Moore is of the sneaky type. Ask yourself there Christain, would you like to be judged by the letter of the Old Testament, because that is where old Roy gets his law.
IMO it’s almost ALWAYS about power, whatever you perceive it to be.
Well duh, how else will they get their tax cut on. Of course it’s about keeping power.