It seems that even many of those Republicans who didn’t vote for him are largely inclined to be disengaged from all this; even opposing the value of the Women’s march in the first place. As if “protest” itself is just a tool of the “liberal” or “radical” (whatever either of those titles entail for them).

Seems they even defend Trump against the racism/bigotry charges, since that, too, seems to be a “liberal” conspiracy theory, despite the fact that people, and society in general, have known this about Trump for years, prior to his ever having entered politics. He’s long been a subject of media attention due to his outlandish statements and behavior. It was that which kept getting him laughed off the stage of candidacy. Until this time, of course.

All of a sudden, in 4 short years, the tide swung, and the Republican base shifted. I hesitate to call it further “Right”. Where it shifted was into a dark, bigoted, scapegoating, fascist-leaning nightmare. These non-Trump supporting Republican voters didnt vote for him, but maintain alliance with the Trump supporters in their disdain for everything that smacks of liberalism/radicalism, or ANYTHING associated with Obama.

You see several of the spokespersons for conservatism opposing Trump. Even Glenn Beck of the far right was warning about Trump. George Will is another well known conservative voice. I applaud these people for their integrity. Also, a rather large contingent of Evangelical leaders, such as Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Moore was threatened by several Southern Baptist leaders with de-funding of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Not because the Commission champions liberal causes, but because he was critical of Trump. (This is reminiscent of the years when Southern Baptist leaders were fired, removed, or ostracized not because of their theology (which often was in line with the conservative theological approaches), but because they were questioning the political mechanisms of “reform” in the Southern Baptist Convention, which had become a vendetta/witch hunt against those who opposed the questionable tactics of rallying around such a witch hunt that many considered very un-Christ like (me being one of many of those)

Bill Leonard, a former Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Church History professor (under whom I took the Church History II course), wrote a book entitled “God’s Last and Only Hope: The Fragmentation of the Southern Baptist Convention” – the “last and only hope” being taken from a popular Alabama preacher Levi Elder Barton, a pro-segregationist who said re: segregation “If you call that bigotry, then make the most of it”.

This Trump phenomenon has worked those similar splits in the Southern Baptists, pitting conservative, even fundamentalist leaders and members against others in the same theological camps, but deeply divided over their support or opposition to Trump.

(Originally posted to Facebook on Sunday, January 22, 2017 )