Paid media seems to relentlessly avoid mention of Positive Christianity, the denomination attempted by the Nazis to pacify European Christians before realizing they could just sign a treaty with the Vatican. It downplayed the divine elements to the Christ story, to emphasize instead his worldly successes as teacher and leader of men. It did not live long per se, but clearly is it the modern incarnation of the Prosperity Doctrine, which bluntly is the cause to the civil-warring among Catholics today especially; those not too crazy about some of the current Pope’s statements vs those who understand their faith as dictating this world is about sacrifice and the next, salvation or damnation pending what we do with ourselves here. It astounds me how it’s never cited in attempts to explain the rise of the American Christian far-right over political spheres since World War II, particularly as Christian Nationalism seems less and less timid about its thoughts on Nazism generally while more abruptly, and quite publicly, forgetting its own theology and dogmatics.
Editors for outlets ranging from Rolling Stone to Catholic Readers Digest won’t breach the topic with a ten-foot cross, even while commenting on normalized oddities such as the CPAC stage of a few years ago offering an aerial view of a pagan rune symbolizing whatever self-important, murderous dogshit they associate with Teutonic gentrifiers, or their Hessian mercenary descendants celebrated by the current US Secretary of Defense’s tattoos.
Undeniably, the tenets of the MAGA movement and what was attempted by Positive Christianity are conjoined at the crotch, feverishly, fervently believing all labor can only be punitive and thus all sacrifice is the business of others and all the liberties of Heaven belong to anyone who sees their own image in god, right here and right now. And that the more worldly a man’s successes, the holier he somehow be. With the only interpretation of evil, being all those opposed. Uncomprehending to extents of taking immediate personal offense toward any suggestions of accountability or personal responsibility being matters concerning them, as though consequence is strictly God’s measure against those not supportive of his followers and a mere purity oath or pledge of allegiance all by itself might bend the arc of an eternal course. Paid media never goes into such perspective, because to be paid media is to emphasize one’s own payday over truth or grace either one.
No favorite proves exception for the non-believers.