As the weeks and months of the disastrous Trump presidency drag on, the Resistance is, naturally enough, showing some signs of weariness. For weeks now, certain public figures have been spreading rumors that indictments against members of the Trump administration are imminent, and Twitter personalities associated with the Resistance--and particularly those involved with raising awareness of the … Continue reading Some Comments on Critical Thinking and Expertise, Part 1: How Not to Approach RussiaGate on Social Media
Not Your Mission Field: A New Title for the Blog
When I started this blog, I had yet to think of a proper title. I put "Christopher Stroop" in as a placeholder, and I've been mulling it over ever since. As of today, "Christopher Stroop" has been replaced with "Not Your Mission Field." I also registered http://www.NotYourMissionField.com, which directs to the homepage here. So, why … Continue reading Not Your Mission Field: A New Title for the Blog
“Do Aborted Babies Go to Hell?” The Horrifying Questions that Only Fundamentalists Have to Consider
Note: I use the term "babies" in the title of this post rather than the more accurate "fetuses" because this is how conservative Christians who believe that life begins at conception think of it. Readers of this blog should be well aware that I reject their framework and avoid using the term "unborn babies" myself. For … Continue reading “Do Aborted Babies Go to Hell?” The Horrifying Questions that Only Fundamentalists Have to Consider
Street Preaching and the Christian Right, Part 2: Inside the Mind of a Street Preacher
Before reading this post and its corollary Street Preaching and the Christian Right, Part 1: Suffer the Little Children (which is recommended reading for context before you proceed here), let me just note that these posts contain very disturbing material. Be prepared to confront misogyny, rape, assault, homophobia, transphobia, racism, Islamophobia, bigotry toward other confessions, … Continue reading Street Preaching and the Christian Right, Part 2: Inside the Mind of a Street Preacher
Street Preaching and the Christian Right, Part 1: Suffer the Little Children
Before I get into this post and its corollary, Street Preaching and the Christian Right, Part 2: Inside the Mind of a Street Preacher, let me just note that these posts contain very disturbing material. Be prepared to confront misogyny, rape, assault, homophobia, transphobia, racism, Islamophobia, bigotry toward other confessions, including Mormonism, Hinduism, and Catholicism, and … Continue reading Street Preaching and the Christian Right, Part 1: Suffer the Little Children
Educated Evangelicals, Academic Achievement, and Trumpism: On the Tensions in Valuing Education in an Anti-Intellectual Subculture
Authority First: The Enclave Strikes Back "I sat in the waiting room wasting my time, and waiting for Judgment Day. I praise liberty, the freedom to obey." - Green Day, "21st Century Breakdown," 21st Century Breakdown (2009) Fundamentalists force an inhumane choice on reflective, empathetic individuals who grow up in their enclave communities: assent that 2 + 2 … Continue reading Educated Evangelicals, Academic Achievement, and Trumpism: On the Tensions in Valuing Education in an Anti-Intellectual Subculture
#ChristianAltFacts, or, how the Christian Right Broke America
Christopher Douglas's article "The Religious Origins of Fake News and 'Alternative Facts,'" published yesterday on Religion Dispatches, is a must read for anyone who wants to understand why and how America's asymmetric polarization--polarization from the Right--has led to Trumpism. You cannot understand this apart from the theocratic element and the relationship between fundamentalist psychology and … Continue reading #ChristianAltFacts, or, how the Christian Right Broke America
The Council for National Policy Wants Betsy DeVos to Christianize Public Schools – CNP “Education Reform Report”
The Washington Post has, thankfully, drawn attention to some very concerning plans on the part of the powerful, secretive conservative group the Council for National Policy to undermine the separation of church and state in America. Specifically, the CNP seems confident it can convince Betsy DeVos to move not only toward pushing for "school choice"--i.e., using … Continue reading The Council for National Policy Wants Betsy DeVos to Christianize Public Schools – CNP “Education Reform Report”
Not Your Mission Field 