Project Blitz

[Farmer77]

Project Blitz’: Here's the new plan Christian nationalists have to seize even more power

 

Quote

The targeting of good Samaritans for deportation, or blaming a refugee family for their seven-year-old daughter’s death in Border Patrol custody are features, not bugs, of the Christian nationalist worldview. Never mind what Matthew 25:35 says: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”

This week, new exit-poll data from this year’s midterm elections re-emphasized how much the Trump-led GOP depends on evangelical voters, as opposed to the much more discussed “white working class.” Among white non-evangelicals, non-college-educated men voted for Republicans, 53 to 44 percent, while women voted Democratic by 57 to 41 percent. But among white evangelicals there was virtually no difference between college and non-college voters in their GOP support: 78 percent among men for both groups, and 73 and 71 percent, respectively, for women.

All this amounts to a flashing red light warning that Christian nationalism is the most important and most overlooked factor behind Donald Trump’s presidency and the political power of the GOP generally. But it’s not just a passive or latent force, as Trump’s border cruelty suggests.

Last April, I followed up Frederick Clarkson’s report at Religion Dispatches about a major Christian nationalist initiative called “Project Blitz,” intended to pass a wide range of discriminatory laws through state legislatures, from the seemingly innocuous to the blatantly discriminatory. It was based on his discovery of a 116-page evangelical playbook for the 2017-8 legislative cycle. Now Clarkson’s has uncovered their playbook for the 2019-20 cycle, and will be publishing another report at Religion Dispatches shortly.

 

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Must be time for a new Reformation.

[Imaginarynumber1]

[Dark_Grey]

So what's at the core of this article? That Christian's tend to vote Republican? Hasn't every Repub President known that for at least 40 years? It's not worth addressing the argument that Christian evangelicals helped Trump win. Trump was the Repub candidate - who the hell else were they going to vote for? It's a moot point.

Quote

The targeting of good Samaritans for deportation, or blaming a refugee family for their seven-year-old daughter’s death in Border Patrol custody are features, not bugs, of the Christian nationalist worldview

Salon.com really is the used TP of journalism. It's always been sensationalist trash. Let's look at "Project Blitz", apparently a Christian Nationalist conspiracy to seize control of American culture:

Quote

Last April, I followed up Frederick Clarkson’s report at Religion Dispatches about a major Christian nationalist initiative called “Project Blitz,” intended to pass a wide range of discriminatory laws through state legislatures, from the seemingly innocuous to the blatantly discriminatory. It was based on his discovery of a 116-page evangelical playbook for the 2017-8 legislative cycle. Now Clarkson’s has uncovered their playbook for the 2019-20 cycle, and will be publishing another report at Religion Dispatches shortly.

Quote

“They start with the early phases with what are generally considered harmless or easy to pass low-hanging fruit,” Gill said, “and basically build momentum to pass more destructive 'religious-exceptions' bills that limit equality and freedom.”

“For the most part, these are not directly attacking equality or LGBT people, but instead working build momentum, establish Christian nationalist narratives,” Gill explained. “For example, the display of the national motto in schools, or teaching the religious nature of the U.S. founding, establishing this Christian nationalist narrative. The book would classify this as low hanging fruit in order to basically gain early victories, and establish momentum.”

Hmm...teaching history in school is Step 1. Got it.

Quote

Second, Project Blitz is deceptive about its true intentions. “It allows [Christian nationalists] to get lawmakers on the record on these issues, and achieve victories that they can then build on and work together as a caucus,” Gill noted. “This is meant to be easy things to achieve that don’t give away the entire project.”

These issues seem generally unrelated to specific policy decisions such as religious exemptions on foster care and adoption, or religious refusal of medical care, Gill continued. “But the Project Blitz guide shows that they really are related because conceptually this is how the opposition is thinking about these issues, and they’re working to build momentum from one issue to another."

Step 2: Christian "legal ninjas" with a cohesive future vision. Amazing how all of their ideals are somehow related. It's almost like a widely used religious text formed the basis of this movement's beliefs 

Quote

“The third category is 'religious liberty' protection legislation, and this is the real attack on equality, and the most impactful policy changes” Gill said. “For example, policy statements that are passed as resolutions that favor married heterosexual couples, or maintenance of birth gender, which is a very awkward phrase I'd never heard before seeing it in this document.” Bills in this category, “are basically religious exceptions to the law, either broader or more narrow … that would allow people to discriminate on the basis of their religion.”

We need to read the actual text of "Project Blitz" rather than relying on a third hand interpretation. Gill is making some broad claims that could have multiple meanings. Protecting kids from hormone replacement therapy isn't a bad thing in my books.

Quote

This is where Platt’s analysis becomes essential. “The Christian right has been extremely effective over the past five or so years in branding progressives as anti-religious freedom

Gee, I wonder where they got that idea? Gay wedding cake, etc. Some Progressives are anti-religious freedom, ya dope.

Quote

even while we know at the same time the far right and the Trump administration, is quite overtly attacking religious freedom through the promulgation of Islamophobic policies like the Muslim ban,” Platt noted.

It wasn't a ban on Muslims. Platt has a thin strip of credibility left here.

Quote

“They’ve managed to conflate that term with particular, narrow protections for conservative religious beliefs about sex, marriage and reproduction, while totally ignoring the enormous variety of views that we know people of faith – including Christians – have had on these matters. And, of course, ignoring completely the very existence of LGBTQ people of faith.”

Wow. Protecting the rights of unborn kids. Those monsters.

Sorry but I don't see this Christian grand conspiracy unfolding with Trump at the helm. This article reads like a paranoid Progressive's nightmare - a Christian 4th Reich yet somehow with religious freedoms and a surprising amount of inclusiveness. Clickbait achieved. Touche', Salon.com 

 

 

[Farmer77]

59 minutes ago, Dark_Grey said:

So what's at the core of this article? That Christian's tend to vote Republican? Hasn't every Repub President known that for at least 40 years? It's not worth addressing the argument that Christian evangelicals helped Trump win. Trump was the Repub candidate - who the hell else were they going to vote for? It's a moot point.

At the core of the article is a warning that there is an active movement which is seeking to weaken the separation of church and state in this nation through incrementalization .

 

59 minutes ago, Dark_Grey said:

We need to read the actual text of "Project Blitz" rather than relying on a third hand interpretation. Gill is making some broad claims that could have multiple meanings. Protecting kids from hormone replacement therapy isn't a bad thing in my books.

From the article here is the 2017-2018 version https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwfCh32HsC3UYmV0NUp5cXZjT28/view

 

59 minutes ago, Dark_Grey said:

Gee, I wonder where they got that idea? Gay wedding cake, etc. Some Progressives are anti-religious freedom, ya dope.

Ive never understood that position. Believing a company shouldnt be able to discriminate on who it gives service to can very well have absolutely nothing to do with religious freedom.

59 minutes ago, Dark_Grey said:

It wasn't a ban on Muslims. Platt has a thin strip of credibility left here.

He openly called for a ban on muslims, he went to Giuliani and asked him how to do it legally. Anyone repeating the tired mantra "it wasnt a ban on muslims" is simply choosing to ignore the whole picture.

59 minutes ago, Dark_Grey said:

Sorry but I don't see this Christian grand conspiracy unfolding with Trump at the helm. This article reads like a paranoid Progressive's nightmare - a Christian 4th Reich yet somehow with religious freedoms and a surprising amount of inclusiveness.

To me this is something to , as the founding fathers called us to do, be vigilant about.

Trump isnt at the helm and hes largely irrelevant to the story other than that voting for him fully exposes those claiming to be Christians as...... well it exposes them to actually be what the world thinks those claiming to be Christians actually are.

 

Edited December 17, 2018 by Farmer77

[Hankenhunter]

Hypocracy, thy name is religion. 

Hank

[Varelse]

They organize, they run and they vote lockstep in every possible election or ballot measure and they get results for it. Hate them or not, nothing is stopping anyone else from organizing their own voting block and pushing back with STEM agendas. But it seems they'd rather gripe instead. Religion sucks but people who want to see the US move more towards STEM instead of thousand year old fairy tales or fatwa Jesus need to prove it in the polls.  

[Tatetopa]

On 12/17/2018 at 8:07 AM, Dark_Grey said:

Wow. Protecting the rights of unborn kids. Those monsters.

Great.  Why don't we do a DNA test and track down the fathers.  They either support the child or get castrated for the sin of promiscuity. Evangelical men ought to be willing to sign up for that.  Seems a little harsh for all of those megachurch pastors who get caught and then ask for forgiveness doesn't it? I will tell you what, that would put a stop to unwanted children and abortions real quick.  That would protect those unborn kids better than a lot of shaming of the "weaker sex".  Men are supposed to be the strong ones to resist temptation, right?  A man who abandons a woman and his child and doesn't care whether that child lives or dies is forgiven but a woman who has an abortion is not?  The world will change when men stop being little boys and take responsibility for their own actions and stop blaming someone else.. 

[Myles]

On 12/17/2018 at 6:34 AM, Farmer77 said:

Project Blitz’: Here's the new plan Christian nationalists have to seize even more power

 

The targeting of good Samaritans for deportation, or blaming a refugee family for their seven-year-old daughter’s death in Border Patrol custody are features, not bugs

It's a little sad that you stoop to reading drivel like that Farmer.     That first line shows how bad it actually is.  

[+OverSword]

On 12/17/2018 at 3:34 AM, Farmer77 said:

This week, new exit-poll data from this year’s midterm elections re-emphasized how much the Trump-led GOP depends on evangelical voters

So would this mean that the Democrats will change their tune a bit in an attempt to capture this demographic?  Or do they just wish they would all die?

See this article is kind of BS as it goes on and on pointing out that "Christians" want this, that, or the other thing's such as national holidays celebrating religious freedom week or a Christian Heritage day, allowing children to pray in school if they want to, a guarantee to protect the "in God we trust" motto on public buildings, as if it was some kind of nefarious conspiracy.  The truth as I see it is that if any other group of people announced a similar agenda concerning preservation of their identity, be it Black, Jewish, Hispanic, Muslim, Native American, etc. this wouldn't be an issue.  In fact I would be very surprised if you can not easily go out and find similar "playbooks" for all of the groups I mentioned.  Also not taken into consideration here is that Christians are not some kind of unified block with a leader that directs them and guides their voting in a lockstep fashion.  Any ass could be the author of such a manifesto.

What this really is IMO is anti trump hysteria, recognizing a block of voters that will vote republican, and misdiagnosing it as these people love trump. They do not.   The real issue here is too many of the democrats current core platforms would never be backed by any bible thumping God fearing, better than thou, person and it infuriates the *hystericals ^{(patent pending)}* who lost the 2016 race by a very narrow margin.  So this is a non issue unless you want to fix it by killing all the people you are afraid may vote republican.

[+DieChecker]

Appears to be put out by the Congressional Prayer Caucus, which has (as far as I can see) 26 members (2 Senators!!). So, not a tremendously powerful cabal, I'd say. Appears they probably put this out so they can get any press at all.

Considering I'm an Evangelical, if not a Young Earth Creationist, and this is the first time I've heard anything about Project Blitz... I'd say they are failing in their Propaganda work to a large degree.

[Farmer77]

On 12/20/2018 at 1:32 PM, OverSword said:

See this article is kind of BS as it goes on and on pointing out that "Christians" want this, that, or the other thing's such as national holidays celebrating religious freedom week or a Christian Heritage day, allowing children to pray in school if they want to, a guarantee to protect the "in God we trust" motto on public buildings, as if it was some kind of nefarious conspiracy.  The truth as I see it is that if any other group of people announced a similar agenda concerning preservation of their identity, be it Black, Jewish, Hispanic, Muslim, Native American, etc. this wouldn't be an issue.  In fact I would be very surprised if you can not easily go out and find similar "playbooks" for all of the groups I mentioned.  Also not taken into consideration here is that Christians are not some kind of unified block with a leader that directs them and guides their voting in a lockstep fashion.  Any ass could be the author of such a manifesto.

I disagree the other groups youve mentioned arent actively trying to take away the rights of others.

Religious extremism is religious extremism and if this were an article about the muslim gameplan to incrementally change our legal system to suit their biases people would be freaking the hell out.

[ExpandMyMind]

On 22/12/2018 at 1:59 PM, DieChecker said:

Considering I'm an Evangelical, if not a Young Earth Creationist,

Aw, man, this is just sad. I had no idea. I thought you were one of the reasonable ones as well.

[Farmer77]

On 12/22/2018 at 9:59 AM, DieChecker said:

I'd say they are failing in their Propaganda work to a large degree.

Well the reason I thought it was worth a share is its kind of exactly the opposite of propaganda work. Its working in the shadows to incrementally make changes to our way of life in a manner that the majority wont notice.

 

[Farmer77]

On 12/20/2018 at 9:19 AM, Myles said:

It's a little sad that you stoop to reading drivel like that Farmer.     That first line shows how bad it actually is.  

In my defense you should read the pro right wing drivel I read.....I like information and sometimes you find true gems in the weirdest of places.

[+OverSword]

55 minutes ago, Farmer77 said:

I disagree the other groups youve mentioned arent actively trying to take away the rights of others.

Religious extremism is religious extremism and if this were an article about the muslim gameplan to incrementally change our legal system to suit their biases people would be freaking the hell out.

Read your original article and in the very first sentence the concern is these are the people that helped put trump in power. To me this is just more anti trump paranoia looking to blame everything except a leftist political agenda turning off 51% of the US voters.

[+OverSword]

50 minutes ago, ExpandMyMind said:

Aw, man, this is just sad. I had no idea. I thought you were one of the reasonable ones as well.

You can be religious and reasonable.

[Farmer77]

Just now, OverSword said:

Read your original article and in the very first sentence the concern is these are the people that helped put trump in power. To me this is just more anti trump paranoia looking to blame everything except a leftist political agenda turning off 51% of the US voters.

Oh there was some definite agenda driven narration going on but that aside I still think at its core any religious group attempting to work in the shadows to change a secular nation is something worth paying attention to.

 

[Will Due]

5 minutes ago, Farmer77 said:

Oh there was some definite agenda driven narration going on but that aside I still think at its core any religious group attempting to work in the shadows to change a secular nation is something worth paying attention to.

 

 

It's the other way around. People of faith are the ones who voted in Trump because they don't want the left to turn their nation into a tyrannical secular totalitarian state run by what are in effect, self-serving elites bent on political power the likes of which we've seen all too often in countries where communism took over their societies because of the gullibility of their supporters.

 

 

[Farmer77]

5 minutes ago, Will Due said:

 

It's the other way around. People of faith are the ones who voted in Trump because they don't want the left to turn their nation into a tyrannical secular totalitarian state run by what are in effect, self-serving elites bent on political power the likes of which we've seen all too often in countries where communism took over their societies because of the gullibility of their supporters.

Yes yes poor christians being so put out by their inability to discriminate ....holy hell and you actually are claiming that Trump isnt a self serving elite bent on power ?? OMG stop youre making my sides hurt.

I just cant take that drivel seriously amigo. Im sorry.

Edited December 26, 2018 by Farmer77

[Will Due]

12 minutes ago, Farmer77 said:

Yes yes poor christians being so put out by their inability to discriminate ....holy hell and you actually are claiming that Trump isnt a self serving elite bent on power ?? OMG stop youre making my sides hurt.

I just cant take that drivel seriously amigo. Im sorry.

 

The first thing that happens is the take over the media by the left. Then they can spread all the misinformation necessary to sway those who are inclined towards being influenced to do the wrong thing. In this case, to be supportive of the idea that Trump is self-serving, which he is not.

Self-servers will always rail that their opponents are what they themselves are. Especially when the opposition has what they don't have. 

 

 

[+OverSword]

2 hours ago, Farmer77 said:

Oh there was some definite agenda driven narration going on but that aside I still think at its core any religious group attempting to work in the shadows to change a secular nation is something worth paying attention to.

 

Except that shadow part. Religious people aren’t really secretive about how they wish things were. It’s not a concern to me, I’m much more concerned with the social agenda leftists have for us. Also not a real shadow thing these days.

[aztek]

1 hour ago, Will Due said:

 

The first thing that happens is the take over the media by the left. Then they can spread all the misinformation necessary to sway those who are inclined towards being influenced to do the wrong thing. In this case, to be supportive of the idea that Trump is self-serving, which he is not.

Self-servers will always rail that their opponents are what they themselves are. Especially when the opposition has what they don't have. 

 

 

and that is exactly what is happening right now, you actually replied to someone who is doing it since 2016

[+OverSword]

2 hours ago, Farmer77 said:

Yes yes poor christians being so put out by their inability to discriminate ....holy hell and you actually are claiming that Trump isnt a self serving elite bent on power ?? OMG stop youre making my sides hurt.

I just cant take that drivel seriously amigo. Im sorry.

Really? Okay remember When Matt Damon said that abusive behavior is a spectrum and there is a difference in degree between a rapist and someone who pats their secretary on the butt? They tried to ruin his career.  How is that different than how you accuse religious people of being? The left is a religion these days. No amount of facts or logic will dissuade it.

[Farmer77]

3 hours ago, OverSword said:

Really? Okay remember When Matt Damon said that abusive behavior is a spectrum and there is a difference in degree between a rapist and someone who pats their secretary on the butt? They tried to ruin his career.  How is that different than how you accuse religious people of being? The left is a religion these days. No amount of facts or logic will dissuade it.

While this is a nice and standard right wing radio rant im not really sure how it applies to my post you quoted.