Speaking of Cults...Religious Extremism in America w/Rev Ben Cremer

[@user-qi4ff5in9z]

Chris, thank you choosing this topic. I love to hear and see calm, educated, thoughtful discourse. There is so much reactionary behavior, too often by the least educated, most self-serving factions, that this program was a wonderful respite.

[@user-qi4ff5in9z]

When we talk numbers, and say that Christian Nationalism, it doe NOT mean we can ignore it at the polls. Remember, the Nazi Party in Germany also never represented the majority. Hitler got power thru deceitful and violent actions, plus the silence of those who simply didn’t take him seriously. There is a reason this quote is famous: the only thing necessary for evil to prosper, is the silence of a few good men[and women]. (paraphrased).

[@NoNameInNW]

Fascinating discussion. Really represents the love and acceptance of all people, including those in poverty, sick, in despair, and criminals, as Jesus Christ taught us all to love everyone, even your enemies. I subscribed to the Rev's website. Thank you both for this thought provoking discussion.

[@MichaelYoder-e8g]

Great conversation. Love how Rev Ben thinks. Thanks, Chris and Benjamin!

[@janinegriffiths8281]

Such a great conversation. So many interesting insights and connections. Not everyone sees these undercurrents of influence that impact how we all process and absorb different ideologies. I really enjoyed this.

[@user-qi4ff5in9z]

I implore everyone to NOT be overconfident bcuz of the recent polls. In order to be successful and defeat MAGA in the actual election, everyone needs to GET OUT AND VOTE. Apologies for the caps, but this I cannot stress the point enough.

[@imwelshjesus]

💙💛💙💛💙💛💯✌👍

[@chadmccoy8032]

I was taught my entire life that I was worthless outside of Christ. I thought that was just a known thing. We sang songs about it. “The only good in me is that of the lord”? Hmm. No wonder I’m an atheist.

[@dreabesch874]

I’m a long-time, grateful follower but I haven’t checked in a good while. Right now watching “Speaking of Cults” with Rev. Cremer and wow! You’ve lost so much weight and you look amazing. Bravo on awesome self-care!! Now, let’s shut down the cult of Trump once and for all. Thanks for your great work…and being a positive example. Drea in Santa Fe

[@Nora-xk5tf]

Thanks you two. Some members of my family have written me off (spiritually only) as a fallen Catholic because I no longer go to church. I am a TV Catholic. I Pray everyday. None of this makes a difference. Thanks so very much for today's podcast. 😊

[@kfaulknerstudio]

Thank you for this conversation. I’ve been wondering about the Christians who aren’t all-in on the far right ideas.

[@PolarVortex888]

Thanks for this video, Chris, my mind is going in different directions. There are various avenues to explore in this content.

[@LL-sj3is]

Excellent conversation

[@Sammyandbobsdad]

The colonial imposed racism in Rwanda pitting the Hutu and Tutsi was committed by Belgian imperialists and predated Nazism. Both rose out of 19th century so called “scientific” racism. They are related, kissing cousins, but it was not German Nazis after WW-2 that instituted it. The creation of tribal conflict to divide and conquer is the first tool of all settler colonial invasions,Rwanda is just another sample, akin to Nazi evil, but its own distinct evil, though both European.

[@flitzbabischergitzgong752]

Thanks to the gentlemen doing this fascinating interview. But there is one point I need to disagree that the Nazis were not an atheistic movement, because I think, yes for sure, the Nazis used the christian believes in the first place, but I know from my grandparents who grew up during this time that the Nazis did not like the churches because they wanted the people focussing on Adolf Hitler and the german Weltreich. My grandpa who was part of the Hitler youth told that the main events of the HJ were always during church times on sunday to keep the focus of the youth on Hitler as godlike leader. And they used it as a control mechanism to find out who is not that on board and who sends his children to church instead of the Hitler youth. Despite of all the satanic panic of our days Himmler exspacially and the SS practiced satanic rituals because of Himmlers fascination of the occult and I am aware of that there has to be a believe in god to practice satanic rituals. That members of the SS praticed such rituals does not mean that the Nazis were an occult movement, because of the "exclusive" importance of the SS to be the loyalest soldiers in Germany, but it implies that the movement in some form was a hardcore atheistic movement, similar to scientologists who accept every religion in the first place, but there are only a handful scientologist who passed the wall of fire and are aware of Hubbards tellings about Zenu and the "fact" that religions are in implementation of Zenu and the invader forces. The churches and its members were accepted as long as they accept Hitler as ultimate power instead of acting up against the system. The catholic church kept quiet during this times and some of the documents of the catholic church went to public after opening their archieves to some scientists. And they only had the chance to read a part of the massive amount of documents. To keep quiet was some form of life garantee for the catholic church not to be destroyed by the Nazis. To be quiet means quiet acceptance of the political situation. I am really excited to hear your perspective! As always only the best greetings to the Shelton Clan and not to forget Benson! Aloha from Jan

[@ChrisSheltonMsc]

Thank you for this detailed comment. How interesting!

[@flitzbabischergitzgong752]

@@ChrisSheltonMsc This is a great pleasure for me giving this information. My grandpa never talked a lot about beeing a soldier and he nearly died during this times. But he talked about beeing a child growing up under Hitler, how it was beeing a member of the Hitler youth and that god never played any role in the education instead of beeing not important. My grandma who got married with my grandpa after the war was a member of an evangelical part of christianity, believing in beeing a reborn child of christ. Despite of having polio she only stood alive because several members of our family were members of the SS and they never got tired to remember my great grandma that her daughter only stood alive because of their high ranks in the SS. And she had to stay two years in child care far away from the family. These institutions were known as a sort of death camp for "unwanted" and/ or disabled life right during the time the first ideas of euthanasia got into play. I do not know if this book was translated into english, but there is an awesome fascinating book from Edith Sheffer called "Aspergers Kinder- Die Geburt des Authismus im 3. Reich" from the publisher Campus. This book describes really good how far away the Nazis were from any ethical behaviour, exspacially that thaught by the churches and how they missuse science to have a chart to know if there is life thats worthy to live and how to know early which life has to die.

[@deanaarmstrong3976]

The Nazi's relationship to the churches was complex. It's not a perfect bell curve but most people fall into three or four areas: Nazi, the messy middle, and resistance. Some people might divide that middle into pro-nazi and pro-resistance (but not willing to commit to action on either side) This matches the Perry/Whitehead designations. There were resisting churches but they made up only a small minority of the Protestant churches and maybe a bit more of the Catholic churches, with slightly more of the monastics in both the Catholic and Lutheran monasteries being active resistors. Most were in the passive middle and the other end of the tail of the bell curves were active Nazis. Based on the studies from Perry and Whitehead are approximately how the same people of the US break out. For Germany, I'm rounding a bit. For a full study, see: www.ushmm.org/m/pdfs/Publication_OP_2009-11.pdf. For the US see, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States (2020)

[@deanaarmstrong3976]

The Kirchenkampf issued weekly missives that sent out proscribed texts and "suggested" sermons for the Nazi pastors of both the Catholic and pro-Nazi churches to read. The pastors in the passive middle largely preempted the prescribed lectionary of either the Lutheran or Catholic lectionary but wrote their own sermons. The Evangelickirskiste (the resisting Protestants) and the Resisting Catholic churches maintained the traditional liturgy. The various Lutheran and Catholic martyrs like Bonhoeffer, Niemoller, etc. were involved in this group and often more involved in active resistance.

[@ginafrancis4950]

Yes Chris, dominionism is a thing in the Mormon church. Gods covenant with the Mormon people to establish his kingdom (Mormonism the one true church) in the Americas and then of course, the world. And slavery was fine in the early church.

[@Sammyandbobsdad]

Dismiss the belief, not the believer. Hatred only makes things worse and hurts the hater more than the hated. If I hate you, it does nothing to you, but holding that emotion causes negative physical changes to my body, not to mention my soul.

[@chadmccoy8032]

I think the name you were looking for was Norman Vincent Peale who wrote the power of positive thinking. He was trump’s minister.

[@ChrisSheltonMsc]

That was who it was. Thank you.

[@totonow6955]

14:00 They still tell you that you are going to hell. 29:00. It goes back to the establishment of Protestantism and the rooting of capitalism itself. . . a mobile religion that you could detach yourself from your Christian brother / sister. And this responding to the development Catholic selling of forgiveness of sin. .( Hell on Earth The Thirty Years War, Christman) 1:47 Benjamin. You were involved in a cult. I could be wrong but I did not hear anything that you said in the interview about your early experiences to suggest that you weren't. I come from an evangelical sweet little country church background.

[@tanyawilliams8254]

❤

[@ronaldbobeck9636]

Well as a Vietnam veteran here, orthodox Catholic, anything I say will trigger your nerd for you "Safe Space" Remember to eat a bang of Doritos.

[@Runpulator]

Nobody GAF about your military service - Another veteran.

[@imwelshjesus]

Human philosophy basics: All humans fear the dark, fear death and as children they are trained to imprint themselves with an internal magical entity that calms and reassures them. This entity is the one accepted by the family, the tribe and the culture. Quite simply it is the human equivalent of a duckling imprinting on the first thing it sees. p.s. Obviously the Rev Ben is not a proper little liar for the baby jesus.

[@Chief-o5x]

My ( husband )ughband😭

[@michaeldunigan1067]

In Genesis dominion is given to humankind. Not to the church. Yeshua Himself said that His kingdom is not of this world. But Christian nationalists want to subject the government to the church. This is a bad idea even if the church were right. But it's a mess.

[@michaeldunigan1067]

In real Christianity we don't get power until we join Yeshua on the cross. He said that if we suffer with Him we will reign with Him.

[@markoredano9141]

Cremer is a heretic.