Why I am not an Evangelical

I wrote this because, on a political Facebook site, Christianity is being painted as being monolithic and uniform and subject to blanket criticism. It is not.  I am a practicing and church-going Christian...I am not part of the Evangelical movement currently more in vogue today. Here is why.  Their views are theirs and sincerely held, but they are not my priorities. Sometimes I interpret the scriptures differently. I also see the role of government differently. 

There is a schism in current Christianity. Ir is between traditional beliefs that bless those as Jesus listed in the beatitudes and the Golden Rule. and the Evangelical movement has become singularly focused on the unborn to the neglect of the life and needs of the born. There is little emphasis in the Evangelical movement treating their neighbors,, including the "least of these,." and others,  in the way they would like to be treated. When asked which of the Jewish laws were the most important, Jesus answered: Love God with all your heart and treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated. He set the priorities. Evangelicals have parked their theology train in a sidetrack.  

 The Evangelical view of Christ's view, render unto Caesar in tax and government laws and render the rest to God,  is instead to pressure Caesar to enforce their own particular views on abortion for them by passing laws to accomplish their evangelical goals. and to spread their brand in public schools funded by taxpayers. The "choice" issue is not specifically addressed in the scriptures, but the Evangelical interpretation when life begins has become their top focus, anyway, that life begins at conception, and not when God breathed life into their souls as stated in Genesis.. Evangelical theological approaches have become part of the 'cultural wars" mixing their specific theology with their political beliefs. Among those views is that vaccinations are somehow evil. For me, Science is a gift of God by giving us intelligence and the ability to discover how to live longer. It is not a curse or a sacrilege. . To not be concerned with how many others the non vaccinated infect is not practicing the Golden Rule.  That employers can mandate vaccinations or testing are a workforce, and marketing and business advantage. Sick and dead employees are not helpful for needed staffing levels.  So long as testing is offered as an alternative to those against vaccinations for health and religious belief, such employer mandates are appropriate. Most consumers and potential customers are not anti-vaxxers and fear becoming infected given the known ability of the virus to infect others. They prefer taking their business where they have confidence they will be safe.

Evangelical theology is mostly embraced by White conservatives. Christ is often depicted as a blond, blue-eyed caucasian when He was a Semite It is a very unfortunate view toward superiority of the White race that is not so coincidental Where Evangelical Christianity is universally dominant is in former slave states... A large portion of the new testament promotes the post-crucifixion spread of Christianity to those who also were not Jews or of the same tribal or racial origins or spoke different languages.  Being a good Samaritan, good to those who are "others", is part of New Testament theology.

Those like

Franklin Graham are ikons of the use of Government to force those who have different beliefs to bow to their brand and priorities of their interpretation of a religion. It is both a sign of their failure of preachers to convert others to their particular take on Christianity by their words alone and to make up that failure by using secular laws to make others conform to them regardless of their own belief systems. History is full of examples of religion as a handy and effective tool used by demagogues and those who lust for political power to gain support and to give them the moral authority to oppress non-believers who were their political opponents.. Many kings and potentates had claimed they were gods or simultaneously headed a church or claimed they had a divine right to govern. It was an understanding of this that caused our founders to separate the church from the state by writing a constitution that would prevent a government from establishing a state religion.