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I've been thinking a lot lately about the cult-like mentality of Evangelical Christianity in America. I attended a private Christian School from Kindergarten to 12th grade, so I have the experience to talk about this. (Thread)
The Evangelical attitude is the same "Everyone is against us" attitude Jim Jones' followers had. If someone disagrees with their view of science, it's an anti-Christian conspiracy. If someone disagrees with their inaccurate view of history, it's an anti-Christian conspiracy.
The indoctrination starts young. In 3rd grade, I was taught that Columbus sailed to America so he could prove the world was round as the Bible said it was. In 4th and 5th grade, we learned about missionaries who "spread Christianity," with the details conveniently left out.
People brought up in this environment cling so tightly to the "history" they were taught, because they were also indoctrinated with the idea that everyone who is not on their side is a godless heathen. I know this sounds ridiculous.
In 4th-6th grade, we had a "current events newsletter" that would cover meaningless stories like someone trying to take "under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance. We were told Christians were being persecuted in America, and the worst villain of all? The ACLU.
When it came to science, anything other than literal 6-day creationism was heresy. As early as 1st grade, it was ingrained in us that public schools would corrupt us by teaching evolution. In 4th grade, we were taught the lie that Darwin recanted evolution on his deathbed.
When we were taught about other religions and belief systems, it was never so we could be worldly and learned. It was simply so we could debate people who believed them. We had to prepare for everything in the world that was "out to get us" from Hollywood to liberal colleges.
This brings us to Trump. While he is in no way Christian, he's everything Evangelicals love. He panders to their politics and agrees with their bigotry, but more than anything, he also believes everyone is out to get him.
In the same way that Evangelicals believe that any source that goes against their own views on science or history is fake, Trump believes that anything that doesn't align with him is fake news. In Trump, evangelicals have found a kindred spirit.
Those of us on the outside will assume we can win an Evangelical/Trump supporter over with facts, but they've been taught from a young age that any facts they disagree with are lies. When we present them with facts or debate them, it only emboldens them in their delusion.
This is why they refuse to wear masks to stop the spread of COVID-19, why they refuse to believe in climate change, and why they refuse to hear about the bad things their "heroes" did. If it goes against what they want, it must be a conspiracy against Christians.
It has taken a long time for me to shake off the nonsense I was brought up with, and I still have to work through some of it. I know there are plenty of people I went to school with who have never questioned what they were taught.
Instead of debating with them, approach them as you would someone who is in a cult. Yes, they believe some truly horrible lies that have caused horrible damage to the world, but they need to be shown the truth lovingly. It will take time.
My parents are good people, and I know they meant well sending me to a private Christian school. They believed the lie that I would receive a better education there than at a public school. Please, whatever you do, don't believe the same one.
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