Christian Exodus to SC

[whitehourseview]

I think lots of folks with their own prejudices are vastly overestimating the importance of the Christian Exodus group. It makes for good sensational news copy, I guess, but the extent that 15 families (or 30 people of voting age) would have even over 1 mid sized counties political process is minuscule.

[Spartan]

While I agree with you whitehorse, the 'voter apathy' part pf the equation is what is scary. If people don't care enough to vote, it makes it that much easier to do things.

[krazeeboi]

If people feel their way of life is being threatened, they will turn out to vote. That goes as much for CE as it does for candidates viewed as being liberal.

[crescentmoon]

An Exodus member will not necessarily openly run as a member of CE. The organization is savvy enough to know that isn't likely to lead to success. CE will not confirm or deny whether or not a candidate is a member of their group. There was at least one candidate in the district 5 senate race (Republican primary) who surely appeared to be CE if you looked closely. Many people I know even suspect a newly elected house member to be CE.

[Spartan]

Who?

[krazeeboi]

Just as I suspected, this movement has very little local support, even among pastors in the Upstate. A pertinent excerpt:

Some are worried about Christian Exodus

[interestedexpat]

This CE stuff is doing just what I'd hoped it would. The forums on the Anderson Independent webpage and all fired up. What this will mean is not only will new CE candidates get dumped, but so will the far-right extremists who were here already. I don't know how this will affect Cindy Wilson - she's more of a grassroots crazy. But Ron Wilson, a well-known extremist, who represents Powdersville will be in big trouble, unless this all blows over. The CE presence will increase media coverage and the good people of Powdersville will not re-elect someone who is proud of his associations with Neo-Nazi groups. They just didn't know about it in the last election. Nothing like something like this to overcome voter apathy.

[whitehourseview]

I think the papers could serve to educated themselves and their readers a little better. Interviewing, say, an evangelical scholar like Mark Noll would be a big help, rather than all the usual juices to rile up and the dander to raise up.

It would be useful if better education was done on dominianism or Christian reconstructionism, and just how little appeal it has among the most conservative of Christian groups. There was some debate about it in some conservative denominations 25-20 years ago, but every instance of it was shut down, theonomy professors were excused from seminiaries, and colleges, etc.

There is a reason why we are talking about 30 people here. Neo-nazi's really isn't the term to describe them. Neo-theonomists or dominianists perhaps, but that's all

[interestedexpat]

There is a reason why we are talking about 30 people here. Neo-nazi's really isn't the term to describe them. Neo-theonomists or dominianists perhaps, but that's all

[BryCola]

Although I wouldn't call CE mainstream at all, I think the term "extremist" is a bit much; it makes them sound like a hate group or something.

[whitehourseview]

Actually "hate group" is EXACTLY what I'd call them. (ask them what they think about gay rights, and watch their heads spin around spitting pea soup, THEN see if you'd call them a hate group) I first learned about CE a few years ago...and people like that are JUST as dangerous as radicals of other religions.

[krazeeboi]

Actually "hate group" is EXACTLY what I'd call them. (ask them what they think about gay rights, and watch their heads spin around spitting pea soup, THEN see if you'd call them a hate group) I first learned about CE a few years ago...and people like that are JUST as dangerous as radicals of other religions.

[BryCola]

I don't think just having a contrary opinion about one group of people/political movement necessarily makes them a hate group ala the KKK.

[krazeeboi]

I think extreme liberal groups are just as dangerous.

[crescentmoon]

Be aware, the intimate goal of CE is to secede from the USA and form a theologically based independent nation.

[whitehourseview]

Be aware, the intimate goal of CE is to secede from the USA and form a theologically based independent nation.

[krazeeboi]

Be aware, the intimate goal of CE is to secede from the USA and form a theologically based independent nation.

[crescentmoon]

I'm just passing along what they are preaching...

And as for 30 or 3000, it doesn't matter if they continue to run for office and South Carolinians continue to (unknowingly) elect them.

I'm not saying SC's status as one of the 50 states is imminently in danger, but I am saying we need to take this group seriously. We need to pay attention to who is running for office and who we are electing. (The earlier Powdersville reference is a good example of what happens when people don't know who they are voting for.)

[krazeeboi]

Well then, we need to make sure we are asking would-be politicians the right questions, because they certainly wouldn't advertise their CE-related beliefs.

[BryCola]

I think extreme liberal groups are just as dangerous.

[krazeeboi]

An extreme is an extreme, and I don't think it's good in any direction. No problem with having a difference of opinion.

[waccamatt]

I think extreme liberal groups are just as dangerous.

[krazeeboi]

Well, CE is about as extreme far-right as you can get IMO, but PETA wouldn't be its liberal equivalent. Sometimes the ACLU goes too far if you ask me.

[Spartan]

There are environmentalist whacko's like ELF and animal rights activists like ALF that are extreme liberals. They are suggesting seccesion, but they are just as dangerous. The difference between this group and others is that they want to come here and "convert" people to their ideas, and they are so selfish and egocentric that they think secession is a viable wasy to get what they want.

[whitehourseview]

I'm late to this party. How did 15 families get a thread that has seven pages to it? Find just about community in America and you can find 15 families are are whatever this group claims to be. Weird stuff...