Lincoln and the Healthy Fear of Hell

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:20 am by Mark Shea

Lincoln and the Healthy Fear of Hell 2017-09-06T10:24:24-07:00 Mark Shea

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The election of 1864 quickly became a referendum on the Civil War itself and no small part of the argument of the Peace Party was that the fog of war had transformed the Northern effort from a battle to save the Union to a battle to free the slaves. Understand: this was regarded as an accusation against Lincoln and not (as it would later become) a form of praise. Why, it was asked, was it the job of the white man to die for the black slave? Many northern whites had exactly the same view of the inferiority of blacks as their southern brethren and saw no need to donate their bodies to the meat grinder of the war for them.

So it was suggested by some in the GOP that Lincoln should rescind the Emancipation Proclamation and, once the service of black troops was complete, return them to slavery.

Lincoln’s response was firm: “If they stake their lives for us they must be prompted by the strongest motive . . . the promise of freedom. And the promise being made, must be kept. . . . There have been men who proposed to me to return to slavery the black warriors, [but] I should be damned in time and in eternity for so doing. The world shall know that I will keep my faith to friends and enemies, come what will.”

Lincoln, of course, was an ignorant premodern who believed in the possibility of Hell.

Postmoderns no longer believe in Hell. Crude scare tactics for herding simpletons, they say.

Postmoderns also have no fear of deporting men and women who served in the military and went into harm’s way for us. Nor do they fear the everlasting fires of hell for threatening to deport a Dreamer who did back-breaking, life-threatening work to save lives during Harvey. Nor do they fear the just wrath of the living God for refusing to let a mother come and bury her son who gave the last full measure of devotion when he drowned saving lives during Harvey.

However, I am unclear here and must apologize. I don’t mean postmodern secularists. I mean postmodern conservative Christian Trump supporters: those who self-identify as “Real Christians”. The “Fake Christians”, those who listen to Pope Francis and the Magisterium condemned by the “Real Christians” are on the obvious right side of the question and could not live with themselves if we betrayed Dreamers as we have already betrayed vets. With that riff raff of immoral human debris who oppose betrayal of vets and Dreamers are people ranging from pagan Romans, to Jews, to Muslims, to atheists. These can all see what Lincoln could see: that you do not betray those who have risked their lives for their country with banishment.

This is not, of course, to say that Good White Christian Trump supporters are alone in history. They have one very significant figure in their court: Joseph Stalin, who rewarded his conquering troops with sentences to the Gulag. Enjoy your bedfellow, Trump supporters and defenders.

Uncategorized

The Least of These

Previous Post

September 6, 2017

Prayer Request

Next Post

September 7, 2017 Sam Rocha and I discuss DACA...

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 September 2006 June 2006 July 2005 April 2005 May 2002 April 2002 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz