Hope to see you all in about an hour for a discussion on the history of abortion and how the Religious Right managed to take an issue with little historical relevance for Christians to the "most important issue on the planet" in the last few decades! What DOES the Bible really say? Join in the calendar link!

I'm excited for our first live session tonight. Here's the meeting link information again, and you can access this anytime in our group calendar: Weekly Live Teaching and Discussion: Deconstructing Christian Nationalism Wednesday, February 4 · 6:30 – 8:00pm Time zone: America/Chicago Google Meet joining info Video call link: https://meet.google.com/uyz-wzsi-qyj Or dial: ‪(US) +1 234-804-8419‬ PIN: ‪569 839 264‬# More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/uyz-wzsi-qyj?pin=7385319543843 I will keep Skool open for a few minutes after 6:30 in case anyone has issues with joining - you can comment your questions here. See you soon!

Welcome, everyone! This week is our intro week. We’re using this time to build the group, spread the word, and start getting to know one another before we officially begin next week. Please reply to this post with a short introduction (or anything you’d like to share), and let me know what you’re hoping to get out of this community. That question is also the focus of this week’s poll. 📅 Our first LIVE session will be next Wednesday, January 28th, at 6:30pm CST. The group will meet on Google Meet, and the link will be emailed to you ahead of time. I have a sample curriculum planned, but there is so much we could cover. I want this to be responsive to what you most want and need, so your feedback here really matters. These are the three core areas we’ll be working through, with room to expand based on your input: 1. Issue by issue We’ll take a clear, grounded look at key issues such as: - the “pro-life” argument — how it’s been used, manipulated, and harnessed for votes and money for decades, and how that led us to where we are now - what the Bible actually says about abortion and being “pro-life” - how these issues intersect with the Constitution - LGBTQ rights, civil rights, freedom of religion, economic justice, and more — examined through biblical, constitutional, and Christian Dominionist lenses 2. The key players We’ll walk through the history of how Christian Dominionism gained power over decades, including: - the long-term strategy behind it - pastors, politicians, church leaders, Christian media figures, and insiders you may not be familiar with - how these networks worked together to shape the present moment 3. Historical precedent We’ll also zoom out historically: - how the Gospel began being manipulated for power very early on - how Christianity was used by the Roman Empire, the medieval church, and other systems of control - and how those patterns connect directly to what we’re seeing today Please post your intro below and say hello — I’m really looking forward to getting to know you all.

Given the recent extreme weather in many regions and the ongoing state of emergency, I’ve decided to postpone our first Deconstructing Christian Nationalism gathering by one week so we can meet at a more settled time. Like so many, I’m also in an area where I have been navigating the effects of the current winter storm emergencies, with power outages and internet outages as well, so I want to ensure we gather at a time that’s accessible and grounded for us all (and I certainly don't want to lose internet or power in the middle of our meeting!). Thank you for your understanding and if you are in an area affected by the storms, please be safe and let us know in the comments if we can pray for you! In lieu of start week, I will be sharing another poll and some talking points so please participate in the "warm ups!" Please feel free to pass this along to anyone who may be interested in joining us. I’m looking forward to next week - hopefully a warmer one!