Forbes suppressed an article on America’s most racist denomination. You can — and should — read it!
On Sunday, March 11, an article by Chris Ladd carrying the provocative title “Why White Evangelicalism Is So Cruel” was posted to Forbes.com. The next day, it was removed.
The next day, it was removed.
Forbes sent Ladd this excuse for pulling the article:
We took down your evangelical piece. It was way out of bounds — painting the entire evangelical movement with a broad brush. [No, it didn’t ± it targeted one denomination in particular.] We also have a policy of not talking about social issues like abortion at Forbes Opinion — only economic policy and politics. We try to keep things data driven. [Really? Access to women’s health services and attempts to suppress the rights of women are both politicized and economic policy issues.] Also, given your criticisms of Robert Jeffress, you should have reached out to him for comment. As I noted in a recent email, it is extremely important to reach out for comment from anyone you personally criticize in your work.
Why is Forbes so eager to rush to the defense of a religious extremist? In the opening paragraphs of his article, Ladd writes,
Robert Jeffress, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas and an avid supporter of Donald Trump, earned headlines this week for his defense of the president’s adultery with a porn star. Regarding the affair and subsequent financial payments, Jeffress explained, “Even if it’s true, it doesn’t matter.”
Such a casual attitude toward adultery and prostitution might seem odd from a guy who blamed 9/11 on America’s sinfulness. However, seen through the lens of white evangelicals’ real priorities, Jeffress’ disinterest in Trump’s sordid lifestyle makes sense. Religion is inseparable from culture, and culture is inseparable from history. Modern, white evangelicalism emerged from the interplay between race and religion in the slave states. What today we call “evangelical Christianity,” is the product of centuries of conditioning, in which religious practices were adapted to nurture a slave economy. The calloused insensitivity of modern white evangelicals was shaped by the economic and cultural priorities that forged their theology over centuries.
We urge you to read Ladd’s full article, now posted here — and then ask yourself if one particular sect with a history of supporting terrorism and violence is in fact America’s Christian Taliban.
