Senator Richard Shelby
(R-Ala.) sponsored the Constitution
Restoration Act of 2005, which mandates the "acknowledgment of
God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government"—i.e,
the Bible could trump even the Supreme Court, which according to some
observers, could allow judges to impose biblical sentences such as the
stoning of homosexuals instead of common-law sentences. [Mother
Jones Diddly Awards]
Introduction: A note on Pseudo-Religion
As a sidebar to this disturbing examination of religious movements,
purely secular, economic and political motives are also involved in a
complex relationship. In the simplest terms, neoconservative and
neoliberal interests actively manipulate ideology
within religious institutions with the intention of undermining all
left-leaning individuals and movements within all the major world
religions. Because many of these vehemently anti-socialist,
pro-capitalist, pro-colonialist interests often pass themselves off as
religious NGO's, it can be very difficult to separate those who are
truly motivated by religious convictions from those who are motivated by
greed. An excellent introduction to these pseudo-religious
entities and personalities is found in this
excellent article by Andrew J. Weaver and Nicole Siebert for
Mediatransparency.org.
Bear in mind that many of the people
and organizations listed on this page may best be understood as using
religion to achieve goals that are directly opposed to the explicit,
traditional ideals of those religions. In fact, it might be best
to understand these personalities as forces aimed at destroying or at
least transforming the
religions of the world in order to assure their own economic, political
and/or racist goals. For those interested in fighting against this
movement which aims to erase the social conscience of Christianity (and
Islam and Judaism too!), I also recommend the Conceptual
Guerrilla's web site. It's not religious in its intention, but
it does an excellent job of revealing exactly how the policies of these typically
Christian right wing ideologues are all aimed at lowering wages for the
working class of the world. In other words, they are the "Cheap
Labor Conservatives." Again, keep in mind that many
of the individuals who may be connected to the religious movements
listed below may not be fully aware of the degree to which Richard
Mellon Scaife and even the CIA are pulling their strings. The most
important lesson to learn here is that just because somebody claims to
represent a religious perspective doesn't mean that they really believe
what they are saying. More importantly, just because somebody
claims to be representing a major religion like the Methodists or the
Catholics doesn't mean that they do, nor that they have your best
interests in mind.
August 1, 2005 A
recent survey of Americans which aimed to examine the religious beliefs
and scriptural/historical misconceptions revealed some interesting
aspects of American pseudo-Christianity. Perhaps the most
interesting and most telling was the erroneous assumption of 3/4 of
Americans that somewhere in the Bible it says: "God helps those who
help themselves." Not only is this famous Ben Franklin quote
nowhere in the Bible, but the entire political/economic philosophy that
it is based upon is utterly anti-Biblical. This drove home
for me the technique that the corporate right wing has used to distort
and twist the overt socialism of the Bible into the rabid DIY crony
capitalism we see today. This excerpt from the article in Harpers
situates this lunacy in more empirical terms:
In 2004, as a share of our economy, we ranked second
to last, after Italy, among developed countries in government foreign
aid. Per capita we each provide fifteen cents a day in official
development assistance to poor countries. And it’s not because we
were giving to private charities for relief work instead. Such funding
increases our average daily donation by just six pennies, to
twenty-one cents. It’s also not because Americans were too busy
taking care of their own; nearly 18 percent of American children lived
in poverty (compared with, say, 8 percent in Sweden). In fact, by
pretty much any measure of caring for the least among us you want to
propose—childhood nutrition, infant mortality, access to
preschool—we come in nearly last among the rich nations, and often
by a wide margin. The point is not just that (as everyone already
knows) the American nation trails badly in all these categories;
it’s that the overwhelmingly Christian American nation trails
badly in all these categories, categories to which Jesus paid
particular attention.
Some other interesting ignorance includes 12% who think that Joan of
Ark was Noah's (of the Ark) wife.
Jeannette
Batz Cooperman's 10/28/04 article gives an outstanding picture of
the religious mess we are in. Please read it. It is informed,
factual and clear. The author is clearly not a conservative
Christian, but I think that it gets right down to the nitty gritty of
what makes us liberals and the conservatives so different.
Arkansas
Democrat News Gene Lyons: Excellent editorial writing on the
Christian reaction to Bush's 2004 "victory." It also
encapsulates very nicely why we all gave up on trying to civilize these
Christian conservatives.
Matt Taibbi's
article Babylon A-Go-Go in a sarcastic form, this article adds the dimension of tying all this
Fundamentalist-Corporatism together with the current war in Iraq.
Ann Lewis writes
about how the misogynist think tank-lobbying group Independent Women's
Forum is teaching Iraqi women how to be submissive with YOUR tax dollars.
The IWF is deeply connected to the above mentioned groups.
______________________________________________________________
Way back in 1925 the Scopes Monkey Trial was as heated an issue as
gay marriage is today, and Calvin Coolidge was the same sort of creepy
pseudoreligious Republican demagogue as Bush. H.
L. Mendken's Homo Neanderthalis treats the theme of willful
ignorance among fundamentalists with acuity, sarcasm and a wee bit of
hyperbole. I find the article astounding in light of today's
situation vis a vis the topic of this page.
Perhaps no other religious movement exemplifies the antithesis
of this new capitalist Christianity than the Catholic revolutionary
movement of Liberation
Theology. It might be accurate to describe the efforts of the
pseudo-religious capitalists as a reaction to the threat presented by
their radical movement in Latin America to the neo-colonialist agenda of
"free markets."
On the other side of the political fence, at the more extreme end of
the spectrum we have an intriguing and disturbing lot of people.
Speaking in merely poetic irony, it looks to me as if the most sinister,
Prince of Darkness has discovered that as long as he hates homos and
women who can control their reproduction that he can get away with the
most foul acts of blasphemy, inhumanity and degradation. Of
course, if that's really true, then this must mean that Bush is the
Antichrist Himself. I can't go that far, though. It seems to
be giving too much credit to Bush. Besides, I'd have to believe
the New Testament too, which I do not.
The Prophets of Hatred
“I want you just to let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good...We have a Biblical duty, we are called by God to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want
pluralism.”-- Randall
Terry, founder of anti-abortion group, Operation Rescue, The News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 8/16/93
“With all due respect to those dear people, God Almighty does not hear the prayer of a Jew.”--
Bailey Smith, Founding Father of the Christian Coalition, St. Petersburg Times, 6/26/94
The most important article on this page is, I believe, this one:
It is a long article that gives a detailed and scholarly analysis of
this growing movement within American politics. I also recommend Billmon's
history of the Neoconservative movment. This blog page has an
interesting examination
of legal and judicial wrangling over church/state separation.
Dominionism at
Wikipedia
This short
article at AlterNet is also illuminating.
The following books are also very informative:
-
Terror
in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence,
Mark Juergensmeyer (University
of California Press; 2001) ISBN:
0520232062
-
Destroying the World to Save It, Robert J. Lifton (Owl
Books: 2000) ISBN: 0805065113
Basically,
this page is dedicated to examining a growing trend toward violent,
Machiavellian, revolutionary thought within the conservative Christian
movement of the GOP. Important proponents of this perspective
within the current administration include, George W. Bush, John Ashcroft,
Dick Cheney, Carl Rove, and a large number of federal judges who share
membership in the Federalist Society.
A friend of mine, Dr. Vince DeLusia, pointed out to me that, although
they appear to embrace Machiavelli that they
failed to understand at least Chapter Five.
Besides
their international agenda, expressed in the Project
for a New American Century, their more explicitly religious agenda
is known as "Reconstruction Theology", or "Dominion
Theology" or "Theonomy." Although I will be
examining a wide range of groups with no real connection between them,
the connecting thread will be the idea that any means are justified in
making America into a Christian nation based on the laws of the Old
Testament and a profound belief in Apocalyptic
doctrine.
Reconstruction Theology –Greg Bahnsen
Theonomy – Cornelius Van Til
Dominion Theology—Rousas John Rushdoony
The Chalcedon Foundation http://www.chalcedon.edu/
Take a look at
the Ohio Restoration Project
Favored Heretic
Reverend Sun Myung Moon hardly represents orthodox Christian
beliefs, but thanks to his money, American media holdings, real
estate, conservative morality and fascist ideology he's become the
secret benefactor and power source behind the Christian
Right--especially of the type I speak of here. Here are some
great articles of the self-proclaimed messiah:
Consortium
News - excellent summary of Moon's power and influence.
Jesus
is Savior - a Christian critique of Falwell through guilt by
association with Moon.
Common
Dreams--on Bush family & Moon
On the more extreme
end of this movement we have the Army
of God and Reverend Fred
Phelps. Mike
Bray, famous after-hours abortion clinic bomber. More on these
folks later. But, before proceeding to an examination of much less
controversial proponents of violence in the name of Christianity, I want
to stress that a startling upsurge of anti-liberal rhetoric since the
election of George W. Bush has been growing to a fevered pitch as of
late. What these more militant and violent people have in common
with the Dominion Theologists mentioned above is a willing
predisposition toward violence and hate speech. I will close this
blog page with a set of links to interesting articles on recent
incitements to violence from right wing media pundits on mainstream
television and in print.
Some important heroes of Christian-sanctioned violence
Perhaps the most significant source of violence
carried out in the name of Christianity is the Just War Theory, first
formulated by the pagan Cicero, which was Christianized by St. Ambrose
and St. Augustine. Although St.
Thomas Aquinas made a valiant attempt
to "give peace a chance" by condemning it in most cases, Christians in
positions of power have been artful in justifying their military projects. The Crusades were the first
and most powerful example, and WW II is generally regarded as the
benchmark example of a just war. The criteria for a just war are derived from basic utilitarian thinking: a war must not cause
more pain and death than it produces in benefits. Although it
wasn't difficult to convince people of high minded theological motives,
economic motives always abounded. I do not suggest that WW II was
not a just war. I believe it was. However, I strongly
question the motives of Henry Ford, IBM and numerous other American corporate
special interests who gave hidden support to the Nazis, and even
undermined allied forces in some cases.
More to the point, we are already seeing that the
immediate goal of getting Saddam Hussein out of power was trivial in
comparison to their proclaimed goal of creating democracy. Bush's
administrators in charge of rebuilding Iraq are facing a possible civil
war and/or full scale insurgency. They are also in the
uncomfortable position of trying to explain how democracy in Iraq can't
be gained by democratic means (popular voting).
But, I digress. Let's look at the heroes and
proponents of Christian-sanctioned violence.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer – From Union Theological
Seminary. A Lutheran pastor who tried to kill Hitler, and
carefully harmonized that goal with his theology. His death at the
hands of the Gestapo who caught him is commonly viewed as martyrdom.
Personally, I find his story to be compelling and very thought
provoking. He deserves more historical attention than he
gets. He has also been transformed into a model of Christian
terrorism. Whether you agree with his action or not, his
resistance group fits well the definition of a terrorist group.
Given that his chances of success were incredibly small, we can speak of
this as a suicide mission. However, his death would not nor did it
result from his own hand. This distinction is pivotal for those
who might admire Bonhoeffer, but deplore Palestinian suicide
bombers. What I find disturbing is that Bonhoeffer is used as a
role model for people who would kill Americans who violate Old Testament
law--even if Bonhoeffer is spinning in his grave over Fred
Phelps' monument to "Matthew Shepard's Entry into Hell."
Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr – Moral Man & Immoral Society,
and Why the Christian Church is not Pacifist and author of the
Serenity Prayer
Jesus Christ in New Testament:
- Mt. 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came
not to send peace, but a sword.
- Lk. 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell
you, Nay; but rather division:
Origen -- Exhortation
to Martyrdom (a very early Christian writer who encouraged
Christians to die for their faith) He bases his arguments on these
scriptural passages:
-
Mt. 5:10-12; Blessed are they which are
persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute
you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my
sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in
heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
-
Lk. 6:22-23 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate
you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall
reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's
sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold,
your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their
fathers unto the prophets.
-
Ps. 42:11 “Why are you sorrowful, my
soul, and why do you disquiet me? Hope in God, for I shall yet
give him thanks.”
-
2 Cor. 5:8 and [those who are troubled—i.e.
martyrs] may be quieted when they consider that those who are
foreigners from the body are at home with the Lord of all.
-
Is. 51:7 “Fear not the reproach of men,
and be not dismayed at their contempt.”
-
Mt. 12:36 “For every careless word you will
render account on the day of judgment”
-
Mat. 16:24-25 “If any one would come after
me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his soul would lose it, and whosoever loses
his soul will save it.”
-
1 Sam. 2:25 “If a man sins against a man,
then they will pray for him; but if he sins against the Lord, who
will pray for him?”
-
2 Cor. 1:12 “For this is our boast, the
martyrdom of our conscience that we have believed in the world with
holiness and godly sincerity.”
-
Ps. 43:19 LXX—44:18; Ps. 43:20 LXX—44:19
Ps. 44:20-22; Heb. 10:32-36; 2 Cor. 4:18z
-
Mt. 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the
body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both
soul and body in hell” (Lk. 12:4-9)
- Jn. 15:19 “For
this reason the world hates you, because you are not of this world;
if you were of this world, the world would love its own.”
Two Schools of Apocalyptic Thought
Premillenialists—Christ returns, then the New
Kingdom comes.
Postmillenialists—New Kingdom on Earth for 1000
years, then Christ comes (Pat Robertson, and the reconstructionists who
are eager to get God’s Kingdom set up and running in America and the
world.)
Racist Wing of the Christian Reconstructionist Movement
Although there are not any visible connections between the more
mainstream movements mentioned above, and these radical racists below,
they do share some common ideology: Christian Reconstructionism,
anti-Internationalism/American Imperialism, and the GOP credo "no
taxes, less government, end to welfare." Clearly the
mainstream representatives want to distance themselves from these
people. I do not wish to imply a conspiracy or association, but
rather to point out that they have common goals. Whereas the
Reconstructionists that dominate the GOP are avid supporters of Israel
and international trade (including the exportation of American jobs and
the importation of immigrants to work at low paying jobs here), this
faction is adamantly anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, anti-immigrant and
isolationist. However, we have some interesting "bridge
personalities" (Patrick
Buchanan and Michael
Savage.) in the media mainstream who are vocal supporters of Israel,
but support the isolationist and xenophobic ideas found among the more
blatantly racist representatives of this faction.
I recommend this book:
Soldiers of God: White Supremacists and Their Holy War for America by
Howard
L. Bushart, John
R. Craig, Myra
Edwards Barnes Kensington Pub Corp; (June 1998) ASIN:
157566206X
The Right
and the Politics of Rage by Kent Worcester
British Israelism is a fundamental doctrine that
distinguishes these people inasmuch as they may embrace the
Judeo-Christian tradition. The major proponent of this white
supremacist, anti-Semitic philosophy is John Wilson 19th
Century (cf. Michael
Barkun & Jeffery
Kaplan), University of VA page, a history at a grassroots site
in Tennessee/Kentucky
Christian Identity a
Christian partisan anti-cult site, News
article at Salon.com
Gerald
L.K. Smith "These great phenomenal assemblies, whether they
be headed by Dr. Francis E. Townsend, Gerald Smith, or Father Charles E.
Coughlin, represent the unmistable edict that is being issued to the
corrupt, seething politicians of America that the baby-having,
stump-grumping, sod-busting, go-to-meeting, god-fearing American people
are about to take over the United States Government of America!"
America
First Committee
William Cameron—publicist
for Henry Ford, ghost wrote his The International Jew.
Bertram Comparet
Wesley Swift of the KKK started the Church of Jesus
Christ Christian
Worldwide
Church of God (aka Armstrongism)
Bill Gale – Christian Defense League, which split
into:
Posse
Comitatus not much of an organization now. Probably spun off into
the various militia groups like the one Timothy McVeigh belonged to.
Aryan Nations
complex at Hayden Lake Idaho, now in Pennsylvania.
Midwest Offshoot: Covenant, Sword and Arm of Lord
(Christian Survivalists)
http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/orgs/american/adl/paranoia-as-patriotism/covenant.html
http://eserver.org/bs/21/schalit.html
Endtime Overcomer Survival Training School
http://www.meta-religion.com/New_religious_groups/Groups/Christian/arm_of_the_lord.htm
http://www.rickross.com/reference/israel/israel6.html
Other related groups:
The Order, Freeman Compound, White Aryan
Resistance,
TCM
The Creativity Movement and The World Church of the Creator
Cosmotheist
Community – new age Nazi religious movement started by William
Pierce, who wrote Timothy McVeigh’s favorite book, The Turner
Diaries. They derive their mythology from science fiction,
Teutonic occultism, Old Testament Christianity and Eugenic prometheism.
Anti-Liberal Rhetoric of the Right
America is deeply divided. We see liberals comparing Bush to
Hitler and Conservatives calling liberalism a disease that must be cured
by killing liberals. There is no denying that the
anti-conservative rhetoric is really heating up in this campaign year.
However, it's even more difficult to obscure the fact that conservatives
are literally inciting violence against liberals. I find this
interesting in that liberals seem incapable of such vitriol and
conservatives are the ones who most overtly embrace Christian doctrine.
This sort of hate speech is spreading to more respected voices in the
media.
Explaining
Coulter (a liberal perspective from Pamela Troy) If you haven't read
or listened to this woman, you really should come take a look. Her
website speaks for itself.
Uncivilized
Discourse (David Neiwart a conservative from Idaho explains his fear
of the rabid anti-liberal discourse in the media)
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