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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Rise of Christian Fascism and Its Threat to American Democracy
This is an old article from 2007. I just read it again and much of it seems relevant, at least IMO, to today.
See >>> http://www.alternet.org/story/47679/?page=entire
Truthdig / By Chris Hedges
February 8, 2007 |
Dr. James Luther Adams, my ethics professor at Harvard Divinity School, told his students that when we were his age -- he was then close to 80 -- we would all be fighting the "Christian fascists."
The warning, given 25 years ago, came at the moment Pat Robertson and other radio and television evangelists began speaking about a new political religion that would direct its efforts toward taking control of all institutions, including mainstream denominations and the government. Its stated goal was to use the United States to create a global Christian empire. This call for fundamentalists and evangelicals to take political power was a radical and ominous mutation of traditional Christianity. It was hard, at the time, to take such fantastic rhetoric seriously, especially given the buffoonish quality of those who expounded it. But Adams warned us against the blindness caused by intellectual snobbery. The Nazis, he said, were not going to return with swastikas and brown shirts. Their ideological inheritors had found a mask for fascism in the pages of the Bible.
See >>> http://www.alternet.org/story/47679/?page=entire
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)Fundie Christians spend much more time reading and quoting the Old Testament, and St Paul, than ever considering the words of Jesus.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)Often, I think they are completely antithetical to the teachings of Jesus, whom I as a non-religious person appreciate.
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)It's fun to imagine that the Jesus part of the bible is actually enlightened. While there are a few glimmers it is little better than the rest of the bible.
No, really. Read it.
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/cruelty/nt_list.html
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)RKP5637
(67,104 posts)Last edited Sat Apr 21, 2012, 11:39 AM - Edit history (1)
Their Jesus has lighter skin and hair, and blue eyes.
juioli024566
(2 posts)Good, thanks
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)world view and if you do not share these views YOU are EVIL and going to destroy America.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)basically office of the president also cow-taws to them as well.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)Bigmack
(8,020 posts)"Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the <Republican> party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them."
"A lot of so-called conservatives today don't know what the word means. They think I've turned liberal because I believe a woman has a right to an abortion. That's a decision that's up to the pregnant woman, not up to the pope or some do-gooders or the religious right. It's not a conservative issue at all."
"I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in "A," "B," "C" and "D." Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?"
"And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of "conservatism."
Hint: He lost the 1964 Presidential election because he was too extreme.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)at length in his "Conservatives Without Conscience." He was a long time friend of Goldwater's. It should be said that Goldwater hated the Xtian reich more than he ever disliked Democrats. He absolutely despised them with all his being.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)upi402
(16,854 posts)and he used to be considered radical right.
I want my country back and I do blame the Chritians in large part for enabling the neocon creeping-junta.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)model conservative.
He'd about be considered a radical liberal today.
saras
(6,670 posts)...you might even be able to improve your own positions and proposals through honest debate. Imagine that.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)Also, check out www.theyuricareport.com. I thought it was a kook site the first time I found it years ago, but it is nothing of the sort. Hardcore investigative reporting about the rise of Xtian fascism that includes an analysis of Rushdooney and the plot revealed by General Smedley Butler.
Sinclair Lewis was right - when fascism comes to the US it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)" ... can't find the server at www.theyuricareport.com."
saras
(6,670 posts)RKP5637
(67,104 posts)RKP5637
(67,104 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)and no, some of this we cannot run since I cannot independently confirm it, but...
The city of El Cajon, a local developer is the local johnny appleseed of churches. He buys property, converts it, donates it to the church, gets tax shelter from the donation. Yup, it is legal.
Gets worst, the city loses that tax base.
Oh and since it is the largest developer if you are not a member of the right church and happen to be a general contractor, think of another city... this is the part I cannot hope to confirm even if... well let's not go there.
Yes I am going there, so save the Goodwin award. This is exactly how the Nazi party worked in the small towns... in Germany oh circa 1933-4... you were a member of the party, in this case the right group, you got work.
There is more... just in case... the council does whatever the developer tells them. One of the people involved in this, remember KONY 2012, that be dad.
Oh and they are also behind a project to pack local circuit court with the "right judges" who will put the word of god above the word of man...
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)judges. "Oh and they are also behind a project to pack local circuit court with the "right judges" who will put the word of god above the word of man..."
People do not pay enough attention IMO to voting for judges. Often, they do not bother, so those organized with packing the court with judges can do so easily.
I've tried to convince people I know, as much as I can, not to take the remaining democracy in this country for granted.
IMO we have a lot of lazy apathetic voters in the US, and one day they will wake up when it's way too late. And especially for judges, it's often hard to sort out their background and what they are about.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)them are easy to pack.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)trustees of the college here I cringe. They are RW corp. types only interested in adding a trustee position to their repertoire.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)saras
(6,670 posts)I go out of my way to know about, and vote well on, minor candidates and issues, and consistently find that voter information organizations of all sorts do a REALLY BAD job of providing good, simple, straightforward information on judges. It's an enormous amount of work to do it yourself, so I sort of understand why they don't, but still.
It's far too common for judge races to be decided by one trivial issue - a single ruling, or some bit of personal info. Almost never do I feel like I can choose judges based on their whole record and philosophy, let alone do I see a whole election do it.
indepat
(20,899 posts)to it and its practitioners are blasphemously so.
upi402
(16,854 posts)...from your followers.
(love that bumper sticker)
Initech
(100,063 posts)They were definitely leaning toward preaching right-wing values and after 9/11 it was getting scary. I would hate to see what it's like there now.
provis99
(13,062 posts)American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America.
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)They are an utter embarrassment to our religion, and their views contradict the main principles of Christianity. For example, they see Socialism as a bad word and refuse to lend a helping hand to the poor yet believe in pampering the rich, and they are intolerant of the views of atheists and people from different faiths.
Obamacare
(277 posts)I thought we as dems, indys and liberals were above that, apparently not.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)wants a theocracy Christian Bashing? I do not think anybody was an issue with mainstream Christianity, but the intolerant, this country is a christian nation that should be ruled by the law of leviticus... if you think that is bashing, oh well.
I guess I engage in Muslim bashing when I critique the extreme right wing for running theocracies, or anti-Semitism when I am critical of the extreme right wing that also wants a theocracy, and a fascist state.
YesURParanoid
(5 posts)Christians love to whine that Muslim leaders don't speak out against activities by Islamic terrorists yet when a Christian Terrorist kills someone christian leadership for the most part are silent and some 'leaders' even encourage additional Christian Terrorist activities.
Pointing it out is not bashing nor is using their religious books to point out their hypocrisy.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)LeftishBrit
(41,205 posts)Nobody was saying that Christians in general are fascists; only that there is a far-right theocratic movement that is.
SammyWinstonJack
(44,130 posts)KG
(28,751 posts)JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)are so over-sensitive about their precious faith that to shine a light on the most evil component of their fellow Christians is "Christian bashing".
Need a refill on your kool-aid there Bunky?
Julie
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)undergroundpanther
(11,925 posts)christians saying a bad person isn't christian. The bible is two faced,it's not all love,it's got god sanctioned murder,rape,child abuse in it too.
So christian,a nasty christian you don't think is christian IS christian if he says he is,he is.
Christianity is not a loving,peaceful or good religion,it has plenty of ugliness in it.
you focus on one part of the belief,others focus on the evil in christianity.
After all he who knows all and all that happens and is to come knows also full well lucifer would fall,knew people would suffer,planned it all out.To me that god is an abusive two faced pos. So it does not surprise me when a belief system fails to make a person good,all religions fail to make a sociopath not be what he is. But the sociopath can fool and use believers for his own purposes.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)sentence was right on. "But the sociopath can fool and use believers for his own purposes." I see a lot of that going on with the RW'ers and their religion and all. As some politician once said, something like this, go to the faithful and convince them you are good and represent them and they'll blindly follow you anywhere. And they become a bunch of tools, blindly voting.
BeHereNow
(17,162 posts)You will not find a single Christian who condones fascism-
However, you find MANY fascists who proclaim to be Christians; especially in government at all levels.
You shall know them by their works and a bad tree will not produce good fruit.
BHN
siligut
(12,272 posts)Reality is so hard and this fantasy promises everything.
DLine
(397 posts)Jesus warned of many false teachers. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Just because people say or do things in the name of Christianity does not give their words and actions a free pass IMO.
RKP5637
(67,104 posts)they represent all Christians. I'm not a religious person, but I do resent these people representing all Christians because, as you said, we know full well they are, "Wolves in sheep's clothing."