George Bush and the Rise of Christian Fascism "the spirit of antichrist"

[RedEarth]

Rev. Rich Lang
Trinity United Methodist Church Seattle. <[e-mail]>

02/14/04: (ICH) The men who wrote the Constitution of the United States knew that we human beings have a tendency to 'not get along with each other'. They knew that if power accrued into the hands of an elite the experiment of democracy (power spread out into the realm of the people) would be over. So they created a system of checks and balances which blocked access to any one person, or any one special interest or elite gaining too much power over others. Thus our executive, legislative and judicial branches of government "checked" each other. The media was yet another "check" on the accrual of too much power as was the Bill of Rights which was written into the Constitution. The system wasn't perfect but it kept alive the possibility of true democracy. It kept alive the dream that one day "we the people" could live in a peaceful commonwealth where every person has what they need to survive and thrive.

That dream died in December 2000 when the checks and balances of our Constitution collapsed and George Bush was inserted into the Presidency of the nited States. September 11, 2001 furthered the atrophying of democracy handing the country into the hands of an emerging Corporate (and I say Christian) Fascism.

Since that time we have witnessed and have been unable to prevent the emergence of an Imperial Presidency that has the unrestricted power to declare war against any country he chooses. The Imperial Presidency has brought to an end the Constitutional mandate that 'ONLY CONGRESS' has the authority to declare war. It has furthered weakened international law and has undermined the potential of the United Nations to spread democracy throughout the earth.

.............

Ominous signs are all around us concerning the accrual of power into the hands of the Presidency. If Mr. Bush stays in office I think our future will continue to witness shrinking political rights, financial collapse and endless war. Part of the power and seduction of this administration emerges from its diabolical manipulation of Christian rhetoric. I want to flesh out the ideology of the Christian Fascism that Mr. Bush articulates. It is a form of Christianity that is the mirror opposite of what Jesus embodied. It is, indeed, the materialization of the spirit of antichrist: a perversion of Christian faith and practice.

.......

The point I'm trying to make is that we are not dealing simply with politics when it comes to the Bush administration. The progressive left, which often pays little attention to Christianity, will be making a huge mistake if they overlook the religious ideology at the core of Mr. Bush personally and the movement he represents. And we are talking about a "movement" (a movement of 'the people' not just the elites). We are seeing today the emergence of a "fascist movement". It is bankrolled and organized by Corporations, articulated through the ideology of neo-conservativism. but is fueled by the right-wing church drawing upon Holiness/Holy War Biblical narratives.


http://207.44.245.159/article5648.htm

[mom cat]

1. I have seen numerous comparisons of Bush to the anti-christ here on DU.

He certainly falls into the definition pretty well.

[eagler]

3. Maybe the first horseman of the Apocalypse?

66th book of the Bible chapter 6.

[BushOut06]

5. Everyone knows Chuck Norris is the first horseman of the apocalypse

Sorry - couldn't resist that one.

[mom cat]

6. Whoa dude. That is the 666 stuff.

You might have to quote it for me.

[eagler]

2. Absolutely true and it's called Christian Reconstructionism

chilling and nothing christian about it!

[BushOut06]

4. How ironic, the fundies are making it happen

Usually they're the ones who are foaming about the mouth about so-and-so being an Antichrist, how we're in the Last Days, etc.

Wouldn't be ironic if everything they preached were true - except THEY were the ones who created the Antichrist, and the fundies wound up being the ones cast into the lake of fire?

[cornermouse]

8. Yeah, I've been thinking about the irony in it too.

They like to talk about people following wolves in sheep's clothing. Well, that seems to fit George and Company pretty well but they haven't noticed that yet.

[Pathwalker]

9. THEY created him on purpose! They WANT Bush

to be the Anti-Christ, they are fully on board with this massive attempt to blackmail God into returning. This isn't an accident - it IS the plan. As my Fundy cousin said: "If * is the Anti-Christ - it just proves what a good Christian he is, and how much he loooooves Jesus!" They WANT the world to end, they WANT Armageddon, they WANT America destroyed, and anyone who doesn't believe their version of Christianity destroyed, as well. THAT is the plan!

[BushOut06]

10. Wow, what kind of fucked up logic is that?

"If * is the Anti-Christ - it just proves what a good Christian he is, and how much he loooooves Jesus!"

Yeah, because everything I've read about endtime prophecy (I used to be really into that stuff) and the Antichrist led me to believe that the Antichrist really loved Jesus deep down in his heart, he was just a misunderstood fellow. That's why God was going to cast him into the lake of fire.

I can just picture the Church Lady making that look on her face, saying "Surrrrrre"

[Pathwalker]

11. I know it's crazy, because I was raised by nuts like this.

And yes, they also say Judas was misunderstood - go figure. :shrug: But, like I said - logic has absolutely nothing to do with it. The niggest problem is, IMO, they believe it, and they're the one's in charge. In the meantime, up is down, down is up, war is peace...

[f-bush]

7. Good post

I am familiar with Trinity. I live in Tacoma and attend First United Methodist probably one of the the MOST liberal in the city. I appreciate the work that Trinity is doing up there!