Will churches be the new re-education camps?

[enid602]

The federal gov't withheld support to the NOLA victims. The Red Cross was not allowed in. International aid was rejected. As was aid from Chicago. Churches around the country are mobilizing to help, which is fantastic. We need more of that. But some have felt for a long while that Bush's reasoning for dismantling what is left of our social contract is to ensure that people in need, without any other source of help, will be forced to rely on churches. This gives churches HUGE power, and could result in the further Mullah-ization of the US. Will churches be the new re-education camps for refugees?

[wli]

1. Time for secular assistance countermovements?

I think so. Probably even time for explicitly atheist charitable organizations.

[longship]

2. What do you mean, "Will they be?"

Where have you been since the 1980 election? Pat Robertson began taking over the local Repug parties during that election cycle. He did it by using churches as an arm of a political re-education campaign that continues today. This has been a wildly successful campaign for the rapture rightists. That's a good part of the reason why we are stuck with these stupid idiots now.

But, if you are saying that they will attempt to leverage this to turn the NOLA citizens, I will just say that they won't stand a snowball's chance in Hell of bending them to *'s side of things.

[enid602]

3. churches

I'm torn. While I applaud these churches for their efforts, if the new refugees are made their wards, they can easily be re-educated to comply with Repuke agenda. In the larger picture, I see churches deciding who gets help and when.

[longship]

6. Any help is good.

Remember, the evacuees are substantially Dems who are ultra pissed off at Chimpy for dropping the ball on Katrina. Also, any evidence that churches are doing what you suggest would be portrayed in the most negative of frames.

[MO_Dem]

4. I was thinking about w's proclaimed "faith"

and how the right-wingnuts claim this is a Christian nation. If what we've seen this past week is the action (inaction?) of a Christian president and a Christian nation, then I believe I might be an atheist.

[enid602]

7. churches

I think what they're saying (through their inaction) is that fed gov't no longer has the duty of protecting its citizens. People will be forced to rely on churches. Hence, destroy FEMA, SS, etc so that people are vulnerable. All social aid will be administered by churches through donations made by their swelling memberships. The increase in revenues will afford them great power; witness Robertson's 'operation blessing,' where he used aircraft ostensibly meant to bring aid to Zaire to help out with his private diamond mines in that country. A sweet deal.
The neo-cons, on the other hand will benefit greatly from their partnership with the Christians, as no social spending equates to greater funds available for defense. And they'll create plenty of emergencies to convince the public of the need for even greater defense spending.

[really annoyed]

5. I wouldn't go that far

Too many people at this board are at the "worse case scenario" thought process. There is no doubt in my mind that these churches will do everything to be helpful in terms of food and shelter.

Churches are capable of good work. I don't think it's fair to write off any Christian church as an agent of Bush.

[enid602]

8. Agree

I agree with you 100%. I'm not faulting you at all. Here in Phoenix, the churches mobilizing (as shown on TV) seem to be mostly independent black congregations who I would think have nothing to do with the moral majority or the neo-cons. What I'm saying is that I fear that the federal government won't let anyone BUT the churches help these people, signaling a drastic change in the way our hopefully secular government protects its citizens.

[really annoyed]

9. That is true

Especially because Bush has been promoting faith-based charity supported with federal money.

[enid602]

11. FEMA

I didn't go to the website, but I read here on DU this week that the FEMA website advised concerned citizens to make their donations to Robertson's 'operation blessing.'

[really annoyed]

13. I read that too

I also read that FEMA cannot help out gay and lesbians families due to federal law. :-(

[enid602]

14. Fema

Just another way that this cozy church-state relationship ensures that both sides of the neo-con-fundie access accomplish their agenda.

[DanCa]

10. Will if haliburton building will the next NO become the first state cult.

Note I use cult as a way of seperating from the many many good christians out there who genuinely want to help support the relief effort. I also dont want to dampen anyones spiritual belief in this tradgey as this is not the time of place just imo.

Also it seems that the churches cant win in this arguement. There damned if they do and damned if they dont.

[enid602]

12. Haliburton

One thing's for sure . . . the administration seems very picky as to who can help these folks. But as so many RW-ers have said, now is not the time to politicize this thing. Just lay back and let * take care of everything.