Inside view of fundies and the next election

[JMDEM]

I've had some opportunity in the last 2 months to get an inside view of the fundamentalist beliefs and the upcoming election.

The first thing that needs to be understood is that there is a loose coalition of of various "Christians" who actually use the word "Christian" as a keyword to indicate a very specific set of beliefs about Christianity and religion. Again, these are VERY SPECIFIC beliefs, which they all agree upon, and which make them members of the "true Christian" club. Everyone else is pretty much excluded, until they accept these core beliefs. Among these beliefs are:

1. Jesus is the only way to God and Heaven.
2. The Bible is the 100% true and accurate word of God.
3. Failing to accept Jesus or the Bible means an eternity in Hell when you die.
4. The world and the universe is roughly 5,000 years old.
5. Apparently the only thing that makes one a true Christian is fully accepting Jesus as the savior and the way to Heaven. What bothers me in this belief is that they say that it doesn't really matter WHAT YOU DO, as long as you accept Jesus as your savior. This one really bothers me because, of course, it leaves the door wide open for massive hypocrisy. And news reports over the last several years show that such hypocrisy seems to be somewhat rampant.
6. Armageddon is coming, and it is a part of God's plan.
7. Bush, and the Republicans in general, are God's people, and Democrats are either evil or simply deluded. For example, Kathleen Harris was put in place by God to make sure Bush "won" in 2000. Any kind of election theft is actually in God's plan (as long as it results in a Republican victory).
8. The Iraq war is good, because it is bringing Christianity to Iraqis.
9. A war with Iran would be good, because it would bring Christianity to Iranians.
10. Any kind of middle east war is good, because it will hasten Armageddon.

One of the most disturbing beliefs I have heard is that somehow Jesus is okay with war in certain instances, of which the Iraq war and a possible Iran war would qualify. This really bothers me.

Another core belief is that abortion is a huge abomination, and that anyone who supports it in any way is not only a non-Christian, but a blatant Satan worshiper, whether they realize it or not. So almost every Democrat is automatically a demon under this criterion. A politician's stand on abortion alone will determine how a "true Christian" votes.

Many fundies apparently believe that a large portion of abortions are late term abortions. I heard them talking repeatedly of "sucking brains out" and "crushing skulls" in abortions, as if it occurs in most abortions. Some seem to believe that there is some sort of demon god that demands the sacrifice of babies (fetuses) and that the entire country is falling under the power of this demon god because of abortions.

If you don't believe in all of the above core beliefs, you are not really a "true Christian", or more simply, you are not a "Christian", as used in the code of these people. If they say Joe the car salesman down the street is a "Christian" they mean he has the above core beliefs. This is so rampant that pastors of mega churches have no problems going completely political in sermons, blasting Democratic candidates and supporting Republicans, without any fear that even a single member of the congregation will complain or disagree.

There also seems to be a "prophecy mill" going on somewhere with this coalition. I heard the same set of bizarre prophecies coming from multiple sources, sounding for all the world like talking points. And in fact, I think they are. I think that fundie religious leaders actually collaborate with Republican political leaders to generate these "prophesies". But calling them "prophecies" gives them immense religious weight that they wouldn't otherwise have.

In the 1980's these "prophecy mills" cranked out a whole series of books -- the "Late Great Planet Earth" books. These books were full of "prophecy" that showed a nuclear war with Russia, China, and the US, fulfilling things said in the Book of Revelations. Of course, none of these things came true, but the fundies believed it all back then. Now a new set of prophecies are being generated to explain our current situation in the Middle East, and the fundies are believing this information. The uncomfortable thing about these prophecies is that they seem to push the idea of a confrontation with Iran.

This stuff really bothers me. I always considered myself a Christian, but I don't have many of these beliefs. I always thought that being a Christian was something you had to work on on a day-to-day basis, and that you could easily fall from grace in this regard, regardless of what you said or did on Sunday in church. I most certainly don't think that Jesus approves of war. And I have no problem with the idea of the earth being 4 billion years old, and God existing at the same time.

Abortion is a real issue, a real big problem. Eventually the Dems are going to have to come to terms with how many voters this single issue alienates. I'm not sure of the answer. I just know it is a problem.

[jakem]

1. dont forget the implications in Israel as a means to 'End Times'

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Excellent post. However, on #5 you don't really get to do whatever you want. In fact,

that is the argument my conservative hubby makes against liberal Xians. x( But for the conservatives they understand that change is a process for most people and that there will be times when we falter or fail. Some evangelicals, like my husband's denomination, believe that salvation can be lost. I think that is a direct outgrowth of the "do anything you want if you just cry out for Jesus that one time" mentality.

(I will admit some of the RWer True ChristiansTM treat SalvationTM as getting to do whatever you want, but then I am not so sure they really believe what they are preaching anyway. That, or they do and are extremely tormented by their giving into their "baser" selves.)

[EstimatedProphet]

3. I have run into fundies that believe being "saved" meant "get out of jail free"

and once someone is saved, anything they do afterwards is automatically OK, because they were saved.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Maybe they misunderstand the concept of carrying their crosses and walking the narrow path?

[PerfectSage]

5. Abortion is an issue because the CNP makes it an issue for christians to manipulate them.

The CNP: manipulating religion to political ends

Many of the religious evangelical groups in America are coordinated top-down by a secretive organization called the Committee on National Policy. Former close Bush adviser, Rev. Ted Haggard, was a member of the Committee on National Policy until a sex and drugs scandal forced him out in late 2006.

Haggard was Pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs described as the ‘evangelical Vatican,’ and was head of the National Association of Evangelicals. Ted Haggard was also a member of a highly significant and little-understood sect known as Joel’s Army or the Manifest Sons of God, the same circles which spawned Sarah Palin.

Another noteworthy member of the CNP as was Grover Nyquist, the man once described as the ‘Field Marshall of the Bush Plan.’

The CNP, created in the early 1980’s during the Reagan era, is the nexus for several odd and quite powerful organizations. It was described by ABC's Marc J. Ambinder as ‘the conservative version of the Council on Foreign Relations.’ CNP Members include names such as General John Singlaub, shipping magnate J. Peter Grace, Texas billionaire Nelson Bunker Hunt, Edwin J. Feulner Jr of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, Rev. Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network, Jerry Falwell, Tim LaHaye and most of the prominent names in the Christian Right around Bush. It has included prominent politicians including Senator Trent Lott, Senator Don Nickles, former Attorney General Ed Meese, Col. Oliver North of Iran-Contra fame, and Right-wing philanthropist Else Prince, mother of Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater the controversial private security firm.1



http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10167

[Waiting For Everyman]

6. Until they can stop breaking the 9th commandment, they NOT Christians.

That said, it wouldn't be surprising how much stupid stuff they promote. Any fundies you think are worth reasoning with, bring up the 9th (against false witness against someone or lying), and remind them of the false prophets in the end times.