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When we talk about the religious right on this board, we tend to lump them all together. We speak of Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, et al as if they were united in ministry and had one group of followers. It just isn't the case. Conservative Christians come in many different stripes. You have your conservative mainstream Christians (Southern Baptists, Presbyterian Church of America and some PCUSA, conservative United Methodists, Lutherans (Missouri Synod), Church of Christ (independent), Nazarenes, etc. You then have your traditional Pentecostal denominations - Assemblies of God, Church of God (Cleveland, TN), and Four Square. There are also the various seeker-friendly non-denominational churches - these are often the mega-churches with huge memberships but no denominational affiliation. From there you get to your more extreme fundamentalist type churches - Independent Fundamentalist Baptist, Church of Christ (non instrumental), and on the fundamentalist pentecostal end of the spectrum - United Pentecostal Church, or Apostolic Churches(these are the ones where the women don't wear pants, makeup or cut their hair). Then there are the various charismatic churches (Vineyards, independent charismatic churches often identifiable by the words "Christian Fellowship" or some reference to the Holy Spirit in their names; the prosperity churches (World Changers, Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Potter's House to name a few). Then you have your fringe sects that none of the above would consider orthodox Christians (Jehova's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists). Plus many others I can't think of. Besides these you have conservative elements in the traditional mainstream denominations that tend to be liberal, and conservative Catholics.
These groups do not agree theologically and some will even go so far as to say none but them are saved (The United Pentecostals believe this as do some Baptists). A large number of the above do not believe in ecumenicism and many believe Catholics are not Christians. This large and diverse group do not all listen to the same teachers. Many of the above believe Pat Robertson is heretical. Some denounce James Dobson because he is a psychologist which they consider secular humanism. Jerry Falwell denounces many in this group for their charismatic beliefs. What unites them is their beliefs that abortion and homosexuality are sins. Beyond that, they have little that unite them. Go to religion message boards and you will witness wars of words between followers of these various groups. Some of the nastiest attacks I have ever witnessed online have been between "Christians."
It is easy for us here to lump them all in one group and label them all as "fundies." But this is simply not the case. Technically, in order to be a fundamentalist, you have to believe in the inerancy of the fundamentals of the faith, but these groups cannot even agree as to what those fundamentals are. These groups used to never unite - until the Christian Coalition was formed giving people with conservative, right-wing, Christian beliefs a political voice. Now these groups come together to fight the "evils of liberalism." What was behind this uniting is the theory called theonomy. It is a belief in returning to biblical law, where the Bible becomes the law of the land. It is rooted in the belief that we are currently living in the kingdom of God and that we have to usher in Christ's return. Most people who are uniting under this conservative Christian banner do not know this. Most of the above groups do not believe in theonomy, and in fact many denounce it as heretical.
If we want to fight this movement, we have to expose it. Most Christians are extremely ignorant of the Bible they claim to know and love. Most have no understanding of theology. Most just believe what they have been taught is right. If we want to fight this push for theocracy, we have to get out there and show what it really is, which means not bashing individuals, or worse, telling people they are nuts, but honestly taking the Bible and showing these folks the errors in what the leaders of this movement are pushing towards. That is the only way to fight this.
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