George Bush and the Rise of Christian Fascism
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5648.htm
Rev. Rich Lang
Trinity United Methodist Church Seattle. <[email protected]>
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.
The President has also gained unrestricted power to round up unlimited
numbers of American citizens and incarcerate them in military brigs or
concentration camps for the rest of their lives. He can keep them from
ever again communicating with friends, families, and attorneys, simply
on the president's certification that
the incarcerated are "terrorists," as he has done with Jose
Padilla and Yaser Esam Hamdi. The President may also now kill American
citizens abroad solely on the basis of his certification that the one
killed is a "terrorist". Just ask the family and friends of Ahmed
Hijazi, anAmerican killed with a U.S.-fired missile in Yemen.
Therefore suspending the Constitutional right: "no person shall be
denied life, liberty or property without due process of law."
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.
This country, like it or not, is overwhelmingly dominated by the
ideology of the Christian story. It is not so much that our founders
were all Christians. Rather, they lived in an atmosphere scented
throughout by Christian thought and rhetoric. Just as most of us can't
imagine how to keep things cold without refrigeration; so too our
founders couldn't help but think through the lens of the Christian
story. And what they saw was that America had become the New Israel
(the new Promised Land) of God. America has understood itself as a
benevolent nation seeking only the good of all. We have understand our
wealth as a blessing given to us as a sign that we are a "chosen,
special people" whose larger meaning is to help the world into an era
of peace, prosperity and justice. Every politician draws on this
"civil religion story" which gives authority to the politicians
ambition and agenda. Another way of saying this is: every nation needs
sacred legitimation. It needs the authority of transcendence: of a
story larger than itself . a story that connects past with present and
future. An Empire needs an even broader story: one that connects with
cosmic and/or historical redemption and new creation.
Martin Luther King understood this sacred American civil religion and
was able to wed it brilliantly with the prophetic religious teachings
of the Bible. He drew upon Biblical narratives which limited the power
and authority of the elite while calling for economic redistribution
of wealth. He drew upon teachings rooted in the personal morality of
nonviolence and compassion. George Bush, on the other hand, also
understands this sacred American 'civic gospel' and has brilliantly
merged it with Biblical Holiness and Holy War traditions. These
traditions call for the emergence of the Righteous Warrior who will
cleanse the land of its impurity. These traditions are rooted in the
personal morality of righteous zeal and obedience.
For example:
1.. Mr. Bush consistently sends signals to his right wing religious
base. In last year's State of the Union he exhorted: "there's power,
wonder working power, in the goodness and idealism and faith of the
American people". It's a phrase from a well known Communion hymn
"there's power, wonder working power in the blood of the lamb". Bush
brings together the holiness zeal of Christian evangelicalism with
patriotic fundamentalism. The core belief system of this 'civic
gospel' goes something like this: The United States was founded as a
Christian nation with free enterprise as the only economic system
truly compatible with Christian beliefs. These religious values are
today under attack in America. The danger is that without faith in God
America will lose its blessing. Therefore, the government needs to act
to protect the nation's religious heritage.
2.. Mr. Bush's teachings on terrorism: "you are with us or against us"
cements for the hearer the apocalyptic world of good versus evil.
There can be no neutral ground. You have to make a decision.
Patriotism is now all or nothing: it is either total agreement or a
slippery slope towards treason. In the Church you come to Jesus alone
for salvation. In the state you obey the God-annointed leader and are
thereby secured.
Renana Brooks writes (The Nation June 24, 2003: Bush Dominates A
Nation of Victims):
"Bush is a master at inducing learned helplessness in the electorate.
He uses pessimistic language that creates fear and disables people
from feeling they can solve their problems. In his September 20, 2001
speech to Congress on the 9/11 attacks, he chose to increase people's
sense of vulnerability: 'Americans should not expect one battle, but a
lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen. . I ask you to
live your lives, and hug your children. I know many citizens have
fears tonight . Be calm and resolute, even in the face of a continuing
threat.' (Subsequent terror alerts .. have maintained and expanded
this fear of unknown, sinister enemies.)"
The terror threat itself can only be combated with increases in
military force, domestic security and curtailment of civil rights
through Patriot Acts. There are no other options nor any dialogue or
debate that would create an alternative way to deal with terrorism.
3.) Mr. Bush certainly sees himself as a Messiah figure. Listen to his
language after 9-11: " I will not forget this wound to our country or
those who inflicted it. I will not yield; I will not rest; I will not
relent in waging this struggle for freedom and security for the
American people." Or, in his 2003 State of the Union speech: "I will
defend the freedom and security of the American people". He has become
the nation. He is its embodiment. According to Palestinian Prime
Minister Mahmoud Abbas, - Bush told him: "God told me to strike at al
Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at
Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in
the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections
will come and I will have to focus on them." This is Biblical
language . it isn't political script. This is Bush's soul language. He
understands himself as a man with a Divine mission. It also means that
for him leadership is not "representing the people" rather leadership
means transcending the will of the people. George Bush already knows
the truth before the evidence is presented. He is guided by God and
must blaze the trial even if the people are reluctant.
Iraq, for example, was a necessary war whether or not Saddam had
nukes. Saddam, for Bush, was a bad guy who tried to kill "my dad". The
war, for Bush, was holy and justified and necessary. Purging evil is
necessary in the Holiness/Holy War tradition of the Bible. The
righteous will purge evil but the unrighteous will be consumed by it.
Think of an alcoholic: it's all or nothing. The whole world is all or
nothing.
Like all religions the Bible has various narratives within its pages:
Jesus drew on the prophetic traditions that called upon the people to
change their way of life even as it critiqued and called upon the
elites to decentralize their power. Jesus himself role modeled a
lifestyle of service. Mr. Bush, on the other hand, draws on traditions
that call for purity and cleansing. It is a language of hostility
towards enemies and a strident call for obedience. It calls forth a
lifestyle of the RIGHTEOUS ONE who will purge evil from the world
through sacred violence.
All of this is not to say that the political world is of less
importance. We know that the planning for the Iraq war was at least a
decade in preparation. We know that America has had imperial designs
and has intervened militarily throughout the world. And we've known
for 25 years that Corporations have been savagely reducing labor
rights while looting the treasury. We know that Mr. Bush is not the
cause of our problems. Rather, the point I am making is that Mr. Bush
is a sincere front man for an emerging fascism. His religious rhetoric
is an authentic merging of Holiness Christianity with Imperial
Americanism. The emphasis on security, law and order is necessary to
maintain the "high calling" of the American people. The policies of
fascism, in other words, are consistent with religious holiness and
holy war narratives. And fascism, woven underneath Christian Holiness/
Holy War traditions, is a powerful symbolic narrative that speaks to
the American people as evidenced by Mr. Bush's 58% approval rating.
The coming election will not be decided because of political policy.
It will not be decided in a debate over free markets versus fair
markets; tax cuts or no tax cuts, Patriot Act or no Patriot Act; war
with Syria or no war. None of these issues will determine the election
because the candidates are all for free markets, tax cuts, domestic
security and a strong global military presence. The election will be
determined by the candidate who can embody the deeply felt, often
unarticulated religious yearnings of the populace. Yearnings such as
"who will save us, secure us, lead us??? who will connect us with a
power greater than the power of others?" Bush speaks this language.
Democrats are stuck in political nuance. Or, in other words, Democrats
cannot speak the language of Martin Luther King who understood that
social transformation requires a transcendent authority.
The problem comes down to this: Democrats, liberals, and social
progressives have simply not grasped how afraid, insecure and how
deeply in despair the populace is. They keep speaking as if objective
analysis and idealistic vision can win the day. What Bush and Rove,
Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz and Pearls, Abrams and Bolton, DeLay and
Rice etc, have clearly understood is that truth is subjectivity.
Unfortunately, the inner person of America today is a hollowed out
consumer who lacks the will power, stamina and imagination to do
anything more than be overwhelmed. Therefore, a politics of crisis, a
politics of fear will keep us locked into a state of conformity.
On the "civic side" of things America is being inundated with a
rhetoric of insecurity. Most of Bush's State of the Union was taken up
with war themes reminding us all of the horrible new world we live in
post 9/11. We know that further increases in the military and police
budgets are on the way; we know that the Patriot Act is going to be
extended and strengthened; we know that Homeland Security will
continue to be a growth industry. We know that this administration
wants to break down the wall between church and state with faith-based
initiatives. The world is in chaos and the Bush-men will fix it
bringing us peace, prosperity, purity and purpose.
On the religion side of things apocalyptic theology is booming. This
is also a worldview of crisis and insecurity. It is a theology rooted
in the Holiness/Holy War traditions and it dominates the spirituality
of this current administration. More to the point, this is the
dominant theology of the mass media expression of Christian faith. It
is a theology of despair that has given up on the possibilities of
redemption.
One of the most popular fiction series making the rounds these days is
the LEFT BEHIND series written by Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins. Multiple
millions of people are reading these books which fictionalize the end
of life as we know it. It used to be that the Church could control
people through the fear of eternal damnation. Today it is through fear
of the future. The theology is basically this: The Bible is a code
book that when rightly interpreted reveals that we are living at the
end of history. History is scripted and is about to come to a
catastrophic conclusion. The only hope is to accept Jesus as your
personal Lord and Savior so that you can be "saved" from the future
apocalypse. God will "snatch you up" (Rapture) right before a seven
year series of horrible events that will see the rise of Antichrist
and the rebuilding of the Jewish temple. There will be world war with
most of humanity dying. At that point Jesus will return to restore law
and order. This theology of despair "fits" our current culture of
powerlessness and fear. From SARS to weapons of mass destruction to
the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, to ecological collapse, the
whole world seems to be on a "no exit" slide into an end times abyss.
The theology of despair is very seductive. It is shaping the
spirituality of Christians which provides a strong core from which
Bush draws political strength.
And it has, at least, five political implications that affect each one
of us here today. FIRST: Israel is to be exalted and defended no
matter what they do to the Palestinian people. They are God's chosen
people and must reside in their Biblically anointed Land for the "end
time clock" to tick to its final minute. Israel has a Biblical mandate
to conquer and control all of the land from the Nile River to the
Euphrates. Behind the politics of oil lie the religious passion to
fulfill God's will: Syria must fall.
Secondly: institutions like the United Nations are not to be trusted
because they are tools of the Antichrist. The Antichrist is thought of
(not as a spirituality or ideology) but as an personal embodiment of
evil. The Antichrist will be a living person who will come to power at
the end of history and proclaim himself to be god on earth. The theory
has it that his power will be generated from within a coalition of
nations. Thus . America, as God's chosen nation, will need to go it
alone so as not to be duped by Antichrist. Our destiny is to take the
gospel to all the nations: a benevolent gospel of therapeutic
salvation for all.
Thirdly: since the world is passing away the environment is not of
great importance. There is no need to worry about issues of
sustainability because the world is in its final countdown. Part of
the unconcern towards global warming and other ecological crisis is
the religious belief that we aren't going to be around in 100 years.
We're in the end times now . every moment is merely preparation for
eternity. Whether Bush himself believes this or not is irrelevant.
This is the religious worldview of those who exalt him and the voter-
bloc to which he plays. For Bush to act for sustainability would
require a major shift in his religious narrative. . As an aside this
past summer the National Park Service was instructed to approve the
display of religious symbols and Bible verses, as well as the sale of
creationist books at the Grand Canyon National Park. In December 2003
the Park Service was ordered to develop a "more balanced" version of
an 8 minute video shown at the Lincoln Memorial Visitor Center.
Conservative Christians wanted the removal of footage of gay rights,
pro choice and anti-war demonstrations replacing it with footage of
Christian rallies and pro-war demonstrations.
Fourth: the trust that Jesus died for "my sins" is far more important
than the teachings of Jesus. This fosters a domesticated therapeutic
religious expression that insists that "jesus in my heart" is more
important than my lifestyle. It's like the Mafia don who could order
his enemies killed while he himself was celebrating the baptism of his
nephew. There is a disconnect between one's inner experience of God's
loving grace and embodying that experience outwardly through one's
politics. This leads to a discounting of following Jesus in a
lifestyle of nonviolence, economic justice and compassion. Again as an
aside . while Governor of Texas Mr. Bush was interviewed by Talk
Magazine concerning the impending execution of fellow Christian Karla
Faye Tucker. Bush imitated Tucker's appeal for him to spare her life .
pursing his lips, squinting his eyes, and in a squeaky voice saying,
"please don't kill me".
Fifth: a leader who loves Jesus is to be followed as God's man for the
hour. The Christian leader is God's shepherd over the American flock.
As stated before Bush sees himself as a Messiah figure (annointed by
God for a special redemptive purpose). When he decided on running for
the Presidency he called a group of evangelical Pastors together
announcing to them "I have heard the call" and then receiving from
them the "laying on of hands" which corresponds to divine ordination
for the task ahead. On September 14, 2001 he stated: "our
responsibility before history is already clear: to answer these
attacks and rid the world of evil". He then launched the crusade
Operation Infinite Freedom against Afghanistan. Yet other messainic
statements from Bush:
"History has called America to action. . The great hope of our time,
and the great hope of every time, now depends on us." ..
"We must also remember our calling as a blessed nation to make the
world better . and confound the designs of evil men."
"Our nation has been chosen by God and commissioned by history, to be
a model of justice before the world."
*** According to Vice-President Cheney: America "has the duty to act
with force to construct a world in the image of the United States."
In return for this messianic leadership evangelical Christians have
returned an annointing of prayer. During the Afghanistan crusade
thousands of "Presidential Circles of Prayer" and "Wheels of Prayer"
were organized on the Internet, running 24 hours a day.
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