Mikey: This is about the most nonsensical article I have seen from the most nonsensical person I have ever come across.
??????????????????????????????? On Dec 31, 7:42�am, "mike [never forget] 532" <[email protected]> wrote: > George Bush and the Rise of Christian > Fascismhttp://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. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
