poor lew ! don't worry one day the scales will fall off your eyes and you to will see the light of truth shine in
On Dec 31, 7:56 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
