WP: Right With God (Evangelicals in office)

[kskiska]

Evangelical Conservatives Find a Spiritual Home on the Hill

(snip)

It's what Ralph Reed dreamed of, and now it's finally here. Christians in politics are ready to trade in their guerrilla fatigues for business suits and a day job. This year evangelicals in public office have finally become so numerous that they've blended in to the permanent Washington backdrop, a new establishment that has absorbed the local habits and mores.

Nearly every third congressional office stocks an ambitious Christian leader who calls himself "evangelical," according to Jim Guth, a political science professor at Furman University. They may believe everything they believed before, but they've learned to speak in ways that are more measured and cautious and designed not to attract attention.

Sen. John Thune is the movement's new David, having overthrown former Senate minority leader Tom Daschle. When talking about abortion, the South Dakota Republican prefers abstractions: "I like to connect my principled view with my policy objectives," he says. "Good principles can lead to good policy."

(snip)

To secular humanists or even your average Democrat, Thune Land is a scary, scary frontier. "He is this new kind of Republican creature who puts an innocuous face on the religious right," says a Daschle aide who worked on the campaign. "Behind this cheerful frat-boy basketball-star persona is just the same old beast of the far right."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10508-2005Mar5.html

[whistle]

1. Kinda' like Invasion of the Body Snatchers

[TomClash]

18. Meets . . .

the Manchrian Candidate.

[Maat]

2. Yep. Everyone ... read:

"With God on Their Side," by Esther Kaplan.

You'll have nightmares, after you read how many of the Religious-Rightie Body-Snatchers have been put into policy positions, and what they're up too.

I did.

[Aviation Pro]

3. The Rapture nut jobs....

...are everywhere. They are a sick and twisted lot who are praying for the end of humanity. No wonder, they believe they have nothing to live for.

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. Christian Reconstructionism...saw it coming into play during

first few months of the first theft of the people's White House.
I want my nation back!!!

A snip from one site:

- The "Christian" Reconstruction movement (CRM) claims that believers possess a cultural mandate from God to reclaim in this age dominion over human society -- a dominion forfeited by the fall, but supposedly regained for immediate claim with the New Birth experience. As believers obey this mandate, gradually gaining dominion over earthly society, this present world will supposedly become "Christianized," inaugurating the Millennium. In reality, if effected, the entire earthly society would be placed under an O.T. "Theonomy" law system, rather than the N.T. teaching of believers as a group of "called out" saints from the world. They want to apply Old Testament law to today's society. This includes slavery as an alternative to prisons and capital punishment for a variety of offenses (murder, homosexuality, etc.). This view advocates the reconstruction of society as a theocracy and is heavily postmillennial.

- In Reconstructionism, the main thrust shifts from the salvaging of lost souls in a doomed society to the reconstruction of a Christian world. The Great Commission is thus either lowered to the status of a co-equal with the cultural mandate or merged with it, confusing its real identity. "Christian" Reconstructionism is a religious kin to the "two" gospel theory (spiritual gospel/social gospel) promoted by new-evangelicals, and has links to the secular gospel (social gospel) promulgated by the religious apostates.


Read more about it here:
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/cor/notes_on.htm

[Voltaire99]

7. We will never "get our nation back," alas.

If by "our nation" you are referring to post-WWII liberal America. That's dead. Gone. Buried. We really shouldn't have taken it for granted.

Now we'll be lucky if we are able to hold further fascism at bay. That, it seems to me, is the first priority: stop things getting worse.

The place to start is within the Democratic Party, which should be purged of its corporate collaborators and Bush-lite appeasers. Recreate the Democratic Party, and we might stand a small, remote chance...

Continue with it as it is, and Bushism will get stronger by the day.

[AndyTiedye]

14. We May Only Be Able to Slow Them Down

but that is something, at least.
Try to keep as much freedom alive as we can for as long as we can.
Give those most at risk from a theocratic regime enough time to make
whatever arrangements they need to.

Filibuster as long as we still have the power to do so.
File lawsuits to make them go through the process
or at least go through the motions.

We need to find every obstacle the law provides us
and throw it in their path.

[The Zanti Regent]

22. The backup plan is secession

If they want White Trash Jesusland, let them have White Trash Jesusland and let them sink in the red ink of White Trash Jesusland. I'll do everything I can to take California out of White Trash Jesusland!

[Sapphire Blue]

23. Canada 2.0

[The Zanti Regent]

29. Sapphire, I love you!

Let's add Montana, all of California, Nevada and Ohio to that mix.

I love it--Jesusland run into the ground by Tex-Ass-Holes!

[Sapphire Blue]

30. All secessionists should be welcomed into Canada 2.0

... along with their accompanying territories. We can just squeeze all of the right-wing into Florida, leaving them to form the putrid boil on humanity that they are.

:toast:

[Liberty Belle]

10. Slavery as alternatives to prisons????

I hadn't heard that one before. These people are sick. Do you have a link to this reference?

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. Oops...meant to put the link in...

here it is:
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/cor/notes_on.htm

There are quite a few hits when you google, and use keywords: reconstructionism slavery

[Sapphire Blue]

15. Dominionism’s Theocratic Views

The Despoiling of America

How George W. Bush became the head of the new American Dominionist Church/State


An excerpt:


Dominionism’s Theocratic Views

What would a “reconstructed” America look like under the Dominionists? K.L. Gentry, a Dominionist himself, suggests the following “elements of a theonomic approach to civic order,” which I strongly suggest should be compared to the Texas GOP platform of 2002, which reveals that we are not just talking about imaginary ideas but some things are already proposed on Republican agendas.<60> Dominionism’s concept of government according to Gentry is as follows:

“1. It obligates government to maintain just monetary policies ... fiat money, fractional reserve banking, and deficit spending.

“2. It provides a moral basis for elective government officials. ...

“3. It forbids undue, abusive taxation of the rich. ...

“4. It calls for the abolishing of the prison system and establishing a system of just restitution. ...

“5. A theonomic approach also forbids the release, pardoning, and paroling of murderers by requiring their execution. ...

“6. It forbids industrial pollution that destroys the value of property. ...

“7. It punishes malicious, frivolous malpractice suits. ...

“8. It forbids abortion rights. ... Abortion is not only a sin, but a crime, and, indeed, a capital crime.”<61>

The fourth item in Gentry’s list, “abolishing of the prison system and establishing a system of just restitution” has been worked on extensively by Dominionist Gary North, who holds a doctorate degree in Economics. North has written volumes of books, essays and articles, (many of which falsely predicted that the year 2000 computer problem would bring down modern civilization.) He is most famous among Dominionists for reconciling economic theory with Old Testament passages.

Gary North describes the ‘just restitution’ system of the bible, which happens to reinstitute slavery, like this:

“At the other end of the curve, the poor man who steals is eventually caught and sold into bondage under a successful person. His victim receives payment; he receives training; his buyer receives a stream of labor services. If the servant is successful and buys his way out of bondage, he re-enters society as a disciplined man, and presumably a self-disciplined man. He begins to accumulate wealth.”<62>


The complete essay is available @

http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheDespoilingOfAmerica.htm


Other essays on Dominionism are available @ http://www.yuricareport.com

[no_hypocrisy]

20. Might as well bring back workhouses as per Charles Dickens in order

to "do something" with poor folk denied the right to declare bankruptcy.

[Liberty Belle]

27. Yes, and child labor as well to help support those destitute families.

[sarcasmo]

25. What year will we all be forced into Church, and if we don't go will we

be enslaved?

[Occulus]

26. You may be mocking, but

that's what these people want to do.

Ask any far-right Xtian (not to be confused with true Christian) nutcase, and they'll gleefully tell you they are waiting for the day when Biblical laws become the law of the land. The Constitution, to these people, is not "of God" and so is not valid.

They intend to revoke our Constitution. It truly is just that simple. These people are dangerous, in the extreme, and they must be stopped- by any and all means necessary.

I'd like to add, there's no discussion with these people. Their mindset is such that they will pretend to discuss, all the while looking for ways they can either turn the whole thing around so black is white (and knowingly so, but it is for a Godly cause, so lying and misdirection is okay to them) and up is down, or they'll just completely ignore your argument, or they'll try to find a way to use it against you. They intend to destroy all that makes America America in order to make America "Godly" in their eyes.

They are sick, and twisted, and have targeted me and people like me all my life. Now they are actually trying to seize power, and most of the nation is silent and ignorant.

What will change this?

[buff2]

5. This is what is so disgusting and makes me sick to my stomach

I was raised in a small town and went to a church called E.U.B. which stood for Evangelical United Brethern. I was always proud to tell people about it all through the years. Because I had moved away from the town,I just never went back.

Since the repuke thugs have clamed "Evangelical" as their OWN....I don't claim to be one anymore. My faith and the church I went to back then was NOTHING like it is today.The people in that church were GOOD decent people,and politics was never mentioned.You never heard anyone talk bad about anyone else,and no one in the church thought they were better than the other person. Repukes have soured me on religion and it's the very reason I don't go to church today. I am afraid of any church now,I certainly don't want to bump elbows or take communion with the likes of those snakes like all those repukes are.

I am bitter and pissed that they have ruined it for so many people,because I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.I honestly HATE those evil,bigoted,racist,homophobic nutcases and get physically ill at the thought of having to associate with them in any way. They are WRONG in supporting republican policies and they are dead wrong in the way they think they have to judge everyone who doesn't think the way they do.I miss the days when these kind of freaks didn't exist....or if they did I sure as hell didn't know them.They totally gross me out. :puke: :puke: :puke:

[Erika]

6. Just ask them why they ignore Christ's Golden Rule

and they disappear into the shadows as if they were Vampires looking for their coffins moments before dawn.

[Sapphire Blue]

8. Had a Freudian slip of the mind

.... read that subtitle as 'Evangelical Conservatives Find a Spiritual Home in Hell.'

[Straight Shooter]

9. If being Satanists would put them in power, they would be Satanists.

It doesn't matter to them. Look at Tom DeLay, he thumps the rhetorical bible like it's going to spit out gold if he hits it hard enough.

These people don't believe in what they're saying, but they do believe that it will get them in a position of power and keep them there. That's all that matters. They're posturing for the masses, because the masses are so gullible.

Evangelicals. Yeah, right, sure they are. Uh-huh. You betcha. :eyes:

edit: I'm not referring to sincere Evangelicals who are few and far between. Luckily, God can pick them out when the time is right, if you believe in such. buh-bye, Tom DeLay, you'll not be one of the chosen ones.

[Erika]

11. Frist "adopted cats" only to perform experiments on them

He admitted that he lied when adopting cats. He said he would give them a good home. Instead, he used the healthy cats for medical experiments. We're talking sick ----/

[Sapphire Blue]

17. Speaking of torturing animals....

From an interview with Justin Frank, author of 'Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President'

Monticello, New York: Dr. Frank,
I understand you learned that Bush exploded firecrackers inside of frogs as a youngster. How did you learn that, what does it indicate to you about the pathology of the youngster, and how do you think that pathology has manifested itself in the behavior of the adult? Thank you.

Justin Frank: There were several articles about Bush's childhood in which his friends were interviewed describing his having blown up frogs. This was after rainy periods in the otherwise dry Midland world. He also used beebee guns to shoot them, one friend reported. A group of them did.

As a fraternity man at Yale he branded pledges on the buttocks with a hot coat-hanger. This was written up in the NYTimes in 1967 and he was interviewed then about it.

His smirk as an adult, his mimicry of patients on death row while he was Governor are all part of a similar pattern.

Everyone has sadistic bits in his personality. The job of a mature person is to recognize those elements and control them or channel them in some way other than inflicting harm on others.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34801-2004Jun11.html

[blogbear]

13. Theocrat - BTK connection

Just how far will our far-out and far-right fringe go off the deep end with "control" measures?

[Sapphire Blue]

16. Conquering by Stealth and Deception

is another enlightening essay available at The Yurica Report.


Excerpt:


Conquering by Stealth and Deception
How the Dominionists Are Succeeding in Their Quest for National Control and World Power

By Katherine Yurica

September 14, 2004

Paul Weyrich’s Secret Manual on How to Win Politically

Since the writing and posting of my essay, The Despoiling of America in February 2004, there is more and more evidence that not only has a cultural war been launched, but that the plotters are winning it. “Dominionism” now looks more like a term that is applicable to both right-wing-religious believers and to the neo-cons who were created and born in an astonishing resurgence of an immoral Machiavellianism: both groups believe in domination and control. While religious adherents adopted a decidedly heretical Christian doctrine,<1> the neo-cons continue to use the American churches to help execute their cabal. It was expressed this way by a Yurica Report talk board participant:

“One of the more sinister aspects of the current crisis is the influence of Leo Strauss on the pro-war, “neo-cons” who are determining so much of our foreign policy. While the Christian right thinks it is running the show, Leo Strauss’ irreligious philosophy is actually in control. Strauss believed that the rulers should not be religious, but should use religion to manage the people — which he evidently regarded as a stupid herd. He also believed that a state of war was great for controlling and directing the masses. So it’s all come together: the weirdest book of the bible , with its mysterious disasters; the scheming behind the scenes warmongers and an incident of terrorism that has served admirably as the Project for a New American Century’s hoped-for ‘new Pearl Harbor.’” Adrien Rain

Americans and the main-stream media have been very slow in catching on to the fact that we are in a war—a war that is cultural, religious and political. One document not mentioned in The Despoiling of America is the closeted manual that reveals how the right wing in American politics can get and keep power. It was created under the tutelage of Paul Weyrich, the man who founded the Free Congress Foundation. Conservative leaders consider Weyrich to be the “most powerful man in American politics today.” There is no question of his immense influence in conservative circles. He is also considered the founder of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank made possible with funding from Joseph Coors and Richard Mellon-Scaife. Weyrich served as the Founding President from 1973-1974.

To get a sense of how revolutionary the political fight for power in the U.S. is, we need to look at a few quotes from what has been dubbed, “Paul Weyrich’s Teaching Manual,” the Free Congress Foundation’s strategic plan on how to gain control of the government of the U.S. Written by Eric Heubeck, and titled, “The Integration of Theory and Practice: A Program for the New Traditionalist Movement,” the document is no longer available at the Free Congress Foundation’s website for obvious reasons. But excerpts are published at the Yurica Report. The excerpts explain why the Dominionists are winning; the tactics they endorse are sheer Machiavellian:

I have paraphrased the four immoral principles of the Dominionist movement as the following:

1) Falsehoods are not only acceptable, they are a necessity. The corollary is: The masses will accept any lie if it is spoken with vigor, energy and dedication.

2) It is necessary to be cast under the cloak of “goodness” whereas all opponents and their ideas must be cast as “evil.”

3) Complete destruction of every opponent must be accomplished through unrelenting personal attacks.

4) The creation of the appearance of overwhelming power and brutality is necessary in order to destroy the will of opponents to launch opposition of any kind.

According to Jeffry Sharlet, Hitler’s Mein Kampf and William L. Shirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich are studied as textbooks in a particular leadership training group he wrote about in Harper’s magazine.


Continue reading @

http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheSwiftAdvance...

[AndyTiedye]

28. The Media Are On THEIR Side

the main-stream media have been very slow in catching on to the fact that we are in a war—a war that is cultural, religious and political.

They know we're in a war all right. They've gone over to the other side.

[TomClash]

19. Here's the Orwellian Part

"One of the fascinating things about the suffragette movement," he begins brightly, then describes how Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others recognized that they would be subjugated to the whims of men unless they could vote, translating the message of the dour news conference into progressive feminist terms.

That sounds interesting until you realize that his policies are really designed to subjugate women to men.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sarcasmo]

24. Ralph Reed the real anti Christ not King Chimp.

If you think Fallwell and Dobson are bad this guy will scare the hell out of you.