Rick Perry and the Push for American Theocracy

[RyanPsych]

The political right wing has never been far from the Bible, at least in rhetoric. However, recently there has been an increasing push to further inject their version of Christianity into the governance of the nation. Besides recent anti-abortion laws and efforts to bar LGBT rights, prominent politicians, including Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, have forged ties with controversial fundamentalist Christian groups. Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising group to have worked its way into the political arena is the New Apostolic Reformation which demands nothing less than world rule by fundamentalist Christians.

Many in the conservative right push the notion that the United States was founded as a "Christian nation," ignoring evidence to the contrary found in the First Amendment, the Treaty of Tripoli, and the works of Thomas Jefferson. This line of thought has been used to justify discriminating against LGBT citizens and women, among others.

To better understand this theocratic push, one must understand the term dominionism. This concept proclaims that Christians have a divine duty to rule and to rule according to Biblical principles. It is derived from a sect called Christian Reconstructionism which advocates replacing American law with laws supposedly straight from the Bible (executing homosexuals, stoning adulterers, among others). The dominionism movement, which has drawn support from a range of extremist sects, appears to be just as political as it is theological.

One prominent political figure who seems to be caught up in the dominionism movement is the latest Republican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Let's look at how Perry's views on this have affected his governance of Texas.

keep reading at: http://peoplesworld.org/rick-perry-and-the-push-for-american-theocracy/?stage=Live

[atheistprogress]

1. When you believe in the super natural...

you show that you dont belong at the adult table.

[RyanPsych]

2. true

though that would exclude all but one member of congress
(though, that may not be a bad idea :) )

[blkmusclmachine]

3. Public Enemy #1 for the Dominionists are GLBT ppl.:

And they'll make use of the new post-9/11 laws to "disappear" them as soon as they think they can get away with it. They say as much.

[BiggJawn]

4. And non-believers.

They'll tell the Bubbacracy it's our fault the economy went screaming down the toilet.

[RyanPsych]

5. Republicans in general tend to be enemies of the GLBT community

With the exception of a pentacostal minister in NYC, most Democrats are at least indifferent if not mildly supportive of GLBT rights.

With Republicans on the other hand: the mildly supportive official is the rarity.