From shamelessly manipulating their gullible followers, to supporting murderous dictators and death squads, to repeatedly lying to cover their sins...the Christian Right has sold its soul in a bid to gain personal fortune for its leaders, and in an attempt to take control of the Republican Party.
The Politico-Christian right is the product of an Unholy Trilogy forged in the 1970s between avaristic power mongers like Paul Weyrich, their corporate-America financial backers (including Richard Mellon Scaife , the Coors family, and the DeVos-Amway founders), and the Christian Right televangelist-demagogues like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Through Weyrich's numerous "think tanks," as well as through groups like the super-secret Council on National Policy, these three tentacles of the Politico-Christian Right have worked together to manipulate the masses to further their own avaristic goals.
Over the past three decades, the Politico-Christian Right has worked has become progressively more involved in manipulating American politics. Despite the fact that, nationally, voters have consistently demonstrated that they are uncomfortable with a candidate who voices plans to implement their religious beliefs into law, the Politico-Christian Right has continuously--by big$$$ financial support and by touting its voting bloc--increased its control over the Republican Party.
Weyrich found Christian Right leaders like Falwell and Robertson all too willing to abandon the Christian principles of compassion, love and tolerance to join in his power-building propaganda emphasizing fear, anger, hate and intolerance. This Unholy Union has consciously used lies and distortion to target gays, liberals, African-Americans, feminists, and any other group they could demonize. By demonizing a group, such as gays, by using lies and distortion, the Politico-Christian Right agitates their trusting followers by instilling fear, anger, hate and resentment. This, in turn, accomplishes the Politico-Christian leaders' primary goals: to get their followers to send them money, and to unite their followers into an easily-manipulated, fear-based voting bloc.
It does not take a history major to realize that these tactics used by the Politico-Christian Right to manipulate its followers are the same tactics used by Hitler in Nazi Germany. It should come to no surprise, then, to learn that Paul Weyrich has worked closely over the years with a convicted Nazi war criminal.
Leaders like Weyrich are very aware of the nature of their followers, and what it takes to motivate them. "'There was a tremendous response to our broadcasts. It made us realize that a sizable audience is out there,' says Paul Weyrich, NET's CEO and president of the Free Congress Foundation. 'We estimate that 25% of the backyard dish market is made up of retired people. Those are our people,' says Burton Pines, NET's Vice-Chairman." ONSAT, July 26-Aug. 1, 1993.
If you discount the likes of Pat Robertson as a buffoonish yahoo, you are playing right into their strategy. Make no mistake about it: these are not bible-thumping rubes. These Christian Right leaders, such as Robertson and Ralph Reed, are shrewd businessmen and politicians, who will stop at nothing to advance their grab for power and money. Pat Robertson supported the Central American death squads and Zairean murderous dictator, Mobhutu. I think this is an indication of the lengths to which these men will go, and the degree to which they will violate traditional Christian beliefs, to accomplish their goals.
The Politico-Christian Right is a highly organized political group, they have networked such that they have many important connections, and they are financially very well funded by contributions from the wealthy and the not-so-wealthy. With money from sources like Richard Mellon Scaife and the Coors brewing family, and with shrewd organizers like Paul Weyrich (Heritage Foundation), they have made great inroads into influencing public and foreign policy. Through the mobilization of their followers, massive amounts of campaign contributions, manipulation and control of judicial appointments, and the creation of numerous "think tanks" with benign-sounding names, the Politico-Christian Right has profoundly impacted American society, and the working interpretation of our Constitution and our Constitutional rights. The effects are often highly visible--such as the attempt to overthrow the separation of church and state. But often they are more subtle, such as the media's use of conservative-propaganda mills which market themselves as "think tanks" for quotes on important issues.
Christian demagogues linked to both the conservative right power-brokers (such as Weyrich) and the GOP have done very, very well. Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition, although recently experiencing a significant dip in its fame and fortune, has commanded an ever-greater presence on the national scene. His large holdings in the media have enabled him to get his message out on the airwaves by a nearly continuous stream of propaganda. In addition, Robertson, through shrewd financial deals, and through his willingness to support the most brutal murderous dictators to gain sweet deals in foreign countries, has seen his own personal fortune skyrocket.
Christian demagogues such as Robertson don't hesitate to ignore the law in their political-campaign-manipulation tactics. They will outright endorse a political candidate, and also use tactics such as the "voting guides" which are distributed at churches the Sunday before an election. These voting guides clearing violate the laws concerning what is allowed for nonprofit organizations and, in fact, the Robertson's Christian Coalition has repeatedly come under fire from the IRS for their clearly political efforts.
Of more concern than the outright political maneuverings of Christian nonprofit groups, is the "stealth" campaigns to gain political control by deceit and subterfuge...which are not Christian values, to my knowledge. Ralph Reed--once the revered leader of the Christian Coalition, and now running a struggling political consulting firm-- first confirmed the "stealth" tactic, and I am sure later regretted doing so. Because at that point he admitted what many had known for years: that the Politico-Christian Right was working at a grass-roots level, by tactics such as getting elected candidates with untold plans of implementing the Politico-Christian Right's agenda once elected. In this manner they were able to take over, on a local level, groups like school boards and thereafter control issues such as what books a school library could carry, what subjects a public school could teach, or which student groups would be allowed to meet at school: all according to their Politico-Christian Right yardstick.
On a bigger scale, the more radical of the Politico-Christian Right forces were able to take over the GOP party platform in California, immediately changing the GOP party platform such that no GOP candidate could support a woman's right to choose what happens to her body. This has had a powerful impact on the California GOP. For instance, it has impacted which candidates the California GOP would allow to use the GOP standard and which candidates it would support financially and otherwise (and which candidates it would actively work against). It has also impacted which California judicial appointments the state GOP would support and back (and which judicial candidates/appointments it would actively work to stop from being placed on the bench). While this one-issue litmus-test party platform may have pleased some of the Politico-Christian Right's followers, it has actually caused GOP moderates to turn away from the GOP in California, as evidenced by the past two presidential elections. Yet the radical Politico-Christian Right continues to call the shots regarding the GOP party platform. (For a definitive, detailed look at the radical Christian influence on California politics--including an illuminating flow chart of links between politicians and radical Christian groups--visit Project Tocsin.)
For their efforts, the Christian demagogues and the Politico-Christian right have the GOP kow-towing to them, despite the political fallout. From GOP candidates actively seeking to appease Christian demagogues to win their favor, to GWBush's visit to Bob Jones' University and risking his chances in a national election---it is clear that when Ronald Reagan bent knee to the religious right to win the presidency, he created a monster of leviathan proportions.
This is because, over the decades, as the Politico-Christian Right has grown in power, its nature and makeup has changed, as well. While initially it was comprised of puppet Christian leaders, such as Falwell and Robertson, who--for all of their avarice, greed and willingness to sacrifice their integrity to participate in the schemes to commandeer the Republican Party--were not originally of an extremist nature. However, the longer they associated themselves with the likes of Weyrich, out of necessity, the more extremist their rantings became. Now it is unusual for a week to go by where Robertson or Falwell doesn't say something incredibly horrifying (such as when Robertson said that people who believe in the possibility of extra-terrestrial life forms should be executed (link)). In addition, the more radical the Politico-Christian Right became, the more extremists it attracted, and now includes white supremacist groups and groups like Christian Identity, radical Christian Reconstructionists, Jural Societies, and violence-advocating militia groups---who use the teachings of Christian leaders as justification for bigotry, violence, murder and anarchy.
While the likes of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell may have started out using issues such as abortion to galvanize their followers, and espoused goals such as making a woman's right to choose illegal, it is clear that the makeup of the Politico-Christian Right , and their goals, have since changed. Amongst the more radical groups the Politico-Christian Right now embraces are followers of Christian Reconstructionism. These radical Christian Reconstructionists are actively working to legislate their interpretation of Mosaic Law--which includes such horrifying beliefs such as execution of gays and rebellious teenagers--as the law of the land.(CR links).
They are doing this by stealth, by buying political candidates, and by galvanizing their trusting followers by the same tactics Hitler used in Nazi Germany.
Of great concern about the Politico-Christian Right is the fact that previously more "moderate" Christian leaders, such as Robertson and Falwell, have now taken on some of the more extremist beliefs and goals of the radical Christian groups who now are part of the Politico-Christian Right. The active, aggressive, and continuous demonization of gays is a prime example.
So, while all members of the Politico-Christian Right may not be radicals and extremists, there are plenty of members who are, and these radical members are having a tremendous impact on the beliefs, goals and tactics of the entire Politico-Christian Right.
Therefore, whether you believe in Mosaic law or not, and even whether you consider yourself to be a Christian or not, this much is clear: If we don't all open our eyes and get busy exposing the Politico-Christian Right and their covert (and increasingly less covert) agenda, they will end up imposing their view of biblical and Mosaic law in all areas of our life. They have stated that goal clearly in their doctrines, and they are working diligently to accomplish it. A woman's right to choose and having religious doctrine taught in public schools are just the baby steps in what could become a marathon assault on our Constitutional and personal rights.
The Christian right voting bloc, by their own estimates, represents about 15% of American voters. If you think that this makes them a negligible threat, remember this: in the German elections of 1930 the Nazi Party drew only about 15% of the vote. Yet Hitler took power in less than three years, even in the face of two strong, well-organized parties, the communists and the socialists.
The only way to turn the tide and stop the Politico-Christian Right from taking control of America is to know about them, and then to speak out ---loudly and frequently.
Paul Krugman has said it is only a matter of time before 'christian' Rightists start using assassination to get their way. These people are not about love and tolerance, and I fully agree with Mr. Krugman that these people will resort to violence to destroy us and America.
http://www.politicalamazon.com/http://www.politicalamazon.com/fcf.htmlhttp://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4249.htm
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