Be Afraid, Be Very, Very Afraid
Several of you noticed that I post occasionally over at Bring It On. I'm one of ten desperados over there. I'm cross posting this here and there. I think this is a development worthy of LOTS of discussion.I have been studying up on a new word I learned recently. The amount of information surrounding this word, and its ability to fill in some sizable gaps is amazing.
The word is Dominion.
Dominionism is frequently called “Christian Reconstructionism.” To the ordinary Christian believer such as myself, the doctrines of Dominionism are pretty scary. I imagine most Americans would think so. Frederick Clarkson wrote in 1994 that Dominionism “seeks to replace democracy with a theocratic elite that would govern by imposing their interpretation of ‘Biblical Law.’” The true motive of Dominionism is to eliminate “…labor unions, civil rights laws, and public schools.”
Dominionism began getting organized and building some steam about 25 years ago. Billy Graham exhorted viewers April 29, 1985 on Pat Robertson's 700 Club that the"... time has come when evangelicals are going to have to think about getting organized corporately….I’m for evangelicals running for public office and winning if possible and getting control of the Congress, getting control of the bureaucracy, getting control of the executive branch of government. I think if we leave it to the other side we’re going to be lost. I would like to see every true believer involved in politics in some way shape or form."
A new world was coming. To help the transition along, Pat Robertson, along with other pastors, evangelists and churchmen, founded schools, universities and colleges throughout the United States to train “Christians” how to run for office, how to win, and how to manage the affairs of government after they gained office. To get an idea of how successful the plan was, Robertson’s Regent University now has a $100 million endowment. After watching the Dominionists takeover the Republican Party and observing their ruthless methods, it is indeed apparent that Machiavellian principles are the fuel running their “How to Manual.”
Starting with a class of only twelve in 1985, Robertson began his
Journalism Department at CBN University where 800 other graduate students were earning Master degrees in a fully accredited institution. Later Robertson changed the name of CBN University to “Regent University”—based on Dominionism’s teaching that the national government of America and governments of the world will be ruled by Dominionists, who will act as regents on an interim basis, that is, until the true King—Jesus Christ—will return to earth again and gratefully accept His Kingdom from the hands of His faithful regents. -- Katherine
Yurica
Approximately 35 million Americans subscribe to Dominionism. The TV evangelists and the churches have repetitiously indoctrinated the illusion of an outside enemy who is attacking Christianity very successfully, to the point these millions of member believe in an imaginary evil secular society that is part of a vast anti-Christian conspiracy.
Dominionism has roots it the Gospels, turning the concept of the invisible and spiritual “Kingdom of God” into a literal one; a political empire that could be taken by force. First stop, USA. That pesky original message of Jesus, you know, the one that said “My kingdom is not of this world,” needs not apply. These guys have a higher purpose: To boldly go (according to a Gospel designed to inspire), into the political arena and execute world domination so that Jesus could return to an earth prepared for his earthly rule by his faithful “regents.”
"What are we going to do tonight, Brain? Same thing we do every night, Jesus, TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!"
Thinking, nah, never happen? Think Jim Jones, who proved that the religious would follow. Way.Too.Far. That's a fact worthy of note by even the foggiest of politically minded preachers.
Let's talk courts, shall we?
Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court wrote in 2002, the Bible teaches and Christians believe “… that government …derives its moral authority from God. Government is the ‘minister of God’ with powers to ‘revenge,’ to ‘execute wrath,’ including even wrath by the sword…”
The neo-conservative created a judicial rule that requires a judge to determine the original intent of the writers of the Constitution. Scalia describes it, “The Constitution that I interpret and apply is not living but dead…It means today not what current society…thinks it ought to mean, but what it meant when it was adopted.” Think about it. He's saying that once the original thinking is determined, the constitution becomes enforceable as a document the in bound by that particular time frame.
What is really scary here is that so-called “crimes” like adultery, rebelliousness, homosexuality, witchcraft or effeminateness are territories the Dominionists would like see covered under the death penalty. This is why the entire judicial make up is so crucial to Dominionists, and they are very close to achieving this frightening goal. All they need to do is to appoint a majority of judges who will adhere to the “dead Constitution” construction rule of Scalia. When the Dominionist’s control the judiciary—that judiciary can roll back America’s body of legal jurisprudence to a century or more ago.
All a willing Dominionist Republican controlled congress need do to extend the death penalty to those people who practice witchcraft, adultery, homosexuality, heresy, etcetera, is to find those particular death penalty laws existing as of November 3, 1791, and re-instate them. No revolution is required. That’s why the battle over Bush’s judicial appointments is so crucial to the future of the America we know and love. And that’s why the clock is running out on freedom loving Americans.
Freedom is under siege. There is only one free major political party still left in America. I know the Democrats look chaotic, unfocused and generally unsmooth and thank God, unprogramed. Make no mistake, these plain ordinary
citizens are holding the candles that together form the great torch of liberty. For all their faults, they love America and they love freedom and they love the Bill of Rights. America’s independents, its true Conservatives, its sensible Republicans, and its Libertarians must join hands together with the homely Democrats and take back America for all Americans.-- Katherine
Yurica
There's a great deal of information on this topic at Theocracy Watch, a public information project that tracks and documents the Religious Right. Regardless of your political or religious affiliation, you need to understand what is really being said and why. Please take a moment to envision how the country you love could be changed. If 35 million decide the fate of the nation with them as the exalted, we will be no better that Apartheid South Africa.
Think about the political situation of today. Think about who is where, and what they are saying.
Oh yeah. By the way, don't drink the Kool-Aid.
posted by Jet @ 4:25 AM
9 Comments:
Brava. Brava. Beautifully stated, and thank you for the reference to Theocracy Watch for continuing information. I have thought frequently about the Apartheid parallel to what I see happening here and it is neither far fetched nor far away. It is good to finally know the correct title to these people, and it isn't Christian - at least not Christians who believe in anything Christ actually taught - it's Dominionist. Trouble is, like any country with a fanatical base seeking ultimate rule - the fanatical base often succeeds, simply because they do not ascribe to basic human decency and see fit to do whatever they want in the name of their cause - killing people who disagree with them or who are "different" is usually a big part of that. World history, including early U.S. history is rife with examples. 6 million Jewish people died over that - countless women burned at the stake over that, heads lost, tribes wiped out, people in Africa annihilating their own people - Croatia/Serbia - it goes on and on and on....and the level of technological sophistication or economic advancement doesn't seem to make a particle of difference. How depressing for Christ if he actually DID decide to show up. Dominionists would probably have him killed as a heretic for daring to claim to be who he was.
Excellent post, Jet. I posted on the Dominionists a while back
http://brotherkenya.blogspot.com/2005/04/dont-be-cross.html#comments
but got so freaked out that I couldn't do anymore research without medication.
Frstymil is exactly right too, that fantatical minorities can wreak havoc because of their willingness to use extreme measures.
This is scary business, all right, and we do have to stay alert. Fascism succeeded in large part because people looked the other way as it grew.
Nice post Jet, and thanks for the comment on my organized religion fundamental purposes post the other day. You are right about the lack of leadership and guidance given by clergy these days. It is difficult to see the way given the hypocricy prevailing at the top ends of many religious organizations. And the Dominionists, wahoo...these people are not for freedom and don't see the power of expanding rather than shrinking freedom.
And, I do stay away from the kool-aide - which is rather unfortunate for such a nice, tasty kids drink when I was growing up.
Thanks, guys! I agree, frstlymil, the people who follow Dominionism are very far away from the teaching of Jesus. Their modus operandi is positively Machiavellian. God as a take no prisoners kind of guy? Just seems wrong.
Brother K, you speaketh true. The more you uncover on these guys, the more you have to sleep with the light on.
Windspike, it IS hard when you feel that hypocrisy is all you're seeing. Sometimes taking a bottom up rather that top down viewpoint helps show the good stuff. I think that's why in Matthew 6:5-6 the message is not to preach for men's approval but to seek God alone. It's how He see each of us after all. Organization is just for show.
I had never heard of Dominionism before (though, of course, I know of their doings). What a scary thought, to know just how organized and methodical they are.
I absoultely love your blog. Have I told you that lately? Sometimes I can even get through the whole post without a kid screaming about a broken bicycle. And did you see all of your recent praise? Even if it was a slight overlook, I thought you still deserved it (there no we have all kissed your butt).
:)~
What a great post Jet. As a Christian, I shudder at the toughts of being ruled by a "Roy Moore" party. On the other hand, handing the keys of the country over to an ACLU party is just as frightening. Somewhere in between lies the median of America... where both the vast majority of the left and the right meet. The challenge is for us to reach through to the moderate right and take our party back - the party of the common man.
WooHoo! I'm a desperado?
You're the pithy queen of the desperados!
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