The Christian right's war on America (Video too)

[babsbunny]

http://fwix.com/columbus/share/bfcf60a457/the_christian_rights_war_on_america?referrer=http%3A%2F%2Frawstory.com%2F

Submitted by Derek K on Sat, 06/11/2011 - 11:33am.

By accident, I started reading into the Christian right. As a follower of politics I read pretty much anything, right-wing or left-wing, just to get a sense of what they are saying. What I've founding reading into the Christian right is chilling.

If you think what's happening in Ohio or other parts of the country is a product of ALEC, it's not. From everything I've read so far, what's happening is the Christian right's takeover of America.

I'm currently reading American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America. I'll be posting excerpts from the book as I read it.

Starting out on page 12 the book begins to describe the America the Christian right wants to see. It states:

"America will be no longer a sinful and fallen nation but one in which the 10 commandments form the basis of our legal system, creationism and "Christian values" form the basis of our educational system, and the media and the government proclaim the Good News to one and all. Labor Unions, civil-rights laws and public schools will be abolished. Women will be removed from the workforce to stay at home, and all those deemed insufficiently Christian will be denied citizenship."

[Warrior Dash]

1. Are you suggesting the people of faith are fascists?

In case you haven't noticed, not all of them vote Republican.

[a la izquierda]

2. The OP (babsbunny) isn't suggesting anything.

The author of the article is.

And yes, most sentient people on DU are aware that Christians don't all vote Republican. There is a vibrant community of progressive Christians here.

[Ian David]

3. Are you suggesting that all people of faith are members of "The chrisTian Right?" n/t

[Warrior Dash]

4. As a general rule, discussions about ideas are usually permitted,

but broad-brush bigoted statements about groups of people — either religious or non-religious — are not.

[Ian David]

10. The article is specifically about "The chrisTian Right." n/t

[pepperbear]

13. so the op clearly point out the christian right as the culprit, and you automatically assume...

that the OP means all christians? any words of criticism against certain christians is automatically tantamount to an attack on all?
seems to me that's tantamount to saying "no criticism allowed," which is exactly what the christian right would say as they whine about being victimized.

uhm....yes: broad brush statements about groups of people are not cool. Perhaps you should really consider "reading that book you wrote."

[Warrior Dash]

16. The Muslim right's war on America...

Don't you think that statement is somewhat divisive?

[The Magistrate]

19. Why Should Anyone Consider That Statement Divisive, Sir? It Is Accurate....

[Warrior Dash]

20. Yeah, I have heard that notion put forth by the likes of Hannity, et al (Islamo Fascists);

however, you don't hear that from the people who are responsible for ensuring the country's safety. Even Bush went out of his way to imply that radical Muslims were not practitioners of Islam; rather, that they had hijacked the faith. And Obama certainly is not going to make those types of statements either.

[The Magistrate]

23. Calling Me A Parrot For hannity Will Not Get You Anywhere Here, Sir

People engaged in a fight that has a large political component will say what is politically expedient towards the end they are fighting for. In this instance that end is to make as few enemies, and gain as many friends, among Islamic believers as can be managed, while engaged in the destruction, both physical and political, of a particular strain of fundamentalist radicalism within the Islamic world. The statements made by the politicians you cite are not theological in nature, any more than the brayings of Hannity are. In each instance, they are statements crafted to achieve a particular political effect on a targeted audience. Whether or not they are true is the least of the concerns of the people who make them.

While it is true enough the split between modernizers and fundamentalists within Islamic society does not neatly fit into our own familiar 'left v. right' paradigm, it is not unreasonable to consider the extreme radical fundamentalists under arms against the West and the United States at present as a 'Moslem right', and there is no inaccuracy in saying they are engaged in a war against the United States. If asked, they would certainly say that they are fighting the United states in the name of Islam, and doing what is a holy duty for all followers of Islam. As is the case when 'but is this true Christianity?' is trotted out, there is no objective standard to which anyone can appeal the question.

[pepperbear]

26. no, and all because of that tiny qualifier, "right." people with common sense know the difference...

and as far as hannity parroting goes, if the shoe fits.

[awoke_in_2003]

27. "people with common sense know the difference"

and therein lies the problem

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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

[babsbunny]

8. look at all the Freepers!!!!

[Welibs]

6. I think babsbunny is talking about the right wing christian inquisition.

They are Not real Christians. I grew up around real Christians (of both parties), and they were the kindest most generous people I've ever known. When a hand is outstretched to them for help they don't check it to see what colour it is first or if it's clean, they just take it, unlike the right wing christian inquisition.

There are a number of articles around the net about right wing Christians fighting for funding for Planned Parenthood and other moral issues that affect so many Americans living in poverty. THESE are the real deal and surprisingly they were from Oklahoma and other red states where I didn't think reasonable Christians resided.

[babsbunny]

7. Nothing "Christian" about them

Real Christians should be aware. These Nut Jobs are giving Real Christians a bad name!

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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

[Odin2005]

15. NO TRUE SCOTSMAN!!!

[awoke_in_2003]

28. you're no true...

Odinist :rofl:

[Warrior Dash]

17. The problem with the OP is that it ignores the historical facts regarding fascism and religion.

Fascism calls for "civic religion" to displace all other structures of belief.

Many fascists were anti-clerical in both private and public life.<237> Although both Hitler and Mussolini were anti-clerical, they both understood that it would be rash to begin their Kulturkampfs prematurely; though possibly inevitable in the future, such clashes were put off while they dealt with other enemies.<238> Hitler had a general plan, even before the Nazis' rise to power, to destroy Christianity within the Reich.<239><240><241>

[The Magistrate]

18. Actually, Sir, the Author Simply Conflates the Terms 'Fascism' And 'Totalitarianism'

It is a common enough error, fascism being prominent among the forms totalitarianism has taken in the modern era.

What the article actually warns against, and quite appropriately, is the intent within radical right-wing Christian circles to impose a theocratic totalitarianism on the United States, and the degree of progress they are making towards this through the influence they have secured over the Republican party.

[Warrior Dash]

21. Well, I suppose the question is:

Are these folks true practitioners of the Christianity, or have the hijacked the faith?

[The Magistrate]

22. Why Not Ask Them, Sir?

They would doubtless answer they are certainly Christians, and raise grave questions over whether anyone who disagreed with them was really a Christian. There being no objective standard to which could appeal the question, it is really rather meaningless. You raise it only to try and make denunciations of these people into something you can call a biased attack against 'Christians', and thus head off effective opposition to an extremely dangerous political force.

[XanaDUer]

12. No, the author is

I love it when posters confuse the author of articles and the posters on DU.

[JAnthony]

9. Thanks for bringing this up for us! K+R n/t

[Lint Head]

14. I am one of those Christian DU'rs.

I agree. I have been following these right wing groups also. It is most definitely fascism. Theocratic fascism to be exact.

[white_wolf]

24. These people piss me off.

Who decides what is Christian? If I'm a Gnostic do I count as Christian?

[The Magistrate]

25. Probably Not, Sir: Certainly Not To These People....