Christiano-Fascism
A fascist is one who exalts a certain nationality, religion, ethnicity or other group over all others and seeks to impose his or her will on this group by force. The rise of violence by Islamic fundamentalists in the Middle East led to the creation of the term “Islamo-fascist.” These Islamo-fascists seek to create and maintain theocratic governments under shari’a law and, as we are quite aware of, are willing to use any method to further this end.
What many in the United States are not aware of, however, is a different kind of fascism lurking in our midst: Christiano-fascism.
Christiano-fascists have for the most part avoided violence, but are still, like the Islamo-fascists, openly trying to turn religious law into state law. And as last November’s elections demonstrated, they are a force sizable enough to push their un-Constitutional measures forward.
Gay marriage was outlawed in 11 states. Civil unions were as well in eight of those 11. Thanks to the president, abstinence-only education, which relies on scare tactics, is becoming more and more prevalent in public schools. Aside from the fact that promoting abstinence-only education expresses an obviously religious position that is being forced on children, the programs don’t work. Abstinence is 100 percent effective — except when it doesn’t happen.
Unfortunately, most of these Christiano-fascists are unaware of the natural end to which their agenda will lead — authoritarianism and hatred.
Some Christiano-fascists have already started down that path. The Westboro Baptist Church is one such group. The WBC makes periodic appearances in order to protest America’s descent into hell for catering to the “fag” agenda. They believe that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the recent tsunami were methods of God’s retribution against those (specifically homosexuals) who break his law.
At the inauguration, most of those who walked past WBC members after Bush’s speech strangely rejected the messages of “Thank God for 9/11” and “God Hates U.S.A.,” although most of these people in the parade probably voted (or would have voted) for the ban on gay marriage and civil unions. And there are other organizations whose actions are more in the realm of terrorism.
A group which calls itself “The Army of God” has claimed responsibility for bombing several abortion clinics and gay nightclubs. They have a Web site glorifying Paul Hill, the man who sniped off an abortion doctor, and one dedicated to Shelly Shannon, a woman who has burned and bombed multiple abortion clinics.
Their Web site advocates various “covert methods of stopping abortion” which include drilling holes in roofs, getting people to mail bodily fluid samples for AIDS tests to abortion clinics, making bomb threats and even destroying abortion clinics.
They also suggest, for the lucky few who learn that they have little time to live (sounds like martyrs to me), that they go on torching and bombing rampages. Getting caught is no longer a problem since the individual will soon be dead.
Their site condemns more moderate Christians who tolerate the fact that “government contradicts the Bible and says Homosexual behavior is legal … removes right for juries to refer to Bible in reaching their decisions … removes right of local citizens to display religious symbols on property owned by we the people … [and] requires that teachers omit teaching about how God created the universe.”
This group is not just militantly anti-abortion. They are militantly pro-theocracy.
Of course, most Christians denounce organizations such as this one. The real problem lies in how to demonstrate to these more moderate Christiano-fascists that hatred and authoritarianism are the only possible ends to legislating religious law when their reactions demonstrate that this is not what they seek.
Maybe the religious right needs to expand its belief of personal responsibility beyond economic self-sufficiency; maybe they just need to let the rest of us go to hell in peace.
What many in the United States are not aware of, however, is a different kind of fascism lurking in our midst: Christiano-fascism.
Christiano-fascists have for the most part avoided violence, but are still, like the Islamo-fascists, openly trying to turn religious law into state law. And as last November’s elections demonstrated, they are a force sizable enough to push their un-Constitutional measures forward.
Gay marriage was outlawed in 11 states. Civil unions were as well in eight of those 11. Thanks to the president, abstinence-only education, which relies on scare tactics, is becoming more and more prevalent in public schools. Aside from the fact that promoting abstinence-only education expresses an obviously religious position that is being forced on children, the programs don’t work. Abstinence is 100 percent effective — except when it doesn’t happen.
Unfortunately, most of these Christiano-fascists are unaware of the natural end to which their agenda will lead — authoritarianism and hatred.
Some Christiano-fascists have already started down that path. The Westboro Baptist Church is one such group. The WBC makes periodic appearances in order to protest America’s descent into hell for catering to the “fag” agenda. They believe that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the recent tsunami were methods of God’s retribution against those (specifically homosexuals) who break his law.
At the inauguration, most of those who walked past WBC members after Bush’s speech strangely rejected the messages of “Thank God for 9/11” and “God Hates U.S.A.,” although most of these people in the parade probably voted (or would have voted) for the ban on gay marriage and civil unions. And there are other organizations whose actions are more in the realm of terrorism.
A group which calls itself “The Army of God” has claimed responsibility for bombing several abortion clinics and gay nightclubs. They have a Web site glorifying Paul Hill, the man who sniped off an abortion doctor, and one dedicated to Shelly Shannon, a woman who has burned and bombed multiple abortion clinics.
Their Web site advocates various “covert methods of stopping abortion” which include drilling holes in roofs, getting people to mail bodily fluid samples for AIDS tests to abortion clinics, making bomb threats and even destroying abortion clinics.
They also suggest, for the lucky few who learn that they have little time to live (sounds like martyrs to me), that they go on torching and bombing rampages. Getting caught is no longer a problem since the individual will soon be dead.
Their site condemns more moderate Christians who tolerate the fact that “government contradicts the Bible and says Homosexual behavior is legal … removes right for juries to refer to Bible in reaching their decisions … removes right of local citizens to display religious symbols on property owned by we the people … [and] requires that teachers omit teaching about how God created the universe.”
This group is not just militantly anti-abortion. They are militantly pro-theocracy.
Of course, most Christians denounce organizations such as this one. The real problem lies in how to demonstrate to these more moderate Christiano-fascists that hatred and authoritarianism are the only possible ends to legislating religious law when their reactions demonstrate that this is not what they seek.
Maybe the religious right needs to expand its belief of personal responsibility beyond economic self-sufficiency; maybe they just need to let the rest of us go to hell in peace.
posted by Conor at 6:22 AM
17 Comments:
No, pinhead, God does not hate gays, he hate the sin that the gays commit. So too, a christian doesn't hate the sinner, just the sin - any sinner (murderer, thief, gay person) we forgive; we hate the sin (murder, stealing and homosexual acts). However, I know that the concept is hard for you to get a grasp of.
As for your twisting what fascism means, allow me to help you out (cause you're wrong) - from the Merriam-Webster dictionary online:
1.)a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control.
So yes, it's indeed a gay fascism, a gay agenda that we are fighting against. I have a family, I don't wish to explain to my son and daughter why two men or two women are kissing and groping each other. I do not want my society to elevate/equate gay relationships to 'normal' ones. How can I call heterosexual relationships as 'normal'? Well, when that is the typical/usual relationship that 90%+ of the population engages in, then anything else is indeed 'not normal' - aka - 'abnormal'.
Typical liberal thinking, first, twisting something (in this case a definition) then trying to piece together an argument that isn't really coherent. Pity really.
Amen brother!
well first off, anonymous its nice that you have the balls to leave your name. a real man you are. good role model. I'M aware that god does not hate, however there are many of your fellow Jesus-lovers who seem to think that he does, The Army of God and WBC are both examples of this.
I did not twist the definition. Those people want a government which promotes belligerant Christianity and stifles dissent. How is this any different from the Catholic fascists in Spain?
Do you have problems explaining to your son why a man and a woman are kissing in public? Of course you don't understand why a man/woman would be attracted to another man/woman you're straight (i can say the same for myself), but if they are then that is their business and not mine.
There is one item on the homosexual agenda: they wanted to be treated like people.
Cornel West has a nice segment in his book Democracy Matters that relates very much to this post. I sliced it into my blog on Friday: only got one comment thus far. Also speaks to the mentality of the likes of our good friends, anonymous.
Check out the post: On Christians, The Capital C kind at:
http://educationalwhisper.blogspot.com/2005/02/on-christians-capital-c-kind.html#comments
Are you sitting down for this. I vote in every election and I am well informed on the issues and candidates on the ballot. Before I cast my vote, I ask myself if Jesus would approve of my choice on the issue. If the answer is yes then I vote. There is scripture written condemning homosexual actions and abortion. There is also scripture in favor of capital punishment. These are just a few issues that tend to be perinnial favorites.
Bob Grisko
The question is Bob, would Jesus want you to make everybody conform to the Bible's rules through coercion, or by helping them hear the "good news"?
Now, I'm no expert on the Bible. However...I have glanced at Leviticus. And it does mention homosexuality. It also condemns a lot of other things...such as shellfish and the paying of interest.
Now...if you are going to follow one part of the Bible, you have to follow it all, right? It's the word of GOD, isn't it? You can't just pick and choose, like it's a Chinese restaurant menu, right?
So..next time you are in a chinese restaurant, don't get the shrimp and for God's sake don't pay on your credit card!!
Like I said, I'm no expert. :}
It's ridiculous how Christians throw away all sorts of real issues and vote solely based on party and gay/abortion issues. I once listened to a radio show on which a Nun appeared...yes a woman probably above the religious knowledge and upbringings that any of these randomly Republican blindly following the bible types....she said "How can these people call themselves pro life? They vote for a President, sending people overseas to kill, our people are dying, their people are dying....this is for no reason, they were no threat to us....these people who vote on these reasons...they aren't pro life...they're pro birth...God wouldnt want that."
Check it out here: http://homepage.mac.com/duffyb/nobush/iMovieTheater272.html
She makes great, reasonable points based upon her life which is centralized upon religion.
As an Atheist myself, I respect that woman for her beliefs and wish that there were more religious people like her. The world would be such a good place.
Also, Christians (and non christians) out there...check out "God's Politics"....great read, from another Christian i respect.
I find myself at torn on how to respond to this post because I am gay, yet also a Christian. The religious right does have a lot of control in America, over various policies and what-not. But the thing to remember is this: The Republican party is to blame, if blame be placed upon anyone. They choose to use Christian fundamentals as a springboard for policy making. It's conservatives who are to blame for using Christianity as a weapon, not Christians, or their faith. Because there are a large number of traditionalists in this country, the conservatives use their moralist rhetoric to appeal to that majority.
And how many homosexuals want to get married anyway? I have a good number of gay friends, and not one of them supports gay-"marriage", including myself. I'd be interested to know some statistics on that. But we do support some sort of civil union, and I think that as soon as the left approaches it solely from that angle, they will make some headway as the right will still be beating the sanctity of marriage drum.
So, liberals need to stop their fruitless attempts to assail the Christian belief system, and start focusing all their salvos on the right's political behemoth. There are plenty of targets in the Republican party, and in the conservative media. The right cannot argue from a moral perspective for long. The people will eventually tire of that fascist, emotion-driven bullshit and want to hear some facts. Or, I hope.
Bryan, I agree with a lot of what you said. I agree that Christianity is not the problem. In no way am I attacking all Christians, only those who feel the need to legislate their beliefs or push them by force. While the Republican party is to blame for picking up the fundamentalist vote, if they didn't do it, somebody else would.
On the issue of marriage vs. civil unions, I see it only as an issue of semantics. I don't think churches should be forced to marry gays if they choose not to (this would obviously violate the 1st ammendmant). However, I do believe that two gay people should be able to go to a judge and get a piece of paper which gives them the same legal rights and status as the one that two straight people can currently go and get (call it marriage, civil union, civil marriage, whatever. I don't care).
i.m. dedd--
You're right, you are no expert on the bible. For one, notice the difference: Old Testament and New Testament. You could also call them the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
When Jesus came he didn't replace the Old Testament ... but he came to fufill the Law (OT). Basically, Jesus' death on the cross changed things a little. Now Gentiles (anyone but Jews) could be part of the kingdom of God and sacrafices no longer had to be made for the people's sins, Christ was that sacrafice. It takes a bit of a scholarly effort to discern what is under the old covenant and new. For example: a woman is caught in the act of adultery and the Pharisees want to stone her. They tried to trick Jesus by asking him if they should stone her. Jesus said, "Let he without sin cast the first stone." They all left. Jesus and the woman were the only ones left and he told her, "Go and sin no more." In the OT this woman would have been stoned.
As far as homosexuality goes: it is mentioned in the New Testament.
I am a Christian, if that wasn't obvious by now, but I'm not sure where I stand on this issue. I'm at the point where I realize that I don't have a right to impose my beliefs onto other people through the law, but on the other hand... I just don't think it would be good for our society.
Like Bryan said, I know of some people who are gay who also think the whole concept of gay marriage is ridiculous. Not all gay people are trying to push any agenda's and would rather have anything gay out of the media. The media tends to distort things.
I find it sickening that people would bomb abortion clincs and do such horrible things. That is not Christ-like at all. The bible says we will know Christians by their fruits (being, how they act, what they do, etc) ... well, they definitely got some bad fruit goin on. That's all I gotta say.
I'm pretty extreme, mostly in the sense that my beliefs aren't exactly popular. I know a lot of people disagree with me, but I believe that I am a fairly reasonable and loving person... I may not agree with homosexuality, but I have a few friends that are gay, and one of them said that I was the only person they felt really loved and cared about them. It's really unfortunate, actually. My heart really goes out to these people. It's just a difficult thing to deal with.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Typical Republicans with their vile, insulting replies.
Anyway, I agree with everything you said on ALL accounts.
BRAVO! I'm blogrolling you.
Just a thought after reading the comment posted by Hurricane Bob: there are a growing number of people in the UK who also vote this way.....
...I'm hoping that they choose not to vote in the next election, or perhaps they will decide to wash their hair on polling day. Unfortunately, even the sham of 'democracy' we live in allows these people a vote. Unbelievable, rather like their 'god' and their book of fairy tales written by man for man.
As for Conor twisting the definition of 'fascism', I think the fact that someone felt the need to resort to a dictionary says all that needs to be said.
Any definition of any kind of political ideology, especially an extreme one, is by necessity fluid and dynamic. I think the context in which Conor used the term; the connotation and denotation are all quite acceptable and accurate in this instance.
I wonder how many Christians, Jew, and Buddists are cutting off heads in the name of their "god".
Well, the christian-militia is doing it with guns and tanks and planes in Iraq.
The Jews have done a pretty good job in Palestine and as for the Buddists: I'd just like to say "plants are what food eats...never trust a hippy or a vegetarian". Those Buddists make me twitchy...LMAO!
I often wonder how so many christians base their entire lives according to the writings of a book that has been translated so many times very few even know what it really says.. that is pitiful. I am also at a loss as to why these same people actually expect me to listen to them and change my beliefs to theirs, when not once have they opened their minds enough to even consider any other possibilities.. sad really. Great post by the way!
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