The Elephant In The Room: Christofascism Defined
The only role any government should play in religion is to protect every citizen’s right to practice any religion they damn well please. – Mark Twain
When you look at the prerequisites of fascism think of the highlighted words and how they've been presented to you by America's priests, preachers, radio hosts and self ascribed "people of faith". Think of them, then think past them and go to the Warrens and the Parsleys, the Haggees, the Osteens, the Jakes, the Dollars and the Copelands. Let's look at Fascism and the tenets that are ADDED by Christofascism.
Early Warning Signs of Fascism.
Powerful and Continuing NATIONALISM to be un-American is linked to being un-Christian
Disdain for HUMAN RIGHTS - Christofascists think that everything secular - like the ACLU - is automatically anti-Christian.
Identification of ENEMIES/SCAPEGOATS as a Unifying Cause - This is so obvious it almost needs no expounding upon. Today's Christofascists have as their enemies homosexuals, the ACLU, anyone pro-choice, scientists, evolution, and, of course, The United Nations.
Supremacy of the MILITARY - Think of both Rod Parsley and John Hagee. Both of them preach in militaristic terms: Parlsey wants us to "destroy Islam" and Hagee wants the Palestinians annihilated to spur on Armageddon
Rampant SEXISM We see it still in the manifestos of the Southern Baptist Convention and Scientology. We even saw it with Sarah Palin. She played up the "Femaleness" of her candidacy by repeating ad nauseum her role as a "hockey mom."
Controlled MASS MEDIA - FOX News is a prime example. Their motto "fair and balanced" is a joke to everyone. Rupert Murdoch's minions harken back to the Citizen Kane/William Randolph Hearst era of journalism that created its own news rather than just reporting it objectively.
Obsession with NATIONAL SECURITY - Former Vice President Dick Cheney continues to feed the fires of fear and insecurity with the blessing of Christofascists like Parsley and Hagee who wish to create wars for their own agendas.
The joining together of RELIGION & GOVERNMENT - As the Huckabees and the Warrens curry favor with heads of state while Mormon, Catholic, and Protestant money is being poured into campaigns, those who think that we have separation of church and state are living in a fantasy world.
CORPORATE POWER is protected - George Bush showed the world how to protect big business by deregulating as many industries as he could.
LABOR POWER is suppressed - Labor leaders have not had the political clout they once had because corporate power was protected and expanded within the last decade.
Disdain for INTELLECTUALS & THE ARTS - Pat Robertson has always claimed that Communism was based on the philosophies and rhetoric of Jewish Intellectuals. And since the arts are so infested by homosexuals...
Obsession with CRIME & PUNISHMENT - While they decry abortion as destroying life, most Christofascists will always vote for the death penalty.
Rampant CRONYISM & CORRUPTION - When George Bush said that he thought God wanted him to be President, he wasn't including his Skull and Bones mates, but gave them lucrative government posts anyway. The result was an administration not known for its expertise in any given field.
Fraudulent ELECTIONS The Presidential election of 2000 was contentious, but nonetheless was won with assistance from the judiciary and not the electorate. Christofascists maintained that this was obviously God's will.
Now Add to the Above:
TRADITIONALISM - One of the central themes of Christofascism is "gimme that 'ole time religion," relying on the poor memories of the flocks and they're unwillingness to learn about the history of their own religion.
Rejection of MODERNISM - Modernism means change. One of Christofascism's biggest enemies is change. Change brings about contrast with the past. And with contrast, comes questions.
Suppression of ANALYTICAL CRITICISM - Criticism must be suppressed at all times, because it can spark dissent of enormous proportions.
Disagreement is HERESY, APOSTASY or TREASON - In order to maintain authority, dissent must be portrayed as evil and contrary to the common good or spirituality.
Fear of CHANGE or DIFFERENCE – Christofascism peddles fear of the unknown: if you don’t know your neighbor, beware. If he’s different in any way, beware.
Appeal to a FRUSTRATED MIDDLE CLASS during ECONOMIC CRISIS Barack Obama struck a chord when he talked about bitter people clinging to their guns and religion. The truth hurt.
POLITICAL HUMILITAION as a tactic - Hitler used this tactic and quite well. Germany (or what was cobbled together after the Treaty of Versailles) was left with crushing debt and the demeaning of a small group of nations. Perhaps all of Eastern Europe's currency became worthless within a matter of months. Hitler turned around the self-loathing of an entire people and turned it into the polar opposite: national ego unleashed - and unlimited.
Use of SCRIPTURE as a WEAPON against dissenters and perceived enemies
(OK, this last one was my own). Mike Huckabee may be an example. I say "maybe" because the definitive evidence has been hidden, suppressed or just plain destroyed: there is a ten-year stretch of Huckabee's sermons (pre-governor of Arkansas) which cannot be found. Is it possible that these sermons were destroyed just before his campaign for the Presidency? These sermons may have proved too Reconstructionist for the general public.
Mike Huckabee:
I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that’s what we need to do - to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view.
HT: Scramblings.
Spoken like a TRUE Christofascist, Mike Huckabee. A true Christofascist.
Just a thought.
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