Christian Fascism: The Jesus Gestapo Of St. Orwell (Carolyn Baker)

[Tace]

Carolyne Baker -- Speaking Truth To Power

Jan. 31, 2007 -- New York Times reporter Chris Hedges has written an extraordinary book, American Fascism: The Christian Right And The War On America. Having survived a Christian fundamentalist background myself, I marvel at the timely urgency of Hedges’ book, but also, at the obtuse disconnect most Americans have with the pivotal thesis of his book: the power of the religious right in the United States to bring forth a nation whose totalitarian repression could dwarf that of Nazi Germany in the 1930s. As Hedges notes, we are well on the path toward such a reality, and the Dominionist Christian right is a principal player in the process.

While the nucleus of that movement is small, measuring only about 1 percent of evangelicals and led by the likes of James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and John Hagee, those leaders are supported by throngs of evangelicals sympathetic to their theocratic views who dutifully preach the consummate tenet of the movement, submission. Citizens must submit to their government officials, particularly the ones who claim to be born-again Christians and receiving their orders from God; wives must submit to husbands; children must submit to parents; and everyone must submit to the teachings of the bible as interpreted by evangelical Christianity or burn in hell. I will herein use the term “Christian fascism” or “Cristo-fascism” as synonymous with a worldview and political philosophy which are both fundamentalist Christian and fascist in nature.

Recently, I viewed a chilling documentary Jesus Camp, which examines “the evangelical belief that a revival is underway in America that requires Christian youth to assume leadership roles in advocating the causes of their religious movement."<1> The film follows a group of evangelical kids who attend a summer camp where they are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in God’s army. Under the leadership of control-freak youth pastor, Becky Fischer, who makes Nurse Ratchet in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest look like Snow White, the children are told that theirs is a unique generation -- perhaps the last on earth before the return of Christ to rapture his church, and that just as Musilm children learn at an early age to carry and use automatic weapons so that they can die for Islam, Christian kids must learn to fight in the Jesus army in order to save souls and take back America for God -- and be willing to die for Jesus.

One not need be a licensed mental health professional to find the emotional manipulation, indoctrination, and outright brainwashing of the Jesus Camp both repulsive and enraging. Its squeaky-clean, almost exclusively white, puerile participants mouth all the right jargon, concepts, and scripture verses impeccably and robotically like good little Christian boys and girls -- or more chillingly, like Hitler youth. Jesus Camp is nothing less than childhood spiritual abuse on steroids, leaving me personally and eternally grateful that as a child growing up in fundamentalism, I wasn’t subjected to anything worse in the context of religious services than the raspy screams of bible-thumping preachers.

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[papau]

1. A great article by Carolyne Baker - A nice World News Trust publication n/t

n/t

[Tace]

3. Thanks Papau

Carolyn Baker is great. It's good to have a contributor with such credentials.

[tom_paine]

2. I have always said the Busheviks were Kinder and Gentler Nazis

I have also always said, if they get their way, and/or if they are ever given permission by the Bushfascist government to beat and murder liberals without fear of arrest or prosecutiuon, then we will very soon see just how much like Nazis they really are.