Do you all understand why *everybody* has to fight these extremists?

[NMMNG]

American Family Association opened its airwaves to advocate for executing gays, adulterers, abortion doctors



snip

DeMar is a leading promoter of an extremist theology called Christian Reconstructionism, also known as Theocratic Dominionism, which, according to journalist and author Frederick Clarkson, "argues that the Bible is to be the governing text for all areas of life -- such as government, education, law, and the arts, not merely 'social' or 'moral' issues like pornography, homosexuality, and abortion."

In his essay, "Theocratic Dominionism Gains Influence," Clarkson stated that under a Christian Reconstructionist government, "omen would be generally relegated to hearth and home. Insufficiently Christian men would be denied citizenship, perhaps executed. So severe is this theocracy that it would extend capital punishment beyond such crimes as kidnapping, rape, and murder to include, among other things, blasphemy, heresy, adultery, and homosexuality."

snip

DeMar's Marietta, Georgia-based think-tank and advocacy group, American Vision, which the SPLC lists as a hate group, claims to be "Equipping and Empowering Christians to Restore America's Biblical Foundation." In 2001, President Bush was expected to re-nominate former American Vision board member and longtime anti-union activist J. Robert Brame III to the National Labor Relations Board; Brame was forced to withdraw from consideration after media reports documented American Vision's advocacy of a right-wing Christian Reconstructionist theocracy.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200602140005


Bush supports these people! If he had half a chance they would be at the highest levels of our government working to instill their "values" into it. They are extremely dangerous, advocating complete submission of women and the death penalty for a broad range of "sins".

Do you understand now why everyone must band together to fight them? Why "liberal Christians" cannot simply disown the problem by claiming it has nothing to do with them? It has to do with everyone, as it affects everyone. If these people continue to gain power we are all in danger.

[FuzzySlippers]

1. I know Buffy. These are the scariest mofos

to come down the pike in centuries. I think most people don't have a clue that such extremists have gained so much influence.

The Yurica Report has a ton of stuff on these dangerous zealots:

http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/DirectoryRiseOfDominionismInAmerica.html

[Behind the Aegis]

2. "Mr. Pointy" agrees...except for one thing.

You say, "Bush supports these people!" Not true. Those people (the fundies) support Bush! Bush supports corporations, big business, and oil. Notice his appointments (with a few exceptions) have not been fundies, but 'big business' groupies. The problem is the fundies are too stupid to realize they are being used, not that they would care. It doesn't change the fact that we need to fight extremism, no matter its root, at all times!

[Freedom_from_Chains]

3. But the fact that this administration is using these people

in any capacity is scary enough for me.

[zonmoy]

19. they are not stupid

evil as the devil or god if you like me think that god is actually the evil one, completely unable to reason to save their life, but definately not stupid.

[LaurenG]

4. This is a cult

and it's being brought into the public sphere with blessings from the administration. Another way to take control of the masses and another way to brainwash fundies into thinking god is on the side of these awful people. I have no idea what to do about them except get the word out that we are again at risk of insane people shoving their feigned religiosity into mainstream America and making their sick ideas into laws. :scared: :scared: :scared:

[trotsky]

5. It's getting harder to write these loonies off as "fringe" groups.

The American Family Association is a mainstream Christian group - almost 3 million members. While it may be true that a majority of Christians would oppose their agenda if confronted with it directly, the insidious way they are becoming mainstreamed is a danger to us all.

Please, liberal Christians, don't dismiss these wackos.

[varkam]

6. Amen.

Atheists like myself can't confront them, because our arguments will be written off as "not valid" because they don't come from a Christian perspective. Progressive Christians, you've got quite a fight on your hands.

[nemo137]

16. What makes you think they write us off any less?

My father is one of these, and trust me, they don't listen to liberal Christians one iota. He left our mainline church because it wasn't holy enough. Then he left a black evangelical church becauseit wasn't holy enough. And so on for a few more churches, until he desides not to go to church anymore, and just watch the shows and read the magazines.

If we're going to do anything, it's gonna have to go through getting the mainline churches off their collective ass, and possibly moving into the megachurches. The dominionist tribe isn't going to listen to us, and is going to try to destroy us.

[Zenlitened]

7. I agree, and that's what troubles me most:

The fringe of the movement has now become its face.

:hide:

[NMMNG]

8. And it's not just the AFA

It's Focus on the Family, and Concerned Women of America, and before long other groups who will join them once they realize how much power they can wield. We can no longer pooh-pooh their ideas as the raving of lunatic extremists, for they are making widespread changes in America. They are shaping the face of television and radio. They are influencing school policy. They are sculpting local and federal law. They are not going to stop until they achieve control over everything, or until someone puts a stop to them.

[trotsky]

9. And, once again,

we note the sound of crickets chirping in response to this important issue. I guess what's more important is a few noisy atheists "scaring" people away from the Democratic party. Everyone has to set their own priorities, apparently.

[InaneAnanity]

10. Yep, Inland...

...won't be posting here.

Those are his christian buddies over at the AFA.

[NMMNG]

12. Of course not

But no doubt there will be the continued whining posts about how we are "bashing" and "persecuting" them because we denounce the activities of these crackpots. They'd rather go down with the ship than join the battle with us, because somehow they think they won't be targets of the dominionists war.

Sadly they are mistaken, and we all will suffer the consequences.

[Bill McBlueState]

11. a thought about Reconstructionism

Once you believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, what possible reason could you have for not believing that it should be the "governing text for all areas of life"?

That's what's so scary about the Reconstructionists -- they're merely espousing the logical conclusion of what every fundamentalist claims to believe.

[NMMNG]

14. The worst part is

While they claim it should be the "governing text for all areas of life", they don't even follow it themselves. They impose strict standards on others, while ignoring vast passages of their own choosing. Love thy neighbor as thyself? As if. Mind your own business? Since when does any fundie do that? Pray in a closet, not in the streets like the Pharisees? Every fundie clamors for public prayers in every venue. They are all hypocrites of the worst kind, imposing the Bible on others, but not themselves.

[trotsky]

15. Oh, they have rationalizations and reinterpretations for all of that.

"Love thy neighbor as thyself"... as long as my neighbor is as holy as I am.

"Pray in your closet"... well he only meant that for when you are praying for yourself. Public prayers at football games, graduations, those are all just fine, you see. Jesus would have done it too.

"Believers shall be able to drink any poison"... you gotta understand, WE DON'T TEST GOD.

And so on.

[NMMNG]

17. Just like they have rationalizations and convenient "explanations"

for all of the contradictions, outrageous statements and boldfaced lies in the Bible.


"Oh, the Purity Codes of Leviticus were meant to keep the Jewish people seperate from the Gentiles. They don't apply to modern Christians." (Except those verses about homosexuals--those are written in stone and you damn well better adhere to them!)

"It's ok for us to wear gold and pearl jewelry, and to braid our hair. Paul's admonishments against them in 1 Timothy were just suggestions." (But he meant what he said against the gays, and how women should not teach men!)

Etc, etc. :eyes:

[beam me up scottie]

13. sigh...

I'm trying to get some of the moderate repukes at work to realize this.

I can never tell them I'm an atheist and expect to keep my job, so I try to plant seeds of doubt in their gullible little minds.

Faux news and reich wing pundits who scream christian persecution usually have much more sway, unfortunately.

[NMMNG]

18. Of course

And the sad thing is they don't even need any real evidence. They merely need to claim persecution, and their willing audience accepts it as fact. "Someone at K-mart said Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas...K-mart hates Christianity". Suddenly the accusation becomes fact and millions of Christians are boycotting K-mart. :eyes: