NYT op-ed: U.S. evangelicals made "Faustian bargain for access and power"

[DeepModem Mom]

This op-ed is from a few days ago, and was found among the NYT's five most e-mailed:

Op-Ed Contributor
Wayward Christian Soldiers
By CHARLES MARSH
Published: January 20, 2006
Charlottesville, Va.


IN the past several years, American evangelicals, and I am one of them, have amassed greater political power than at any time in our history. But at what cost to our witness and the integrity of our message?

Recently, I took a few days to reread the war sermons delivered by influential evangelical ministers during the lead up to the Iraq war. That period, from the fall of 2002 through the spring of 2003, is not one I will remember fondly. Many of the most respected voices in American evangelical circles blessed the president's war plans, even when doing so required them to recast Christian doctrine....

***

The war sermons rallied the evangelical congregations behind the invasion of Iraq. An astonishing 87 percent of all white evangelical Christians in the United States supported the president's decision in April 2003. Recent polls indicate that 68 percent of white evangelicals continue to support the war. But what surprised me, looking at these sermons nearly three years later, was how little attention they paid to actual Christian moral doctrine. Some tried to square the American invasion with Christian "just war" theory, but such efforts could never quite reckon with the criterion that force must only be used as a last resort. As a result, many ministers dismissed the theory as no longer relevant.

Some preachers tried to link Saddam Hussein with wicked King Nebuchadnezzar of Biblical fame, but these arguments depended on esoteric interpretations of the Old Testament book of II Kings and could not easily be reduced to the kinds of catchy phrases that are projected onto video screens in vast evangelical churches. The single common theme among the war sermons appeared to be this: our president is a real brother in Christ, and because he has discerned that God's will is for our nation to be at war against Iraq, we shall gloriously comply.

What will it take for evangelicals in the United States to recognize our mistaken loyalty? We have increasingly isolated ourselves from the shared faith of the global Church, and there is no denying that our Faustian bargain for access and power has undermined the credibility of our moral and evangelistic witness in the world. The Hebrew prophets might call us to repentance, but repentance is a tough demand for a people utterly convinced of their righteousness.


Charles Marsh, a professor of religion at the University of Virginia, is the author of "The Beloved Community: How Faith Shapes Social Justice, from the Civil Rights Movement to Today."


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/20/opinion/20marsh.html?incamp=article_popular_3&oref=login

[madeline_con]

1. "... utterly convinced of their righteousness."

There's the rub....

Dems of faith need to renounce this most un-Christian movement, and get back to the message. Just my .02

[seabeyond]

14. i agree. which means we cannot be too sensitive to critizism

of our religion. there is a lot of valid reasons for people to be bothered and angry and fearful of "good" christians. those christians of us that can understand where the anger is coming from and address our fellow christians, refuse to particpate in their interpretation of the bible will be able to help heal.

i htink this is a good step for someone within the org to be talking. the christians i know have been fed so much baloney, and the people they listen to tie it into whether they go to hell or not. these are not bad people,. they are scared people. it isnt going to be attack, it is going to be reaching out.

show them how to be inclusive. include them, in our environment

i jsut find this intersting and am happy to read this post. i have already taken it and sent to brother that says he is a repug, as he talk dem, that says he is born again, as he sees the judgement. i can see sending this to churches and friend, and one of the few things they might listen to, think twice.

[Ilsa]

2. 'What will it take for evangelicals ... to recognize our mistaken loyalty?

"What will it take for evangelicals in the United States to recognize our mistaken loyalty?"

I think it is group-think that helps create this, among other things. If a person learns he or she is going to be judged on their decisions as if they are solely their own, I think they might apply stricter criteria. There is way too much of this "everyone thought ..." as part of the excuse for being crappy leaders and lazy.

Evangelicals need to get familiar with the daily humanity of their leadership. These people don't have a special receiver from God from which they can take direct orders.

Thanks for the article. I'm going to email this to some wonderful Lutheran relatives who used to send me debunked emails about W. being Jesus.

[leeroysphitz]

3. emails about W. being Jesus needed to be debunked?

What a world, what a world...

[seabeyond]

16. and putting armor on poster of bush. there are key words

that they use. i have learned tem over last couple years. an interesting world. they were preached and still are, that bush was placed there by god.

simple as that.

so when bush is attacked, he is being attacked by evil
hence, the challenge with these people

[DeepModem Mom]

4. There are people who think W actually IS Jesus? nt

[Ilsa]

7. Sorry to be so literal. But almost.

Close enough. Like he did all his sinning when he was a young man and then he "was saved" and never makes a mistake. They hang on his every word as if he is totally sinless, so he must be really close to God.

I think that book, The Prayer of Jabez has an impact on people's thinking about money, also. They think he is blessed with money because he deserves it for his righteousness, and God has put him here right now to lead us to some special Godly plan that probably involves the "end times."

There were emails that he was witnessing on the campaign trail and leading errant youth to Christ (debunked), took care of funeral expenses for a little boy who tramatically died in a mud tank near his property near Crawford, and that evangelicals kick-start his day on the phone every day.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, but I've never heard of anyone other than the pope being treated with such religious deference. In fact, growing up in the Baptist church, I was taught that such a thing was of Satan and blasphemous, a living idol worship. But I think that is part of what some evangelicals want: some sort of idolatry to cling to without admitting to it since W. isn't cast in gold or precious jewels. The world hasn't been conforming to their belief system, so they are trying to make it fit around W, and he and Rove certainly aren't going to do anything to correct them. In fact, some of it has gone to W's head since he thinks he was appointed by God for this time and place.

[DeepModem Mom]

12. Amazing! Thanks, Ilsa -- a very interesting post. nt

[Ilsa]

22. Some Bush-supporting relatives sent me a Christmas card

that had a line about god sending his son to earth on a mission and you open it and it says "Mission Accomplished". It was a Franklin Graham -related card. Yuck. They can't even leave Bush's stupidity out of their christmas cards!

[DeepModem Mom]

25. Oh, my goodness!

:silly:

[madeline_con]

28. You might be interested in some further reading...

Dangerous Religion
George W. Bush's theology of empire.
by Jim Wallis

(snip)


Bush Adds God

To this aggressive extension of American power in the world, President George W. Bush adds God—and that changes the picture dramatically. It's one thing for a nation to assert its raw dominance in the world; it's quite another to suggest, as this president does, that the success of American military and foreign policy is connected to a religiously inspired "mission," and even that his presidency may be a divine appointment for a time such as this.

(snip)

http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0309&article=030910


=========================================
Without a Doubt
By Ron Suskind

(snip)

"Just in the past few months," Bartlett said, "I think a light has gone off for people who've spent time up close to Bush: that this instinct he's always talking about is this sort of weird, Messianic idea of what he thinks God has told him to do." Bartlett, a 53-year-old columnist and self-described libertarian Republican who has lately been a champion for traditional Republicans concerned about Bush's governance, went on to say: "This is why George W. Bush is so clear-eyed about Al Qaeda and the Islamic fundamentalist enemy. He believes you have to kill them all. They can't be persuaded, that they're extremists, driven by a dark vision. He understands them, because he's just like them. . . .


(snip)

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/101704A.shtml

[DeepModem Mom]

29. Very interesting, madeline -- thank you! nt

[mwb970]

18. Yes. In effect, some people do think Bush is God.

You can tell by the way they talk about him - they see him as perfect and unflawed, godly and Christian and right in everything he says and does - basically they see him as a living saint or perhaps as the second coming of Jesus himself.

Where the rest of us see continuous failure, they see endless success. Where the rest of us see incompetence, corruption, and dishonesty, they see perfection and glory. Where the rest of us see a worthless little prick of a man, they see God's representative here on earth.

It really is baffling. It's impossible to avoid asking "What is wrong with these people?", even though we know that they are asking the same thing about us. If the situation weren't so tragic for America, as we teeter on the edge of fascism, it would be fascinating from a psychological point of view.

[seabeyond]

15. i watched this though. it was a phenomenon. spring of 2004

i was smack in the middle of fundie war. i meant world, but war is appropriate. these people were my life, my children's life and i watched them get worked up into a frenzy by their leaders, their minister, pastors. i heard what was being said to them from the pulpit.

it was well orchestrated on step by step to get these sheep to follow. i told a minister, i dont blame the sheep, .... the person who has the power and influence on another's spirituality has a massive responsibility. i belief they have abused their power, abused these people. and THAT makes me mad.

[bluerum]

5. Pardon my naive take on this professor but, is this not one of the

longstanding foundations for the concept of separating church from state?

I chuckle when I hear religious leaders demonize secularism in politics. (After all, its great sermon fodder.) But when they enter the world of international politics and power, they play an age old game that has never been won by men. Your religious beliefs will be used by our leaders as another link in their chains of bondage. When you march the banner of spiritual freedom alongside the banner of country or state, you have indeed entered the Faustian world.

[Ilsa]

8. Yeah, but since the world and US isn't conforming

to their religious beliefs, they have to intermingle them.

I think this has been a plan for over two decades. I think it started with grassroots efforts, such as local county precinct races and school boards, and loading them with religious zealots.

[seabeyond]

17. dominion. a huge and different world, that is growing n/t

[bluerum]

23. You can't "force" people to accept ideological beliefs -

religious of otherwise. There are those who are willing to die defending their intellectual and spiritual freedoms.

On the other hand, some religious organizations have been trying to advance their causes by becoming arms of one political party or another. If even the smallest part of their agenda includes establishing and passing legislation that reflects religious beliefs, they are violating the constitution of the United States and the elected officials who wink and nod them along are complicit.

My freedoms include not only freedom to practice my religious beliefs, but to not be forced by law to indulge and practice someone else's religious beliefs. I greatly resent having to endure attempts at religious indoctrination when I walk out into public.

[Ilsa]

24. ITA. And the RW doesn't see that their "great commission" to

evangelize the world is just as messed up as any other religions' attempts to do the same: convert, or die! But I think they see the great commission as their permission slip to invade, conquer, and ocnvert, whether the conquered will accept their ideology or not.

[Solly Mack]

6. Here's hoping the devil calls those markers in real soon

like today....this very minute.

:)

[keopeli]

9. I suggest he read about the Christian churches support of Hitler in German

[Ilsa]

20. That's an excellent idea. And those who can't remember

history are doomed to repeat it. Gee, we've heard that before, haven't we?

Seriously, though, people have no concept of how very gradually the masses can get whipped up into a state of blame and frenzy and recklessness. Throw in some handsome uniforms and fast jets, and they are sold.

[seabeyond]

10. right on. they are speaking out. for two years i have been saying this

to the "good" christians i love so much. i have watched an area of this country that is a micro of what is happening nation wide. what a wonderful step for the moderate baptist to be coming out talking about this. in reason. not blame or attack. good stuff. and this is a really good sign. i am telling you, i am as good as can be, as christian as the next, and in my area where it is so prevelent, i am challenging and my kids are challenging, always, challenging this envirnment of christianity.

at the schools, in the store, in boyscouts yesterday.

i had some christians knock on my door. i told them, i am pissed at religion. i am not pissed at god or jesus. religion is spreading hate and dividing our nation and i will not support religion as long as they continue off christs path.

this is a very good article in so many way. appreciate it

[teryang]

11. Hagee ministries was just preaching hatred of Islam

...pure and simple. I tuned in to his sermons of couple of times before the war while channel surfing because I couldn't believe what I was hearing. According to Hagee the Koran is an evil book. I know college educated professional people who believe it. Of course, they also consult astrologers before making important decisions. Sound familiar?

He's a literal interpreter of the book of revelations. Preaching doom and the end of the world is okay, even if it is a self fulfilling prophecy.

[Ilsa]

21. Before we met, my husband tried going a couple of times with his

first wife to Hagee's church. He could barely stand it, liberal Dem that he was and is. Needless to say, when his wife divorced him, it was an ugly affair, based on his having to move to make a living.

[teryang]

27. What an experience!

I can't imagine what it's like to be there in person with the big propaganda posters and all, with everyone nodding their heads and laughing politely on cue.

[DBoon]

13. When you knock down the wall between church and state

you will end up having political operatives telling churches what they can preach

When these churches decide to get into politics, they end up accepting this as the result

[JohnyCanuck]

19. Some Canadian evangelicals were swept up in the war fever too.

I remember seeing a popular Canadian cable evangelical Christian channel, 100 Huntley Street, where they were shilling for war in the buildup to the Iraq invasion. This channel carries Canadian evangelical type programs, interviews, news etc. during prime time, and much of the rest of the time they rebroadcast US evangelists like the very aptly named Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Richard Roberts etc. Sometimes if I'm bored I surf buy to watch some bloviating evangelist preaching to the choir for a few minutes just as a perverted form of entertainment. (I really do get a kick watching Creflo Dollar explain to the suckers audience how Jesus really wants everyone to be rich like him). The channel is something like a Canadian equivalent of the 700 Club except that the head honcho David Mainse doesn't own diamond mines with African dictators and is reputed to have quite a modest lifestyle compared to many of the more flamboyant US TV evangelists.

During the buildup to war, they were really pushing the need for the US to invade Iraq and presumably that Canada should fall in line and support this effort. They were also playing up the aspect of how Dubya was such a wonderful Christian man and how all he really only wanted was for the US to help the poor downtrodden Iraqis gain their freedom from the evil-doing, Satanic dictator Saddam.

I recollect they really made a big deal about a letter of support some young Canadian kid had written to Dubya. It was truly stomach churning all the freeper bullshit this letter contained, praising the Chimp for being such an outstanding and dedicated Christian leader that the world needs at this perilous time and how thankful this little boy and his family were that there was a world class, Jesus loving leader like Dubya in the White House, not afraid to stand for the truth against evil doers like Saddam etc.etc. (I feel like barfing just thinking about it again).

Anyway as a result of this letter the kid gets a photo-op and 30 seconds with Dubya in the Oval office and they really went to town on this on their TV show, explaining how wonderful it was that the very busy Dubya took the time to meet with this little sycophantic twit and shake his hand for the cameras and how much Dubya appreciated his kind words of encouragement and support as expressed in his letter. :puke:

Now by this time the propaganda build up for war was in full swing and I used to check out their channel fairly regularly just to see to see what extent they were shilling the neocon propaganda line. After I saw this episode where they were talking up the kid meeting the Chimp-in-chief in the White House my Bullshit meter blew a fuse and started smoking with the needle pegged out at max bullshit. I figured this was more than just come coincidental circumstance where the zombie kid takes it in his head to write an over the top brown nosing letter to the Chimp in the White House and then gets invited over to the White House for a photo op. This had to be a setup worked out between the religious wingnuts in Canada and the US and the White House related to propagandizing Canadians to support the the war and to pressure our own politicians to get on side with Dubya's crusade.

It wasn't until after all this that I learned about Leo Strauss and the neocons, but you couldn't ask for a better example of how the neocons were applying Strauss' theory that political leaders should use religion to manipulate the gullible masses.

[teryang]

26. "bloviating evangelist - perverted form of entertainment"

LOL - my sentiments exactly. Great post!