Not Scared Yet? Read this

[mourningdove92]

First off, let me say that I am Christian, believe that Jesus will return and tend to view things happening in the world view with a bit of an Apocolyptic eye. That being said, this article scares the heck out of me. I do not in any way believe that Bush is a Christian, but I DO believe he would gladly use anything he can get his hands on to further his agenda. Since most of the believing Christians are looking for the return of Christ, it only makes sense that he would try to use those beliefs in a way that would consolodate the RW power machine.


Conventional Facades: Why the Republicans Have to Hide their Agenda

by Maureen Farrell

"Some wonder if the president might be influenced by evangelical teachings that envision an end-of-the-world battle between Israel and its enemies. It would be dangerous for a president to take a particular theology like that and apply it to world events." -- Former Nixon aide Charles Colson, U.S. News, March 10, 2003

"Their beliefs are bonkers, but they are at the heart of power: US Christian fundamentalists are driving Bush's Middle East policy." – The Guardian, April 20, 2004

"Bush White House checked with rapture Christians before latest Israel move." – The Village Voice, May 18, 2004

* * *

Soon after Dick Cheney told Sen. Pat Leahy to "go f**k himself," the Republican National Committee feigned outrage over actor Alec Baldwin’s assertion that the GOP has been "hijacked" by "fundamentalist wackos." While the word "wackos" is indeed jarring, there are few suitable descriptions for the Harry-Potter-fearing, Armageddon-embracing, End-of-Days experts the White House reportedly cavorts with.

And while the Guardian used the more colorful term "bonkers" to describe this mindset, regardless what one calls it, a palpable stench of weirdness fills the air. After uncovering notes proving that White House staffers were "taking two-hour meetings with Christian fundamentalists," the Village Voice announced, "apparently, we're not supposed to know the National Security Council's top Middle East aide consults with apocalyptic Christians eager to ensure American policy on Israel conforms with their sectarian doomsday scenarios."

Baldwin or no Baldwin, does any of this sound normal to you?

But politics being what they are and diplomacy being what it is, former Clinton administration official Robert Reich denounced the use of the abrasive term "wackos," while agreeing with Baldwin on principle. "Undoubtedly the Republican Party is relying to an extraordinary extent -- it has relied to an extraordinary extent -- on right-wing religious conservatives. . . that is well documented " Reich said, "just look at who the ground troops of the Republican Party are."
(snip)


With undecided battleground states carrying substantial clout, it seems that God’s Own Party is conjuring up a special made-for-TV GOP fantasy world wherein John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Arnold Schwarzenegger rule the roost and GOP Grendels -- the folks Lee Atwater once referred to as the "extra chromosome" conservatives -- remain hidden beneath the convention floorboards.

With polls showing that the majority of Americans (including coveted swing voters) favor stem cell research by as much as 70%, and with most preferring to keep religion out of politics, the GOP has plenty to hide.
(snip)


CALLER: Yes, do you think President Bush is sincere in supporting Ariel Sharon's position, the government with denying the Palestinians right of return or do you think this is just a ploy to get the Jewish vote?

MAHER: I think this is all -- this has everything to do with the fact that George Bush is a born-again Christian. OK, and this is why religion is so dangerous in our society. Because George Bush is not just a Christian. He's a born-again, they believe Jesus is coming back any day now. And they want everything to be perfect for him. They call it the rapture, right?

KING: Why is that bad?

MAHER: Well, Thomas Jefferson said the book of revelations was the ravings of a lunatic. George Bush organizes his foreign policy around it. That's why it's bad. Because his decisions about Israel are affected by his religious beliefs.

KING: You mean that Christ is coming back Israel.

MAHER: Jesus is coming back, and he's not coming back to Toledo, Larry, he's coming back to his home, which is Jerusalem, which has to be in Jewish hands because the Jews have a very important role to play when Jesus comes back, which is, of course, to be dead. Because there can't be any Jews around.

KING: That's right, yes.

MAHER: I mean, this is scary stuff. Because it's completely irrational. It's like half this country wants to guide our ship of state by a compass. A compass, something that works by science and rationality, and imperial wisdom. And half this country wants to kill a chicken and read the entrails like they used to do in the old Roman Empire. And I'm with the compass people.
(snip)


In 1987, Coalition on Revival head Jay Grimstead began planning for a "long-range social and political takeover" of American politics. Five years later, author Frederick Clarkson wrote, "Never in the wildest dreams of the far right, nor for that matter, the rest of the GOP, did anyone think such people could get this far."
(snip)

Not too long ago, Rep. Tom DeLay also told evangelical Christians that 1) "God is using him to promote ‘a biblical worldview’ in American politics"; 2) He "pursued Bill Clinton's impeachment in part because the Democratic president held "the wrong worldview"; and 3) that "only Christianity offers a comprehensive worldview."


And, though various news sources have reported on ways Biblical prophecy is influencing political reality, the Guardian has highlighted George Bush’s and Tom DeLay’s involvement in it all. Describing how "dispensationalism," a doctrine which involves ousting the Palestinians in order to make way for the Second Coming of Christ, isn’t merely found in the pages of Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series, but in American politics, Matthew Engel spelled out what few ever mention -- how, after the Rapture, the Antichrist will destroy most of the Jews. "In other words, these Christians are supporting the Jews in order to abolish them," Engle explained.
(snip)


Most Americans, however, scoff at the notion that 1) the Religious Right is anything other than a "fringe" annoyance or that 2) Jesus will make a comeback any time soon. But as certain as beefed-up WMD claims led to a preconceived war, fundamentalists are taking extreme measures to win their dream date with Jesus. Meanwhile, many Americans, like those slothful bunnies in Watership Down, will gobble the carrots the Republicans dangle, unaware that, in time, they could be soaking in the stew.

"I really believe I'm hearing from the Lord it's going to be like a blowout election in 2004," Pat Robertson told his 700 Club audience earlier this year, promising that, "It doesn't make any difference what does, good or bad, God picks him up because he's a man of prayer and God's blessing him."

Though they'll be mostly tucked away during the Republican convention, the "ground troops" will be working behind the scenes to make sure that George W. Bush wins the White House. All the while praying for God to deliver us from God knows what.
http://www.buzzflash.com/farrell/04/08/far04028.html

[istruthfull]

1. Bad word

You know how they turn the word liberal into a bad word, well they have done the same with fundamentalism. Fundamentalists are not radical, hatefull, judgemental bible thumpers. These are people who do not add to or take away from the bible, they do not comform the bible to their needs. These are the nice people who are there to help you when they can. These are the people who are sad by the state of the world and not judging people for it. They are not the Pharisee's in the Government that want you to believe how holy they are. You could meet a fundamentalist and never know it, you might think that he/she is a nice person that you get the impression that they are not out to use you. Every now and then they might mention the bible and stuff but they do not push it down your throat.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Realy? Not where I live. They are in-your-face, do it our way

or perish, types here.

[istruthfull]

3. Off the mark

Not suprised, many people lose sight and stray off the mark. Behind every radical group you will find someone's quest for power.

[A_Possum]

8. The ones that I know are

And they're in my family.

You can say they are misguided fundamentalists, like I say they're misguided Christians, but the fact remains that the term is generally used in a political sense right now to describe people who are exerting their maximum political muscle to impose their religious agenda on the rest of the country.

By your definition, Quakers are probably the best "fundamentalists" around, but I don't think that's what the term means now.

So maybe the word itself has been hijacked, like "liberal" has been hijacked. But that doesn't change the fact that there ARE a number of people who are pushing the evangelical/armaggeddon/fundamentalists political agenda, and pushing it very hard at the top of the government.

[orlin2k]

4. very scared

These are very scary people. I love the Bill Maher quote about the compass people and chicken entrails people.

[ixion]

5. as 'free thinkers' dominionism is one of the largest threats we face

Because it's what's driving the zealots, to a great degree.

Here's a related link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x34888

[Moderator]

6. Good article but please remember DU copyright rules in the future.

DU copyright rules limit excerpts from copyrighted articles to four paragraphs.

Thanks
Moderator

[Moderator]

7. Kick

:kick:

[Gyre]

9. I'm not a christian and it scares the hell out of me too!

WACKOS is the word. They were the kids we were beating up in high school because they were dweebs. We must've damaged their poor little angelic egos and now they're hell-bent to destroy the world. If only we had known!!!

Gyre

[EST]

10. I'm sure you do recall,

the frightening term is "radical" fundamentalists.

[bogey18]

11. Great post

What really scares me is that being defeated in any manner doesn't even slow these people down. As we write and discuss they are inventing 5 new ways around the law and around the courts. Every time their agenda is voted down they come back with it disguised as something new and different when it is always the same old live by my morality or leave the country.

Bush is a master at sending hidden messages to these people to help them feel like they are the insiders in the circles of power now. What a joke - he wouldn't want most of these people within 100 feet of him, but he caters to them and is going to start to openly grovel to them because Karl Rove thinks if they can bring out 4 million more of these suckers than voted in the last election they will win for sure - and they are right.