The Fast Pace Of Fascism's Arrival to America

Thirty six years ago I wrote a paper for an English class during my freshman year at Mount Vernon Nazarene College. The paper dealt with the importance of keeping theocracy out of America's government. I got a good grade on the paper. That was back then. In today's day and age, I'm not so sure that the paper would be accepted. We're living in a different day and age. It wasn't long after I wrote that paper, that Pat Robertson's new political religion came on the scene. He started talking about a religious political movement with efforts to take control of mainstream denominations, America's airwaves, our congress, our courts. Pat Robertson was adamant that this new political religious movement could create a Christian empire. Is it too far fetched to say that America's christian right is following in the footsteps of the German Christian Church, the pro-Hitler,pro-Nazi church? Is it too far fetched to see the American religious right movement attempting to use religion in order to dismantle America's current open society in order to create a form of government in sync with their own religious beliefs? Billy Graham didn't admonish believers to distance themselves from political power for nothing. He saw the danger of fascism; of any religion controlling our government. According to statistics I found from Theocracy Watch, (these statistics are from 2004) the power brokers in the Christian Right had the majority of seats in 36 % of GOP state committees, or 18 of 50 states and large minorities in 81 % of the rest of the states. They had 45 in the U.S. Senate and 186 in the House of Representatives. The even use their children to help take control of the U.S. Supreme Court (please refer to my JESUS CAMP post). The state of Texas is now attempting to pass legislation banning the teaching of evolution in all Texas schools and requiring Bible study as part of the school curriculum. President Bush wants social welfare turned over to churches through "faith based " initiatives," while allowing the religious providers to provide or withhold service according to the believes of the religion providing the service. One white house staff member from the Office of Faith Based Initiatives (or some such title), quit over this due to the fact that evangelicals, those who support the White House religious beliefs get the contracts while other religions are turned down. The religious right plants folks in mainline denominations to cause upheaval in local churches and turn them into evangelical denominations. One organization pays millions of dollars to move people from one part of the country to another to make these folks registered in particular voting districts to win another evangelical seat in our government.

Unfortunately, many good evangelical Christians are being used as pawns in this attempt to take over the American government. They are the victims of a horrible manipulation of their religion which decided to steer away from the teachings of Jesus in favor of taking control of our government.

Hate and exclusion are common themes expressed on Christian television and mega churches where ministers and evangelists claim to speak for God. Fear based messages and hate mongered cheer leading and hand waving are the norm.

When a mega church pastor of TV televangelist preaches that the congregation doesn't need trade unions or that if we lose our jobs to outsourcing doesn't matter because Jesus is coming soon and we won't need those unions or jobs, many in the congregation accept these statements and vote accordingly. The brave person who makes any statement opposing these views is told that they are listening to the voice of Satan or some such nonsense.

Allowing the people of Sierra Leon to die of starvation and lack of AIDS medication, Pat Robertson took his diamonds from the country to amass his fortune for his own personal wealthy lifestyle and to finance his campaign to take over America. Not unlike the German Christian Church stealing precious artwork to finance Hitler's campaign.

We are living in dark days in America. Be on guard. The Christians in Germany didn't expect what happened to happen. But it did. One step at a time, Germany became a Nazi country. We don't want this to happen in America. Or do some of us want it to?