A briefing about the dangerous evangelical religious cult now coming into power in the United States

[lees1975]

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/11/a-briefing-for-those-who-are-uninformed.html

These people believe that the prosperity and peace of the United States is directly affected by the collective "morality" of the nation, and if we get to the point to where we have more sinners than saints, making us do "worldly" things as a nation, such as give rights to LGBTQ persons, or allow abortions, then God will judge this country and remove its prosperity as a blessing.

I'm serious. That is, in a nutshell, what we are looking at with these people. The test of righteousness is shutting down a measurable amount of immorality in order to get back into God's good graces so he keeps the money streaming along, feeding our prosperity.

They have a very distorted view of the Christian gospel. They see themselves as agents of God's righteousness, and are not adverse to ignoring what Jesus claimed are the very core values of the Christian gospel to achieve a very different end. They no longer see non-Christians as "lost people" in need of saving redemption, they see them as enemies of God deserving of death. They believe people who are not intently committed to Christianity are reprobate, chosen by God for damnation, and unworthy of life.

I've told friends of mine for decades now that if the United States ever had a dictatorship in which Evangelical conservatives were determined to have a prominent role, they would be as merciless and brutal in their attacks on and elimination of their perceived enemies as the church of the middle ages was in pursuing and burning heretics at the stake. It's time to pay attention to "Seven Mountains Dominionists" and the kind of rhetoric being thrown around by people proclaiming themselves to be prophets and prophetesses. They subvert the Christian gospel by claiming that their words are a new revelation, replacing that which was preached and taught by Jesus, that what Jesus said then, pertained to that generation then, and what they say now pertains to this generation now. And they see their mission and purification of the world which makes them more than willing to murder to achieve their purpose.

But don't take just my word for it. The Oklahoma state school superintendent is giving a good primer in what's coming. The Women's Christian Temperance Union showed how religious intimidation worked. Today's Charismatic prophets and Fundamentalist legalists are angrier and more full of hate. I'm just saying, we better be ready.

[TBF]

1. Absolutely - have been watching this in Texas for years

as the women quietly infiltrate the school boards. It is Christian Nationalism, and they are very serious about taking over the country.

[Initech]

13. My school board got taken over by MAGA nutjobs in 2020.

We went from being one of the best in the state to being one of the absolute worst. And we had a chance to vote the queen shit stirrer out of office this election, but she unfortunately got reelected. Ugh, I really hate it here.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. "Dominionist" from doG saying "Man shall have dominion over the earth and the plants and creatures"

Elsewhere the bible talks about stewardship, but those are often purposely overlooked.

[roscoeroscoe]

3. From Sinclair Lewis to Robert Heinlein, we've been warned

You probably know 'It can't happen here' by Lewis. There is also one I read when I was about 12, Heinlein's 'Revolt in 2100' which includes 'If this goes on' which deals with an America circa 2100 in which the original American republic has been overthrown and a religious dictatorship exists as the Government of the United States. The young protagonist is a West Point graduate and Army officer, chosen for his piety and religious orthodoxy to be a member of the personal guard detail of the Prophet, who is the actual Dictator of the United States. Close contact with the Prophet and the priesthood quickly disenchants him, and therein lies a pretty good yarn of rebellion.

[Otto_Harper]

4. I've been thinking about that one while reading this story.

Read it way back when I was a kid. I couldn't remember the title.

[flashman13]

11. The Fostorites are here among us. I will not bend the knee.

[Initech]

14. Frank Zappa saw it coming!

[Abolishinist]

19. "Anybody who wants religion is welcome to it, as far as I'm concerned--

I support your right to enjoy it. However, I would appreciate it if you exhibited more respect for the rights of those people who do not wish to share your dogma, rapture, or necrodestination.”

“The biggest threat to America today is not communism, it’s moving America toward a fascist theocracy, and everything that’s happened during the Regan administration is steering us right down that pipe.”

― Frank Zappa

[ancianita]

5. Sinclair Lewis: "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

Jesus was about humility and so is his Father. Jesus Christians outnumber power worshippers who in their sin of Pride and Malice think they wage spiritual warfare. That's not how God works.

They forget their Bible: "All are sinners." "The righteous man sins seven times a day," and that "No one is righteous. No one." They totally forget Jesus: "I didn't come for the righteous. I came for the sinners."


Which reminds me of a comic back in the day...

[Farmer-Rick]

6. All this time and energy wasted

On a totalitarian, cruel non-existent being. Geez, I think I'm going to make up my own imaginary super being

[AllaN01Bear]

7. from my late mom. " they always wanted a religious, non constitutional theocracy. me here we are.

[lees1975]

9. Well, it won't be a theocracy.

It takes God to be part of a theocracy, there was only one in the history of the world, and it wasn't something God has ever offered to anyone else. These people have little to do with God and nothing to do with the real Jesus Christ.

[ancianita]

20. Those so-called christians might want it but they're not going to get it. Even SCOTUS wouldn't allow it.

The word doesn't even appear in the Bible.
But words like commandments, laws, statutes, courts, judges, justice, guilt, innocence, do. Jesus was the first to declare the separation of church and state:

Jesus responds to Pontius Pilate about the nature of his kingdom: "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But now (or 'as it is') my kingdom is not from the world" (John 18:36); i.e., his religious teachings were separate from earthly political activity. This reflects a traditional division in Christian thought by which state and church have separate spheres of influence.

Jesus' message to people that if they enjoy the advantages of a state such as Caesar's, as distinct from God's authority (for instance, by using its legal tender), they cannot subsequently choose to ignore the laws of such a state. Henry David Thoreau writes in Civil Disobedience:

Christ answered the Herodians according to their condition. "Show me the tribute-money," said he; – and one took a penny out of his pocket; – If you use money which has the image of Caesar on it, and which he has made current and valuable, that is, if you are men of the State, and gladly enjoy the advantages of Caesar's government, then pay him back some of his own when he demands it; "Render therefore to Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God those things which are God's" – leaving them no wiser than before as to which was which; for they did not wish to know...

In the United States Supreme Court case of Tyler v. Hennepin County (2023), chief justice John Roberts referenced the phrase in the court's opinion regarding the Takings Clause and state property taxes. The chief justice explained the court's holding by stating that "[t]he taxpayer must render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, but no more."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Render_unto_Caesar

[StarryNite]

8. Holy mother of Pearl, it's coming.

I have been watching it through a relative. And it's some scary shit!

[mountain grammy]

10. From that right wing radical Barry Goldwater,

“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.”
― Barry Goldwater

All the wisdom isn't on our side.. and no, I didn't vote for him.. I wasn't 21 yet and, in any case. I couldn't get past his racism.

[Escurumbele]

12. They are so "moral" that they supported and voted for an amoral guy...hypocrisy at its best.

[Blue Full Moon]

15. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.

Except it will be the American Inquisition.

[GiqueCee]

16. These people...

Last edited Mon Nov 18, 2024, 07:11 PM - Edit history (1)

... like all religious fanatics – the Jim Joneses of the world – cannot be content living their own lives in accordance with whatever twisted interpretations of Scripture get them speaking in tongues. No, they crave, indeed, demand, total dominion over the lives of others. The imposition of such a diseased belief system never ends well for anyone, including the perpetrators. Just ask David Koresh. Oh wait... you can't.

They are the total antithesis of everything they purport to represent. They are the spawn of Sauron, and most assuredly not Gawd's Sanctity Squads.

[paleotn]

17. "then God will judge this country and remove its prosperity as a blessing."

Just like Denmark and Sweden. Oh, wait!

I've heard that malarkey all my life. Reason 563 why I chucked religion long ago. You see, I can argue, WITH DATA, that America's wealth and power is positively correlated to the increase in secularism. Inversely to its religiosity. All that stuff I was fed as a child is complete garbage.

Yet, morons will till believe it for whatever reason.

[lees1975]

21. While Christianity has been a pervasive influence in American society and culture, it was often a negative influence.

Most all of the social problems we have in this country are religious-based in some way or another. And of course, there is no promise given anywhere in the Christian gospel to a country, a political entity, for any reason, much less some nebulous connection between "blessing of God" and "economic wealth and prosperity." No the two things don't go together.