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Dominionists in the United States

Started by Recusant, April 14, 2019, 02:50:51 AM

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Ecurb Noselrub

All Christians are not authoritarian dominionists, but we need to continue to resist these mistaken ideas.  Most mainline denominations understand the fallacies of this way of thinking.  At the foundation is the idea that American was founded as a Christian nation.  This mistaken idea does not see that Christianity is not mentioned in the Declaration or the Constitution, and the Treaty of Tripoli specifically says it is not a Christian nation.  Christian majority does not mean Christian nation.

Icarus

The founders had a Christian bent, if we can define that term loosely. The King James bible had only recently been invented by the King and his 54 scholars who authored the book. . The original invaders of North America were here to pursue a commercial enterprise, not Christianity. .  The Thanksgiving myth that so many of us enjoy is not quite.....or even close, to the story book bullshit that had the Indians making peace and breaking bread with the Plymouth colonial settlers.

The first ones were well before the Plymouth Rock Mayflower group that are so much accorded as original settlers.  Well before that, the Jamestown settlement in Virginia was a commercial enterprise financed by the London Company. That did not work out so well.  The Jamestown community did not even have a minister of God for more than a year.  Never mind that the whole endeavor went to Hell in a hand basket.

European invaders, mostly British, were here in the now state of Maine to gather the magnificent, tall, and sturdy trees that made such exceptionally strong masts for their sailing ships. Tha was not a Christian endeavor, it was a ractical one.

Sure enough the new world settlers were God fearing. They even believed that it was necessary to burn witches.  Actually very few witches, or accused witches, were burned.  but the story lives on.

Before the pilgrims and Jamestown settlers arrived the Spaniards had pillaged Florida and set up forts to defend their conquests.  The Spaniards were not motivated evangelistic Christians, they were looking for gold and other riches and maybe even the fountain of youth. The heathanous Indian inhabitants lost a lot lives before they drove the damned Spaniards and Portuguese to distraction. The Mikasoukis and other tribes were much better at navigating the swamps of Florida than the invaders were. 

Farther south In Mexico and Central America, the quest was for the gold that was surely in abundance there. The invaders had no qualms about slaughtering the indeginous people.  Eventually the Mexicans had their revenge with the improbable success of  the Cinco de Mayo massacre of the French invaders.  None of that had anything to do with the intent to spread the word of the lord.  It was presumed opportunity and greed on the part of the invaders. 

I have precious little patience with the otherwise, well at least sometimes,  rational citizens who are so adamant about the history and intent of  this nation. 

Icarus is off on one of his rants.  My esteemed colleagues are asked to forgive this ancient old fool for being  so loquacious and single minded.


Recusant

#92
Saw a quote attributed to Barry Goldwater in a book by John Dean. There's a twitter image that features it:

QuoteMark 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.

Back to the present day in a big ol' banana republic:

My apologies, I can't help being an anti-fan of Michele Bachmann. She was the "Moe" of the original contemporary Republican Three Stooges in my personal view. Steve King (who won't be missed) was Larry, Louie Gohmert was Curly. It came to me when the three of them went on their ridiculous jaunt to Egypt. Even in the midst of biting dismay, humor can be found. I got a good laugh from the three of them, and I appreciate that.

Before the election, she proclaimed that she knew that her god had locked down the final result. Not that she's a false prophet or anything.

Upthread, I noted an earlier post-election rant. It seems likely she hasn't commented on her prediction, but maybe she has--in the minds of Trumpists, there's still a chance that President Bogus will manage to triumph. Her latest ravings are below. Again my apologies, but be forwarned, I expect at least one more eruption when Satan wins and Biden is sworn in, and I'll probably post it.  :sadnod:

In this performance, we have a full cast of Dominionist gobshites, including David Barton and Rick Green. If you don't know who they are, you could bless the fates for smiling on you. There's video. I only watched a few seconds--I can get along on very small doses of these dreadful buffoons.

"'My Vote Was Stolen!': Michele Bachmann Will Never Be a 'Chump' Who Accepts Biden's Win" | Right Wing Watch

Quote"From the political point of view, from the legal point of view, from the moral point of view, America is not on board with Joe Biden as the next president of the United States," Bachmann said. "We're not there. And the reason why we're not there is because we're not that dumb in the United States because we know, without a shadow of a doubt, this man did not get the votes on election night. It didn't happen. Donald Trump got the votes on election night. So, why would we be like drones, chumps, and fools to go along with this?"

Bachmann said that election night was "when Satan was snatching away from America rule by the consent of the governed."

"In other words, [Satan was] stealing from us our right to vote," she proclaimed. "I am highly offended, insulted, angry, and I'm not going to stand for the fact that my vote was stolen!"

[Link to full article.]


"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Magdalena

Quote from: Recusant on December 11, 2020, 07:35:07 AM
...

In this performance, we have a full cast of Dominionist gobshites, including David Barton and Rick Green. If you don't know who they are, you could bless the fates for smiling on you.
...
:snicker:

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Icarus

Bachman, Palin, Cruz, and several others truly need to be committed to the asylum.  Trump too. He is the antagonistic ring leader. While we are at it lets give Jim Jordan and Mitch McConnel at least honorable mention for nut case qualification.  The McEnaney (sp)  woman will also qualify for therapy on account of her impressive capacity for lying in her preety teeth.

Recusant

McEnany is an excellent mouthpiece for the soon-to-be-ex-president though. Nearly everything she says when speaking as the soon-to-be-ex-president's Press Secretary is either a lie or a ridiculously delusional partisan talking point. She seems really comfortable with it too, which speaks to a commendable (in a particular context) absence of scruples on her part.

I had to chortle when she first took to her official podium and said, "I will never lie to you." That qualifies as an instant classic, in my opinion.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Bad Penny II

Quote from: Recusant on December 12, 2020, 04:50:30 AM
McEnany is an excellent mouthpiece for the soon-to-be-ex-president though. Nearly everything she says when speaking as the soon-to-be-ex-president's Press Secretary is either a lie or a ridiculously delusional partisan talking point. She seems really comfortable with it too, which speaks to a commendable (in a particular context) absence of scruples on her part.

What does delusional mean Green?
an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary

The contrary evidence is fake.

What does this wiggly scruple word mean?

Motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions

So that could be motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that are beyond the twist.

Take my advice, don't listen to me.

Randy

#97
Quote from: Recusant on December 11, 2020, 07:35:07 AM
Saw a quote attributed to Barry Goldwater in a book by John Dean. There's a twitter image that features it:

QuoteMark 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.

Back to the present day in a big ol' banana republic:

My apologies, I can't help being an anti-fan of Michele Bachmann. She was the "Moe" of the original contemporary Republican Three Stooges in my personal view. Steve King (who won't be missed) was Larry, Louie Gohmert was Curly. It came to me when the three of them went on their ridiculous jaunt to Egypt. Even in the midst of biting dismay, humor can be found. I got a good laugh from the three of them, and I appreciate that.

Before the election, she proclaimed that she knew that her god had locked down the final result. Not that she's a false prophet or anything.

Upthread, I noted an earlier post-election rant. It seems likely she hasn't commented on her prediction, but maybe she has--in the minds of Trumpists, there's still a chance that President Bogus will manage to triumph. Her latest ravings are below. Again my apologies, but be forwarned, I expect at least one more eruption when Satan wins and Biden is sworn in, and I'll probably post it.  :sadnod:

In this performance, we have a full cast of Dominionist gobshites, including David Barton and Rick Green. If you don't know who they are, you could bless the fates for smiling on you. There's video. I only watched a few seconds--I can get along on very small doses of these dreadful buffoons.

"'My Vote Was Stolen!': Michele Bachmann Will Never Be a 'Chump' Who Accepts Biden's Win" | Right Wing Watch

Quote"From the political point of view, from the legal point of view, from the moral point of view, America is not on board with Joe Biden as the next president of the United States," Bachmann said. "We're not there. And the reason why we're not there is because we're not that dumb in the United States because we know, without a shadow of a doubt, this man did not get the votes on election night. It didn't happen. Donald Trump got the votes on election night. So, why would we be like drones, chumps, and fools to go along with this?"

Bachmann said that election night was "when Satan was snatching away from America rule by the consent of the governed."

"In other words, [Satan was] stealing from us our right to vote," she proclaimed. "I am highly offended, insulted, angry, and I'm not going to stand for the fact that my vote was stolen!"

[Link to full article.]

I thought her god assured her the votes were locked in. Could he be lying to her? Is Satan stronger than him? The absurdity of it all.


[Pardon the edit to repair quote. - R]
"Maybe it's just a bunch of stuff that happens." -- Homer Simpson
"Some people focus on the destination. Atheists focus on the journey." -- Barry Goldberg

Recusant

Striking some last blows for religious freedom on the way out the door.

"The Trump Administration's Final Push to Make It Easier for Religious Employers to Discriminate" | ProPublica

QuoteIt was the hectic week before Thanksgiving, and Amrith Kaur — the legal director of an advocacy group called the Sikh Coalition — was not prepared for a surprise update from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that could have dramatic consequences for her clients.

With little warning, the EEOC published a 112-page overhaul of its guidance on religious discrimination in the workplace. The feedback period was proceeding with no time to spare — she would have to file any comments by Dec. 17.

[. . .]

As she dug into the document's dense language and footnotes, Kaur was particularly distressed because of what she found to be a slant toward large Christian employers like colleges and social service agencies, rather than smaller religions like Sikhism, which face widespread prejudice. For example, in recent days, she's had to focus on advising health care workers who keep long beards as part of their religious practice. Some hospitals and nursing homes ban facial hair to ensure a proper fit for face masks, but Kaur has been able to work out accommodations that are both COVID-19-safe and allow medical staff to observe their faith — which the new guidance doesn't address.

[. . .]

Some of the freshly finalized rules codify an executive order that Trump issued in 2018 declaring that faith-based organizations should have full access to government grant programs without having to modify their operations. They deliver on the promises that Trump made to evangelical Christians during his presidential run, and which he and Vice President Mike Pence campaigned on again in 2020 — the White House's website contains 228 mentions of "religious freedom," in posted speeches, press releases and other official statements.

[. . .]

In an October interview with the Religion News Service, Trump touted his administration's work to install religious freedom liaisons in every Cabinet agency. "Led by Pastor Paula White, this Initiative is working to remove barriers which have unfairly prevented faith based organizations from working with or receiving funding from the federal government," Trump said in a written Q&A.

On that front, the first big change finalized Dec. 7 was at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, an agency within the Labor Department that enforces compliance with civil rights laws among recipients of federal dollars. The new rule clarifies that private companies can qualify as "religious employers" under certain conditions, and that religious employers may deny positions to people who do not subscribe and adhere to their faith. That could include not hiring people in same-sex relationships or someone of a different religion.

[Continues . . .]
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Recusant

Josh Hawley, the US Senator who gave a clenched-fist salute to the Trumpist crowd just before they stormed the US Capitol Building and who, after they had been escorted back out, proceeded to carry on with a purely symbolic attempt to legislatively overturn the US presidential election, is "deeply religious."

I admit I hadn't paid any attention to him and his ideas before this. The opinion piece below examines Hawley's ideology. The author calls it a "neo-medieval vision." To me it appears to be vision that closely conforms to the tenets of Dominionism.

Originally published in The New York Times, I found an alternate source to avoid the paywall.

"The Roots of Josh Hawley's Rage" | The New York Times/bt24

QuoteHow did we get to the point where one of the bright young stars of the Republican Party appears to be at war with both truth and democracy?

Mr. Hawley himself, as it happens, has been making the answer plain for some time. It's just a matter of listening to what he has been saying.

In multiple speeches, an interview and a widely shared article for Christianity Today, Mr. Hawley has explained that the blame for society's ills traces all the way back to Pelagius — a British-born monk who lived 17 centuries ago. In a 2019 commencement address at The King's College, a small conservative Christian college devoted to "a biblical worldview," Mr. Hawley denounced Pelagius for teaching that human beings have the freedom to choose how they live their lives and that grace comes to those who do good things, as opposed to those who believe the right doctrines.

The most eloquent summary of the Pelagian vision, Mr. Hawley went on to say, can be found in the Supreme Court's 1992 opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Mr. Hawley specifically cited Justice Anthony Kennedy's words reprovingly: "At the heart of liberty," Kennedy wrote, "is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life." The fifth century church fathers were right to condemn this terrifying variety of heresy, Mr. Hawley argued: "Replacing it and repairing the harm it has caused is one of the challenges of our day."

In other words, Mr. Hawley's idea of freedom is the freedom to conform to what he and his preferred religious authorities know to be right. Mr. Hawley is not shy about making the point explicit. In a 2017 speech to the American Renewal Project, he declared — paraphrasing the Dutch Reformed theologian and onetime prime minister Abraham Kuyper — "There is not one square inch of all creation over which Jesus Christ is not Lord." Mr. Kuyper is perhaps best known for his claim that Christianity has sole legitimate authority over all aspects of human life.

"We are called to take that message into every sphere of life that we touch, including the political realm," Mr. Hawley said. "That is our charge. To take the Lordship of Christ, that message, into the public realm, and to seek the obedience of the nations. Of our nation!"

Mr. Hawley has built his political career among people who believe that Shariah is just around the corner even as they attempt to secure privileges for their preferred religious groups to discriminate against those of whom they disapprove.

[Continues . . .]
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Icarus

Reference Recusant's reference to Mr Hawley.   I think I am going to be sick now.   :puke:






Recusant

I hope you feel better now, Icarus!   :snicker1:

In this thread it helps if you have a strong stomach.

The New York Times further chronicles the Christofascist element in US society (linking to another off-brand re-post of the piece):

"How White Evangelical Christians Fused With Trump Extremism" | The New York Times/USANews

QuoteThe presence of Christian rituals, symbols and language was unmistakable on Wednesday in Washington. There was a mock campaign banner, "Jesus 2020," in blue and red; an "Armor of God" patch on a man's fatigues; a white cross declaring "Trump won" in all capitals. All of this was interspersed with allusions to QAnon conspiracy theories, Confederate flags and anti-Semitic T-shirts.

The blend of cultural references, and the people who brought them, made clear a phenomenon that has been brewing for years now: that the most extreme corners of support for Mr. Trump have become inextricable from some parts of white evangelical power in America. Rather than completely separate strands of support, these groups have become increasingly blended together.

This potent mix of grievance and religious fervor has turbocharged the support among a wide swath of Trump loyalists, many of whom describe themselves as participants in a kind of holy war, according to interviews. And many, who are swimming in falsehoods about the presidential election and now the riot itself, said the aftermath of Wednesday's event has only fueled a deeper sense of victimhood and being misunderstood.

Lindsay French, 40, an evangelical Christian from Texas, flew to Washington after she had received what she called a "burning bush" sign from God to participate following her pastor urging congregants to "stop the steal."

"We are fighting good versus evil, dark versus light," she said, declaring that she was rising up like Queen Esther, the biblical heroine who saved her people from death.

"We are tired of being made out to be these horrible people she said, acknowledging there was some violence but insisting on the falsehood that Antifa was behind it.

[Continues . . .]

"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Randy

Regarding Hawley: It sounds to me like he is ready for the crusades to start again.
"Maybe it's just a bunch of stuff that happens." -- Homer Simpson
"Some people focus on the destination. Atheists focus on the journey." -- Barry Goldberg

Dark Lightning

Well, he can just go to the Middle East and off a couple of ISIS soldiers then. :smilenod:

Icarus