Christian Right Not Dead, But Maturing, Say Authors

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Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:57 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Romans 13 in no way justifies the dismantling of democratic institutions to establish a religious tyranny, and the repudiation every principle of our Constitution which has come at such great cost in suffering and blood. Religious powers, professedly allied to heaven, are demonstrating to America more and more that they have the heart of the dragon.

The pretensions of the Christian Right may seem mild, but make no mistake, it is an apostate, spiritually dead church that seeks politcal power and to influence the State to enforce its decrees and to sustain its institutions. Historically, whenever the church has obtained secular power, she has employed it to punish dissent from her doctrines and and enslave the consciences of men. The infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.

Our Founding Fathers wisely sought to guard against the employment of securlar power on the part of the church with its inevitable result, intolerance and persecution. The Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," and that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office of public trust under the United States."

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." The so-called Christian Right would lead our nation only into national apostasy from its broad foundation of civil and religious liberty.

If we fail to heed these words of James Madison, it will be at our peril: "What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of civil authority; in many instances they have been upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wish to subvert the public liberty may have found an established clergy convenient allies."

Christian Right Leaders Respond to Dobson’s Concerns

brainetree »

Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:38 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

Would that the Christian Right, as a movement, were dead. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." It is an apostate and spiritually dead church that seeks political power. Whenever the church has obtained secular power, she has employed it to punish dissent from her doctrines.

You who are itching to get control of the state, you are on the wrong track. Our Founding Fathers wisely sought to guard against the employment of securlar power on the part of the church with its inevitable result, intolerance and persecution. The Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

"The Bush administration has steadily diverted billions of dollars of taxpayer money from secular and governmental social-service organizations to faith-based organizations, bankrolling churches and organizations that seek to dismantle American democracy and create a theocratic state. . . the wall between church and state is being disassembled." Fascist Americans by Chris Hedges, p. 23.

President Bush has set in operation elements that will strengthen the fascist Christian Right and turn our beloved America into a nation we no longer recognize. These forces are poised and ready, in the event of a great fiscal crisis, to ruthlessly seize control in the name of national security and turn America into theocratic dictatorship.

Concludes Catherine Crier in a Huffingtonpost dot com article "CONTEMPT -- How the Right Is Wronging American Justice": "For all of those Americans who believe that our democracy is safe, you are wrong. Today, the radical Right is winning, and they know it. Sooner rather than later, we may be living in a very different country, a country that had been ours, a country that will be theirs."

"What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of civil authority; in many instances they have been upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wish to subvert the public liberty may have found an established clergy convenient allies."
-James Madison