One-eyed Jack

I was on another board (<a href="http://www.voy.com/4305/" target="_blank">Landover</a>) discussing the the reality of hypocritical and even evil Christians with a Evangelical Christian. I used the example of Efrain Rios Montt, a born-again Christian and pastor who ruled Guatemala for 16 months in the early 1980s and presided over the worst genocidal bloodbath in that country's history. Oddly enough, the Evangelical gentleman did not explicitly agree that Montt (who is back in power behind the scenes in Guatemala) is an evil monster. In fact his reply was terse and completely generalized:

"Killing in the name of Jesus Christ is not Scriptural. Preaching the viewpoints of God is not hate. Man opposing God, is. God is correct. Man is not."

Peculiar, thinks I, that he did not say that killing in the name of Jesus Christ is evil, just that it's not scriptural. Well, I had other fish that needed frying, so I returned to Google. I was learning about the Christian Dominionists, specifically the "Coalition On Revival" or COR--an organization of right-wing Christians whose stated goals are to bring the United States under the dominion of Christ. A sampling from their agenda:

Establishment of Christian theocracy: "We deny that God and His truth should ever be separated from the State; this should put to rest the Reconstructionists' claim that the Church will not control the government in a theonomic [ie Biblical] society."

Control of all aspects of American civil structure: "The church must conform social, economic, legal, educational, medical, and governmental structures to Biblical order."

Censorship and control of society: "Christians must bring all art and communication under His authority. ... All art and communication must be brought into captivity to the mind of Christ."

A short list of the more notable signatories to the COR manifesto includes:

• Founding Director Dr. Jay Grimstead
• Secretary Dennis Peacocke
• Reverend Donald Wildmon
• The late Reconstructionist theologian R.J. Rushdoony
• Dr. Gary North
• And others, 60 in all

"[The signatories] made 'A Solemn Covenant' with God and each other to live by its terms until death, natural or martyred. COR signers made a public covenant with God to establish a theocracy in place of democracy. They admitted that the covenant is 'a recruiting tool' to pool believers into an army....What COR requires of those who sign its covenant is to be willing to die in the attempt to establish a theonomic [ie Biblical] political state. This statement makes the COR Manifesto-Covenant more than just a covenant; it is a blood covenant, sworn to on the life of the signers..."

Reference for the material above: <a href="http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/cor/general.htm" target="_blank">Bible Discernment Ministries</a>

Dennis Peacocke in particular seems quite active in the Dominionist movement:

"Peacocke is the secretary of the Coalition on Revival (COR), a group that some call the 'Peacocke organizaton.' One goal of COR has been to help politically active fundamentalists come to a consensus on their interpretation of the book of Revelations in the New Testament of the Bible....The head of COR, Jay Grimstead, believes that all facets of life should be Christianized--'in order to rule the entire society for Christ.'"

Now, it turns out that Dennis Peacocke is also the founder of "His Name Ministries," "Strategic Christian Services," and "Alive and Free," that last-mentioned organization a "Christian educational" foundation which in the past has featured as a guest speaker...

"...the born-again former Guatemalan dictator, General Efrain Rios Montt." (Reference <a href="http://www.publiceye.org/research/Group_Watch/Entries-63.htm" target="_blank"> here</a>)

Interesting indeed!

Now, why would the Christian Dominionists welcome into their bosoms a man such as Montt, who relied on "extrajudicial" killings--read, death squads--to suppress opposition to his dictatorship and terrorize the citizens of his country? Hmmm....Then shortly thereafter I happened across the following text bite:

"A California minister has proposed the formation of neighborhood militias as a way to fight crime. Dennis Peacocke, head of Strategic Christian Services, says the $23 billion dollars Congress allocated for the anti-crime bill should be divided among some 80 million able-bodied men (women 'really don't want to rally to blow people away,' he says) to fight neighborhood crime. Under his plan, each man would receive $300 a year. 'Who is going to commit crime,' Peacocke suggests, 'if almost every third American is being paid to patrol the other two?....What a deal! Get rid of the bad guys, kick a little butt and receive a supplementary income of $300 to boot.'" (Reference <a href="http://www.ifas.org/fw/9403/peacocke.html" target="_blank"> here</a>)

Neighborhood militias? Death squads? Christian dictatorship? How very interesting indeed!

I truly don't know if the Evangelical gentleman whom I was debating is a member of one of the several churches in the western USA which Peacocke 'shepherds' but I have realized that the Christian Right is just a bit more serious than the hot air of Jerry Falwell and Jimmy Swaggert. In fact, the Christian Dominionist movement seems as real as rocks and serious as gunfire.

What say you, friends?

[ July 26, 2002: Message edited by: One-eyed Jack ]</p>

One-eyed Jack

Update: This morning an anonymous poster replied to my original message on Landover with a Bible verse:

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is The Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
(Revelation 19:11-16)

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
And I will give him the morning star.
He that hath ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
(Revelation 2:26-29)

I read this as the anonymous poster's justification of the murders, tortures, and rapes of Montt's regime as a legitimate tool of God's vengence and dominion. That sickens and angers me.

(Just had to share. *sigh*)

Toto

There are some old threads in the archives on Reconstructionism, e.g. this one: <a href="http://iidb.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=000067&p=" target="_blank">Christian Reconstructionism (extreme Religious Right)</a>. You can search for more using the search function.

Actual Reconstructionists do not have much influence, because they are so extreme they make other conservative Religious Right figures run and hide. They suffered some major blows to their credibility when Gary North's Y2K predictions did not pan out, and when the militia movement collapsed after the bombing of the federal building by Timothy McVeigh (although he was not a Reconstructionist). Other Reconstructionists have been involved in assassinating doctors who perform abortions, which has not made them popular. There was a nominee to head the National Labor Relations Board who was associated with a Reconstructionist organization, but he resigned under pressure when people started looking at his views (he was also virulently anti-organized labor.)

However, Reconstructionist ideas have influenced a lot of the religious right. And yes, they are scary.

Buffman

Toto

Actual Reconstructionists do not have much influence, because they are so extreme they make other conservative Religious Right figures run and hide.

However, Reconstructionist ideas have influenced a lot of the religious right. And yes, they are scary.

I suspect that the problem is clearly demonstrated by those two statements. How does one determine the degree of influence of the Reconstructionists when one doesn't know who they really may be? Who are those standing, silently, behind the outspoken members and pulling their strings? (The "Stealth" Manipulators.) How much power, position, and influence do "THEY" have...or control? What is their agenda...goal?

When I began to seriously start tracking the Religious Right, I was told that I was wasting my time. There was no way that a bunch of fringe Christians would ever gain the ability and power to take-over the entire Southern Baptist Convention...become the representative voice of the Christian Majority in America...control the Republican Party...the Governorships and Legislatures of the States...the Congress...the Federal Judiciary... the Presidency...the Country. Well, guess what?

<a href="http://www.ncrp.org/articles/dap/13.htm" target="_blank">http://www.ncrp.org/articles/dap/13.htm</a>

The most depressing thing for me is the fact that they told the American public exactly what they were going to do and then went right out and did it...and are continuing to do it. Like it or not, right or wrong, America today is no longer a pluralistic nation governed by secular laws. It is a "Christian Nation" under the "conditioned" control of the radical, religious, Christian right. What amazes me the most is the fact that the other Christian faith denominations appear to be completely oblivious to what a disaster this is becoming for them.

When the President of the United States publically proclaims that he will make future judicial nominees pass religious tests before forwarding their names for Senate review, and 99 Senators vote to establish a monotheistic religious America, and our Supreme Court claims that it is constitutional for the American taxpayers to be forced to pay for the advancement of religions in which they do not believe, then how can anyone claim that we are still a pluralistic federal republic based on democratic principles? Democracy and Theocracy are arch enemies. When a supernatural God is used to interpret the intent of a secular constitution, that constitution can be used to enslave, not liberate, a peoples. When a people no longer understand or appreciate their own liberties and freedoms, they deserve the slavery that will, most assuredly, descend upon them. When a people place their entire trust in a faith belief, and disregard the facts, they can be easily led by the loudest, rather than the most accurate and honest, voices...by the mob, not the verifiable evidence. (Grumble! Mumble!)

Buffman

Here are but a small handful of the influential "conservative"(?) organizations.

<a href="http://www.mediatransparency.org/national_think_tanks.htm" target="_blank">http://www.mediatransparency.org/national_think_tanks.htm</a>

Check out the other "Movements" on the left hand side.

[ July 27, 2002: Message edited by: Buffman ]</p>

One-eyed Jack

Toto: I agree that the strict Reconstructionists are a bit far-out even for most Fundamentalist Christians, though their views--like any radical fringe--tend to pull the balance more to the right. But what worried me is that the Dominionists seem to include a far broader range of Christians and that their goals seem less constrained by theological hair-splitting and more pragmatically focussed on political and societal domination. I dunno too much, though; I'm just scratching the surface so far.

Buffman: I haven't been looking at the situation very long or very deeply. Thanks for your insight. What's your opinion of the Web as a research source for this stuff, and what other sources do you use?

Thanks for responding, both!

Buffman

One-eyed Jack,

Welcome to one of the last bastions of secular democracy at work.

I have found the Web to be an outstanding source of information...just as long as one cross-references the info obtained. However, it is a very time consuming and tedious task tracking many of these people and organizations to their sources. (It's much like the IRS attempting to track down off-shore bank accounts to their real owners/corporations.)

If you will take the time to review all the hyperlinks on that "mediatransparency.org" URL, it should be a real "two" eye-opener about the the extent of the professionalism of the Christian right in this country. These are highly educated, experienced, knowledgeable, positioned and financed people who are dedicated to their faith beliefs/causes. In some instances where they have lacked expertise, they have contracted out for it.(Capitalism at its finest. Principles for sale to the highest bidder.)

Now go back and read the "ncrp.org" link and look how rapid the growth has been in just the last decade. However, these folks simply didn't just burst upon the scene. Initially, back in the early 80's, they made many organizational and propaganda mistakes. Ones that helped to get Clinton elected and "Poppa" Bush defeated. But they learned quickly. They learned that it takes money, organization, "Madison Ave." propaganda and "stealth" to win.

But what worried me is that the Dominionists seem to include a far broader range of Christians and that their goals seem less constrained by theological hair-splitting and more pragmatically focussed on political and societal domination. I dunno too much, though; I'm just scratching the surface so far.

Personally, I believe you have more than simply scratched the surface. You opened a cut to the bone. Those motivated exclusively by beliefs in the supernatural will always be the foot-soldiers of those motivated by personal power. Organized religions most continue to grow and become stronger or they die.

Just look how many supernatural beliefs have risen to the top only to fall back into the dust heap of history. Look how many new supernatural beliefs/interpretations are born every day. What is Protestantism if not merely the bastard off-spring of Catholicism? What is Catholicism if not the bastard off-spring of Judism? What is...what is...on and on it goes. The basic problem is the human fear of death and the unknown...or themsleves.

Unfortunately, accurate knowledge has increased at a rate beyond the average human's ability to absorb and understand it. Therefore, what humans don't understand, they fear. They fear science because they don't understand it. They don't fear superstition because it provides them with the answers they seek...and desire...eternal life. The pragmatic theists have known, understood and utilized this all-to-human weakness since the first shaman saw an opportunity to gain control of his tribal members...and increase his own ability to survive.

Buffman

A liitle more background.

<a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north33.html" target="_blank">http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north33.html</a>