Religious right wing co-opting the U.S. military & law enforcement?

[Diane Vera]

America’s Holy Warriors
By Chris Hedges
Dec 31, 2006
Truthdig (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20061231_chris_hedges_americas_holy_warriors)

Editor’s note: The former New York Times Mideast Bureau chief warns that the radical Christian right is coming dangerously close to its goal of co-opting the country’s military and law enforcement.

Yikes!

See also:

Christian fascism: The Jesus Gestapo of St. Orwell
By Carolyn Baker
Feb 2, 2007
Online Journal (http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1708.shtml)

[Diane Vera]

One of the above-mentioned articles mentions the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (http://militaryreligiousfreedom.org/media.html#), whose Media Center (http://militaryreligiousfreedom.org/media.html) page includes some stories about the efforts of fundies to proselytize within the U.S. military in ways that may jeopardize the separation of church and state.

[ladyinred]

Thanks for the articles Diane, It only further proves my suspicions of them as a cult. They are more like the Islamic fanatics(Not the normal moslem culture) But I have always thought the religious right were a cult unto themselves.When 9/11 happened rather than extending compassion to the folks who died in that attack they blamed the attack on America's failing morals.

While most people were trying to help and offer support to the families who lost their loved ones,they turned it into God's punnishment and the removal of his divine protection.Their whole outlook is like a doomsday prophecy.Can you imagine anybody having such a negative, dismal and morbid outlook on things? What ever happened to the "good news" in the gospel?

Of course gloom and doom and ominous predictions are nothing new, but I would also say they counteract faith and the optimism of man to make positive and constructive changes in our world.

While all religions have their extremist or fanatical element or counterpart,it would be unfair to lump everyone into the same category.

But I personally feel these fanatical elements are the ones stirring up most of the problems. I don't know if war could ever be totally abolished in our world, but what would happen if nations strived to co-exist peacefully.. What if there was more of a tolerance for different religions ?(excluding elements of those who are malevolent in their practice and beliefs)

I often wondered what would happen if we put all the religious fanatics and extremists on a remote island with their counterparts...They would more than likely have big war among the differing factions and would probably literally bring about an Armegeddon and would then wipe themselves off the island and the earth.. It is totally bizarre, but they all seem to have a suicidal outlook(Glorify martydom , violence and death) too, similar to the Heaven's gate cult,among others.

[ladyinred]

I tend to think Christ's teachings were not to bring about the demise of man but as he said ,"That we may have life more abundantly.." One of the most important themes in Christianity is the Golden rule, of course this is found in other religious teachings. But I also see many stories in the bible as more allegorical than literal. I tend to see the book of revelations in this context.. Or perhaps it could be more aptly described as the metaphorical.

I remember watching tv awhile back and listening to the story of Sodom and Gommorah..(on the Discovery channel) For some strange reason what suddenly popped into my mind; it is an allegory.

I'd never viewed the bible in that context before, when I was younger I took it quite literally. That was something new to me. For me this was strange because I had never thought along those lines before.

Of course, Jesus often spoke in parables, so would that really be so unusual?

[ladyinred]

Somewhat dated but their true colors are showing. I often quote what Jesus said, "By their fruits, ye shall know them." Indeed.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060511_battle_cry_theocracy/

Excerpted from the website:
Its leader, Ron Luce, insists: “This is war. And Jesus invites us to get into the action, telling us that the violent—the ‘forceful’ ones—will lay hold of the kingdom.”

[Diane Vera]

Somewhat dated but their true colors are showing. I often quote what Jesus said, "By their fruits, ye shall know them." Indeed.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060511_battle_cry_theocracy/

Excerpted from the website:
Its leader, Ron Luce, insists: “This is war. And Jesus invites us to get into the action, telling us that the violent—the ‘forceful’ ones—will lay hold of the kingdom.”

The article you gave us the URL of is:

Battle Cry for Theocracy
By Sunsara Taylor
May 11, 2006
Truthdig (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060511_battle_cry_theocracy/)

Among other things it says:

If you’ve been waiting to get alarmed until the Christian fascist movement started filling stadiums with young people and hyping them up to do battle in “God’s army,” wait no longer.

[ladyinred]

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/3/28/214939/827 I feel like this author tends toward a much more balanced view. While yes , there are genuine concerns with our youth, with tv, and violence, and drugs, and teenage pregnancy..I think I agree with the author of this article that Luce is a bit extreme and as she says it's not like other Christian denominations who tend to be less extreme aren't concerned about our youth.

[Diane Vera]

I Googled the "Battle Cry" website. It has a generally militant tone, but does not appear to have much overt political content. It is more cultural, objecting to various aspects of the mass media. It even contains some sentiments that I agree with, such as the following letter by a teenager to an MTV executive, on this page (http://battlecry.com/pages/lettersfromteens.php):

To The Media: I don't want to find my worth in the way I look. I don't want to place my security in the way people view me. I don't want to hear that I have to be "sexy and hot" in order to be acceptable. I am sick of seeing young kids put their security in how sexy the look and act. This generation and future generations need people like you to step up and wake up, and make a positive influence.

The main stated aim of "Battle Cry" seems to be to encourage teenagers to support each other in decisions to avoid drinking, drugs, and premarital sex, and to resist peer pressures toward same. I see nothing wrong with teenagers supporting each other in such decisions.

However, they seem to believe in some sort of conspiracy theory, judging by this page (http://battlecry.com/crisis.php):

A stealthy enemy has infiltrated our country and is preying upon the hearts and minds of 33 million American teens. Corporations, media conglomerates, and purveyors of popular culture have spent billions to seduce and enslave our youth. So far, the enemy is winning. But there is plenty we can do. We need to take action. We need to answer the Battle Cry.

Who is this alleged "stealthy enemy," I wonder? Just the Devil, perhaps, or some scapegoated group of humans? The website doesn't say. Sounds pretty creepy.

And they hold "rallies." The website has a page with pictures from a rally in San Francisco, on the steps of City Hall (http://www.demossnewspond.com/teen/photos/sanfran07/sanfran07-1.htm). Sounds pretty political, but the website is utterly unclear as to the aims of this rally. The pictured signs say nothing more specific than "I have a voice!" and "The fight to save our generation" -- from what?

I found no explicit mention of an anti-gay agenda. Their main gripe seems to be simply that the mass media are oversexed.

But the website seems to leave a number of things unsaid, which, I guess, one could learn only by reading their literature or attending one of their events.

[ladyinred]

To The Media: I don't want to find my worth in the way I look. I don't want to place my security in the way people view me. I don't want to hear that I have to be "sexy and hot" in order to be acceptable. I am sick of seeing young kids put their security in how sexy the look and act. This generation and future generations need people like you to step up and wake up, and make a positive influence.

Diane's response:
The main stated aim of "Battle Cry" seems to be to encourage teenagers to support each other in decisions to avoid drinking, drugs, and premarital sex, and to resist peer pressures toward same. I see nothing wrong with teenagers supporting each other in such decisions.

I don't either. Nor do I see anything wrong with the above statements made by the kids . And I believe the kids are sincere in their longing to serve God, but the more I read about Battle Cry on alternative websites, it does seem they are militant and see other religions as out and share the same ideology and religious views of the religious right. They have a definite stand that Christianity is the only valid religion and others are going to hell.They do condemn homosexuality probably not in an overt way but they feel homosexuals are misguided.. And Luce and Battle Cry are strongly supported by religious right notables such as Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and Dobson .

I was reading where the religious right uses coded language and subterfuge to "water down" things and to conceal their agenda." Hey folks we are harmless and just like you ", sort of thing.

Why couldn't the same message be there for our youth with the less extreme denominations of Christianity? Or the more moderate and tolerant ones.. I do think they share the same concerns about our youth as well,without the war-like overtones and lack of tolerance for other faiths.

The scary thing is the kids are flocking to Luce's ministry in droves.One stadium was packed with 25,000 and they have an aggressive campaign to recruit more. Go to shopping malls, campuses and other hang -outs for kids.

Other churches better take heed and notice and provide better resources and more constructive alternatives for our youth.

[ladyinred]

BattleCry is a part of the evangelical organization Teen Mania, and you can learn a lot about the kind of society that Teen Mania is fighting for by reading up on its Honor Academy, a non-accredited educational institution that offers directed internships to 700 undergraduate and graduate youth each year. Among the academy’s tenets: Homosexuality and masturbation are sins. Interns are forbidden to listen to secular music, watch R-rated movies or date; men can’t use the Internet unsupervised; the length of women’s skirts is regulated. The logic behind this—that men must be protected from the sin of sexual temptation—is what drives Islamic fundamentalists to shroud women in burkhas!

Luce’s followers staged a protest in March on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall because gay weddings had taken place there. Their answer to the scourge of rape and violence against women is to end the right of divorce, spread ignorance and insist on virginity -– the very things that will entrap more women in these nightmares. And this Friday, they are planning rallies at 50 city halls nationwide.

The leaders of BattleCry claim that their religion and values are under attack, but amid spectacular light shows, Hummers, Navy SEALs and military imagery on stage, it is BattleCry that has declared war on everyone else. Its leader, Ron Luce, insists: “This is war. And Jesus invites us to get into the action, telling us that the violent—the ‘forceful’ ones—will lay hold of the kingdom.” (verified by other sources,http://www.answers.com/topic/ron-luce,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Luce

http://blog.youngpeoplefor.org/story/2007/3/16/15349/7929,below from it site:

FACT # 2: BattleCry's talk about violence and war are NOT metaphors.

Using scripture and military paraphernalia (hummers, Navy Seals, dog tags, fatigues) onstage, BattleCry is forging an unthinking, obedient army. Repeatedly, Ron Luce has insisted, "This is no fake war."

"This is war. And Jesus invites us to get into the action, telling us that the violent - the `forceful' ones - will lay hold of the kingdom. He is looking for us to join him in the battle of the ages, to aggressively participate in what He and John have started." - Ron Luce

Ron Luce polemicizes against "joining" a church, instead instructing people to "enlist" in "God's Army." He tells people to pray: "I submit all my rights to You. I deny myself... I will keep my eyes on the battle, submitting to Your code even when I don't understand, and engaging wholeheartedly in my assignment. I transfer the ownership of all that I am into Your hands. I no longer claim say-so for my life, but gladly live according to Your mandate....outside my comfort zone in the battle zone..."

[ladyinred]

http://colorado.indymedia.org/newswire/display/13207/index.php

Also

http://www.slumdance.com/blogs/brian_flemming/archives/002086.html
http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2007/03/battle_cry.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Cry_Campaign
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/5/16/114437/054

Brainwashing our youth to become compliant little soldiers of God? Ron Luce's stealth evangelism guide:http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/5/30/10517/4949

What is particularly disturbing to me, is the war-like cannotations being associated with God and Christ.Throughout the new testament I've seen the scripture's teachings on peace. As in God is not the author of confusion but of peace.. or endeavoring to keep the Unity of the spirit in the bond of peace... They seem to believe the kingdom of God will be ushered in through bloodshed and violence..Forgetting that Jesus said that the kingdom of Heaven was within. I'm no bible scholar by any means, but time after time, when I read the scripture it seems as if those in the religious right are out of touch with it or totally off base with scripture.

The more I've read about them and the more research I've done on them,I've concluded as I said before that they are a cult unto themselves. Now if they were some fringe cult that could not really do any damage to the rest of society I would write them off as insignificant little nobodies. But the fact that they have power in politics and have a pretty large audience that takes them seriously.. They are pretty dangerous as a group and must be recognized as such and be taken seriously, by the rest of us.They can do some serious damage to say the least.

What concerns me is violence is no latent force, I've read articles on psychology that say ordinary, decent people can actually be led to commit acts of violence and other atrocities if spurred on. They actually say it starts with the scapegoating or demonizing of a certain group, where people believe they must purge themselves of this "threat" of "evil."

[Diane Vera]

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/3/28/214939/827 I feel like this author tends toward a much more balanced view. While yes , there are genuine concerns with our youth, with tv, and violence, and drugs, and teenage pregnancy..I think I agree with the author of this article that Luce is a bit extreme and as she says it's not like other Christian denominations who tend to be less extreme aren't concerned about our youth.

The above article is:

Christ's Righteously Equipped Warriors
By Joan Bokaer
Talk to Action (http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/3/28/214939/827)

This articles says, regarding a 2006 Battle Cry event in San Francisco:

Last weekend's event had strong military overtones as in this slogan on a T-shirt: Christi's Righteously Equipped Warriors. "I attended the Battlecry event," wrote Debra Hubert of the War Resister's League in an email to me, "and witnessed its military metaphors, completely ignoring Jesus' prohibition of violence. I saw Navy Seals pumping up nationalism and the wars in the middle east."

...

... Luce relies on a polemic that is simplistic at best and dangerous at worst. A) The youth of today are victims of corporate greed. B) The problem is our secular society. C) We need "God's Army," a generation of warriors, to right the excesses of our secular society run by corporate greed.

This thinking is simplistic because it assumes that only people who subscribe to Luce's form of Christianity are bothered by corporate greed and excessive materialism -- which he sees as by-products of a secular society. But concerns about corporate greed and consumerism are regularly heard in the environmental community.

...

Luce's polemic is dangerous because it glorifies violence and war. History is full of examples of wars fought in the name of "God" that have devastated whole populations.

Less obvious, but just as important, is the habit of tying all the world's problems to secularism. It assumes that secularism means anti-religion. Our founders understood the dangers of one religion dominating government, so they omitted the word "God" from the U.S. Constitution. A secular government means a form of government in which all religions can flourish, or no religion for that matter.

[Diane Vera]

Anyhow, the "Battle Cry" organization is a separate topic from what is actually the main topic of this thread -- and, to me, a much scarier matter -- namely the attempts by theocratic-leaning Christians to take over the U.S. military and various police forces.

[ladyinred]

Diane,with all due respect, to me it all interelates.It is all interwoven into their theology and plans. Violence permeates the religious right's agenda. They also want control over our children.. If they are trying to infiltrate the military and law enforcement and take over..what do you think they are trying to do with the children..Wouldn't the above links suggest these people want absolute control and they will stop at nothing to get it even if it means turning our children into submissive little robots to do their bidding..

The battle cry is very much charactristic of the rights agenda and wanting to take over.. even to the point in turning the children into good little soldiers to fight "their" war. How far will they go? After reading the above links wouldn't it concern you that they are actually encouraging the children to be violent? Why are they called dominionists? Because of their thirst for power and wanting to dominate and control things. If you can scare enough people into submission and blind obedience, you've got the power.Also consider their use of language, this will give you many clues about their intentions.

I am not fabricating this or making it up, I've read enough to verify my suspicions.. Read up on what they want to do with schools and what they would try to force families into.. For example ,all mothers would stay at home, not work and would not be allowed to hold any political positions or any positions of authority. Male authority is ultimate. Males rule and decide things.( And what would happen to female teachers, nurses, doctors , lawyers, mothers who have to work and help support their families, single mom's etc?
And if I remember correctly most women would be expected to marry and not go to college.

Back to the dark ages. Ever see the Stepford wives? That is what the religious right agenda reminds me of. They are a crafty bunch to say the least.. They actually use subversive measures to gain power.

I will say this, from my understanding of scripture, Christ never imposed himself on anyone...Nor did he try to rule over people like a tyrant.

[ladyinred]

http://www.populistamerica.com/a_fundamental_evil
The modern day pharisees. http://www.alternet.org/story/47679/
http://civillibertarian.blogspot.com/2005_05_01_archive.html

http://alternet.org/story/36640/

[Diane Vera]

Diane,with all due respect, to me it all interelates.It is all interwoven into their theology and plans.

Of course it all interrelates. Nevertheless, there are a number of distinct (even though inter-related) topics within the more general category of what the religious right wing is up to. To make it easier for your readers (including me) to go back to these threads to look up information again later, it would be more helpful if you could post links to articles in threads with distinct, clearly-identified topics.

[ladyinred]

Again Diane, there is really nothing new with the religious right. As I said before ,violence and intolerance and narrow-mindedness, along with superstition and cult-like (Or maybe a more appropriate word would be clannish)behavior on their part pretty much sums it up.It just plays out in different ways. Again their agenda is pretty much the same even with it being played out with the varying scenarios. They want control over our culture,control in the government, control over how people worship, control over people's lives and their personal choices, control over married life and the roles of parents and children, control over how people think, They want to have the dominant role in all the spectrums ,from political thought, to religious beliefs, to child rearing, to education. I think you get the point here. Birds of a feather.. Simply put, "if ya ain't in, you are out." Or, "If you aren't with us you are against us."(the enemy and persecution complex)

I will say this , I try to be clear as possible in my writing but as I've stated I'm not college educated, and I do the best I can to express myself in an unambiguous way. I'm probabably not even grammatically correct in many ways. But considering I've never taken writing courses..I think I can hopefully get a point across without confusing people. Of course my writing improves as I am better able to express myself,so I'm not saying there isn't any room for improvement. I don't use spell checkers either. I use an online dictionary... I also google other resources.

My writings are probably rudimentary compared to others who write on this forum, and I don't have the eloquence or writing style of others, but I'm not pretentious about it either.

[Diane Vera]

In post #6 (http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showpost.php?p=25636&postcount=6) of the thread Christian persecution paranoia (http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2673), Daniel wrote:

Write your representative and encouage- yea- demand that they keep close tabs - and do something about - the current Attorney General hiring and firing scandal.

Some news stories about said scandal:

Scandal puts spotlight on Christian law school
Grads influential in Justice Dept.
By Charlie Savage
April 8, 2007
Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/04/08/scandal_puts_spotlight_on_christian_law_school/)

The coming Justice Department disaster
by Kagro X
Mon Apr 09, 2007
Daily Kos (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/4/9/115749/7533)

Of State…And Church
By: Christy Hardin Smith
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Firedoglake weblog (http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/04/08/of-stateand-church/)

Justice's Holy Hires
By Dahlia Lithwick
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/06/AR2007040601799.html?hpid=opinionsbox2)

[Rick336]

As Christians, she said, Regent students know "you should be morally upright. You should not be in a situation where you have to plead the Fifth."

The dishonesty coming from the conservative Christian right is not just bad politics but a sin. Who do they think they're fooling? God?

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. - God



Rick

[Diane Vera]

Below are two relevant articles recently discussed in other threads here:

For God’s Sake
by Paul Krugman
April 14, 2007
originally published in the New York Times on April 13
ZNet (http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=72&ItemID=12578)
Discussed in the thread Theocracy: The Threat is Real! (http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showthread.php?t=701&page=6)

Young, Gay Christians, On a Bumpy Bus Ride
At Evangelical College, Protesters Target Culture That Excludes Them
By Hanna Rosin
Friday, April 13, 2007; Page C01
(about Soulforce visit to Patrick Henry College, which has managed to have an awful lot of internships on Capitol Hill and at the White House)
Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/12/AR2007041202438.html?hpid=artslot)
Discussed in the thread Washingont Post Article on Equity Ride East (http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2708)

[Diane Vera]

Below is an article about the controversial firings of U.S. Attorneys, referred to in other articles posted here recently:

U.S. Attorneys and Voting Rights: The New Watergate
By Marjorie Cohn
Posted April 16, 2007
AlterNet (http://www.alternet.org/rights/50598/)

[kara speltz]

Below is an article about the controversial firings of U.S. Attorneys, referred to in other articles posted here recently:

U.S. Attorneys and Voting Rights: The New Watergate
By Marjorie Cohn
Posted April 16, 2007
AlterNet (http://www.alternet.org/rights/50598/)

Excellent article Diane. I've never fully understood the issues before. Amazing how our so-called free press manages to confuse these issues, time and time again.

Thanks for posting that. kara

[sjbouza]

All I can say is that after reading some of these things is that, these people scare me. I dont see the love of God anywhere. All I see is hate and "if it isnt our way it isnt right" type of mentality. Yes I can see some good things too, but when the bad outweighs the good, then the good is tarnished.

We are heading down a very scary path in this country. The Christian fundamentalist are declaring wars? Wars on this country. I mean think about that, what if the government really took them seriously? Which I think they should. They could be in for a world of hurt. The advocation of violence to inherit the Kingdom? Where in the Bible does it say that? It must have been in a later version I didnt buy.

I fear for this country. It isnt going to be the homosexuals that bring it down in flames, it is going to be the Christian fundamentalist and that movement. But you know they will blame it on us gays.:sick: :headbang:

[ladyinred]

sjbousa. I agree with you but the thing is the religious right has not only influenced the government they are in the government. I think it is scary that these people feel an absolute right to dictate what morals people will or won't have.Again,
I'm with you that it isn't homosexuals who are a threat to this country. The threat of a theocracy is much more of a danger to our country as a whole.

[ladyinred]

sjbousa. I agree with you but the thing is the religious right has not only influenced the government they are in the government. I think it is scary that these people feel an absolute right to dictate what morals people will or won't have.Again,
I'm with you that it isn't homosexuals who are a threat to this country. The threat of a theocracy is much more of a danger to our country as a whole. This will take away the freedom and rights of everyone as well as personal choices. They want to take over to the point of deciding whether not people can have a divorce, what constitutes a marriage,how the laws of the land will be determined, women's reproductive rights,education , the environment, and many more. They just don't want control they want absolute control to the point of deciding even personal matters for others.

[sjbouza]

sjbousa. I agree with you but the thing is the religious right has not only influenced the government they are in the government. I think it is scary that these people feel an absolute right to dictate what morals people will or won't have.Again,
I'm with you that it isn't homosexuals who are a threat to this country. The threat of a theocracy is much more of a danger to our country as a whole. This will take away the freedom and rights of everyone as well as personal choices. They want to take over to the point of deciding whether not people can have a divorce, what constitutes a marriage,how the laws of the land will be determined, women's reproductive rights,education , the environment, and many more. They just don't want control they want absolute control to the point of deciding even personal matters for others.

Yes, I do know that. That is a sad truth, that people will go to any extreme to get what they feel is "right" into our government. I think this is going to be the big eye opener to the public. Well, I guess I am hoping that it will be. I know it goes much higher than just these little pawns. Bush, with the guidance of Dobson and his like, are trying to deconstruct this country and remake it into how they think it should be run. Our forefathers had the foresight, and it amazes me sometimes, to put that little thing in there about government cannot set a religion. I think that is going to be our saving grace. Again, I hope it will be. I just wish that people like my family could see what is really going on. They think that it is all going to be honey and roses. But if the Fundamentalist Christians gain control then everyone, as you said, will suffer. If they dont agree with something that is written, it is gone. If you dont believe how they believe then your religion will be cast out. I mean how many denominations of Christianity are there? Not everyone believes exactly the same way. Do they all really think that they will survive under the Fundamentalist rule? I dont think so.

It is not just a Constitutional right to free choice, it is a God given right. God gave us free will for a reason. The Christian Fundamentalist just want to take that away from us. They are putting themselves above God, that is a very dangerous place to be. I am currently reading Mel's new book, "Religion Gone Bad". It has been a wake up call for me. I never voted or paid any attention to politics. Now I am on the net and watching the news. Keeping up with what is going on.

I feel for the next President. All the crap he/she is going to have to deal with is not going to be fun. I can see some interesting things coming up in the next few months and years. I am curious how Bush is going to get out of all the stuff that is coming out within his administration. Is he going to throw everyone else to the wolves or take responsibility for his own actions, like a true Christian would? Time will tell and his true "fruits" will be known to all!!!!