Defcon on the religious right

[ladyinred]

In depth story on the religious right:http://www.defconamerica.org/meet-the-religious-right/jerry-falwell.html
and this is an article on the other religious right leaders, the article on Falwell has been updated to state his death. But you won't believe what this guy was up to when he was alive. Now that Falwell has died has the right lost it's influence or power? Summary: Some political commentators say the Religious Right is a spent force. The recent death of the Rev. Jerry Falwell will hasten the demise of this movement, they say. Americans United for Separation of Church and State says a careful analysis of the facts suggests otherwise. http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=9113 Below excerpted from article:

Religious Right Goals

There are no signs that the Religious Right is moderating its agenda. The movement seeks to scale back church-state separation and bring in a government that reflects “Christian” values. In keeping with fundamentalist theology, activists seek to ban all abortions, deny civil rights protections for gays, fund religious schools and other ministries with tax dollars and teach the Bible and creationism in public schools.

At Religious Right conferences to rally the faithful, the speeches and tactics are as controversial as ever. The crowd is treated to generous amounts of gay bashing alongside attacks on Democrats, liberals, legal abortion, public education and the church-state wall. At last year’s Family Research Council “Washington Briefing,” one preacher referred to gay people as “sissies,” “faggots” and “sodomites.” Another speaker urged church members to use deceptive phone bank techniques to win votes for favored candidates.

So-called “moderate evangelicals” are a hot media topic right now, but there is precious little evidence that this movement has clout or that it even exists in significant numbers. While many evangelical leaders cringe at the shrill rhetoric from leaders like Robertson, few have taken a public stance against Religious Right extremism. In addition, many moderate evangelicals tend to layer a few issues like global warming on top of a very anti-church-state separation, anti-choice, anti-gay agenda. To the extent that moderate evangelicals exist at the organizational level, their movement is dwarfed by the political influence and money of the Religious Right. More news:http://www.au.org/site/PageServer AU is America United for separation of church and state and is not anti-religious. But anti-relgious right.

[Emproph]

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/soulsuviva/96e6675ea6d8721c70e13b39af0193d3.jpg

[ladyinred]

"At Religious Right conferences to rally the faithful, the speeches and tactics are as controversial as ever. The crowd is treated to generous amounts of gay bashing alongside attacks on Democrats, liberals, legal abortion, public education and the church-state wall. At last year’s Family Research Council “Washington Briefing,” one preacher referred to gay people as “sissies,” “faggots” and “sodomites.” Another speaker urged church members to use deceptive phone bank techniques to win votes for favored candidates."

Ah I See,love the sinner and hate the sin. No tolerance for anyone who doesn't go along with their ideology, no respect for our constitution, hateful rhetoric toward those they dislike or disagree with. They frankly remind me of childhood bullies.
Of course after reading up on their political antics it seems I was correct in asserting they not only want control over political affairs but control over everything else, even personal matters like marriage, birth control, the environment.

The dispensensationalists of the LaHaye camp for example believe that the end times are near and actually why bother doing anything about global warming or the environment? So to them it is ok, to do anything they want ,and destruction of the environment is a non issue.Jesus of course will come back and take them (Of course) to heaven, while the rest left on earth will basically left to perish or convert to Christianity.

James Dobson is similar in his thinking on the environment. ( He also has the president and republican party's ear and they jump when he says "jump") I read just how much power and influence Dobson and these other religious right leaders have over government, and Bush listens to them and has similar beliefs.

These people also have a strong hand in politics and the republican party in shaping legislation and actually Bush's environmental policies are co-related.

What I see here are a bunch of narcisistic people, who have no concern for who and what they harm, no thought for future generations and the legacy we leave them,no concern as to what consequences the destruction of the environment and it's resources may cause for the many people already living on this planet and harm it is doing to our planet.

They are extremely selfish because they are not concerned with anything but their own salvation,as of course ,"they the saved', are going to be taken up in the rapture, while everyone here on earth is left to suffer and perish.

And what is so crazy is they actually rejoice in the end times and want to help bring about death and destruction by helping to bring about the events that may lead to an eventual Armegeddon,so it will "hasten the Lords return" so he can take them away with him.(Please read the posted article's website.) It seems they aren't really even concerned with the welfare of others or even their "salvation".

I'd definitely say religion gone bad.And misguided, it isn't our place to hasten Christ's return through deliberate destruction, that is playing God and is saying as if on "cue" Christ will respond to our "demands" on when he should return.( If that should occur) God is God he doesn't have to act according to human whims or desire. He moves in His own time and own way.Who can claim to control God?

Now you might see why I see the religious right as a cult following ,their beliefs of doom and gloom prophesy is very similar to cults like Heaven's Gate and even of David Koresh, so I am not some conspiracy 'nut' here,or exaggerating the point.They actually believe this stuff. Other websites have verfied the same thing about the right. The people who wrote the articles about the right, have kept an eye on them throughout the years and even attended their meetings and churches and other affairs

[ladyinred]

Below on Tim LeHaye: WHAT IN GOD'S NAME? ( Taken from the Defcon website)
"God will destroy this earth that is so marred and cursed by satan's evil."

Tim LaHaye

Since 1995, Tim LaHaye's "Left Behind" series has sold over 65 million copies, making it one of the best-selling adult fiction series in history. While the novels are sold as fiction, according to LaHaye and an increasing number of Americans, the story they tell is nothing less than biblical prophecy born from the Book of Revelation. As LaHaye's theology has gained popularity over the last several decades, so has his access to powerful politicians including President Bush.

The true danger of LaHaye's thinking, known as Premillennial Dispensationalism– exposed powerfully in a series of speeches and articles by Bill Moyers - is in the justification it provides to its followers for damaging policies from environmental degradation to the war in Iraq.

It may sound far-fetched that so outlandish an ideology could be exercising real power over our country and our future. The reality is anything but far-fetched – not when proponents of Dispensationalism hold sway over some of the nation's most powerful politicians, and not when tens-of-millions of Americans consider themselves adherents to its claims.

Let DefCon give you a little background:
The Rapture: "One of the comments that we've heard that has really blessed us is people have been driven back to the Book of Revelation to prove us wrong only to find that what we said was there." Tim LaHaye.

Premillennial Dispensationalism was fathered by John Darby in 19th century Britain. Based on a literal interpretation of the books of Revelation and Daniel, Premillennial Dispensationalism states that time is divided into seven dispensations, the last of which will be the Millennial Kingdom: a thousand-year period where Christ will reign over a renewed world. According to Darby and LaHaye, the precursor to this "Glorious Appearing" will be a terrible seven-year period of tribulations. During this time, those on Earth, and the planet itself, will suffer death and destruction. There is hope for the faithful, however. LaHaye maintains that prior to the death and destruction, Jesus will collect all true believers, "Rapturing" them up to Heaven, where they will escape the terrible fate of the sinful Earth.

Dispensationalists welcome this period of death and destruction because it is inextricably connected to the Rapture. They look for signs of its coming, and many take steps to hasten what they believe to be biblical prophecy.
Growing Popularity: Today, preachers and congregations across America have adopted this ideology. Beyond this fact, and the wild success of the "Left Behind" series, there are many signs of its growing support.

A 2004 Newsweek poll found that 55% of Americans believe "that the faithful will be taken up to heaven in the Rapture."

More than a third of Americans (36%) believe the Book of Revelation to be "true prophesy that predicts the end of the world as it will happen."

Websites like www.RaptureReady.com provide daily updates on the status of the "Rapture Index," while www.RaptureLetters.com allows believers to "send an Electronic Message (e-mail) to whomever you want after the Rapture has taken place, and you and I have been taken to heaven."

And, leading religious right leaders publicly discuss the Rapture's imminence, preaching to an estimated 20 to 25 million evangelicals who share this, or a similar version, of end-times theology.
Access to Power: "I'll tell you what is wrong with America. We don't have enough of God's ministers running the country." Tim LaHaye, 1984.

Beyond the influence Dispensationalism has through its electoral power – some estimate that followers of this ideology compose up to 15% of the electorate – the leading purveyors of this ideology are also very well connected. In 1981 Tim LaHaye founded the Council for National Policy, becoming the organization's first president. Attendees of the Council for National Policy's secretive tri-annual meetings – whose members include leaders of the religious right and top tier conservative organizers – have included President Bush, Sen. Bill Frist, John Ashcroft, Tommy Thompson, and Oliver North. Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney were featured speakers at one of the group's meetings only two months after the invasion of Iraq.

A 2004 New York Times article about the Council for National Policy called it "a little-known club of a few hundred of the most powerful conservatives in the country," adding that for 23 years they "have met behind closed doors at undisclosed locations for a confidential conference…to strategize about how to turn the country to the right."

As Salon.com's Michelle Goldberg wrote, "The point isn't that all these leaders are part of some kind of right-wing Illuminati. It's simply that the seemingly wacky ideology promulgated in the Left Behind books is one that important people in America are quite comfortable with."
Justifying Policy: "God will destroy this earth that is so marred and cursed by Satan's evil." Tim LaHaye, 1973.

Dispensationalists' literal interpretation of the Bible means they look for, and often seek to create, the realization of biblical prophecy. Among the most direct results of this are support for abandoning environmental protections and for the war in Iraq.
As then Secretary of the Interior James Watt stated in 1981, "That is the delicate balance the Secretary of the Interior must have: to be steward for the natural resources for this generation as well as future generations. I do not know how many future generations we can count on before the Lord returns." (Secretary Watt, testifying before the House Interior Committee, February 1981.)

Dispensationalists' lack of support for environmental protection has two causes. First, the Earth will soon be destroyed, so who cares what we do to it? Secondly, Christ's second coming, and thus the Rapture, requires a scourged Earth. Therefore defiling the planet will only accelerate His return. This explains a large reoccurrence of this theology during the Cold War, when the threat of nuclear annihilation was omnipresent. See Jerry Falwell's "Nuclear War and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ" for an explanation of that phenomenon.
"At church one day (DeLay) listened as the pastor (John Hagee), urging his flock to support the administration, declared that 'the war between America and Iraq is the gateway to the Apocalypse.' DeLay rose to speak, not only to the congregation but to 225 Christian TV and radio stations. 'Ladies and gentlemen' he said, 'what has been spoken here tonight is the truth of God.'"

LaHaye, John Hagee, and other Dispensationalists contend that the war in Iraq is biblical prophecy, supported by a literal reading of several of the Bible's verses referring to that region of the world. These individuals therefore support the war not for political or social reasons, but rather because it is a biblical requirement for the second coming of Christ, and thus the Rapture. This reality is argued openly by followers, including LaHaye.
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The real threat posed by this growing movement is that it remains below the radar screen for most of mainstream America, which is unaware or fails to recognize its gravity. Instead of ridiculing its believers, those who are concerned by its implication and growing power need to begin to understand this theology and to develop strategies for countering its increasing influence.

[ladyinred]

The rights ideology is not only destructive toward gay people but the whole earth and it's people.

[ladyinred]

Here is an article of what constitutes a cult or cult-like behavior:
Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups - Revised

Janja Lalich, Ph.D. & Michael D. Langone, Ph.D.



Concerted efforts at influence and control lie at the core of cultic groups, programs, and relationships. Many members, former members, and supporters of cults are not fully aware of the extent to which members may have been manipulated, exploited, even abused. The following list of social-structural, social-psychological, and interpersonal behavioral patterns commonly found in cultic environments may be helpful in assessing a particular group or relationship.

Compare these patterns to the situation you were in (or in which you, a family member, or friend is currently involved). This list may help you determine if there is cause for concern. Bear in mind that this list is not meant to be a “cult scale” or a definitive checklist to determine if a specific group is a cult. This is not so much a diagnostic instrument as it is an analytical tool.

The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).

The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).

The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.

The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).

The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).

The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.

Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.

The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

The group is preoccupied with making money.

Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.

Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.



This checklist will be published in the new book, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias (Berkeley: Bay Tree Publishing, 2006). It was adapted from a checklist originally developed by Michael Langone.

[ladyinred]

http://www.allaboutcults.org/characteristics-of-religious-cults-faq.htmWhat are some characteristics of religious cults?

It is important to understand the characteristics of religious cults in order to identify a cult when we encounter one. So how do we recognize a cult when we see one? Study the following questions regarding the characteristics of religious cults:

Does the group claim to be a Christian organization or a friend of Christianity, but their teachings misrepresent Christian theology? Most often, the doctrines of the Trinity and salvation by grace alone are misrepresented in a cult's teachings.

Is the group characterized by authoritarianism? Are members who disobey to the slightest degree punished severely or excommunicated? Can a person think and study for themselves or must they rely on the group's leader for all of their instruction?

Is the Bible misinterpreted in the groups teaching? They may claim to interpret the Bible correctly, but does their biblical interpretation stand up under closely examination?

Are members of the group subject to psychological, physical, or spiritual harm?

When asked, can the group provide an accurate and detailed history of the founders and origin of the organization?

Do you sense intimidation or deception within the group or toward outsiders? Are the members manipulated - either by time-manipulation or thought-manipulation?

Is there secrecy?
1 John 3:7 says, "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray…"

Learn More about Religious Cults!

From www.Rickross.com
More,
......"Also common is a persecution complex, he said. Members often have an “us- versus-them” attitude, perceiving simple disagreements as attacks. "

“They say criticizing them is to go against God,” Ross said.One classic sign of a cult is that it is personality-driven, Ross said.
That means it has a charismatic leader or group of leaders who hold a tremendous amount of sway over members.



Ron Enroth, a professor of sociology at Westmont College in California, says all the spiritually abusive groups he has studied share common characteristics. They’re so similar that when he talks to ex-members and starts hearing details of their stories, “I almost feel like saying, ‘Stop, let me tell you the rest of the story.’ ”

One feature of such groups, Enroth said, is control-oriented leadership. Communication with outsiders is limited and questioning isn’t allowed inside the group.

Sometimes the control extends into intimate areas of followers’ lives, he said. In such cases, members are expected to ask permission to take vacations or switch jobs. Lifestyle rigidity is also common, with some groups having an almost unfathomable list of rules. One he studied outlawed striped running shoes because they supposedly were connected to homosexuality.
Such groups are also spiritual elitists, Enroth said. They use arrogant or high-minded terms to describe themselves and often have disparaging descriptions for other churches, he said.

“They present themselves as the model Christian church or the model Christian organization...and say they provide unparalleled fellowship and superior spirituality,” Enroth said.

[ladyinred]

I know one thing, it is long overdue, It is time to put an end to vicious and divisive religious tactics. Gay bashing is not in keeping with Christ's command to love one another.Even if a person's religious convictions lead him to disagree with or not approve of the homosexual lifestyle, he still should do as the bible says ,"No harm to his neighbor" As in love does no harm to his neighbor."

Advocating violence and hate against people you may not agree with, much less understand is not keeping with that edict. The bible talks much about forgiveness but it also says to put away all malice and evil speaking of one another. This is not the same as disagreeing with someone's views or even their stands on morality. But it is saying , it isn't quite appropriate to say ,"God hates fags" and other things and to wish harm come to that person.

[ladyinred]

Just how dangerous and how far will they go??We in the LGBT community have a great deal to be concerned with ,with the religious right,but after you read this article you will find just how they are impacting America as a whole from our health to environment,often risking American lives and health:http://www.emagazine.com/view/?757

Again many people believe we are living in perilous times, but to bring about willful destruction to hasten an armegeddon and deliberate destruction to the environment to fulfill their interpretation of biblical prophesy is insanity. This is not some harmless game they are playing, but the lives and wellbeing of thousands and possibly millions are at stake..The health and welfare of Americans are being compromised to fulfill their insane interpretation of the bible and end times. This should concern all Americans.