Go and brush your shoulders off
I'm hoping this will be the start of a weekly post on religious issues in the nation. I have come to notice in recent years the links between charismatic leadership, religion, and politics.
Many often wonder how it is that the religious right can so easily support the republican party despite issues that might conflict with a "Christian" ethic or worldview. It has always been interesting to me that, for the Christian right, the most important issues in this election are 1)abortion and 2)gay marriage. They often claim that between the two presidential choices they're going to vote for the one with the most moral (substitute biblical(substitute Old Testament(substitute Levitical))) worldview. Apparently, waging an unjust war that kills thousands of innocent Iraqis, afghans, and Palestinians is just an unfortunate by-product of being a Christian superpower.
The real issue, for these folks, is not abortion or gay marriage (although they are important). The real issue is authority. For the past several years there has been a strong shift underway in the country from evangelical Protestantism to radical fundamentalism. Under the paradigm of fundamentalism, followers crave a leader who will maintain the boundaries of right and wrong, hold fast to his/her (mostly his) convictions even in the face of logical contradiction, and reject the findings of modern science in favor of a more ancient (although metaphorical) creation narrative.
All three of these facets of fundamentalist thinking can be found in a Bush administration view of the world. This is why it should come as no surprise that radical fundamentalist preachers like Jerry Falwell are fervently endorsing a vote for George.
Particularly disturbing is how quickly and openly these groups will support a particular political candidate. For them, it's not another normal election cycle. What is at stake is the future of the universe--the cosmic battle between good and evil. Scarier still is the fact that Bush, in this way of looking at life, is not only the president but also the priest. Bush speaks both for the country and...for God.
It's no coincidence, my friends, that both pimps and priests have a thing for robes and jewelry.
Many often wonder how it is that the religious right can so easily support the republican party despite issues that might conflict with a "Christian" ethic or worldview. It has always been interesting to me that, for the Christian right, the most important issues in this election are 1)abortion and 2)gay marriage. They often claim that between the two presidential choices they're going to vote for the one with the most moral (substitute biblical(substitute Old Testament(substitute Levitical))) worldview. Apparently, waging an unjust war that kills thousands of innocent Iraqis, afghans, and Palestinians is just an unfortunate by-product of being a Christian superpower.
The real issue, for these folks, is not abortion or gay marriage (although they are important). The real issue is authority. For the past several years there has been a strong shift underway in the country from evangelical Protestantism to radical fundamentalism. Under the paradigm of fundamentalism, followers crave a leader who will maintain the boundaries of right and wrong, hold fast to his/her (mostly his) convictions even in the face of logical contradiction, and reject the findings of modern science in favor of a more ancient (although metaphorical) creation narrative.
All three of these facets of fundamentalist thinking can be found in a Bush administration view of the world. This is why it should come as no surprise that radical fundamentalist preachers like Jerry Falwell are fervently endorsing a vote for George.
Particularly disturbing is how quickly and openly these groups will support a particular political candidate. For them, it's not another normal election cycle. What is at stake is the future of the universe--the cosmic battle between good and evil. Scarier still is the fact that Bush, in this way of looking at life, is not only the president but also the priest. Bush speaks both for the country and...for God.
It's no coincidence, my friends, that both pimps and priests have a thing for robes and jewelry.
posted by trig gov at 11:30 PM
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