Christian Nationalism & President George W. Bush

[Freedom_from_Chains]

I have noticed recently that some political writers have started using the term Christian Nationalist to describe conservative christians in the Republican party. I think I like this term as it more accurately describes who this people are and what there aims are. It also harkens to the rise of the Nazis in 1930's Germany without using the word Nazi. Which really does more harm than good in that it tends to alienate people and you loose them in the discussion.

(snip)

I think that he makes a good point. It certainly does appear as though Bush's attitude is that the American military is doing the Will of God - and insofar as the troops are victorious, God is victorious. At the same time, when I see it expressed in the manner that Bush does in his letter, I'm struck by the fact that it doesn't look so odd in this phrasing. But why is that?

It can't be because I agree that America is doing God's Will! Is it because I've spent too much time reading stuff written by Christian Nationalists? Perhaps. But there is another explanation: it may be that Bush is expressing an idea that is so widespread and common that it wouldn't normally arouse interest or comment. Maybe it doesn't look so odd to me because I've seen similar sentiments expressed so often before - expressed not as a part of a conscious agenda but rather just as a reflexive, automatic action.

I'm not quite sure if I should be bothered by that or not. Maybe I shouldn't be - maybe this is a sign that people don't think much about such statements and also don't mean much by them. Then again, maybe I should be bothered because it's a sign of just how common such beliefs are and how fertile the ground may be for a more conscious and deliberate form of Christian Nationalism. I don't want to be paranoid, but I also don't want to ignore possible problems, either.

(con't) http://atheism.about.com/b/a/053182.htm

[emanymton]

1. Militant Cleric On Jihad Is As Good A Term As Any.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

2. LOL and while I world agree with you

It doesn't tend to be real endearing

[emanymton]

3. GOD Don't Need No Endearing. Just send Money$$

[Freedom_from_Chains]

4. LOL

Yeah, that is of primary importance.

In the sixty's I had an Aunt who moved back home from D.C., she had actually been a secretary in the Kennedy White House. While she had her own apartment close to us we still keep and eye on her and her affairs as she was aging.

She was on the mailing list of several of these fundamentalist religious groups and we started to have to monitor the mail they sent her. I would read some of them and would be totally disgusted as to some of the pitch lines they would use in an attempt to persuade her to send money. It was in my mind the very definition of predatory and depraved.

Of course it was through those activities and the TV evangelism of the same time which showed these people how to generate a solid cash flow. They then discovered they could use the Roe v Wade case to garner political power and next thing you know, we are where we are today.