Theofascism: Define it and start using it.

[justiceischeap]

I'm resurrecting an old thread (by way of reposting it since it's in the archives) originally created by Ian_rd. I think, with everything going on in American politics, the teabaggers, etc, this thread from 2005 has great import.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1808483

This new term, Theofascism, has been making the rounds of liberal blogs in an attempt to describe the new Republican government. We need a good definition of Theofascism, and we need to start using at every opportunity to describe what our government is becoming.

This is my attempt:

Theofascism n.

1. A politcal philosophy or regime that favors the economic elite, promotes extreme nationalism and military power, and encourages the oppression of dissent as treasonous while granting a religious mandate to such a philosophy. In the case of the United States, theofascism morphs the teachings of the Christian Bible in order to appear pro-war, pro-corporate, pro-rich, pro-greed, and condemns all opposing views as not only treasonous, but blasphemous.

What's your definition?

And, does anyone know where this term first appeared? They deserve gobs of credit.

Ian

An explanation of Fascism is in order too.

From Dictionary.com (under word origin & history):

"A form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or victimhood and by compensatory cults of unity, energy and purity, in which a mass-based party of committed nationalist militants, working in uneasy but effective collaboration with traditional elites, abandons democratic liberties and pursues with redemptive violence and without ethical or legal restraints goals of internal cleansing and external expansion."

Some examples of Theofascism I've seen are Sarah Palin, James Dobson, Huckabee, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the Tea Party overall, Glenn Beck. The list goes on and it seems to be growing daily. I look at the events in Egypt and read how so many people are concerned the Muslim Brotherhood will take over, so concerned about radical Islam sweeping across the Middle East (or Glenn Beck's case the US) that they aren't seeing that Theofascist Christianity is taking over the US (or at least loud enough to have me concerned).

[seabeyond]

1. my 13 yr old son is a genius. friday telling me in history have to create a govt and that is his

govt that he is creating. calls it exactly that.

he has been really into this stuff for a while

[daggahead]

2. I think this is the Calvinist approach. n/t

[OHdem10]

3. Since the GOP won the recent elections, instead of jobs they

are hung up on changing meaning of Rape(Religious Cultural)
Forming Militias(Religious Cultural) Guns(Religious cultural
they must stop the NEW WORLD ORDER--comes right out of
the pulpits. Pushing more Abortion Restrictions

This tells me the Republicans are feeling insecure
about their base. There is a pattern that has taken
place over the years. When they think they might be in
trouble, they go into overdrive BRINGING UP REAGAN over
and over and doing the RELIGIOUS RIGHT MANTRA,

and I thought they were concerned about Jobs.

[justiceischeap]

4. Anyone who buys into their concern about jobs is stooopid. nt

[hootinholler]

5. You missed a prime example

They never define it, but The Family is a root cause of the notion of theofascism and its implementation. In 'ministering' to the up and out, they spread the gospel of God selected you to lead, anything you do is ok with God because he put you there. The message applies to CEO and Despot alike.

This is the next big evil that needs to be fought, and I fear that it will be the world against the US. If you think McCarthyism was nasty, then the potential for harm here is vastly more with a huge presence in the Congress, and the Pentagon and military academies.

Some good resources are talk2action.org and theocracywatch.org

-Hoot

[RandomThoughts]

6. Yea it is the concept that forbiden fruit is saying anything is better or worse then anything else.

It is the concept that a person can do anything, because if they are not suppose to, they wont be able to.

If that is true, then they have to reject all of the teachings except the one about secret doctrines. Then claim those secrets they know and nobody else does.

There are lots of teachings, then a spoiler to keep people from knowing if it is good or bad, also why I think knowing the spiritual exist, but not being sure if it is good or bad is also in the gospels.

As soon as the gospels mention. "but there is also a secret bit of information" but does not say it, then it could be anything.

Then a person can guess at what that might be, It would be like the entire gospels lay out a path, then say, "but that might not be correct" there may be a secret you don't know.

Making it once again all about the heart and thought of each person. Also why I think the idea knowing the supernatural exist, but not showing its exact form makes sense, it is even in the teachings from my view.


So they picked the idea, do what ever you want, since that is what you are suppose to do from there view. Why, becuase they defined what that secret must be, even the gospels has a 'you can't be sure comment in it by adding the caveat, 'but there is a secret also'

In my view The way you choose to express yourself is your choice of the usage of what you consider to be talents and gifts, so just by expressing yourself you also show your heart and mind.

And people can find good and bad in those expressions, since all people have good and bad in them, and any expression a person does will have both good and bad in it.

It is fascinating, but again leads back to people are not told the whole story, then even told they are not told the whole story(there is also a secret), why, so they can't be sure, and they have to think and feel on it.

Some might see the 'secret' part as bait, against the light and truth concept of teachings. Some might see it as saying the light and truth is not the whole of the teachings.

There is one thing that can be said, it is a riddle, and really only has the information you find in it from your own heart and mind. Making the scriptures a way to think and feel, not telling you what to think or feel. The scriptures don't tell you what to think and feel, they teach you how to think and feel.

The first lesson I learned was how to think. And that is what riddles are for.

It is education, not telling you what to do.

Will Smith - The Rain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsOqjbrjaug


Answer this riddle, how can I play that song, when it can be seen as criticism of my comments about beer and travel money?

And does posting that really tell you anything, or get you to think and feel on things?



Did you only see the deal comment in that song? why didn't you see the 40 days and nights, about not making deals. See you picked a part of the song.

Also I think feeling is really important also, maybe that is my bias, that song skips over that part, not making the song bad, just a comment about the song. Instead of 'can't feel the rain' I like the thought that it is finding the good feelings in anything, even when things may be a bit harder. Not looking for hardship, but instead knowing that somethings are not perfect Yet.


And I am still due beer and travel money, and many experiences.

[MilesColtrane]

7. Theofascism n. The belief that someone, somewhere is...

having a good time, and that any means are necessary to put a stop to it.

(with a tip of the hat to H .L. Mencken...)


"President Romney turned the corner and plunged the country into outright theofacsism when he signed into law the Illegal Masturbation Act of 2014."

[malaise]

8. You need to make the connection with the theofascists

at home (ReTHUGS, baggers and religious conservatives and the same Zealots across the globe. The extremists should be put in one bag.