[mystictrek]

+ Common Dreams offers "Praying for the Apocalypse" by Chris Hedges originally published by TruthDig. Hedges has been investigating the Christian Right and has recently written a book called American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America. Here's an excerpt from the article: "The global nightmare that leads to the end of history is a visceral and disturbing expression of what believers feel about themselves and our world. The horror of apocalyptic violence-the final aesthetic of the movement-at once terrifies and thrills followers. It feeds dark fantasies of revenge and empowerment. This theology of despair is empowered by widespread poverty, violent crime, incurable diseases, global warming, war in the Middle East and the threat of nuclear calamity. All these events presage the longed-for obliteration of the Earth and the glorious moment of Christ’s return. But until then believers are told they must battle Satan. And Satan comes in many guises. In churches across the United States believers are being girded for a holy war, one as self-destructive as that preached by radical Islam."

READ ARTICLE > http://www.commondre...2007/04/09/391/

+++

Perhaps Hedges is an alarmist but I think we need to be aware of the possible consequences of allowing the Christian Right to gain more power.

[McKenna]

mystictrek, on Apr 11 2007, 05:10 PM, said:

+ Common Dreams offers "Praying for the Apocalypse" by Chris Hedges originally published by TruthDig. Hedges has been investigating the Christian Right and has recently written a book called American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America. Here's an excerpt from the article: "The global nightmare that leads to the end of history is a visceral and disturbing expression of what believers feel about themselves and our world. The horror of apocalyptic violence-the final aesthetic of the movement-at once terrifies and thrills followers. It feeds dark fantasies of revenge and empowerment. This theology of despair is empowered by widespread poverty, violent crime, incurable diseases, global warming, war in the Middle East and the threat of nuclear calamity. All these events presage the longed-for obliteration of the Earth and the glorious moment of Christ’s return. But until then believers are told they must battle Satan. And Satan comes in many guises. In churches across the United States believers are being girded for a holy war, one as self-destructive as that preached by radical Islam."

READ ARTICLE > http://www.commondre...2007/04/09/391/

+++

Perhaps Hedges is an alarmist but I think we need to be aware of the possible consequences of allowing the Christian Right to gain more power.

I think I heard from the guy who wrote this book on State of Belief or something. I agree that he may be an alarmist; it seems to me that he's over-exaggerating the current situation a bit and making these people out to be bloodthirsty monsters. Then again, I happen to live in a relatively liberal pocket of the East Coast, so perhaps I just don't have that sort of attitude around me. And maybe I'll change my mind if I ever see the movie Jesus Camp; I saw a few clips of that and it seemed rather horrifying.

At any rate...I just don't know what we can do about it. If there really are people like this, they'll find ways to gain power. I'm not really sure what could be done to stop them other than to continue fighting (not literally, of course) for our own values and beliefs.