Dominionism in American Politics – "Expanding the discussion behind the Headlines"
What IS Dominionism?
In a word - theocracy.
Think of this word as a big umbrella. Under the umbrella of Political Dominionism are numerous "franchises" or sects of radical Christian belief whose goal it is to take "dominion" over all things secular.
Think about this…a thought provoking letter to Pat Robertson from a former Assembly of God minister.
An Act of God?
Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson said that Katrina was an “Act of God” because of the Gay Rights Parade that was going to be held there.
Pat Robertson said that the earthquake in Haiti was an “Act of God” because they sold their souls to the devil to break away from France.
Rick Perry has said that maybe the oil spill was an “Act of God” to protect his oil money flowing in.
Pat Robertson and Conservative Christians have blamed naturally occurring disasters as acts of God for all things that fit their political agenda to bring America under a Theocracy.
They tend to forget that a lot of Christians have died in natural disasters.
The legal definition of an Act of God is – “An event which is caused solely by the effect of nature or natural causes and without any interference by humans whatsoever.”
Pat Robertson, what about the flood through the Albert Pike Campground in Arkansas? What sins did these Christians commit to be wiped away by an “Act of God? My heart breaks for those killed in this flood. It came on them so fast they had very little time to escape.
Pat Robertson, what about the lightening striking and burning in 4 minutes the figure of Jesus at the Evangelical Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio? This was an “Act of God’ because of the lightening.
A Graven Image
Let’s take a look at the second commandment.
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water beneath:”
Graven image – idol, image, carved image
What part of - “any graven image or any likeness of ANYTHING that is in heaven above” don’t they understand?
We don’t have any pictures of Jesus. Those that are out there are the imaginations of the minds of those who create them. Each culture creates an image of Jesus to their own likeness. Jesus was a Jew. The Jews are dark skinned with dark hair. They are of Middle Eastern lineage. The ancient Ethiopian church has Jesus with dark skin and hair and the movie, “The Passion of Christ”, depicts Him the same way.
Why was the sculpture of Jesus struck by lightening and burned by an
“Act of God”?
1 Peter 4:17 - “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”
An Act of God?
Maybe, just maybe, God was angry that American Christians portrayed Jesus as white to their own benefit, or because they made an image of Him.
That “Act of God” lightening could have struck 20 feet away but instead it was a direct hit.
The governor was planning to attend the White House Correspondents' dinner this weekend but pulled the plug to attend to state affairs after flooding devastated several villages around Alaska.
On Thursday Palin flew to Fort Yukon with representatives from Homeland Security to assess pre-flood preparations. The massive ice flows are expected to hit Fort Yukon next.
The National Weather Service has a flood warning in place for the area and Governor Palin has declared a state of disaster for the areas along the Kuskokwim, Yukon and Susitna River drainages. She said her trip to Fort Yukon was to help the members of that community get ready.
"We have a lot of officials who are out here assessing what the damage could be and we are getting folks prepared." Palin continued, "and then once Mother Nature does her thing, which we, man, cannot stop, then we address the impacts. And we have a lot of folks out here in these parts of Alaska working with the local elected officials."
I wonder if St. Sarah realizes that "Mother Nature" is about as far from "Christianity" as you can get. The term "Mother Nature" references Gaia, the Earth Mother of Wicca, and other PAGAN religions.
It is abundantly clear that Sarah's worldview is very narrow and based on the indoctrination of her devout religious beliefs…so…no, she certainly would not make those connections! She lives in a different reality.
The vast majority – YES majority – of faithful Americans are not Dominionist nut jobs. They don't believe in the End Times, they do NOT subscribe to weird hateful theologies, and they don't follow Pat Baby. But try – just TRY – to get a word in edgewise with the media. If you don't belive your potato looks like Christ on the Cross, but it looks like a potato, then where is the sensationalism that sells paper/web links/TV shows? Hate sells. Love and reason do NOT.
Look folks – we in the mainstream are your rational neighbors who think just as you do whether you're atheists or agnostics or believers – we're not nuts. Why does it look like the "religious" people are nut jobs? Because all polls define "religious" people as those who go to church one or more times a week, when, in fact, "religious" people often don't go at all or have spotty attendance. Anything natural would not be attributed to science, to nature, to the ordinary world but to God's "message". We rational people of faith don't need to blame God or Satan (if either exits) for what we created, what we can control
You make a good point, Elizabeth. Ted Haggard, who's building a new church, just acknowledged that in a recent interview … actually said that the non-churchgoers are sometimes wiser and more spiritual. There are a lot of religious people who are choosing to have "church" by meeting at each other's homes.
My husband and I thought the same thing when we heard about that ghastly figure at the Evangelical Solid Rock Church! Surely, the congregants would consider the message, we thought, then rethought, and started laughing because they seem incapable of learning and understanding the very faith they profess and dedicate themselves to force-feeding on others. They need to consider that they have lost their way.
There probably will be no enlightenment for those folks because they haven't given much thought to their sacred texts. I often think few of them have actually read the Bible or, if they have, they are unable to read it with comprehension. If they had or did, their behavior would be drastically different. They would not spend over a quarter of a million dollars to erect such a graven image of Christ. They would use that money to help the needy in their area, and they would do it anonymously because of their humble hearts.
As to the campers who were killed, where are these self-righteous Religious Leaders in a crisis- why are they not on the forefront of disasters? I'm not talking about the Salvation Army or individual church members, but the evangelical leaders. Where are those guys? (Interesting that they are almost to a person all men). You see them in photo ops – in for a few poses or maybe 15 to 30 minutes, then out on their private jets. I want to see them in the muck and mire, digging our victims, dredging up oil, feeding the hungry all day and through the night just like the rank and file believers. They are not better than those average congregants, are they? They apparently think they are.
I remember Franklin Graham flying himself and then Gov. Palin to the wrong village of Native Alaskans during a winter crisis of low fuel and meager supplies to hand out a few boxes and cookies while the villages most in need could not get Sarah Palin to pay attention to their needs. She talked about how those villagers should move to where jobs are more plentiful, help themselves. She took no ownership of policies she set in place or failed to change that set-up those villages to be dependent upon the whims of nature and politicians. Both Graham and Palin didn't hang around to help anyone; they got their photos and off they flew in luxury to warm, well-stocked pantries. They'd done their duty, after all. They'd made the evening news and the morning papers.
So, I was relieved to see that the letter posted was characterized as being written by a former Assembly of God minister. I noticed the "former," and wondered if he or she had elected to leave the ministry or had been asked to because of their views. I would listen to such a person and think them honest and true – unlike Pat Robertson, Franklin Graham and all the rest of phonies whose egos have inflated to the point where they can no longer see the truth and whose hearts have become so self-absorbed that they can no longer feel compassion and compelled to work alongside those most in need. They would rather pontificate from safe havens of compounds, newsrooms, broadcast studios or the pulpit. They are masters of telling everyone else how to live, and let living their lives the way they want amid what most would see as great material wealth.
Thank you for giving me hope that someone somewhere who has been active in Christian ministry can see fools such as Robertson for what they are. They may be Children of God, but they are not Men and Women of God serving with a humble servant heart.
ks sunflower – REJOICE! For you have the understanding of the Bible that these "Christians" do not!
To answer your question – I LEFT the church. I was the assistant pastor. They now use me as a poster child for walking away from the faith and going to hell. Of course this is not true.
I was a part of this false teaching for many years. but God opened my eyes.
For the longest time I felt so alone because there isn't a church I can go to here. I wasn't looking for a religion – I was looking for a relationship with my Savior – and found out I didn't need to attend a church. If you feel this way, hang in there!
Someday I will write about it.
Some of the people on my mother's side of the family have been involved with the Assembly of God church. When my mother's half sister died, she published a book through a christian publisher, that really disparaged my grandfather, my mother's dad. Her son is a well known minister in the Assmbly of God church. Sort of a televangelist in a western city of the US. Interestingly enough, my Mom sees Sarah Palin as the spittin' image of her half sister. Telling stories, and making stuff up…. Apparently, this publisher didn't bother talking to other family members, and pretty much wrote what they wanted to. I suggested that my Mom file suit against them, but she said, "If I lose a suit, it only makes it look like God came to their defence." For my part I boycott this publisher, and I plan to never buy anything again that they print. I attend a small Episcopal church in my community, and am involved in homeless ministry through them, and their music ministry. Yeah, they're more liberal then evangelicals, but you know what? We all bleed the same under our clothes, no matter how we think.
Of course she would never say the flooding in her own state was an "act of God". How long do you think she'd be Governor if she did?
She flew to Fort Yukon with representatives from Homeland Security? Isn't this a part of the federal government she wants out of everybodies lives? Tsk, tsk.
I wonder how much worse the flooding would have been if the federal government hadn't helped?
Aside from the biblical opposition, couldn't this church find a better use for the $700,000.00 originally used to construct this monstrosity? That kind of money could feed/shelter/clothe a lot of destitute people – I'll bet the church members could find a few within 20 miles of the church – if they would only look…
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Mattew 25
You are right Steve. This letter was written to the Thessalonian CHURCH.
The early churches were socialist…they spread the wealth. They sold everything they had and held it in common. They took care of everyones needs. They ate their meals together.
The Fundamentalists deliberately leave out the next verse –
2 Thessalonians 3:11 -For we hear that there are some which walk among YOU disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. These busybodies are in the Thessalonian CHURCH. They are taking advantage of those that gave up everything for the common good.
I've seen and heard the fundies say "You don't work, you don't eat".
In 2 Thessalonians the real meaning of "would not work" is "not willing to work".
Paul was chastising those unwilling to work in this CHURCH group.
You can not lift this scripture out of context and apply it to everyone. Doing so would allow discrimination against children, the disabled, the elderly and those who cannot find a job.
Jesus cared so much for the poor as Bad Wolf wrote above. He also said the poor would always be with us.
A rich man came to Jesus and asked what he must do to be saved. He told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. The rich man walked away because he couldn't do it.
Jesus really cut to the heart of why the rich won't give to the poor – its my money – I worked for it.
The Bible says that money is the root of all evil which encompasses greed. These people are using out-of-context scripture to excuse their own greed.
Bad Wolf and Steve – It gladdens my heart to see people like you who read the whole Bible and understand it.
If the "Prosperity Gospel" were truly from God, it would work for the Christians all over the world, including the Third World Countries. It doesn't.
Luke 6:20 – "Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of God". I've seen in some translations – the poor IN SPIRIT. This is false. It allows them to overlook the real poor.
Whenever I hear some right-wing talking head ask about the origin of the phrase "From each according to his abilitis, to each according to his needs" – they tend to expect that the listener does not know the source. the right-wingnut then pounces with Karl Marx as the source of that quote. I like to respond "No, Marx was paraphrasing an earlier text, found in Acts 4:32-35 to wit:" 32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."
Spring 2009:
The governor was planning to attend the White House Correspondents' dinner this weekend but pulled the plug to attend to state affairs after flooding devastated several villages around Alaska.
On Thursday Palin flew to Fort Yukon with representatives from Homeland Security to assess pre-flood preparations. The massive ice flows are expected to hit Fort Yukon next.
The National Weather Service has a flood warning in place for the area and Governor Palin has declared a state of disaster for the areas along the Kuskokwim, Yukon and Susitna River drainages. She said her trip to Fort Yukon was to help the members of that community get ready.
"We have a lot of officials who are out here assessing what the damage could be and we are getting folks prepared." Palin continued, "and then once Mother Nature does her thing, which we, man, cannot stop, then we address the impacts. And we have a lot of folks out here in these parts of Alaska working with the local elected officials."
I wonder if St. Sarah realizes that "Mother Nature" is about as far from "Christianity" as you can get. The term "Mother Nature" references Gaia, the Earth Mother of Wicca, and other PAGAN religions.
So is St. Sarah a closet witch? BURN HER!
It is abundantly clear that Sarah's worldview is very narrow and based on the indoctrination of her devout religious beliefs…so…no, she certainly would not make those connections! She lives in a different reality.
The vast majority – YES majority – of faithful Americans are not Dominionist nut jobs. They don't believe in the End Times, they do NOT subscribe to weird hateful theologies, and they don't follow Pat Baby. But try – just TRY – to get a word in edgewise with the media. If you don't belive your potato looks like Christ on the Cross, but it looks like a potato, then where is the sensationalism that sells paper/web links/TV shows? Hate sells. Love and reason do NOT.
Look folks – we in the mainstream are your rational neighbors who think just as you do whether you're atheists or agnostics or believers – we're not nuts. Why does it look like the "religious" people are nut jobs? Because all polls define "religious" people as those who go to church one or more times a week, when, in fact, "religious" people often don't go at all or have spotty attendance. Anything natural would not be attributed to science, to nature, to the ordinary world but to God's "message". We rational people of faith don't need to blame God or Satan (if either exits) for what we created, what we can control
You make a good point, Elizabeth. Ted Haggard, who's building a new church, just acknowledged that in a recent interview … actually said that the non-churchgoers are sometimes wiser and more spiritual. There are a lot of religious people who are choosing to have "church" by meeting at each other's homes.
My husband and I thought the same thing when we heard about that ghastly figure at the Evangelical Solid Rock Church! Surely, the congregants would consider the message, we thought, then rethought, and started laughing because they seem incapable of learning and understanding the very faith they profess and dedicate themselves to force-feeding on others. They need to consider that they have lost their way.
There probably will be no enlightenment for those folks because they haven't given much thought to their sacred texts. I often think few of them have actually read the Bible or, if they have, they are unable to read it with comprehension. If they had or did, their behavior would be drastically different. They would not spend over a quarter of a million dollars to erect such a graven image of Christ. They would use that money to help the needy in their area, and they would do it anonymously because of their humble hearts.
As to the campers who were killed, where are these self-righteous Religious Leaders in a crisis- why are they not on the forefront of disasters? I'm not talking about the Salvation Army or individual church members, but the evangelical leaders. Where are those guys? (Interesting that they are almost to a person all men). You see them in photo ops – in for a few poses or maybe 15 to 30 minutes, then out on their private jets. I want to see them in the muck and mire, digging our victims, dredging up oil, feeding the hungry all day and through the night just like the rank and file believers. They are not better than those average congregants, are they? They apparently think they are.
I remember Franklin Graham flying himself and then Gov. Palin to the wrong village of Native Alaskans during a winter crisis of low fuel and meager supplies to hand out a few boxes and cookies while the villages most in need could not get Sarah Palin to pay attention to their needs. She talked about how those villagers should move to where jobs are more plentiful, help themselves. She took no ownership of policies she set in place or failed to change that set-up those villages to be dependent upon the whims of nature and politicians. Both Graham and Palin didn't hang around to help anyone; they got their photos and off they flew in luxury to warm, well-stocked pantries. They'd done their duty, after all. They'd made the evening news and the morning papers.
So, I was relieved to see that the letter posted was characterized as being written by a former Assembly of God minister. I noticed the "former," and wondered if he or she had elected to leave the ministry or had been asked to because of their views. I would listen to such a person and think them honest and true – unlike Pat Robertson, Franklin Graham and all the rest of phonies whose egos have inflated to the point where they can no longer see the truth and whose hearts have become so self-absorbed that they can no longer feel compassion and compelled to work alongside those most in need. They would rather pontificate from safe havens of compounds, newsrooms, broadcast studios or the pulpit. They are masters of telling everyone else how to live, and let living their lives the way they want amid what most would see as great material wealth.
Thank you for giving me hope that someone somewhere who has been active in Christian ministry can see fools such as Robertson for what they are. They may be Children of God, but they are not Men and Women of God serving with a humble servant heart.
ks sunflower – REJOICE! For you have the understanding of the Bible that these "Christians" do not!
To answer your question – I LEFT the church. I was the assistant pastor. They now use me as a poster child for walking away from the faith and going to hell. Of course this is not true.
I was a part of this false teaching for many years. but God opened my eyes.
For the longest time I felt so alone because there isn't a church I can go to here. I wasn't looking for a religion – I was looking for a relationship with my Savior – and found out I didn't need to attend a church. If you feel this way, hang in there!
Someday I will write about it.
Some of the people on my mother's side of the family have been involved with the Assembly of God church. When my mother's half sister died, she published a book through a christian publisher, that really disparaged my grandfather, my mother's dad. Her son is a well known minister in the Assmbly of God church. Sort of a televangelist in a western city of the US. Interestingly enough, my Mom sees Sarah Palin as the spittin' image of her half sister. Telling stories, and making stuff up…. Apparently, this publisher didn't bother talking to other family members, and pretty much wrote what they wanted to. I suggested that my Mom file suit against them, but she said, "If I lose a suit, it only makes it look like God came to their defence." For my part I boycott this publisher, and I plan to never buy anything again that they print. I attend a small Episcopal church in my community, and am involved in homeless ministry through them, and their music ministry. Yeah, they're more liberal then evangelicals, but you know what? We all bleed the same under our clothes, no matter how we think.
Of course she would never say the flooding in her own state was an "act of God". How long do you think she'd be Governor if she did?
She flew to Fort Yukon with representatives from Homeland Security? Isn't this a part of the federal government she wants out of everybodies lives? Tsk, tsk.
I wonder how much worse the flooding would have been if the federal government hadn't helped?
Aside from the biblical opposition, couldn't this church find a better use for the $700,000.00 originally used to construct this monstrosity? That kind of money could feed/shelter/clothe a lot of destitute people – I'll bet the church members could find a few within 20 miles of the church – if they would only look…
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Mattew 25
Bad Wolf, I love this scripture and quote it all the time.
No doubt they find their out-of-context misinterpretation of 2 Thessalonians 3.10 more important. I see that verse all over the fundie sites.
You are right Steve. This letter was written to the Thessalonian CHURCH.
The early churches were socialist…they spread the wealth. They sold everything they had and held it in common. They took care of everyones needs. They ate their meals together.
The Fundamentalists deliberately leave out the next verse –
2 Thessalonians 3:11 -For we hear that there are some which walk among YOU disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. These busybodies are in the Thessalonian CHURCH. They are taking advantage of those that gave up everything for the common good.
I've seen and heard the fundies say "You don't work, you don't eat".
In 2 Thessalonians the real meaning of "would not work" is "not willing to work".
Paul was chastising those unwilling to work in this CHURCH group.
You can not lift this scripture out of context and apply it to everyone. Doing so would allow discrimination against children, the disabled, the elderly and those who cannot find a job.
Jesus cared so much for the poor as Bad Wolf wrote above. He also said the poor would always be with us.
A rich man came to Jesus and asked what he must do to be saved. He told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. The rich man walked away because he couldn't do it.
Jesus really cut to the heart of why the rich won't give to the poor – its my money – I worked for it.
The Bible says that money is the root of all evil which encompasses greed. These people are using out-of-context scripture to excuse their own greed.
Along with their "Prosperity Gospel" which also goes against EVERYTHING Jesus said (and another citation for them… Luke 6.20, 24!)
Bad Wolf and Steve – It gladdens my heart to see people like you who read the whole Bible and understand it.
If the "Prosperity Gospel" were truly from God, it would work for the Christians all over the world, including the Third World Countries. It doesn't.
Luke 6:20 – "Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of God". I've seen in some translations – the poor IN SPIRIT. This is false. It allows them to overlook the real poor.
That's the Matthew 5.3 quote. The Matthew quotes are watered down, but Luke has the unvarnished originals (sometimes it's the other way around!)
Whenever I hear some right-wing talking head ask about the origin of the phrase "From each according to his abilitis, to each according to his needs" – they tend to expect that the listener does not know the source. the right-wingnut then pounces with Karl Marx as the source of that quote. I like to respond "No, Marx was paraphrasing an earlier text, found in Acts 4:32-35 to wit:" 32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."
I have a headline for you. Just came in a flash from the blue. I'm sure it's a vision:
"God Struck By Lightning: Suicide Suspected." Film at eleven.
Jim
This is just another whacko conspiracy web site.
Doesn't Sarah Palin and her ilk know that Barrack Obama is the true Messiah!