Politics and Religion

Two articles came over my Facebook Feed today that were weirdly complementary.

Sinister Law Brings Theocracy To Tennessee: The Christian Right Are Coming For Your State Next

Under House Joint Resolution 71, proposed by Rep. James VanHuss (R-Jonesborough), the following words would be added to Article I of the Constitution of Tennessee:
“We recognize that our liberties do not come from governments, but from Almighty God, our Creator and Savior”

That's the long and short of the article.  This is a TERRIFYING amendment. If you worship a god that they do not believe is their god, (and TN is home to the largest Kurdish population in the world, outside Iraq) , you have no rights in Tennessee.

I have news for them. My rights came from a bunch of noblemen who stood up and DEFIED God and the Divine Right of Kings, and forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution are deliberately secular documents, designed to ensure rights for every citizen.

In other Dominionist News:
Michigan has passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. (HB5958) which allows people to avoid doing their jobs if it conflicts with their religion. Back when I was a fundamentalist in the 80s, there was a push for people my age to go into medicine, in order to end abortion by simply not learning how to do them. and when RU-486 came out, another push to go to pharmacy work and refuse to distribute them.  This law allows people to do exactly that. They can also avoid treating non Christians, serving QUILTBAG people, cease providing pre-natal care to single mothers, or ANYTHING that violates their Christian Brand Behavior.

Oklahoma has voted to ban teaching AP American History, because it doesn't promote American Exceptionalism, and shows us as something other than a City on a Hill.

Mike Huckabee is thinking of running for President again. God wants him to "Save American from a Secular Theocracy."

This is happening across the US. Google Dominionism and Seven Mountains Theology, and look at what is going on.

The radicals get away with this because Joe Christian on the street doesn't think through the implications. They would see Resolution 71 as a nice gestures, because yes, of course, our rights come from God, and think no more of it.  They want there to be no abortion...until their wife has a pregnancy go toxic. They want no premarital sex as an ideal (which 85% of them failed at), so banning sex ed or contraception or HPV vaccines seems like a way to help the younger generation stay pure. They don't even think about non-Christians, and when queer folk are on their radar, the response is more "eww" than real animus, so they vote the "eww" to stop the nasty weirdos from moving in and masquerading as ordinary people.



The other article is here:
What ISIS Really Wants

It's a long article and worth a read.
And it is SCARILY like what the Christian Dominionists want here.

Both groups are trying to provoke a war that ends in Jerusalem, where BOTH think Jesus will return. Both think Jesus will wipe out the armies of the Anti-Christ and rescue the remnant of the Faithful. The Christians are expecting an all Christian Millennium after that. The Muslims think they win.




May I offer Suggested Reading?
It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis.

The Iron Heel by Jack London One of the earliest dystiopias


Brace yourselves. It's getting bad and is going to get worse. We're up against a juggernaut that has been mixing wealth, power and religion for 80 years, trying to undo all the progress from FDR onward. Elsewhere in the world, a group is trying to revive the old Caliphate, which is vital to Islamic salvation (according to adherents) and chomping at the bit for the Holy War we seem determined to give them.