The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we inhabit are not only critical elements in the quality of life we enjoy – they are a reflection of the majesty of our Creator.
Rick Perry

Where to begin with this guy. People think we’re in an unprecedented era of politics mixing with religion. I disagree. I don’t think religion is mixing with politics. I think politicians are using religion to gain power. This is a tried and true method, thousands of years old. The world was built on the power of religion. Deny it, argue it, but learn to accept it.

Religion decided who lived, religion decided what the cities looked like, religion decided who had the power. When power became centralized in the government, religion still carried weight. Kings and emperors of all stripes bowed to the religious authority or they found themselves pushed out. Caesar was assassinated for many reasons. Most of them legitimate. One big reason was his interference in religious hierarchy.  Usurping the power of the gods. Most rulers eventually found a way around this by declaring their throne a divine judgement. Bribe the religious authority, get a recommendation, and you’re a god-king. Of course, in Egypt and the Far East, this was already common practice.

But things rarely went smoothly. Once the king or appointed ruler took power it was almost  a given that they would quickly ignore whatever religious force brought them to the throne. Many of the great “Christian rulers” we know from history – Constantine, Richard the Lion Heart, Charlemagne – all barely believed in a GOD let alone practiced Christianity. It only mattered that the people believed and that this led to a belief in you. You didn’t need to be religious, simply earn their endorsement.  This shared power continued for centuries until they took The Church’s armies away.

They couldn’t take away their influence though. Hell, Henry VIII got so tired of it that he completely severed he Church of England from Roman authority. The ongoing Protestant Reformation was dividing the empire and propping up many a temporary leader looking to cash in on religious fervor.  Religious groups didn’t have to lobby for power. It came to them seeking help. It is government that corrupted religion, not the other way around. It was world leaders whom offered The Church a place at the table that corrupted them. Eventually The Church achieved absolute power. And we all know what that does.

But along came America and the rules changed significantly. The Founders could have easily adopted Christianity as the state religion. It would have received little push back. Even among the Founders. But that’s not what they wanted and why we are so lucky that these are the rich, white, slave owners who got tired of paying taxes and not some other group. More than anything , they wanted  a republic that would last. What was causing all the problems back home?  Lack of choice. Or lack of  a reasonable choice. Not only would they make a law that calls for no religion to be favored,  but they had the foresight to give us freedom of speech and allow us to challenge our own government.

The founders were never worried about a Christian theocracy dominating the country. They were worried about the country destroying a particular kind of Christianity. Whatever it may be. Protestant, Catholic, whatever. They knew there was no way to keep religion out of politics. No society had ever pulled it off. Even the ones that banned religion. It’s always there. What they did do for us though is give us power over our own destiny. They left us with a living document that   allows us to decide what is right and what is wrong. Not the government. Jefferson was the most outspoken founder on religion. The concept of “Church and State” first appears in his personal letters. Jefferson did not hate religion. He did not fear it. he called himself a Christian and wasa very spiritual person. He never denounced the sections he cut out of his personal “Jefferson Bible”, he just felt they distracted from the real message.

His concern was the one you would have for any organization left unchecked. He did not want England’s last 100 years of religious history to repeat in America. Nor did he want to stifle the very real importance religion has to so many including himself. He spoke of a “wall” between church and state. You can’t straddle it. You must fall on one side or the other. But even he knew this was unrealistic. His point was that people need to play down their faith while in office. He pointed to Jesus and his condemnation of the Pharisees who cried out their religion to anyone who would listen. The temples that had become tax havens.

A man of faith can and should be part of our great democracy but he should also realize that it is indeed a democracy.  And this brings me back ’round to Rick Perry. The most unchristian Christian I have seen in quite some time. He is a typical Christian politician though. See, Rick is a fake. Like they all are. He was  a Democrat. Born and raised. Won his first office a s Democrat. Supported Al Gore of all people in the 1988 Democratic primaries. He was a Texan during the Reagan years and he still remained a Democrat. But one year after the Gore campaign , he switched sides. Why? Well, a Republican will have more luck in Texas than a Democrat.  Rick Perry was not LBJ. And it was much easier to play religious groups. Also, let’s face it, once you make some money, you go Republican. They love the rich folks.

For years Perry learned from another fake, George W. Bush.  As Lt. Governor he got an up close view of how to be a two faced troll. How to attend church and sleep, go to prayer rallies and give long speeches your writers worked up for you, and most importantly how to suck up to the religious elite. As a Republican your biggest voting block is the religious right. If you don’t play ball you’ll be left twisting in the wind. When Perry became governor he received another gift from George Bush.  George showed him how easy it was to ride the faithful to office and then walk away from everything you ever promised them. To pay lip service to their issues while pushing your own agenda.

Rick Perry isn’t a Christian. I doubt he even believes half of what he says. What’s he going on about now? Obama is a foreigner and people who support him may be guilty of treason? Yeah, that’s original. Rick Perry has religious connections. He isn’t their friend.   It’s so blatantly obvious. Evangelicals JUST saw this dog and pony show a decade ago and they’re STILL going for it? But I guess that’s faith. A blind preacher for the pin-eyed congregation.

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Weirdwriter
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Weirdwriter

The thing about conservatives like Perry — despite lip service to diversity, there is no room for following one’s own conscience differently. Even as a member of the same faith.

For these folks, there can be no competition, no challenge to their seizure of religion as a political tool that they would tolerate. Politically liberal Christians would be among the first targeted for suppression and re-education in their theocracy.

choicelady
Member

Weirdwriter – Perry is not a Christian even having appropriated the identity. He is a Dominionist. They believe the Bible proves elites – those who are born again and follow St Ayn – are destined to rule the world, especially businessmen, and all others shall be deprived of both Godly blessings AND Constitutional protections.

A good place to start, albeit a weighty tome, is Jeff Sharlet’s “The Family”. They are the folks on C Street in Washington who anointed Perry August 6 in Houston – they believe God called him to be our next President. The Family is one of the most powerful groups of congressional people AND individual self styled Christians who make illegal foreign policy, support tyrants worldwide, and mess with domestic policies here at home. These are not just “values voters” but people determined to make the entire world a Christian globe – with themselves in charge. They have the Seven Mountain Mandate to command all the major institutions in America. They are well under way.

So comparing Perry to even other evangelicals or fundamentalists is a grave mistake. Know for sure that Dominionists in many forms have laid seige to mainline and especially progressive denominations, too often successfully. They have many targets in their sights, and those who have failed to understand the danger have died institutionally and sometimes personally.

Dominionists are deeply connected to domestic terrorists (although they disavow them of course) including anti-abortion zealots and anti-government extremists and even to white supremacists and anti-Semites.

They are not to be ignored. They are to be fought. Perry is their new Solomon – and he is determined to be the new King. Pay very close attention to them. They are NOT to be trifled with!

Weirdwriter
Member
Weirdwriter

Choicelady, I appreciate the depth and thoughtfulness of your response. Not everyone knows about the distinctions and agenda of these people that you’ve brought up. I agree, knowing what they are about is hugely important.

Because I’ve had my own Christian commitment challenged (remember the so-called Moral Majority?) I’m wary of publicly calling out another’s claim to Christianity as a general rule. I’d rather let their actions speak louder than my words.

The Dominionists need to be taken seriously, but they are nothing new. They are today’s Puritans — theologically narrow, generally intolerant, light on forgiveness, bent on political and theological takeover, and firm believers that God blesses the righteous with worldly wealth and worldly power (despite all Scriptural and historical evidence to the contrary).

That, of course, makes it easy for them to assume that they are meant to rule as God’s chosen on Earth. Also to assume that the poor and less-privileged are that way because they are either incompetent or being punished by God. It’s why they tend to embrace the Objectivism of Ayn Rand without her militant atheism.

Not a single true Puritan would have signed the Constitution of the United States when it was written, so it’s quite ironic that these latter-day Puritans are constantly invoking some mythic version of it that leaves out all the inconvenient parts.

Yep, I know what Rick Perry is. A latter-day Puritan who would have me in a re-education camp if a Dominion theocracy ever emerged. The way to fight Dominionists is as they did back in the day when the Constitution was being written — make common cause with everyone else, as much as possible. And defend the Constitution.

Emerald1943
Member

Hi weirdwriter!

The Dominionists are making good progress with their agenda. They have managed to get an anti-abortion referendum on the ballot in Mississippi and are trying to do the same thing in Ohio. Their plan is to get their people elected in local and state positions, as well as putting Perry in the White House…god forbid! (no pun intended!)

One of our members here, SueinCA, has written a series of articles about these nutcases that is extremely informative. Also, I don’t know if you are familiar with “Right Wing Watch” website but they have a constant stream of updates on the activities of the far-right religious zealots. http://www.rightwingwatch.org

I agree with you…I would also be one of those that they would lock up! But we ignore these fruitcakes at our own peril. They are very dangerous!

Khirad
Member

Of course, in Egypt and the Far East, this was already common practice.

Khvarneh and farr, or Divine Glory, as well.

Because you get a kick out of this stuff like I do:
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/farr-ii-iconography

It’s been argued, fairly convincingly, that Khomeini’s regime is just a continuation of the concept in a different guise. The priest caste just cut out the middle man, so to speak. I also think you’d dig this guy: http://www.drsoroush.com/English/News_Archive/E-NWS-20050418-Time_Magazine.html

The Qajar dynasty Shahs called themselves the “Shadow of God (on earth)”, along with “Lord of the Universe”, “Light of Aryans”, etc. … (it got ridiculously long and pompous – wish I could find the full title of the last or second to last Qajar shah without remembering which book it was in).

Where was I? Oh yeah, so either Dr. Soroush or the cleric Mohsen Kadivar said, to paraphrase, that ‘politics and religion pollute each other’. This, of course, should be of striking import coming from Iranians who both originally supported the idea of an Islamic government. But again, I’m multitasking, and don’t have enough arms to go rifling through pages of books.

My rambling point? You said it was politics which polluted religion. Whereas, I thought the symmetry in their point more compelling.

Moving on, what I also thought was great, and an example that this was all about power was that King Henry VIII got real nervous after the break with Rome about Lutheran “extremism” from the other side.

I too am cynical of these past monarchs and emperors and shahs and their level of sincere religiosity. I think some were genuine, but those that you mention may very well have seen it as little more than a tool of power. Not to say they were atheists, I just wonder, being as educated as they were, if they wouldn’t at the very least have had a more subtle relationship with God. I put Jefferson into this as well. His letter to his nephew, Peter Carr, I do think actually did say he didn’t think much of the “superstitions” in the rest of the Bible.

I however don’t get this sense from Perry. I think he is the worst. I think he actually does believe what he says, or at least some of it – not as much as Palin and Bachmann, mind you – there is a huckster element to it all.

I see him as the type that takes the Third Commandment very literally. Not the kind that would say that taking the Lord’s name in vain can also be interpreted as claiming proudly and loudly to be a righteous Christian, while not following the teachings of Christ in spirit (you know, all the compassion for the poor and that kind of thing…).

Okay, now I’ve completely lost my train of thought… so, yeah, whatever. I’m gonna avoid reading over this, as it will be lucky if it is in any way coherent. [scanning is such a pain in the ass, now on page 83/101, yay!]

choicelady
Member

“The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we inhabit are not only critical elements in the quality of life we enjoy – they are a reflection of the majesty of our Creator” – who TOLD you to take care of them, not rape and pillage them, Rick!

Adonai – he IS funny. So are they all. And they are still extremely dangerous. They mean to take over the institutions of all America and then rule the world.

Their ideas about God and Christianity are about a century-150 years old. They believe that ONLY those who believe as they do will find salvation, aka will go to Heaven. So I ask you – who’s up there now? If NO one believed as they do before they did (if you’re following this) then NO one could have gone to Heaven before they came along.

So – where is everyone else?

Back to the point – Perry seems stupid and ignorant to us. He says things so off the wall they make us laugh. Well, OK – that energizes us, but – and here’s the big point – DO NOT DISMISS HIM AND HIS ILK. They are not laughing. They are deadly serious.

In 2012 – if you HATE the Dem who represents you, vote for House and Senate control even if you barf while doing it. You MUST take back control. You can unelect said Dem next time, but THIS time you have to get back CONTROL. There is movement to oust the Baggers – get on it. Vote as if your life depended on it because it does.