Christian Wars
Lorie Johnson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Wed Mar 29, 2006 at 02:20:25 PM EST
Everywhere you turn, certain Christians are claiming that there is a war being fought against them. Are Christians really that embattled? Who or what are they at war against? Why does this war-mindedness persist in spite of plentiful evidence to the contrary?
The dual gatherings of "BattleCry" in San Francisco and the recent "War on Christians" conference in Washington DC seem to suggest that there is some kind of 'war against Christians' or Christianity itself at play in the US.

War imagery in Christianity isn't new- in fact, it is as old as the faith itself. When Christians were being persecuted in ancient Rome, The Book of Revelation was written as a means to bring encouragement to the embattled believers huddled in the catacombs of Rome. The apocalyptic imagery, the floods of blood and fire were written to contrast the horrors inflicted upon them. Revelation was the ultimate spiritual 'revenge script'.

When Christians came into power in Europe, the paradigm flipped, and their leaders used the same kind of horrific imagery to rally people to go to the Crusades, and later, to persecute the Jews and non-believers.

When the pendulum swung back to the spiritual realm,  war imagery was often used to keep the believer safe from demonic influence, and scripture outfitting the believer with the tools needed to overcome temptation or possession was often cited in many sermons that had the devil on the run. This kind of 'spiritual warfare' is part and parcel of many Christian sects, and rarely goes beyond them.

But things have changed again- for the worse. The war imagery pendulum is swinging back from the spiritual realm to the real world, a place that should be of concern to moderate Christians and non-religious people alike. Instead of the Christian version of 'jihad' or 'struggle' against the internal adversaries of spiritual practice, the struggle has been moved to the outside world and its perceived adversaries- all nonbelievers- including fellow Christians. The constant and urgent message is this:   Christians are being attacked. There is a war against Christianity. Christians must go on the offensive and fight back." This message is constant and unrelenting. In spite the fact that they are currently in power, there is still a war against them going on, and battles to be fought against a nebulous and often changing enemy. That enemy is now 'the flesh, Satan, and the world'.

Think about that: The world.

Joan Bokaer's recent post about the teen evangelical event in San Francisco called "BattleCry" talked about the war imagery used in this rally. The language and imagery was the typical 'Let's scare people into belief' tactic that is common in such rallies:

First you need an Enemy. In the case of BattleCry, it's 'giant corporations, media conglomerates, and purveyors of popular culture'. Sex and tolerance are also considered enemies- especially if the two are combined. Independent women with self-determination are enemies. The secular media and popular culture are often painted as the ultimate enemies of the True Believer. The bottom line is secularity. If it's secular, it is evil, and must be fought against.

Next you need lots of people screaming together. This is particularly effective with young people, who enjoy the excitement of a huge crowd with loud music, freebies and lots of other youth. The irony here is that the people who put on these events use the same tactics that their perceived enemies of the corporate media use to get a wave of excitement going: Music, crowds, and freebies.

The "Vision America"- sponsored "War On Christians"  conference was more grown up, but still used a lot of the same tactics: Cram like-minded people together, whip them into a frenzy, and declare war against a long list of perceived enemies. A little paranoia, in the form of a false fire alarm in the middle of a particularly interesting speech, is helpful, too.  For these people, the Enemies List consists of anyone who dares to stand up to the often overbearing pressure of the Religious Right to conform with their often restrictive sets of 'values'. These people are portrayed as 'persecutors' of believers, and include so-called 'activist judges'.

It is interesting to note that Judge John Jones III, who wrote the verdict on the Dover Intelligent Design case, recently said on "Radio Times" (March 22) that his definition of an 'activist judge' was 'anyone whose verdict [the religious right] doesn't agree with'. He's probably an 'enemy' now, too, if the number of threats against him is any indicator. He spoke of that in the interview, too.  

What is going on? What is with all this war imagery, hyped up enemies, and battle cries? It's all about  fear-mongering. Here's a prime example from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights:

"For the past week, reports have surfaced that the RNC has been behind a mass mailing warning the residents of Arkansas and West Virginia that if the `liberals' win the election, they will ban the Bible.  Now the RNC has admitted that it did so; this was its way of appealing to religious voters.  But what it did is exploitative.  Not only are the Republicans indulging in fear-mongering, they are also playing to the stereotype of Christians from rural communities.

 In keeping the congregations of believers riled up, the fear-mongers keep the level of outrage high, the introspective thinking low, and most important, the money flowing into the coffers. The emphasis on fear,  the creation of enemies and false crises, and the resulting anger and discord are the tools of the fear-mongers, and are used to often devastating effect in mainline churches being overrun by hardliners.

The important thing to note here is that it never stops. The foes are never vanquished, the mission is never accomplished, there is no acknowledgement of victory or success, however minor. The war and fear-mongers keep hitting their congregations with crisis after crisis, keeping them in a constant state of arousal and imbalance. It is the tactic used by the shock troops of the Religious Right, and one we need to thoroughly understand in order to reduce its efficiency.

Fear makes people irrational. It erodes health, well being, and wealth, too. In the US, the most common way to abate fear is to spend money. So, the fear-afflicted congregations are throwing money at their leaders, giving them the means to continue the fight until the next pledge drive. It is a never ending circle.

To break this cycle, and end this artificial war, we must find a way to quell the fear. We need to find the means to calm and awaken the fear-addled and constantly embattled congregations and believers to this misuse of faith.  We need to show them that they are being constantly enraged by create false crises, and ghost enemies, which are used to ultimately deprive them of their money- and their spiritual well being.

This false war isn't going to end overnight. The war and fear-mongers will make enemies of anyone who tries to stop them, enraging and exciting their flocks to even greater outrage.

Christ talked about false prophets and wolves who do these things. There is an enemy, but it isn't those who are outside the church. Instead, the enemy is within their own numbers, using their trust -and fear- to exploit them.  

There is no outside war on Christians in the US. There is no secular or liberal plot to destroy religion. In fact, it is clear that the secular culture has provided a rich medium of tolerance that has allowed the hate and fear of the hardliners to blossom into this false 'war'.

The people of "BattleCry" promise to return to SF next year to chart the progress of their new recruits. It will be interesting to see what happens when the fires of fear cool, and the tide of excitement recedes.




Display:
There are other people who also agree that there is no war against Christians:

It sounds more like an exaggerated scare tactic aimed at grabbing attention, rallying the troops and sowing deeper division between the opposing sides in the ongoing debate over the proper role of religion in the public square.

Worse, it trivializes the true persecution of Christians in the early history of the church and the real abuse unleashed on Christians today in some corners of the world.

Christians in America are hardly being thrown to the lions. In many ways, the political and social values of conservative Christians are carrying the day. We are in the second term of the most faith-friendly, explicitly Christian presidency in many a decade.

I found that on the "Vision America" site.

by Lorie Johnson on Wed Mar 29, 2006 at 02:35:58 PM EST

Lorie, nice post.

It's good to see that Vision America at least allows some criticism on their site.

by Carlos on Wed Mar 29, 2006 at 03:10:33 PM EST
Parent



I agree that it is important to find a way to quell the fear that the barrage of messages about the false "War on Christians" has created.  The problem is how to do it.

Unfortunately, I'm not much of a strategist myself.  However, I do have one idea that might be a step in the right direction, one that others with more expertise might expand upon and develop further:  Start working WITH conservative Christians on issues of mutual concern.  

For example, many Christians, including many conservative Christians, are very concerned about the persecution (often, and perhaps accurately, described as "genocide," but undoubtedly horrible persecution) of Christians in the Darfur region of Sudan.  I am cynical enough to wonder if there would be the same level of concern if the victims were Buddists or Hindus or atheists, but I am sure that at least some of the Christians who are concerned about the persecution now would also be concerned if the faith of the victims was different.

One of the few encouraging experiences I have had recently was attending a Save Darfur meeting in Silicon Valley.  The attendees were multi-racial, multi-aged (from teenagers to quite elderly people), and multi-religious.  The meeting was held in a Catholic church; the moderator was a Jewish rabbi; and members of my UU congregation and many other churchs were there.  This is obviously a campaign that has a strong faith-based component, though it is just as obvious that one does not need a faith-based reason to oppose the torture and murder of innocent civilians.

Many other issues may fall into the same category.  Pick your favorite cause.  For example, we have heard much about the work of religious groups in helping the Gulf Coast to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.  Issues like these are worth working for in and of themselves.  My point is that if progressives do work for them -- while, and this is important, making it known that they ARE progressives -- perhaps at least some conservative Christians will come to see us as friends and allies rather than as "the enemy" who is waging war against them.

by Theovanna on Wed Mar 29, 2006 at 07:06:47 PM EST

..... excellent ideas Theovanna. We do indeed need more opportunities to come together and realize we may have more in common than we think.

by Carlos on Wed Mar 29, 2006 at 07:16:40 PM EST
Parent


Great post Lorie. I think there is a culture war, but it's not against Christians. It's against the people who believe in a pluralistic democracy. It's a war against that same secular society that has allowed religious liberty to flourish in this country.

by Joan Bokaer on Wed Mar 29, 2006 at 07:10:47 PM EST
I noted the fact that our open society provides fallow ground for destructive waves like this to flourish. It's like gardening- fertile soil permits both flowers and noxious plants to grow- and it is up to us to keep the negative and destructive elements from overgrowing the garden and destroying it.

Substitute 'country' for 'garden' and you have our difficulty in a nutshell.

Quelling the fear, talking to them like people instead of rabid fanatics, and finding common ground are good ways to halt the overgrowth of destructive religious zealotry. I call it 'keep your mint plant in a pot' method. The mint is happy, well, cared for, and healthy, but it won't overrun the garden.

by Lorie Johnson on Wed Mar 29, 2006 at 07:57:04 PM EST
Parent



The so-called war on Christians is just a fund raising technique by a bunch of demigods. The old ladies send their $$$ in and feel so good they are fighting the evil ACLU.
It is important to have a strong evil enemy. That way the fight is more important and the victory sweeter.  
Send money, send money, send money.

by PlacitasRoy on Wed Mar 29, 2006 at 09:03:57 PM EST
Now, if there was a way I could figure out how to divert that income stream to me, I'd do something constructive with it- like trying to figure out how to fix the global warming problem.

Or at least get my entire Amazon wish list...

:-)

by Lorie Johnson on Wed Mar 29, 2006 at 09:14:16 PM EST
Parent



In keeping the congregations of believers riled up, the fear-mongers keep the level of outrage high, the introspective thinking low, and most important, the money flowing into the coffers. The emphasis on fear,  the creation of enemies and false crises, and the resulting anger and discord are the tools of the fear-mongers, and are used to often devastating effect in mainline churches being overrun by hardliners.

In Orwell's book 1984 he said that the way to keep the people under control was to have an ongoing war where the enemy was never defeated.  How ironic that these highly "religious" leaders use the same scare tactics and manipulation as the fictional government of Oceana which was completely intolerant of religion.  

by Ross Raymond on Thu Mar 30, 2006 at 11:39:51 AM EST



WWW Talk To Action


Cognitive Dissonance & Dominionism Denial
There is new research on why people are averse to hearing or learning about the views of ideological opponents. Based on evaluation of five......
By Frederick Clarkson (374 comments)
Will the Air Force Do Anything To Rein In Its Dynamic Duo of Gay-Bashing, Misogynistic Bloggers?
"I always get nervous when I see female pastors/chaplains. Here is why everyone should as well: "First, women are not called to be pastors,......
By Chris Rodda (195 comments)
The Legacy of Big Oil
The media is ablaze with the upcoming publication of David Grann's book, Killers of the Flower Moon. The shocking non fiction account of the......
By wilkyjr (110 comments)
Gimme That Old Time Dominionism Denial
Over the years, I have written a great deal here and in other venues about the explicitly theocratic movement called dominionism -- which has......
By Frederick Clarkson (101 comments)
History Advisor to Members of Congress Completely Twists Jefferson's Words to Support Muslim Ban
Pseudo-historian David Barton, best known for his misquoting of our country's founders to promote the notion that America was founded as a Christian nation,......
By Chris Rodda (113 comments)
"Christian Fighter Pilot" Calls First Lesbian Air Force Academy Commandant a Liar
In a new post on his "Christian Fighter Pilot" blog titled "BGen Kristin Goodwin and the USAFA Honor Code," Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan......
By Chris Rodda (144 comments)
Catholic Right Leader Unapologetic about Call for 'Death to Liberal Professors' -- UPDATED
Today, Donald Trump appointed C-FAM Executive Vice President Lisa Correnti to the US Delegation To UN Commission On Status Of Women. (C-FAM is a......
By Frederick Clarkson (126 comments)
Controlling Information
     Yesterday I listened to Russ Limbaugh.  Rush advised listeners it would be best that they not listen to CNN,MSNBC, ABC, CBS and......
By wilkyjr (118 comments)
Is Bannon Fifth-Columning the Pope?
In December 2016 I wrote about how White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who likes to flash his Catholic credentials when it comes to......
By Frank Cocozzelli (250 comments)
Ross Douthat's Hackery on the Seemingly Incongruous Alliance of Bannon & Burke
Conservative Catholic writer Ross Douthat has dissembled again. This time, in a February 15, 2017 New York Times op-ed titled The Trump Era's Catholic......
By Frank Cocozzelli (64 comments)
`So-Called Patriots' Attack The Rule Of Law
Every so often, right-wing commentator Pat Buchanan lurches out of the far-right fever swamp where he has resided for the past 50 years to......
By Rob Boston (161 comments)
Bad Faith from Focus on the Family
Here is one from the archives, Feb 12, 2011, that serves as a reminder of how deeply disingenuous people can be. Appeals to seek......
By Frederick Clarkson (176 comments)
The Legacy of George Wallace
"One need not accept any of those views to agree that they had appealed to real concerns of real people, not to mindless, unreasoning......
By wilkyjr (70 comments)
Betsy DeVos's Mudsill View of Public Education
My Talk to Action colleague Rachel Tabachnick has been doing yeoman's work in explaining Betsy DeVos's long-term strategy for decimating universal public education. If......
By Frank Cocozzelli (80 comments)
Prince and DeVos Families at Intersection of Radical Free Market Privatizers and Religious Right
This post from 2011 surfaces important information about President-Elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. -- FC Erik Prince, Brother of Betsy......
By Rachel Tabachnick (218 comments)

Respect for Others? or Political Correctness?
The term "political correctness" as used by Conservatives and Republicans has often puzzled me: what exactly do they mean by it? After reading Chip Berlin's piece here-- http://www.talk2action.org/story/2016/7/21/04356/9417 I thought about what he explained......
MTOLincoln (253 comments)
Fear
What I'm feeling now is fear.  I swear that it seems my nightmares are coming true with this new "president".  I'm also frustrated because so many people are not connecting all the dots! I've......
ArchaeoBob (107 comments)
"America - love it or LEAVE!"
I've been hearing that and similar sentiments fairly frequently in the last few days - far FAR more often than ever before.  Hearing about "consequences for burning the flag (actions) from Trump is chilling!......
ArchaeoBob (211 comments)
"Faked!" Meme
Keep your eyes and ears open for a possible move to try to discredit the people openly opposing Trump and the bigots, especially people who have experienced terrorism from the "Right"  (Christian Terrorism is......
ArchaeoBob (165 comments)
More aggressive proselytizing
My wife told me today of an experience she had this last week, where she was proselytized by a McDonald's employee while in the store. ......
ArchaeoBob (163 comments)
See if you recognize names on this list
This comes from the local newspaper, which was conservative before and took a hard right turn after it was sold. Hint: Sarah Palin's name is on it!  (It's also connected to Trump.) ......
ArchaeoBob (169 comments)
Unions: A Labor Day Discussion
This is a revision of an article which I posted on my personal board and also on Dailykos. I had an interesting discussion on a discussion board concerning Unions. I tried to piece it......
Xulon (156 comments)
Extremely obnoxious protesters at WitchsFest NYC: connected to NAR?
In July of this year, some extremely loud, obnoxious Christian-identified protesters showed up at WitchsFest, an annual Pagan street fair here in NYC.  Here's an account of the protest by Pagan writer Heather Greene......
Diane Vera (130 comments)
Capitalism and the Attack on the Imago Dei
I joined this site today, having been linked here by Crooksandliars' Blog Roundup. I thought I'd put up something I put up previously on my Wordpress blog and also at the DailyKos. As will......
Xulon (329 comments)
History of attitudes towards poverty and the churches.
Jesus is said to have stated that "The Poor will always be with you" and some Christians have used that to refuse to try to help the poor, because "they will always be with......
ArchaeoBob (148 comments)
Alternate economy medical treatment
Dogemperor wrote several times about the alternate economy structure that dominionists have built.  Well, it's actually made the news.  Pretty good article, although it doesn't get into how bad people could be (have been)......
ArchaeoBob (90 comments)
Evidence violence is more common than believed
Think I've been making things up about experiencing Christian Terrorism or exaggerating, or that it was an isolated incident?  I suggest you read this article (linked below in body), which is about our great......
ArchaeoBob (214 comments)

More Diaries...




All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Comments, posts, stories, and all other content are owned by the authors. Everything else © 2005 Talk to Action, LLC.