600-500 BCE. The ideas of Zoroaster, the Persian (think Iran) religious thinker spread throughout what is now the Middle East.
These ideas of Zoroaster include one God (Monotheism) and Dualism: the idea that there is an earthly struggle between absolute good (God) and absolute evil (like Satan). Thus spake Zarathustra, Zoroaster's aka. These themes picked up by Nietzsche, Strauss (the composer) and the 2001 space flick; and let's not forget George W. Bush. Yup. It all starts with Zoroaster, but don't blame him for how things have turned out. These historic legacies, transmuted through the American experience, have resulted in the palengenetic push to "purify" our land of the sins of abortion, the feminist movement, and gay rights, (among other things) so that Godly men can establish Dominion (thus the term "Dominionism") over the United States, or even build a full Theocracy. And all this is tied to Monotheism, Dualism, Messianism, Apocalypticism and Demonization--and the Palengentic idea that before Jesus comes back-- Godly Christians have to whip folks into shape.
But keep in mind that most conservative Christian evangelicals do not support the idea of a Theocracy; and that exaggerating the threat or painting all Christian evangelicals with a demonizing broad brush is both wrong and unconstructive. 1-35 (about). Jesus of Nazareth is upset with the Jewish leaders who seem to have lost track of some core ideas of Judaism. As an observant Jew, he takes them to task, gathering a following in the process. This band of palingenetic Jews seek to restore the power of the religion. Jesus is executed as an annoying rebel demagogue upsetting Church and state. Don't blame "the Jews" no matter how many times you watched that Gibson film. What really matters, though, is the belief in the resurrection of Christ after his death, and the debate about his return as the Messiah in a "Second Coming," maybe tied to something called the "End Times" when there is this huge apocalyptic battle between good and evil involving an agent of Satan called the "Anti-Christ." 35-200 (about) This band of palingenetic Jews claim Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. They open up the new religion of Christianity to non-Jews. One dude in particular, Paul, is into institutionalizing everything. Elaine Pagels explains this stuff better than me. Check out her books. 250-350 (about). Illuminating religious current called Manichaeism combines Christianity and Zoroastrianism. Sprouts up in south Babylon, (Iraq). Highly dualistic. Denounced as a heresy by the ruling claque of Christianity. Keeps popping back up. 250-350 (about). Constantine the Great. Flavius Valerius Constantinus to you, if you are walking around back then. Turns Roman Empire into a Christian State and carries the religion across Europe and even to those pesky Celts up in those big islands. 350-450 (about) Augustine is no pinhead, he is a great scholar and intellectual and merges classic scholarship with Christian thinking to create a durable theology. 1095-1291. The Crusades. The idea is the liberate the city of Jerusalem, especially the Temple Mount (formerly site of the first and second Temple of Solomon built by the Jews) from the "infidels," who are really Muslims. The Muslims think Jerusalem is their holy city, because they see Jesus as a great prophet, but their messianic narrative involves their central prophet Mohammed, and the idea that in the "End Times" their prophesies require Islamic religious events to take place on Harem el-Sharif, aka the Temple Mount. Some Christians argue that Jesus can't return as messiah until the Temple Mount is rid of the Muslims. 1483-1546. Martin Luther. This dude had a real attitude problem, and nails the honchos. He attacks several ideas and practices of the rulers, theologians, and priests of Christianity. There is no separation of church and state at this time, so he is also the bane of government officials. His protests eventually split Christianity into three main branches: Roman Catholicism, the Eastern Orthodox churches, and Protestantism, the latter based on the protests of Luther. As a priest and scholar, Luther is palingenetic in that he wanted to restore and purify Christianity, and this in his mind involved seeing the Roman Pope as perhaps the Antichrist who undermines the Godly and seeks to prevent the return of the Messiah, Jesus. 1509-1564. John Calvin. Takes Protestantism and crafts the idea of an ideal theocratic state run by Godly men. 1559-1660. Puritans & Pilgrims. Take Calvinism to new heights and new shores with migrations to the "New World" between 1620 and 1640. As settlers, some thought the native population, being non-Christian and a breed apart, had no souls. They saw themselves as building a "New Jerusalem," a "City on a Hill" to shine a beacon of the purified faith of Christianity throughout the world (thus Beacon Hill in Boston). These palingenetic Pilgrims and Puritans thought the ideal nation state was a Protestant theocracy run by Godly men. When the "New Jerusalem" was established, they believed it would hasten the second coming of Christ. Agents of Satan who might prevent this included witches, who shared the Devil's skills. Any straying from theological or secular orthodoxy needed to be corrected through punishment, shame and discipline. Witches and other handmaidens of Satan were put to death, along with religious rebels who refused to obey banishment.
1936. Christian American Association founded. 1937. Church League of America founded (National Layman's Council). 1950. Freeman magazine founded. 1950. Christian America magazine founded. 1950. Christian Economics magazine/journal founded. 1950. Christian Freedom Foundation founded. 1954. Brown v. Board of Education - desegregated public schools. 1955. National Review magazine founded by William F. Buckley Jr. 1957. Roth v. United States - porography. 1958. JBS Founding meeting (1959 actual organization launched). 1959. Christian Broadcasting Network founded by Pat Robertson. 1962. Summit Ministries founded by David Noebel. 1962. Engel v. Vitale - school prayer. 1962. Christian Citizen founded. 1963. Rusher calls for conservative takeover of GOP. 1963. Abington Township School District v. Schempp - banned sponsored Bible reading. 1963. William Rusher urges challenge to GOP. 1964. Goldwater campaign for President. 1964. Schlafly helps build Goldwater campaign. Book: "A Choice Not An Echo". 1965. R.J. Rushdoony founds the Chalcedon Foundation 1966. Republican conservatives score important successes in governorships, and other races. Of the 153 candidates endorsed by American Conservative Union--133 won. 1968. Wallace campaigns for President. 1969. MOTOREDE launched by JBS - main attack was on sex education, but also urged anti-abortion activism in a largely Protestant base. 1969. Kevin Phillips publishes book on new GOP majority. 1970. Religious Roundtable founded by Ed McAteer. 1971. Swann v Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. Approved of Busing as a remedy for segregation. 1972. Wallace campaigns for President. 1972. Stop Era campaign by Schalfly. 1972. Eagle Forum founded by Phyllis Schlafly. 1973. Conservative Political Action Conferences started. 1973. Roe v. Wade - Supreme Court decision on abortion. 1973. Heritage Foundation founded by Weyrich and Joe Coors with money from Joe Coors and Richard Mellon Scaife. 1973. Roe v. Wade abortion decision handed down by Supreme Court. 1973. Rushdoony publishes Institutes of Biblical Law. 1974 . School Textbook controversy Kanawha County WV. 1974. Kanawha County WV textbook xontroversy. 1974. Conservative Caucus founded by Howard Phillips. 1974. Third Century Publishers founded. 1974. Free Congress Foundation founded as Committee for the Survival of a Free Congress. 1975. Bright and Conlan start leadership trainings to politicize evangelicals. 1976. National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC) founded by Terry Dolan. 1976. Weyrich, Phillips, Viguerrie, and Rusher go to American Independent Party convention to try to take it over, but fail, then look toward Republican Party. 1977. Christian School Action founded by Robert Billings (becomes National Christian Action. 1977. Focus on the Family founded by James Dobson. 1977. American Family Association formed by Don Wildmon. 1977. Anita Bryant leads anti-gay campaign in Florida. 1978. American Vision founded. 1978. IRS under President Jimmy Carter's commissioner Jerome Kurtz issues proposed regulations likely to strip non-profit tax status from hundreds of segregated White Christian academies. 1978. National Christian Action Coalition founded by Robert Billings (expanded from Christian School Action). 1979. Schaeffer and Koop make film series on abortion. 1979. New Right organizers meet to plan Moral Majority. 1979. Western Goals founded. 1979. Reverend Sileven of Faith Baptist Church in Nebraska was jailed after illegally operating an unlicensed school as a Christian academy. 1979. Moral Majority founded by Jerry Falwell. 1979. Christian Voice launched. 1979 . Concerned Women for America founded by Beverly LaHaye. 1980. Traditional Values Coalition founded by Sheldon. 1980. Institute on Religion and Democracy founded with money from Scaife and Olin . 1981. Council for National Policy founded. 1983. Bob Jones University V. United States. 1984. The Washington Times founded by Rev.Sun Myung Moon. 1989. Christian Coalition founded by Pat Robertson. 1992. Lee v. Weisman - school prayer. 1993. Alliance Defense Fund founded by D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries, Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association, and James Dobson of Focus on the Family, and others. 2000. Santa Fe Independent School District v. DOE - school prayer case.
Theocracy Timeline | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)
Chip, enjoyed the research. I believe Jesus lost his only election to a theocracy advocate, Barabbas who believed in overthrowing Rome. This is why the terrorist found favor, Jesus was the separation candidate. Missing in the chronology is the story of Baptists and how they instigated the idea of separation and insisted on a free church in a free state. Frederick is going to post some things I have put together on Richard Land who is moving Baptists away from their foundations. McAteer was a layman in a Baptist church in Memphis who wanted the current President Bush to appoint him to be ambassador to Israel. He represents a return to the Barabbas approach more than he symbolizes what a Baptist is.
by wilkyjr on Mon Apr 23, 2007 at 07:19:29 PM EST
1965 R.J. Rushdoony founds the Chalcedon Foundation
1973 Rushdoony publishes Institutes of Biblical Law 1980 Institute on Religion and Democracy founded with money from Scaife and Olin 1984 The Washington Times founded by Rev.Sun Myung Moon
more soon!
How about the boys from Detroit? Coughlin, Henriech (As Hitler called him) Ford, Gerald Smith, and J. Frank Norris, all of whom resided in the city about the same time and were close to one another. They appear to be the early founders in the nation.
by wilkyjr on Thu Apr 26, 2007 at 09:51:57 AM EST
Theocracy Timeline | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)
|
Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Installments of Jonathan Hutson's Talk To Action expose series
on the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game have been viewed by up to 1/2 million people. See our site section featuring Over 35 original articles covering the controversial "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game that has provoked a boycott by a coalition of religious groups and a letter writing campaign urging Walmart to stop selling the game. Media inquiries click here(image: detail from Francoise Dubois' rendition of the Bartholomew's Day Massacre reveals the actual nature of religious warfare)
Holiday Harangue: Utah Lawmaker Wants To Mandate `Merry Christmas'
The Religious Right's annual whine-fest about the "War on Christmas" is coming along right on schedule. James Dobson has issued his list of "naughty...... By Rob Boston (0 comments)
Organizing in Response to Fred Phelps
Rev. Fred Phelps, the vile anti-gay activist and head of Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, will make several stops in Boston on December 12th,...... By Frederick Clarkson (5 comments)
Creationism: The Latest In Military Suicide Prevention
Here at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), we get countless complaints about religiously based mental health and counseling programs, which, over the past...... By Chris Rodda (5 comments)
Short Takes
The Public Eye: Chip Berlet shows how knowledge of the various submovements and ideologies of the Religious Right, matters. (As distinct from the mindless...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Loony List: James Dobson Tells Us Who's Been Naughty And Nice
The day after Thanksgiving is "Black Friday," the traditional start of the December holiday shopping season. Nervous retailers are watching the bottom line, fretful...... By Rob Boston (4 comments)
Revelation of an Afterword
Jeff Sharlet has let the cat out of the bag by posting his Afterword to Dispatches from the Religious Left at The Revealer (the...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
The Oogedy-Boogedy Gap, Defined
It was not so long ago that liberals and Democrats were wringing their hands about how more deeply religious voters were tending to vote...... By Frederick Clarkson (15 comments)
Why Religious Heritage Battles Matter
For a variety of reasons, folks of different ideologies want to "claim" the Founding. If their heritage gave it to us, as the theory...... By Jonathan Rowe (0 comments)
Documentary Explores Evangelicals for Obama and Dissatisfaction with Republican Party
The UK's Channel 4 has just broadcast a documentary about American evangelical dissatisfaction with the Republican Party and increasing support for the Democrats. Entitled...... By Richard Bartholomew (1 comment)
What Obama Owes Catholic Voters
The Catholic Right-Part, Seventy-three Some Catholics think President-elect Obama owes American Catholics something for providing him with a 54% plurality. As Frederick Clarkson recently...... By Frank Cocozzelli (4 comments)
The Religious Right's 'War on Christmas' Began Centuries Ago
As Talk To Action writer Frederick Clarkson observes, proclamations from Bill O'Reilly, claiming the existence of a leftist assault on Christmas, are "part of...... By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)
Blaming the War on Christmas on -- You Know Who
As we enter into the season of overheated and half-baked claims about the desacrilization of the Jewish and Christian holiday season, led by Bill...... By Frederick Clarkson (5 comments)
Short Takes
Daily Kos: Diarist John Campanelli shows what's wrong with next-generation Religious Right leader Huck's take on gay rights. Buzzflash: Bill Berkowitz surfaces the deep...... By Frederick Clarkson (3 comments)
Beating of Jewish Soldier at Fort Benning Turns Allies Into Foes
Just over a year ago, Sgt. Brian Kresge of the website Jews in Green had nothing but praise for Mikey Weinstein, founder and president...... By Chris Rodda (0 comments)
Pugilistic Priest: Some Clergy Just Can't Deal With Being Called Out Over Politicking
Some right-wing members of the clergy are getting upset over the election of Barack Obama. I mean really getting upset. The story about the...... By Rob Boston (1 comment)
What's next for the Religious Right? Back to the Future.
After the collapse of the Moral Majority in the late `80's and the during the rise of the Christian Coalition, another movement, (or better description) of hysteria was sweeping over the country. It became...... By Stacey Tallitsch (1 comment)
After the election
Some observations I've made, now that the election has been over for several days (admittedly based only a few samples- but I think that they are telling): Unlike when Bush won (when conservatives were...... By ArchaeoBob (0 comments)
Shorter Dobson - Post-Election Special
James Dobson devoted two half-hour radio shows to his post-Obama victory thoughts along with a cadre of six other religious conservatives. Here is a brief summary of their discussion... ...... By tacitus (5 comments)
Katherine Harris & Ken Malone, October 3, 2008
(what this story is really about): this post is an adjunct to a larger story, Katherine Harris, Sarah Palin Linked To Same Prayer Warfare Network which explores the fact that both Katherine Harris and...... By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
Ignorance and Arrogance
Ignorance results primarily from two sources: poverty and privilege. Either denied an education or entitled to power, this isolation that enables ignorance breeds arrogance, and our society suffers from both.In an interview on American...... By Jay Taber (3 comments)
Imagining a Witchcraft-Fighting Vice President
Other recent Talk To Action stories on this subject Katherine Harris, Sarah Palin Linked To Same Prayer Warfare Network Palin's Movement Urges 'Godly' To 'Plunder' Wealth of 'Godless' Palin's Spiritual Warfare Network Partners With...... By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
Spiritual Mapping and Spiritual Warfare - Muthee and the "Transformations" Franchise / 1
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave Series By The New Apostolic Reformation Research Team Introduction A video starring Thomas Muthee as a prayer warrior and witch hunter was released in 1999. "Transformations" was the...... By Ruth (0 comments)
Spiritual Mapping and Spiritual Warfare - Muthee and the "Transformations" Franchise / 2
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave Series By The New Apostolic Reformation Research Team Part Two (continued)part one part three A video starring Thomas Muthee as a prayer warrior and witch hunter was released in 1999....... By Ruth (1 comment)
Spiritual Mapping and Spiritual Warfare - Muthee and the "Transformations" Franchise / 3
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave Series By The New Apostolic Reformation Research Team Part Three (continued)part one part two There are Transformations networks connected to Sentinel Group and "prayer warriors" under the authority of Wagner's...... By Ruth (0 comments)
Rev Andrew Weaver: A Fighter for Justice to the End
In the world of the intertubes the word "friend" has taken on a whole new meaning. A friend can be someone you've never met, never even talked to except through the medium of the...... By mick arran (0 comments)
Setting Priorities
Two of the people with the most on-the-ground experience in dealing with white christian nationalists in the United States -- Devin Burghart and Eric Ward (both currently with Center for New Community's Building Democracy...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Christianity was Hijacked
Kevin Annett's documentary film Unrepentant tells the story of the Canadian holocaust. For those unfamiliar with the systematic mass murder of indigenous people in Canada by the United Church of Canada and the Canadian...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
IMAGINE: Media as a Sanctuary for Dissent
"The media should be a sanctuary for dissent. It is our job to go to where the silence is."-Amy Goodman ...... By eileen fleming (0 comments)
Berlet, Clarkson and Maley on the Radio
The syndicated radio program Writer's Voice , which originates at WMUA, the radio station at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, recently featured Dispatches contributors Chip Berlet, Leo Maley, and me in an hour...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Reconquering a Continent
When it comes to threatening behavior, mainstream media's cover-up of Governor Palin's violent friends is a much bigger story than her abuse of power. Of particular interest to Native Americans -- according to Dr....... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Power of Moral Sanction
With the question of how to effectively oppose the rise of fascism in the United States now in vogue, I thought it apropos to revisit this essay from 2002, The Power of Moral Sanction....... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Where's the Action?
It would seem the objective of action is at hand. Organizing for that step can take multiple forms, but one that is essential to any political success is generating a list of supporters and...... By Jay Taber (5 comments)
Dispatches from the Religious Left -- on Grit TV
Following the dramatic launch event for Dispatches from the Religious Left: The Future of Faith and Politics in America, held at Middle Collegiate Church in NYC, Laura Flanders invited several of us to appear...... By Frederick Clarkson (1 comment)
Remembering Iran-Contra
For those too young to have watched the live TV coverage of the Iran-Contra scandal, the notion of murderous felonies being coordinated out of the White House basement might seem fanciful. With the new...... By Jay Taber (1 comment)
The Problem With Militias
Sarah Palin supports the militia movement? Public Good Project's Paul de Armond explains why that's a problem. ...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Assemblies of God, Palin, and me
I spent eight years of my life as a Pentecostal in the Assembly of God. It's as odd and alien a sect to most people as Mitt Romney's Mormonism. ...... By whaleman42 (2 comments)
Dispatches from the Religious Left -- Now Available!
At least it is now "in stock" over at Amazon.com. It should also be widely available in independent bookstores and chain stores as well. I will not clutter this site with too much news...... By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Transcript for Mary Glazier Video
Transcript of Audio "Opening the Gate of Heaven on Earth: Receiving the New Prophetic Wind for Increase" Conference, June 12 - 14, Everett, Washington Description of Conference at: <a href="http://freshpublishing.com/global-harvest-ministries-c-192-p-1-pr-33372.html ">http://freshpublishing.com/global-harvest-ministries-c-192-p-1-pr-33372.html Mary Glazier Alaska...... By Ruth (0 comments)
"Seven Mountains" and the "Joel's Army" plan for takeover
In yesterday's post, I went into some of the initial detail on a statement given by Thomas Muthee in the infamous sermon where he "annointed" Sarah Palin and also claimed to literally run a...... By dogemperor (0 comments)
Christian Fascism
[also see: Brent Bozell's Newbusters Insults Christian Conservatives - editor] Sarah Palin's propulsion into politics was fueled by religious intolerance, organized through malicious harassment, and targeted at democracy. Her use of the power of...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Politics of Thuggery
Much as most Americans prefer politics as entertainment, or at most as an informal seminar, the reality is that the politics of thuggery -- especially as practiced by the GOP -- is anything but...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Thomas Muthee's "Seven Mountains" and coded messages
Today's diary is--and yes, I know, this is a shocker--NOT going to be about Sarah Palin. At least, not directly. This is more towards some of her supporters...and especially in light of Palin throwing...... By dogemperor (2 comments)
New Model for Change
With American society in free fall, some activists are now reviewing the effectiveness of political organizing models they've used in the past. We suggest they include in their discussions two of our reports on...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
Promoting Murder in America
Contrary to public opinion, promoting murder is not protected by the Constitution. Nor is it protected by tax exempt status, as in the case of charitable trusts and organized religions. The only place we...... By Jay Taber (0 comments)
War of Ideas
<h2> Attacking the Truth</h2> Robert Parry talks about the role of right-wing US foundations in funding the attack on truth in media. ...... By Jay Taber (0 comments) More Diaries... |
BlogsBartholomew's Notes On ReligionChip BerletMax BlumenthalThe Panda's ThumbFrederick Clarkson Chuck Currie DefCon father Jake Stops The World John Gorenfeld Religion Clause Chris Mooney Religious Right Watch The Revealer Jesus Politics Majority Report Radio Blog Mainstream Baptist Orcinus Dispatches from the Culture Wars Ex-Gay Watch The Wall of Separation Blog From The Capital:a blog on religious liberty issues and the separation of church and stateOrganizationsAmerican Booksellers Foundation for Freedom of ExpressionACLUAnti-Defamation LeagueAmerican Library AssociationChristian Alliance for ProgressCitizens ProjectDefCon: Campaign to Defend The ConstitutionFaithful America People For the American wayInstitute For Democracy StudiesInterfaith AllianceJews On First: Defending the First AmendmentAmerican Fundamentalists Americans United for Separation of Church and StateBaptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty The Clergy and laity Network Political Research Associates Theocracy Watch Media Matters for AmericaMilitary Religious Freedom FoundationMontana Human Rights NetworkNational Center For Science EducationReligious Coalition for Reproductive ChoiceThe RevealerSouthern Poverty Law CenterTexas Freedom NetworkCrossLeft: Organizing the Christian LeftTheocracy WatchTruth Wins Out" |
||||||||||||||