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New Know thine enemy: read it and weep
Christian right secession fantasy: Spooky neo-Confederate talk grows louder at the fringes


The religious right is spooked and making scary new allies. Some worry theocratic violence will soon be on the rise
PAUL ROSENBERG

A Saturday ago at the annual conference of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal accused President Obama and other Democrats of waging a war against religious liberty and all but openly threatened a violent revolution, AP reported:

“I can sense right now a rebellion brewing amongst these United States,” Jindal said, “where people are ready for a hostile takeover of Washington, D.C., to preserve the American Dream for our children and grandchildren.”

Of course, Jindal’s speech didn’t come out of nowhere. Jindal is notorious as a weather vane, not a leader. So this is a clear sign of the need to take threats of right-wing violence seriously — and to look to its justifications as formulated on the Christian right.

As the latest wave of theocratic violence continues to play out in Iraq, it must feel exotic for most Americans, for whom theocratic violence is something that happens elsewhere. Yet, the idea of such violence coming to America — something Jindal is apparently eager for — is hardly far-fetched. Violence against abortion providers has been with us for decades, after all, and as Jindal’s pandering suggests, there could well be much worse to come, according to a new article from Political Research Associates, “Rumblings of Theocratic Violence,” by Frederick Clarkson, author of ”Eternal Hostility: the Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy,” and co-founder of Talk2Actionorg. While violent rhetoric is nothing new on the Christian right, Clarkson observes, there are reasons to take such rhetoric more seriously than ever before. Above all, some of those most dedicated to the idea of America as a Christian nation are beginning to lose faith in their inevitable success.

[. . .]

Perhaps most ominously, there is a growing convergence of theocratic and neo-Confederate thinking, Clarkson finds:

At least some of the historic culture warriors of the Christian Right seem to be considering an ostensibly unlikely coalition with the Neo-Confederate movement. The coalition would lead their followers in religious and political directions in which violence is as likely as the outcomes are uncertain. It is an unlikely coalition, not necessarily because the Christian Right and most Neo-Confederates differ much on issues, but because Christian nationalism is so fundamentally at odds with the notion of fracturing the nation due to a loss of hope and faith in the role of the United States in God’s plan.

In short, if you think that secession talk has been crazy since President Obama took office, it could get significantly worse. The sort of standoff we saw at the Cliven Bundy ranch could pale in comparison to what a religiously motivated group — certain that God is on their side — might do.

“The thing for us not to lose sight of is that social movements are not static — and the Christian right is one of the most dynamic and powerful movements in American history,” Clarkson told Salon. “But some of their goals have been thwarted at the federal level for a variety of reasons having to do with the limits of presidential power, the importance of judicial precedent and respect for the rights of individuals, and the complexities of the legislative process. These have been hard lessons to take, but they have been learned.”

Which is why they’ve refocused a great deal of attention at the state level, along with other conservative activists, “to play to their strengths and maximize their power instead of tilting at windmills,” he explained.

[. . .]



Lots of links.. Opus Dei, Dominionism, n- Orgs., martyrdom ...
Since each sect is Certain of its sole-Righteousness, it could only ever remain unclear, whether in aggregate the sum could become coherent networks for disciplined Hell-raising or,
be no more effective than is an atom in Brownian motion .

(Maybe we can 'help', sect by sect ... to reinforce that one common thread: I Right! ... You Wrong!
(Where's that joke re the guy on a bridge saving a suicide, then they exchange bios: member of this church, that denomination, this reformation (or..Not!) ... and the denouement you would expect)

Hey! it wasn't a joke.. for a whole bunch of disillusioned, scared thus scary far-Right-ful Ones.
So if someone is carrying a ... menacingly ... consider what kind of projectile just might emanate from one or more 'arms', eh?
New Am I right in thinking...
...that there's no provision for states or organisations to secede from the union, and that what these people are actually fomenting stacks up as being actual treason?
New Remember that little dust-up we had back in the 1860s?
--

Drew
New "... you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave."
New If it comes, it'll be the worthless thumb's fault.
Again.
New LRPD opines: 'There should be an opportunity for somebody here.'
New Nehemia Scudder is coming.
Dang, but Heinlein was more prescient than I ever thought.
--
Christian R. Conrad
Same old username (as above), but now on iki.fi

(Yeah, yeah, it redirects to the same old GMail... But just in case I ever want to change.)
     Know thine enemy: read it and weep - (Ashton) - (6)
         Am I right in thinking... - (pwhysall) - (2)
             Remember that little dust-up we had back in the 1860s? -NT - (drook)
             "... you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave." -NT - (Another Scott)
         If it comes, it'll be the worthless thumb's fault. - (mmoffitt) - (1)
             LRPD opines: 'There should be an opportunity for somebody here.' -NT - (Ashton)
         Nehemia Scudder is coming. - (CRConrad)

We know better than to wear plaid and stripes together.
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