| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"johac" |
| Date: |
19 Oct 2007 02:35:21 AM |
| Object: |
Deconstructing the Dominionists, Part IV |
Links to Parts I - III at site.
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Deconstructing the Dominionists, Part IV
By Mahanoy Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 06:29:13 PM EST
What is at stake here are two very different understandings of the
Bible, American history, and Christianity itself, specifically what it
means to be a Christian in a cosmopolitan society. The Dominionists
claim absolute validity and exclusivity for Christians, relegating
adherents of any other religion to second-class status (or worse), they
place the blame for America's failings and problems squarely at the feet
of the political and social left, whom they regard as dangerous
anti-Christian radicals. The Christian left, on the other hand,
celebrates the diversity of the world's religions while affirming our
own commitment to the Christian tradition, we value and affirm the
religious experience of our fellow Americans as well as their right to
worship (or not worship) according to their own conscience, and we
reaffirm our commitment to the principles of the Enlightenment and of
the Founders - reason, tolerance, respect for science, personal liberty,
and religious freedom.
Welcome to this fourth installment of my critical review of the booklet
America, Return to God, edited by Thomas Wang. The last two
installments were critiques of essays in Part I of the booklet, "From
Faith to Unbelief: America in Decline." In this fourth installment we
will move to Part II: "From Unbelief to Repentance: America in
Restoration."
In Part I, Wang assembles essays from a variety of sources to
demonstrate what he considers to be America's fall from divine favor and
loss of its faith in Jesus Christ. As we have had to reiterate on each
occasion, this interpretive lens - so central to Dominionist thought -
is a myth. America is not a Christian nation and has never been a
Christian nation. The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United
States expresses in no uncertain terms that the government shall make no
law establishing religion, nor shall it prevent the free exercise of
religion by any citizen. Thomas Jefferson, interpreting these clauses
of the First Amendment, famously described a "wall of separation between
church and state." This principle of separation has been a foundation
of American democracy and religious liberty for over 200 years, and that
foundation is under attack by the Christian Dominionists who desire
nothing less than the Christianization of America.
D. James Kennedy, founder of Coral Ridge Ministries and of The Center
for Reclaiming America for Christ (now closed) is one of the most
outspoken Dominionists currently active in the United States. His radio
and television shows reach millions around the world. In Wang's
booklet, Kennedy asks the question, "Christianizing America?"
There are some who would accuse us of trying to Christianize
America. Am I trying to Christianize America? You bet your boots I am!
(Kennedy, 92)
Kennedy, like many Dominionists, does not pretend to operate within the
bounds of constitutional tradition or law. His goal, and the goal of
Dominionists, is total domination of American society - "reclaiming
America for Christ."
Some act as if that were some sort of un-American thing to do. May
I simply remind them of their own history. (Kennedy, 92)
Kennedy, as have others in this booklet, claims that theocracy and
Christianization are thoroughly American ideals, and he turns to
American history in an attempt to prove his point. In this essay,
Kennedy turns to The First Virginia Charter (1606) written at Jamestown,
Virginia, to prove America's Christian heritage and its theocratic
ideals. The First Virginia Charter does, in fact, include explicit
references to promulgation of the Christian religion on Virginia's
shores:
Wee, greately commending and graciously accepting of theire desires
to the furtherance of soe noble a worke which may, by the providence of
Almightie God, hereafter tende to the glorie of His Divine Majestie in
propagating of Christian religion to suche people as yet live in
darkenesse and miserable ignorance of the true knoweledge and worshippe
of God and may in tyme bring the infidels and salvages living in those
parts to humane civilitie and to a setled and quiet govermente, doe by
theise our lettres patents graciously accepte of and agree to theire
humble and well intended desires...
Kennedy refers to this charter - written 170 years before the American
colonists declared independence from Britain - as incontrovertible proof
of America's Christian destiny. Such arguments should not require
rebuttal at all, except to reiterate this basic historical fact: the
United States of America did not exist as an independent nation until
the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on 4
July 1776. References to documents written and adopted before that
date, while certainly of historical interest, cannot be afforded the
same respect and legitimacy as documents written and adopted after that
date, including - most importantly - the Constitution.
Again, the Dominionists justify their agenda by means of a myth, or, to
put it in starker terms, an "Ig-Noble Lie. They perpetuate the myth
that America was founded as a Christian nation, that the Constitution
does not intend to maintain a separation of church and state, and that
theocracy (or Christocracy) has always been America's destiny.
In order to understand this particular version of Dominionism more
fully, and to understand just how popular and influential Kennedy and
his Coral Ridge Ministry really are, I urge you to peruse his websites:
Coral Ridge Ministries
Center for Reclaiming America for Christ
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http://www.talk2action.org/story/2007/10/18/182913/69
--
John #1782
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| User: "*nemo*" |
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| Title: Re: Deconstructing the Dominionists, Part IV |
19 Oct 2007 04:02:59 AM |
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johac wrote:
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http://www.talk2action.org/story/2007/10/18/182913/69
I've stored all 4 links for reading this weekend. Looks neat. Thanx!
--
Nemo - EAC Commissioner for Bible Belt Underwater Operations.
Atheist #1331 (the Palindrome of doom!)
BAAWA Knight! - One of those warm Southern Knights, y'all!
Charter member, SMASH!!
http://home.earthlink.net/~jehdjh/Relpg.html
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
Quotemeister since March 2002
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: Deconstructing the Dominionists, Part IV |
19 Oct 2007 06:28:12 PM |
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In article <13hgsm4f285co8c@corp.supernews.com>,
*nemo* <nemo0037@earthlink.diespam.com> wrote:
johac wrote:
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http://www.talk2action.org/story/2007/10/18/182913/69
I've stored all 4 links for reading this weekend. Looks neat. Thanx!
You're welcome.
--
John #1782
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