Strategizing a Christian Coup d'Etat

[PsychoDad]

Strategizing a Christian Coup d'Etat
A group of believers wants to establish Scriptures-based government one city and county at a time.

By Jenny Jarvie, Times Staff Writer
http://www.latimes.com/features/religion/la-na-exodus28aug28,1,6179054.story?coll=la-news-religion&ctrack=1&cset=true

GREENVILLE, S.C. — It began, as many road trips do, with a stop at Wal-Mart to buy a portable DVD player.

But Mario DiMartino was planning more than a weekend getaway. He, his wife and three children were embarking on a pilgrimage to South Carolina.

"I want to migrate and claim the gold of the Lord," said the 38-year-old oil company executive from Pennsylvania. "I want to replicate the statutes and the mores and the scriptures that the God of the Old Testament espoused to the world."

...

Christian Exodus activists plan to take control of sheriff's offices, city councils and school boards. Eventually, they say, they will control South Carolina. They will pass godly legislation, defying Supreme Court rulings on the separation of church and state.

"We're going to force a constitutional crisis," said Cory Burnell, 29, an investment advisor who founded the group in November 2003.



What was the talk about Theocracy in Iraq?

[Maraya1969]

1. Oh knock your socks off. Hit them with your best shot. You're gonna

lose either way.

I still say these fundy Christians are going to implode on themselves. "Force a constitutional crisis"? Good luck.

[wli]

2. haven't they already orchestrated a coup? i.e. Dec. 2000? n/t

[PsychoDad]

3. I've been saying for a while...

That the religious right that the GOP and the neo-cons have been courting will become a liability as their intrests diverge... They may even be the cause of a fracturing within the party.

Notice how the GOP has tried to distance themselves from Robertson, while not looking like they disagree with his message? But how long can they pull this balancing act off.

Probably only for as long as people like Robertson can keep his mouth shut in public.

They will end up eating their own (the GOP/ Religious Right)before it's over.

[NAO]

4. thread on this topic (DU link) - resources on Dominionism - Freethought

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2042962&mesg_id=2042962

Dominionism's Theocratic Designs and Radical Clerics

Fundamentalist Radical Clerics such as Falwell, Dobson, and Robertson are not merely medieval throwbacks or misguided religious hacks. They are part of a well organized subversionary movement known as "Dominionism". Dominionism constitutes a serious threat to American Democracy. These Radical Clerics have developed and are executing a detailed plan to gradually replace the free, secular democratic society of the United States with a Theocracy.

The Swift Advance of a Planned Coup: Conquering by Stealth and Deception - How the Dominionists Are Succeeding in Their Quest for National Control and World Power
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheSwiftAdvanceOfaPlannedCoup.htm

The Despoiling of America: How George W. Bush became the head of the new American Dominionist Church/State
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheDespoilingOfAmerica.htm

Video on the Christian Reconstructionist Dominionist Theocratic Agenda
http://www.theocracywatch.org/av/video_dominion.ram

The Rise of the Religious Right in the Republican Party
a public information project from TheocracyWatch.org
http://www.theocracywatch.org

The Yurica Report - News, Intelligence, Analysis
http://www.yuricareport.com

The Religious Right - An Anti-American Terrorist Movement
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8816.htm

Antidote to Fundamentalist Nut-Cases is a Revival of the Freethought Movement

I think what we need is a Freethought movement similar to what the US had around the turn of the 20th century. Robert Ingersoll was touring the country, lecturing on secularism and exposing the claims of revealed religion to be false.

Unless something breaks the stranglehold of religious fundamentalism in the US - and in the world - I think we are going to continue the slide into Theocracy and destruction.

Freedom from Religion Foundation
http://www.ffrf.org /

Secular Humanism
http://www.secularhumanism.org /

Secular Web
http://www.infidels.org/index.shtml

The Freethought Zone
Science and Reason Over Religion and Superstition
http://freethought.freeservers.com /

Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason - Online
http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/thomas_paine/age_of_reason/index.shtml

Complete Works of Robert Ingersoll - Online
http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/robert_ingersoll/index.shtml

[More Than A Feeling]

5. I can hear the maniacal laughter from here.

When did Christianity become the religion of comic book supervillains? Somebody tell Lex Luthor that he should stop trying to kill Superman and start getting some of that sweet, sweet old time religion.

[Meldread]

6. I wish them much luck.

I hope they are successful. If I had the money I'd donate to their efforts.

The wonderful thing is that, first of all they are moving AWAY from me. That is always a good thing. Second, if they actually get enough people down there to secede then they will most likely be bombed into submission. I highly doubt the United States would allow that to happen and they would lose their lives in the process, either through imprisonment or fighting in the streets, thus culling their hateful ranks.

However, if they were successful then that means they got a huge load of them down there. We can start a fund to get "sane" South Carolinian's out from down there and cut off all ties to SC. Basically starve them and their economy effectively killing them off that way.

No matter what they do, if they succeed or fail, they are screwed. So I wish them much luck. If nothing else it can deminish their hold on politics in other areas.

[PsychoDad]

7. In response to many in the thread.

I don't know if they have the numbers to pull this off.

Sure there's plenty of old ladies sitting at home mailing their welfare or pension checks to Falwell or Robertson, and I'm sure they have a handful that can get on line and repeatedly send emails or make phone calls, and sure, they can be very vocal and have some influence in the GOP, but as I see it if they had the numbers Robertson would hold some office somewhere.

Perhaps their best bet would be to start their own town. As you have pointed out, there will be less of them to bother you or I.. But how long would it be before doctrinal differences splintered them into feuding groups? Ever wonder why there are so many of the same denomination of a church or similar ones in a town? Personal politics, often nothing more, I was raised a son of a Southern Baptist Fundie Minister and have seen family power struggles and slight doctrinal issues splinter many a church into smaller factions.

My prediction, within a week they will erect a electrified fence between Pentecostals and non-Pentecostals.

Anyway, the way to combat this very vocal sect is, as I see it twofold, 1) Reason as NAO has pointed out. God gave us minds and reason and it is insane to think that the same God did not intend us to use them, and 2) Liberal Christans MUST reclaim Jesus and his very liberal message at every opportunity. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God", "Forgive us, as we forgive others".


Anyway, that's my 2 cents.
Peace