The Family: Christian Mafia Rules US?

[LongTomH]

Run time: 12:22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqX87HzJvCo   Posted on YouTube: January 24, 2010 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: January 24, 2010 By DU Member: LongTomH Views on DU: 3712

 
Another interview with Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family: the Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Politics.

[Guilded Lilly]

1. It's not so secret.

Just deadly.

[hootinholler]

2. Buy it!

Read it!

I had to have my BP meds upped.

-Hoot

[Octafish]

4. Need a BFEExorcism...

...of the War for Money Party, hootinholler.

Know your BFEE: The Fellowship ‘Preys’ for America

Know your BFEE: Forget Rev. Wright! It’s Bush and His Cronies Who Owe an Apology for Rev. Moon!

Know your BFEE: Cultkeepers



Freaking satanic nutjobs and NAZIs made this sicko a billionaire.

[HillWilliam]

9. Is that a gang sign?

Jessaskin'.

[hootinholler]

27. The problem is that the family has a lot of Dems wrapped up in its cult too.

You are right, though the BFEE leverages them. I bet Prescott was good friends with Abram. Abram was a Nazi admirer.

I don't see how to combat them. I would love to get close enough to have to watch my back.

Has anyone done a social map of the people named in the book?

-Hoot

[Nay]

7. I read the book and now want to move to the other side of Mars.

These people are so evil, it's hard to compute.

[valerief]

3. The Family is pure evil. nt

[earcandle]

5. uh.... have some music to bring back some sense of it at all....

Losing Ground

[Jamastiene]

6. K&R

It is real and it is dangerous.

[sulphurdunn]

8. After 20 centuries

it's no surprise that organized Christianity has a lot to answer for, but it doesn't have to answer for the Family, which is no more a Christian organization than the Mafia or any other crime syndicate. To its credit, the Mob doesn't use religion as a cover for influence peddling.

[Mithreal]

11. It may look like that from within Christianity, but not from without

Until the Red-Letter Christian types can take back the message, I will lump all Christians together. Over centuries it seems the focus has been more splitting over differences than coming together.

I say this as a former Lutheran.

I had a conversation a few days ago with the pastor at the church in my neighborhood. It may seem fairly silly or insignificant. His sign out front of the church was advertising the latest revival with C-R-U-S-A-D-E in big letters. I spoke with him about the meaning of that word and all my language I used focused upon Jesus and a message of love. However, he never mentioned Jesus and only love in a mocking tone. He had ample opportunity, we talked for maybe 10 minutes. His counter to my very kindly worded and loving toned argument (not kidding, I went out of my way to be kind, easier for me to do in speaking than writing) was in regards to the term "gay" for anything other than its original meaning just like he would use crusade however he well pleased regardless of how others felt about it. That blew me away because that diversion in the conversation was all his own making and betrayed his heart for what it was, hardened.

Another recent experience I had with another two pastors was at my grandmother's funeral. The one pastor was a family member, my grandfather's nephew, and to my shock, I hadn't met him before, a deadringer for my brother. The other pastor was a man who I found out later my grandmother despised but he found "salvation" after leading a life of indulgence, alcohol, and worse. Both mentioned my grandmother only in passing and BRIEFLY and went on to talk fire and brimstone and saving one's soul, rather than speak of love and compassion in their significantly too long "sermons". I was nearly shaking in that church but respected it as the one many in my family go to and my grandmother grew up in. For me to stand up and take on those two "pastors" would have been seen as disrespectful as well. I am an agnostic now, full disclosure, but my mother bless her heart is still devout and she felt the same way and was shocked to hear we were both thinking the same thoughts as we listened to the hate-filled messages.

To counter that, in my neighborhood, a local church helped build a Habitat for Humanity home. I helped too but only briefly.

I understand where you are coming from, believe you me, though my words may shout the contrary. "Christians" have a lot for which they need to be held accountable and not just in the afterlife.

[jotsy]

28. Excellent reflections better shared, tyvm.

I describe myself as a student of faith with little regard for the confines of denominational religion. I tend to believe that no deity deemed deserving would condone the shedding of innocent blood. Lately, I find I toy with the internal question of whether or not man has made god in an image more to his own liking.

[AlbertCat]

12. but it doesn't have to answer for the Family,

Another mainstream Christian value on display, I see: " I'm a better Christian than they are!"

They are Christians. (Stop pretending they aren't.) Or if not, then the big ass "real" Christian leaders had better do something about it or they are part of it. Your little church in suburbia full of nice spaghetti supper grandmas and big eyed children are silently SUPPORTING these people whether you know it or not. There's more to the Christian machine than just feel good "Jesus loves me" pap.

I do what I can to get people to stop using any ancient superstitious guesses to live their lives by, But being an atheist, I have no voice or power. You guys are gonna have to rein your loonies in. I'll be happy to help, but no one listens to atheists. Hell, Christians of all stripes think WE'RE the problem!

[sulphurdunn]

14. You guys?

What about you? After 20 centuries the "Church" is not going anywhere. The institution will continue to influence the direction of Western civilization and its relationship with the rest of the world. The only question is the direction it takes. Mockery is easier than action. You can't destroy the Church, you can't ignore it, but you can influence it ever so slightly. Ever so slightly multiplied millions of times is substantial. By the way, I never said I was a better Christian than they are. I said they aren't Christians, not even half ass bad ones like me, and I meant it.

[ret5hd]

16. You get to decide who is xtian??? Who gets to decide who is Muslim?

ever hear of the "no true scotsman" fallacy?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

[crim son]

17. I don't wish to be offensive, but you are just another Christian

denouncing a Christian who doesn't share your beliefs. They call themselve Christians, so does the regular gay-hating christian populace and so do people who support capital punishment, for example. There are plenty of "Christians" in both parties who are willing to steal from the poor (in essence) so that they may remain rich... in family, in health and in property/income. Until a substantial group of "Christians", a well-known, prominent group... say, Southern Baptists, stands up against the use of Jesus' name to excuse sin, many progressives will not be willing to take the time to distinguish the "yous" from the "thems". If they are Christian, they are part of your christian family and you need to help them or keep quiet.

And by "you" I don't mean you specifically.

[sulphurdunn]

22. Meaning no offense,

But my definition of Christianity is as follows: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do even so unto them, for this is the Law and the Prophets". Matthew 7:12.
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Mahatma Gandh.
Friend, you better help the Christian family too, because if they don't become Christian quickly, they will make no distinction between you (an unbeliever) and me (a heretic) when they burn us both at the same stake. All else is commentary.

[crim son]

24. I am not offended, neither does your post

change my point of view - if anything, it reinforces it.

BTW, I'm not Christian. I left the Catholic church two decades ago and will not again call myself Christian until the people who represent the title behave like Christ i.e. I'm never going back.

[Caretha]

26. Actually it is not 20 centuries

but you have to read and start comprehending a lot of stuff until you understand that. Todays' Christianity is no different from the other archaic god/goddess beliefs of times past. All the myths that got us to where the "christian community is today" is a life time study with an incredible amount of twists and turns.

Worth your while to start studying it. But, I'll warn you, it will take you where you have never been before and challenge everything you believe sacred, and it will take a lot of dedication on your part if you should choose the path of understanding/learning vs blind belief.

[sulphurdunn]

29. Please.

I've been studying it for 50 years. Of course Christianity has antecedents. It has its origins in Sumerian polytheism and the earliest forms of monism that arose in Egypt during the 18th Dynasty. There is no mystery about it. From the tribal war god of the Hebrews it has evolved toward the the teachings of Jesus. The Christian community is where it is today because it both molds and reflects the cultural influences of societies where it is practiced, exactly like any other religion. In the US that development has manifested itself in the alloy of capitalism and compassion, the worship of things and the discounting of people, the triumph of nationalism over universalism, and a proclivity for war. It has taken me, through many twists and turns to a pragmatic understanding Matthew 7:12, and as I've already stated, the rest is just commentary and history.

[Mithreal]

10. Thank you for posting this.

[Blue Owl]

13. Focus on this family...

and turn the spotlights on high beam to expose the ridiculous hypocrisy going on...

[DailyGrind51]

15. "The Family" is a cult, like Wahabism in Islam, bearing no resemblance to scriptural teaching.

[bertman]

18. Exactly right, DailyGrind51. The problem is they call themselves Christians and they make

others think they are Christians just by their claims and their associations. The Prayer Breakfasts that are attended by such Democratic leaders as Hillary Clinton, are touted as opportunities for Christian legislators to get together and pray for guidance.

There are many stripes of Christians. Really, all you have to do is call yourself a Christian and voila! you're in. This has been the case since Day 1 of the cult, and it's not going to change anytime soon. That's what gives the cover with the dumbasses who lap that shit up and vote for their "Christian" representatives like Ensign and Vitter and Stupak --just because they say they love Jesus.

[defendandprotect]

20. Correct . . . but were they "Christians" when they ran the Crusades, the Inquisition . . .???

Or when they held Jews in ghettoes for 1,100 years --

forcing them to wear Yellow Stars --

Isolating them from society -- barring them from education and the professions?

Were they "Chrisitians" then????

[bertman]

23. Absolutely they were. Being a Christian has never, that I know of, required acting like Christ.

It's a gigantic club that offers forgiveness for your "sins" (murder, rape, kidnapping, theft, adultery, etc, etc) just as long as you do something good for the cause. Something like expanding the territory of Christendom, adding loot to the treasury of the Church, sending thousands of heathens to meet their maker.

The popes, bishops, priests were encouraging their followers when they were roasting human beings alive on spits or slaughtering other followers of Jesus because they weren't adhering to the "right" version of Christianity.

Yeah, they were Christians then. Good ones too. Look at how powerful their club has become.

[defendandprotect]

25. We couldn't agree more . . . . !!!

Christianity is something to be feared, obviously - and always has been!!

[Bluenorthwest]

21. That is not exactly true

They just focus on parts you don't focus on. The scriptural teachings, for example, are the excuse used for anti gay bigotry in the churches, but the only authors and books in the Bible that speak against gay people also speak in favor of slavery, in really detailed and passionate ways. This is not mentioned, by say, Barack Obama when he is opposing equal rights because of his 'scriptures'. He simply forgets by choice that the Books also say 'slave, obey your masters'. They also don't really care for the way his wife dresses, nor for public prayer, swearing oaths, and lots of stuff he and the lot of you pretend are simply not 'scripture' but they are.
The Family is the same as any, there are no true Scotsmen. Nay not one.

[defendandprotect]

19. Don't ever forget the past of Christianity, its armies, its Crusades, its long list of enemies . . .

THIS is simply a continuation of it all --

Though they can't quite bring active armies into play again right now --

there has long been rumors of secret war on Muslims --

And they certainly have gotten a lot of help from W Bush -- and Obama --

re taxpayer $$$ -- some of which seems to have gone to paying off their pedophile lawsuits!!

And, from the "war on terrarism" which has now killed nearly 2 MILLION MUSLIMS!!

Nothing new at all here, folks!!!

Same ole patriarchy, same ole organized patriarchal religion underpinning it --

a male supremacist cult -- and same ole violence --




PS: It's also the underpinning for Capitalism --

"Manifest Destiny" and "Man's Dominion Over Nature" are the licenses to exploit NATURE,

NATURAL RESOURCES, ANIMAL-LIFE -- and even other human beings according to various myths

of inferiority -- !!

[Joanne98]

30. kick