The Dominionist domination of the US

American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America By Chris Hedges Free Press (2006) Review by Robert Hill - Excuse me, may I ask you a few questions? Do dominionists have that old time religion? Are they gonna have the whole world in their hands? Fascism, anyone? Can it (fascism) happen here? Do any of the topics in these questions interest you? If so, you definitely want to the read American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America by Chris Hedges. Disclaimer Let's begin with a clear declaration by Chris Hedges. Hedges does not believe that the US "will inevitably become a fascist state or that the Christian Right is the Nazi Party"; instead, he believes "that the radical Christian Right is a sworn and potent enemy of the open society. Its ideology bears within it the tenets of a Christian fascism." Who are dominionists? Dominionists represent a radical Christian movement in which members regard themselves as both members of the Christian faith and US patriots. While dominionists bear some similarity to radical Islamic fundamentalists, (e.g., expression of themselves through violence), dominionists most often resemble other members of radical Christian conservatism such as many evangelicals. "True" dominionists, or traditional evangelicals, like other evangelicals, tend to endorse a strict obedience to a male hierarchy that often claims to speak for God, and displays an intolerance toward nonbelievers and a disdain for rational, intellectual inquiry. However, important differences emerge. Other evangelicals appear to have never attempted to impose their belief system on the rest of the US nor do they try to transform secular institutions, especially the government, into a mere appendage of the church. Indeed, these other evangelists such as Billy Graham and Luis Palau emphasized personal renewal and commitment as seen in the born-again experience. Dominionists such as R.J. Rushdoony, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, however, appear unique. Some characteristics of dominionists include: they are largely Republican, brazenly antagonistic to democratic pluralism, and advocate totalitarian policies, such as denial of rights to other citizens and establishment of a nation in their own image. The most important difference between other evangelicals and dominionists lies in the latter's focus on power as seen in their rhetoric of war (e.g., a warrior god promises blood and vengeance), rhetoric of persecution (e.g., dark forces continuously try to destroy believers) and "conspicuous and unapologetic infatuation with wealth, power, and fame" (i.e., consumerism). Dominionism also bears similarity to totalitarian movements because adherents of both 1) use spectacle to fabricate and manipulate internal aspects (e.g., feelings, meaning, purpose) of followers; 2) use a guise, specifically, the appropriation of religious and patriotic language and stories to hide their agenda of dismantling the larger society; and 3) plot to silence and eradicate opponents as part of their denial and destruction of alternative cultures. (Is that your culture?) Their opponents include anyone who constructs a liberal, enlightened world of democracy that entails the use of reason (i.e., rational thought and discussion), dialogue, clear and precise words, and scientific evidence rather than mere emotion, unquestioning obedience, logocide (or the "killing" of words), and magic and myth as tautological proof. In this sense, dominionism seems like classical fascist movements because "dominionists believe in magic, leadership adoration, an ill-defined and shifting set of beliefs (some of which contradict one another), and a strident call for moral and physical supremacy of a master race" (e.g., US Christians). It's noteworthy to mention that Hedges provides Umbert Eco's Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt along with the words of Robert O. Paxton to describe the main tenets of fascism for readers. Eco's description of Ur-Fascism, or Eternal Fascism, appears worth the price of the book alone! This comparison and contrast seems necessary because Hedges argues that dominionism actually represents a political rather than a religious movement. What is the (actual) agenda of dominionists? Dominionism arises from a theology known as Christian reconstructionism, in which adherents seek to politicize faith. From Genesis 1:26-27, they believe that "Bible-believing Christians" shall take dominion of the US and the rest of the world from nonbelievers. They function within the US system in order to destroy it. Dominionists regard radical Calvinism as their political model. Dominionists blend aspects of Christian religion with the worst aspects of imperialism and capitalism in the US. Dominionists preach a gospel of prosperity to overcome despair, anxiety and chaos by salvation in unrestricted capitalism. They form alliances with corporate interests to assist the systematic exploitation of workers while disseminating their rhetoric in training programs. Dominionists attempt to dismantle public education. They destroy families through their cultish "love-bombing." They plan for (inter)national domination by a traditional male hierarchy. In short, they practice spiritual social Darwinism. So what? Why are they important? Why should I care? US democracy appears vulnerable. The mutual coexistence that democracy ensures seems threatened. For example, the separation between church and state blurs; attacks upon various groups of US citizens such as immigrants, homosexuals, people of other faiths (e.g., Jews, Muslims) and scientists increase. The radical Christian Right invites these developments. Indeed, dominionists seek to exacerbate and exploit these conditions through violence and devious means in the name of God since this signifies an end time which consummates in the Rapture. Consequently, they are ready to usurp democracy at a critical point. "In the event of a crisis, in the event of another catastrophic terrorist attack, an economic meltdown or huge environmental disaster, the movement stands poised to manipulate fear and chaos ruthlessly and shape America in ways that have not been since the nation's founding. All Americans–not only those of faith–who care about our open society must learn to speak about this movement with a new vocabulary, to give up passivity, to challenge aggressively this movement's deluded appropriation of Christianity and to do everything possible to defend tolerance." What can you, and others, do in response to dominionists? Some ways to counter dominionism include: 1) fighting bigotry in all its forms; 2) avoiding self-righteousness; 3) practicing the four freedoms (i.e., freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, freedom from fear); 4) asking yourselves how your actions and words differ from those of dominionists; 5) embracing a theology of hope rather than despair; 6) involving yourselves daily in the well-being of your community, nation and the world; 7) facing damnation by dominionists (and possibly others) rather than "homage to a false moral code"; 8) placing your faith in "tiny, unheroic acts of compassion and kindness" so that we can "survive as a community and as individual human beings"; 9) practicing humility and honesty while accepting yourselves and others as fallible rather than omnipotent creatures; and 10) engaging in self-examination, such as self-criticism, self-awareness and self-reflection, as well as dialogue with others. These actions seem imperative to US democracy. In the words of Franklin Roosevelt on Nov. 4, 1938: "If American democracy ceases to move forward as a living force, seeking day and night by peaceful means to better the lot of our citizens, fascism will grow in strength in our land." Since dominionists oppose dialogue (among other things), active rather than passive means appear more effective. As Hedges concludes, "Tolerance is a virtue, but tolerance coupled with passivity is a vice."