Theocracy, it’s not just for South Asians any more. According to arch-conservative blogger Andrew Sullivan, the Texas GOP has developed a jonesing for home grown Sharia law:
The Republican National Committee is employing the services of a Texas-based activist who believes the United States is a ‘Christian nation’ and the separation of church and state is ‘a myth.’ David Barton, the founder of an organization called Wallbuilders, was hired by the RNC as a political consultant and has been traveling the country for a year–speaking at about 300 RNC-sponsored lunches for local evangelical pastors. During the lunches, he presents a slide show of American monuments, discusses his view of AmericaÂ’s Christian heritage — and tells pastors that they are allowed to endorse political candidates from the pulpit.It gets worse. Barton is on the board of advisers for a Christian Reconstructionist group – people who believe that America should scrap its constitution and go back to Biblical law. When I have described the trend within the GOP as theocratic, I am sometimes criticized for hyperbole. But this is the reality. Barton is the vice-chair of the Texas GOP. Figures.
And you thought the only connections between Texas and the Taliban were their mutual love of big “hats” and pickup trucks. Here is a detailed exposition of the history of American Biblical Law, some (hostile) quotes from a book that argues from biblical law, and the accompanying software (looks like it is just text).
ah, the texan just rolls her eyes at THIS again. It ain’t new. Fifteen years and counting, baby. There is a fringe right group that insists that America was a CHRISTIAN nation from the beginning and should be ruled only by men of God (and when I say men, i mean it!) … including all sorts of Taliban foo like public hanging and stoning and the like. For ABORTION. and then some.
Try to find a copy of Bob Enyart’s “The First Hundred Days” online. I can’t find it anymore… it’s pretty scary. Oh yeah, and we’re supposed to choose our new king (not president mind you) by lot from all the Christian men in the country. Could be Bubba Joe from Texarkana for all we know. And then Bubba Joe’s family will rule in a dynasty until Canada finally just gets fed up with having to look at our silliness, kicks our ass and sends us off to be the Twelve Lost Tribes of America. Except that Jesus is supposed to come back first, or something.
The really frightening thing about this is that the religious right has wormed its way so firmly into the Republican Party that this fanaticism might actually make its way into a position of power someday. I still have faith in America, that we will keep the weirdos out of policy making places like we normally do, but it is more a possibility now than ever. Ashcroft ’08 anyone?
In fairness to the BJP, when you’re dealing with a country where “secularism” is defined as maintaining travel subsidies for the Haj pilgrimmage and allowing Muslims to have a civil code modeled after Sharia, a “Hindu nationalist” party finds it easier to gain support among people who aren’t inclined to support a theocracy. Particularly if the party justifies parts of its agenda, like a Uniform Civil Code, under the argument of equal rights.
Supporters of American theocrats, living in a country with a truly secular legal code, have no such excuse.
hehe… just found the Day One thing by Enyart .. here is the link. http://www.enyart.com/features/writings/dayone.shtml
here, a snippet: At 3:47 this morning our new government was empowered with sweeping authority to remake the laws of the United States for the restoration of America. This government has the authority and the determination to set things right. It will therefore do so swiftly and surely using Christian principles. Over the next one hundred days, your government will issue a lawful and binding Proclamation each day at 8:00 a.m. No press conferences will be held.
enjoy! and sweet dreams
Unfortunately, Andrea, it’s been in place since Bush being reborn sometime ago.
Village Voice article on how an apocalyptic Christian group has influenced Bush on his Israel policies.
Ron Suskind’s recent article on Bush.
John Gorenfeld’s blog on how the Rev. Sun Myung Moon has influenced politics in the US, i.e. he own’s the Washington Times which housed a majority of the neo-con writers in the 90s, and now the UPI wire serviced is owned by him too…the worst is he has got both democrats and republicans working for him, check out the story about the coronation held in a US Government building.
Well you alread know about Ashcroft.
Tom Delay house majority leader.
I know I’m offering links primarily of Republicans , I’m sure there many Democrats, i.e. Joe Lieberman, that are influenced also; but the Republicans are in power right now…