The need for an enemy
Lorie Johnson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Thu Nov 24, 2005 at 12:44:45 PM EST
One of the hallmarks of Dominionist Christianity is the need for an enemy to struggle against. When the foe was spiritual, things were very different. But when their leaders began seeing the secular and  progressive world outside their churches as something that was also Satanic, that was where the trouble began.
The struggle against an outside enemy has always been part and parcel of Christianity, particularly the very conservative sects. Because of this struggle (and scriptural warnings that Christians would be persecuted), such Christians see themselves as constantly embattled. Having an enemy is part of their identity. If you weren't struggling against evil, and seeing it everywhere, you weren't a true Christian.

When they were still dwelling in their parallel world, this really was not a problem- it was merely part of their beliefs. But when they came boiling out of that world and into the world of politics and progressive government, they saw enemies everywhere. Their leaders made sure of it, and still do. They keep their congregations in a constant state of outrage, creating false crises of persecution, seeing every criticism as an attack, and every bit of progressive success as a direct sign that Satan is everywhere.

This constant call to battle has enriched the war chests of the Dominionist leaders, creating boundless armies of 'astro turf' activists, able to swarm over anything and everything that provokes their umbrage. It is almost easier to ask what does not anger and enrage them than what does. Pretty much anything outside a very narrowly defined group of Biblically mandated beliefs sets them off. Independent and powerful women. Gays. Progressive ideas. Progressive faiths. Reproductive health. Evolution. Science. Education. Holidays. Judges. The Constitution.

Those things, and many more give them reasons to constantly attack, and if that attack is even mildly repelled, constantly holler "We're being persecuted!"

If we can understand this core belief of an 'enemy' everywhere and how it motivates them as well as robs them of genuine peace and happiness, we might find a way to defuse and redirect that constant anger. Anger often festers into hate, which blossoms into war, and war into devastation for all who get caught up in it.

It may be impossible to get these artificially embattled believers to let go of this belief in an enemy, especially since it is part of their scriptures. But perhaps we can find and use Christ's words as a way to reduce the level of anger and hate, and find a peaceful common ground.




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This is actually something I've observed for a good thirty years or more personally (having grown up in a household of dominionists) and also something I've seen historically for the past fifty in at least some of the groups in the dominionist movement.

Among other things, before people started noticing the Culture War, the Great Enemy was the Soviet Union (few people realise dominionism as we know it started via McCarthyism--the first attempts since the Civil War to pass amendments explicitly defining the US as a "Christian Nation under the law and authority of Jesus Christ" date from 1954, the same period the national motto was changed to "In God We Trust" and "One Nation Under God" was added to the pledge thanks to lobbying from the Knights of Columbus).

Even during the dying days of the Soviet Union, though, much of the focus was concentrating inward on the US itself; during the 70's and 80's I remember the "America is a Blessed Nation" rhetoric increasingly amended with "but for us to secure our blessing, we MUST make this a Godly Nation" and exhortations to vote for "Godly Candidates" for offices.

With the pente/charismatic groups associated with dominionism (many of which meet criteria from exit counselors for coercive religious groups), particularly those groups into "spiritual warfare""deliverance ministry" (such as the entire Brownsville"Third Wave" movement), this has historically been extended to the point that literally everything outside the group will cause one to be demonised.  (This is a difficult concept for most people to grasp.  Marguerite Perrin (of "Trading Spouses" infamy) is apparently a practitioner of "deliverance ministry" type stuff (I recognise it, in part, because I have family members like that and up till age twelve or so I was like that)...most people think it's just psychosis.  They don't realise these groups--which are often among the hardest-core of the dominionist movement--actually ENGENDER that mindset.)

With the dominionist groups that are borderline coercive religious groups, they actually tend to fall under a pattern repeatedly seen in coercive religious groups in general--that these groups tend to disintegrate unless there IS some enemy to unite them in a Two-Minute Hate.  Much of the coercion and thought reform cannot work without some sort of enemy (and preferably as large an enemy as possible, though identifiable).

by dogemperor on Thu Nov 24, 2005 at 09:30:44 PM EST

because that would provide one of the few rays of hope I see in this area.  To me, the whole notion of a "War on Christmas,"  "Attack on Religion," "Persecution of Christianity," etc. is so transparently false that anyone with an iota of rational intelligence will see through it.

     ("Rudeness  Toward Christians," on the other hand, has been reported by a number of credible Christian leftists, and I recently experienced a what might be deemed a mild version of that myself from someone who wrongly assumed I was a Christian.  But religious rudeness should be dealt with the way other forms of rudeness are, not turned into an excuse for jihad.)

     You might argue that the people in the RR(Religious Right) have shown themselves incapable of rational thought, either because they have been subjected to the coercive mind-control (cult-like?) procedures you mention or for some other reason.  But that is where the power of Truth comes in.  If it is repeated enough, clearly and calmly, there are people who will hear it.  And, perhaps more importantly, the Truth will matter to those religious people who are not now, but might be tempted to become, members of the RR.

     I am awaiting the opportunity to call into a talk show where  a  caller or host has talked about the "War on Religion" and ask, "Please give me two or three examples of this war.  And please make sure they are examples of genuine attacks, not merely situations where the government has remained neutral on religion and refused to institutionalize your personal religious beliefs in preference to the beliefs of other citizens."  I don't think they'll be able to do it.  And if they can, and I am able to reply, I can still score some points for progressivism but saying, "I agree that's wrong, and as someone who believes in the separation of church and state, I hope that policy is changed" (or in the unlikely event that it's policy in my locality, "I will try to help you change it").

by Theovanna on Sat Dec 03, 2005 at 03:39:06 AM EST
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