I’ve written much about what I’ve called the growing American Theocracy, and will tag this post accordingly, yet I think many readers fail to grasp the severity of that claim, or the issues that will arise if we see these tendencies continue unmatched. I’m not the only one identifying the American Theocracy, but few LGBTQ bloggers are paying enough attention to this trend, except to ridicule or laugh at the Christianists.
Pastor Kenneth Miller has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in the kidnapping of the child of a lesbian mom whose former partner “renounced homosexuality” and fled with their child to Nicaragua in violation of a court-ordered custody sharing arrangement. Miller spent 30 days in jail for contempt earlier this year after refusing to name his accomplices, telling the court, “If I were to bring testimony against a fellow member of Christ’s kingdom, for honoring Christ’s kingdom’s laws, I would be disloyal to his kingdom and to Christ.”
But the Religious Fundamentalists are not a joke, and the LGBTQ community needs to consider seriously what their opposition may mean for us. It should not slow us down as we seek full equality, but we recognize the lengths they will go to to stop us from having fairness and equality.
The opposition isn’t just to Marriage Equality, but to the acceptance of gay, lesbian, bi, trans and queer people in any way. As individuals and as the families we create, we are seen by them as evil. Let’s be clear, the “them” isn’t all religious persons. Religion isn’t the culprit. Rather, those individuals who place their own beliefs as above the rights of anyone else- they are the culprits. Pastor Miller is a perfect example. He has been to jail once (30 days) for placing his theology before the Constitution- something utterly opposed to the beliefs of our Founding Fathers. And now he has been sentenced to 27 months for his role in kidnapping a child to block a court ordered custody sharing arrangement. Imagine having your child taken away from you by a person like this Pastor Miller.
How far will they go?
I ask this in all seriousness, and as we move closer and closer to achieving our goals of Equality, I think we also have to be ready for things to get crazier. This is a post I wrote sometime ago, quoting Rick Santorum, that I’m surprised hasn’t received more attention.
He [Santorum] sees (and values voters see), their source of power “as the family and the church.” These are the methods of organizing people within which they believe they have power. Therefore, their every effort is devoted to protecting these two structures. This is why a fight for LGBT Rights is a moral fight for them, and winning over LGBT Rights is more important than anything else. It is bigger than abortion; bigger than women’s rights; bigger than anything, because no issue touches the family and the church as much as the acceptance of gay people-at least from their perspective.
Rick Santorum Declares Stopping Same-Sex Marriage is the Hill Upon Which He Will Die, is the blog post title on Angry Black Lady Chronicles. What a severe statement, and yet, it is a clear and honest sentiment by Santorum:
The battle we’re engaged in right now is same-sex marriage. Ultimately, that is the very foundation of our country, the family, what the family structure is going to look like.” [Santorum nods thoughtfully]. ”I’ll die on that hill.”
We only have to look at the battle zones surrounding the Black Civil Rights Movement; Abortion Clinics; and The Gun Rights battles to see the way high emotions and blinding religious absolutism can drive people to extremes one would never imagine. Time will tell if this really is the hill upon extremists like Santorum will wage the most major battle.
From LinkIn:
Here, here! Interesting how we three ‘strangers’ are merging in our new-found commonality of thoughts, analysis and ‘forecasting’… LOL. As a former traditionalist Roman Catholic (and former long-term seminarian) I know that the Catholic mystics and the Marian apparitions of Fatima, and others, all convey a message that both implicitly and explicitly state that these changes were, are and will happen in this era. The core item that fires up the religious zealots: their collective, extreme interpretation of such messages – extreme to the point of responding in the capacity and to the point of extremism – especially in the political and educational realms. As I’ve said before: what’s most remarkable to me is that they’re ALL doing essentially the same thing at the same time!!! Left unmitigated, these ‘forces’ (whatever their numbers are) will absolutely keep the fires raging until they ultimately get what they want – just as the rest of us are doing! Where does all this lead? I’ll let y’all take this trains of history, fact, action and direction to their logical and inevitable ends……
http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=220737182&gid=63687&commentID=123894004&trk=view_disc&ut=0mB8AVv3VLAlE1
Here is a link to info about Arthur Schlessinger, mentioned in one of the comments: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_M._Schlesinger,_Jr.
From LinkedIn:
Thomas, thanks for the post and for keeping the torch of Arthur Schlessinger alive. In the early 80’s he warned of that blinding “religious absolutism” you describe. I believe that he not only took the religious right seriously but also had grave reservations about the linguistic battle that they were waging and winning. We have seen this in terms like pro-life, American family, and Obama Care. These belie the real issues of women’s rights, LGBT rights, and racism that are part and parcel of the theocracy you decry.
While I hold hope in the comment from Declan, I am not optimistic (meaning that we need more of a movement to topple the power of the theocracy than just a belief in their implosion). American religious absolutism has less to do with the protestant reformation and more to do with Calvinism, a religious movement that equates economic status with strength and money with moral righteousness.
From LinkedIn:
Part of the key in strategy is knowing precisely how the CF ‘right wing’ thinks and operates – among themselves and with society – and how they’re strategizing against us. Waking people up to THAT, educating people with information and clear explanation, wins. Protestant Fundamentalist teaching and thinking, much less action, hasn’t changed since the early days of the Protestant Reformation. It’s really amazing. The ultimate “same ole, same ole”.. and in today’s world, starting with technology, a far smarter population, etc, etc… it’s just not holding water anymore… starting with Catholicism.