Christian extremism is a poorly understood and often neglected phenomenon. Although we are constantly hearing about Muslim extremists, America is plagued with a Christian extremist movement which we ignore at our peril. Christian...
[more]
Christian extremism is a poorly understood and often neglected phenomenon. Although we are constantly hearing about Muslim extremists, America is plagued with a Christian extremist movement which we ignore at our peril. Christian extremism includes the components of Christian fundamentalism (i.e., biblical inerrancy, evangelism, premillenialism, separatism/sense of persecution, and biblical literalism with regard to creation) and adds some additional components (e.g., exclusivity, anti-intellectualism, social conservatism/anti-liberalism, intolerance, theocratic strivings, and militant opposition to modernism).
According to the Houston Chronicle , 26 year-old Terry Mark Mangum believed he was doing the work of the Christian god when he killed a gay man in a bar last month. " ... I believe with all my heart that I was doing the right thing." Why should we expect Mangum to feel remorse when he is convinced that he was doing the work of his god? Mangum, who described himself as "definitely not a homosexual," said God called on him to "carry out a code of retribution" by killing a gay man because... Read Full Story
The proposal by UK Education Secretary Ed Balls to introduce an Anti Extremism Kit into UK Schools might be generously described as 'quaint' if it wasn't so superficial and unsophisticated. A...
How many times have you thought..."If only I knew then what I know now!" Use http://gullibility.blogspot.com to jump the experience queue and reduce your Gullibility
Read Full Story
When I fist saw this headline appearing on several atheist blogs, I figured that the Christian extremists involved were probably senators . As it turns out, they were members of Operation Save America, a Christian extremist group. This is a fascinating tale of hypocrisy, as the Religious Right defends regular Christian prayer in the Senate by playing the "religious tolerance" card. It appears that tolerance is only supposed to extend as far as their particular religion. Still, I think that... Read Full Story
In my last post, I showed how, up until around 1929-1930, it was believed that Jesus came in 1874. In this post, I will show what else was taught as the result of 1874 being viewed as the time of Christ's presence. The Society taught that 1874 marked a 40-year period that started Armageddon and that it would end in 1914. *The date of the close of that battle is definitely marked in scripture as October, 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October, 1874 (W 1/15 1892 p... Read Full Story
Linked from http://cyclops686.blogspot.com/2007/01/beware-dominionists.html --- They are a very small portion of the American population, approximately seven percent. They are well organized. They are fanatical in their objectives and equally fanatical in their tactics. They believe that the only ways to express their Christianity are by converting others or by exterminating those who refuse to convert. They are doggedly anti female; they believe in violence as a means to an end; and they... Read Full Story
The Watchtower Society emphasizes that they are a progressive organization, blessed with spiritual insights from God. They call these insights "new truths." Members are encouraged to keep abreast of present truth and to adjust their thinking when that truth changes. The Society claims that they are humble men, willing to make needed adjustments. They state that their understanding is enhanced over time and that God reveals His truths progressively. If you were traveling down a road, then... Read Full Story
Jehovah's Witnesses preach to others with the objective of starting and conducting Bible studies with interested persons. They are well versed in the scriptures and can quote numerous verses to support their contentions. At first blush this sounds like an innocent arrangement: you allow them to visit your home and they help you to grow in scriptural knowledge; however, here's the rub: in the final analysis, you are expected to agree with the Society's interpretation of the Bible. Is this an... Read Full Story
The other morning, I was visited by two Jehovah's Witness women. I invited them inside and explained that I had tried to do a "fade" from the movement, which had led to my being shunned by Witness family members. I explained that I had done nothing to invoke disfellowshipping action but that the verdict had been passed, never-the-less. The Women Asked for Clarification I explained that as a writer/researcher, I had reviewed the history of the Watchtower Society and had uncovered 11 specific... Read Full Story
Linked from http://www.religiousrightwatch.com/2007/03/exceprts_from_c.html --- Exceprts from " Christianists on the March ," a TruthDig report by Chris Hedges, author of the new book, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America : Dr. James Luther Adams, my ethics professor at Harvard Divinity School, told his students that when we were his age -- he was then close to 80 -- we would all be fighting the "Christian fascists." [Ed. note: photo of Adams at right] ..... He... Read Full Story
