You can constantly see comments here about how one can
not understand the blind support that Bush's core supporters
continue to give him. Why are they so loyal to this administration
even in the midst of it making constant and costly mistakes.
I think I can shed a bit of light on that which I have not seen
explained here yet.
To understand the thinking and reasoning behind the religious right
I think one has to have lived it.
More below
I was raised in the religious teachings that was built on the very
principles which the religious right is based upon. Now to put that
into perspective, I am in my mid sixties, at the time it was part
of my life was from the time I was born up till my 17th birthday
when I joined the US Navy. Even at that time it was a very restrictive
form of religion, but had not yet started asserting itself into the
political scene, or at least not in any major or effective way.
By all accounts at the time I was there it had all the following
traits.
1.. It was and still is as far as I can now see very interlaced with
race hatred. At that time many of the men members could also be found
at your local KKK meetings. I can even remember my father being a
member of the KKK. One of the greatest sadness that I can remember
feeling about my father before his death many years later was that
I do not believe that he ever lost any of his racist feelings.
2.. Contrary to popular belief the members are not built from poor
and dumb people. It encompasses both those who would be considered
well off as well as those at the lower income levels.
3.. The church is, I guess the best way to describe it, basically
ruled by the Pastor, Reverend, or Minister as one would be called.
Now because of the type of concepts and beliefs that is taught leaves
it wide open to manipulation by that leader and this fact in itself
tends to attract those who have a strong desire and yes even need
for power and control as leaders. Sadly the kind of leaders that they
most often wind up with are most often of the charismatic kind that
could be to some degree the Jim Jones (of the infamous Jamestown
incident) who often commands a hypnotic control over their subjects.
Actually it is really a necessity in order to insure that the church
survives in as near as possible to it's original doctrine.
4.. They teach a strict version of religion that believes in scaring
the hell out of you as a child by telling you that if you do not follow
exactly as preached to you, you are going to be thrown into this huge
pit and burn forever and forever in fire hotter than anything you can
imagine. At the time I was in it, it was a common thing that if someone
was seen anywhere doing anything which was not considered Christian in
relation to the way they believed, that person was brought before a
committee of the church and the severely repremended.
5 ..Some versions teach that to obey god you must spend a greater
portion of your earnings to support the church and it's Minister. You
are taught from the very beginning that you must try to bring the world
into conformity with the beliefs of the church in order to save them
all from hell. They taught that none of the other churches which did
not follow the same religious doctrine were going to heaven no matter
how good the people thought they were. I am not talking about the 10%
tithe that is common among most religions.Of course they neglect to tell
you that they are getting rich off of you.
Now to put something into a bit of perspective. Think about this for
a bit.
You are born into this group of religious fanatics and you are absolutely
brainwashed from birth. Being brought up in such a fashion you of course
do not even dare to visit another church to get another perspective on
beliefs. That is the only religious beliefs you are exposed to until at
some point in adult life if you make a break away from the church.
This group has always outwardly taken a hard stand against abortion and
even birth control. Their answer has always been no sex until marriage.
Strangely they also believe very heavy on the side of gun rights and
against any regulation that they see as an infringement on that.
While this doctrine was followed mainly followed by the Pentecostal and
Church Of Christ in those years, it can now be found under some version
of many different Christian Denominations.
Now lets remember when I said that this type of atmosphere attracts those
who feel the driving need or obsession for power and control. Well it was
only a matter of time before politicians realized the control that these
so called Ministers had over large groups of people.
In about the last 50 years they have seen this country have Supreme
Court rulings which they see as being in direct
conflict with their beliefs. This hinders their
efforts to convert all us heatherns to the right
way of life. These people are not dumb by any means.
They really started working at grass roots efforts to start putting church
followers into elected offices at the very basic levels and worked up from
there. This actually was and still is a major effort that has produced
results for them. We are seeing some of those results today and have for
some time now.
That is why there will be very little success in trying to convince that
core group to ever change it's loyalty.
The Republicans has taken notice over the past couple of decades or so and
pandered to their interest. After all their fanatic religious beliefs
have not interfered with the Republican's beliefs that they are entitled
to all the wealth of the country.
So each side gets it's objectives furthered by the other through this
strange joint venture.
One thing is for certain, what ever you may think of them, it is a mistake
to refer to them as stupid or dumb. All that does is strengthen their resolve.
We would be far better served to understand why they are the way they are and
trying to work to change that instead of just passing them off as either
to stupid or dumb to care about their country.
It took many many years after I got away from it
before I ever allowed myself to enter any kind of
church again. In fact I refused to even be married
in a church because they had turned me into a non
believer by teaching me that God was so cruel as
to burn little kids in hell forever and ever. I
was married by a justice Of Peace.
Thankfully today and for several years now am
again in Church on a regular basis and have
discovered through the right kind of teachings,
that God can be and is a loving enity. I feel so
sad for every new child born into that way of
life each and every day.
UPDATE:
I have to add something which I should have
included when I wrote this.
Over the years there have been followers of the
doctorine who for one reason or other did not
believe completely believe in perhaps a certain
one point or the other which is taught. So those
people often split off into another church and
would then proceed to follow the basic doctrine
minus what ever particular part they felt was too
restrictive. However in general overall the main
concept is retained.
So in all honesty I would have to say that all evangelicals may not actually be complete supporters of Bush. That still leaves the main hard core Evangelicals which is the major portion
as right with him.
Oh yeah I guess I forgot a tip jar also.