Bizarre Fascist Recruitment Drive in Church!

Via Billmon, this post shows how fascist culture is penetrating America and how religion and war are becoming intertwined. Read this excerpt for a taste.

At this point Captain Sturecker preached to us in full dress uniform about his early faith was based in fear of going to hell, but now he doesn't need to fear death, and about his experiences in the black hawk afair. In particular he prayed after his first drive back to base (If you`ve seen the movie, he was the humvee driver with the injured man on strecher in the back. He was also the guy that said, "The difference in between heroes and cowards isn`t the fear it`s what they do with it"), and after that even though the vehicle was shot to hell, he had no casualties. He even watched an RPG barely miss its' mark and deflect off his hood. Every word of this might be true, but it was also part of a "The lord will protect you in the military" themed sermon. I have never had both respect and disgust for a single individual with such volume in my life.

Go read the whole thing with the pictures of the military draping American flags over the cross in the church.  It apparently was posted on Fark.com and then taken down.  But another guy captured it all before it disappeared. Here's the link, read all the way to the end to find out what this was really all about.  It will blow your mind.
http://shlonkombakazay.blogspot.com/2005/02/holy-st-its-fascist-picture-story-time.html

•  I read it the other day...

  Tis disturbing. I think that the more disturbing thing to me was to realize how it was not that far removed from the Church and Scouting that I grew up with and participated in as a youth...

  "Generosity, Ethics, Patience, Effort, Concentration, and Wisdom"

  by Dood Abides on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 05:27:21 PM PDT

  •  I grew up in the 50s

    And this is similar.  Of course, the 50s were a shitty time in American life.  It was just after WWII and military values permeated every aspect of American culture.  Conformity was stricutly enforced, and people like Lenny Bruce were jailed for daring to speak their minds.  

    by Alan S on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 05:37:08 PM PDT

  •  Me three . . .

    saw it yesterday. I'm a recovering Catholic, so I can't even imagine a sacred space being used in that way---but everything's different about these mega fundigelical churches.

    Isn't this maybe just a tiny little bit blasphemous to regular fundigelical folks? I'm asking here----I've got no idea, other than understanding there's a lot of theatrics going on in these places nowadays.

    I appreciated the "Jesus and the money-changers in the temple" bit at the end of the orginal posting . . . so true, at least in my book.

    by chrississippi on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 05:51:27 PM PDT

    •  WWJD: they wear bracelets but never truly ask..

      "Generosity, Ethics, Patience, Effort, Concentration, and Wisdom"

      by Dood Abides on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 06:04:54 PM PDT

    •  It's shocking

      Catholic churches have American flags about, but the idea of draping one over a cross would be obscene.

      However, remember, do not compare these institutions to Christian churches. This is a new American cult not related to its antecedent.

      by Smallbottle on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 09:36:16 PM PDT

•  Every day I say that was the sickest thing

  I've ever seen.

  This time I really mean it.

  Damn.

  by Steven D on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 05:41:02 PM PDT

•  Not surprising, unfortunately

  It fits very well with several parts of the 14 points of fascism. Specifically, these:

  
  

  1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

  3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

  4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

  7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

  8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

  by The Pretzel on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 06:07:05 PM PDT

  •  why do republicans

    hate the constitution?

    because it's not 'mein kampf'

    by x on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 07:21:45 PM PDT

•  What happened to almost 1500 in Iraq?

  Were those almost 1500 lives lost not in the military? Why was the Lord not protecting them? I guess, once again, I just don't get it.

  by Vera Lofaro on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 06:32:35 PM PDT