Christian Nationalism is a very profound threat to our country. The most recent assault on contraception for women gives us a taste of their goals for this country. They want to dismantle the freedoms we take foregranted. If they have their way we will not be able to make choices about our personal lives; just listen to how Santorum thinks that the country should be run; he is their spokesman du jour.
In order to effectively counter this attempted coup of this country, as much information about them must be learned so this stealth movement can no longer hide in the shadows and pull the strings of legislators and the electorate into giving away our freedoms.
Betty Clermont, a DKos contributor, has written a book about the history of the crafting of the religious reich and how the extremely right-wing Catholic group, Opus Dei, long ago joined with this movement. In her book, The Neo-Catholics: Implementing Christian Nationalism in America she describes how the true role of religion has been perverted to a hate-driven power grab.
Much more is known about the Protestant Extremist Evangelicals (Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, etc.) who were recruited by politicians to create the 'religious right'. What is now coming to light is how a very radical and fascistic faction of the Catholic Church was right there from the beginning, but in secret. Millions of well-meaning Catholics are unaware of how this radical faction has overtaken their church, determined not only to take down any vestige of Vatican Two, but also create a medieval christian nationalism. Not only do Catholics need to become aware of what is threatening to take down their church, but also Americans need to become aware of what is threatening to take down our democracy.
The reason that much less is known about the right-wing, extremist group of Opus Dei, is because it has been shrouded in secrecy, with its members vowing not to talk about it. However its tyrannical and fascistic practices have caused those leaving to write about it. Many first person stories are on a website created by survivors: ODAN: Opus Dei Awareness Network. This is not a Conspiracy Theory.
I got Betty's book last night and couldn't put it down and have been wondering if there was anyone out there who would be interested in reading it with me? And perhaps writing diaries as a way to communicate what was read and what thoughts it prompted?
To let you know a little about the book: From the back cover of the book:
This book examines how hawks and neo-conservatives in the Republican Party forged a nexus with powerful rightwing Catholics that would change the face of American Catholicism, the structuring of social policy in the United States, and the American agenda in the world.
The model of "national Catholicism" established by Opus Dei in Spain meshed neatly with the neo-conservatives' Straussian notions of an intellectual elite's road to power through the union of church and state. The Church preached submission to civil leaders who in turn protected the Vatican's financial interests and privileged position in society. While Catholics were the largest single Christian denomination in American, a union of Catholics with evangelicals was numerically required in order to establish a "national Christianity" in the United States. The neo-conservatives began by uniting orthodox Catholics, Protestant fundamentalists, and evangelicals, all naturally conservative constituencies but separated by historical enmity, through fear of a common enemy - "the liberals" - just as Opus Dei had done in Spain.
At the start of the 1980's, the Church's social justice agenda had been committed to alleviating poverty, to demilitarization, to affirmative action, and to ending capital punishment - an agenda antipathetic to the Republican platform. By the end of the nineties, its mission had been totally redefined, with the justice agenda marginalized, and political action mobilized around concern for the dying and unborn.
This book examines how and why it was accomplished.
This book has endless 'endnotes' from page 305-345; it is very well documented. As I said, I couldn't put it down.
If you would be interested in reading this book together, please let me know.
There are powerful forces which are trying to take over this country and if we are to elect Democrats who are really Progressives, we need to go behind the scenes and like the Wizard of Oz, find out who is really pulling the strings. And systematically work on cutting those strings, so that we will have a free Democracy, not just bought and paid for representatives.
We have uncovered the pernicious influence of the Koch Brothers, and other moguls exerting unlimited power to control our laws to their corporate benefit. We have uncovered the astroturfing of the 'Tea Party' which was generated by corporations to push its agenda. We have uncovered ALEC as a tool of legislatively reshaping our states, as well as providing testing grounds for reactionary controls. These are just some of the puppet masters we have uncovered and that discovery has made our fight for the 99% much more effective, not the least of which is making the public aware of the attempted theft of our democracy.
There is another very important bloc that is a major player in conservative/plutocratic politics which is coming to the surface. The role of Christian groups who, although they claim to be tax exempt, are busy working with the extremist Southern Strategy group of the Republican Party to literally advance a Christian Nationalism in this country.
You have heard by now that they want to replace the Constitution with the 10 Commandments, want to outlaw (at best,) gay rights, want to strip women of any protection of her body, want to strip workers of their protections and want to rule this country after their literal reading of a thunderous, vengeful old testament god.
Much more is known about the Protestant Extremist Evangelicals (Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, etc.) who were recruited by politicians to create the 'religious right'. What is now coming to light is how a very radical and fascistic faction of the Catholic Church was right there from the beginning, but in secret.
Opus Dei:Catholic Church:: Christian nationalists: Protestantism= Opus Dei is to the Catholic Church what Christian Nationalists are to Protestantism. This is not a Conspiracy Theory, it is well documented fact. Do not dismiss this as Conspiracy Theory; we do so to our detriment.
To learn more about the history of the Opus Dei and Christian Nationalism:
#1: The Catholic Right
and
#2 The Catholic Right, Part Two: An Introduction To The Role Of Opus Dei
and
#3 The Catholic Right Part Three: Rev. John McCloskey, the Face of an Opus Dei Agenda.
and
#4 The Catholic Right, Part IV: William Donohue And The Politics Of The Catholic League
and
#5 The Catholic Right, Part Five: The Everyday Implications of Theocracy
All these links are to the website articles at "www.talk2action.com" and have been written by Frank Cocozzelli.
As shocking as these revelations about this shadow, right wing organization trying to take over the Catholic Church, this is not Conspiracy Theory but Conspiracy Fact. I welcome thoughtful skeptical comments but encourage readers to inform themselves so that they respond from a basis of information.
These Christian Nationalists will not give up until they have dragged us back to feudal times and stripped us of all our freedoms. To remember:
Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty.
Please join me in reading this book and considering how the information can be profitably used in the upcoming election. If you know someone for whom this would be an interest, please forward it to them.
UPDATE:
h/t micwazoo; for an article on AlterNet which explores the impact of religion on politics:
The most fervent advocates of religion in the modern world are also the most deeply inculcated with the mindset of command and obedience, which has dangerous consequences.
How Religion's Demand for Obedience Keeps Us in the Dark Ages
Tyrannical obedience is at the heart of the Opus Dei movement.