As rainbow colored flags bravely and proudly wave across the nation in celebration of
LBGT pride, activism and unity, there are continuing threats to those of us gathered under the rainbow.
We are so used to the idea of "terrorist threats" that could affect us from outside our borders that often we fail to examine and label as terrorism those that are like an asp at our breast. I happened to read a piece in Wonkette about a declaration of holy war made by Rand Paul's new religious outreach coordinator, David Lane, and at first I though it was a satire from The Onion. I followed the links in the story and found it was all too true.
Of the likely candidates for the next Republican presidential nomination, I would not have put Rand Paul at the top of my right-wing tea-ublican watchlist as a potential POTUS candidate who would embrace wingnut religious extremism. I was wrong. I know he's embraced racism, i.e. the right for private business to discriminate, and is no friend of civil rights activists, but the courting of reactionary Christians is apparently the key to the kingdom of Republican nominee-hood and all contenders must pass a religious extremist litmus test. Rand Paul is no exception. David Lane has worked for Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Michele Bachman, among others. He has been referred to as a "kingmaker" and "powerbroker" and "the mastermind" in this piece from Business Insider on Rick Perry's prayer breakfasts. For more background on Lane, see Right Wing Watch, "Influential Religious Right Organizer David Lane Admits 'I'm Actually a Political Operative":
Rand Paul's new outreach coordinator David Lane has declared a “holy war” on "us." That's a broad "us," by the way. Though most of the stories associated with this have focused on frothing homophobia against marriage equality and LBGT rights, a closer look at this homegrown call for jihad speaks to a war against a rainbow of people and issues far broader than our LBGT population, allies and marriage equality initiatives.
Lane's piece was posted to wingnut World Net Daily, and interestingly, it was removed after it was posted. Hmmmm. Thanks to quick captures by those who pay attention, we have some of the content. (see cached link to the full piece)
“Throughout Scripture, the only power that can overcome the seemingly invincible omnipotence of a Babel or a Beast is the power of martyrdom, the power of the witness to King Jesus to the point of loss and death. American Christianity has not done a good job of producing martyrs, and that is because we have done such an outstanding job of nurturing Americanists who regret that they have only one life to give for their country. Americanists cannot break Babelic or bestial power because they cannot distinguish heretical Americanism from Christian orthodoxy. Until we do, America will lurch along the path that leads from Babel to Beast. If America is to be put in its place – put right – Christians must risk martyrdom and force Babel to the crux where it has to decide either to acknowledge Jesus an imperator and the church as God’s imperium or to begin drinking holy blood.”
The above is a quote from Peter J. Leithart’s “Between Babel and the Beast.” This portion is not:
Where are the champions of Christ to save the nation from the pagan onslaught imposing homosexual marriage, homosexual scouts, 60 million babies done to death by abortion and red ink as far as the eye can see on America? Who will wage war for the Soul of America and trust the living God to deliver the pagan gods into our hands and restore America to her Judeo-Christian heritage and re-establish a Christian culture?
Calling for Christian martyrs and blood. The rebranding of those in opposition as "pagans" (btw I'm a Pagan, but a majority of my fellow Democrats and activists are not). Not that the idea of spilling blood in the name of hate hasn't become a reality. The murders and terrorism committed by forces on the right, who fight against reproductive justice, who murder LBGTs, who commit racial and religiously motivated hate crimes, are well documented by groups like the
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The problem for me has always been that far too often this is not called "terrorism."
More from Lane:
As to the future of America – and the collapse of this once-Christian nation – Christians must not only be allowed to have opinions, but politically, Christians must be retrained to war for the Soul of America and quit believing the fabricated whopper of the “Separation of Church and State,” the lie repeated ad nauseum by the left and liberals to keep Christian America – the moral majority – from imposing moral government on pagan public schools, pagan higher learning and pagan media. Bill Bennett’s insight, “… the two essential questions Plato posed as: Who teaches the children, and what do we teach them?” requires deep thought, soul-searching and a response from Christian America to the secular, politically correct and multicultural false gods imposing their religion on America’s children.
Multicultural false gods? Fabrications about separation of church and state?
Follow me below the fold for more.
For decades I've considered myself a part of a rainbow coalition. The symbolic use of the multi-colored rainbow stripes was used by
Fred Hampton in the late 60s to define a
rainbow coalition between radicals from black, brown, white, yellow and red groups fighting to change a system of inequality. There were
Rainbow Gatherings of counter-culture folks which started in the early 70s. The metaphor of the rainbow was then adopted by the Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1984 as a
National Rainbow Coalition.
Internationally, the multi-coloured arc has been used by Bishop Desmond Tutu, to describe post-apartheid South Africa as the Rainbow Nation.
The rainbow has also become a symbol for multiculturalism and diversity, in organizing and in education. Especially in education. Our nation's demographics are changing, and so are the students in our schools. Curricula are being changed in the ways we teach, and what we teach—about cultures, history and current events—to adapt students to living in a diverse national and increasingly interconnected global community.
Last weekend in Washington, D.C., the National Mall was covered in One Million Bones to call attention to genocide around the world. Many of those bones were crafted and contributed by students.
This is the type of education that right-wing forces want to wipe out.
Perhaps one day, under a rainbow, we will have peace, justice, an end to genocides, racism, sexism, ethnocentrism and homophobism.
The rainbow is a symbol that those of us who are Democrats, leftists, activists, liberals, progressives, and radicals can all embrace to forge stronger coalitions to fight back against those making war targeting us all. Whether we are atheists, social-justice-oriented members of religious congregations, Pagans, straight or gay, we are part of a rainbow, and we can build a safe harbor under that rainbow.
I hear the question asked by Dr. Y.M. Barnwell, from Sweet Honey in the Rock, in their song, "Would You Harbor Me?"
Would you harbor me?
Would I harbor you?
Would you harbor me?
Would I harbor you?
Would you harbor a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew
a heretic, convict or spy?
Would you harbor a run away woman, or child,
a poet, a prophet, a king?
Would you harbor an exile, or a refugee,
a person living with AIDS?
Would you harbor a Tubman, a Garrett, A Truth
a fugitive or a slave?
Would you harbor a Haitian Korean or Czech,
a lesbian or a gay?
Would you harbor me?
Would I harbor you?
Would you harbor me?
Would I harbor you?
My answer is yes.
Under that rainbow we can.
