The Iron Fist of Jesus - The Inmates are Running the Asylum

[Guest guest]

S

Sun, 11 Dec 2005 05:05:07 -0800 (PST)

The Iron Fist of Jesus - The Inmates are Running the Asylum

 

 

 

 

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_jason_mi_051208_the_iron_fist_of_jes.htm

 

 

 

The Iron Fist of Jesus

The Inmates are Running the Asylum

 

by Jason Miller

willpowerful

http://www.opednews.com

 

How much damage will men like George Bush, James Dobson,

Pat Robertson, Sam Brownback, Ralph Reed, and Rick Santorum

inflict before reason prevails and they are unmasked

as the twisted, malevolent charlatans that they are?

 

Fundamentalist Christians, adherents to a nauseating

perversion of Christianity (conjured from their - twisted

- imaginations and their - distorted interpretations

of the Bible) wield a significant amount of power

in the United States, socially and politically.

 

Fund-raising, promotional, and organizational skills

have enabled these Corpora-Fascist Capitalists

masquerading as practitioners of the Christian faith

to gain pervasive influence over the Republican Party.

 

Despite recent blows, Republicans still control the

Executive and Legislative branches of government,

and are well on their way to dominating the Judicial branch

by appointing judges who zealously rule in ways

which promote the - Social Darwinism,- elitism,-

- bigotry,- property rights,- and corporate power -

the Christo-Fascist Fundamentalist Christians crave.

 

God Bless America? Surely You Jest

 

One of the rationalizations for the illegal occupation

of Iraq (and the murders of over one hundred thousand

innocent Iraqi civilians) is that the United States

is engaged in a struggle of " good versus evil " .

 

In spite of repeated heinous acts committed for years

by the United States in the Middle East, including

state terrorism resulting in the deaths of hundreds

of thousands of innocent civilians, installation

and/or support of ruthless dictators

(i.e. Saddam Hussein, the Shah of Iran), and enabling the

Israelis to commit genocide against the Palestinians,

these pseudo-Christians have managed to convince

many Americans that the US is " good " and the " terrorists "

(i.e. the Resistance to US occupation in Iraq) are " evil " .

 

As the US government continues to rape the Middle East,

Christo-Fascists slap - " God Bless America " bumper stickers

on their - gas-guzzling SUV's -actually believing that the

Father, the Son, and/or the Holy Spirit would bless a nation

- governed by murderers, thieves and thugs.

 

Yes, I can visualize a Christian God sitting on his throne

in the kingdom of heaven gazing down upon humankind.

As he surveys humanity, he " wisely and judiciously "

decides to answer Jane Morgan's prayer for a 2005 Hummer

to replace her two year old Navigator.

 

After all, he can't have Jane driving a " jalopy "

to worship him on Sundays, now can he?

Spying eight year old Mahmoud, a Palestinian in Gaza,

God decides to let him die of malnutrition because

he is not a Christian, and in fact is an " evil " Muslim

who could become " terrorist " someday.

 

Jerry Falwell, who does not appear to be struggling

with malnutrition, would be most pleased with his Maker.

 

Not the Jesus I " Knew " When I was Younger

 

Growing up Methodist, my indoctrination into the

Christian faith was rather moderate. I do not recall

our ministers preaching fire, brimstone, or eternal damnation.

 

Somehow I missed the interpretation of Revelations

in which the Christo-Fascists have determined that

Christ will return to Earth to " judge and make war " .

For those of you not fortunate enough to be blessed

with the knowledge that Jesus will smite you down

" with a rod of iron " (or do much worse) if you are

deemed unworthy, to learn of your fate:

(http://www.christiancourier.com/archives/righteouswarrior.htm)

 

Powerful leaders of the Fundamentalist movement in America

have devoted a great deal of time and energy

toward their goal of convincing their loyal

" Christian " soldiers that they will be saved in the

" impending apocalypse " while " non-believers "

will suffer beyond the scope of human imagination.

 

Their dichotomous view of Christ as a compassionate

and merciful champion of society's victims returning

as a vengeful warrior bent on inflicting misery on his

" enemies " reflects their psychologically impaired tendency

to employ black and white thinking almost continuously.

 

In April of 2004 (in the New York Times)

David Kirkpatrick wrote:

Writers and artists have been imagining the Second Coming

of Jesus for 2,000 years, but few have portrayed him

wreaking more carnage on the unbelieving world

than Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

 

In their new apocalyptic novel, " Glorious Appearing, "

based on Dr. LaHaye's interpretation

of Biblical prophecies about the Second Coming,

their Jesus appears from the clouds on a white horse

with a " conviction like a flame of fire " in his eyes.

With all the gruesome detail of a Hollywood horror movie,

Jesus eviscerates the flesh of millions of unbelievers

merely by speaking.

 

" Men and women soldiers and horses seemed to explode

where they stood, " Dr. LaHaye and Mr. Jenkins write.

" It was as if the very words of the Lord had superheated

their blood, causing it to burst through their veins and skin.

 

The authors add,

" Even as they struggled, their own flesh dissolved,

their eyes melted and their tongues disintegrated. "

 

Dr. LaHaye and Mr. Jenkins did not invent fire and brimstone.

But some scholars who study religion say that the phenomenal

popularity of their " Left Behind " series of apocalyptic

thrillers - now the best-selling adult novels in the US

- are part of a shift in American culture's image of Jesus.

The gentle, pacifist Jesus of the Crucifixion

is sharing the spotlight with a more muscular warrior

- Jesus of the Second Coming, the Lamb making way for the Lion. "

 

Match Made in " Heaven "

 

Desperately yearning to rule with the " Iron Fist of Jesus " ,

the Christo-Fascists and Machiavellian toadies like

Karl Rove were instrumental in thrusting a grossly inept

George Bush into the office of the President to do

their malevolent bidding. While Bush has certainly made

decisions which have displeased the masters of the

Christo-Fascists, and has at times distanced himself

from them, " God's Favorites " could not have conjured up

a more desirable denizen of the Oval Office,

even in their most gratifying wet dreams.

 

Under Bush (who believes he is fulfilling a divine mission),

America's regime continues its ongoing military, economic,

and social assault on the Arab world, which according

to the Christo-Fascists, is populated by " evil " Muslims

ready to slice the white, Christian throats of " good "

Americans if given the chance. They point to the handful

of beheadings of Western hostages by extremist Muslims

as " evidence " of this " fact " .

 

The US continues its complicity in committing

genocide against the Palestinians to clear the way

for Jewish inhabitation of the " Holy Land " , the necessity

of which is woven into Christo-Fascist mythology.

 

Legislative and judicial actions continue to chip away

at the gains made for social justice here in the US

throughout the Twentieth Century. Christo-Fascists

have their coveted religious war to set the stage

for the coming of the Warrior Christ and their

regressive social movement to crush the threats

to their mythical beliefs - (i.e. critical thinking, science,

- freedom of religion, separation of church and state).-

 

Consummating the marriage made

in the Christo-Faschists' horrifying version of heaven

(one man's heaven is another man's hell, eh?),the corporations

and politicians comprising the military industrial complex

- reap the huge financial benefits of perpetual war,

a significant percentage of the American public to support

their perpetual war (who do you think is still showing up

in the polls as supporting the war?),

and loyal voters to help keep them in office.

 

In the Land of Oz, Science and Reality Cease to Exist

 

Living in Kansas and having a child

in a Kansas public school, I have been following

the farcical actions of the six Christo-Fascists

who represent the majority on the Kansas State School Board.

 

They recently decided it was time to rewrite the definition

of science so that it is no longer " limited to " searching

for natural explanations of phenomena. The board is also

implementing new standards which will open the door

for the introduction of the so-called " theory "

of intelligent design into science classes.

 

As an aside, I will say that as a Deist (or a reasonable

facsimile thereof), I believe in an intelligent designer,

but that in no way diminishes my acceptance in the

Theory of Evolution, which is supported by evidence

and has withstood the tests of time and scientific scrutiny.

 

Evolution is by no means complete, but there is no true

theory of which I am aware that rivals Evolution,

and until one emerges, I want my child learning Evolution.

Comparing intelligent design and Evolution is absurd.

ID is a theological argument based on one simple premise

while Evolution is a legitimate scientific theory

which has much more to say about the progressions

and history of life on Earth than about

the possible identity of its Creator or Initiator.

 

I embrace both the notion of intelligent design

and the Theory of Evolution simultaneously.

However, intelligent design is a spiritual concept

and does not belong in a science class.

 

Thankfully, rational thinkers came up with

an appropriate response to the school board's insanity.

The University of Kansas recently announced it would offer

a religious studies course which would include intelligent

design in the curriculum. Unfortunately, Fundamentalist

Pseudo-Christians discovered that Professor Paul Mirecki,

the faculty member assigned to teach the course,

wrote highly derogatory remarks on the Internet about them.

 

The Christo-Fascist response?

Several of their members who have infiltrated

the Kansas State Legislature are calling for

an investigation into the use of public funds at KU.

 

On 12/5, Dr. Mirecki literally felt the

- Iron Fist of Jesus as two " Christian soldiers " -

attacked and beat him in retaliation for his remarks

about their dogma. Much to the delight of " God's Warriors " ,

KU has cancelled the religious studies course.

 

Tell me to Have a Merry Christmas, or Else!

 

Recently, the Christo-Fascists have been wringing

their hands over the " liberal attacks " on Christmas.

Even their faithful Evangelical champion

at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has forsaken them.

Bush's sin? He dared to send out cards that said

" Happy Holidays " instead of " Merry Christmas " .

 

This has created a significant uproar amongst the

" Goodly Christian Fundamentalists " . Besides attacking

their beloved president, they are threatening

to boycott retailers (like Target) which do not include

" Merry Christmas " in their marketing or store displays.

 

The American occupation of Iraq has caused the deaths

of over 100,000 Iraqis, 2,000 plus American soldiers

have died in Iraq, at least 1,000 Americans died

(and hundreds of thousands lost virtually everything

they owned) in Hurricane Katrina due to the federal

government's abdication of its responsibility to

" promote the general Welfare " ,

- 45 million Americans are without health insurance,

- over a million Americans are homeless,

- the CIA and US military regularly engage

in abuse and torture, the

Patriot Act has seriously eroded the Bill of Rights,

and the US continues its neocolonial practices

to economically rape nations around the globe.

 

Christo-Fascist voters, leaders, and politicians

bear a great deal of responsibility for these tragedies

as they have supported, shaped and orchestrated

the malevolent US government policies behind these violations

of international law and human rights, war crimes,

and instances of criminal neglect.

Yet they have the hypocrisy to raise a significant issue

over " Merry Christmas " ? It is simply mind-boggling.

 

Frankly, I do not care if someone says " Merry Christmas "

or " Happy Holidays " to me. As a non-Christian,

I celebrate Christmas as a time for giving, family,

and to place a particular emphasis on peace and goodwill.

The Prince of Peace would have wanted it that way.

While I do not worship him as the son of God,

I do hold Jesus Christ in high esteem for his teachings,

principals and act of martyrdom.

 

I do not believe that Warrior Jesus will one day

ride down from heaven on a white steed with eyes blazing

as he prepares to ram a sword down my throat and obliterate

my flesh with his devastating voice.

However, I am convinced that were he alive today,

he would be sickened by the greed, gluttony,

commercialization, and over-consumption that comprise

much of Christmas in the United States.

 

Many of the Christo-Fascists are the first to shove

their snouts into the trough to get their share

of Christmas goodies. Since my spiritual awakening

about twelve years ago, I have been doing a lot more giving

than receiving, including to charities. In fact,

donations to Oxfam (on my behalf) sit atop my very short

wish list this year.

 

The Christo-Fascist Jesus would pummel me to a bloody mass

of unrecognizable flesh with his " Iron Fist " for not doing

my part to support America by stimulating the economy.

Somehow though, it seems far more reasonable to me

to envision Jesus tending to the poor and down-trodden

rather than preying on them like America's Social Darwinists do.

 

Terrorism, US Style

 

When the Higher Power set the universe in motion,

they planned for the evolution of Christo-Fascists

to lend balance to the universe.

 

America has Pat Robertson, who has called for

the assasination of Hugo Chavez, a leader dedicated

to improving the lives of the impoverished in his nation.

The Bush regime will probably answer Robertson's call.

The US capitalist aristocracy (built by stealing

Native American land and resources, enslaving Africans,

seriously exploiting American workers, and imposing

neo-colonialism and imp-erialism disguised as democracy

and free market economics) can ill afford for a leader

of one of its South American fiefdoms to threaten

the prevalence of their exploitive system by rallying

the serfs against them.

 

For each Osama bin Laden in the fundamentalist Muslim world,

there is a Pat Robertson in the Christo-Fascist world.

The difference is that while the Pat Robertsons

have the US government to perpetrate their acts of terror,

the bin Ladens have little choice but to do their own dirty work.

 

Just How Does One Define a Christo-Fascist?

 

What qualities would one find in a Christo-Fascist? Greed,

hubris, and self righteousness would probably top the list.

Upon further inspection, one would find a streak of

xenophobia, a significant amount of intolerance for those

who do not fit the " traditional roles " of men and women

and those who have not accepted Christ as their savior,

and a passionate disdain for critical thinking.

 

Lest I forget, Christo-Fascists are generally thin-skinned

and highly hypocritical. A powerful persecution complex

and an insatiable appetite for the revenge that they believe

Warrior Jesus will one day perpetrate on their behalf

arm them with conscience-blunting self-justifications

for their mean-spirited actions.

 

Hatred and bigotry gnaw at their malnourished souls

like crows picking at the remains of a fallen soldier

in the war for religious supremacy.

Christo-Fascists wield their knowledge of scripture

(and the commonly held Western belief that the Bible is

sacrosanct) while performing unbelievable mental gymnastics

to ensure they prevail in polemical discourse

and successfully proselytize the weak and vulnerable.

 

Narcissism and self hatred lie at the core

of the personalities of the Fundamentalist Faithful.

For a specific example of how the qualities of a

Christo-Fascist manifest themselves, consider the

Fundamentalist Christians' support of the illegal

imperial Iraqi occupation involving the murders

of tens of thousands of indigenous people, the deaths

of over 2,000 American military personnel,

the destruction of much of the nation's infrastructure,

and the waste of hundreds of billions

of federal tax dollars while US citizens suffer at home

due to inadequately funded domestic programs.

 

Iron Fist Jesus would approve!

 

In short, Fundamentalist Christians are the people

whom the real Jesus would have hammered with his Iron Fist,

if he had had one, and if he had been inclined to use it.

 

Fortunately for them, Warrior Jesus is simply a myth

the Christo-Fascist masters use to keep their minions in line.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, America's religious

extremists are as dangerous as those in the Middle East

and around the globe.

 

Just in case there is an Iron Fisted Jesus and an impending

Rapture, I am signing off by wishing you a Merry Christmas!

 

 

http://civillibertarian.blogspot.com/

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jason Miller is a 38 year old activist writer with a degree

in liberal arts. He works as a loan counselor in the

transportation industry, and is a husband with three sons.

His affiliations include Amnesty International and the ACLU.

He welcomes responses at willpowerful

or comments on his blog, Thomas Paine's Corner, at

http://civillibertarian.blogspot.com/.

 

Contact Author

willpowerful

Contact Editor

 

End