But despite their unprecedented power, fundamentalists still see themselves as a persecuted minority, waging a holy war against the godless forces of secularism. To rouse themselves, they kick off the festivities with "Soldiers of the Cross, Arise," the bloodthirstiest tune in all of Christendom: "Seize your armor, gird it on/Now the battle will be won/Soon, your enemies all slain/Crowns of glory you shall gain."
Meet the Dominionists -- biblical literalists who believe God has called them to take over the U.S. government. As the far-right wing of the evangelical movement, Dominionists are pressing an agenda that makes Newt Gingrich's Contract With America look like the Communist Manifesto. They want to rewrite schoolbooks to reflect a Christian version of American history, pack the nation's courts with judges who follow Old Testament law, post the Ten Commandments in every courthouse and make it a felony for gay men to have sex and women to have abortions. In Florida, when the courts ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed, it was the Dominionists who organized round-the-clock protests and issued a fiery call for Gov. Jeb Bush to defy the law and take Schiavo into state custody. Their ultimate goal is to plant the seeds of a "faith-based" government that will endure far longer than Bush's presidency -- all the way until Jesus comes back...
This fringe movement of fundamentalist lunatics has been legitimized by the corporate press, and this mainstreaming of ecumenical fanaticism really bothers me. Fortunately, their "in your face" approach is starting to bother others besides myself.
In her posting on Blondesense, Liz wonders why "mainstream religion leaders [haven't] called these knuckleheads out"? It's really pretty simple. They are - witness Forrest Church's denunciations from a few weeks back - unfortunately, the more moderate religious leaders don't want to get caught up in the controversies.
What's it going to take to wake up the country to the theocrats?
