"The Power Worshippers, Inside The Dangerous Rise Of Religious Nationalism" by Katherine Stewart-- A Book Review From One Year Ago, More Timely Than Ever

 

I'm reading a book by Katherine Stewart called "The Power Worshippers". It's about the rise of "Christian Nationalism" today, by an author who researched them in person throughout the country over a 10 year period. 

If you want to have an in depth understanding of just why the GOP and the Trump movement seem to be cult-like, it is because they ARE a Cult. If you read this book, which I would insist is required reading, then you will know exactly what it is you are fighting.  It is, in a sense, not new information, as I have been reading about this phenomena and fighting it for decades, among other things. 

What is most frightening is the leaders of it have accumulated all of the modern methods of information warfare and technological outreach, are funded by billionaires, and have the intention of establishing a Theocracy, a dictatorship, which overturns the US Constitutional system. They are no longer as former Bush 43 aide Michael Gerson was quoted by Stewart, "a movement which meets in a phone booth". 

Everything they say and do is based upon one huge towering insane lie. That America was founded as a "Christian" nation, and that the so-called Separation of Church and State is not only a myth, but the main impediment to be overcome in order to impose their own top down, totalitarian version of fake Christianity. (which they call "Dominion" over the "Seven Pillars" of society which are the Courts, the State and Federal Government, the Education System, the Media, Arts, Entertainment, and the military)

Their barely legal activity is powered by the deft creation of supposedly non-partisan and apolitical fronts, funneling their rank and file members into organizations, think tanks, study groups, cultural and civic groups, through which they have effected a financial and political takeover of the GOP, which they have chosen as their vehicle to establish "Dominion". All the while, they have created and used these fronts to avoid taxes, regulation, transparency, and funded the luxurious lifestyle of their leading front men and women, who preach "Prosperity Theology" to their star struck and suggestible flock. 

The writer is careful to not generalize or lump all American Christians into one basket, and shows that there is a counter tendency among many denominations who stand in opposition to this outlook. However, Ms. Stewart correctly sounds the alarm because of the immense and growing political and financial power of this Christian Nationalist movement. And this was written prior to the Pandemic, before we could become firsthand witnesses and victims of their destructive power as aggressive spreaders of the covid virus. 

I'll write a thorough review when I'm finished, which will be soon, as I can't put it down. It is like a super slow motion video of car crash test dummies in which the dummies are you, me, and our future, and the vehicle is our nation, in which we can watch it disintegrate from beginning to end, in high-resolution from top to bottom.

If this so-called "movement" ever were to completely consolidate power, they are not just going to take away your rights, your freedom, your livelihood. They will start World War III, because they see that as their job. They want to bring about End Times, and bring Jesus back now, They actually hate democracy, and intend to abolish it. Their spokespeople in the Military like General Boykin are open about this, as are Congressman like Tom Cotton. 

Imagine if you will, that the insane fundamentalist Ayatollahs of Iran, or the Imams of ISIS were to be suddenly thrust into the leadership of the greatest nuclear power among all nations, and govern it by Sharia law. Everything that exists outside of their interpretation of Koran is "Haram". (Evil, a deadly Sin, prohibited) All people who dissent are Infidels to be punished. 

These Christian Nationalist leaders, and the thousands of Pastors in their stables are America's Ayatollahs. To ignore them is to cut our own throats. 

They are not a small minority. They have hijacked an entire one of our two political parties. They mobilized 71 million votes for the most corrupt, evil, and stupid President in our history. They are a mass based movement of not citizens, but congregants and zealots, organized around their five zombie issues of stopping abortion, cancelling gay marriage and the rights of LGBT citizens, stopping gun control, increasing military support for Israel, and the ending of Welfare and entitlements. They are literally programmed into lockstep on these issues alone to the exclusion of all else, and are brainwashed into ignoring their own contradictions and hypocrisies, and the many examples of their own divergence from actual Christian faith. (One quote, "aren't you concerned about racial injustice"? "No, the Bible teaches us not to worry")

This book lays bare the full apparatus that is deploying this cult against our Constitutional system, and it should explain why you cannot rationalize with or persuade the GOP Trump supporters of anything. You think you are having a political discussion with someone who thinks you are attacking their religious faith. The wall of separation between the two things has been obliterated in their minds. 

 Literally, this book could have been called The Second Invasion of the Body Snatchers: Beyond Communism or Fascism". Its $12.95 on Kindle. Read it, it is worth it.