Saturday, August 13, 2011

The American Christian Conservatives-Worldwide Political Reform Movement


Perhaps the 666 Beast (Bull and Bear Market System)?  You've heard of Star Wars before? Today, I will comment on the political infighting that is quietly taking place between factions within the American Christian religious community. The opponents are the true conservatives, that follow the principles of Jesus Christ, and the modern-day pseudo-Christian conservatives, often referred to as evangelicals.  Another name for them, in this context, could be 'The Rightist Evangelical T-Party.  For in addition to all of their other political tactics, similar to what Hitler did, they have taken nearly complete control of the American system of governance which they are re-adapting (to include the military), the political and economic narrative, the religious narrative, the church, the media, the economic system ... among other things.  America, and the world for that matter are under siege, and are in the throes of an American capitalist, religio-politcal domestic and foreign coup de tat and take back scheme, that is being waged in the name of the Lord.  Another name for it is White American Supremacy!  


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Are the rank and file members a part of the plot? The majority of them, in my opinion, don't have a clue to what is going on, and are not a part of the sinister plot.  Most are simply following after the allure of 'Big Church' religious wealth, power, pageantry, conventions, misinformation, travel and Jesus camp's indoctrination.   Many of the naive (including some cross-over pentecostals who know better but are tired of being broke and attending small churches), believe that they are following a mandate given by God, or want to partake of the largess, and the pageantry that these churches have to offer. 


However, who or what is really the driving force behind this movement that has co-opted the growing world-wide, "we are right, it is okay to be rich, political evangelical  pseudo-church movement.  Even big named, old time Pentecostals like Bishop [Takes] have drunk the kool-aid, and gone over to the dark side of the force.  Besides, who wants to  preach to 4 or 5 people at the storefront, or upper room pentecostal church, when you can have 20,000 members, fabulous homes, cars, clothing, jewelry, airplanes and the media at your disposal?  


A Chinese convert, responded to Ted Koppel's query, "why did you become a Christian?"  He replied instantly, with a smile on his face:  Because Christians have all the money".  


At times, it is difficult to tell the two groups apart, both groups teach from the same Bible, declaring that the Bible is the undisputed 'word of God', however, do not be deceived.    One group, with all of their foibles and seeming impotence (similar to Jesus and his group of broke outsider followers, appear to be the real deal from where I am standing).    On the other hand, the other group, their counterparts, appear to be a modern day pseudo-Christian, high-flying, jet set, American political capitalist extremist entertainment organization, that has 'settled into a world', that they are busily shaping. 


Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Dr. Dobsen (not a preacher), Tony Perkins, Rod Parsley, shall I go, are the leaders of this new Christian world order. 


 The latter are seeking to establish a economic heaven on earth, one that is to their liking, and according to them, is the world that God wants too.  They carry under on their rightist political agendas underneath the rubric or guise of following Jesus Christ.  Never mind that some of their leaders have even encouraged the murder, invasion, occupation, fly-overs of other nations or individuals who fail to comport with their ideals.  To be sure, Pat attempted to run for the office of the President of the United States himself, and is known to frequently to influence America's foreign and domestic policy. 

Even though churches are restricted by Law from endorsing political candidates, many 501(c) churches, especially the evangelical ones, permit politicians to stump in their pulpits, organize political rallies and endorse politicians as much or more than any other political or special interest groups does.

However, keep in mind that there are other churches who ignore the statutes on the books that pertain to churches.  How do they do it?  They do so by invoking their first Amendment rights, which states that "the government shall not make any laws pertaining to religion". The evangelical Tom Delays of the world (who have spent time at the Graybar Hotel) and his counterparts, have exploited this law, along with other Christian leaders, more than anyone else that I have witnessed in my lifetime.  


The only other known organization that frequently exempts itself from the laws (that it creates for other Americans), is the Congress of the United States of America.

Tom and his ilk, remind me of Judas the betrayer of Jesus, have been allowed to use the church as their bully pulpits, in the manner that many other famous protestant clerics, use their pulpits, media time, Radio, TV and the Internet, to get their conservative message across to their followers. 

It is understood that the politicians that they helped to elect, will remember and pay their political debts to these radicalized political churches and their congregations, once they get elected. Again, keep in mind that the Tom Delays of the world, and other Christian conservatives on the American political right not only believe that they are above the law, they believe that they are RIGHT!  To wit, they believe that, even when breaking the law, or distorting the meaning of the Bible, that they are RIGHT then too!

There used to be a time when the church taught probity, encouraged religious values among its followers and insisted upon its followers remaining seperate from the world. However, more and more the church, that has become settled in the world, is more and more and  more and more, an American Capitalist political indoctrination, pseudo-religious church formation.  It uses its worship services, its media ministries, its off-site meetings, it church organs, if not house-to-house meetings, to inculcate its political , similar to the steps that the Klan used before, and in some instances still does today!

For having left the righteousness of God, they have gone about to establish their own righteousness, having been influenced with Dominionism and white-supremacist cultural values and the dream of American-Christian conservative superiority. To them the former is synonymous with the vision of Jesus Christ; I don't think so.

I am convinced that Jesus Christ might repeat to them what was written before,"to depart from me [you had an agenda of your own], I never knew you., and you never knew me".  For having tired of waiting on Jesus to set up a new Kingdom on Earth, these organizations have are attempted to set up a Kingdom, in the name of God, that is of their own liking.  



Again, the church world, once considered to be the unified body of Christ, has of late been divided into 2 camps with many members, the true conservatives, individuals who adhere to biblical principles, and the pseudo-conservative church, that more and more is a growing Evangelical real time monetary-political group, that has its own theology and is building its own theocracy. In fact, one of its stars, Bishop Jakes said, and I quote, explained at a gathering that I attended in Washington DC:  'the church is a business'. 


The new conservative America church, more and more, looks just like that, a business.  Before, he like most taught that the church was a spiritual organism, a body of baptized believers.  However, the spiritual organism for he and many other 100 or less churches, weren't growing.  Today, the networking (busy-ness) churches, which are indeed very carnal I might add, have exploded in terms of growth.

The sheer size, accumulated financial resources and media exposure of churches on the conservative Right, has been and still is responsible for drawing millions of church members away from smaller, less than 100 member conservative church congregations. Many of their former members, could not resist the allure of becoming members of larger, more prosperous looking, wealth carrying, entertaining, camping trip going …. and in many ways, everything that is offered in the world church centers.

The strength of these organizations, lies not only in their crazy numbers, however, but in their ability to construct one large political bloc in order to pursue their  political agenda.  And they are a force to be reckoned with, just ask any conservative politician.  By teaching, preaching and translating scriptures in a fashion that bolsters their political positions, again their numbers have exploded and their influence in America, in the Oval Office, at the Supreme Court and on Capitol Hill, is something to be reckoned with. 


Now, even though people of color are being attracted and added to their membership numbers in large numbers, make no mistake about the political agenda of these churches which their new minority members will be expected to embrace and follow. it it a white supremacist, we are right agenda.  


And if they don't, they won't be considered to be 'good evangelical Christians'.  Now, before you call me a racist, don't forget about the Apostle Peter, who did not touch unclean things, or Jeremiah, who had an issue with the skin of Ethiopians, even though the Ethiopian who rescued him from the mire, had that bad skin color too.  

Typically, minority pastors that join these alliances will fare better for a time, and many of them will even be asked to come and to  teach or preach to these more conservative congregations, although they will be summarily ignored, corrected or chastised if they were to veer from the proscribed script.


Call Bishop Carlton Pearson, and ask him about that.  He changed and went back to the dark side.  Once upon a time, he thanked the whites at the Cathedral of Faith in San Jose California, for enslaving and bringing blacks to America.  He said:  "if you had not brought us to America, we would still be in Africa".  Oops!  The white audience ripped with applause.  However, 20 years later, when he had his epiphany after visiting Africa and looking at his black brothers and sisters, he had a change of heart.   At that universalist change of heart, got him tossed out of the evangelical movement - he became persona non gratis.  

And even though members of minority churches, join in with these larger mostly white conservative conventions, other than the pastor and a few members of the inner core, will continue to languish in poverty.

The conservative faction of the church (the ones who do not believe in the American Christian Political Church) v. the pseudo-conservative faction, is comparable in many respects to what Jesus encountered, when faced he was confronted by the Pharisee/Sadducees, and the conflicts that he endured with them that are found in scripture. 


The Pharisees, a powerful religio-political group, similar to our modern-day seperatist religio-politco evangelical were rebuked by Jesus, and told that not only would they not enter the Kingdom, they were keeping others from entering the Kingdom. The question today, is the same as it was then, which group is really following God, or the Canon if you prefer, not necessarily mutally exclusive. And, which Kingdom have they become a part of, God's thy Kingdom come, or the American Capitalist Christian worldwide-Conservative Christian Reform Church system

It is easy for a church and its leaders to go astray. In fact the scriptures warn believers to beware of false prophets ... to test spirits, and to know them who labor among you in the world. Why? Because according to scripture, our wrestling is against the spirit, that is behind a movement or leader who may not be aware of what motivates him or her. And Solomon explained in the book of Ecclesiastes, that the end of a thing is better than the beginning.

And I believe that we are beginning to see the beginning of the end of the dangerous Mega-rich, religious political church phenomenon. Interestingly enough, Bill O'Reilly and other TV commentators on the Right, were instrumental in having the Federal government to go after the N.A.A.C.P., Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton , NAACP … and other non-conservatives for 501(c) infractions when campaigning. And at the same time, other political candidates on the Right, who used 501(c) organizations to stomp, they summarily ignored.

Too boot, the whole crop of 360,000 or so conservative ministers who signed on to a petition to stop the so called liberal agenda ... and to have it and them condemned, spend every day, engaging in mixing in conservative politics and politicos.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council in Washington DC, sound legitimate , has been instrumental in disseminating fascist religious materials and positions, from Washington DC, that favors the right, to the rest of the American Religious Capitalist Church System.

Let's be honest, right now the Conservatives, have the power , religious, military, political and economic power, and they also have the wealth, however, when you consider the condition that they country is in today, given the candidates that they are responsible for having placed into office and on the Supreme Court, in Judgeship …, I believe that the Beast, that has risen up from among the Sea of the people, is about to have its legs cut off. Why? The people of the sea, have become restless, and even though for a time, many of them drank the conservative Kool-Aid, more and more thinking Americans, are beginning to recognize how poison it is, and that it is flavored to represent only a few on the Right.

Investigative and inquiring minds recognize that the political Rightest-Church is as responsible for America's political problems , as is the T-Party along with other conservative Republicans politicians.

The incredible transference of wealth from the people, since the Right, with the aid of the Rightist Church, disposed of Bill Clinton, recovered it and placed that wealth solely into the control of a minority group of conservatives on the right, has begun to awaken a sleeping giant. Four hundred Americans, currently have the equivalent wealth of 60% of Americans on the bottom rung. In other words, 400 Americans have the equivalent wealth of 180M other Americans, who are mostly laid-off, underpaid, living outside, on public assistance … So what God was the conservative church on the Right praying to, given their participation, direction and support in such a debacle?

Now, do I have a personal dog in the fight? Factually, I like some of these fellows personally, and others I find to be amusing. And before you say, “you are being disrespectful”, I am a minister, pastor on hiatus too – so I can talk about my fellow members of the cloth. Some of them are political, others greedy and extravagant, and a few I believe are genuinely confused. In my opinion, too many of them gave up on Jesus Christ a long time ago, and are following after the spirit of this world.

Why the comparison. Because there are many ministers who, similar to Jesus, languished in poverty, while preaching to their small followings (while they went about doing the work of the Lord), having watched their brothers in Christ, amass large land-holdings, wealth, huge followings and bloated salaries (not to mention that they stole away the few members that they had), decided, well, if you can't lick 'em, you might as well join them.

Suddenly, the liturgies in these once traditional churches changed, to a rocking, finger-popping, hand-slapping, joke telling, rapping, preacher driving Benzes, Airplane flying, and other luxury car, living in near mansions … while other people suffer, has became their new reality. Go and sell what you have today, give it to the poor, and your income stream will be replenished tomorrow - oh come on!

And their new sermons became, money-oriented, God wants you to have money, and show me the money sermons. And guess what, for a while, it worked. What brought people into these churches, is what I believe in the end, will lead them back out of the door, money or their failures to get any of the money.  


Already, some of these mega-moolah land churches that succeeded for awhile, are being fore-closed upon, and I suspect that might be a good thing. The teaching, training and personal attention that these parishioners once received, was forfeited, for fast-singing, hand-slapping performance oriented Sunday morning weekly presentations. The better you are at telling jokes these days, the better you happen to be as a preacher. David Letterman, could make more money if he were to crossover and become  a preacher, than the paltry 20M or so that he makes a year, working on the television.

Based upon what I have observed, the people are not being taught to follow God, they are being conditioned to pursue wealth through religious-politicals means, and to support a white American political agenda. Okay, I said it!

Now here is what is so ironic, on the way up, the wealthy politicians who required the help of the church to make their ascent, are beginning, of late, to abandon the mega churches, the ones who do not need them any more. Good I say, that is what you get for getting in bed with the devil in the first place. Besides, conservative churches were paid back given President Bush's Faith-based pay-off initiative program.

I can recall several years ago, when Senator John McCain, switched sides. At first he stood for principle, and recognized that when it came to political and religious issues, that the two should remain separate. It is a part of the American implied social contract, that that the two would remain apart. Senator McCain, explained, that he would not pander, be dominated or bridled by the Religious or Christian Right, Bob Jones University … but later, when he needed the support of the Religious Right, off to Bob Jones … he went.

He is making similar comments about the T—Party today, but trust me, that craving to be re-elected will eventually lead him to give in again, but this time to the rightist Chrisitan T-Party faction of the Rightist Christian Church.  lan members, would be wise to abandon their robes, and to join mainstream evangelical churches and preach Jesus, while carrying on a nefarious political agenda on the side.

They might not get to burn the cross anymore, or hate Jews, while invoking the name of Jesus, however, they would have a larger following and their work would be legitimized.


People who believe in what is real ought to pursue what is real, I believe, And much of the American church world, especially political evangelicals, are a part of one massive money-making religio-political organizational stream, and their politics are both local, national and international.


I don't believe that Christ is at the center of their movement. Remember, conservative Christians in Germany, individuals who had similar views as conservative churche Christians in America have, supported Adolf Hitler.

Be careful folks, and trust me, I don't believe that a lot of these guys and gals are intentionally bad people, I believe that the majority of them have simply been seduced, or are sincerely misdirected, in terms of trying to do the right thing!  Show me the money Christianity or politics is not the power practice that Jesus or his followers pursued while on earth.  

The rest of us must continue to pursue what is real, and to beware of false prophets, even the ones who are simply misguided it would appear seem.   What they say, and do in practice are  often 2 different animals.


What is my motive: It's simple, as a minister, I have a responsibility to warn the innocent and misguided to be careful of trends and what appears to be God, when it may not be at all. Remember Jonestown?  What is taking place in America today, giving the mixing between evangelicals especially, what appears to be the true church and nationalist and internationalist politics, in the name of the Lord, is a dangerous phenomenon I believe. 


Isn't it amazing that Christian churches criticize the theocratic forms of governments that exist in other parts of the world, while sanctifying the spirit of a conservative theocracy in the West, that is driven by monetary, power and greed values in the West, with an eye on dominating the world?

Never forget, no matter how they use the Canon, to make their points that Pat Robertson, Late Jerry Falwell, John Hagee, Dr. Dobson, Parsley, Perkins, Delay … shall I go on ... all of these folks are, or were in bed with the politicians on the Right. And look where they has got America, following 8 years of George Bush Jr., and obstructionist religious-conservative propaganda.  The religious leaders, might as well have seats reserved for them in the House, the Senate, on the Supreme Court and the White House.

Pat Robertson, actually tried to run for President, a couple of decades ago? Of course, God, told him not to, but he attempted a reprise a few years afterward. Pat wanted someone to knock President Hugo Chavez.  Folks beware of wolves who come to you in sheep’s clothin and with sardonic grins.

I expect that you will be told, or are thinking that I am the wolf in sheep's clothing – but I am not one. Having said that, Christians, ought to remember what happened to Jesus and his followers in the Canon, when he and they spoke truth to conservative religious power in his day.  In Jesus's case, he became a picture hangar with nails in his hands in feet (a sentence that was insisted upon by the Religious Right of his time).  


And his death sentence was carried out as a result of pressure on a government official, Pilate, given theirrightest politcal-religious agendas.  


Much like the Klan did, these churches are white supremacists organizations (that includes minority members), and they are still following and supporting a white supremacist-capitalist agenda) . “The end of a thing, is better than the beginning”, Solomon wrote. And in time, the truth will be revealed, or better yet understood I believe. In the meantime, and I repeat, the rest of us, let's pursue what is real and at the same time do all that we can to repeal, repel and stand up against the spirit of error that operates in a church world that supports an agenda that favors the few and the privileged.

And before you think it, I do not believe that all whites are white supremacists, on the other hand, I believe that there are whites who are, but do not know that they are  - they simply believe that they are right.  And do you recall the instructions that Jesus gave to his inner-circle, prior to departing.  He did not send them to the Temple or to the Synagogues, he sent them to a place where the holy spirit would be sent, hmm!

Peace 


Read the T-Leaves Mormon Mitt, you're not getting it either!

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