BOOK REVIEW: American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America

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Written by Ushruf Subreen, Muslim Link Contributing Writer

Thursday, 07 January 2010 15:39

Chirs Hedges is a Harvard Divinity School Grad who instead of being ordained took a different path and became a Journalist. Winner of numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize, Hedges worked as a foreign correspondent for the New York Times for 15 years, resigning from that position over the pro-Iraq war stance taken by the newspaper.

His book “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America”, published in January 2007, makes a case that the Christian fundamentalist movement emerging today in the United States resembles the early fascist movements in Italy and Germany at the beginning of the last century, and therefore constitutes a gathering threat to American democracy.

He has unique insight into the Dominionist Movement in the US.

Dominionism is a radical Christian Movement that seeks to establish a Fascist Christian Theocracy based in the United States with influence in the Holyland such as to set the stage for
Armageddon and the Apocalypse with eventual rule over the whole world by Christians only.

Dominionism takes its name from Genesis 1:26-31, in which God gives human beings Dominion over all creation. Dominionists now control at least six national television networks. And all of the nations 2000 religious radio stations as well as denominations such as the Southern Baptist Convention.

Hedges argues that Dominionism is a Fascist movement in that it emphasizes magic, leadership worship, and a belief in a master race, the Christian fundamentalist. Like all other Fascist movements in Dominionism their is only one way to be a Christian and only one way to be an American. In Dominionism America is God’s tool and all its resources are to be used for his glory and ends. Secular American leaders are seen as Satans helpers.

One of its major contradictions is the dominionists’ view of Jews. While the state of Israel is seen as a necessary evil that will help bring about the second coming of Jesus peace be upon him (and therefore Christians are called to support the state of Israel), the Jews are seen as a fallen evil people who killed Prophets and chose the material world over full filling God’s Covenant. And with the second coming of Jesus the Jews along with all Muslims would be destroyed by Jesus.

As a matter of fact one of the founders of Dominionism R. J. Rushdoony who denied the Holocaust and took many of his theories from Nazism such as the belief that lower and higher forms of humans exist among us and races are to be classified as more civilized and evolved or less civilized and evolved. Nonetheless, that has not stopped the Israeli’s from reaching out to Dominionists. At a Dominionists conference in Chicago the Israeli Minister of Tourism was standing at an exhibit booth of an Israeli public bus that was blown up by Hamas rebels in the heart of Tel Aviv. His argument was that the Arabs are terrorists and their goal is not only to destroy Israel but the US as well and only by aligning together can Israel and the US overcome this mutual enemy.

George Bush’s creation of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is seen as one of the most successful events in the movement. The office has channeled billions of federal tax dollars to groups such as National Right to life and Pat Robertson’s Operation Blessing.
By comparison historically traditional Christian fundamentalism in America has not so aggressively tried to impose its values on national politics. Additionally most of the moral values of traditional Christianity would be a source of comfort to most Muslims and are in direct line with Muslim values. One of the fundamental goals of Muslim activists in America should be to align themselves and develop coalitions with traditional Christian groups in order to thwart the growing effects of Dominionists.

Some of the most important names in the Dominionist movement past and present include R. J. Rushdoony, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Francis Schaeffer, John Calvin, Antonin Scalia, Mark Beliles, Stephen McDowell, Kenneth Blackwell, William Boykin, Roy Moore, Erik Prince, Jack Catton, Rod Parsley, Timothy LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins, James Kennedy, James Dobson, Bill McCartney, Tony Perkins, Richard Viguerie, Woody Jenkins, Richard DeVos, Joseph Coors, Gerald Winrod, Gerald Smith, Rod Parsley, and Gary Frazier,

On a generic level the Dominionist Movement shares many recruiting techniques and methods with other totalitarian and fascist movements such as love bombing, chastising, cutting off of ties with all those outside the movement, sensory bombardment, But just like most movements not all of its adherents follow its exact teachings educational level, travel abroad, interaction with other nationalities, and cultures matters. And many of the values of the Dominionist are very much in line with Muslim values. Their stance on abortion, family values, homosexuality, pre marital relations, alcohol, and other moral issues are very appealing. One only has to convince them that Muslims are not the enemy. We can start by attending church services and bible study and making sure the Church members know you are Muslim. This tactic is not for all Muslims only a select few who are well trained in the methods of religious education.

Major institutions of the Dominionists include Regents University, Creation Museum in Petersburg Kentucky, Council for National Policy, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Center for Christian Statesmanship, Christian Nationalist Crusade, Ohio Restoration Project, Whole Harvest Church, Bob Jones University, Trinity Broadcasting Network, and Discovery Ministries Inc., States that have a major Dominionist presence include Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, and Oklahoma.

Unique to the Dominionists echo for the Church is the movement’s adherence to the Gospel of Prosperity. Growing wealthy and living lavishly is not only acceptable but encouraged and seen as a sign of God’s Love and acceptance of the mission. Therefore people like Paul and Jan Crouch of Trinity Broadcasting, Pat Robertson of the 700 Club and healer Benny Hinn live lavish lives because God wants them to. Others such as Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, and John Avanzini work to spread the Gospel of Prosperity by flying around in Million dollar jets convincing people to pay for the Million dollar jets so that they can continue to travel in million dollar jets in order to spread the word about prosperity, and of course God.

Finally one of the most fundamental reasons for the rise of all totalitarian fascist movement including the Dominionists is the loss of sense of community. People look around and see they have been abandoned by family, and loved ones, and friends. They turn to a charismatic loving warm embrace where ever they can find it. The best way to combat this movement is to demonstrate Islam’s emphasis on family and community and unity. Our mosques and our families are our best response to any and all threats.