This Extreme Right despotism is international. Anders Breivik, self-styled Norwegian patriot, proclaimed his righteousness by murdering men and women, boys and girls. Why? Islam must be driven out of Norway, immigration must be stopped, and multi-culturalism is a mistake. "Actions were atrocious but necessary.... Before we can start our crusade, we must do our duty by decimating cultural Marxism.... Once you decide to strike, it is better to kill too many than not enough, or you risk reducing the desired ideological impact of the strike." Calling for a Christian civil war to defend Europe against the threat of Muslim domination, Breivik writes, "Seize political and military control of Western European countries and implement a cultural conservative political agenda." Now, think Al Qaeda, Hamas, Zionism.
In the United States, the Southern Poverty Law Center is the watchdog of the dramatic rise of the Extreme Right Wing militia and hate groups. In their recent Intelligence Reports, they cite some quotes: "They are animals, yes, but a lower form than a dog....", writes columnist Debbie Schlussel, characterizing Muslims. "A sexual degenerate, an American-hating communist....", says Brett Reese, a member of the Greeley-Evans Colorado Board of Education referring to MLK, Jr. "Use live amunition.", proclaims Jeff Cox, Indiana Deputy Attorney General. "If shooting these immigrating feral hogs works, maybe we have found a [solution] to our illegal immigration problem.", trumpets Virgil Peck, Kansas State Representative. Hate has gone mainstream.
The Tea Party embraces violence. The vitriol of anti-immigration, anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-tax, anti-investment, anti-Obama, anti-compromise, anti-Muslim rhetoric is poisoning political civility and paralyzing the legislative progress. They are like adolescent "Lord of the Flies". And too often it is in the name of Jesus, lifting the Cross of Christ as their clarion banner that they proclaim their mastery. They are the ultimate embodiment of Grover Norquist's "starve the beast" mantra, bringing the nation to the edge of economic collapse, whistling as the nation hurdles toward the cliff of default, and creating even more unemployment. The nation is held hostage by this economic violence.
What can we do? I would suggest we try living out the gift that all people are created in the Image of God as described in Psalm 146:
Praise the Lord!
Happy are those whose hope is in the Lord their God....
Who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry....
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
the Lord upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked [God] brings to ruin.
As God and Jesus are, so are we called to reflect. Now is not the time for personal hatred. Now is the time to be the hearts and hands of Jesus: to sit at the table and break bread together, to have conversation, to pray for and together, to develop friendship, to learn from each other, to educate, to speak the truth in love, to be honest, to do Bible study together, to worship together, to be open, to draw each other closer. Now is the time to confront the Extreme Right with the Spirit of Christ.
Near the end of the Civil War, Secretary of War William Stanton told Lincoln to punish and destroy the Southern enemies who started the war. Lincoln's response reflected the Spirit of Christ: "Do we not destroy our enemies when we make them our friends?"
Near the end of the Civil War, Secretary of War William Stanton told Lincoln to punish and destroy the Southern enemies who started the war. Lincoln's response reflected the Spirit of Christ: "Do we not destroy our enemies when we make them our friends?"
Peace!
Ron
You are presenting us w/ quite a challenge Ron.
ReplyDeleteI find it impossible to find any common ground with the extremist right wing/tea party rhetoric. However, I do feel compassion for those that are involved w/ the movement, because the actual power brokers: the puppeteers who hold the purse strings and direct the message, are exploiting many people of good faith.
The chaos that we witness is purposely created to distract us from the facts that our freedoms are being systematically eroded and the standard of living and our communities are being destroyed.
Too often citizens are manipulated into voting, and acting, against their self-interest. The people doing the manipulating do not truly care about the common citizen, and in fact, feel no fellowship with them at all; the citizens are just something to be used and discarded once they have served their purpose.
I don't see the Koch brothers and others like them investing in community and job creation-I see them consolidating wealth.
As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said:
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."
Marie, I agree with so much of what you say. Well put. Your are prophetic. I am often aghast at what our leaders propose. I am too frequently dismayed. I take hope in Christ which inspires me to do what I can to organize and speak out. I recall what Tom Brokaw said the morning after the final vote on this terrible default bill: "The Tea Party shows us what can happen when people get passionate about their beliefs and take action." We are in a fight for our country and the integrity of our faith.
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