Ghost of a flea: Dominionism

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July 04, 2005

Dominionism

David Brancaccio interviews Chris Hedges about the perils of Dominionism or "dominion theology" (via Crooks and Liars). More thoughts at PublicEye about Christian Reconstructionism are worth a look.

The original and defining text of Reconstructionism is Institutes of Biblical Law, published in 1973 by Rousas John Rushdoony--an 800-page explanation of the Ten Commandments, the Biblical "case law" that derives from them, and their application today. "The only true order," writes Rushdoony, "is founded on Biblical Law. All law is religious in nature, and every non-Biblical law-order represents an anti-Christian religion." In brief, he continues, "Every law-order is a state of war against the enemies of that order, and all law is a form of warfare."

These people are not joking. And just so we are clear on this point: prejudice against gay people, usually gay men, is only the all too acceptable face of this movement. Should a Dominionist government come into being I can only assume historical precedent as a guide to those who would suffer. This means Catholics, Jews and any Protestants with a different reading of Scripture in something like that order. This includes those in for a nasty shock having agreed to the Dominionist reading of Scripture when it was limited to gay people rather than, say, adulterers or non-virginal women. Plank meet eye. Eye, plank.

Dominionism is a form of theocratic fascism. There can be no compromise with its agenda and even those who share some part of its moral aims, an opposition to same-sex marriage, for example, should take extreme care that shared opposition not inadvertently support Dominionism in its bid for power.

Bruce Prescott writes as a mainstream Baptist about Rousas John Rushdoony's thought.

Rushdoony gives an indication why he believes that the American system of pluralistic democracy is heresy. He wrote, "In the name of toleration, the believer is asked to associate on a common level of total acceptance with the atheist, the pervert, the criminal, and the adherents of other religions."

One thing I will say for these folks is that their theology, while moronic, is intellectually consistent. It strikes me that if your plan is to guide an information age society with the metaphors of bronze age pastoralists you may as well go with the whole program rather than cherry picking the bits that can be twisted to justify rough treatment of the people you happen not to like. Of course, this is the same intellectual consistency that lead the Taliban to make exactly the same mistake: these metaphors were the best those bronze age writers could manage but unless we believe the Holy Spirit has abandoned the world, unless we would rather worship some words on a page instead of God Almighty, we have do the best we can to make sense of Creation with the metaphors appropriate to our lives now.

Fortunately, there is an obvious alternative to bronze age law. Don't like same-sex marriage? Don't marry a gay guy. Otherwise, let's make common cause in minding our own business and maybe, just maybe, help each other find the truth rather than imagining it can be imposed on someone like a parking ticket. Or that someone can make a free choice to accept Grace when the parking ticket comes with a death sentence.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at July 4, 2005 07:37 AM

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Comments

Hear, here!

Further, as a Christian, I would suggest that these theocratic autocrats are reading Christianity wrong. I've believed that the central message of Christianity is the part where Christ says: "You will love your god with all your mind and with all your heart and with all your strength; you will love your neighbour as yourself; upon these two words hang all the law of the prophets" (I'm pulling this piece of scripture from memory, so it may not be perfect).

This is the golden rule, and it translates as follows:

1. Everything on Earth is inconsequential. Sex, money, power, organized religion, government, etc. Work with these if you must -- enjoy them, even -- but do not make any of these the overwhelming priority of your life.
2. Respect everyone, without exception, as you would have yourself respected.
3. This is Christianity's central message; everything else in the Bible should fall together as common sense if you take these two commandments close to your heart. If you encounter a portion of scripture that leads you off of a life of balance or asks you to hate others, that passage of scripture must be considered null and void.

Posted by: James Bow at July 4, 2005 12:51 PM