Is the Religious Right Dead?
I've read numerous articles and blog postings suggesting the Religious Right is dead in the water. I've also read more measured luminaries cautioning such a quick declaration. For some, the Religious Right is merely regrouping after the disappointing performance of the Bush administration, the death of Falwell and Kennedy, and a slew of moral failures. Either way, secular critics are still missing the larger issue, and they do so because they understand little about what makes Bible believers tick.
First, secularists are statists. Plain and simple. When they write, they write about politics. When they express concern over other issues, their solution is still political. Everything is viewed in terms of the state. Therefore, their war with conservative Christianity is a political one. They feel that if they can keep a religious conservative out of the White House, or balance the bench of the Supreme Court with a strong pro-choice constituency, then they feel they have somehow secured a victory over fundamentalism. This will always be their biggest mistake.
The political involvement of Christians should never be confused with their faith. The Religious Right is a social manifestation of the most dedicated type of faith commitment. A Christian is involved in politics because of what they believe, not because they believe in politics. Secularists, on the other hand, are political to the core because they are statist to the core. Since man is ultimate authority, the organization of man's will finds expression in the state, which represents the collective will. The only way to eradicate or neutralize fundamentalist participation in society is to undermine the faith that inspires the participation. It's the only way.
So, if all things go Democrat in the ensuing elections, it will matter little. The power of faith in the Christian message is intoxicating as much as it is hated. The concept of Christ's dominion being established in every sphere of life is slowly gaining ground over the end times mania of apocalyptic Christianity. Therefore, the future will be filled with an even greater population of dominionists.
For some reason, isolated secularists think that defending sodomites and the slaughter of unborn children will somehow resonate with the mass of the U.S. population. These poor saps are spending way too much time in the "urbania" of multicultural cities. They can't quite grasp why mainstream America turns it stomach when they see looping clips on cable news of same-sex couples kissing. The secularists see these images and they shed the tears of civil rights. America sees these queers and reaches for the Pepto-Bismol.
And, a good many Americans love their children, and don't care for the killing of unborn. Sure, they might be equally disgusted by a televangelist, but their basic moral structure--in general--wants life to be preserved and the gay parade to march back into the closet. Granted, they're not looking for an overtly "Christian" America, but that is by no means an endorsement of the sewage spewing out of the more "open-minded" cities.
In this sense, moral conservatism will always win the day even amongst the more economic Democrats of mainstream America; and the Religious Right focuses on a moral platform. However, it's more than morality that shapes the political Christian--it's faith. And this type of faith is missing from secularism.
Therefore, secularists--in order to win the culture war--must resort to that which they accuse the Religious Right of doing: coercion through the state. They have to outlaw prayer in public places. They have to remove Christian symbols. They'll seek to regulate homeschoolers, and force Christians to fund the public school system. This is tyranny; and it's a tyranny that will only galvanize the millions of dedicated Christians already disgusted with the fruits of humanism.
The "Religious Right" is simply a description of the political arm of conservative Christianity, but it is by no means their base of power. The real power lies in their faith; and when mixed with a strong sense of action, that faith will dominate the next 2,000 years even more so than the last. Secularism is doomed.
Kingdom now, Kingdom yesterday, Kingdom forever!
First, secularists are statists. Plain and simple. When they write, they write about politics. When they express concern over other issues, their solution is still political. Everything is viewed in terms of the state. Therefore, their war with conservative Christianity is a political one. They feel that if they can keep a religious conservative out of the White House, or balance the bench of the Supreme Court with a strong pro-choice constituency, then they feel they have somehow secured a victory over fundamentalism. This will always be their biggest mistake.
The political involvement of Christians should never be confused with their faith. The Religious Right is a social manifestation of the most dedicated type of faith commitment. A Christian is involved in politics because of what they believe, not because they believe in politics. Secularists, on the other hand, are political to the core because they are statist to the core. Since man is ultimate authority, the organization of man's will finds expression in the state, which represents the collective will. The only way to eradicate or neutralize fundamentalist participation in society is to undermine the faith that inspires the participation. It's the only way.
So, if all things go Democrat in the ensuing elections, it will matter little. The power of faith in the Christian message is intoxicating as much as it is hated. The concept of Christ's dominion being established in every sphere of life is slowly gaining ground over the end times mania of apocalyptic Christianity. Therefore, the future will be filled with an even greater population of dominionists.
For some reason, isolated secularists think that defending sodomites and the slaughter of unborn children will somehow resonate with the mass of the U.S. population. These poor saps are spending way too much time in the "urbania" of multicultural cities. They can't quite grasp why mainstream America turns it stomach when they see looping clips on cable news of same-sex couples kissing. The secularists see these images and they shed the tears of civil rights. America sees these queers and reaches for the Pepto-Bismol.
And, a good many Americans love their children, and don't care for the killing of unborn. Sure, they might be equally disgusted by a televangelist, but their basic moral structure--in general--wants life to be preserved and the gay parade to march back into the closet. Granted, they're not looking for an overtly "Christian" America, but that is by no means an endorsement of the sewage spewing out of the more "open-minded" cities.
In this sense, moral conservatism will always win the day even amongst the more economic Democrats of mainstream America; and the Religious Right focuses on a moral platform. However, it's more than morality that shapes the political Christian--it's faith. And this type of faith is missing from secularism.
Therefore, secularists--in order to win the culture war--must resort to that which they accuse the Religious Right of doing: coercion through the state. They have to outlaw prayer in public places. They have to remove Christian symbols. They'll seek to regulate homeschoolers, and force Christians to fund the public school system. This is tyranny; and it's a tyranny that will only galvanize the millions of dedicated Christians already disgusted with the fruits of humanism.
The "Religious Right" is simply a description of the political arm of conservative Christianity, but it is by no means their base of power. The real power lies in their faith; and when mixed with a strong sense of action, that faith will dominate the next 2,000 years even more so than the last. Secularism is doomed.
Kingdom now, Kingdom yesterday, Kingdom forever!
