In our current culture, this question from Jesus keeps coming to mind
Video from Dan Marler
Dan Marler is the Pastor of First Church of God Oak Lawn Illinois and a prolific blogger.
Dan Marler's Blog (link)
"Our rights come from God. All political power handled by man can be abused, and must be safeguarded. Genuine fascism is at total odds with that view." - Jerry Newcomb
How Should a Christian View Fascism?
"According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, fascism is “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.”
The greatest example of fascism is, of course, Nazism in twentieth-century Germany. An autocratic dictator (Adolph Hitler) decided to pursue policies that put Germany first at all costs and then also that put the “Arian race” first so that other non-Arians (primarily Jews) and the handicapped were exterminated. In the process, the individual rights of all Germans were severely curtailed.
Christians should condemn what happened in Nazi Germany and, today, all do. However, at the time it seems that many Christians (or at least those who identified themselves as such) had no trouble going along with the Nazi program. All too often, the cause of nation somehow gets confused with the cause of Christ. This happened in Germany, in part, because it was a “Christian” nation with a national church.
For a Christian assessment of fascism, we need to look at each of the individual components found in the definition above. The first is that of the autocratic leader or dictator. Scripture does not condemn dictators. In fact, in ancient times, almost all leaders were dictators. From Pharaoh to Nebuchadnezzar to Caesar, all had more or less supreme power in their kingdoms. Even the king of Israel had much more power than any leader in a modern democracy, but the king of Israel was supposed to rule with justice according to the Law as God’s representative. In fact, all kings are supposed to rule with justice and will be judged accordingly (Psalm 82). While it may offend modern sensitivities, dictators as such are not condemned in Scripture. However, autocratic dictators are a problem if they refuse to be governed by the law of God and become a law unto themselves.." from the article: How Should a Christian View Fascism?
Chris Hedges: Jesus, Endless War & US Fascism
"The Democratic Party — which had 50 years to write Roe v. Wade into law with Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama in full control of the White House and Congress at the inception of their presidencies — is banking its electoral strategy around the expected Supreme Court decision to lift the judicial prohibition on the ability of states to enact laws restricting or banning abortions.
I doubt it will work.
The Democratic Party’s hypocrisy and duplicity is the fertilizer for Christian fascism. Its exclusive focus on the culture wars and identity politics at the expense of economic, political and social justice fueled a right-wing backlash and stoked the bigotry, racism and sexism it sought to curtail. Its opting for image over substance, including its repeated failure to secure the right to abortion, left the Democrats distrusted and reviled.
The Biden administration invited Amazon Labor Union President Christian Smalls and union workers from Starbucks and other organizations to the White House at the same time it re-awarded a $10 billion contract to the union-busting Amazon and the National Security Agency (NSA) for cloud computing...
The Christian Fascists
The Christian fascists have coalesced in cult-like fashion around Donald Trump. They are bankrolled by the most retrograde forces of capitalism. The capitalists permit the stupidities of the Christian fascists and their self-destructive social and cultural wars. In exchange, the billionaire class gets corporate monopolies, union busting, privatized state and municipal services — including public education — revoked government regulations, especially environmental regulation and can engage in a virtual tax boycott.
The war industry loves the Christian fascists who turn every conflict from Iraq to Ukraine into a holy crusade to crush the latest iteration of Satan. The Christian fascists believe military power, and the “manly” virtues that come with it, are blessed by God, Jesus and the Virgin Mary. No military budget is too big. No war waged by America is evil.
These Christian fascists make up perhaps 30 percent of the electorate, roughly equivalent to the percentage of Americans who believe abortion is murder. They are organized, committed to a vision, however perverse, and awash in money..." from the article: Chris Hedges: Jesus, Endless War & US Fascism
Who Are the Real Fascists? The GOP?
"The Huffington Post reports (2/5/18) that a member of the American Nazi Party is running unopposed as a GOP candidate in Illinois for an upcoming primary.
A GOP as a fascist? Aren't they all fascists, according to the liberals? This gets me to thinking: What is fascism, and which political/economic views are fascistic in nature?
Historically, the word fascism developed from ancient Rome. Webster's says that a "fasces" is "A bundle of rods bound together about an ax with the blade projecting, carried before ancient Roman magistrates as an emblem of authority." The fascists adopted the symbol---and the name---as an indicator of having the power of life over death.
Fasces can be found in designs even in some Washington, D.C. buildings such as in the chamber of the House of Representatives in the U.S. Capitol and on the arm rests of Abraham Lincoln's statue in the Lincoln Memorial..." from the article: Who Are the Real Fascists? The GOP?
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