“When Religion Becomes Evil,” written by internationally recognized religion expert Charles Kimball, describes “The Five Warning Signs of Corruption in Religion.”
“The Five Warning Signs of Corruption in Religion”:
absolute truth claims; blind obedience; establishing the “Ideal Time”; the end justifies any means; declaring holy war. “..one or more of these five signs always precedes any instance of religiously sanctioned evil.”
Peter Gomes on the fallacy of a literalist approach to the Bible:
“Literalism is dangerous for two reasons. First, it indulges the reader in the fanciful notion that by virtue
of natural intelligence the text is apprehensible and therefore sensible. Despite genuflections to the notion
of original or authorial intent, meaning is determined by what the reader takes out of the text, and this
meaning the reader attributes to the author. Thus, what the reader thinks is there becomes not merely the
reader’s opinion, but the will of God, with all the moral consequences and authority that implies…The second
danger of literalism is that the power of private judgment may well obscure the meaning of a text by paying
attention only to what it says…Allegories, typologies, and symbolic interpretations are to be avoided in favor
of the pure and uncorrupted word. Literalism does not want the text held hostage to these devices, but literalism
itself is hostage to the 18th century illusion that truth and meaning are the same, and that they are fixed and
discernible by the application of the faculties of reason and common sense.” [meaning: literalists TELL you what
THEY think the “will of God” is; meaning”. They are NEVER wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
Kimball: “When missionary zeal is informed by absolute truth claims defining who is “saved” and what is acceptable, the propagation of religion frequently includes sinister dimensions.”
Kimball: “Authentic religion engages the intellect as people wrestle with the mystery of existence and the challenge of living in an imperfect world..Conversely, blind obedience is a sure sign of corrupt religion..When individual believers..become enslaved to particular ideas or teachings, religion can easily become the framework for violence and destruction.”
Kimball: “When the hoped-for ideal is tied to a particular religious worldview and those who wish to implement their vision become convinced they know what God wants for them and everyone else, you have a prescription for disaster.”
Pat Robertson: “For reconstructionists there is no neutral ground, no sphere of activity outside God’s rule. One is either following God in all aspects of life or not following God at all. One is either engaged in godly politics or is participating in the anti-God structures that now threaten the home, the school, and the church..”
Kimball: “Christian reconstructionists in America are only one step removed from their counterparts with a concrete, divinely ordained plan for an Islamic state or the reconstituted, expanded biblical state of Israel.”
Kimball: “When a key feature of religion is elevated and in effect becomes an end, some people within the religion become consumed with protecting or achieving that end..that component of religion functions like an absolute truth claim, and zealous believers become blind in their single-minded defense of it.”
From other sources:
-Paul Weyrich: “..it is war. It is a war of ideology..a war of ideas..a war of our way of life..to be fought with the same
intensity and dedication as ..a shooting war.”
-Pat Buchanan: “There is a religious war going on in this country. It is a cultural war..for the soul of America.”
-Randall Terry: “Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a biblical duty..are called by God to conquer this country.
We don’t want equal time..don’t want pluralism.”
Because religion was one of the four main FEARS of the Founders, they included both a freedom of – and a freedom from, religion: “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..” [meaning: NO state church; ALL religion is private]
Because extreme efforts have been made to destroy the “establishment clause,” America has been faced with decades of experience with WHEN RELIGION BECOMES EVIL. Zealots have conducted a HOLY WAR against the rest of America. “THE END JUSTIFIES ANY MEANS” has been demonstrated hundreds of times in physical violence, murder, corruption of the Constitution, hateful laws in the name of ‘God,’ corruption of what was the Supreme Court – now more accurately seen as the Stupid Court, the Stench Court, the Supreme Inquisition.
Justice Brandeis: “If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.”
“Absolute truth claims” are illustrated by zealots insisting people should NOT be able to control their own sex lives and reproductive choices; that gay people are somehow not real people. “Scripture” is quoted to “prove” all this.
Justice Fortas: “Government in our democracy..may not aid, foster, or promote one religion or religious theory against
another.” [“Epperson”]
The “pro-life” HOLY WAR against America is reaching a stage where some “Christians” are arming themselves, saying violence might be “necessary” to “save” America – on THEIR terms. Some of these people were very visible in ther January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. ABSOLUTE TRUTH CLAIMS.
Chief Justice Warren: “When the rights of any individual or group are chipped away, the freedom of all erodes.”
Since 1968, the “religious right” has worked to change how America’s legal system works. They worked to get “pro-life: judges installed [a violation of Article VI] – and have – with the help of one political party which sold its soul for power.
This plan has succeeded. Religious zealots now control the Supreme Court. Those 6 issued 3 un-Constitutional rulings in June, 2022 – cooking up radical right -wing “reasoning’ mumbo jumbo to justify. ‘THE END JUSTIFIES ANY MEANS.”
James Madison’s famous 1785 “Memorial and Remonstrance” contained this warning:
“Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of
all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in
exclusion of all other sects?”
The McConnell/Trump/Roberts Stupid Court has now accomplished this, with a series of rulings, one building on top of another; contrived reactionary think tank arguments providing for PRIVILEGED status of “conservative” fundamentalists. Taxpayers forced to subsidize religious schools; people with “sincerely held religious beliefs” allowed to discriminate against other Americans; religious dogma put into law [violating the text, intent, spirit of Amendment I as understood for 200 years].
The religious HOLY WAR on America is now reaching unprecedented levels in various “conservative” states. Not only abortion banned – in ALL circumstances, but efforts made to deny people legitimate medical prescriptions. Ongoing work on laws censoring people’s mail; controlling how people travel; suing people in OTHER states for what is done THERE. THE END JUSTIFIES ANY MEANS.
Rumors, hints, from the Stupid Court indicate the HOLY WAR will be enlarged to achieve other ABSOLUTE TRUTH CLAIMS on same-sex marriage, total abortion and contraception bans
The only question now: do the zealots with to take America back – to Puritan Massachusetts, circa 1692 – or – forward. – to “Gilead”???
Will we be “blessed” with a gentle theocracy of only scarlet letters {“A” for guilty of abortion, “C” for
guilty of contraception use, “G” for guilty of being gay????????}
Has the 10-year old pregnant Ohio girl tipped the hand of how far the zealots will go? Or – are they “only” planning on adult “handmaids”?
Will male vasectomies be banned? Will male masturbation be banned????????????
Will control of females by the state extend to clitoridectomies, birth quotas, gold-silver-bronze motherhood medals. “protective custody” while pregnant, miscarriage prosecution???????????????
1641 Massachusetts legal code based on three biblical books; 1692 Salem; Comstock laws; Prohibition; book bans; anti-abortion laws, anti-contraception laws, religious rights to deny service – all illustrated how far Puritans have been wanting to go.
Since THE END JUSTIFIES ANY MEANS while conducting a HOLY WAR, how far will the new Puritans go, knowing the McConnell/Trump/Roberts Stupid Court. will back them?
WHEN RELIGION BECOMES EVIL. – there is no “too far.”
With Justice For All 