As a post-believer raised in the Christian fundamentalist tradition, I maintain connection with my believing past through observing the evolution of Christian conservatism, particularly as it has become indistinguishable from modern Republicanism. [Note: I do not assume every Christian Conservative identifies as a Republican, but I am referring to the almost complete overlap of the philosophies of each as forces within American society.]
I was there, in the pew, listening to the LaHayes and the Falwells as the anger over the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision jelled to form the Christian Coalition and its numerous siblings. I witnessed the injection of “social issues” into conservative Christian doctrine; when opposition to abortion and homosexuality became gospel, and compliance with those views became compulsory for entrance to the kingdom.
I’ve observed over the past three decades the fusion of religious belief and political philosophy among many fundamentalist Christians; the setting aside of what were strong doctrinal differences with Catholics to
expedite the formation of a broader conservative movement; the toning down of the exclusiveness of the faith to partner with conservative Jews and those of other faiths who had been vociferously condemned to hell from conservative Christian pulpits.
The movement now has entire blocks of buildings in our nation’s capitol filled with people paid and dedicated to lobbying our elected officials to pass legislation that promotes its interpretation of scripture. While attempts are made to bring actual thought and evidence to the table to advocate for policies, efforts are primarily underlined by a vision of a Christian America, a landscape on which the state becomes an evangelistic arm for Christian belief.
The movement is now clever enough to both align itself with upstarts such as the Tea Party and to require the old Republican guard to kiss its ring. A sign of its sophistication and willingness to exchange principle for power is its effusive praise for the new Speaker of the House, a hard-drinking, chain-smoking backroom dealer with little by way of faith bona fides.
And, as the old saying goes, power is a corruptive force. The movement’s political darlings, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, thrice-married Rush Limbaugh, and a host of lesser-known officials and pundits, are a collection of perpetual liars, defamers, and opportunists whose most prominent trait is a narcissism unparalleled in the modern body politic.
Whether it’s accusing our President of being anti-American, calling for an investigation to determine if members of the U.S. Congress hold anti-American views, or manufacturing fakery to suit their political agendas, this cadre of crazy can count on the full support of prominent conservative Christian organizations and leaders who claim to have come to Washington, DC to go about their ordained work in the name of Jesus.
It’s hard to say whether leaping in the sack with the likes of Bachmann is some sort of end-game for the movement [can it get crazier than that?], but it shouldn’t be surprising that someone like Bachmann has become a poster child for modern Christian conservatism. She is a walking, breathing example of the full political human at the end of the movement’s evolutionary chart. She’s the nut who will use her congressional authenticity [she is elected] to legitimize the movement’s agenda with every opening of her considerable mouth.
It’s a relief we can rely on Bachmann to amplify the worldview of today’s modern Christian conservative ethos. Let’s put the whole ugly show on television so we can keep tabs.
– Mitch Hurst
