How religious conservatives use religion to justify the shutdown debacle
What’s this obsession with the end of the world? And why does it seem the religious right in America are so sure that the end of days are here? The prophecies in Revelations are not only believed to be true, but is in fact championed. You might be wondering what any of this has to do with the debate over healthcare and the government shutdown.
Well, the religious right are among the most vocal opponents of the ACA (Obamacare) and have claimed the issue to be a religious as well as ideological battle. Strange how you can call yourself a christian and be against making healthcare more accessible to those in need. It’s not like Jesus ever gave care to anyone for free.
Among the many core beliefs of the religious right is the belief that the world will be coming to an end within the next fifty or so years. Granted people have been saying the same thing for hundreds of years, but it is a concept that is believed strongly nonetheless. They are also considered the most vocal faction against healthcare reform and those most willing the keep the government shutdown going and not raise the debt ceiling.
A recent Pew research poll shows that one trait strongest among Tea Party groups is the that religious values are strongly emphasized. Due to this fact, they generally tend to believe that Armageddon is soon approaching. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if the debt ceiling isn’t raised and the world economy collapses as a result. In fact many on the religious right welcome such circumstances. After all, they believe in order for Armageddon to arrive there must be wars, famine, death, plague and so on. Only then will they see the Second Coming of Jesus.
Another interesting fact I’m sure that progressives are well aware of is that many on the religious right already believe that Obama is the anti-christ. So religious motivation is used to justify the complete reckless stance and behavior of Tea Party conservatives concerning the issue of the government shutdown. Some have even stated that the ACA will lead to the death of “Christian America.”
It is astonishing how close the values of their religious beliefs are linked with their indifference to the idea of a global financial meltdown. To the religious right, world crisis is not a bad thing but in fact a great thing. The more crisis and chaos that exists in the world, the closer we will be to the prophecies in the book of Revelations and therefore the ushering in of the long awaited Christian paradise.
Obama is the anti-Christ, therefore anything he does is automatically the spawn of Satan and hence inherently evil. So even a bill meant to give people healthcare is seen as an unholy plot to transmit microchips and brand the mark of the beast into people. As far as the debt ceiling and a global meltdown, it was prophecy so if we help to make it happen faster, well it was god’s will anyway.
It seems to be more than just politics that drives the hatred for the ACA and for the indifference concerning the government shutdown/debt limit and the
crises it could create. The religious right are using their perceived scriptural authority to use shutting down the government as a battle of divine providence. As my philosophy professor once told me, you can never settle a religious argument rationally. When you think you have god on your side, all bets are off. Stopping healthcare is worth the end of the world.
You nuts, Obama is not the Anti-Christ. You need to read your Bible again. The anti-Christ will sit in the Temple in Jerusalem declaring he is God. DUH !! The Temple has not been rebuilted and Obama will be out office in 2016.
George Bush and son are the devils….! lol
Revelation. No “s.”
General information in Wikipedia is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelation
How this crap got included in most Bibles is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_of_the_New_Testament_canon
This may seem like a lot of obscurantist nonsense, and in a sane world it would be. The fact is, however, that e have a major fight on our hands, between lies, fear, and crackpot imitation religion one one very well financed side, and the search for truth, science, and the teachings of Jesus and all the other great thinkers and leaders on the other.
So get it straight: this is one book, which almost didn’t get included, in several different collections of books which share the same name, “Bible.”
By the way it has spaces in its Heaven – but only for 144,000 people, 12,000 from each of the supposed Twelve.Tribes of Israel. For a sensible, but Christian, view on this, take a look at https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/604-who-are-the-144-000-of-revelation-7-and-14.
So if the Bible thumper trying to sell you this particular bill of goods isn’t Jewish, you can tell them they’re outta lluck.
-dlj.
I have two words for those denying he presence of people who believe Obama is the anti-Christ and we are in end times – Michelle Bachman.
I know people who believe that we are entering the end times here in the community where I live in Montana. They have managed to weasel their way into the local Republican party and have been elected as county commissioners, state legislators and even school board trustees. I totally can relate to this article. I just wish they would go sit on the hill and wait for Jesus and let the rest of us get to work.
You seem to be missing the point. I wasn’t attacking anyone for being Christian. I was stating the fact that the religious right are using religious doctrines as a means of context for certain issues. It is in fact true end times prophecy is part of Christian doctrine, and is believed whole-heatedly by the religious right. Many see more war and social chaos as prophecies being fulfilled. Many on the religious right have claimed that shutting down the government is not that bad and in fact believe it is in line with the return of Christ. And if you think there aren’t people who believe Obama is the anti-christ, you haven’t met many religious conservatives.
I’ve known a disturbing amount of birthers – even a few who were once sane, rational people, who I could talk to on deeper subjects (certainly not anymore, alas). None of this was against all Christians by any stretch of the imagination.
These people do exist – yes, they are a minority, but, a very vocal one, who end up with the support of the rest, rather than decent Christians standing up to them or, at least, telling the rest of us that you don’t believe or follow them. No, you stand up FOR them instead, and even allow them (Michelle Bachman, for example) to lead the quieter, more sane majority.
P.S. – Those colored bits of text are links… like this one, to survey results indicating that 24% of Republicans polled believe that Obama may be the anti-Christ, proving your argument invalid.
http://www.livescience.com/8160-quarter-republicans-obama-anti-christ.html
One poll doesn’t render an entire argument invalid. It was an online poll too, so there’s that. Find a better one. You’re overreaching.
I actually find it odd that something like gun rights didn’t have a high percentage.
When the argument is, “No one seriously believes Obama is an anti-christ. You’d have better chances at finding a birther.” then, yes, it does (even being on-line, they found more than none, clearly). I also wouldn’t accept LiveScience dot com as a reliable source if it were up to me, but, it’s not my article. On the gun rights, same basic issue, the sane majority (even on the side that touts that as part of their platform) know better, but, the noisy minority are convinced of crazed conspiracy theories. Even of Right Wingers, 61% seems high.
To clarify, in my experience, the sane are the majority. In polls and such, it appears different… Then, too, even the sane are often misled, and, one on one, everyone is more rational. Maybe 61% is accurate, maybe even low, seeing as most apparently forget things from one administration to another (in this case, that Sen Feinstein has been introducing her gun ban under every President since the early 90s and gets tiny amounts of support, at most, from her own party). Don’t know or really care, as the initial issue was whether or not the fringe extremists (who lead that certain side more often than not lately) exist.
Actually, I have an American cousin who very firmly believes that end times are upon us, Obama is indeed the anti-christ, and Disney (of all things), is sending subliminal satanic messages.