Dominionism

Borrowed from The English Atheist. Please don't sue me.

This article about people who choose a child-free lifestyle is fascinating for several reasons. Most interesting to me are the 311 comments (a this moment in time there are 311 comments). These comments are filled with fascinating ideas, anger, defensiveness, and even venom.

Many people with kids seem very threatened by those without kids. Many child-free people (like me) feel somewhat defensive. Some people are very understanding and tolerant of both viewpoints.

However, most facinating of all, buried in amongst the 311 comments was this post:

Dominionism again
Posted by: Monde on Jan 11, 2006 3:28 PM

The answer to the question I've pondered since around age 12 - why aren't fundies content to live their familycentric Christian lives and not feel they have to change the way others live, right down to their most intimate choices regarding prevention of conception, has finally come, courtesy of the fabulous site, Theocracy Watch. Dominionism is a doctrine/dogma espoused by various Christian denominations, particularly the more radical Baptists and Pentecostals, which revolves around the notion that the Second Coming will not occur until the world is being governed by Biblical law and not secular law. In other words, in their eyes, our lifestyles, which affect the tides of public policy, are going to cause them to miss out on their Rapture.

It all makes sense to me now, and also terrifies me. I believe in a dynamic relationship with God as opposed to a static, rigid and unchanging one. In my eyes, the message changes with time. "Be fruitful, multiply" worked in Jesus Christ's time. In 2006, "Be frugal, waste not the gift of Life" is the message God - or whatever singularity and plurality exist as the highest power of the metaverse - has transmitted to me. I think perhaps I am not alone here. It might even be hardwired into our genes: the widespread acceptance of homosexuality in just about every community other than the Dominionists seems to speak to this idea. When resources are thin and the population is thick, don't make more population. I cannot grasp how this could possibly be construed as selfish, or failing to contribute to society. Sometimes a contribution takes the form of NOT contributing to a problem, but instead a solution.
The answer to the question I've pondered since around age 12 - why aren't fundies content to live their familycentric Christian lives and not feel they have to change the way others live, right down to their most intimate choices regarding prevention of conception, has finally come, courtesy of the fabulous site, Theocracy Watch. Dominionism is a doctrine/dogma espoused by various Christian denominations, particularly the more radical Baptists and Pentecostals, which revolves around the notion that the Second Coming will not occur until the world is being governed by Biblical law and not secular law. In other words, in their eyes, our lifestyles, which affect the tides of public policy, are going to cause them to miss out on their Rapture.

It all makes sense to me now, and also terrifies me. I believe in a dynamic relationship with God as opposed to a static, rigid and unchanging one. In my eyes, the message changes with time. "Be fruitful, multiply" worked in Jesus Christ's time. In 2006, "Be frugal, waste not the gift of Life" is the message God - or whatever singularity and plurality exist as the highest power of the metaverse - has transmitted to me. I think perhaps I am not alone here. It might even be hardwired into our genes: the widespread acceptance of homosexuality in just about every community other than the Dominionists seems to speak to this idea. When resources are thin and the population is thick, don't make more population. I cannot grasp how this could possibly be construed as selfish, or failing to contribute to society. Sometimes a contribution takes the form of NOT contributing to a problem, but instead a solution.

Wow! WOW!

This explains so much! If the fundies really believe that they won't get their precious "rapture" until the entire globe is ruled by Biblical law, that means that they'll do ANYTHING to make sure it happens. This means the'll feel justified:

• Destroying all Muslims
• Waging war over and over until the US controls the Middle East
• Making it illegal to teach evolution
• Stealing elections
• Elmimating American's civil rights
• Stripping TV, radio, books and magazines of "obscenities"
• Making abortion illegal
• Turning the US into a theocracy
  

The just won't be content to live their own lives as they choose -- they believe that minding OUR business is their only ticket to heaven!

The ramifications of this are tremendous! More on this later.