Volume Three Finale: Lordship Salvation

In 2008, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan referred to then-Senator Barack Hussein Obama as the Messiah. Four years later, the son of America’s most famous preacher, Billy Graham, insisted Willard “Mitt” Romney be elected to bring America back to God. Such statements were actually typical for Presidential elections. The difference this time around was that people actually believed them literally. They still do.

When Obama openly touted same-sex marriage on May 9, 2012, the Black church was issued a challenge. In order to re-elect the so-called first Black President, they would have to all but equally endorse homosexuality. If conservatives wished to be rid of Obama, they would have to accept a Mormon elder as their leader. On November 6, 2012, the church overall was forced to compromise. But the Messiah won again, so…

The single biggest draw to the three Abraham-based faiths is now the centerpiece of identity politics. No longer do they look to a book to find redemption from an invisible deity. Instead, they seek restitution in a man on television. Regardless of what party, ideology, or even faith they belong to, their hope lies in Washington, D.C. The greater portion of the U.S. believes in Lordship Salvation: Calling (or voting) on the name of a benefactor to make everything better.

Now, by “salvation”, I don’t mean protection from a scary afterlife, or the promise of a nice one. That’s the old definition. The here and now are the issue today, and the reward for faith is being able to continue in whatever lifestyle one wants to have. Apparently, said lifestyle can only be maintained with the proper final political authority in place. And that final authority will not only validate one’s lifestyle; they’ll destroy those who refuse to do so.

Where the Bible fails, the ballot prevails. When the ballot fails, and one doesn’t get what they want, they go back to the Bible, or some other ideology, for comfort. In either case, the people never find peace. As long as there’s one person out there who mocks their idol or mindset, they simply can’t rest. Things HAVE to line up just right. And they have to line up according to their Savior… which just so happens to side with their worldview.

Obama and Ronald Wilson Reagan, among other political figures, are indeed fascinating and charismatic. But much like Jesus Christ and Mohammed, their followers don’t know them personally from face-to-face encounters and interactions. Their greatest asset is that they embody the mindsets of their worshipers, who can make them into anything they want them to be. They need only be somebody in whose name they can do what they want.

That’s the whole thing behind the worship of such people and celebrities like Brangelina. They embody a certain holy  ideology, and therefore are saints. You can put Jesus Christ in a jar of piss and call it art. Refer to a Long-Legged Mack Daddy or laugh at a Senator reading Dr. Seuss on the Senate floor, and you’re blaspheming. And you’ll notice so-called atheists are the best about calling out such heresies.

Anytime a nation has left a church, it’s ultimately not become atheist. Instead, the worship is transferred to the state, and those who are executively employed in it, such as the former Soviet Union. Since most religions teach of an all-provident entity in heaven, said benefactor need only take up an earthly address to be worshipped. This is called statism today, but it’s ultimately socialism. Conservatives and progressives are only fighting over who’ll run things.

I became a Deist in 2011 to avoid the emotional and manipulative roller coaster of church. I could do like so many and just go along but I won’t. Following this blog, there will be NO further direct postings about politics, especially identity politics. I didn’t stop one form of worship just to be imprisoned in another.

Next time: Volume Four, Chapter One. This blog will now be going in a different direction…

Volume Three, Chapter Eleven: Yes, America DOES Have a State Religion

On Tuesday,September 11, 2001, I was working, and people kept telling me about a bunch of plane crashes in like an hour. Well, when I went home for lunch, images of the two planes hitting the Twin Towers were all over the place. That night, Whitney Houston’s epic rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” from Super Bowl XXV was all over the place.

On Sunday, September 16, 2001, EVERY church parking lot was full. To look at the evening news, every temple, synagogue, and mosque was, too. America had been attacked by Islamic jihadists, and folks just didn’t know what to do. And the question loomed: how could God allow this to happen to this nation? The 9/11 attacks dramatically changed the religious landscape of America, possibly even the world.

9/11 brought Islam to the forefront, and challenged Christianity. The subsequent War on Terror/Islam, prompted incredible debate all over the country. After a while, all three Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) were being scrutinized. But by 2007, Christianity and Islam were merely talking points. The next year, a professing United Church of Christ member with a Muslim upbringing became the President of the United States.

The election of Barack Hussein “The Long-Legged Mack Daddy” Obama established identity politics as the official U.S. religion.

And if you’re one of those who still has a strong reaction to his Presidential nickname, thank you for proving my point.

As I said back in 2012, religion allows you to do, say, and believe things you wouldn’t otherwise. Since that time, we’ve seen heroes and heathens come and go with breakneck speed. The bar to decide who’s who is incredibly low. A person can switch sides based on a few words. Identity politics have a lot in common with the other three formerly major religions in America.

Ideological Purity:  Jews, Christians, and Muslims are demanded to believe and do certain things. So are ethnic and sexual minorities. And to hear it from the plurality of tribes to choose from, you’d think they were all different. But the vegan could pass for a Seventh-Day Adventist. Not all Democrats celebrate abortion. And some of the most loyal conservatives are not old White males. Such abnormalities are considered heretics, but they can always redeem themselves… in a way.

Evangelism/Soul Winning: The whole point of a debate, especially online, is not just to say one won. It’s also to get others on their side. The thinking is that the more “converts” one has, the more prestige they’ll get when things fall in place… assuming they ever even do. Or, as they say in church, they’ll have more stars in their crown. The whole point is to hopefully endear one’s self to those in charge of their selected great and noble cause. That goes right along with…

Works Orientation:  As long as you publicly do certain things, you can pretty much live how you want. We’ve all seen the zealous Southern Baptist making sure everybody sees him praying. Then we find out he abuses some family member. The exhibitionist ice-bucket challenger or the guy who quotes some ideologue to promote their ministry cause is right next door to him ideologically. All of them ultimately do it to exhalt themselves and to secure…

“Everlasting Life”: Nobody likes to consider the fact that we’re all going to die one day. So we do what we can to avoid eternal torment and aim for eternal bliss. When you don’t believe in heaven or hell, just aim for “the right side of history” or “what’s best for the family”. The communion in hope of remembrance, the desperate need to be remembered as a pure and noble person, is binding. And blinding, as I’ll show next time in the conclusion of Volume Three.