As the USA heads toward another election the virtual enslavement of candidates to "the religious problem" is frankly disturbing. Yet whilst we associate "Christian Fundamentalism" with the religious right the issue isn't quite so simple. "Fundamentalism" and the "Religious Right" are not the same creature and it's wise to be certain of where threats to democratic values arise on "home soil".

Original settlers brought with them an Apocalyptic vision that assumed Armageddon would rage at New England. These Protestant fundamentalists were fleeing religious persecution in England and Holland in particular. Following the failure of Oliver Cromwells 1658 Revolution these settlers puritanical hopes turned to New England.

These new "chosen people" became the citizens of the United States who would enjoy "a thousand years" of religious and civil liberty. Their version of todays Neoconservative ever present enemy was Old World Catholicism and the tyranny of English rule. It is this residual aspect to the American psyche that leads to absurd claims the USA is founded on Christian values, that has tainted USA foreign policy for centuries and is rabidly exploited by the politically motivated extremist "religious" right today.

This episode Firesnake looks at just which aspects of fundamentalism pervade USA politics and have had the shockingly corrosive effects on "a once great nation". Contrary to mainstream perception it is only the modern Pentecostal and Evangelical movement that has the ear of the highest office in the US. Most fundamentalist groups are disinterested in "worldly affairs" and care little for political posturing. Pentecostalism in all it's multi-coloured, surround sound, flashy dental, iron-haired glory, is not traditional fundamental Pentecostalism. It attracts scorn and disdain for its "heretical" and theologically offensive make it up as you go, Charismata riddled magic working trickery from almost all other denominations.

We look critically at the demonstrably fallacious claims that the USA is founded on Christian values or that the Founding Fathers were "Christian" if even religious at all. Not only have the modern Pentecostals misrepresented the deeper driving forces of Christian fundamentalism - resulting in appalling erosion of educational standards, general knowledge and sound public health policy - but have practically slandered everything the Founding Fathers fought to keep out of USA politics. Deists and atheists these men have left an utterly unambiguous opinion of religion behind and as no others before or since, articulated the very malignancy of enforced conformity to a mode of thought. Human reason, not religion is what motivated these men and what "founded" the USA value system.

The bizarre erection of mammoth crosses and anti science billboards in the USA punctuates the steady downfall of their economy, knowledge base, world power and international respect. Perhaps John Adams' quote will at the last come back to haunt the charlatans who mislead and offend those on either side of belief with such grotesque spectacles.

Looking closely it seems we have long past the time of accepting this is "about religion" - something we should tolerate. Today the effect of US foreign policy cannot be ignored [see table below]. As the cry of "God did it" continues to rise, consonant with an apocalyptic and revolutionary - not evolutionary - approach to global challenges, every human alive is subject to the whims of this Divine Guesswork.

We look at the disparity in emphasis placed on Obama's "minister scandal" compared to Palins own "sermons" and her close buddy Pastor who insists Jesus wants his followers to die, and indeed one cannot follow Jesus without wishing to die for him. Jesus, Palins pastor claims would be "in War mode" if alive today [and was during his life, anyway] just as every good Christian must now be. It is this very same intellectual repugnance that exposes this trendoid approach to scamming ones fellow citizens and that draws the condemnation of most of Christian USA and fundamentalist USA.

From Alaskan Pipelines to dying in Iraq, Palin "can only do so much" unless her followers are "right with God". Also we examine the absurdity and hypocrisy of Creationist Sarah Palin and wonder if she solves, what was becomming, McCain's Evangelical Problem. Perhaps those obsessed with seeing a woman in the White House care little for the character beneath the skin. Yes, the new star of female rights who miraculously expunged the "pregnancy scandal" whilst pledging herself as a pious, chaste, "servant of God", has fooled the devout already.

Can the USA afford to make the same mistake again? Well, in the humble Firesnake Holeplex we do have an opinion... or two.

History of the use of early Apocalyptic Psyche' in US Foreign Policy

- Source: The Chosen Nation: The Influence of Religion on U.S. Foreign Policy. John B. Judis [page 3].

Some quotes supporting the 'christian heritage' of the Founding Fathers:

"History I believe furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purpose."
-- Thomas Jefferson to Baron von Humboldt, 1813.

"Lighthouses are more useful than Churches"
-- Benjamin Franklin

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church."
--Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason, 1794

The question before the human race is, whether the God of nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether priests and kings shall rule it by fictitious miracles?"
--John Adams, letter to Thomas Jefferson, June 20, 1815

"Man is fed with fables through life, and leaves it in the belief he knows something of what has been passing, when in truth he has known nothing but what has passed under his own eye."
--Thomas Jefferson, letter to Thomas Cooper, 1823

"Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise, every expanded prospect."
--James Madison, letter to William Bradford, April 1, 1774

". . . no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities."
--Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 1779

"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."
--Thomas Jefferson, letter, 1787

"As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, the best the world ever saw or is likely to see, but I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have, with most of the present dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity, though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble. I see no harm, however, in its being believed, if that belief has the good consequences, as probably it has, of making his doctrines more respected and observed, especially as I do not perceive that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the unbelievers in his government of the world with any peculiar marks of his displeasure."
--Benjamin Franklin, letter to Ezra Stiles, March 9, 1790

All references touched on are here.
Music thanks to Garageband.

Gags.
52 min. 20 MB.

Al-Qaeda has come under criticism from noted jihadist prosecutors and thinkers within Islam itself. The indiscriminate killing of Muslims has drawn vocal contempt from Bin Ladens "battlefield comrade", Mu'man Bin Othman. He joins a growing list of noted radical clerics and revered jihadi authors to attack what is an inescapable religious hypocrisy, within al-Qaedas strategy.

The compelling dynamic for nations facing the threat of Islamic Extremism, is that these same critics have contributed to the rise of violent jihad. Bin Othman is a former Libyan jihadist, survivor of the Afghanistan war with communists and has attended al-Qaedas Afghani summits. Sayyid Imam produced the edicts al-Qaeda leaders have used to motivate young Muslims and design their strategy. Known as "Dr. Fadl" the noted ideologue has renunciated violent jihad with specific reference to his mentor: Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. Arguing against resorting to violence and stressing rebellion against a Muslim leader is forbidden, Sayyid Imam wrote directly to Muslim youth from jail in Egypt:

The "de-redicalisation" of Muslim youth and Islamic extremists in this way is based upon fundamental Islamic jurisprudence. Whilst there is no doubt radical Islamic schoolers are concerned over the levels of violence, they are equally concerned about the Koranic doctrine as it pertains to prosecuting a Just and Holy Jihad. Actual violent jihad is traditionally arrived at only after considerable introspection. It is this concept of internal struggle, or jihad, that underscored years of fierce clerical debate within Islam prior to 9/11. Bin Othman himself remains a strident critic of Western policies from his London base and includes the UK government in his blame for the rise in potential British Muslim extremists. He tells BBC security correspondent, Frank Gardner [audio here]:

He's referring to al-Qaeda "mastermind" Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, who has a personal knack for usurping the jurisprudence of jihad prosecution. We've watched him "mature" since taking the role of spokesman "to the world" for the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, as we'll hear, after they assassinated Anwar Sadat in 1981, for failing to wage a Just jihad and breaching fundamental Islamic rules. He's no doubt the real brains behind al-Qaeda atrocities - their Islamic strategy - but the point on which this turns is the fact that "Islamically", these techniques lack authoritative credit. The crisis for Islamic purists is that alienation and oppression motivate todays jihadists; not theology for which they have little time. Al-Qaeda is exploiting this for their own ends whilst insulting Islamic law, as Sayyid Imam clearly states above.

Bin Othmans logic is quite right. However this does not mean those facing possible attacks from Islam are significantly safer. Nor does it criticise indiscriminate killing of Westerners in Islam or elsewhere. The killing of infidels is entirely sanctioned and permitted by Islamic jurisprudence. Yet nothing in Koranic doctrine, the Hadiths or centuries of in depth and complex debate on how to kill the enemies of Islam, sanctifies killing Muslims. Ex Muslims most certainly, but not true Muslims. Insurgents have been more than vocal in accusing those they kill of being either infidels or fatally flawed in interpreting Islam - using revised archaic Sharia Law in particular.

Furthermore, the attraction of violent jihad has arguably polluted the pool of emerging influential identities with rank amateurs. Increased "conversion" and immigration has lent a vocal and savvy twist to centuries old dictates that embellish only violence. From the life of the prophet, to the 1000 year expansion of Islam via violent jihad to modern day authors who inspired the surge in radicalism, there is no precedent. More so, there is no chance of Martyrdom for a jihadist killed in the act of killing Muslims [believers in Islam]. Islamic law is clear on whom Allah deems a threat to the expansion of the Ummah and how to treat them. It doesn't take much empathy to see that senior clerics would perceive, for example, Muslim rappers in ski masks bragging about 9/11, threatening torture and death in the nations that educate, protect and support them, as little more than opportunistic groupies.

Many Islamists do want a Just jihad and a Just peace. But only as it applies to Islamic law and only in the pursuit of global peace under the Islamic government: the Ummah. This episode we look at exactly what this issue is about and why it is not a random fortuitous event from which the West can expect "justice". We also again raise the issue of Western misunderstanding of Islam, this time focusing on the xenophobic view multicultural nations often hold toward their Muslim citizens. Whilst the threat of Islamic extremism must be taken seriously, the fundamental interpretation of any religion cannot be ignored. Are we perhaps ignoring the problems of other religious fundamentalism and exaggerating that of Islamic fundamentalism? Seven years since 9/11 just which fundamentalists have actively or passively undermined democratic processes?

British historian Hilaire Belloc’s “The Great Heresies” written in 1938:

All articles mentioned are here.
Music thanks to Garageband.

Gags,

32 min.
14 MB.

Dedicated to Ken Bigley: 1942 - 2004.