Do You Really Want A Theocracy

In a conversation I had recently we were discussing world religions and the conversation came to Evangelical Christianity in the United States and its influences on American politics. This subject is of great interest to me because I believe that the Evangelical influence is taking our nation to a place never intended by our founding fathers. In the first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence Jefferson wrote "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. ".⁽¹⁾ This is a remarkable paragraph for several reasons. First I believe it is remarkable because I believe Jefferson understood the incredible importance of these first words and he used the term " Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" because he was purposely being as inclusive of all the faiths and religions of the nation and the world as possible. Jefferson and the founding fathers were acutely aware that one of the central reasons that our ancestors came to the colonies was the pursuit of "Religious Freedom" and by using the term "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" Jefferson, and by default all the signatories of the Declaration were striving not just to declare independence but to further bind and unite the nation with the most inclusive language possible. They were acutely aware of the necessity that the nation remain united no matter the situation or circumstance for time immemorial and by use of this simple phrase they were embracing every conceivable faith and religion. The other very notable term that Jefferson used in this first paragraph was "opinions of mankind". I believe Jefferson understood and was thinking of the need for the actions of the founding fathers to be 'universally' accepted throughout the world. I also believe that Jefferson and the founding fathers understood that for this to happen they had to insure that from the very beginning it was clear that they were being all inclusive and completely just in each and every action. Hence the use of the term "opinions of mankind" demonstrated that they were concerned with what the rest of the world saw and heard.

I believe that the language used by the founding fathers was clearly meant to be all inclusive and therefore make our nation's government a secular one. When one reads the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States it is hardly possible to think otherwise. Certainly they understood that our nation's sense of justice, right, wrong, and morality was influenced by religion but I don't believe our forefathers ever intended that we should base our laws directly on any specific set of religious tenets or beliefs. I would put to you that their intent was quite the contrary and that they intended that our nation's laws be sectarian and based on simple justice and fair play and with as little intrusion on our daily lives possible. It is because of this incredible inclusive language and desire for justice demonstrated by the founding fathers in drafting these documents that I believe that the Evangelical Christian influence placed on our government today is taking our nation down the wrong path.

In the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence Jefferson wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…." To me it is clear by this writing that in the eyes of the founding fathers the purpose of government is to secure the rights of all men (all genders) to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness and not to secure a specific religious doctrine.

It has been my observations that certain elements, Neo-Conservatives, within the Republican Party have been greatly influenced by and have simultaneously used members of the evangelical community such as the Falwells, Dobson's, Reeds and others to assume power and by default take our government toward becoming a theocracy. I realize that these are strong accusations but I cannot help but believe what is so obvious. I have used the terms 'used' and 'influenced by' in describing the relationship between certain elements within the Republican Party and members of the evangelical community. I do this because I see two dynamics occurring. First I believe that certain very powerful and influential members of the evangelical community, once again the Falwells, Dobson's, and Reeds have an overpowering desire to have a theocratic Christian government and I believe that they want this with a fervent if not maniacal desire. I believe that they have seen and see an opportunity to do this through a Republican Party controlled by neocons who owe their allegiance to them. Secondly I believe that certain elements of the Republican Party, neocons, saw and still see this desire as a weakness to be exploited and used to achieve the power they desire and they have done just that. The neocons have artfully used wedge issues such as gay rights and abortion to divide the nation while simultaneously motivating the Evangelical Christian and Christian base. They have done this uniformly throughout the conservative (red) States and with huge success. They have gained the Presidency as well as a majority in the House and Senate and are not only implementing their radical conservative agenda but simultaneously implementing the Evangelical Christian agenda of creating a theocratic government by installing ultraconservative activist judges on the federal bench and attempting to pass laws that codify theocratic beliefs such as banning a woman’s right to make decisions about her body and gay marriage. These actions in reality have nothing to do with fulfilling the role of government as envisioned by the founding fathers in protecting the rights of citizens to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness and everything to do with legislating morality. Just as I do not believe it is a government's responsibility to secure a religious doctrine I also do not believe that it is a government's responsibility to legislate morality. Yet that is what we see happening each and every day under the governance of this neo-conservative administration, Congress, and Senate.

⁽¹⁾ Emphasis mine.

Those are the Sergeant Majors Thoughts on That.