23
Dec
2011
American Political Witchcraft
Apparently, the politics of fear is no longer a strong enough brew for my country. From sea to shining seas, spells are now being spun over the presidential primaries and the up-coming 2012 presidential race that resemble a form of political witchcraft. The hard-hitting divisive rhetoric of recent years that reflected legitimate fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans has yielded to a pernicious manipulation that craves control of the American presidency. How could this happen?
Read the article here
Another well-researched, thought-provoking article. Thank you Charles for being a breath of fresh air for Christians like me. It isn’t easy to write a bold piece like this, but you do a masterful job at addressing some the underlying issues within our country’s fractured political system. I pray 2012 will be the year for peace.
Bravely said, Charles. An intelligent piece, thanks
Thanks for putting your finger, so to speak, onto the attributes of control inherent in witchcraft. I may be mistaken in this, but the Moral Majority Movement fell apart when its leaders (like Jerry Falwell) recognized that the movement was being manipulated by political persons. My understanding is that the Dominion Movement, more than just the vestiges of the Moral Majority political movement, is an attempt to better define the movement’s long-ranging goals of seeing Christianity influence all levels of society and not to depend on political systems to change things. The media (talk show hosts and Ann Coulter book sellers) are in the business of manipulating to free people of their hard earned cash and to put it into their own pockets. I am distressed, by the way, that Ann Coulter uses some kind of exegesis to put forth her points as she has shown that she doesn’t really understand The Bible very well, and she is quite content to twist its words to fit her agenda…witchcraft. I don’t think that these conservative blowhorns like Ann Coulter and Michael Savage represent conservative Christianity or even conservative America. When we listen to them, we run the risk of playing into their schemes (i.e. sell their emotional drivel). There is one way to deal with witchcraft, and that is to eschew it in all forms. But the liberal masses who feel left out of society because of the unemployment situation and the power that corporations wield in America, as well as the conservative masses who are astounded and distressed about America’s very real debt crisis: both of these groups have every reason for concern and anxiety. How do kingdom philosophies and wisdom policies address these two very real issues?
Thanks Charles. I think the use of “witchcraft” in your title is apt, and it makes me think of the pursuit of alchemy that so dominated the pursuits of many Enlightenment scientists. The assumption beneath alchemy and our current RealPolitik is about the nature of power. Psalm 2 mocks the foolish kings who substitute raw power for wisdom. Would that we might consider more deeply how passages like Philippians 2 can instruct in leadership, power and community.
Interesting linkage you make, Doug. And Psalm 2 is, you’re right, an apt word. Much food for thought, there, not only for political realists but also for idealists and neoconservatives. (Morgenthau’s “Politics Among Nations” is a pretty honest look at power.) Love your allusion to servant leadership. Just wondering how our elected leaders will be so convinced, if only to mitigate some of their deep vested interests. By the way, I was reading Paracelsus when Jesus got hold of me!
A great piece at a time of extremes. It would be great to see the same approach picked up by those who submit to Scripture as an authority (evangelicals?). However….!!! We watch the polarisation in the US with amazement, only to realise that it is bubbling beneath the surface here too. I think you are right to highlight the driver as ‘fear’.
Martin, thanks. I believe it’s worse than most people here think it is. I hope there is enough collective political wisdom and grace left in American Christian leadership to winsomely and believably gainsay what the leftwing and rightwing ideologues here have convinced many Christians is the gospel. Hopefully, this would transform the mind of a critical mass of Christians. How hopeful am I? I’ll just say this. It’s easy to find Christians here who follow the reasoning and policies of radio-and-TV-talk as if they were sitting at the feet of Jesus himself in the school of political wisdom.