The Christian Crusades from 1095-1291 against Muslim and Arab peoples have a continued impact today. Establishing a precedent where wars were fought in the name of a Christian God, wars that led to mass death while accumulating massive amounts of wealth, reflect a history and logic of genocide. That same logic, pitting European Christians against the "heathen" Indigenous already inhabiting this newly discovered world, constructs an origin narrative of mythological proportions.
Warriors, demons, baby killers, groomers, and diabolical policies are the language used by contemporary Christian warriors. This New Republic article by Katherine Stewart, "The Rise of Spirit Warriors on the Christian Right," explains the transformation in American society.
"A hotter and more reactionary style of religion is surging in America and mainstreaming certain radical frameworks. It cuts across traditional denominational divides. It tracks some global shifts in religion, shifts in which America is a follower as well as a leader. And it represents a significant threat to the future of American democracy. The most fruitful line of investigation and response has to focus on the root causes of the religious transformation. Religion in America is starting to look more like religion in Brazil and Guatemala because America, in some aspects, is starting to resemble Brazil and Guatemala: increasingly unequal, bitterly divided, corrupt, rife with disinformation, and unstable. If we want people to choose different gods, we might think about tackling the conditions that lead them to prefer one kind over another."
This essay by Stewart is part of a larger book project, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, that unveils the national, local, and global impacts of the political machinations of wealthy soldiers for Christ.
"A revelatory investigation of the Religious right's rise to political power. Stewart shows that the real power of the movement lies in a dense network of think tanks, advocacy groups, and pastoral organizations, embedded in a rapidly expanding community of international alliances with like-minded, anti-democratic religious nationalists around the world, including Russia. She follows the money behind the movement and traces much of it to a group of super-wealthy, ultraconservative donors and family foundations. The Christian nationalist movement is far more organized and better funded than most people realize. It seeks to control all aspects of government and society. Its successes have been stunning, and its influence now extends to every aspect of American life, from the white house to state house capitols, from our schools to our hospitals."
Why do Christians still believe they have the right to impose their views through law and policy on other people, especially non-Christians?
