The wave of Judeo-Christianity, popularly known as Christian Zionism, seems to be a prerequisite for American presidential candidates today. It can best be thought of as an acquired mental illness because it results in discordant actions among those who admit to having it. Unfortunately, some are in public office, and this then becomes the business of each of us. Christian Zionism has grown so large that it is fair to call it a religious bubble, and is the number one enabler of the economic and moral dilemma that faces the USA and other North American countries.
Most victims of Christian Zionism, like those who develop a tragic eating disorder known as Anorexia Nervosa, can not see their illness and need help to recover from it. I am told by professionals who treat them, that some Anorexic victims will eventually starve themselves to death if not treated, and most are said to resist treatment. It has finally been acknowledged to be a disease even though it is self-induced, and I do not pretend to have a clinical explanation. But I do know what causes Christian Zionism. It is taught, and no one is born with it, but it is a sickness because those who have it cannot see it, nor can most get over it without outside help. It is a social problem because those who have it act in ways that are often discordant with and an anathema to the well being of the rest of the population in several distinct ways.
Christian Zionists cannot see the lack of common sense they portray to others, and they overlook multiple Bible inconsistencies taught to them by their spiritual leaders, who tell them they are the beautiful members of God\’s society, and all others are ugly by comparison. What makes Christian Zionism so dangerous is that it is promoted by those who benefit from it politically, and by institutionalized recruitment by those who profit from it directly, the leaders. It now infects as much as 33% of USA voters.
Anorexia Nervosa seems to serve no one, but Christian Zionism serves one important national political end, it enables serial wars that serve the interests of investment bankers, Warmakers, and the State of Israel. It is, in turn, supported by persons, powers, and a media that would not for a moment believe one word of what Christian Zionists teach. Most obvious among these promoters are the Israeli Lobby and the Serial War Lobby, which overlap.
Because Christian Zionism is a mental illness, and not a coherent faith, it allows little tolerance, nor debate. This is evident from many personal letters and calls I have received since I began writing about it many years ago. One recent reader wrote of the painful and inexplicable separation that developed between himself and two long time male friends who each distanced themselves from him without a word, no longer returning phone calls or answering e-mails, over discussion of what seemed to him to be normal political questions. My reader finally realized the nerve he had hit without knowing it was Christian Zionism, though he never directly addressed that topic to his friends. Many readers have told us painfully about close family members who stop communicating once the subject of the State of Israel is broached in religious context, sometimes broken over a single offhanded statement.
My own family was characterized by heated partisan political arguments about Democrats and Republicans at family gatherings. But these did not drive the family apart, rather it brought a vitality to gatherings that drew them back together at every opportunity. The arguments were strident but instructional and thought shaping for younger onlookers. Some of us looked forward to maturity when our views might be heard in these family harangues. But no such honing of views can exist in a setting where even one Christian Zionist is present. Far from creating kinship and love within the family, it creates separation.
Most Republican Party candidates appear to cater to them, even if they are not themselves Judeo-Christians, because so many votes are at stake. Michelle Bachmann from Minnesota, is said to be a serious candidate for US President and is a living example of a discordant and bazaar thinker, but she will resonate with some 70 million Americans who are known to be influenced by the Judeo-Christian illness. Here are some of her words from her own website that should be carefully examined: (Endnote 1)
*"Most Americans recognize that Israelis and Americans are two sides to the same coin because we share the same values…we even share the same mission, to be a light to the nations.. "
*"We learned that our Christian Faith is rooted in Judaism." Without the laws of Moses, without the Temple (at Jerusalem) there would have been no sermon on the mount."
*"It was this love for Israel and the Jewish state" that brought me to volunteer for a kibbutz in 1974
*"Upholding American values"…means "we must stand with Israel." "I stand with Israel… "our policies in the Middle East must be guided by this imperative."
It should be clear to all but other Christian Zionists that Bachmann can not function in national office under oath because her first commitment is to another flag, not to the USA, to another people, not to Americans first. Other irrational beliefs common to and defining Christian Zionists that she might or might not admit to, and that are incompatible with following a traditional Jesus Christ, include:
*Wars are just, if they are Israel\’s wars…
*The present world will be destroyed by God to punish the evil doers, and the Christ followers will be saved and ushered into a spiritual kingdom, the rest left behind.
*The State of Israel is God\’s fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies (Jesus too).
This bubble is about to burst, as all bubbles do. Fortunately for the Americans, Judeo-Christianity is coming apart at the seams from its own weaknesses.
Next time: the end of Judeo-Christianity, based on a study by the Pew Forum.
Endnote:
1) Running for US President
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7cMxE1oFf0
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