Leah Burton, of "God's Own Party," announces the release of her long anticipated book "God, Guns, & Greed."

Courtesy of God's Own Party:

I attribute Palin’s meteoric rise for prompting me to jump back into the world of politics. The announcement on August 29th, 2008 that Sarah Palin was the vice presidential running mate to John McCain just about gave me whiplash and knocked me from my desk chair. In a matter of seconds, I knew that I had to begin writing about the world of Political Dominionism and Sarah Palin. 

So, in honor of this woman bringing so much attention to herself – and simultaneously - to the world of religious extremism in American politics I am announcing the release of my book on the 3rd anniversary of her walk onto the world stage in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Republican National Convention September 4th, 2008. 

Here is the official announcement:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

God, Guns & Greed 

Forward by Dr. Anthea Butler, Graduate Chair Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania 

Author Leah L. Burton 

A Dangerous Path for America 

 God, Guns & Greed is an irreverent look into the rise of religious extremism tying Perry, Bachmann Palin & Co. as not simply a handful of devout Christians. They are political Dominionists and their message is being preached from pulpits across America, reaching an enormous voting bloc of “social conservatives”. 

A debate has ensued over what to call these religious extremists. Whether you call it “Dominionism” or the “New Apostolic Reformation” this fight is real and it affects every American! Dominionists claim authority from Genesis 1:28 mandating that they take dominion and be stewards of this earth until the Second Coming of Christ. Rewriting America’s history is an integral part of their message insisting that America is a Christian Nation and their followers are drinking the Kool-Aid. 

Their efforts are made more powerful by the cross-pollination of non-Dominionists seeking to tear apart government control and regulations. Corporatist’s wealth like the Koch Brothers and Sovereign Citizens disdain for the federal government are just two of the unholy alliances Dominionists make in their common goal to privatize government. It is a win-win for all of them. 

Stepping outside the typical “political book”, Burton exposes their religious messaging and tactics. Pulling from her years of research and experience, she writes in straight forward language about this organized effort – hiding in plain sight – to destroy religious and personal freedom. 

This path for America is a place where freedoms are diminished and theocracy rules. It is a profoundly un-American place. God, Guns & Greed will help inform you what this Movement is and how we can stop it.

I have often said, and I will repeat it here again, that Leah is my "go to" source on Dominionism.  She has made the study of this terrifying branch of fundamentalism the focus of her research for many years now, and I cannot think of anybody whose input I would value more than Leah Burton's on this topic.

I have been one of the few fortunate individuals to have the ability to e-mail or call Leah when I was struggling to understand something about the movement, or trying to find the right words to describe their agenda or progress in the political spectrum.

Now all of you can enjoy that same access to Leah's knowledge base that I have found invaluable for all of these years, by ordering her new book here.

Leah Burton does an amazing job of tying the Oslo terrorist to Christian Dominionism.

Yesterday I wrote of the connection that Anders Behring Breivik had to Sarah Palin and the Teabaggers in America. As many of you pointed out the strongest connection could be made between Beivik and the Domonionists, which is true, though I also believe that there are much stronger connections between the Tea Party and the Dominionists than many people seem to realize.

However as I have said in the past, when it comes to writing about Dominionists I ALWAYS defer to my friend Leah Burtion, who is the recognized expert on the subject.

And so I have.

Courtesy of Politicususa:

In regards to dominionist linkages to the bloody slaughter in Norway, here are our findings so far:

a) In particular, with a video manifesto (which has been linked on Youtube until it was pulled there, and which has since shown up on Liveleak) the shooter makes some very specific references that show he has familiarity with, and probably shares terminology with (if not overtly sharing intel with) “Christian patriot” militia groups in the US (including material that has been posted on racist and far-right-wing forums in the US, use of particular catch phrases associated with the “Christian Patriot” movement in the US, and others). I’ve just spent nine hours typing up an extensive analysis of the video; he is clearly connected with religious-nationalist groups in Europe and in the US. The degree of references to material originating in the US, in fact, indicate he has been in somewhat regular contact with anti-Muslim racists in the “Christian Patriot” movement in the US, rather than obtaining racialist material from racist groups elsewhere in the world.

b) One thing that stands out (if one is unaware of racialist movements in Europe)–most racist activity in Europe so far has been from “odinists” and “Satanists” in the black-metal community (and are largely doing it in a pattern of occasionally bloody attention-whoredom) or from blatantly neo-Nazi groups. A group or person claiming a “Conservative Christian” basis for this, especially in Europe, stands out like a sore thumb; generally (unlike the US) there has not been a tradition of “racist right” churches like Christian Identity that claim to be “Bible-based”.

c) One thing that stands out in the killer’s videos and writings is a certain obsession with the Knights Templar, the Third Crusade, and the idea of setting up what amount to European “Christian Patriot militias” (often using the very same terminology, of note, as “Christian patriot” groups associated with dominionism and the racist right use in the US) to foment a revolution in the same way as planned by “Christian Patriot militias” here in the US.

d) In particular, the killer is a known guest writer on the site “Jihad Watch”, which has had very close linkage with Dominionist groups (including NAR groups). Jihad Watch is sufficiently infamous (and sufficiently tied to Dominionist activity, particularly among the NAR) that it is one of those groups that Southern Poverty Law Center keeps a very careful watch on (and is on verge of listing it formally as a hate site), and writers to that site almost inevitably have ties to NAR groups.

e) There is a known NAR movement in Norway, which is similar in extremism to the US and which has known linkage to NAR extremists in the US, particularly in C. Peter Wagner’s network (in particular, Jan Torp who has known linkage to Sarah Palin via the Wagner NAR network among others); Norway, a relatively religiously conservative country, has been aggressively targeted by the NAR in an effort to establish a bench-head in Scandinavia. (Of note–Wagner’s lineage of NARasites is the most closely connected to the “racist right” along with Christian Reconstructionists; there is clear evidence that Christian Identity groups and NAR groups have traded theological terminology related to domestic terrorism as recently as the late 1980s and early 1990s.) I wrote about Torp’s connection to Sarah Palin at God’s Own Party? in November 2008.

It is important to recognize that C. Peter Wagner who we are speaking of is one of the main endorsers of Governor Rick Perry’s “The Response” event in Houston.

Believe it or not this is but a taste of the extensive article that Leah has written making these connections and I urge you to free up the time necessary to read the entire post.

Leah Burton explains truth behind the Dominionists view of Israel and how that relates to our current GOP candidates.

Courtesy of Politicususa:

So, my fellow moderates, now it is time for us to acquaint ourselves with our very own homegrown version of radical Christian fundamentalists. Do not confuse them with the majority of Christians in America who are mainline Christians. Mainline Christians are those who actually follow the teachings of Christ that promote kindness, compassion and love thy neighbor; don’t judge lest ye be judged; let them know you by your good deeds; and it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. THOSE Christians.

Christian Dominionists on the other hand believe that we are in the End Times and that they must proactively make the way for the 2nd coming of Christ. They ignore passages from the Bible written that Jesus said “you will not know the day, the hour…I will come like a thief in the night”. Instead they have a laundry list of duties that they must implement before Christ can return. Some of these include fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 16-20 ) which they interpret to mean that they are to go forth and aggressively hound the people of the world into conversion, “harvesting as many souls” as possible. (Their words not mine).

Additionally, they are to prepare Israel for the return of all the Jews from around the globe – hence their pro-Israel rhetoric and schizophrenic “love the country – not the Jew” policies. (We have all witnessed how they apply that, the “love the sinner – not the sin” when they try to mask their homophobia). So, in order to have room for all these Jews who they see making their way to Israel soon, as was pointed out by Sarah Palin, there is no land to spare! Palestine just doesn’t fit into this plan, so negotiating a two-State solution is just out of the question.

It makes no difference that they discriminate horribly against the Jews otherwise, calling them “Jesus-killer”, “anti-Christian”, “the Yiddish are coming!”, and a plethora of hate-filled name-calling all in the name of God. Remember, they love the country – they are just not so fond of the inhabitants

Among the current Republicans running for President almost ALL of them are, either embracing dominionist views, or are full blown dominionists themselves.

These include Rick Perry, Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, and Newt Gingrich (Though I really think Newt is faking it.)

Sarah Palin, who has not yet declared and probably never will, is DEFINITELY a dominionist!  In fact that may be the ONLY authentic thing about her.

I would suggest that Mitt Romeny, Jon Huntsman, and Ron Paul do NOT embrace the dominionist beliefs, which is why ultimately it will be VERY difficult for either of them to get the Evangelical support they desperately need in order to have any chance in the general election. (McCain overcame that obstacle by plucking Sarah Palin out of the wilds of Wasilla and unleashing her like a pestilence throughout the rest of America.)

By the way Leah Burton is my go to expert on all things dominionist or fundamentalist in nature.  She is one of the most well respected experts in the country and we have had several long and fascinating discussions on numerous topics in the past.  To learn more about her work, I suggest that you visit her site God's Own Party.

Sarah Palin and her association with NAR. "Everyone but Christians understands that Jesus was nonviolent." Mahatma Gandhi.

Researcher Rachel Tabachnick, reported regarding NAR videos that they “demonstrate the taking control of communities and nations through large networks of 'prayer warriors' whose spiritual warfare is used to expel and destroy the demons that cause societal ills. Once the territorial demons, witches, and generational curses are removed, the 'born-again' Christians in the videos take control of society."

“The movement's notion of "spiritual warfare" has spread from the California suburbs to an East-Coast inner city, and has impacted policy decisions in the developing world. Movement operatives are well-connected enough to have testified before Congress and to have received millions of dollars in government abstinence-only sex-education grants. Leaders in the NAR movement refer to themselves as ‘apostles.’”

When Palin was 24, she joined a spiritual warfare network. Rachel Tabachnick, continues:

“These communication networks allow apostles to disseminate new prophecy to their ‘prayer warriors.’ During the presidential election this included prophecies about Palin, including one in which Glazier described a vision that Palin would take the ‘mantle’ of leadership after a period of national mourning, apparently following John McCain's demise.

“The first Transformation film so impressed pastors in Wasilla, Alaska, that they contacted some of the religious leaders featured in the movie including Thomas Muthee, who was shown driving a witch out of Kiambu, Kenya. Wasilla Assembly of God developed an ongoing relationship with Muthee and a 2005 church video shows him anointing Palin. Unfortunately the press picked up on the witch part of the story, and not the more important fact that Palin has ties to top leaders of the New Apostolic Reformation.

“I believe this movement's threat to separation of church and state is greater than some of the more overtly theocratic movements of the religious right. The inclusion of women and all races in leadership roles, and their enthusiastic sponsorship of social services conflicts with a popular notion about religious fundamentalism. Despite their radical strategies, leaders in the movement have been labeled in the press as moderate…a ‘new evangelical.’

I have written on this topic a number of times in the past and believe it is very important and frightening information that should be read and understood by as many people as possible.

This is a very well written and researched post that will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. Please click the title to read the entire article.

My friend Leah Burton, from "God's Own Party", should have returned from her speaking engagement and be back at the keyboard in the next day or so, and I trust she will have much to add on this topic as well.

Pastor claims that God killed Rep. John Murtha in answer to their prayers.

Southern Baptist Pastor Wiley Drake of Buena Park sent out an email Monday night, saying that perhaps his prayers had been answered with the death of Rep. John Murtha yesterday.

“Maybe God took him out,” Drake wrote. “Maybe God Answered our IMPRECATORY prayer that we prayed every 30 days.”

The Pennsylvania congressman, a decorated former Marine who fiercely opposed the Iraq war, died at the age of 77 after complications from gallbladder surgery.

I asked Drake if his statements weren’t distasteful, particularly coming immediately after Murtha’s death. He said that as a Christian, he didn’t buy into the sentiment of not speaking ill of the dead.

“It’s not distasteful to pray the word of God and include somebody’s name,” he said. “I didn’t celebrate his death. I said maybe it was God’s answer to our imprecatory prayer.”

Drake regularly asks his “prayer warriors” to participate in prayer targeting “unrighteous” politicians. He typically uses Psalms 109, including these passages including in his Monday email: “Let his days be few; and let another take his office.” And, “Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.”

At one point, Drake prayed for the death of President Barack Obama. However, he dropped that because he wants to see Obama faces charges that he is not a natural-born citizen and so cannot be president. Drake has such a lawsuit on appeal.

I cannot even fathom how people who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ can follow this son of a bitch.

Here is video of an interview with Pastor "God is my hitman" Drake talking about his congregation's imprecatory prayers for President Obama's death.



Oh my God! Okay look I don't want to tell people which church they should belong to, or what religion to follow, but if you find yourself sitting on a pew in front of a man who is telling you to pray for the DEATH of a person who does not share their faith or political views, you need to stand up, gather your children, and stomp right the hell out of there!

If you stay you are providing support to a person who has completely misrepresented the Christian faith and who is using the influence afforded him by his title to proffer his own hate filled prejudice. Any adult who subjects their children to such an environment, in my opinion, is guilty of child abuse.

Can you imagine the guilt a child would feel if, in a moment of anger, they prayed for the death of their parent, teacher, or friend and by some horrible coincidence it were to come true? (I actually met somebody who had a very similar experience to this once and they were essentially an emotional cripple.)

Damn this subject makes me mad!

(If you would like to learn even more about this jerk please head on over to my friend Leah Burton's blog "God's Own Party" for even more disturbing information.)

My good friend Leah Burton will be discussing Christian Demonionism and ReBiblican Politics on the radio.

We're in for a treat on GodDiscussion's radio podcast this Thursday, February 4. We'll be speaking with Leah Burton, a former lobbyist and prolific blogger at God's Own Party. Leah's upcoming book, God’s Own Party? – Keep Your Bible OFF My Ballot!, explores the rise of Christian Dominionism within the Republican Party and urges true conservatives to take the party back.

Show Details.

Call-In Number: (914) 338-0452 (When calling in, be sure to follow the prompts … if the program prompts you to press "1" be sure to do so, otherwise, we might not see you on the switchboard.)

Live Broadcast Time: Evening of Thursday, February 4, 2010, 7:00 P.M. PACIFIC (see the clock below to figure out your time zone).

General Access Page: BlogTalkRadio – http://www.blogtalkradio.com/God-Discussion
Specific Show Notes: When the show goes live, you'll see a "ON AIR" button … click it and you can hear the live stream through your computer speakers. The chatroom can be viewed and accessed at the show page.

Time Zones: The clock below is set for Pacific time.

Pacific: 7:00 p.m. Mountain: 8:00 p.m. Central: 9:00 p.m. Eastern: 10:00 p.m.

NOBODY, with the possible exception of Frank Shaeffer, knows more about this subject than Leah Burton. I am very confident that if you tune in you will be in for a very informative two hours.