[Mb-civic] Movement in the Pews Tries to Jolt Ohio

[Cheeseburger]

Re:  Movement in the Pews Tries to Jolt Ohio


*snip*

======
    "This represents a new wave in organizing on the part of conservative
evangelicals," Mr. Lynn said. "From my standpoint, as someone who doesn't
agree with their conclusions, this is a more dangerous model."

    Pastor Johnson says the project can sustain political energy. Among
conservative leaders, his church, which draws 2,500 regular Sunday
worshipers in a heavily Republican suburb of Columbus, is considered a model
for activism. In the last five years, a half dozen of its congregants have
been elected to local offices, including a judge, several Lancaster city
councilmen and the Fairfield County sheriff, Dave Phalen.

    Mr. Phalen said he was encouraged by church members to run for office in
2000, when the incumbent was under investigation for corruption.

    Sheriff Phalen's official letterhead now reads, "With God, all things
are possible."

    "These people turn out to vote," he said of Christian conservatives.
"They give money and will become active. And there will always be issues to
keep people mobilized."
========





My comments...  This is not just Ohio.  I'll simply relate my little story
here then be on my way.  There is a guy here in my little town, nice guy, I
like him, I guess.  He appears rather likeable.  Been here about 3 years or
something.  I met him, eventually, after I tried to get all the biblical
verses white signs that had been planted all around this town one day at
least moved off of Public property back into people's yards, with the
argument that not only was not everyone in this town a "Jesus Christ and
Judeo-Christianic" fan, but that if they put the signs on Public property, I
should also be able to put up sayings on Public property from Allah, Buddha,
Krishna, Jimi Hendrix, Whomever, I pay for that property, how is it possible
that "Jesus freaks" are able to utilize it to put up 3 feet wide signs with
biblical verses on them and I am not... etc.

Anyways....  I went to the City.  I talked to the mayor.  He referred me to
the new city manager.  The new city manager kept asking me questions
indicating that I must be a "wacko with a psychological problem" if I wanted
to do anything with those signs in the first place.  The city manager has
been here less than a year, I've lived here about a half of century, I know
all the wackos in town already, I don't think I'm one, at least not yet.

The city manager indignantly referred me to the city lawyer, actually the
lawyer for the city is now also the lawyer for the county, which makes
litigation by one against the other quite interesting these days.  Anyway,
the city/county lawyer put me off and put me off, asked me questions also
indicating that maybe I was a "wacko with a psychological problem", and like
the city manager, asked me also what was my "motive" for wanting the signs
removed from Public property (on every streetcorner they could put them on)
and moved back a couple of feet back on to Private property, the yards of
the people who allow them to remain in the front of their homes.

I told him, as I told the city manager, that my "motive" was that it was The
Law.  And that if I could not put up signs on Public property advertising
whatever religion, cause, or philosophy that *I* wanted to, then nobody else
should be able to either.  At least to me, pure legal logic.

It didn't make a dent.  He told me he would have his secretary look into all
the Laws about it and get back to me.  That was 2 or 3 years ago.  The signs
still remain everywhere scattered across this little town.  They have also
made up little bitty signs that can be easily nailed to a telephone pole,
which they nail them up all over town, which state things like "Repent, or
burn in Hell forever".

Anyway, the man who put up the signs, obviously a "religious" one.  I was
having a conversation with him once and he stated something like "Well, yes,
I'm a Christian", "Ok", I replied, "But I'm a right wing Christian", "Ok",
"But I'm a right wing Christian activist", "Ok", "But I'm a right wing
militant Christian activist", "Ok".

Which basically gets right to the heart of the nut.  "Right wing militant
Christian activists".  Trust me, Ohio is not so very alone.

At the main stoplight here, the man either opened up or helped open up some
sort of Christian whatever for youth, it used to be a Pharmacy, now there is
a large sign on a metal pole that reads in big letters something like "Jesus
Loves You Youth Gym & Meeting Hall".

The man who put the signs everywhere, the right wing Christian militant
activist, opened up a music store, we've never had one here, youth youth
youth, reach them young, they all love music, anyway, there it is, nice
little store.  I go in and wow the kids now and then on guitar by request or
just for the heck of it.

Back to the story, I'm so very out of the loop down here, I rarely hear
about things anymore here even though I once ran for city council twice and
county commissioner once.  I guess I just lost interest in all the
corruption, backstabbing, and hypocrites.  Anyways, I'm in the music store a
few weeks back, and there's cards laying on the table, they're advertising
his run for Mayor of my little burg here.  So here's this guy, right wing
militant Christian activist, has Jesus signs put all over town, even the
politicians are afraid of Jesus apparently now, nobody will enforce the law
about it, I gave up on that, opens a music store, doing nice in real estate,
goes to church, when people die at the hospital, they call him up as they
think he has special powers or something who knows what has been worked on
whom's minds at this late date kids, anyway, nice "Jesus Loves You Youth
Gym" sign at the main streetlight, and possibly he will be elected Mayor in
May of this year here.  If elected, I'm sure one of his first acts will be
to try to rezone downtown so there can never be another head shop (one just
opened up here recently, it's literally scandalous, lol, they even sell
pipes and screens "for tobacco use only", horrendous, heh) and end liquor
licenses for the rest of eternity, or so he has said.  I'm sure one of the
worst things God hates is a drunk non-Christian running down the street
trying to escape all the hypocrite zealout religous politicians as he's
throwing pipe screens out of his pockets and screaming, but, who really
knows...

Ah, well, I'm sure it's just the tip of the iceberg what I know about what's
going on with him and whomever and whatever here in my little town, and I
didn't write it very well and I'm sure I left some things out, but I thought
it mildly interesting to briefly point out that "Ohio" is by no means just
"a little thing happening", and that one can be mainly and relatively
completely assured that this "phenomena" is, of course, a well-planned out
campaign nationally to simply and once and for all ensure that if they
cannot make the politicians jump through their staunch strictarianist
pilgrimatic back to the bible spare the rod and spoil the child everybody
but Christians are going to Hell and soon hoops, that they themselves will
simply take over the entire political structure of America, one little
office at a time.

Just like they are doing.  Right as you're taking the time to read this.

Anyways, just thought I'd let you know what's going on behind your back as
you're enjoying that flick on HBO.

Take a break now and then and look out your window, Jesus is eating your
country.

Actually, Jesus himself has absolutely nothing to do with any of it, but try
arguing that with your new Sheriffs, Mayors, City Managers, Judges, Etc's,
who are apparently less tolerant of religious, and now
political-religious-social, views that are not exactly like theirs.

They're having none of it, the Lord's work is at hand.

:|

There is indeed a "movement in the pews" afoot.

Anyone who is not "one of them" best stand out of the way and learn how to
recognize the new masters and mistresses of the new world of God they are
creating at the expense of anyone but themselves.

Face it, kids, if it's not in The Bible, it just shouldn't be in America, or
any other country, nor inside of you either.      :/

An aside to Rhaether:  Yes, there is a huge line of "religious folks" who
think they are waiting to get into Heaven, but are headed the wrong way and
in for a great surprise because they were such pure intolerant sh*ts in this
life, the only problem I have with "Vengeance is Gods" or "Justice is Gods"
or "Whatever" is that we have to deal with these *ssholes in the here and
now.  That they actually use "Jesus" and "The Bible" to train their new
legions of Pilgrim Superheros which they glean from The Youth Of Earth is
something else people might consider.  It boggles the mind that spiritual
teachings could be used to indoctrinate millions of youth into not only
wishing to reign with supreme control over the entire earth, but that they
feel justified in destroying anyone and anything that disagrees with them or
stands in their way.  Sounds familiar, doesn't it.  Think "Hitler Youth"
with Jesus at the front leading them though.  Different "ideas", same
movement toward Society.  Sure, it's great to train any Youth in any
religion one might choose.  It has come to the crossroads in America,
though, that this new Youth Army Of God has all the tolerance for anyone
"unlike them" that a rattlesnake has for its next meal, and all the tools to
achieve their goals.  The adults have trained them well.  They will go forth
into the world and divide and conquer.  With us or against us.  There is no
inbetween.  The Youth who are not with them will suffer.  And be ruled by
them.  As will everyone else.  It's a brand new day.  "Someone" has indeed
"risen", but this time he has all the Judges, Sheriffs, City Managers,
Mayors, Etc's running down the street looking for evil people, who are
apparently comprised of anyone but them.  How this world is going to deal
with these "Right Wing Militant Christian Activists" who feel it is not only
their sworn duty to inform the entire world of "The words of Jesus" but to
convert them also to their "one and only true religion" and "worthy causes
from God himself" stretches far into the Future, far from Ohio and my little
town here.  And no matter how many sweet voices are singing beautiful things
in the choir, it simply does not look pretty.  Who needs "The New Crusades"
in The Middle East.  They've been right here in America all along.  Who
needs to fantasize or imagine religious nuts taking over our country, they
did a long time ago, they're just now geting more organized is all.  When
they finish separating the wheat from the chaff with their "terrible swift
swords of their Lord", I have a sneaking suspicion that the political,
social, educational, communication, etc systems that now exist here will
cease to exist as we know them, or at least cower and fear as these new
Right Wing Militant Christian Activist Religios Politicians walk down the
street and shine up their new white signs on every streetcorner in our
nation.

Oh well, I've rambled on again.  Sorry.  Lol.....    It's probably just the
new $2.15 per gallon price of gasoline getting to me down here in the middle
of nowhere.

Maybe "The New American Christian Movement" can fix that also.

Since so many of them hold stock in Wall Street, I doubt it.

The next time you ever see any of them "selling all they have, giving it to
the poor, and doing the work of the Lord" on the street like Matthew, Mark,
Luke, or John, will be never.

They're too rich to be beggars like the Apostles.

And souls are a dime a dozen these days.

It's good to see so many Hypocrites running and winning political and etc
offices in America.

They fit right in.





Cheeseburger

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