In the
1950s they also succeeded in censoring the movie and television
industries, and they violated the spirit of the Constitution by
demanding the production of Christian movies and television programming.
That is no doubt why in the 1950s religious movies were so numerous,
such as David and Bathsheba, Quo Vadis, The Robe, Demetrius and the
Gladiators, The Ten Commandments, The Big Fisherman, and Ben-Hur. And it
is why television programming at that time was so bland and innocuous,
designed simply to entertain rather than cultivate independent thought
or critical thinking. Conformity was the goal, and most Americans
complied.
Even today, of course, devout Christians would say there was and is nothing wrong with that, and that is understandable given the Christian traditions that originated in Europe and became entrenched in America due to the King James version of the Christian Bible.
That is why Americans need to be aware of what has
happened during the passing age and especially during the last 60 years,
and we should be especially aware of what has happened during the last
30 years since the new "religious right" rose to political power with
Ronald Reagan. For the fact is that theocratic Evangelical Christian
Dominionists have been claiming that the U.S.A. was meant to be a
Christian nation, and that Christians are the rightful rulers of
America.
That is absolutely contrary to the truth, so all Americans need to be reminded of the spirit of the law and the intent of the Founders of America and the Framers of the Constitution. For while the "letter" of the law states in Article 6 that there shall be no religious test or requirement for office, and in the First Amendment states that there shall be no law regarding the establishment of religion, the spirit of the law and the intent of the Framers was made very clear in much of what the Founders and Framers said and wrote in their writings. (See Quotes From the Founders Regarding Religion.)
After all, Thomas Jefferson may have been the greatest champion for religious freedom, but he wasn't the only one. George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Paine were also among the majority whose concept of religious freedom meant freedom from Theocracy and freedom from Theocrats who insist their religion is superior and gives them the "divine right" to rule.
Theocratic Christian evangelists believe not only in the Pauline version of Christianity with its theology of Apologetics. They also believe in the theology of Christian Dominionism, which is based on the misguided idea that all nations will ultimately be governed by Christians, and that Christian men are called by God to exercise dominion over secular society by taking control of political and cultural institutions.
That idea is "justified" by a right-wing conservative interpretation of the Pauline version of Christianity, and it exists primarily among right-wing conservative Protestants in America. But, despite their denials, it is an absolute form of Theocracy that violates both the U.S. Constitution and the core teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
Unfortunately, their theocratic agenda was created with a focus on certain words and phrases in the Christian Bible that they believe justify them. However, they conveniently ignore the greater amount of evidence in both the Christian New Testament and the Hebrew Tanakh (Old Testament) that reveals the truth. For the Jewish prophets, including Jesus of Nazareth, realized, foresaw and foretold that when prophecy is fulfilled, all nations of earth will honor the God of all nations, whose name cannot be spoken or written.
You see, neither "Jehovah" nor "Yahweh" are the name of God. Christians and especially right-wing conservative Christians fail to understand that the "name" of God was actually written in four Hebrew letters which are commonly transliterated into Latin letters as YHWH. However, the original four letters were written not as a name but as a verb meaning "to be," and it is better understood as "I exist," or 'I am," and it was even expanded to mean "I am that I am, that which was, is, and will always be."
When Jesus of Nazareth said "I am the truth and the Light," and "Before Abraham was, I am," he was speaking as an Avatar, realizing his and our oneness with God. And that is why he also said "God is greater than I," and "You have not heard God's voice or seen God's shape at any time."
With the exception of John, the authors of most of the texts in the official Pauline Christian church canon (Bible) ignored or did not know those truths. Consequently, being ignorant of such truths, "Christian" Theocrats today are misled by the doctrines of Pauline Christianity, and the theology of Christian Apologetics.
Thus Theocrats today are much like the Theocrats in Thomas Jefferson's day, which is why he wrote:
"They [the clergy] believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly; for I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." -- Thomas Jefferson
Even today, of course, devout Christians would say there was and is nothing wrong with that, and that is understandable given the Christian traditions that originated in Europe and became entrenched in America due to the King James version of the Christian Bible.
However, the issue here is not regarding moral values. The issue
is theocratic imposition by members of a particular religion.
Furthermore,
what we should be concerned about is not only the misguided demand of
Christian Dominionists to establish Theocracy. We should also be
concerned about the veracity of Pauline Christian dogma and the
resulting theology of Apologetics, because it is what has been used
since the fourth century and still is used by Theocrats to justify
themselves.
That is absolutely contrary to the truth, so all Americans need to be reminded of the spirit of the law and the intent of the Founders of America and the Framers of the Constitution. For while the "letter" of the law states in Article 6 that there shall be no religious test or requirement for office, and in the First Amendment states that there shall be no law regarding the establishment of religion, the spirit of the law and the intent of the Framers was made very clear in much of what the Founders and Framers said and wrote in their writings. (See Quotes From the Founders Regarding Religion.)
After all, Thomas Jefferson may have been the greatest champion for religious freedom, but he wasn't the only one. George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Paine were also among the majority whose concept of religious freedom meant freedom from Theocracy and freedom from Theocrats who insist their religion is superior and gives them the "divine right" to rule.
Why Has the Intent of the Founders Regarding Religion Been Ignored?
Theocratic Christian evangelists believe not only in the Pauline version of Christianity with its theology of Apologetics. They also believe in the theology of Christian Dominionism, which is based on the misguided idea that all nations will ultimately be governed by Christians, and that Christian men are called by God to exercise dominion over secular society by taking control of political and cultural institutions.
That idea is "justified" by a right-wing conservative interpretation of the Pauline version of Christianity, and it exists primarily among right-wing conservative Protestants in America. But, despite their denials, it is an absolute form of Theocracy that violates both the U.S. Constitution and the core teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
Unfortunately, their theocratic agenda was created with a focus on certain words and phrases in the Christian Bible that they believe justify them. However, they conveniently ignore the greater amount of evidence in both the Christian New Testament and the Hebrew Tanakh (Old Testament) that reveals the truth. For the Jewish prophets, including Jesus of Nazareth, realized, foresaw and foretold that when prophecy is fulfilled, all nations of earth will honor the God of all nations, whose name cannot be spoken or written.
You see, neither "Jehovah" nor "Yahweh" are the name of God. Christians and especially right-wing conservative Christians fail to understand that the "name" of God was actually written in four Hebrew letters which are commonly transliterated into Latin letters as YHWH. However, the original four letters were written not as a name but as a verb meaning "to be," and it is better understood as "I exist," or 'I am," and it was even expanded to mean "I am that I am, that which was, is, and will always be."
When Jesus of Nazareth said "I am the truth and the Light," and "Before Abraham was, I am," he was speaking as an Avatar, realizing his and our oneness with God. And that is why he also said "God is greater than I," and "You have not heard God's voice or seen God's shape at any time."
With the exception of John, the authors of most of the texts in the official Pauline Christian church canon (Bible) ignored or did not know those truths. Consequently, being ignorant of such truths, "Christian" Theocrats today are misled by the doctrines of Pauline Christianity, and the theology of Christian Apologetics.
Thus Theocrats today are much like the Theocrats in Thomas Jefferson's day, which is why he wrote:
"They [the clergy] believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly; for I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." -- Thomas Jefferson
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