Robinson, Brock, Korten: We are called to resist theo-fascism, militarism
We are at “the
most polarized moment” in decades, said Pax Christi USA executive director
Dave Robinson. The prevailing U.S. worldview draws a hard line between “us”
and “them;” is certain our values are superior; lives in fear of
outsiders and enlists all citizens as lookouts for the enemy; and is obsessed
with protecting our way of life.
Our military budget rose from $230 billion to $460 billion in five years, not counting Afghanistan and Iraq. “Our level of consumerism is enjoyed by less than a billion people today. To provide the same for the whole world would require eight more planets like the earth.” Robinson wondered aloud what ever happened to “the preferential option for the poor,” the belief that every law, every policy of government must be judged by its effect on the poorest.
A right wing theocracy
Theo-fascism is the ascendant ideology in America, said Rita Nakashima Brock Brian Sarrazin. “Mussolini got his fascist ideas by studying the Ku Klux Klan’s history in the U.S. since the Civil War,” Sarrazin said.
Fascism controls the people by fear. A state of emergency is used to instill fear and convince people to give up their freedoms. It’s happening in the U.S. since 9/11, to push us toward a theo-fascist state, with the neo-con politicians, right wing media, and big business doing the pushing. They are working to co-op Christianity into a new crusade of intolerance which suppresses diversity of opinions. Any voice that challenges the crusade is declared an enemy.
Brock said Christian theo-fascism has roots in Christianity under Charlemagne. Earlier Christianity focused on the here and now. Charlemagne used violence to forcibly convert the Saxons, and placed paradise beyond the grave. The Church became Charlemagne’s willing co-conspirator. Parallels today in the relationship between the administration and conservative Evangelical churches are all too clear.
Brock and Sarrazin’s new organization, Faith Voices For The Common Good, where they utilize high tech mechanisms to organize and amplify progressive voices from the grassroots in virtual town hall meetings and online summit conferences of religious and activist leaders. Visit www.faithvoices.org
Turning to earth community
David Korten said our prevailing system of empire rule is on the brink of collapse. Our economy has the perfect storm: peak oil prices, climate change and the fall of the U.S. dollar.
Resistance alone is a losing strategy against global empire. We can change this by what Korten calls the great turning based on a deep spirituality. Earth community is the alternative to empire. Instead of domination, it is based on cooperation. Hierarchies of power suppress creativity. Every empire has been based on slave labor: today the slaves are in sweatshops. Women and people of color are marginalized. Kings have given way to global corporations.
Korten asks, “What does it mean to be human? Are we violent, competitive and materialistic?” Adults mature through various stages of consciousness: magical, imperial, socialized, cultural and spiritual consciousness. Too often leaders have the undeveloped consciousness of their institutions. Spiritually creative people are the ultimate subversives.
The great turning is a struggle between higher and lower orders of consciousness, the culture of empire vs. the earth community, the God of exclusion vs. the God of inclusion and fundamentalism vs. mysticism. Caring relationships are the key.
We must come together in common cause to form an earth community. Science has shown that relationships are the foundation of everything. Life exists only in community. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for to change this consciousness.