In a recent editorial for the New York Times, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Thomas Friedman wrote this paragraph.
… Israel is facing threats from a set of enemies who combine medieval theocratic worldviews with 21st-century weaponry — and are no longer organized as small bands of militiamen but as modern armies with brigades, battalions, cybercapabilities, long-range rockets, drones and technical support. I am speaking about Iranian-backed Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen — and now even the openly Hamas-embracing Vladimir Putin.
Friedman’s observation and powerfully cogent text is sobering in its truth describing the situation in the tempestuous Middle East. The more than frightful possibility that the “21stcentury weaponry” being used and deployed against Israel may soon threaten more and more people and nations in an ever-widening conflict that must not become a reality.
That said, it would be accurate to point out that we the people of the United States are facing an ever-growing similar threat. The threat facing us is not (at least not yet or that we know of) from Islamic terrorists, but from radical, Christian right-wing extremists who envision a theocracy of their own making in this country.
Rather than being armed with AK-47’s seeking to kill off the infidel, our religious extremists are spiritual terrorists seeking to kill off democracy. They arm themselves with bibles to be used as clubs to cause blunt force, spiritual trauma to the mind and soul of anyone who reveres a different holy book or who studies the Christian Bible in the context of historical, linguistic, and archeological research.
Rather than firing rockets, our religious extremists weaponize their view of the scriptures as they march in lockstep as indoctrinated Christian Soldiers to ban books, impose their view of morality, and seek to codify their views in law.
Such religious zealots are working their way into all levels of our local, state, and national governing bodies. They are doing so using the weapons of medieval, biblical literalism – stirred with a mythology of believing this nation was built by and forever intended for Christian patriots – and are attacking with the weaponization of 21st century technology and tactics.
Once in those positions, most often because of gerrymandered districts comprised of like-minded – or at least sympathetic – voters these religious zealots are conducting spiritual terrorism which ignores the soul perspective and value of all who would not share their views. So, we have culture wars being waged in legislation or the threat of legislation and organized, concerted efforts to overturn the will of the majority as well as continual efforts to shape the majority by efforts to disenfranchise voters who do not look like the people in their neighborhood.
Spiritual terrorists are thriving because our society – by far in the secularized mainstream – is indifferent to spiritual development, inter-religious study, fellowship, and a basic understanding of civics. Our general biblical knowledge of any kind borders on illiterate, and much of our citizenry seems distracted, self-absorbed, and not paying much attention to anything or anyone not directly affecting a personal daily routine.
This is the perfect social condition which spiritual terrorists are exploiting as they further dig their tunnels under the foundations of democracy and initiate attacks on a diverse people; many of whom are practicing a living, thoughtful faith. Those tunnels are filled with an arsenal of alternate facts, conspiracies, and seductive dogma furthering the American religious extremists’ theocratic goals.
I think that the evidence of polarizations, the torn nature of our social fabric, the championing of racial, religious, and political bigots of our times illustrates that a disengaged, secularized majority of us are being sucked in.
If this all sounds hopeless, I certainly do not intend it so.
Jesus said that identifying those who would conspire and benefit by the killing of the soul and replacing that dead spirit with a subservience to a theocracy of our own making is one of the first steps toward avoiding a resulting hell. (Matthew 10:28)