June 25, 2023
It’s been two days and I’m just writing this down. There I was, on-top-of-the-world. I had just sent the text and cover ideas into ‘the guy’ that does my formatting and cover. My new book is Bread versus the Sword – The Fundamentalist Schism Within Christianity and How its Weaponization Threatens Our World. The back cover reads: The power and influence of the U.S. Christian Right has increased exponentially in the last 40 years, affecting governments and freedoms. Before now, the ill effects of these predicable movements were usually local. This time, our whole world is at risk. Join Anthony in exploring this threat that comes to us in the name of God.
Sounds ‘alarmist’ or something reserved for the southern U.S.? There I was, ready to put out a blog of satisfaction, when I tuned into the CBC news and saw how the Christian Right had managed to ban Pride flags on civic property in Norwich, Ontario. Of course, the flag question covered up the real issue. No one was fooled by the Town Council. There were suddenly hundreds of Pride flags being flown in yards. The town of some 9,000 has become seriously divided over this issue, many people realizing for the first time how ‘spiritual’ matters, matter. For that town, a ‘Sword of God’ has appeared.
I know the stats, how anti-gay incidents have doubled here in Canada in the last two years, but the Norwich news story hit me hard. It was the first time the source of the hatred was publicly named, a church, of course. Before now, the threat had always been just anonymous individuals. I applaud the press for their courage. It has long been a taboo to name anything religious.
Since ‘Trump’, this brand of Christianity has been emboldened and enabled. They WILL try to force their will on the public. This is a religious campaign. They know they are doing the will of God, trying to eradicate anything not ‘normal’ in their eyes. They will be stopped only when they are named and faced, by other Christians and all people of good will.
Moderate churches, this gives you a chance to find yourselves. It shouldn’t be hard for you to make a stand against them by reminding them, and yourselves, that Jesus of Nazareth never used power to force others to his will. He always gave people free will to make their own choice. Please, remind us all that any who are using power and control to force their understanding on other, are simply not following the Way of Christ. It should be a no-brainer. But it will be a fight, a fight for us all, religious or ‘un’.
Let’s all wake up and address this reality. Without a doubt, it’s coming to a theatre near you, whether on the local, provincial or national stage. It’s here. Ignore it at your peril. Really.
Anthony, sorry to be right.
