"Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things."T. S. Eliot
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I do believe there is a Great Spirit responsible for the creation of the universe, but unfortunately, there have been those who have been the victims of the exploitation of this higher power.
When George W. Bush and the Christian Reich took control of the most powerful country in the world, The United States of America, a very dangerous virus began spreading throughout the country.
The virus: Christian Fascism.
This lethal threat to democracy is now infecting the world, ie...the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
To understand the Right Wing Zealots, it is important to acquire an understanding of what it means to be a religious addict. The following identifies important signs of religious addiction:
SYMPTOMS OF RELIGIOUS ADDICTION as written by Paschal Baute
Paschal Baute is a co-founder and facilitator of the Spiritual Growth Network of Kentucky. He is an organizational psychologist working with leadership and team development and personnel screening. His business web page will be found at www.paschalbaute.com
• Inability to think, doubt, or question religious information and/or authority • Black-and-white, good/bad, either/or simplistic thinking: one way or the other • Shame-based belief that you aren't good enough or you aren't doing it right • Magical thinking that God will fix you/ do it all, without serious work on your part • Scrupulosity: rigid obsessive adherence to rules, codes of ethics, or guidelines • Uncompromising judgmental attitudes: readiness to find fault or evil out there • Compulsive or obsessive praying, going to church or crusades, quoting scripture • Unrealistic financial contributions
• Believing that sex is dirty; believing our bodies or physical pleasures are evil • Compulsive overeating and/or excessive fasting
• Conflict and argumentation with science, medicine, and education • Progressive detachment from the real work, isolation and breakdown of relationships • Psychosomatic illness: back pains, sleeplessness, headaches, hypertension • Manipulating scripture or texts, feeling specially chosen, claiming to receive special messages from God • Maintaining a religious "high", trance-like state, keeping a happy face (or the belief that one should...) (1.) © Paschal Baute 1993
Condensed 'Characteristics of a Religious "Addictive" System.' Dr. Thomas Edgington is the principle author and contributed 90% of the following:
• God is seen as impersonal and vindictive: members tend to have a "grace- deficit" theology. (Their religion and experience are based totally on fear, not on relief.) • Emphasis on theological "correctness" to the neglect of relationships and of loving others. • Demonstrates a "spiritual arrogance" [considers those from "outside" as less spiritual]. • You will hear comments like "I pride myself on my humility."
• Majors on minor theological issues and ignores or minimizes major ones. • Scripture is said to be of primary importance, but in reality it is the leader's interpretation of Scripture that has primary importance. • Traditions often overrule Biblical truth.
• Scripture is often misquoted, used out of context, or is degraded to the level of trite, pat answers in order to prove a point or to exact obedience to a system. • Intellectual development is limited to what fits the system; we think the way we do because we are right; the thoughts and opinions of others are not considered. • Dogmatism is common: the point under discussion is often explained by the quotation of a Bible verse, again, usually out of context. • Members attempt to impose their personal opinions upon "outsiders" or upon those still within the system but under suspicion. • There is a lack of objective accountability: leadership is accountable to itself ONLY. [Often explains why the "religious" fear and despise psychology... fear of exposure by outsider] • Leadership is viewed as infallible and beyond reproach.
• Undue/over-emphasis upon submission to authority.
• Expression of certain emotions, particularly anger, is seen as "unspiritual". • Low self image, hyperactive conscience, undue guilt, and an inability to forgive, either others or oneself is very common. • Communication often centers around theological issues; personal issues are rarely discussed. When they are, two phenomena find expression: shredding people,setting up and knocking down straw men.
• Interpersonal intimacy is often lacking.
• Poor ability to relate to hurting people; offers pat answers instead of demonstrating loving care (2.)
Religious Addiction preys on the Weak and Vulnerable
After reading and processing the above characteristics of a religious addict, it is very to easy to find incidents of religious addictions since George W. Bush took power:
A while ago, I was watching the news stories about the Ten Commandments Monument being removed from a Government building in the United States. As I watched the protests, I thought how twisted right wing Christian zealots are; the way they whined and moaned lying on the ground reminded me of a religious addicted cult. There is so much hate and mental defects within the Christian Coalition. It is scary.
It is important for all countries to separate government from Organized Religion. Christian Right Wing Organized Religion is a very dangerous political institution. They have decided how people should live and those choosing a different way of life are viewed as deviant or enemies.
When looking at two men, George W. Bush and Mel Gibson, it is easy to see how dangerous Religious addiction can be to the rest of the population. Both these men are recovered drug addicts and drunks. What lead to their recovery was replacing their chemical addictions with Christian addiction. Like a cult, Christian Extremists target people when they are at their weakest; both men have weak minds which made them easy prey. They should not be respected, but looked at as very weak little creatures.
As President of the United States, the mentally feeble man, George W. Bush, has been given the power to flex his religious addicted muscles: supported challenging affirmative action, proposal to ban gay marriage, increase funding to religious groups that help alcoholics and drug addicts recover, invading and taking over Iraq, funding the promotion marriage (push women in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant, eh Georgie?)
The Christian Right seeks to oppress those who don't conform to their way of life. In order for society to evolve, Right Wing Religion must be kept out of positions of political power.
Religious addicted Mel Gibson is now a right wing fundamentalist. He believes he knows God personally, and has a whole lot of money, giving him the power to push his beliefs on the rest of us. There is nothing more dangerous than a rich right wing fundamentalist. About Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, Movie Reviewers and News Commentators did not have the courage to give Mel Gibson's movie a real review. It is probably like during the invasion of Iraq; people who spoke against it were intimidated, and the media was very biased toward the bullies.
Religious addiction is a serious mental illness in our society. Religious addicts, when given power, have the ability to do some serious damage to the world and its species.
Religious Addiction: a mental illness with deadly social consequences.
Endnotes:
1. Paschal Baute, Symptons of Religious Addiction http://www.lexpages.com/SGN/paschal/religious_addiction.html 2. Dr. Thomas Edgington, Characteristics of a Religious "Addictive" System. Nimbus.org http://www.nimbus.org/Academics/ReligiousAddiction.html
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Symptons of Religious Addiction by Paschal Baute
http://www.lexpages.com/SGN/paschal/religious_addiction.html
Retrieved April, 1st 2004
Characteristics of a Religious "Addictive" System. Nimbus.org
http://www.nimbus.org/Academics/ReligiousAddiction.html
Retrieved April, 1st 2004
Copyright 2004 © TrysDan Roberts
TrysDan Roberts is a freelance writer and published author of the novel, The Sinking Of Noah's Ark, as well as several published short stories. Permission is granted to post any of TrysDan's articles that have been submitted to goarticles.com on websites provided that the author is acknowledged and the link to the authors site, www.trysdansbooks.com is placed in the authors bio.
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