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America, Fascism, And God: Sermons from a Heretical Preacher

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As Garrison Keillor wrote in Home Grown Democrat, gadfly preacher, Loehr, puts plain sense into plain language. He calls spades spades and introduces the new term Christo-fascism while outlining the problems America must grapple with if she is ever to reclaim her place as a nation of courage, morality, and character. Here too, is the chiling tale of religion's role in promoting violence and hate and greed. Read this short book of sermons that make good sense to good people.

This is among the best, and also among the most distressing and depressing books I have ever read on what's wrong with America today. Probably because the author is a minister, he somehow manages to maintain some degree of optimism in the face of his own devastating analyses, but I find his pale faith to be cold comfort in the face of what he describes: a country that has ALREADY been taken over by Christo-fascists intent on ramming their religion and morality down everyone else's throats.

Unless you're a dedicated Unitarian-Universalist, you could easily skip Part I, entitled "God," and go directly to the sections on Fascism and America, where there are so many wonderful insights, expressed in such direct, easily-grasped, and striking language, that I felt like underlining just about every sentence!

Just as chilling as Loehr's insights about the goals of fundamentalist religion are his observations about corporate America's "long and patient campaign to gain control of government," and its recent, near-total success. He notes that this take-over goes far beyond any attempt to widen the gap between the upper and lower classes: it's a campaign to "separate the top 1 percent from all below them."

Although Loehr occasionally touches on the issue of the role played by sexual attitudes in fueling the culture wars, he doesn't pursue that insight sufficiently. He notes the hatred of men like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson toward "liberated women, abortion, and homosexuality," without taking note that this attitude-- this seething envy and hatred of anyone suspected of having sex for any reason other than the joyless "duty" of procreation-- underlies the whole fundamentalist agenda. Their opposition to abortion isn't about saving poor little helpless fetuses; it's about punishing women for having sex for any reason other than having children. If they were REALLY "pro-life," they wouldn't be such avid supporters of slaughtering everyone who gets in the way of America's imperialistic ambitions.

Despite my minor reservations, I consider this a brilliant book that should reach a much larger audience than--alas-- it will. As with all such books, it's a case of preaching to the choir. Those who read it will be those who already agree with Loehr, and those who most need to read it will ignore it.

The good reverend Davidson Loehr was a combat photographer in the Vietnam war, earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in philosophy and religion, and is senior minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, Texas. His sermon, "Living Under Fascism," delivered the following Sunday post 2004s (S)election, caused an uproar among many bewildered and brainwashed Right wing "Christians" who, conditioned over time and through a sense of familiarity, have failed to recognize that their religious denomination and political party have merged in dark union, have been subverted by those who, in reality, do not embody the tenets of The Prince of Peace, nor encompass "conservative" or "patriotic" ethics; those are the fronts such 'pious' snake oil salemen use. Their "family values" consist of a corrupted ethic of greed which makes sure that they and theirs continue to lead the "good life" at any cost, no matter how devoid of compassion or sympathy the means to that end may be.

This virulent movement is what author Mark Crispin Miller {"Cruel and Unusual: Bush/Cheney's New World Order," and, "Fooled Again: How The Right Stole The 2004 Election"} psychologically frames as being "projective;" those who abide its propagandistic indoctrination have only the need and desire to violently attack and impute to its opponents that which they who comprise their movement are most guilty of, and therefore, on an unconscious level, are most fearful of.

It is a pathological mass movement that has strategically inundated its venomous, belligerent, high-fiving, "shout-down-smack-down" attacks against everything "soft," "progressive," and "liberal" [i.e. anyone who dares criticize its positions or propaganda "talking points] within a deluge of pop culture mediums, mainly television and talk radio, the programming of which resonates and amplifies various free floating anxieties and hostilities of average, working class people and suburban Wonder-breaders: the "angry white guy" syndrome, whose hatred of "whiny liberals" is only a cover for their hatred of women, their lack of conscience, and their inability to confront their own emotions[which is why Right wingers often accuse liberals as being "too emotional," as if their own fanatical loathing of more articulate people than themselves ISN'T fueled by emotion. Again; *projection*].

If not so utterly misinformed, shifted to the 'ME FIRST!' Right within the Consumer Culture, and indoctrinated into empathy-deadening, blinders-on "reality," they'd realize the true source of their daily frustration - be it acknowledged or denied - has a great deal to do with the very politicians, lobbyists and corporate pirates that the propaganda they buy hook, line and sinker encourages them to vehemently rally in support of.

The Christo-fascist movement has been amassing institutional power {establishment power is inherently conservative} over the past three decades, it's Orwellian, unconstitutional effects now hovering like a death shroud over our frightfully weak democracy - and *not* because there's a true majority in favor of its sinister agenda; because giant corporations have ensured that, via mass media, truth and reality are obfuscated, carefully framed, and the result is large numbers of "supporters" who do so only because they've been deceived by government puppets and mouth-pieces. The entire system is little more than a corporate front. Government-big business-extreme rightist agenda....gee, get it? Go look up the definition of "fascism."

DOES THIS SEEM FAMILIAR?

Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread
domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

Every one of those characteristics is applicable in America today.

With the minimum of words, Rev. Loehr has managed to describe such topics as fascism in America in a way that gives urgency for decent people to stand and be counted. The barbarians within our own culture are making their move.

I received this as a Christmas present and will admit that I have not yet completed the entire book.

This is an amazing book with very clear,concise, and compelling messages (say that 10 times fast). It has made me think twice about the way I live my life even though I consider myself to be a liberal.

The other wonderful part is that he provides the other books/authors that informed various sermons so that you can read in more detail the topics he discusses.

Not a book for the faint of heart because he really challenges your views so come prepared.

Loehr provides clarity in a time when confusion and dupilicty seem to be the weapons of choice by those that are presently waging war on our
cultural, religious and politcal system.

I first heard Davidson speak when he was the interim minister at Unity-Unitarian church in St Paul. My wife and I were looking for (and found) a great community there, due in no small part to Mr Loehr's sermons. It was there that I heard his sermon "The Dark God Of Capitalism," an updated version of which is included in the book.

If you have ever felt that something was "wrong" in America but couldn't quite put your finger on "it," or put "it" into words, then you want to read "America, Fascism, And God." Don't let words like "god" and "religion" scare you off. You don't have to be worried that Davidson might be trying to "convert" you (although you might want him to be president after reading his book, I'd settle on him becoming more widely known and read). This is a book that reinforces your reactive intuition and encourages independent thought.

"America, Fascism, And God" should be in the back pocket of ever member of the House and Senate as well as everyone of voting age in the U$A, especially all those who don't vote. I bought and distributed six copies to friends (thanks to amazon).

This book America, Fascism, And God: Sermons from a Heretical Preacher is intelligently written and forces one to think about the elements that provide the foundation of thought. It is not, necessairly, about religion, rather it is about spirituality on a level that forces deeper reflections on God, politics and the Universe.

One must respect Dr. Loehr's judgement regarding the fact that he said what had to be said, and then he stopped writing; however, the sermons are so compelling that I wanted more of that force that allowed me to be unaware of my surroundings and to experience each word as an invitation to a new journey, and a reevaluation of my present knowledge and limitations.