[rivercrow]

Originally Posted by darlets

Where does that stem from is the question?

I could be wrong, but I think pushing for a theocracy from the right wing fundies will force americans to rethink their religious belief because a theocracy goes against the american constitution. Given people an ultimative, we are one people under one god, might not be such a bright idea.

Do they honestly believe they can turn american into a theocracy, or do they have some other goal?

Let's start at the beginning.

Constantine converted in 312. Sometime soon after that, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Political and religious power was, in some way, strongly intermingled from that time forward. The Protestant Reformation and other such broke some of this combination of power, but it's always been there.

Christian texts have always included some promise of a theocracy. The same promise is in the parts of the OT that were made canon--the parts about Solomon, the return from Babylon, etc. Theocracy is basic to Christianity.

What we see now in the States is nothing new. It's a very literal reading of texts and traditions, right down to attempts to breed red heifers in Jerusalem because some document says that the Apocalypse will be signaled by the birth of red heifers in Jerusalem.

Christianity has made itself purely exoteric--what you see is what you get, no hidden traditions or meaning here. The exorcism of esoterisicm forces literal readings of the texts. Subsequently, if we read of a "kingdom of heaven" then that must be a theocracy, rather than a state of mind or a guiding principle.