Millions of Christians are greatly concerned about the sanctity of human life, the rise of Big Brother government, and so on. So it seems that they are part of this new threat to domestic security. Of course various radical secularist groups like the ACLU have been making this case for decades now. In their view, the most dangerous group of Americans around are Bible-believing Christians who take their faith seriously, and who will not bow down to the totalist state.
The early church was equally seen as a threat to the Roman Empire, because it refused to bow down to any other Lord than Jesus Christ. It rejected the Emperor cult, and was persecuted accordingly. The same is happening today throughout the West, and Obama's America is a main case in point.
The leaked report is entitled, "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment", and is put out by the Department of Homeland Security. As Oliver North remarks, "According to this DHS 'Assessment,' the most dangerous threat we face here at home isn't from radical imams preaching violence in U.S. mosques and madrassas, Islamists recruiting in our prisons, Somali terrorists enticing young immigrants to become suicide bombers, or Hamas, Hezbollah or al-Qaida operatives plotting mass murder. No, according to DHS, the real threat comes from what our government labels 'rightwing extremist ideology'."
He continues, "The 'Assessment' purports to alert law enforcement officials that 'rightwing extremists' - the term is used more than 35 times - are intent on exploiting Americans who have strongly held beliefs on everything from Christian faith to rising unemployment, U.S. sovereignty and the Second Amendment. It vilifies those of us in these categories by references to neo-Nazis, racists, militias, white supremacists and other 'hate groups.' Notably, the report includes a warning that right-wing extremism 'may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.'
Well there you have it. Pro-lifers are right up there with suicide bombers and al-Qaida. North is not alone in expressing outrage at such malicious slander. Many have been quick to condemn this scurrilous report. David Limbaugh writes, "I know I'm naive, but the only violent right-wing extremist groups I've ever seen are those played in Hollywood by uninformed, whacked-out leftist actors. I've always wondered where all these Hitler throwbacks live. I've also never seen any of their recruiting signs posted at the local supermarket trolling for right-wing nut jobs prone to 'Clockwork Orange' ultra-violence."
The report seems to be little more than speculation and wild accusations: "How convenient for this report to admit it has no specific information about plans for acts of violence by right-wing groups but then to go on to imply it's only a matter of time. It's kind of like those stubborn media reports decrying black-voter suppression in Florida in 2000, though the Commission on Civil Rights could never find any actual evidence to support its charge. "
Diana West is also alarmed by the caricatures and the unfounded alarmist nature of this report; "The fact is, we've seen this cast of characters before - many times before - in all of the schlock Hollywood movies that year after year harvest a diseased crop of villains from the American heartland, endlessly returning them to the screen as the 'crazed veteran,' the 'religious zealot' and the anti-immigration 'Nazi.' These are the stock villains - all racist, naturally - who are now similarly demonized in the government's report."
She ends with what seems to be a very ominous, extremist quote indeed: "What we have to do is bring back the recognition that the people of this country can solve its problems. I still believe the answer to any problem lies with the people. I believe in state's rights and I believe in people doing as much as they can for themselves at the community level and at the private level. I believe we have distorted the balance of our government today by giving powers that were never intended to be given in the Constitution to that federal establishment."
West asks, "In the language of Homeland Security, which 'right-wing extremist' preparing for 'right-wing radicalization and recruitment' said that? Ronald Reagan."
One of the main reasons why the early Christians were such a threat to the political and social order of the day was because they refused to have any other God except the one true God. Thus the Emperor could not be divinised and worshiped.
We are quickly getting to that same place in the secular West today, which increasingly sees the main threat to its existence as coming from those who will not bow the knee, such as biblical Christians. True believers have always had an uneasy relationship with the state. That is because we are dual citizens: we are citizens of this world and also citizens of heaven.
Such double loyalties will always cause tension. Sure, we are called to be faithful and law-abiding citizens, and show by our good conduct that we are no threat to the state. But when the state moves further and further away from biblical truth and values, Christians will more and more be regarded as disloyal and treasonous. That is certainly the slant this government report is taking.
And chances are it will only get worse. So Christians, be forewarned. Darker days ahead may well be on the way. But if so, it should not surprise us. Jesus warned us long ago, "Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 15:20).
http://townhall.com/columnists/OliverNorth/2009/04/17/i_am_an_extremist
http://townhall.com/columnists/DavidLimbaugh/2009/04/17/homeland_security_slanders
http://townhall.com/columnists/DianaWest/2009/04/17/team_o_turns_left_on_sanity_with_right-wing_extremists?page=1