The Rise of the Religious Right in the Republican Party
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Dominion Economics: America's Providential History
Last Update 1/4/03
IntroductionThis page compares the teachings of an influential Christian textbook, America's Providential History by Mark Beliles and Stephen McDowell, with the Texas 2002 Republican Party Platform and Bush Administration domestic and foreign policies. It suggests a relationship between the "dominion mandate" as described in the textbook, and Bush's programs for the economy and the environment, as well as his social and foreign policies.
Dominion MandateIt is "God's plan" to take dominion over government. "God…shapes history to prepare people so that they may fulfill their destiny and accomplish God's purposes in the earth," explain Beliles and McDowell. (53) "When God brings Noah through the flood to a new earth, He re-establishes the Dominion Mandate but now delegates to man the responsibility for governing other men..."(19)
God's purpose is for the United States, as "the first truly Christian nation" (184), to complete a chain of events that will "make disciples of all nations." The book quotes the Biblical commentator, Matthew Henry "…do your utmost to make the nations Christian nations." "This" according to Beliles and McDowell, "is God's plan for the nations." (3)
The Puritans are prime representatives of this "spirit of dominion," Beliles and McDowell explain. "They recognized the scriptural mandates requiring Godly rule, and zealously set out to establish that in all aspects of society." (84)
Biblical RationaleAmerica's Providential History offers Biblical rationale for Bush administration policies. The Texas Republican Party Platform, 2002, spells out details of the "dominion mandate." Starve the federal government, transfer its social and educational functions to churches. The end result is what the Texas 2002 GOP Platform declares a "Christian nation."
Christian EconomicsA. Starve the Federal Government through Tax Cuts
Tax cuts are one of Bush's signature issues. Most taxes are unbiblical according to Beliles and McDowell in their chapter on Christian Economics. Income tax is "idolatry," property tax is "theft" and inheritance taxes are simply not allowed in the Bible. (214)
The Texas 2002 Republican Party platform actually spells out which taxes to cut. It calls for abolishing the IRS and eliminating "income tax, inheritance tax, gift tax, capital gains, corporate income tax, payroll tax and property tax." Social Security tax will gradually be phased out for a system of private pensions.
Governor Riley of Alabama, a conservative Christian offers a different perspective. He believes he has a Biblical mandate to raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations in order to help the poor. "Jesus says one of our missions is to take care of the least among us," the governor told the Birmingham News after announcing his plan. "We've got to take care of the poor." "What Bob Riley is doing is acting like a Christian," said the Rev. Jim Wallis, the editor of Sojourners, an Evangelical Christian magazine that focuses on social justice issues. Wallis believes his faith mandates support for progressive policies, like government services for the poor. "The Bible is full of poor people," he said. "Biblical politics has the poor at the center." Click Here,
Beliles and McDowell tell us that two kinds of taxes are allowed in the Bible: a head tax (poll tax), and tithing. A tenth of each person's income would support "the church and aspects of welfare, education and other godly social needs." (215)
B. Shift education of children and welfare programs to churches
Beliles and McDowell tell us: "Scripture makes it clear that God is the provider, not the state, and that needy individuals are to be cared for by private acts of charity." (187) In the Texas GOP Platform a starved federal government is accompanied by a scaled-down federal government with the abolition of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Education. Welfare of the needy is shifting to churches through Bush's Faith Based Initiatives, another of his signature issues. The Bush administration's strong support of school vouchers is paving the way for government funding of religious schools.
C. End Government Regulation
Regulatory functions of government are also diminished as the EPA and the Bureau of Alcohol and Firearms are abolished in the Texas GOP Platform. "A strong and vibrant private sector [should be] unencumbered by excessive government regulation," the Platform declares.
D. Increase Material Wealth, Plunder Natural Resources
The Bush administration and members of the Religious Right in Congress have waged a virtual war on the environment since taking office. Bush has packed the Environmental Protection Agency with industry lobbyists; the Texas GOP Platform calls for abolishing the agency.
Beliles and McDowell explain that a Christian's primary responsibility is to create material wealth and God will increase natural resources accordingly. Secular society, which views natural resources as limited, "lack(s) faith in God's providence and consequently, men will find fewer resources... The Christian knows that the potential in God is unlimited and that there is no shortage of resources in God's earth." (197) Given this view of natural resources as infinitely renewable, it is not surprising that the top ranking leaders of the House and Senate, all who support a Religious Right agenda, have 100% ratings from Christian Coalition and 0 from the environmental League of Conservation voters.
With unlimited natural resources, there is no such thing as overpopulation. "Christians know that God has made the earth sufficiently large with plenty of resources to accommodate all the people." (197) This belief in God's ever-expanding base of natural resources explains the Bush administration's willingness to plunder the environment and oppose funding international family planning where abortions might be performed.
How the Religious Right Became so Powerful: Voter Apathy"The apathy of other Americans can become a blessing and advantage to Christians." (Beliles and McDowell) "If just 10% of all Christians in America today [their definition "Christian" is very limited] woke up and realized how easy it is, got involved consistently for the long haul, it would not take long to reform America completely.
"How long? Believe it or not, it could be done within ten years…every godly representative in the state legislatures and the Congress could ... work with a godly president. New judicial appointments would begin radically changing ... the…courts ... One thing of great importance is for you to fulfill your Biblical duty to choose a godly representative by getting involved in local party politics for the rest of your life." (266-7). The book was written in 1989. "With the apathy that exists today" claims Pat Robertson in his book The Millennium, 1990, "a well organized minority can influence the selection of candidates to an astonishing degree." Both books, written some twelve years ago, have proven to be correct.
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