Christian Reconstructionists warn of "tyrannical" Seven Mountains theology
Earlier today Brian noted how even conservative Christian activists, like talk-show host Janet Mefferd, are marveling at the "strange turn of events" that had brought the self-proclaimed apostles and prophets of the New Apostolic Reformation together with the traditional Religious Right activists and put on display for the world to see at Gov. Rick Perry’s "The Response" prayer rally.
But it is not just "mainstream" Religious Right activists who are alarmed at this development, as now even the full-blown Christian Reconstructionists at American Vision are warning about NAR’s increasing influence.
Keep in mind that American Vision is run by Gary DeMar, a bona fide Christian Reconstructionist, and that the organization hosts conferences entitled "2010 Sovereignty and Dominion conference – Biblical Blueprints for Victory!"
Yesterday Joel McDurmon, the Director of Research for American Vision, posted a piece on the organization’s website warning about the rise of the NAR and their Seven Mountains theology and saying that while Christian Reconstructionists like them "would properly recriminalize sodomy, adultery, and abortion," they seek to implement such policies through evangelism, not by seizing control.
By contrast, Seven Mountain advocates, asserts McDurmon, seek to seize control in order to institute a theocracy:
The First and most concerning point is that the 7MD version does what critics of traditional dominion theology have falsely accused us of doing the whole time: planning to grab the reins of influence through whatever means necessary, usurp the seats of political power, and impose some tyrannical “theocracy” upon society from the top down with a “whether you like it or not, it’s for your own good” mentality.
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There is no doubt, however, that the 7MDs do have a goal of top-down control of society. This is explicit in their literature in many places. The exception to this is when they are in PR mode: then they downplay and even completely deny that they believe in dominion.
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This is exactly the threat—top-down threat, totalitarian threat, eschatological holocaust threat—that 7MD presents to us.
American Vision is not that; they are not us; we are not them.
Perhaps more should be written on these guys and the threats they pose to society. They may have a few better political ideas, but they are just as dangerous in degree as the most radical of the left.
McDurmon quotes Peter Wagner, Lance Wallnau, Rick Joyner, Johnny Enlow and others who advocate Seven Mountains theology to warn that they "desire to grab the seats of power and install a temporary totalitarianism for your own good which they think will usher in the messiah."
So when someone who openly admits that their goal is to "recriminalize sodomy, adultery, and abortion" starts warning about the "tyrannical" nature of NAR and their Seven Mountains theology, it seems like proof that Dominionism is not just some left-wing conspiracy theory.
How exactly do the American Vision people propose to "criminalize" sodomy, abortion, etc., *without* taking political control? By definition, criminalization is a political act. Apparently they aren't thinking this through.
By convincing the majority of the population that it's the right thing to do, rather than by "seizing" control. It's really the finest of possible lines between the two.
Thankfully we have a system where the will of the majority is not absolute, where there are limits proscribing the government's coercion despite policy demands or popular opinion, and where all all laws are subject to judicial review.
Both groups are trying to take over the world with their religious truths. We will soon find ourselves in our own holy war when they decide they have enough of an army for god and are in control of enough businesses.
If we're lucky they'll kill each other off and not murder too many normal people in the process. Ditto for Sunnis and Shia.