The fusion of Christianity and fascism is not new, of course. The Nazis’ Deutsche Christen openly coopted the Gospels in order to preach their opposite. But the story of Eric Rudolph shows that this strain endures in some parts of the world. Here’s the email that prosecutors think Rudolph may have written to justify his bombings of abortion clinics and gay bars and the inter-racial aspects of the Olympics:
“We declare and will wage total war on the ungodly communist regime in New York and your legaslative bureaucratic lackey’s in Washington. It is you who are responsible and preside over the murder of children and issue the policy of ungodly preversion thats destroying our people.”
It’s premature to put these words into Rudolph’s mouth. And, of course, the whole concept of a Christian terrorist is a hideous oxymoron. But the crusades were a form of terrorism. So was the inquisition at a state level. The Christian Identity movement, with which Rudolph was associated, is clearly a Christo-fascist organization. In fact, this is probably a better term for those who adhere to what appears to be Rudolph’s ideology. And the fact that the even the teachings of a first century preacher of non-violence could be turned into fascist terror merely shows the extent to which any religion can be distorted away from its essence.
The Dish 