Fascism in America

The U.S. Special Operations Command in late 2004 sought to outsource the production of 10,000 Bibles containing "Army-designed color photographs and text inserts." A subsequent two-paragraph piece that I wrote for SoJo Mail of Sojourners magazine sparked global debate and even furor; fury from some because I -- as a Christian, no less -- would dare raise questions about this endeavor, and fury from other quarters because of growing concern with the melding of religion and politics in America.

More than a year has passed since Special Ops shot down my FOIA request for documents on that initiative, a decision followed by the Pentagon's refusal to acknowledge a formal appeal that I submitted in response. I recently resurrected, for lack of a better word, my FOIA campaign in commentary I wrote for The Master's Artist, an online collective of diverse Christian writers with whom I'm affiliated.

Just as there is diversity in the chosen genres, writing styles and theological perspectives of MA's contributors, this past weekend elicited equally diverse responses from members of and visitors to the site. The feedback I have gotten since writing the SoJo piece covers a spectrum of people ranging from those who think I'm making a big deal out of nothing, to others who see the modified Bibles as something more insidious.

Despite this range of opinions on the subject, I feel compelled to focus on the following comments (which came from a visitor, not a member, of MA) that were posted, but later removed, in reaction to my Master's Artist piece. Before reading it, please keep in mind that although this person is not an aberration here in the U.S., there are many other Christians who shudder at the thought of this growing, fascistic approach to the blind support of governmental powers.