In June 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned a 1973 ruling that allowed for legal abortion throughout the entire country. Regardless of your stand on abortion, this should be worriesome for all non-Christians in the U. S. because it is a victory for the Christian religious extremists. If they continue rolling back previous decisions, it can get a lot worse for us.
Many of the earliest European settlers to come to the North American continent did so to establish religious enclaves. There is a myth that they sought religious freedom but they really wanted freedom to run things their own way. Prosecutions for blaspheme or just being a different form of Christian were common and the punishments included hanging.
By the time the new United States was being created, many of the so-called Founding Fathers were well educated and held different beliefs. Many of them were Deists, people who believed that there was one god, similar to Christian belief, but that the god had created a somewhat mechanistic universe that could run on its own without interference. Protestant leaders often demanded to know the full beliefs of these country builders in an effort to show that they were or were not "good Christians". See https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-10-02-0140
In the development of the various state constitutions, Protestant clergy demanded that their church maintain control. This often required oaths of office where the elected or appointed officials swore that they were Christian or they would be unable to hold office. In some cases, these church officials threatened to lead their congregations to war against anyone who opposed them. As a result, the churches maintained control of states and municipalities.
The separation of church and state only applied at the federal level. The church leaders wanted this so that the dominant church in one state would be less capable of taking over the state led by a different denomination. Of course, most elected or appointed federal persons were chosen from the leaders in states, who could only be persons approved by the local church.
If you were a non-Christian, such as Asatruar, your ability to prosper would be severely hampered. Christians would not do business with you. You could not buy good property. Forget political ambitions.
In large cities, there would often be Jewish enclaves where their numbers were great enough that they could build their own culture. Many Christians were okay with Jews because Jews believed in the same god, but there was still the traditional animosity.
This continued until 1947 when the U. S. Supreme Court stated that the separation between church and state applied at all levels of government (The Separation of Church and State: Everson v. Board of Education). This stripped the church leaders of their official political power and was not liked at all.
For decades, various churches did everything they could to stay in control. Without official status, it was more difficult, but not impossible. It may be unconstitutional for the local cop to arrest you for violating religious rules, but if he was a member of the local church, he may consider his duty to the church more important.
Feeling the loss of control, the protestant leadership organized to regain control. Republican Senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona complained that the religious extremists were attempting to gain control of the party and that they could not be reasoned with (Quote by Barry Goldwater). This has born out.
Many groups claiming to be conservative (actually right-wing extremists) have developed to move people to vote for the religious right. Groups like the Heritage Foundation (The Heritage Foundation) push for the reduction of federal power to help remove the constitutional protections that keep extremists from taking over local and state governments.
The recent overturning of Roe versus Wade was a victory for these people. It invigorates them and helps them demonstrate their strength to citizens on the fence about them. They can use the win to help solicit donations to make even more headway. They are zealots who want their power back.
If you are a U. S. citizen, be sure to be politically active. If you lean liberal, join the Democrats and try to move them into an effective defense. Encourage them to choose reasonable and useful candidates. If you lean conservative, consider joining the Republicans and try to move them away from any anti-Constitution religious nonsense. Remind the Christians to practice the humility their Savior demanded of them, and that the governing of the world is up to Caesar (Matthew 22:21).
It's also important to learn all that you can and then teach others. Point out where people are doing bad things. Bring sunlight into the darkness.
For those who practice various magical arts, whether with your Runes or through Galdr, spend some time to create a wholesome energy for the country. Remember to focus on the final results where things, all things, are whole and healthy for everyone. Trying to focus on changing individuals or groups tends to have unintended consequences.
Also note that people of the Christian right are not easily swayed. Many are fanatics who, if they feel threatened, will attempt to become heroes or martyrs through violence. All Asatru people should be in a position to defend themselves. The existence of the extremists just pushes the boundary of how prepared you should be.
If you are not a citizen of the United States, you will want to keep an eye on things. If the Christian extremists ever gain control of the country, they will not want to stop there. They believe that everyone should be like they are, and you probably aren't them. Imagine the Islamic State if they had all the resources of the USA.
Any time Christian extremists have a success, it is a bad day for everyone else. The extremists tend to believe completely and they want to be in charge of everything. If you are not one of them, they believe that you are inherently wrong and must be corrected. Their form of correction is to make you into one or to kill you. This should be a concern for anyone who is not a member of their group.
In June 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned a 1973 ruling that allowed for legal abortion throughout the entire country. Regardless of your stand on abortion, this should be worriesome for all non-Christians in the U. S. because it is a victory for the Christian religious extremists. If they continue rolling back previous decisions, it can get a lot worse for us.
Many of the earliest European settlers to come to the North American continent did so to establish religious enclaves. There is a myth that they sought religious freedom but they really wanted freedom to run things their own way. Prosecutions for blaspheme or just being a different form of Christian were common and the punishments included hanging.
By the time the new United States was being created, many of the so-called Founding Fathers were well educated and held different beliefs. Many of them were Deists, people who believed that there was one god, similar to Christian belief, but that the god had created a somewhat mechanistic universe that could run on its own without interference. Protestant leaders often demanded to know the full beliefs of these country builders in an effort to show that they were or were not "good Christians". See https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-10-02-0140
In the development of the various state constitutions, Protestant clergy demanded that their church maintain control. This often required oaths of office where the elected or appointed officials swore that they were Christian or they would be unable to hold office. In some cases, these church officials threatened to lead their congregations to war against anyone who opposed them. As a result, the churches maintained control of states and municipalities.
The separation of church and state only applied at the federal level. The church leaders wanted this so that the dominant church in one state would be less capable of taking over the state led by a different denomination. Of course, most elected or appointed federal persons were chosen from the leaders in states, who could only be persons approved by the local church.
If you were a non-Christian, such as Asatruar, your ability to prosper would be severely hampered. Christians would not do business with you. You could not buy good property. Forget political ambitions.
In large cities, there would often be Jewish enclaves where their numbers were great enough that they could build their own culture. Many Christians were okay with Jews because Jews believed in the same god, but there was still the traditional animosity.
This continued until 1947 when the U. S. Supreme Court stated that the separation between church and state applied at all levels of government (The Separation of Church and State: Everson v. Board of Education). This stripped the church leaders of their official political power and was not liked at all.
For decades, various churches did everything they could to stay in control. Without official status, it was more difficult, but not impossible. It may be unconstitutional for the local cop to arrest you for violating religious rules, but if he was a member of the local church, he may consider his duty to the church more important.
Feeling the loss of control, the protestant leadership organized to regain control. Republican Senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona complained that the religious extremists were attempting to gain control of the party and that they could not be reasoned with (Quote by Barry Goldwater). This has born out.
Many groups claiming to be conservative (actually right-wing extremists) have developed to move people to vote for the religious right. Groups like the Heritage Foundation (The Heritage Foundation) push for the reduction of federal power to help remove the constitutional protections that keep extremists from taking over local and state governments.
The recent overturning of Roe versus Wade was a victory for these people. It invigorates them and helps them demonstrate their strength to citizens on the fence about them. They can use the win to help solicit donations to make even more headway. They are zealots who want their power back.
If you are a U. S. citizen, be sure to be politically active. If you lean liberal, join the Democrats and try to move them into an effective defense. Encourage them to choose reasonable and useful candidates. If you lean conservative, consider joining the Republicans and try to move them away from any anti-Constitution religious nonsense. Remind the Christians to practice the humility their Savior demanded of them, and that the governing of the world is up to Caesar (Matthew 22:21).
It's also important to learn all that you can and then teach others. Point out where people are doing bad things. Bring sunlight into the darkness.
For those who practice various magical arts, whether with your Runes or through Galdr, spend some time to create a wholesome energy for the country. Remember to focus on the final results where things, all things, are whole and healthy for everyone. Trying to focus on changing individuals or groups tends to have unintended consequences.
Also note that people of the Christian right are not easily swayed. Many are fanatics who, if they feel threatened, will attempt to become heroes or martyrs through violence. All Asatru people should be in a position to defend themselves. The existence of the extremists just pushes the boundary of how prepared you should be.
If you are not a citizen of the United States, you will want to keep an eye on things. If the Christian extremists ever gain control of the country, they will not want to stop there. They believe that everyone should be like they are, and you probably aren't them. Imagine the Islamic State if they had all the resources of the USA.
Any time Christian extremists have a success, it is a bad day for everyone else. The extremists tend to believe completely and they want to be in charge of everything. If you are not one of them, they believe that you are inherently wrong and must be corrected. Their form of correction is to make you into one or to kill you. This should be a concern for anyone who is not a member of their group.