Baptist Draka US

Something I've noticed is that the more obnoxious branch of American leftists (think DemocraticUnderground, the left-wing equivalent of FreeRepublic) and many Europeans are convinced conservative Christians (particularly the low-church evangelicals) in the US are dangerous both at home and abroad.

Lurking at FreeRepublic has shown me there are a few such people, but they're outnumbered greatly there by the more secular right-wing types.

So here's a thought:

How can we get a US that is theocratic or close to it domestically and expansionist abroad, in the name of religion? Make it so the straw man of these people and the US under the Bush administration is actually TRUE.

I picked post-1900 because people holding these beliefs tended to be poor and marginal until the 1950s or so and then they started getting richer. That's when they started getting more politically influential.
 
Lurking at FreeRepublic has shown me there are a few such people, but they're outnumbered greatly there by the more secular right-wing types.

I'll have some thoughts later, but I think I should quickly note that extrapolating real-life demographics from the internet is generally unwise.
 
You could try having a much worse great depression coupled with either a delayed or second out break of Spanish flu, nothing like great hardships to start pushing people into radical politics.
 

Jasen777

Donor
For true Drakaness I think you need a pre-Civil War PoD. A Revolutionary War or before PoD would be even better.And it'd be tough for it to be just Baptist, instead of a group of denoms, but I suppose that could be done...
 

Keenir

Banned
For true Drakaness I think you need a pre-Civil War PoD. A Revolutionary War or before PoD would be even better.And it'd be tough for it to be just Baptist, instead of a group of denoms, but I suppose that could be done...

maybe a bunch of other denominations go the Amish way: avoiding involvement in politics.

(not a uniform decision, and probably fragments the Catholic and Protestant religious communities - but that would further strengthen the Baptist hand)
 
I'm using "Baptist" as a shorthand term for socially conservative "low church" evangelical/fundamentalist denominations.

("low church" actually refers to worship style--the "higher" the church, the closer to Catholicism)

Since Baptists have no hierarchy, pretty much anyone can call themselves Baptist. Consequently, you have these deranged characters who think movies are innately sinful (b/c acting is allegedly dishonest) and you've got extremely learned theologians.

An earlier POD might be better, come to think of it. Think of an uglier Manifest Destiny that draws on the Biblical account of the conquest of Canaan and doesn't stop at the Pacific or OTL Mexican border.
 
Like Numbers 31?

Numbers 31:14-18 said:
And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.
And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
 

Hendryk

Banned
Like Numbers 31?
It's a good one, but I think the best ones are in Deuteronomy:

When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz, the LORD our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army. At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed them—men, women and children. We left no survivors.
--Deuteronomy 2:32-34

So the LORD our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down, leaving no survivors. At that time we took all his cities. There was not one of the sixty cities that we did not take from them—the whole region of Argob, Og's kingdom in Bashan. All these cities were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and there were also a great many unwalled villages. We completely destroyed them, as we had done with Sihon king of Heshbon, destroying every city—men, women and children.
--Deuteronomy 3:3-6

When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you- and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.
--Deuteronomy 7:1-2

The LORD your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, "How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same."
--Deuteronomy 12:29-30

If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people.
--Deuteronomy 13:6-9

I could go on and on...
 
The Parable of the Talents could be used to support the oppression of the poor:

Matthew 25:14-30 (King James Version) said:
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
 
Historically, the "Religious Right" types HAVE been poor. It's not until relatively recently that things have changed.

I would imagine the "Baptist Draka" would be fairly populist, come to think of it.
 
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