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Chris�an Reconstruc�onism
Despite the lack of a unified theology, there are certain fundamentals to the faith. Chris�an Reconstruc�onists seek to impose their interpreta�on of Old Testament law on modern civil society. Most transgressions would incur the death penalty. Among these transgressions earning the death penalty would be abandonment of faith (apostasy), adultery, astrology, blasphemy, heresy, homosexuality, incest, incorrigible juvenile delinquency, striking a parent, and the lack of chas�ty before marriage. Rushdoony was especially hard on homosexuality: "Not arrested development or immaturity but deliberate and mature warfare against God marks the homosexual. God's penalty is death, and a godly order will enforce it." Biblically approved methods of execu�on would include burning at the stake, stoning, hanging, and death by sword. Whipping, indentured servitude, or slavery could be used for noncapital crimes. Because a theocra�c society is one in which only one religious view predominates, the leaders of Chris�an Reconstruc�onism believe that the U.S. Cons�tu�on would have to be replaced by a theocra�c one.
The biblical theocracy of Chris�an Reconstruc�onism envisages a minimalist state. The only func�on of the na�onal state would be to provide for the na�onal defense. There would be no social services outside of those provided by the Church. Capitalism would always be unregulated, and paper money would be replaced by gold or silver currency. All public schools would be abolished. Taxes would be collected only at the local level. Women would be restricted to the home. The only voters would be males from biblically correct churches. Labor unions would be abolished, and employers could discriminate on whatever grounds they wished.
Chris�an Reconstruc�onists have been reluctant to publicize their more extreme claims. Their goal is to convert a majority of the American popula�on to accept a theocracy by stealth. Once a vo�ng majority is achieved, then the theocra�c state would "remove legal access to the franchise and to civil offices from those who refuse to become communicant members of Trinitarian churches.” These ac�ons are part of the belief on the part of Chris�an Reconstruc�onists that Chris�ans are the “new chosen people of God because Jews had failed to live up to God’s covenant and lost their chosen people status.”
The agenda of Chris�an Reconstruc�onism has gained a poli�cal cons�tuency on the American extreme right. A poli�cal gathering called Confron�ng the Judicial War on Faith took place in Washington, D.C., in early April 2005. This gathering brought right-wing lawmakers and adherents of Chris�an Reconstruc�onism together to commiserate over their poli�cal defeat in the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. They met with the blessing of Tom DeLay, the conserva�ve Republican representa�ve from Texas, to cas�gate the judiciary. Michelle Goldberg wrote that "having won control of two branches of the federal government, the ac�vists of the religious right have come to see the courts as the intolerable obstacle thwar�ng their dream of a reborn Chris�an na�on."
Because the Chris�an Reconstruc�onists believe there is a covenant between God and man and between God and na�ons, there can be no natural disasters. Disasters are a mark of God's displeasure.
Rushdoony's theology forms the basis for Chris�an Reconstruc�onism, and his theology has been controversial even with the conserva�ve wing of the Protestant religious community. His rejec�on of democracy, advocacy of the widespread use of the death penalty, acceptance of slavery, and general intolerance of other religious views have a�racted numerous cri�cs. Rushdoony's death on February 8, 2001, did not s�ll those cri�cs. His two biggest champions-son Mark Rushdoony and son-in-law Gary North-have con�nued to advance his theology without reserva�ons. North wrote a book �tled Crossed Fingers: How the Liberals Captured the Presbyterian Church to outline the way that Chris�an Reconstruc�onists could take over the Presbyterian Church movement. The leaders are careful to hide the long-term threat to American society.
The goal of Chris�an Reconstruc�onism to cons�tute a majority of American ci�zens remains a long way from comple�on. But this does not mean that its adherents are not busy recrui�ng individuals and churches to their theology. The tying of Chris�an Reconstruc�onism to the League of the South and the neo-Confederate cause has helped its cause in the South, but both the neo-Confederate cause and Chris�an Reconstruc�onism are harder sells in other parts of the country (Atkins, 2011, Kindle Loca�ons 2587-2601).