Monday, August 22, 2011

Leah Burton, of "God's Own Party," announces the release of her long anticipated book "God, Guns, & Greed."

Courtesy of God's Own Party:

I attribute Palin’s meteoric rise for prompting me to jump back into the world of politics. The announcement on August 29th, 2008 that Sarah Palin was the vice presidential running mate to John McCain just about gave me whiplash and knocked me from my desk chair. In a matter of seconds, I knew that I had to begin writing about the world of Political Dominionism and Sarah Palin. 

So, in honor of this woman bringing so much attention to herself – and simultaneously - to the world of religious extremism in American politics I am announcing the release of my book on the 3rd anniversary of her walk onto the world stage in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Republican National Convention September 4th, 2008. 

Here is the official announcement:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

God, Guns & Greed 

Forward by Dr. Anthea Butler, Graduate Chair Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania 

Author Leah L. Burton 

A Dangerous Path for America 

 God, Guns & Greed is an irreverent look into the rise of religious extremism tying Perry, Bachmann Palin & Co. as not simply a handful of devout Christians. They are political Dominionists and their message is being preached from pulpits across America, reaching an enormous voting bloc of “social conservatives”. 

A debate has ensued over what to call these religious extremists. Whether you call it “Dominionism” or the “New Apostolic Reformation” this fight is real and it affects every American! Dominionists claim authority from Genesis 1:28 mandating that they take dominion and be stewards of this earth until the Second Coming of Christ. Rewriting America’s history is an integral part of their message insisting that America is a Christian Nation and their followers are drinking the Kool-Aid. 

Their efforts are made more powerful by the cross-pollination of non-Dominionists seeking to tear apart government control and regulations. Corporatist’s wealth like the Koch Brothers and Sovereign Citizens disdain for the federal government are just two of the unholy alliances Dominionists make in their common goal to privatize government. It is a win-win for all of them. 

Stepping outside the typical “political book”, Burton exposes their religious messaging and tactics. Pulling from her years of research and experience, she writes in straight forward language about this organized effort – hiding in plain sight – to destroy religious and personal freedom. 

This path for America is a place where freedoms are diminished and theocracy rules. It is a profoundly un-American place. God, Guns & Greed will help inform you what this Movement is and how we can stop it.

I have often said, and I will repeat it here again, that Leah is my "go to" source on Dominionism.  She has made the study of this terrifying branch of fundamentalism the focus of her research for many years now, and I cannot think of anybody whose input I would value more than Leah Burton's on this topic.

I have been one of the few fortunate individuals to have the ability to e-mail or call Leah when I was struggling to understand something about the movement, or trying to find the right words to describe their agenda or progress in the political spectrum.

Now all of you can enjoy that same access to Leah's knowledge base that I have found invaluable for all of these years, by ordering her new book here.

22 comments:

  1. I am looking forward to reading this book. I have read her blog for a long time, and learned so much from her.

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  2. Anonymous3:55 AM

    I grew up in a contemporary Catholic household, meaning, we all were allowed a healthy skepticism over trumped up rules like the need for confession and birth control.

    One of my aunts brought me to a Pentacostal service and when I heard such an alarming tone upstairs from the 'nursery,' I witnessed grown up moaning, flopping on the floor, grasping at each other - what I later learned to be 'putting on/of the hands' and 'speaking in tongues.'

    It was a horrifying moment for me that has forever cemented my urgency at defending the right not for religious freedom, but freedom from religion.

    Leah and other writers are brave and as Sarah Palin likes to say over and over, 'bold,' for taking this movement on, especially since they've experienced such traction by mainstream, enabling politicians. Like Salmon Rushdie, these powerful and egotistical people (meaning they feel they are above the law) don't think twice about threatening to take your eye out, so I hope Leah and other critics and real defenders of the constitution and the bedrock of the concept that this country separate religion from government - are well and safe from harm.

    Yes, I'll even say it Sarah - God Be With You Leah Burton and Gryphen.

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  3. Anonymous4:01 AM

    As awful it was to endure a sermon from any Catholic Priest, very rarely did the hairs on the back of my neck raise at their tone. In my church, we were each responsible for our own souls and possibly even that of our fellow family members.

    But with these guys, with their church leaders and inside their sects - it isn't just us individually at risk of going to hell - it is EVERYONE outside the sanctuary.

    What way is that to think? To make strangers and everyone else evil just because they don't worship with you or worship like you? To call us godless and faithless and stamp us unfit for heaven and use such a gentle, loving entity like Jesus to manipulate your power.

    Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. - Ghandi, as ever, nailed it about American or Western Christians.

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  4. Anonymous4:59 AM

    A coincidence? Then we know that Palin doesn't believe in that.

    Daily Beast had an article posted on Sunday entitled: "Christian Dominionism Is a Myth" in response to a post on August 14th "A Christian Plot for Domination?"

    This link is to the 'Myth' response as it contains the link to the post it responded to:

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/08/21/christian-dominionism-bachmann-and-perry-aren-t-out-for-world-domination.html

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  5. Gasman5:17 AM

    Burton has done a great job exposing these self righteous buffoons. I imagine that her latest work will be just as useful and informative.

    I hope that enough people become aware of these unChristian, unAmerican thugs to effectively keep them in check.

    Good luck Leah.

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  6. And our Supreme Court is literally sleeping with the Tea Party.

    The Supreme Court decided Citizens United- AGAINST Americans.

    Thomas, Scalia and Roberts are very. very. scary men to have in control of our Supreme Court.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    The implications of Thomas’s leadership for the Court, and for the country, are profound. Thomas is probably the most conservative Justice to serve on the Court since the nineteen-thirties. More than virtually any of his colleagues, he has a fully wrought judicial philosophy that, if realized, would transform much of American government and society. Thomas’s views both reflect and inspire the Tea Party movement, which his wife has helped lead almost since its inception. The Tea Party is a diffuse operation, and it can be difficult to pin down its stand on any given issue. Still, the Tea Party is unusual among American political movements in its commitment to a specific view of the Constitution—one that accords, with great precision, with Thomas’s own approach. For decades, various branches of the conservative movement have called for a reduction in the size of the federal government, but for the Tea Party, and for Thomas, small government is a constitutional command.



    Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/08/29/110829fa_fact_toobin#ixzz1VlPEqMSS

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  7. AJ Billings5:29 AM

    Why does every GOP candidate have to flash their religious purity test at us like a set of dice-painted ugly toe nails? :)

    Leah's book will be an excellent eye opener for those who still believe in a 1st amendment

    I'll be buying several copies Leah's book to give to elderly relatives like my dad who is 83. He's just about convinced that the current crop of Repubs are nutcases, but he's voted Repub for 65 years.


    This ought to put an end to that!

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  8. Randall5:45 AM

    Religion is good and The Truth is obvious - that's why there are no separate factions or interpretations of holy books and everybody believes the exact same thing.

    Everybody should have a gun - that's what the constitution says. EVERYbody has a right to own a gun - because there are no crazy or evil people out there.

    Greed is good. Nothing bad has ever come from greed. Our most ancient texts reveal: The love of Money is the root of all good.

    God, guns, and greed are all precious commonsense values. What could be more obvious?

    Bachmann/Palin 2012 - because there just isn't enough stupid/crazy in government.

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  9. Having been raised Southern Baptist, which is about a step and a half up from handling snakes, I can truthfully say this stuff scares the shit out of me.

    I know how crazy and unreasonable these people can be. Facts and science have no meaning for them. Even those who have doubts about what is being said, just go along with the rest of them. They have a herd mentality and are afraid of voicing those doubts.

    I think Leah for writing this book. I just hope people will read it and pay attention.

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  10. Anonymous6:07 AM

    Notice none of them, NONE of them, EVER mention Jesus Christ.

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  11. Anonymous6:13 AM

    Thanks for turning us on to Leah. I have been slowly trying to educate myself further about this movement and can't wait to read her book. I was almost forced to become a good little Catholic girl, but fortunately, my dad went to college and learned about science and we never went back to church again. I have always been interested in understanding the human who needs to be part of this kind of community and I am so thankful for people like Leah who make that process easier.

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  12. Anonymous6:35 AM

    Dear Anon. at 3:55; Thank you for your post. One detail, however- please do some research on the writer Salman Rushdie. He had a fatwa/death threat placed against him by another fundie group for his "blasphemous" novel.

    Difference between Dominionists and the most radical Wahabist Muslim sects? Not much at all.

    Wild Tortoise

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  13. Anonymous7:28 AM

    I grew up until age 8 as a Southern Baptist, and from 8-15 as a Catholic; only vaguely "religious" after that until I became an atheist as a young woman.

    I don't think I'm any worse, or any better, than those who embrace religion.

    But I do think that basing one's existence and behavior on anything other than humanity itself which we should respect and care for (something women know instinctively but which she is made to question) is nothing more than an artificial construct and selfish in its various interpretations.

    After all, I believe that human men created "God" in their own image. To me, it's the most obvious teaching in the Bible.

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  14. Get it on iTunes or Amazon and it will go like hot blueberry pie...

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  15. Anonymous11:50 AM

    Wasn't the 2008 Republican National Convention held in Dayton,Ohio?

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  16. Anonymous12:07 PM

    Sadly, these "Christian" politicians just seem to "use" God. Their actions speak louder than their words. They go all out to hurl hatred towards President Obama and try to ensure that he will only be a one-term President. They fiercely protect the wealthiest and corporations, while are all for making massive cuts to programs that would help the middle class, seniors, and poor. They look down on the unemployed and try to paint them as being losers and lazy. They are against extending their unemployment benefits, while they protect subsidies for huge oil companies that are making record profits. They do not have any empathy or compassion whatsoever for the less fortunate. They have absolutely no plan for really creating jobs and moving the economy forward. Instead, they are trying to make sure that progress will not be made, because then they will blame President Obama and succeed in destroying him. We'll wait and see what happens. Somehow, I don't think the good Lord is pleased with these ignorant, petty people.

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  17. Anonymous12:43 PM

    Thank Dawg for Leah. I started following her writings quite some time ago, and have gotten fairly good at describing what Dominionism is.

    Unfortunately even a very good explanation of the threat is not believed by many.

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  18. Anonymous12:47 PM

    Wild Tortoise @ 6:35 a.m.

    I wrote it wrong, I meant people like Salmon Rushdie were threatened by their work because it offended their religious perspectives.

    Nothing differentiates radical religious groups in my book, which is just as good as the 'Good Book,' which isn't.

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  19. Anonymous1:32 PM

    I was wondering the same thing, so I asked..right now, the pre-order is thru Amazon. Once it is released on Sept 4, it will be available on Amazon and will be on kindle, etc...can't wait to read it!!

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  20. Anonymous6:04 PM

    here's a poll for IM-ers to take--

    http://www.nationalreview.com/

    go about 1/6 of the way down to take a poll on whether Sarah should run for president or not.

    :-)

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  21. Anonymous6:33 PM

    Leah is a national treasure. I struggled with my religious journey and came to realize that organized religion is nothing more than the best business venture on the face of the earth. Profit on Prophets and don't pay a penny in taxes.
    I started as a Roman Catholic and was excommunicated for my affilliation with Planned Parenthood. A member of my family belongs to a fundamentalist cult that boarders on dominionism. What I witnessed was appalling and demeaning to the dignity of every human being, and reading Burton's blog made me realize my choice to not believe in God is well founded and makes sense.

    She's a very good writer, at times hard to follow, but she always comes through with the "Ah ha! moment" that brings things full circle.

    So glad it'll be available on Kindle the same day it's released.

    Caveat: What worked for me isn't for everyone, and I don't mean to demean anyone else's choice of belief system, but knowledge is power and Leah really says it like it is.

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  22. Anonymous7:34 AM

    I would love to read it but horror movies and books SCARE ME!

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