Post #4023619

2026-07-23 01:16 UTC

The right-wing U.S. Christians have dealt with mysticism in a number of ways. The so-called "charismatic" movement, which (I will be very blunt here and maybe offensive to some #Christian persons) I regard as a very successful swindle. Their "speaking in tongues", from what I've seen of its practice, looks to be devoid of spiritual import--but it successfully masquerades as something spiritual. I'm sure there's GENUINE "speaking in tongues" or glossolalia to use the fancy term but it's nothing like what you see from a two-bit Christian pastor who switches their babble off and on in a moment like they were mode-switching between normal conversation and salesmanlike gladhandling. But by asserting this parlor trick with the Holy Spirit, charismatic-style Christians have come up with one way of dealing with the human craving for the mystical. (cont'd)

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@mxchara@seattle.pink 2026-07-23 01:21

But the most important way that right-wing Christianity has dealt with mysticism has been #politics. The mystical energy, the craving for knowledge beyond that which is obvious, has been a gold-mine for political cults and extremist sects and conspiracy theories, all of which (as has been frequently point out) seem to feed right into pro-business, pro-fascist, police-state Republican politics. Let me return to the concept of "the veil", a mystical concept. Right-wing Christianity and U.S. conservatism have effectively hijacked the veil. They claim that the veil, the invisible barrier between ordinary human perception and preternatural experience, is controlled by their political enemies: the Democrats, the "Deep State", the [insert slurs here], you name it. All of them are lumped into vague murky conspiracies to control the human perception of reality. (cont'd)

Open ##4023720