Amerijericho: Creating a New Christian Nation in Tennessee
What will happen when some nice Unitarians move in?
James Reesor wants to create a Christian nation based in Tennessee to serve as “a sanctuary from political corruption, economic instability and cultural degeneration.” But before you tune up your Nutbag Detector, hear him out. He actually has some interesting ideas.
His motivation, of course, is nothing new. CliffsNotes version: The world is turning to #%&#. We need a place of our own.
So Reesor, by turns cook and fringe gubernatorial candidate, is urging his brethren of faith to move to Tennessee (or the 10 surrounding states) to form Amerijericho.
The new homeland would be something akin to an Amish community, concentrated on the precepts of “servitude” and “humility.” Writes Reesor:
Transportation of persons from one location to another will be limited to walking, horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and a limited number of battery operated vehicles. Work in fields will be done without the use of gasoline operated equipment. Homes will be constructed and insulated in unique ways to make cooling and heating more natural, and less dependent on costly fuels.
People of this generation can recapture traditions -- like the historic Pennsylvania Dutch -- that have been lost due to ignorance, greed, coveting, and all other sins related to rebellion against God.
When you think about it, it doesn’t sound all that bad – except during football season when you find yourself without cable.
But there are downsides to creating a new civilization. For one, we may end up trading a wasteful, incompetent government for something a bit more forceful. Writes Reesor: “Anything contrary to Truth should be banned!”
And it remains to be seen how “true Christians” will actually get along when forced to live side-by-side. Reesor, unlike most separatists, doesn’t define His People as the Let’s Go Scream at Pregnant Ladies Outside the Abortion Clinic variety. He has a rather expansive view – basically anyone who believes in Christ.
So how will the for-profit Christians, like the George W. faction, embrace servitude when they have a peculiarly aggressive jones for that whole covetous thing? Will money traders like JP Morgan Chase representatives be allowed inside the compound? And what happens when a nice gay Unitarian couple moves in next door? Will the horse-drawn ambulance be swift enough to retrieve people from cardiac arrest? And what about the Catholics, who just want to know when the bar opens – and if there will be bingo and a fish fry?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Comments
I guess Reesor is unaware that there's already a group trying this in South Carolina. Memo to Reesor: with only so many "true Christians" around, you might be more effective if you picked just one state to infiltrate.
Posted 08/25/2008 at 01:08:04 PMLaughed my ass off! These people are hilarious. If I could stop laughing for a moment I might pity them... nah, I'll just keep laughing.
Posted 08/25/2008 at 01:40:11 PMIf memory serves me correctly (and I'm no biblical scholar), didn't the walls come tumbling down? Is that a good role model? And Pete, I assume that at least two-thirds of your Catholic description comes from personal experience? Or are you into Bingo too?
Posted 08/25/2008 at 01:57:06 PMI sincerely appreciate Nashville Scene's Pete Kotz for opening Amerijericho ideas up for public scrutiny. No matter how many ideas we humans conjure up in our fertile minds, none of us will ever get things perfectly right 100% of the time.
Considering I am advocating equal status within an "Advisory Council" for members to engage themselves in "rule making" etc., we want to assure "the least of these" -- along with misfits of all descriptions -- that everyone will be treated with respect.
We want to simplify our lives in ways that make self-sustaining forms of survival possible.
To begin. let's simply say that we want a super-space-age technological lifestyle within a log cabin economy. Put the emphasis on "Free Barter Market."
JAMES REESOR for GOVERNOR 20TEN
Posted 08/25/2008 at 02:06:56 PMHow can you treat 'everyone' with respect while 'banning anything contrary to truth'?
Who's 'truth' is the 'real truth?' Bear in mind that 'truth' is an arbitrary term, especially in terms of one's own beliefs...
Posted 08/25/2008 at 02:24:02 PMwe want to assure "the least of these" -- along with misfits of all descriptions -- that everyone will be treated with respect.
Yeah, remind me where in the Constitution it says that the law doesn't have to treat everyone equally, so long as certain groups are treated "with respect"?
Posted 08/25/2008 at 04:19:22 PMRemind me where is says in the Constitution that the law doesn't have to treat everyone equally, as long as some groups are treated "with respect"?
(apologies if this is a duplicate post ... didn't see it take the first time....)
Posted 08/25/2008 at 04:22:34 PMThis is really funny as it comes on the heels of yesterday's news story about Sweden forbidding the teaching in its schools of any religious doctrine as if it were true.
Posted 08/27/2008 at 07:32:09 AMif anyone cares to expand on this. may i suggest a couple reads on some jesus cults. father yod and the source family, by isis aquarian and beloved son a story of the jesus cults by steve allen. both are really great reads. while shedding some light on the concepts of why someone would be compelled to something like this. while maybe not the same as mr. reesor idea of utopia, but it kind of smells the same in my humble opinion.
Posted 08/27/2008 at 04:50:50 PMOh grow up, you'd never make fun of Muslims, Hindus or animist Africans for their beliefs. Where's that famous "liberal tolerance" and "embracing of The Other" and "celebration of cultural diversity" I keep hearing so much about? I guess white Christians don't qualify for any of those things. Hypocrites.
Posted 08/28/2008 at 12:24:32 AMWe live in a country in which white christians have tried to hijack our government in the name of their antiquated superstitions. Of course we're gonna make fun of them! When's the last time a Hindu or an Animist tried to tell me what to think or what my female friends should do with their bodies?
Dipshits. (I can call names too, and I won't even feel guilty about it later. But go on and forgive me!)
Posted 08/28/2008 at 08:55:00 AM