Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 01:43 pm
Louis Giglio
UPDATE: According to ABC News, Rev. Louie Giglio has pulled himself out of the presidential inauguration ceremony after outrage over his anti-gay comments.
I am very glad that this extremist pulled out – but honestly, I would be far more assured had the President and his Inaugural Committee drawn their own conclusions and dis-invited Giglio.
Dominionists are experts at insinuating themselves into America’s political landscape with their eye on theocracy. Any recognition, let alone such a huge symbolic spot light such as being an invited dignitary at the President’s inauguration, only empowers this insanity. They slipped under the skirts of the GOP when they infested the Republican Party in the late 1980s and early 1990s and yet, today, most people don’t know that happened.
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Don’t mistake Giglio’s withdrawal as altruistic. The second thing that these folks are experts at is covering their own derrieres. I have said for many years as a researcher and someone raised by a Dominionist parent, exposure is their Kryptonite and when you shine a light on them – they scurry like cockroaches.
Now we wait to hear who the second runner-up will be. Don’t take your eyes off the ball….
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In 2008 my jaw dropped when I saw Rick Warren giving the Invocation at President Obama’s 1st Inauguration. Why did this slap me so hard in the face? To begin with, as a mainstream Christian, Rick Warren and his ilk give credence to Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.”
There is no time or space right now to go into the details of how ill-advised the choice of Rick Warren was in 2008, but on the heels of this latest choice approved by the president – out of the literally thousands of mainstream Christian clergy available across America – I can no longer defend Warren’s pick as a fluke. Now I want to know just who the hell it is that is feeding the Inaugural Committee names of not just random Christian Dominionist preachers – but stars of this bible-based cult!
Really, Mr. President?!
Both Rick Warren and Louis Giglio are, in fact, leaders of this extremist movement that leads the charge against…women’s rights, homosexuality (in every way), feminism, religious tolerance (other than their own brand) all while financing politicians who further their push toward Dominion and theocracy.
The Washington Post said this about the pairing of Myrlie Evers-Williams and Louis Giglio for the inauguration:
The contrasting choice of speakers are typical of a president who has walked a sometimes complicated path when it comes to religion — working to be inclusive to the point that critics at times have questioned his faith.
In a statement released by the inaugural committee, the president said the careers of Evers-Williams and Giglio “reflect the ideals that the Vice President and I continue to pursue for all Americans – justice, equality and opportunity.
Giglio, another Baylor educated Texas bible-thumping mega-church preacher represents a bible-based cult called Christian Dominionism and is the antithesis of “justice, equality and opportunity” for anyone who is deemed to be – not the right kind of Christian. To be their ‘kind’ of Christian you must adhere to the following:
“Defined in its simplest form, Christian Dominionism is a political approach to Christian faith based on a literal interpretation of Genesis Chapter 1 verses 26 – 28 of the Christian Bible. Believers perceive themselves as the “chosen” or the “elect”, commanded by God to “subdue” the earth and “have dominion” over all living creatures.
The goal of Christian Dominionism in the United States is to abolish Separation of Church and State, establishing it as a distinctively Christian Nation based upon Old Testament Mosaic Law.
Dominionism is an umbrella term that harbors many divergent franchise groups claiming a foundation in Christianity”.
Here is an excerpt from Pastor Ken Silva, writing on his own site about Giglio, his latest roadshow that drew in over 60,000 youths to the Georgia Dome and the Dominionist/New Apostolic Reformation wingnuts that he aligns himself with.
Apprising Ministries is among those online apologetics and discernment ministries (OADM) who have covered Louie Giglio, Passion 2013, And Jesus Culture; Passion 2013 concluded this weekend.
In Friends Of Bethel Church, Home Of Jesus Culture I brought out that this Giglio conference filled the Georgia Dome with some 60,000+ college aged youth, but there may be an agenda to be wary of.
Youth have been raving about how this conference changed their lives, which is the point. That being, what it appears Louie Giglio has done/is doing with his 268 Generation aka the Passion Movement.
For you see, in Jesus Culture—Of Bethel Church—And Practicing Raising The Dead I reminded you that Jesus Culture (JC) bills itself as not “just a band, but…a ministry of Bethel Church (BC).”1
In addition, that BC pastor Bill Johnson surrounds himself, and the BC ministry JC, with a wild assortment of spiritual wingnuts like NAR “Apostle” Lou Engle and “respected prophet” Cindy Jacobs.
I also told you that BC pastor Banning Liebscher, director of JC, calls NAR apostlette Cindy Jacobs “a real mom to our movement” and has “spoken a ton [of prophetic word] into what we’re doing.”
Did you catch that; JC mommy Jacobs speaks into the Jesus Culture Movement. What it’s beginning to look like is that Giglio may have made a conscious decision to align his own youth movement with JC’s.
Giglio is a direct player in the New Apostolic Reformation which is a pseudo-Christian movement created by John P. Kelly and C. Peter Wagner back in the late 1990s early 2000s and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Wagner, author of the book “Dominion!”, among others, is a primary figure of the International Coalition of Apostles (NCA) that include among them Bill Johnson of Redding, California’s Bethel Church. Pastor Silva also wrote about Giglio’s connection to Johnson and that his Passion 2013 Jesus Culture is directly spawned out of a youth group of Bethel Church.
Apostles? Says WHO?
Other “apostles” in the Wagner ICA are Cindy Jacobs, Rick Joyner, Mary Glazier (Sarah Palin’s spiritual advisor), Lou Engle, and many other self-aggrandizing “chosen”. Johnson and Giglio proudly praise these extremists and align themselves with them. Don’t you love it how they refer to themselves as “God-chosen” and “That is what an apostle of God is: God’s appointed, anointed, authorized ambassador to maintain right government (shaphat) in his sphere of ministry.” The are truly impressed with themselves!
A Partial Line-up of “Apostles” associated with Giglio
Giglio comes by his anti-homosexual stance naturally. His influences even extend back to his father’s associations as the Chik-fil-A logo designer…and we have all heard from their CEO about how they view homosexuality. This article by Josh Israel includes excerpts from one of Giglio’s “sermons” that take away a shred of doubt about how he feels about gay rights and gays as humans in general.
Their Image
Actual Lab Image
I could write a series on this cretin, like his claim that the laminin is in the shape of a cross and bears out that Christ is the molecular “glue” that binds us. Man…now there’s a new pitch to convince the Sheople with! Whatever rings his cash register – cuz’ they are buying what he is selling – in droves! I am posting an actual lab image that looks nothing like a crucifix next to their contrived image that they are pedaling. And people believe this crap!
But for now, I am attempting to give you a smattering of facts that will hopefully cause you to rise up and protest the choice of this snake oil salesman to represent mainstream Christians and Christianity itself by being given such an honor as providing the benediction at President Obama’s second inauguration. Whether you are religious or not, this grates every last nerve of human decency that I have in me and as an Obama supporter – I am outraged! Yes, Giglio dropped out, but he never should have been chosen in the first place.
Dominionism exists, and it flourishes precisely because people embrace them as mere Christians. They are not Christian. Co-opting the Christian title, bible and flag does not a Christian make. They have infested our churches and our politics. This is an insult on so many levels. I am writing to the following and I ask that you please do the same.
Who to Contact:
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About the Author, Leah L. Burton
Activist, Researcher, Writer against extremism of any kind. An advocate of Separation of Church & State and everyone’s right to have freedom of faith or non-faith.
