Every religion has its own sacred rituals (rites) meant to unify the body of believers as a unique community and create a special relationship between them and their god(s), its own holy texts and teachings meant to teach the correct ways of think and acting to the community of believers and instill obedience to the god(s), its own symbols meant to stand as a representation of and in place of the divinity and as a result obtain their own form of holiness that dictates they be treated differently than all other things, and its own sacred music designed to create a yearning and love in the heart of those hearing and singing the hymns for the divinity being worshipped. In Part 1 of this series, I explored how the way that the government and political system of modern nations operates as an idolatrous religion base don human sacrifice. In Part 2, I explored this idea in more detail, showing how the way the political systems of modern nations fulfills all fifteen characteristics of a cult and that the State is not only an idolatrous cult, but that it is specifically a death cult. Here in part 3, I will evaluate the system in detail, looking at how it operates in society through the use of rites, symbols, prayers, holy texts, and music to generate within the public feelings of religious allegiance and awe to the government and its leaders as if it and they were themselves holy and divine.
In undertaking this task, by model will be the American government as it is the model most familiar to me. But I believe these same principles are equally true of all nations, you merely have to substitute your nations forms of these things for the American forms cited here and the results will be the same. For example, a national anthem is a secular hymn to the state no matter which anthem is being cited.
Sacred Texts
While there is some debate in the historical study of religions for the need of a religion to have a religious text or texts in order to meet the definition of a “religion,” it is equally true that all literate societies have some sort of religious text which provides a voice of authority and divine wisdom to the adherents. These texts teach what the religion considers their transcendent and unchallengeable truths. The most familiar to most people would most likely be The Bible or Qur’an, but you find sacred texts of this nature in all the religions of literate societies- The Vedas in Hinduism, The Tao-te Ching of Taosim, the Sutras and Tripitaka of Buddhism, and so on. In addition to these main texts, religions will often have supplemental text that, while not having the same authority as scripture, still carry essential religious authority. For example, the Hadith in Islam (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), the Talmud of Judaism, or even the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Latter-day Saint tradition.
While individual religions use their texts in differing ways, some generalities can be made about how religious texts are generally used by the religious community which holds them sacred. At the individual level, religious texts are often used as the guide for individual actions- what is right and wrong. Often the believer will memorize certain key quotations because they are seen as especially inspired and have special meaning for the beliefs of the faithful- thin of the way that John 3:16 is quoted across all Christian sects, for example. At the communal level scriptural teachings “forms the basis for their social, legal and moral codes of conduct, as well as providing instruction on rituals and rites of passage.” The scripture directs how people should think, act, interact, live, sexual norms, often even eat and dress. Scripturally determined rites often dictate when children become adults and what their responsibilities are to the community and to the wider world.
Can any American deny that the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution perform the same function for the United States? Does the Constitution not dictate the lives of hundreds of millions of people- what they can and cannot do? Does the supplemental texts to the Constitution, the body of Federal and state laws, not dictate to people where they can go, who they can meet, what they can eat, drink, or ingest? Does it not tell them what they can and cannot do for work, what they can and cannot agree to be paid, for whom they can labor, and demand we beg and pay the state for the privilege to labor? Do they not dictate the form of such important public rituals such as voting? Does the law not arbitrarily determine who is or is not an adult based on a legally mandated age, therefore creating through legal mandate the rite of passage into manhood and womanhood? Does the law no arbitrarily decide who is and who is not an “American” and the rites one must undertaken in order to convert to the American cult -i.e. become a citizen? Is the Constitution not considered the definitive law by the US government and the supreme authority over all aspects of society, with the Supreme Court using the Constitution as the basis from which all other rules and laws gain their authority and by which all other rules, laws, even privately held beliefs be nullified by court decree? (Think about way things like polygamy have been ruled illegal based on how the Supreme Court interpreted the Constitution, not about whether you have the human right to practice your religious beliefs.)
Are our children not taught to revere both documents? Just go look at any forum to see regular people put this reverence in action, where the most exultant voices praise them as the “source of American ideology” that established the “best form of government” and even the most critical see them as ” the blueprints for a stable government and progressive political ideology” which “establish our national identity.” Are our children not taught to memorize key passages in childhood which, even if they cannot recite in adulthood they still remember enough to reference? We certainly treat these “beloved texts” with outstanding reverence, spending fortunes on preserving their originals in state of the art high tech storage, under constant armed guard. the camera system monitoring the Declaration cost $3 million all on its own!
Yes, it seems clear that in the reverence with which they’re treated, with the veneration which most Americans treat them, with the way these texts function as the definitive authorities on what it means to be American and how such a being should, think, act, and live, the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution are treated as sacred scripture by American society. These are the definitive religious texts of authority in the American version of the Cult of the State, and all things are subject to their rules and dictates.
Sacred Symbols
Symbolism is one of the essential tools of religious worship. Derived most often from nature (pgs. 7-8), a religious symbol comes to represent more than its mere natural analogue. For example, in Christianity a picture of a dove is not merely meant to tell us a dove is in the picture, rather the dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit and its presence signifies the literal, if unseen, Presence of God. Religious symbolism serves as a physical manifestation of the holiness of divinity and as a conveyor of revealed truth. The Dharma Wheel in Buddhism, for example, summarizes in one symbol the totality of the Buddhist view of the cosmos as well as the Buddha’s teachings about the nature of reality and the path to nirvana. Symbols work to unite the believer to divinity as well as with the community of believers who share reverence for the same ideas the symbol represents. In this sense, the symbol also stands for the community itself. Religious symbols often engender a sense of awe and honor within the believer. As a result, symbols often come to be seen as holy themselves. For Latter-day Saints this can best be seen in the temple robes and temple garments, which, because of their holiness, are supposed to be treated in very specific ways, different from all other clothing. For example, they should never be thrown on the floor and we should try and avoid allowing them to touch the floor as much as reasonably possibly.
Does the government cult have its own sacred symbols? Absolutely. While there are actually quite a few (eagles and images of the Presidents themselves are pervasive) none are quite as ubiquitous as the flag. And we certainly treat it as a holy symbol. We are told to stand and place our right hand- our covenant hand– and place it over our heart- the symbol of life itself– and wait in reverence until the flag is properly cared for (depending on the situation -parade, lowering, raising, etc.) It isn’t supposed to touch the ground, should be stored so it doesn’t get dirty or torn, and should never be carried horizontally. It should always be at the peak of a a building, should be higher than other flags, should never be displayed with the union (the square blue section) facing down, should be illuminated if displayed at night, should especially be displayed on specific government holidays (holy-days), and so on- the list is actually quite extensive. The flag itself “deserves dignity” because it is the “emblem of our identity as a sovereign nation” and represents America’s ideals of “freedom, pride, responsibility” unity, and equality. Emotionally, our reaction to the flag during something like the singing of the national anthem should be, “a wrenching emotional surge — the pulse quickens, breath shortens, the throat tightens” as we are caught in feelings of awe, honor, and pride. The reason for this is, as the Smithsonian Magazine explained, because “We Americans don’t have a king or queen. We have a flag.”
Is this not a religious attitude? Standing in the presence of sacred objects or as a form of worship has a long history in Western tradition going all the way back to ancient Israel. Though this hard largely disappeared in Protestant America, you can still see it in the way that people will stand to sing hymns during services. I have already drawn attention to how placing the right hand over the heart is steeped in religious symbolism I will address it in more detail later in the article. The flag represents the nation, its people as a community both in their unity and in their beliefs as religious symbols do for the believers. The flag is supposed to summon in the participant feelings of raw emotional awe, reverence, and pride as the physical symbol which reveals that which otherwise only exists as an unseen idea- “America” instead of God. Also like religious symbols, the flag is treated in an especially holy manner with strict ritualistic rules, really commandments codified by Congressional decree- about the specific treatment of the flag as a holy object that represents the Nation. All of these combine to give a specifically religious aura and attitude of worship to the way that Americans as to think of, react to, and treat the national flag.
Common Prayer
Prayer is one of the universal aspects of religious belief- wherever people believe in a god, the gods, or a supernal realm (such as the Christian Heaven, for example), there is prayer. The purpose of prayer is to unite us individually, or when done as group then to unite the group, with divinity. Most believers have not seen that whom they worship or gained that blessed state towards which they strive. God is so big and so beyond us that he is either literally or metaphorically “invisible” and we cannot see or experience Him directly. Prayer then is about uniting them to the gods they worship and/or helping them to experience, if only a little bit, the blessed state they hope to one day achieve- whether that be Heaven or the Hindu moksha. As the church website explains:
As we make a habit of approaching God in prayer, we will come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him. Our desires will become more like His. We will be able to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that He is ready to give if we will but ask in faith.
Prayer helps us to personally connect to a God which is otherwise beyond our comprehension. This connection is built not just by the praying individual, but as the community prays together as well. By participating in group prayers we give witness to our faith the values being enunciated in the prayer, pledge ourselves to what is being prayed about, reconfirm our communal identity as a group of people tied together by faith, and take part in a ritual that then renews our own individual belief. For Christians, think of the way that the Eucharist/communion/sacrament is more than merely eating bread and water, but its a group rite where through ritual prayer the community of believers gather together to reaffirm their Christianity, to strengthen their bonds to one another, and to renew their faith and covenants with God as individuals and as His people.
Does the government have its own forms of public prayer to it? Absolutely- it is called the Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge of Allegiance builds on what I discussed just previously in the Sacred Symbols section. Every morning, millions of children stand, place their right hands over their hearts, and recite a memorized chant in unison in before the icon/idol of the government -the US flag- during which they promise to give their obedience, love, and life itself to the government of the United States. The purpose of this is to instill in the children patriotism -that is a love of and willingness to be subservient to the nation and its government- loyalty to the government, a belief that one should honor and obey it, and a group identity as “Americans.” Additionally, the Pledge is about instilling reverence for the nation in the children, to the point that even atheists will ironically argue they can refuse to say “under God” and still take part in the cult of reverence and worship for the government. And those children who have refused have been beaten and even arrested for not having a properly worshipful enough attitude towards this form of common worship. The Pledge easily meets the qualifications of group prayer.
Temples and Deities
Temples are very special in religions and share similarities throughout the world no matter which culture you’re studying. They are more than mere places of worship, as churches, chapels, and the like are. A temple is God’s House- the place where God’s literal presence on Earth can be found. Temples hold the most precious relics -holy, sacred objects- of the faith, including icons and idols -that is pictures and statues- of the gods themselves. People go to temples to commune directly with the gods, to take part in the direct veneration of holy objects, to partake in the reverential awe that pervades the holy site, and to reconfirm their belief in their faith.
Does the government have its own temples, its own gods, and its own sacred relics? Absolutely. It is no accident that the American sacred relics and holy texts, Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, are displayed in a state building that looks like the Pantheon, an ancient Roman temple. Compare the two in the pictures below. Notice how they both have similar designs on their domes, that central location of the shrine, and the depictions of the gods and great heroes of the past that flank the central shrine (one as statues the other as paintings). They’re even similar right down to the floors with both having the same circle in square design.
There has been much ink spilled over how we should view the Founding Fathers. But there is no doubt how the government would have us see them- as enthroned gods whose words were holy, whose actions were righteous, and whose persons were divine. Don’t believe me? Just look at The Apotheosis of George Washington located in the eye of the Capitol Rotunda:
For those who don’t know what the meaning of apotheosis, it is when a human is deified, when a mortal becomes a god. And that is exactly what we are seeing here- George Washington as God, with his angels Liberty and Victory to his left and right and America at his feet, ready for war. Likewise you see representations of the sciences, economics, mechanics, and agriculture surrounding him and partaking of his divine brilliance and power. Compare that to classical depictions of Christ and the Father enthroned in Heaven, surrounded by angels, such as in The Glory of Heaven and the parallels become even more clear:
Here we see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit -the One Triune God of traditional Christianity- flanked by Mary, the Mother of Jesus, on the viewer’s left and John the Baptist to the viewer’s right. Again notice how They are surrounded by saints and angels, all of whom receive light and blessing from the central and Divine source. The Washington painting above is modeled after this classical art style with the purpose of coopting the religious feelings we naturally associate with the style and to focus them on Washington- presenting him as a god, America as his creation, and to create senses of worshipful awe and obedience to his successors in the American government. And the deification of American politicians doesn’t stop there. Just look at the Jefferson Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial:
Both of these complexes are modeled on ancient temple. The Jefferson Memorial is modeled after the Roman Pantheon and the Lincoln Memorial is modeled after the ancient Greek temple the Parthenon, whose ruins still stand in Athens today. In each, statues of the Presidents stand in the position of idols- ready to receive the adulation, veneration, and worship due to them in their roles in the American pantheon. As you can see the statues are so large that they can be seen from a great distance. Up close they absolutely dwarf those present establishing a god-like position of authority and power literally over those looking up at them. Lincoln is even sitting upon a throne adorned with the fasces (an ancient symbol of Roman authority and power) and the symbol is repeated throughout his temple. As historian Dr. Merrill Peterson has noted, this is but the most obvious example of the deification of Lincoln in a process that began the minute he died. Like Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln are American gods and we are meant to venerate their writings and actions as definitive as a result, which in turn justifies the power and authority of the government today.
This type of veneration isn’t reserved only for the dead and deified Presidents, but for the living ones as well. It is no accident that places like the US Capitol building and the White House both look like ancient Greek temples as well. It seems likely that this imagery was chosen to elicited feelings of awe among the public for what happens within the two buildings, so that we will treat the act of rule as if it were semi-divine in origin, even sacred. This type of worshipful imagery is everywhere. I haven’t even discussed statues such as George Washington by Horatio Greenough, which presents Washington as Zeus himself, nor have I even touched on the largest idols of all- Mount Rushmore. But the few examples should suffice to make the point that the state does have its own temples and its own idols of its own gods in those temples.
It is clear that the point of all this imagery is to generate feelings of religious worship within Americans, to get them to treat American politicians as god-like beings, even going so far as to build literal temples to them where the American people can come and engage in worshipful reverence. The goal of this is undoubtedly not simply to get Americans to worship dead politicians, but to transfer the reverence and awe Americans feel for these American Gods to the the nation and government they established and championed. In other words, deifying past leaders is about generating present day obedience form those indoctrinated into the Death Cult of the State today.
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That is where we will pause with Section A. Originally, I meant to write a single article to cover the variety of topics necessary to illuminate the ways that the Death Cult of the State functioned as an actual, fully formed, religion. But there is simply too much to cover. So I have had to divide this topics into two sections. This section sketched out the super structure of the Cult of the State, at least in its American form.
In Section B, I will build on this structure and flesh out how the church and its political sects operate. This will include the religious leadership of the Cult of the State, its religious centers where the people are instructed in the faith, the mystical rituals by which it maintains its authority and offers salvation to the masses, and the different denominations that the masses generally fall into. Section B will come out on August 7th, 2020.