Soldiers in the Army of God 3/7

Given the recent tragic shooting of Dr. George Tiller, I feel this documentary is of particular significance in understanding the mindset and actions of those who choose violence as a method to be heard on the issue of Abortion

Points of Note:

The Army of God is a militant anti-abortionist organization whose operational method is one of Leaderless Resistance[1], a type of cell structured organizing that is designed to be highly difficult to trace and monitor. This structure also makes coordination and cooperation between cells very difficult, minimalizing its ability to plan large operations. The Army of God coordinates communication between groups and those incarcerated for crimes against the government and medical facilities, so called 'Prisoners for Christ'

The group promotes what they call 'defensive action' as an appropriate means of ending what they, and many others view as the murder or killing of the 'unborn'. This style of linguistic language specific to a group or ideology is common among extremist organizations and cults and special attention should be paid to their terminology and its ability to foster in-group understanding.[2][3]

While primarily religious in nature, this Army of God has strong connections with certain political views, such as the Sovereign Citizen movement (itself an offshoot from Christian Identity teachings) and staunch conservatism.

I would stress however, that the views of those expressed in this documentary are not to be taken as indicative of the entire anti-abortion movement, or Christianity in America. While sharing many of the same basic views regarding the morality and legality of abortion in the US, organizations such as Operation Rescue and the National Right to Life do not support violence as a method of achieving their goals.

The makings of a terrorist are complicated, and as you will see in watching this documentary, it is often the case that those who do make that step into violence do so after feelings of ineffectiveness or weakness.[4] Acts of terror are often the result of perceived increased pressure on the group from their external enemy, in this case the United States government, as well as 'Satan', 'secularism', 'paganism' and other enemies of their extreme version of Christianity.

[1]Leaderless Resistance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaderless_resistance

[2]Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill, by Jessica Stern
[5] Ibid.

[3]Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, by Robert Jay Lifton
http://www.rickross.com/reference/brainwashing/brainwashing19.html#Loading%20...

[4] Sovereign Citizen movement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_Citizen

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Terrorism
• Abortion
• Army of God
• Evidence

[scorzi]

Ask that woman who married that whack job from jail if she got pregnant and couldn't emotionally and financially handle another child, would she have an abortion to better the life of her children that are already born? She's probably just have it and sink further into poverty. These same people who sqawk about abortion are the same one who complain when people with children are on welfare.

[quicklern818]

"I gots those billboards of the dead babies up along the road, and a truck full of imonia nitrate." "That's great, praise Jesus."

[Wiiplayah43]

@mrstormchaser1966 Apparently, you don't understand what abortion actually is. Also, the citizens of "Amerika" are fed up with the government's bullshit, if you've ever heard of Anonymous or the Occupy protests.

[PsychoEditor]

Jesus, why doth you allow student who have peace in their heart be sprayed with peppers and allow these who have hate in their heart come and leave just as they are?

[steelstrings87]

So much anti choice ignorance. Please go do some research. An abortion most often removes a collection of cells no bigger than a pinky nail. We aren't talking about children here. We're talking about protecting women's rights. Just go educate yourself about the realities of abortion, adoption, and the foster care system instead of getting self righteous about "OMG THE LITTLE BABIES!" You sound ignorant, misogynistic, and ridiculous.

[CuchulainnGael]

The immense, crushing irony of the abortion provider repeating, several times, that we are "living with murderers... they're still out there," is almost too much. At some point, the insanity of the situation takes its toll, and what then is left, but to laugh?

[lukaszk99]

@mrstormchaser1966 It is not funny my friend! It is extremely sad and is another proof that very few people think on their own, as opposed to vast majority who think what media tell them to think. I am very happy that sb else except me is defending those pro-life heroes! Thank you mrstormchaser1966! Btw. I am an atheist and there is no conflict of interest (AT ALL) in being an atheist and at the same time PRO-LIFE!

[mcgevnm]

I love how painfully uncomfortable that Reverend got at 4:10 when Loki was talking about the nitrate in the truck and how nobody would blame whoever had it if they used it to bomb a clinic. He was like, uhh....have an hor'douvre, there's refreshments...uh....look over there, while I slip away...haha

[tulipsontheorgan]

@flyyyer ...If you talk to God you are psychotic... if he talks back you are (still) psychotic

[augie666]

I call acting.