Our society is supported by three underscoring pillars: science, politics and religion. Of the three, the latter is the most sensitive and usually the most controversial.
Though these pillars all overlap and feed into one another, they are separate entities and must be respected as such. Thusly, having a political system based on religious beliefs exclusively would lead to an unhealthy government, just like a political system based exclusively on science would lead to corrupt policies (think: eugenics).
Religion is a very necessary human creation (or, rather, spirituality is). Religious beliefs have existed since humanity became self-aware thousands of years ago, and will never cease to exist until humanity comes to its inevitable end in the (hopefully) far-off future.
All religions are founded for the betterment of humankind, and a large majority of their followers are good, loving and sincere people who, though possibly differing in specific beliefs, share the same overarching morals as anyone else.
Most people understand the barriers that separate religion from science and politics and most people understand why they are there: to protect the sanctity of their structures. All people are persuaded to a certain opinion via these three fundamental factors (as well as nurtured histories), but most people enjoy the fact that these three share approximately the same power; there aren't many who want to see the totalitarian dominance of one of these equally imperative ideals over the others.
But enter the subculture of the Religious Right's Evangelical Christians, or more specifically: the enrolled students at Patrick Henry College.
Patrick Henry College (PHC) is located in Virginia; just a stone's throw away from Washington D.C. It was founded by Michael Farris and is a private college set at becoming the next ivy league institution.
One vast difference sets PHC apart from most other colleges: it exclusively accepts home schooled Evangelical Christians.
75% of all home-schooled children in America are Evangelical Christians. "Evangelical" by definition means "one who's life revolves around their beliefs," and for Evangelical Christians, this means that their lives revolve around The Bible.
The reason that most Evangelical Christians are home schooled is to remove them from the science-based schooling systems America puts forth for our youth. Ideals like Evolution contradict The Bible, and any contradiction, any flaw, can (they feel, at least) unravel the very threads of their beliefs.
So, therefore, Evangelical parents choose to teach their children themselves, the way they imagine God wants them to.
And to some, the fact that America is becoming less Christian (some pro-gay rights, abortion's legalization, banning creationism in classrooms, etc) scares and angers them into unnecessary extremism.
One of these people peeved by America's current political business is Michael Farris, the president and founder of Patrick Henry College. He is also the man who founded the Home School Legal Defense Association, an organization developed in 1983 to defend the rights of parents to guide the education of their children.
This association, like PHC, was founded heavily upon Christian values, primarily to allow the teachings of biblical ideals rather than scientific evidence. Parents do not have to adhere to the laws that govern public schools and can create their own course regulations as they see fit.
And with these courses comes a new underground market of Christian textbooks that "scientifically" argue creationism over evolution, the "historical" evidence for the massive flood and many more biblical ideas that are contradicted by modern scientific understandings.
These children are forced into an education system based thoroughly on biblical teachings, removed from the norm and thrust into a life of censorship and control. Many of these kids are taught that God's true idea of a society is based exclusively on the Christian holy book and that any other form not adhering to the Bible is hell bound. This is heavily evident in the documentary Jesus Camp (where Harry Potter is deemed a warlock worthy of crucifixion):
Thus, many of these children's destinies direct them to Patrick Henry College to further expand their political activity.
With only 500 acceptances a year, PHC, founded specifically for home schooled Christians, has very strict guidelines for who exactly they allow in.
Students must prove themselves to be not only completely engaged in Christianity, but also in the political realm of the American ethos. Prior to acceptance, many students travel to Washington DC, competing in minor tasks of protests sought to convert the votes of many politicians or citizens to the ways of God.
Once accepted they must sign a "Statement of Faith" that indoctrinates them into fully accepting the Bible as fact. Some of the terms this establishes are "Satan exists as a personal, malevolent being who acts as tempter and accuser, for whom Hell, the place of eternal punishment, was prepared, where all who die outside of Christ shall be confined in conscious torment for eternity," and must agree to a life of abstinence (until marriage) and refusal to drink, smoke, etc.
Teachers sign their own statement, forging an educational doctrine that follows a Statement of Biblical Worldview: "Any biology, Bible, or other courses at PHC dealing with creation will teach creation from the understanding of Scripture that God's creative work, as described in Genesis 1:1-31, was completed in six twenty-four hour days."
Teachers explain that all creatures were created at once (or within a few days of each other) and that fossils exist due to the flood. Basically, that dinosaurs coexisted with humans until the flood where they were all killed and quickly fossilized by the heavy water flow.
The main focal point of the college is political training. It is so important, in fact, that the debate classes, a mandatory course, is overlooked by Michael Farris himself, with strict guidelines and tactics.
After the students graduate, they are persuaded to intern at Washington DC, serving God for our decision-making politicians. This is all well documented in the incredible book "Kingdom Coming" by Michelle Goldberg, as well as the BBC short documentary "God's Next Army:"
Note that these students are not "evil" or "wrong." They all think, being taught it since birth, that they are spreading the word of God to the world and that they are in the right. By keeping them closed out from the world for a majority of their lives, these kids know no better. They think that molding America into a Christian republic is the right thing to do. The people in the wrong are the teachers who have fully witnessed the true world yet still demand the dedication of these naive humans.
10% of all interns at the White House are from PHC. 10% might not seem like too much, but take into consideration that this number is larger than any other school provides. So therefore, more interns come from PHC than any other college in the world.
This subculture has been dubbed "Generation Joshua" by the higher-ups. This group's offices are held on the PHC campus, recruiting over 6000 members thus far.
Generation Joshua (or for short, GenJ), has a significant metaphorical meaning. Joshua was one of the spies who, as directed by Moses (actually he was Moses' apprentice), would explore Canaan, the Bible's promise land. He was the leader of the first battle after the exodus in which the Israelites were victorious. Shortly after this meaningful win, he was appointed by Moses to succeed him as leader of his holy people and the conquest of the promise land.
Michael Farris, among others, see the current generation as a major steppingstone in the reformation of America into God's holy land. In their eyes, they are helping create God's official army:
But, I ask this humbly, does God truly need an army? Is this the healthy and right course of action as these people believe and are taught? Should religion really so strongly collaborate itself into the political infrastructure? Should science really be taken with a grain of salt if it contradicts Biblical stories?
When Isaac Newton, staring up at the sky pondering its intricate laws, witnessed an apple fall to the ground, he made a revolutionary breakthrough that was red flagged by nearly all religious associates.
It wasn't the concept of gravity holding us down; everyone knew that there was some force (be it God's hands pressing against the earth or some other type of energy) that held us to our planet. It was the idea that the same force that permanently bonded us to the ground also governed the movement of the sun, stars, moons and planets in space.
In one theory, Isaac Newton successfully connected the heavens and the earth. This went against the words of God and was not accepted until years later.
And we all know about the Salem Witch Trials, where dozens of people differentiating themselves from the status quo beliefs were brutally murdered. Many weren't even "witches" at all, but the overwhelming fear of a threatening new system that was not the norm sentenced them to a premature death. All because of the religious political standards.
When religion is integrated with science and politics, you obtain scientific ignorance and political bigotry.
This is why religion, though equally necessary, should be left in the realm of spirituality. Nothing good comes from associating it with the other pillars that construct our society.
God doesn't need an army, he doesn't "need" anything. Humanity needs God. And we must understand that God's ideals are the same as ours: the humane treatment of our beings, beliefs and foundations. There is no conquest God demands. Only morality.
I will leave you with a video from Thunderf00t, an infamous youtube user who debunks creationists, just for a humorous watch:
