What is Christian Identity and how has it helped to provide the basis for violence among the extremists?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• An American extremist religion proclaiming white supremacy.
• Adherents believe that white Protestants of western European origin are the true descendants of the ancient Israelites.
• Believers contend that Jews were spawned by Satan and that nonwhites evolved from animals.
• According to this belief, white men and women are the only people created in the image of God.
• Christian Identity theology is based on a story of conflict and hate.
• According to this theology, Jews have gained control of the United States by conspiring to create the Federal Reserve System.
• The struggle between whites and Jews will continue until whites ultimately achieve victory with God's help.
• At that point, the purpose of creation will be fulfilled. Such theological perversions are necessary when converting a religion of love into a doctrine of hate.
• Barkun points out that Christian Identity helped to provide the basis for violence among the extremists.
• Before the Christian Identity movement, American extremism was characterized by ethnocentrism and localized violence.
• Christian Identity gave a new twist to the extremist movement: it was used to demonize Jews.
• Christian Identity provided a theological base for stating that white people originated with God and Jews came from the devil. Such eschatological presumptions are deadly.