Dominion Mercenaries in Africa

I was reminded of this today. It's been quite a few years and I had forgotten about these incidents.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/08/bachmann-staffer-arrested-for-terrorism-in-uganda-in-2006/243711/

http://www.startribune.com/politics/200976111.html

A confusing mess to be sure, but it's interesting how these worlds overlap. American politics, business and Africa, not as strange of a brew as it might sound.

Museveni for the most part is appreciated by the United States and certainly those in the Christian Right. But there are always exceptions. I'm not sure about some of the reporting here, but there are always subsets, groups within groups who are scheming. It's not always clear who is telling the truth and what everyone is up to.

Generally speaking, Museveni would be quite happy if the LRA's Kony was taken out. It doesn't really follow that this same character (Waldron) would be opposing Museveni, but again, there may be more to the story. He might be quite literally a loose cannon or he might be working for someone else. The Eastern Congo region is a mess of refugees and dreams of revenge.

But what is clear is that Dominionism is quickly growing in Africa. It can manifest itself in the Reformed-influenced Evangelical movements or in its more flamboyant Charismatic formulation. Bachmann may profess she's not familiar with it, but the fact that she admitted Francis Schaeffer was one of her primary inspirations was telling.

The label has gained a negative connotation, and rightly so. No matter how they attempt to package it, Dominionism's blatant agenda is the conquest of the world. And though Christian leaders and authors claim they've never heard of it, they are certainly espousing its ideas.

It seems to be either a case of gross ignorance, deception or as one theologian has suggested, it's just simply the mainstream position. It's become orthodoxy and so when a special label is attached signifying a 'movement'... they don't know what you mean. To them, it's just historic Christianity. There's something to that, but that doesn't answer all the questions nor does that validate the theology. A lot of mainstream movements and ideas in history are opposed to Biblical teaching.

If Dominionism is not compatible with the New Testament then we must call it what it is, a heresy and one with blood on its hands.

After the Cold War, the United States abandoned Mobutu, Savimbi and others that had been critical to the African strategy. The Cold War paradigm, the supposed battle of ideas was now over. The new era was one of globalization which was just another way of packaging American power through international capitalism.

A new generation of African leaders was embraced, men like Museveni, Kagame and the new regimes in Ethiopia and Kenya. The Rwandan Civil War and the Congo Wars have devastated the region and made it into a Wild West of guerillas, corporations, smugglers and criminals.

The Second Congo War began when the newly liberated leaders of Congo feared Uganda and Rwanda were scheming and perhaps preparing to annex some or all of Congo and its treasure trove of resources. The Great War of Africa led to millions of deaths and is by no means resolved.

And in the middle of it all are Christian ideologues who are part of the game and working all the angles. Sometimes business interests can trump all other considerations. Those that are most blind can convince themselves that their business interests are for the greater good of their Kingdom work. I say blind, because they may be sincere and yet not see what it is they're doing. I know this from personal experience within my own family.