Soldiers of God: White Supremacists and Their Holy War for America

by Myra Barnes, John R. Craig

Written with the cooperation of such groups as the Aryan Brotherhood and the Ku Klux Klan, a disturbing report on the activities, organization, and beliefs of America's white supremacists exposes their threat to the nation's stability. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.

Genres: Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Myra Barnes is a teacher who holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in English literature, language and linguistics. She lives in Baytown, TX.

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 2 out of 5]

A CANDID PORTRAYAL OF THE VIEWS OF THESE GROUPS

The authors wrote in the Introduction to this 1998 book, “[This book] is a journey into the world of the radical and racial right … To enter the world of the white supremacist is to enter a world of stringent and relentless racial divisions, a world of conspiracy and subterfuge, and world of timeless and elemental struggles on both natural and supernatural planes… In the volatile climate of heated political and social debate, we find active groups of self-identified Christian patriots who are far to the right of most conservative revolutionaries, individuals who do not shrink from violence and are connected in an elusive ‘leaderless resistance’ against what many on the far right consider an illegal and even satanic federal government… We interviewed members of these organizations, read their literature, reviewed hours of videotapes of lectures and lessons, attended rallies and gatherings and otherwise immersed ourselves in their work…”

KKK leader Charles Lee states, “I believe whites are superior to non-whites but that does not mean that I hate anyone. The real difference is that white Christians are the descendants of Adam and we were never meant to mix our seed with the other races of the world.” (Pg. 1) He explains, “‘Judeo-Christianity’ is the strange religion. My religion is simply old-time religion, straight from the Scriptures, straight from God.” (Pg. 36)

The authors explain, “The ‘Seedling’ branch of Christian Identity is a vigorous system of beliefs, Scripturally based, literally interpreted, active in application. ‘Seed’ and ‘line’ are understood to denote race and lineage, the seed of Adam pitted against the seed of Satan in a war that Identity Christians fight every day… While it is not accurate to say that Covenant Identity Christians are thinkers and Seedline Identity Christians are doers, the media would do well to learn the difference.” (Pg. 75)

The authors point out, “Within hours of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, media reports speculated that Moslem fundamentalists were behind the event… At the same time, there was a negative reaction by both the media and the public at large when Radio Baghdad referred to the bombing as ‘an act of domestic terrorism.’ The idea that the blast was caused by an American bomb---built, planted, and detonated by ‘average’ American citizens---seemed too much for fellow citizens to swallow.” (Pg. 117)

Charles Lee says of the cross-burning of the KKK, “It’s not a cross-burning, it’s a cross-LIGHTING. … The cross does burn, of course, but that’s not the point. It’s not some kind of Satanic thing or a desecration, but a Christian ritual that originated in the Scottish highlands. It represents the light of Jesus Christ in the world, the advancement of the Christian faith.” (Pg. 160)

The authors observe that “there are many among the movements who deplore talk show appearances and generally shun the limelight altogether… Others… who have been consistently hoodwinked by supposedly ‘objective’ reporters, moderators, commentators and such, simply have no trust left to give and avoid the media altogether.” (Pg. 166)

Of skinheads, the authors point out, “None of the skins we met made allusions to poverty, abuse or any type of deprived childhood in their own lives. Mark, raised Catholic, describes his parents as somewhat liberal. Chad attended a private school. J-2 describes his childhood as normal. As far as they are concerned, their racialist beliefs are not grounded in childhood trauma or adolescent alienation but in awareness.” (Pg. 208)

Charles Lee states, “If you are a Christian---a real Christian---then there is no separation of church and state… Religion IS politics, and politics IS religion. That’s what the government wants: that Christians not step outside the church door and see what’s really going on. Keep doctrines confined to religion, not politics. That way they get the people THEY want in control.” (Pg. 217)

Charles Lee also acknowledges, “‘If I had it all to do over again… I probably would not go public. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t regret joining the Klan and I certainly don’t regret standing up for what I believe in. But it’s been pretty tough at times. Sometimes I don’t remember what it’s like to not have someone breathing down my neck and watching my every move… I do not advocate lawlessness… I do not encourage people to threaten, kill, bomb, or any of the other things I’ve been accused of… It’s too high-profile. It’s absolutely suicidal for any racialist who’s been identified by the government to consider, much less act upon an impulse like that.’ Lee contends… that the downfall of many white Christian patriots has come about because those individuals do or say something to attract attention to themselves. Gordon Kahl, for instance, made the mistake of … appearing on television urging taxpayers to stop paying taxes and resign from the government.” (Pg. 249-250)

The authors point out about the Waco standoff, “Koresh and the majority of the Branch Davidians died in the fire that ensued… Apparently the FBI did learn something from the encounter. Three years later in … 1996 when the Freemen stand-off… was beginning to look like another potential Waco disaster… the FBI listened to a religion expert while applying basic law enforcement techniques. The result… was a peaceful surrender.” (Pg. 263)

They argue, “During the course of our research, we spoke with a number of non-Identity Christians, several ministers, many laymen, and a professor of comparative theology. None of them knew about Christian Identity, the ‘Seedline Doctrine,’ Covenant theology, or British Israelism. Most of them were as ignorant of the movement as the authors themselves were prior to studying what Identity Christians believe… we were surprised to discover that not only is the concept of White Israel NOT new, but evidence of the belief can be found in plays of Shakespeare… sixteenth-century history books… in the early twentieth-century Pentecostal movement… Why were the authors not taught about this concept in our churches as we were growing up?... why haven’t Americans been more informed by Identity Christians themselves about their beliefs?... Where is the theological debate on this issue? Why are the pulpits silent?” (Pg. 271)

[Just for the record, ‘British Israelism’ was often discussed/critiqued in the 19th and early 20th centuries by traditional Christian theologians---see Robert Roberts, ‘Anglo-Israelism Refuted’; Samuel Hinds Wilkinson: ‘British-Israelism Examined’; Anton Darms: ‘The Delusion of British-Israelism’---but as the movement died down, so did the discussion. Nowadays, it is most often covered in “anti-cult” books, such as Walter Martin’s “The Kingdom of the Cults,” in connection with Herbert Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God.]

The authors portray the views of these diverse groups in a reasonably “objective” manner, and refrain from commenting (or in any way critiquing) their views.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as emotionally compelling as some books on the subject, because the authors' flatly objective tone makes it hard to connect with the material-- and makes me angry because it smacks at times of apathy. But what strikes the reader is the subtle overlap between radical racism and the more palatable social conservatism so prevalent in America: so much of this material could have been lifted from Rush Limbaugh or Pat Buchanan. If one thing is to be gleaned, it is that evil is far more commonplace than people realize.