What About Our Sacred Democracy?

So, what is the truth about sacred violence today, in the United States? Author Chris Hedges presents a horror-like scenario in his book American Fascist describing apocalyptic violence aimed at cleansing the population of non-believers (or inadequate believers) of Christianity. I don’t want to become yet another victim to and devotee of fear. I don’t want to have my suspicions and anger consume me. I don’t want to become like those we are supposed to fear and look behind every speech and sermon, organization and a stranger's expression of Christ’s calling as a threat to my practice, my family, my life.
Yet, it might be my disbelief in the potential evil in humanity that will leave me regretting my inaction today. As I read about the youth movement BattleCry (I also reluctantly checked out their site and was saddened to find the “seductive language of violence” Hedges describes) I began wondering why it is I try to share a text with people who can turn the Bible into a weapon of war and oppression. What is the balance between keeping vigilant watch of our human rights and sacredness - with a trace of requisite anxiety for self-preservation - and maintaining a secure belief in our country’s system of checks and balances, Bill of Rights and supposed culture of tolerance (however forced it may be)?
In a recent editorial in USA Today (I am sure to the great dismay of millions of fundamentalist readers), the author revealed the greatest non-secret in the history of our Republic: the United States Constitution does not in any way explicitly or implicitly establish a Christian nation. God, nor Christianity is mentioned, not once. In fact, the very first Amendment secures our rights to worship (or not) unhindered, unbounded, unfettered! We all know the founders were Christian but they did not write their faith in words (though perhaps in spirit) into this brilliant document.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Amen!

Are there really individuals and movements who truly believe this nation is singularly devoted to the preservation and spread of Christianity? This is where scrutiny, curiosity and contradiction are essential in a democracy. If there is one thing I am grateful for about attending law school it is that I was taught to think critically. If we as a people fail to question and unconsciously (or very consciously) adopt dogma spewed by this reverend or that politician then we will find ourselves without a democracy.
Traits of some of the nefarious movements Hedges discusses are the absence and restriction of critical analysis, introspection has ceased and disagreement (as Umberto Eco states in his essay Eternal Fascism) is viewed as treason. So they become nothing but gangs, inviting isolated souls to join them on their crusades. We all want membership to something, to belong. We all have passion for something, it just depends for what. This is what gives meaning to life. Of course the “battle against darkness” is one of the most appealing. In the extreme fundamentalist movements, the battle against darkness appears to also be a battle against our sacred democracy.
We cannot fear. We cannot run. We must begin each day with ideas on how to grow the churches and synagogues and mosques that teach love and tolerance. We must expose the language and agenda of those orchestrating the rumblings of apocalyptic victory. Most importantly, we can't do as they do and turn the language of God's love on its head and make the Bible a book about hate and death.