THE CRAZIES I: THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION MOVEMENT
(The Crazies, Paul McCollough and G. A. Romero, 1973)
(The “title” for this e-article and for the future e-articles on this website, the “Crazies”, was taken from
the 1973, American, science fiction, horror film about the effects of the “accidental” release of a military,
biological weapon “upon the inhabitants of a small town.” Because of this viral “catastrophe”, the
people of the town become infected: they die, and they are reborn as “flesh eating beings.” Thus, an
eschatological (“End of Days”) process is initiated by the “accident.”
This “title” is viewed as a metaphor for political and religious, “extreme believers” who wish and/or who
attempt to impose their radical, political/social “views” upon the many: that is, their subjective realities
are totally devoid of objective “grounding” in the real world of the living.
The author has postulated a theory of “extreme believers” elsewhere [Relationship theory, 2008]. In
essence, the theory states that “extreme believers” are both similar and paradoxical in their nature. That
is, they become increasingly, psychologically similar as they approach the “opposite” extremes [as
viewed from the perspective of a “normal curve”] of conventional, belief systems.
Therefore, the “Crazies” are at four [4] standard deviations [SDs] above or below a theoretical mean.
This “standard” of measurement would represent one [1] percent of a sample [.05% at either extreme of
the normal curve] which could be extrapolated to a given “population.”
Utilizing the above conceptual model as a means of understanding extremism, such poorly defined labels
as left/right, liberal/conservative, libertine/non-libertine, freethinkers/non-freethinkers, and
fundamentalists/non-fundamentalists can be made more meaningful.)
The “Crazies” are literally, and they are quantitatively emotionally disturbed individuals [hiding their
“pychopathogy” in their “extreme” distortions of standard, belief systems].
The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a movement, within Protestant Christianity, principally
associated with the Pentecostal and the Charismatic churches. The movement is ultraconservative. It is
anti-rational. It is an anti-intellectual. It is evangelical. And, it is truly a vehicle for the “Crazies.”
The NAR’s central, religious thesis is that the Christian God is restoring “the lost offices of the church
governance”: of “prophet”, of “apostle”, of “evangelist”, of “pastor”, and of “teacher” to the secular
world. This thesis has been designated as the “five-fold ministry.”
(In religious belief, a “prophet” [from the Greek word for “foreteller”] is a person who is believed “to
have been contacted” by the “supernatural” and/or “divine.” The “prophet” serves as an intermediary
with humanity and the gods and/or the God of a particular, religious, belief system.
An “apostle” is one who is “chosen” and/or who is a “follower” of Jesus Christ [within the Christian
belief system].
Parenthetically, there were “Twelve” Apostles: Peter, Andrew, James, the Greater, James, the Lesser,
John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot. [After Judas’
suicide, Matthias became one of the “Twelve.”]
It should be noted that there were many gospels [A gospel is an account, oral or written, of the life of
Jesus of Nazareth] which were written in antiquity. Only four gospels came to be accepted as part of the
“New Testament” (or “canonical” gospels): that is, the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
John.
In the “canonical” works, there are “minor” variations in the naming of the “official”, twelve apostles.
An “evangelist” practices “evangelism”: that is, the process of relaying information about a particular
set of beliefs to “others” that do not hold these beliefs. Christian groups who activity “encourage” this
type of practice are sometimes referred to as “evangelistic.”
Finally, a “pastor” is an “ordained” leader of a Christian congregation. The traditional, divinely, ordained
offices of “bishops, priests, and deacons” are de-emphasized by the NAR: an ordained ministry means
“a subscription to the apostolic teaching.” The notion of a literal “apostolic succession” is viewed as
“extra-biblical.”
It should not be surprising that the “office” of “teacher” is not formally defined within the NAR.)
One way of conceptualizing Christianity is to separate it into three parts: Catholicism, Orthodox, and
Protestantism.
(Christianity is a monotheistic religion based upon the life and the teachings of Jesus Christ as presented
in the “canonical” gospels and in “other New Testament writings.” More precisely, it is one of the three
religions of Abraham [along with Judaism and Islam]: whereby, Christianity and Islam have originated
from Judaism.)
For the purposes of this work, Protestantism will be discussed briefly. But, remember that
Protestantism and Orthodoxy evolved from medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices: that is,
they are a reaction to the original Catholicism of ancient Roman.
The doctrines of the multitudinous, Protestant “sects” range from the moderate to the extreme (and to
the contradictory).
Still, most protestant churches would include the “justification” by grace through faith, alone (Sola Fide,
the “priesthood of all believers”); the “Bible” as the ultimate authority in matters of faith and order
(Sola Scriptura, “by scripture alone”); the “individualistic” interpretation of the holy “scriptures”; the
singularity of the “chosen”; the “belief in Christ” as the only requirement for salivation (Christian); and,
the union of “church and state” in the secular or temporal world.
The “Protestant Reformation” or the European Christian “reform” movement (1517-1648) was initiated
by a number of different “reformers” due to religious, economic, and political issues. Some notable
“reformers” were Martin Luther (Reformation in Germany and in Scandinavia), John Calvin (Reformation
in France), Huldrych Zwingli (Reformation in Switzerland), Thomas Cranmer (Reformation in England),
and John Knox (Reformation in Scotland).
Pentecostalism is a type of Protestantism which places a “special” emphasis upon the “direct” personal
experience of God through the baptism in the “Holy Spirit”; which has an “eschatological focus” (the
study of the last days of human history); and which is an experiential, religious event (“contact” or
“union” with the divine). The term, Pentecost, is taken from the Greek word meaning “the Fiftieth
[day].” Pentecost is the name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks.
Charismatic Christianity is a type of Protestantism which maintains that modern-day believers
experience “miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues and other spiritual gifts” as described in the Bible.
The term, “charismatic”, originates from the Greek word meaning “gift.”
The “Charismatics” or “renewalists” believe that “the manifestations of the Holy Spirit”, as “seen” in the
1st Century, Christian Church, are “available to” contemporary Christians. These “renewalists” sometime
include Pentecostals (as well as some “other” churches) in their number.
The “renewalists” estimates of their actual, church membership may be “overstated.”
The NAR has taken the beliefs of its component Christianities, the Pentecostal and the Charismatic, to a
“new” extreme, especially in the area of “biblical literalism.” In addition, NAR emphasizes the
“performance” of miracles, prophecy (The process by which divine messages are communicated to a
“prophet” who, in turn, communicates them to “others.” Usually, the communication is reciprocal in
nature: the “divine source” with the “prophet” and the “prophet” with the “divine source.”), and the
“direct” revelation of Christ to each believer.
(Charles Peter Wagner [1930-present] is “credited” with the founding of the NAR. His concept of
“spiritual warfare” includes a wide range of “methods” for combating “Satanic demons.” Some of his
“sanctioned”, Christian methods would include torture, burning, drowning, stoning, boiling, strangling,
impaling, shooting, and “prayer.”
Wagner believes in the premise of “engaging the enemy.” He believes that Satan and his cohorts are in
the real world. He believes that Satan’s “territorial spirit-demons” may be identified by name: that true
Christians must be “in constant warfare” with them, especially in their representation as “Catholic”
saints. Their “statues” must be burned because “Catholic” representations bring honor “to the spirits of
darkness.”
Charles Peter Wagner, the inventor of NAR, is one of the “Crazies.”
Wagner is a political supporter of Rick “the Veto” Perry of Texas [See e-article “4” on this website.]. He
sponsored and attended the “Response” on August 6, 2011.)
In summary, the NAR’s understanding of the “New Testament” is absent: that is, Christ’s teachings are
a “departure” from the “Old Testament”, not a simple extension of it. Compassion rather non-
compassion, loving rather than non-loving, forgiving rather than unforgiving, and inclusion rather than
exclusion are the salient points of His universal teachings.
The NAR is attempting to “hijack” the Christian, belief system with its “brand” of hatred, intolerance,
cruelty, and irrationality towards “others” which is a direct contradiction of “mainstream” Christianity
[which, in general, emphasizes the tolerance of other, religious, belief systems].
The NAR movement is a movement of the “Crazies.” It is a movement of extreme Christians who are the
real “spirit-demons” of this world and the next.
And, the “Christian hell” was made for the adherents of the NAR.
Post Script:
One of the “true believers”, an extreme, fundamentalist “Christian” by the name of Andres Behring
Breivik (1979-present), a self-proclaimed “Knights Templar”, decided to carry out “God’s will.” This 32year-Norwegian “set off a massive car bomb” on a busy, Friday afternoon (on July 22, 2011) in Oslo’s
(Norway) political district murdering eight people. Breivik, after this deadly bombing, drove to the island
of Utoya (in the county of Buskerud, Norway) to murder some more: 69, additional victims, mostly
teenagers, were shot to death by this “Spirit Warrior.”
Breivik is a member of the “Progress Party” of Norway which was created in 1973. This “neo-Nazi” party
hates all immigrants, especially the ones that believe in the religion of Islam.
Breivik supports the radical notions of cultural conservatism (“preservation” of the Norwegian culture),
right-wing populism (rejection of “social equality” and the governmental programs designed to achieve
it), ultra-nationalism, Islamophobia, Zionism, and Serbian paramilitarism (the use of genocide against
Norwegian “ethnicities” in order to achieve Ratkco “the scenes from hell” Mladic’s idea of a purified
race). Lastly, he supports the “violent annihilation” of “Eurabia” (the preventing of the Muslim
population in Europe from becoming a “majority”) and of “multiculturalism” in order to preserve a
purer, “Christian Europe.”
Andres Behring Breivik, a “spirit-demon”, is one of the “Crazies.”
Breivik does not know the history of War World II, especially that part which concerns itself with the
over 60 million people who perished in order to protect the world from purifying “spirit-demons.”
The Norwegian “Progress Party” would make the War World II (1939-1945) Nazi supporter and Prime
Minister, Vidkun Quisling, very, very proud. His answer to “extreme” injustice was to “co-operate” while
other Norwegian citizens “fought the human slaughter” of the Nazi Party (1920-1945) of Germany.
To hell with the “oligarchs” and their “familiars” (the “Crazies” [like Wagner and like Breivik] who justify
their “evil” actions by their “distortions” of existing, religious and political, belief systems),
Fromoneofthemany