An adaptation of that Christian thriller …ARMAGEDDON.

For decades the Uncovery Institute and Responses In Genesis have been working to get Intelligent Design into the mainstream of science and into a myriad of other disciplines. Their efforts to force it, ID, into schools, is well known. Responses In Genesis, more bent on Creationism than Intelligent Design, still supports the efforts of the notorious Axe project, bank rolled by the Uncovery Institute.

What the public didn’t know was, this entire show was a camouflage for a much more sinister endeavor. Behind the scenes, using lies, subterfuge, and lots of money, fundamentalist cohorts were working tirelessly pursuing public offices and school board positions. While some fell by the wayside, being incompetent, or having been discovered for what they were, many kept their private beliefs to themselves and achieved their goals.

Finally, spending millions of dollars of parishioners’ money, funneled through fronts far and wide, one of their own, fundamentalist through and through, is on the brink of becoming the leader of the most powerful nation on earth. All they have to do is count a few more ballots which, mysteriously, appeared at one precinct in several large bags. Many of these absentee ballots were found which gave ‘absentee’ a whole new meaning as the casting members had been absent from this planet for quite some time. Others, though, could not be dismissed despite the fact they displayed many discrepancies. People wanted to know who was president, not weeks from now, but more immediately. Debate about this or that ballot would have to be brief. The Republican Party, now property of the far right, demanded that the process be accelerated. As fishy as all this turmoil was, the process was concluded and the new president, no surprise to anyone, was Albert Dumbski.

The nation, biding its time until the new leader took office, immediately went down the road to a full scale economic depression.

January finally arrived. President Dumbski went right to work after the Inauguration. Calling in the Vice President, one Michelle Bahee, the President laid out the plan.

“This is an historic occasion Michelle.” the President speaks, flashing pearly white teeth

“I prefer Miss Bahee, Mr. President.” she asserts.

Assuming a less jovial expression, he continues, “As I was saying, this is indeed a historic occasion. We have both the House and Senate, as well as the Oval Office in our pockets.”

They sit silently dwelling on this a few moments. Then Dumbski resumes, “There’s no limit to what we can do.”

By the end of March the nation undergoes radical changes. Legislation comes swiftly on matters great and small. It is as if the House and Senate exist solely as a rubber stamp for every piece of legislation emitted from the White House. The nation reels at the sheer volume of new laws and at the sheer volume of laws being overturned.

One-tenth of all tax dollars are designated as support for religious institutions. These institutions must meet detailed requirements before designated as recipients. Noticeably, only a few, having been made aware of the requirements in advance, meet them. Then the application deadline expires. Eerily, only certain churches, all toeing the ID line, make the cut.

In July, school being out for the summer, the nation receives a shock as all funds for public schools are eliminated. A new fund is developed for the purpose of providing vouchers to allow private schooling for all students. Only certain private schools, of course, will meet the stringent measures and qualify as voucher schools. School buildings are sold at cut rate prices to many churches, clubs, and even one to a  well-to-do man of the cloth. Universities, unless they follow the mandates to teach only Christian values, are given notice to close their doors. 

July also marks the beginning of a new government endeavor to develop the nation’s youth. At a special ceremony on the White House lawn, under the watchful eye of security, the Christian Soldier’s Youth League is announced. Young boys and girls age twelve to eighteen are invited to become members of an elite group for the purposes of preparing them for a life in service to the Lord. Comparisons to the Hitler Youth are ignored.

Just as in late March, the outcry of Church and State violation is raised. Many of various faiths and no faith rise up in protest. Then, the hammer comes down.

With full support of everyone down the line, the Constitution is signed out of existence by President Dumbski.

People begin rioting in the streets. Dumbski orders Marshall Law into effect. The streets turn red.

In October, with the public subdued, Dumbski goes about instilling the remainder of his agenda. He orders all non-believers’ children to be registered at local Christian schools for mandatory indoctrination. If the parents resist they are ordered to be shot and their children become wards of the state.

Publishers of books, magazine and other media are ordered to offer only Christian viewpoints on all topics. Freedom of the Press was rescinded when the Constitution went out. The word evolution and anything that might hint at it is made taboo.

Legislation continues as orders for non-believing adults to have chips implanted to identify them, are put in place. They will not be permitted near any children unless they are their own and have given their permission for them to be indoctrinated. Certain jobs are classified as impermissible for non-believers. Whereas the minimum wage went out with the Constitution, a maximum wage, at subsistence level, is put in place for those who do not accept the prevailing views of the government.

The United States becomes known world-wide as a Theocracy. Science is abandoned. The technological giant becomes an intellectual vacuum.

In December, a Christmas party is held for the President at the White House. Arriving back from a trip to the Middle East to assure Israel of the financial and military backing of America, the president exits his limousine. Then it happens: A gunshot, from the roof, some later assert, strikes the President in the temple. Everyone assumes the worse as the limp body is taken at high speed to Walter Reed Hospital.

Miss Bahee assumes control of the White House in the President’s absence. The public and the White House assume that Dumbski is dead, having been struck in the temple. While the public celebrates having been freed from a horrible tyrant, the White House re-enforces the President’s order of Marshal Law, which has been in place since late March.

At Walter Reed the doctors find the bullet lodged at the base of Dumbski’s brain. Afraid to do more damage, and convinced any effort would be to no avail, they leave the bullet intact. The President lapses in and out of consciousness, then fades into a coma.

With Miss Bahee still at the helm, the country enters the New Year. The President has regained consciousness and awaits release from the hospital. The doctor recommends light duty for at least the first three weeks. Dumbski whispers to his security aide an order. The doctor is taken out to be shot. No one tells President Dumbski what he can and cannot do.

Mid-January, Dumbski returns to the White House. It is apparent from his demeanor that he is an angry man with an agenda. Orders go out dissolving the House and Senate as they are useless anyway. Members of the military not pledging adherence to the beliefs held by the State, in reality Dumbski’s beliefs, are released from duty and ordered confined to a holding yard. There, the next morning, their bodies are found, scattered about the holding area.

The remaining military is ordered to round up all non-believers. Using the build-in locators of the implanted chips, the job is an efficient one. Land fills are created at various points around the country to hold the resultant bodies. At this point, the population of the country, now known as Dumskibahee, has declined by 40 percent that of the former United States. Over 160 million lie dead.

February finds foreign governments aligning themselves against the theocracy known as Dumskibahee. The horrors of Demski’s actions have found their way to the foreign press despite attempts to quash it. Dumbski converses with Miss Bahee relaying his suspicions that opposition must still exist within the military population for leaks of this type to have occurred.

“What do you suggest we do about that, Mr. President?” the VP asks.

“Have someone spread rumors of sedition within the ranks. Ask for reports of anti-government activity having been overheard. Offer a substantial reward.” he snarls, “We must crush all opposition to my, I mean, God’s will.”

Miss Bahee hurries to the task. Infighting soon begins within the ranks with many exclaiming their loyalty and reporting those who seem slow to join in.

In the first week of March, as Dumbski sits at the desk within the Oval office. The intercom on his desk comes to life and the voice of his secretary reports that a general of the Army has come to him with an urgent message. Upon receiving permission for admission the officer enters the Oval office.

“Yes General, what do you have for me?” Dumbski inquires.

“Mr. President, every foreign country on every continent with the exception of Iran and Israel has aligned itself against us. They have collectively issued an order for us to desist in killing people and have threatened overwhelming force if we do not comply. Only France has not joined the threat of force ruling.”

“Well, we did expect opposition to our establishment of a nation ruled by God’s Law, did we not?”

“Yes sir, however, presently our military is diminished by 60 percent due to the ousting of non-loyalists within the ranks. We do not have sufficient troops or people to operate the weapons of war to wage a major conflict.”

The General soon finds himself in front of a firing squad, both for his negative attitude and his non-acknowledgement of God’s backing for the Dumbskibahee government.

Dumbski refuses to acknowledge the authority of these allied foreign governments, in fact, he does not even respond to their ultimatums. Dumbski orders that reinforcements be sent to the borders. The Christian Soldier’s Youth League is ordered into service. Children, male and female as young as 12,  are hurried into training for the use of military weaponry and strategy. The deadline for compliance with the ordered ultimatums expires.

The next morning Dumbski sits talking with Miss Bahee, “You see, Michelle, these foreign devils are full of talk, but when it comes to action, they’ve got nothing.” the President begins.

“Miss Bahee, please, I believe I have earned that little bit of respect, Mr. President.” she responds.

“Indeed you have Miss Bahee, I apologize. Together we have developed the strongest voice for Christianity ever conceived. Together we have moved this nation back to God, thereby saving it from destruction.”

A bright flash occurs, the power goes out, the walls of the White house crumble as one of the largest nuclear devices ever devised levels everything within several miles of the vicinity. Armageddon has arrived, but just not in the way expected.