Watch on the right: Pat Robertson's contract on America.

The distinguished Russian philosopher and theologian Nicholas Berdyaev, in one of his books, Slavery and Freedom, wrote: "All the theocratic states have been totalitarian." Speaking even of secular totalitarian states from Plato on, including the communist states, he wrote: "The totalitarian state itself wishes to be a church, to organize the souls of men, to exercise dominion over souls, over conscience and thought, and to leave no room for freedom of spirit...."

It is therefore not surprising that Ralph Reed, Pat Robertson's choice as executive director of the Christian Coalition, should have announced in May 1990 a theocratic goal for America: "What Christians have got to do is take back this country. I honestly believe that in my lifetime we will see a country once again governed by Christians and Christian values."

It should also be no surprise that Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition, aided by James Dobson, president of Focus on the Family, is now demanding a litmus test for all Republican presidential candidates. According to the May 15, 1995, issue of Time magazine, Ralph Reed "warned that a presidential candidate who did not oppose abortions would not be acceptable to conservative Christians." To under, score this point, James Dobson wrote to Republican National Committee chair Haley Barbour: "Remember, 43 percent of your voters last November came from evangelical Christians.... Losing only 5 percent of them could prove fatal in 1996."

These ultimatums come from a totalitarian mindset. Time reported:

Some of its officials insist that solely the [Christian] Coalition knows the way, the truth and the right. During a training session in Oklahoma City this spring, Fred Sellars, the state chairman, said, "Only we can restore this nation. Only the people here today and people like us can turn this around .... only Christian believers doing the work ... in the thick of battle."

Their battle plan, which is called a "Contract with the American Family," was unveiled May 17. It was announced by Ralph Reed, who tried to seem moderate when he emphasized that "these are the ten suggestions, not the Ten Commandments." The New York Times said, "But despite his gentle tone in describing his 'Contract with the American Family,' Mr. Reed's news conference was an important demonstration of how religious conservatives have moved from the sidelines to become hardball players at the center of political power."

Although the Christian Coalition's 10-point social agenda parallels the Republican agenda at some points - such as "the closing of the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the Legal Services Corporation" - the specifically religious demands are clearly major steps in the direction of theocracy. The first and most important of these is what Reed calls "a religious equality amendment" which, if adopted, would change the United States from a secular to a religious nation. It would also nullify the First Amendment's establishment clause. A preliminary but widely circulated version is this:

In order to secure the unalienable right of the people to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience:

Section 1. Neither the United States nor any state shall abridge the freedom of any person or group, including students in public schools, to engage in prayer or other religious expressions in circumstances in which expression of a nonreligious character would be permitted; nor deny benefits to or otherwise discriminate against any person or group on account of the religious character of their speech, ideas, motivations, or identity.

Section 2. Nothing in the Constitution shall be construed to forbid the United States or any state to give public or ceremonial acknowledgement to the religious heritage, beliefs, or traditions of its people.

Section 3. The exercise, by the people, of any freedoms under the First Amendment or under this amendment shall not constitute an establishment of religion.

Another major step toward the theocratic state is the coalition's demand that parents determine the choice of schools, the U.S. Department of Education be closed, and federal funding of education be transfered to families and local schools. This would require funding by the government of home schooling and religious schools as well as public schools, even when dominated by the "Christian" agenda. Home schooling, like many religious schools, keeps children from mingling with others of different religions or none, and from being exposed to ideas such as evolution that threaten certain religious dogmas and books or literature that contain "forbidden" ideas.

The attacks on public broadcasting and the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, which are important contributions to adult knowledge and education, fit into the pattern of attacks on public education for children.

One of the coalition's 10 points vaguely advocates government support of private charities, but those are not spelled out. However, the Reverend Louis Sheldon, head of another right-wing religious component, the Traditional Values Coalition, is working to get Congress to remove or change federal tax laws which limit church action in influencing legislation.

Still another coalition point would restrict or ban pornography on the Internet and cable television. Pornography is not defined, but such restrictions are the beginnings of state censorship of other matters offensive to the religious right.

James Dobson, who interviewed House Speaker Newt Gingrich, has received assurances that Congress would soon address the coalition's concerns. "He did say that, by the end of the second 100 days, we'd be more pleased with the outcome in respect to family values than we have been in the past," Dobson said.

Gingrich is already committed to the radical religious right. In October 1985, he was the keynote speaker at a politically important conference in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Reverend Tim LaHaye's American Coalition for Traditional Values. The conference theme was "How to Win an Election," and the event was held under the banner of "Serve the Lord by Running for Public Office."

Gingrich prescribed the strategy of going after homosexuals by using reference to AIDS. He said: "AIDS is a real crisis. It is worth paying attention to, to study. It is something you ought to be looking at." He added, "AIDS will do more to direct America back to the cost of violating traditional values and to make America aware of the dangers of certain behaviors than anything we've seen." He concluded, "For us, it's a great rallying cry."

Not only is Gingrich a part of the religious right (and able to move its agenda in the Congress), he is next in line for the presidency after the president and vice-president.

Moreover, the only Republican candidate for president who opposes the Christian Coalition is Senator Arlen Specter. He makes this case:

There is a continuum from Pat Buchanan's "holy war" to Pat Robertson saying there's no separation of church and state, to Ralph Reed saying pro-choice candidates can't be on the Republican ticket, to Randall Terry saying "let a wave of hatred wash over you," to the guy at Robertson's law school who says murdering an abortion doctor is justifiable homicide, to the guys who are pulling the triggers.

Ralph Reed attacked Specter by accusing him of attacking "people of faith," as if differing with a political organization that uses the word Christian is the same as attacking Christians.

Those who know the history of the gradualism and sometimes moderate statements of the early efforts by Hitler and the Nazis to take control of Germany can find no comfort in the occasional moderate statements of the Christian rightists in the United States. The Christian Coalition never emphasizes any of the aspects of peace, servant-hood, avoidance of the temptations to power, love of enemies, mercy, and non-violence that are part of the New Testament.

They are a tough bunch with no tolerance for diversity or dissent. The only way they can be defeated is by coalitions organized locally that will prepare for every election and educate the public well before each election.

John Swomley is an emeritus professor of social ethics at St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri. He is also president of Americans for Religious Liberty and serves on the national board of the American Civil Liberties Union.