Thank you, Dr. Pretzer, for responding.

I tried to phrase my concerns in general terms throughout the discussion, and received very valuable input. I do still feel the need to hear specific ideas for dealing with some aspects I will elaborate on now, with your permission.

Before I proceed, allow me to point out that I am working with an individual who is extremely intelligent and honest (also about himself), who has been actively involved (for decades) in a process of 'making sense out of life and its greater issues'. While doing this, he is trying to reconcile three forces: a deep faith (which he acknowledges as a deep, personal need that derives from his early life experiences), a pursuit of hard logic (he is not content with faith alone, but wishes to support it with reason), and a merciless honesty. The conflicts that such a combination can create, should be obvious to anyone who has ever tried to cope with issues of this nature. To him, if the premises of his faith are untrue, life is not worth living (i.e. if there is no God; if there is no ultimate Good and ultimate Love; if all we have is this world and its evils - namely force and violence - he may as well give it up). So the faith is what he hangs on to for dear life and its meaning, and a source of strength. This he acknowledges. Yet it must reconcile with a reasoned system of thought and logic, scrutinized very honestly. He built up a very sophisticated system that tries to accomplish this.

I am having an easier time working within his belief system regarding Christian faith, then I am regarding his perceptions of current affairs - a major source of anxiety for him at the moment. Here are his views:

1) The events of 9/11 were orchestrated by an administration who seeks to frighten Americans into relinquishing democracy, basic human rights and the Constitution itself, in favour of strict centralized control, which is progressively becoming fascist in nature. I am presented with endless historical examples of similar processes, and a barrage of current events supporting this view.
2)Conspiracy theories are, at best, very hard to debunk, but in this case there are distinguished scholars such as Dr. James Fetzer (a professor of Philosophy and Logic), Dr. Steven Jones (Physicist), and other respectable individuals who present compelling arguments. The "Truth for 911" and "Scholres for Truth" movements cannot be brushed off easily by political amateurs such as myself.
2)Another event similar, yet bigger than 911 is definitely approaching.
The current administration is feeling weakened and threatened by the awakening of the public, and will need to use more fear to coerce Americans into accepting their policies. The nuking of a city is a probable event (not possible, but probable), and this will result in a dramatic further decrease of democracy.
3)The fear these thoughts are generating is immense. It manifests in sleeplessness, endless and obsessive information searches, and physical symptoms of anxiety. Cost-benefit approaches are not working well.
4)There is a personal significance:
He will be personally persecuted for his political views, and 'they' will try to silence him by threatening him or his family with harm. Again, abundant historical examples are used. He does express his views publically in writing and art (including his own website, and activities in his community), and when he does, they do not sound like conspiracy theories (he knows better than that) but like well reasoned political and philosophical treatises. I cannot debunk any of his fears or the anxiety symptoms associated.
5)This ties in with the faith:
A day will come when he will have to make a choice between his life and the lives of his loved ones, and between his soul. He will have to choose between submitting to 'them' or seeing 'them' hurt his loved ones. Having a firm belief in eternal life and the need to preserve the soul above all else, he truly believes his choice MUST be to sacrifice his loved ones. This is a test of his faith, because if he is a true believer, he should TRUST that God will look after him and his loved ones, and should NOT put the concerns of this life above the concerns of the eternal one. He feels he SHOULD sacrifice himself and his loved ones, or else his faith is not strong enough.
6)This is a scenario he is terribly afraid of. He accepts himself as a human who may 'fail' such a test and therefore will require grace, but this he perceives as utter failure and a faith that is not strong enough - an even bigger failure.
7)God's love is the only true love (it manifests in the sacrifice of Christ), and we are ordered to be as Gods and to emulate that in our own sacrifices of life and family when we are called upon. This is the ultimate test for us, and he fears it but very much wants to pass it.

Any ideas?

Please remember that this is not the kind of person who responds to the basic approaches of CBT (he's pretty much thought of everything himself...). We've already agreed we need to work within his belief system, though his fears of authority, violence, coercion etc. are derived from extreme childhood abuse (as is his idea of perfect love - an ideal non-existent on earth). We also agreed not to descend vertically to deal with schemas that he doesn't want CBT to touch.

This has put to the test my philosophy schooling, my political understanding (not very extensive anyway), and my professional tools. Your input will be most appreciated.

Janet.