Here is a scary little piece which shows again just what we should be concened about: the growing unholy marriage between extremist religion and politics. Just like the Islamist extremists who believe the Quran is to be literally translated (and we’ve seen how incorrect they are) we have the new Mega churches interpreting the Bible literally to disastrous results. World War Three anyone when the twains shall meet?
Here’s a slice:
The fastest-growing faith group in America, evangelical Christians have had a growing impact on the nation’s political landscape, in part because adherents believe conservative Christian values should have a place in politics — and they support politicians who agree with them. In that March survey, more than 82 percent of the Ohio evangelicals who attend church at least once a week said they approve of bringing more religion into politics.
Sexton believes every word in the Bible, rejects evolution theory, and supports the Iraq war, the Republican Party and Bush — in part because he is a born-again Christian. “I trust his opinion because of his beliefs,” she said. Signs of growth are everywhere at Fairfield Christian. The facilities will soon encompass 325,000 square feet — about twice the size of an average Wal-Mart superstore.
So where in the Bible does it say that Republicans have any beat whatsoever on politics? What did Jesus say about political parties? Yeah, keep searching Mr. Sexton.
Bush is Christian in name only. He’s a NeoCon in Christian clothing. All his countless acts to make the rich wealthier and increase the amount of US citizens (and their children) living at or below the poverty level are very important clues for these totally clueless people, and don’t get me started about Bush’s bait-and-switch Saddam for Osama war dance that these idiots fell for hook line and sinker. It’s also apropos that they are building these complexes in the tradition of Wal-Marts because just like Wal-Marts do, these Mega churches will leave Main Street USA in ruins.
Yeah, saw this news story the other day and it gave me the willies. It seems like American life grows more and more religious as the rest of the developed world gets more secular. Small wonder the US seems so out of step with the rest of the world.
These evangelicals are everything that real progressives oppose. The evangelical movement has really bought into Republican Jesus, so not only are they hopelessly Neanderthal on social issues, they don’t even support decent economic policy.
For the most part, I’m happy to let people believe what they want no matter how crazy I think it is, but enough is enough. These dumbasses are ruining America and they are trying spread their moronic neo-medieval worldview. Sorry Mr. Obama, but I have no time for these people. They believe every word of a book they have probably never read and is full of hundreds of internal contradictions. They prefer the wisdom of Iron Age primitives to the word of modern scientists. Muslim, Christian and Jewish fundamentalists are the biggest threat to modernity and we need to stop this shit ASAP.
Another alarm bell for me is the fact that religious consvatives get untold amounts of news time to be profiled and spout their rhetoric. Where are the religious scholars pointing out the gross innacuracies between what they purport to believe as Christians and their actions and the actions of their favored candidates.
It’s all media biased toward fundies and not toward the facts. Bush does not equal religious, his faith is a cover for some incredibly unseemly acts.
And not only that, but to actually criticize the beliefs of these people makes you some sort of intolerant bigot. Jerry Faldwell can blame gays for 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina and Bush can make policy decisions based on what God told him, but we are told we have to respect their faith. Basically, in modern America you can say anything outlandish and as long as you couch it in religious terms, you can essentially get a free pass.
I don’t want to sound like I hate all religion or religious people. I can respect people that can realize their various holy books are just stories made up to prove moral lessons. I can respect wanting the feeling of community you can find in church. I can’t respect the beliefs of fundamentalists though, any more than I respect facists or racists.
Great diary!!! My neighbors appear to be sane… yet this weekend they had a garage sale… they can’t take it with them and the money will go to their church… to prepare for … THE RAPTURE.
They have a rapture bumpersticker on their pearl-colored BMW. They think I’m “Silly” for worrying about such things as THE AIR, THE WATER or even CHILDREN and their lives/future.
Jesus, you see, is their personal janitor. He’ll come down and take care of the mess they left.
I’m sick of the religious right wing.
Bush hasn’t looked happier has he? The world is melthing and war is spreading, we’re talking WW3 and nuclear missiles… and the bastard is gloating.
Fundamental extremists suck ass.
When you believe in things
You don’t understand
Then you suffer
Superstition ain’t the way
— Little Steveland Morris
oh geez, that is frightening!
it’s like their own little denial mechanism. i’m sure 50 years now on their death beds they will keep thinking it’s ‘any minute now’. they are no less nutzy than those who thought the comet Kahoutek was going to bring about the end of the world.
One bit of hope in all of this is that the corner of North America that used to be the most fervently religious (Quebec) is now one of the most secular, and it happened in a generation or so. Give the kids of the fundies time to get out on their own and see the world and see how many will keep swilling the Kool-Aid. Especially if they start having to deal with an economy and society in tatters due to the policies of their parents. It’s going to be like the transition from the fifties to the sixties, but on steroids.
Will they all rebel? No, they didn’t in the ’60’s either.
But when the fallout from Bush’s economic, diplomatic, military, and other policies hits home this entire worldview is going to be so discredited that conservatives will be running for the “libertarian” label the way liberals have been for “progressive.”
All hubris creates its own nemesis. Just give it some time. The current poll numbers and the drop in listenership for right-wing talk radio are just the beginnings of a tide on the turn.
(At least it better be – or Mrs. K.P. is gonna be in a whole heap of trouble for talking me out of moving us to Canada, LOL!)