http://www.onlinejournal.com/Theocracy_Alert/060305Fisher/060305fisher.html
Theocracy Alert
The obsession of the religious right
By William Fisher
Try Googling:
"James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Religious Right."
Then click "search within results" for "Bush Administration, Human
Rights, Civil Rights, Freedom of the Press, Independent Judiciary,
Guantanamo Bay, Intelligence Reform, Prisoner Abuse, Poverty
Reduction, Religious Tolerance, US Aid."
You may be surprised by the results.
Out of millions of documents, you will find virtually none that refer
to Guantanamo Bay, Prisoner Abuse, Poverty Reduction, Religious
Tolerance, or Intelligence Reform.
On the other hand, you will find hundreds that refer to Bush
Administration, Human Rights, Civil Rights, Freedom of the Press, and
Independent Judiciary.
But these are almost exclusively devoted to the relationship of these
issues to one over-arching subject:
SEX.
Thus, the "human and civil rights" citations are about the evils of
abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, teen pregnancy,
contraception, and kindred issues.
"Freedom of the Press" is reduced to attacking the 'left-wing bias' of
journalists who disagree with the religious right—and lionizing those
who agree.
The "independent judiciary" category is monopolized by Roe v. Wade,
Terri Schiavo and other end-of-life issues, opposition to 'activist'
judges who 'legislate from the bench,' Darwin vs. Creationism, and
embryonic stem cell research, support for Bill Frist and Tom DeLay,
and acclaim for President Bush's court nominees.
US AID is dominated by scathing criticisms of the family planning, HIV
prevention, and sex education programs America funds in poor
countries.
And under "Bush Administration," you will find unquestioning
enthusiasm not only for the president's positions on these issues but,
implicitly and explicitly, for virtually every position and action Mr.
Bush has ever taken.
So the issues most trumpeted by the so-called religious right are
about how we got here, how we reproduce ourselves, how we should die,
the kinds of intimate relationships we should and shouldn't have, who
should judge the appropriateness of those relationships--and how our
Constitution should be protecting us against the 'devil' in our midst.
In other words, by an obsession with reproduction.
SEX!
How the religious right got from Calvin to "The Crucible" to Condoms
and Terri Schiavo requires a long journey through history.
For theological scholars--indeed, for all of us--it is a fascinating
and illuminating journey.
But we'll have to save that for another time.
For now, the more relevant questions are:
Is this what faith is about?
And, if not, where are those people of faith who express alternative
views?
And why aren't we hearing their voices?
Well, you may not have noticed, but we are.
These voices are not as deafening or as undoubting or as strident as
Pat Robertson's or Jerry Falwell's or James Dobson's.
But they're out there.
And they're struggling to be heard over the cacophony of the
politically-savvy, exquisitely-organized, Bible-quoting machine of the
extreme right wing of the God Squad.
There are many moderate voices among 'people of faith.'
Perhaps best known is Rev. Jim Wallis, an evangelical Protestant who
edits "Soujourners" magazine and is the best-selling author of "God's
Politics."
Wallis says, "I've witnessed a new movement of moderate and
progressive religious voices challenging the monologue of the
Religious Right. An extremely narrow and aggressively partisan
expression of right-wing Republican religion has controlled the debate
on faith and politics in the public square for years. But that is no
longer true . . . The monologue of the Religious Right is finally
over, and a new dialogue has begun!"
There are, he says, "visible signs that the Religious Right does not
speak for all Christians, even all evangelical Christians. What I
hear, from one end of this country to the other, is how tired we are
of ideological religion and how hungry we are for prophetic faith."
Wallis is conservative theologically, yet believes his faith mandates
support for progressive policies.
"The Bible is full of poor people," he said.
"Biblical politics has the poor at the center."
Wallis is not alone; many religious groups and conservative Christians
oppose the Religious Right--both in politics and in their church
hierarchies.
For example:
The Interfaith Alliance "is a non-partisan, clergy-led organization
dedicated to promoting the positive, healing role of faith in civic
life and challenging intolerance and extremism."
The Rev. Albert Pennybacker, a Lexington, Ky.-based pastor, is head of
the Clergy Leadership Network, a cross-denominational group of liberal
and moderate religious leaders seeking to counter the influence of the
religious right and to mobilize voters to change leadership in
Washington.
Pennypacker says he is "tired of the conventional wisdom that equates
religiosity with conservatism."
He says the religious right "often squeezes out the left in public
debate."
Sojourners for Peace and Justice is an evangelical progressive
Christian commentary on faith, politics, and culture.
Episcopal Bishop John Chane said at a recent Sojourners Call to
Renewal chapel service:
"We've gone from a war on poverty to a war on the poor."
The Evangelical Environmental Network is a coalition of Christian
groups promoting environmental protection.
A website by a former Catholic priest turned Methodist minister,
"Liberals Like Christ," demonstrates a religious/political alternative
to the Religious Right. http://www.liberalslikechrist.org/index.htm
These are but a few of the so-called "freestyle evangelicals" who are
averse to the right wing's intolerance and lack of charity.
Their concerns extend beyond the conservative morality issues of
abortion and gay marriage to a broad range of issues--from social
justice for the poor to America's role in the world.
They are beginning to attract sizable audiences.
And for at least some politicians, their message is beginning to
resonate.
For example, Governor Bob Riley of Alabama proposed a tax increase to
help the poor, calling this action his Biblical duty.
On CBS News, Gov. Riley said, "we're supposed to love God, love each
other, and help take care of our poor."
And former US Ambassador to the United Nations John C. Danforth, a
former US senator and an Episcopal priest, says he does not fault
religious conservatives for political action on high-profile issues
like the Terri Schiavo case, but that the Republican Party has gone so
far in adopting a sectarian agenda that it has become the political
extension of a religious movement.
He warns that, aside from obvious First Amendment issues, the work of
government and political leaders is to hold together as one people in
a very diverse nation in which religion can be uniting influence but
is more often highly divisive.
Karl Rove notwithstanding, 'people of faith' like Jim Wallis and John
Danforth may well be triggering a backlash against right-wing
Christianity.
---
http://www.ElmerFudd.US/ http://www.notserver.com/
Scientology crooks: http://sf.irk.ru/www/ot3/otiii-gif.html
http://PerkinsTragedy.org http://www.rightard.org/
End Republican race hatred: http://www.thedarkwind.org/
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