Posted on 10/26/2005 6:29:55 PM PDT by jern
Communism is more a secular religion, so the comparison with atheism isn't fair.
Everything that can be found in communism is found in extreme religions -- the poor are the best, there is a coming apocalypse, prophets, sacred texts, sectarian infighting, hatred of prosperity, persecution complexes, meekness is better than strength and excellence, omnipresent infidels (capitalists, fascists, imperialists, take you pick) that must be wiped out, etc. etc.
Thanks for the clarification as to what you mean by hard-core religious right.
But of course, with the possible exception of #1 (and that's on a very limited scale), none of those things have anything to do in any significant way with their political agenda.
The problem for those holding Danforth's view is that on the very big cultural/social issues that dominate coverage and discussion, the views of conservative Christians are actually quite mainstream, and often make up the majority view. That's why you can't list issues that really irk the Danforth mindset, like opposition to gay marriage, because you know that gay marriage/civil unions have been rejected by overwhelming majorities every time it has gone to a vote of the people (56% in Oregon is the smallest majority yet garnered in support of traditional marriage, it even got 61% in California). Conservative Christians, or the religious right if you prefer, may indeed spearhead these movements, but they do not have the numbers to account for these overwhelming votes.
Basically it all boils down to the Sup Court. Since we live under judicial supremacy, what the religious right really wants are judges who will not side with the Left in the Culture War and impose what can't be won through the proper democratic channels. And if we ever achive a majority of Scalia-like judges, then all the contentious issues that the religious right cares about -- marriage, abortion, Establishment Clause -- would simply then be returned to the states and/or people where they properly belong in the first place. Then only in the places where the values of conservative Christians are mainstream would they in any way be implemented as public policy. All the liberal areas would be safe from Falwell and Robertson because there would be little or no public support for their views.
Again, contrast that with what the Left (and apparently those of Danforth's persuasion) want, which is an intolerant, genuinely divisive national imposition of their values by as few as five people. If the Left were content to have its cultural values reign supreme in the few areas where it is actually mainstream, and if they didn't run to the Courts to impose them nationwide, then there would be no culture war as we presently know it.
This is a joke,isn't it!
Not really- they meant to spell it "pubic."
Amen.
and screw Danforth.
he blew Waco.
schlub
Good post, especially this line.
Isn't Danforth a reverend of a Gay church - episcopal ?
He is worried about church attendees abandoning his chucrh to more traditional ones that believe in Christian values.
I am not sure why anyone should take this ranting of a RINO seriously or give it the attention it deserves.
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