The religious conservatives do not value actual human life; they are consistent followers of the Christian ideal that human life is properly lived in sacrifice to a supernatural being, and that suffering is proof of virtue. The worship of suffering is fundamental to Christianity, a religion whose central figure is glorified for dying a horrific death for the sins of mankind. Several years ago, a prominent religious conservative said of the Schiavo case, "Terry Schiavo . . . is suffering in obedience to God's will." He added: "Isn't suffering in pursuit of God's will the exact center of religious life?"
This is the culture of death--of living death.
Human life is sacred--not because of supernatural declaration, but because of the unique nature and glorious potential of the individual, rational human life: to think, to create, to love, to experience pleasure, to achieve happiness here on earth. A genuine culture of life would leave individuals free to pursue their own happiness--free from coercive injunctions to sacrifice themselves to religious dogma. Such a culture is what we must seek to create, as we do everything possible to fight religious conservatives' culture of living death.
The Religious Right's Culture of Living Death
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After a week that thrust gun control and abortion rights to the forefront on the Hill, Democrats are beginning to address both on multiple legislative tracks while liberal advocacy groups work to redefine the two often-incendiary issues.
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Rather than tie the issue to gun control, Keenan connected abortion rights to stem cell research, the Patriot Act and the GOP’s Terri Schiavo intervention — examples in which she thinks Republicans “overstepped” and alienated the majority of voters.
“If you read the decision, it not only tolerates government interference, it applauds it,” said Jackie Payne, director of government relations for Planned Parenthood.
Similarly, gun control advocates have challenged lawmakers to take the partisan sting out of gun-rights measures and interpret the Virginia Tech violence as a call to action.
Dems ponder bills on guns and abortion
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