The single most significant factor behind the assault on the logical solution to a majority of the nation’s problems as I see it is the fundamentalist religion’s dangerous grip on our political process. Their goal, which some of them plainly state, is to make our nation conform to their religious views. While they hide their methods and tactics as much as possibly, they’ve been working hard toward that goal for a very long time. (Go to http://www.au.org , in the search box type “behind closed doors”. Then select “Americans United Oct. 2004 Church and State”). By a long term process of individual effort and promotion of their people to positions of influence throughout government, science, news media, education and business they seem to be getting very close to achieving the control they’re after. They have and are using several very effective methods. They get their people elected to public office on platforms that usually leaves out the extent of their true intended political goals and they supply money and, votes where they can, for that purpose. They attempt to intimidate anyone that does not share their views including a less that enthusiastic condemnation of people like abortion clinic bombers and other people who don’t respect other’s rights as long as it serves their purpose. They take the position that, if you’re not with them on their views, you are against God. This makes it very difficult to stand up to them, especially for very religious people, and it marginalizes less fanatic religions. I wonder about the impact of this in the last election. They have an extensive network of organizations with warm fuzzy names that tend to hide their true purpose while supporting their cause. They align with any group that they can use to further their goals. These demagogues use any tool they can to brainwash young people and they play fast and loose with the truth. They appeal to people through emotions rather than facts, statistics or logic. Their whole life pretty much centers around their perception that this is their God’s will and their way to eternal life. They are on a crusade and are determined. They consider our nation’s laws second to what they view as God’s law and are determined to break down the wall between church and state.
If there is a force with little or no counteracting force, something is going to move and what is moving is the respect other’s points of view and rights. If you’ve lived where I’ve lived in the conservative religious geographical environment, you know you had better not be an atheist or non-believer if these people gain power. In the town I grew up in, a black man had better not be in town after dark. Religion allows people to do bad things and still feel like they’re a good person as long as they believe.
So I believe we need to;
1. FIND A WAY TO DISCREDIT AND SEPARATE FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGION FROM THE REST OF RELIGION.
2. FIND A WAY TO PREVENT THESE RADICAL VIEWS FROM PASSING FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.
3. FIND A WAY TO LESSEN THE IMPACT OF THE PRESENT ASSAULT.
I have some thoughts on this, but I think this is an area that we should all be thinking about and discussing. Perhaps a lot of people don’t see this as important as I feel it is. Or maybe they buy into the fundamentalist’s contention that they may be seen as against God if they do express their views. At any rate, I think we need to be getting into the game before it’s too late.
Sincerely -CAPT_AHAB