The rise of the fundamentalist right in America

[Blarg]

By the way, I was choking up reading the rest of your post. It is not easy growing up and living in a culture in which simply being of a different mind, no matter how tolerant, kind, open, accepting and benevolent, is reviled, and America is definitely that kind of place and rushing ardently to be more so. I had a lot of hard times as a kid and have often felt excluded since. Thanks for manifesting the true spirit of a Christian. I wish more Christians would understand the spirit behind the words of a great religion rather than use those words so callously and brutally as weapons and excuses. I have tremendous respect for true Christians, but they are so incredibly hard to find. A real Christian is an athlete of the soul who I would find it very hard not to admire. It would be wonderful and one of my greatest wishes of all to find more people to admire.

[Dominic]

Wook, if all Christians were like you I'd find a lot more to admire about religion.

[diebitter]

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idk if i would consider it to be "on the rise." there are plenty of people who are not members of the fundamentalist right, but would side with them b/c of shared religious beliefs if you drew a line in the sand. many of these people do not harbor the extremism of fundamentalists, but in the end their religion trumps all.

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There's another side to that coin here, Tarheel. I consider myself a devout Christian, but in many regards, I consider the fundamentalist right "Christians" in name only. If you look at much of their politics, much of it is 100% contrary to the actual words of Christ. "Fundamental" tenets such as "love they neighbor," and "love your enemies," have been lost on many people who call themselves fundamentalists. In many, many regards, the fundamentalist right acts like the Biblical Pharisees that Jesus railed on time after time for focusing on their own self-righteousness instead of loving thy neighbor, even if that neighbor sticks his dick in the wrong hole or plays poker or worships differently or even worships another god. Hell, I think even atheists have a better grasp of the story of the Good Samaritan and its implications than the average fundamentalist. The calls to arms of the fundamentalist right are so befuddling that I have to wonder if they've ever actually read the Bible they claim to tout. Why is it that the pinko hippies the fundamentalists would label as heathens are the pacifists and the fundamentalists are the ones leading the battle charge? Why do they completely ignore Jesus' words to "give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's?" Separation of church and state is actually prescribed by Jesus himself, but too many Christians miss or forget this.

One thing to bear in mind is that if every you hear about a Christian drawing a line in the sand, you can be pretty sure he's not acting in a Christ-like manner. When did Jesus ever draw a line in the sand or send away someone who came to him, even if that person was a theif, a prostitute, a heretic (Samaritan), a leper, or any other manner of sinner? Jesus does say that he will bring division into friendships, communities, and even families, but that's him saying that the forces of the world will exile Christians, not that the Christians should be drawing lines in the sand and casting out people who aren't pure enough.

This topic always gets me riled up. I'm always half-tempted to go through every single Bible passage that some politically-minded fundamentalist has construed to have some political implications and then just tear their words to shreds by going through the rest of the book that they call holy and showing how severely they've missed the point.

I'll close with the one idea I hope everyone who reads this takes to heart: the abuses of the fundamentalist right are not a fault of Christianity or of Biblical teachings. Not all Christians think like them, and it would not be the conclusion of any reasonable person who read the Bible, the whole Bible, in context, that the teachings therein would naturally lead to the creation of a group with the political goal of forcing, sometimes violently, their brand of righteousness on a morally wayward world. No. The abuses of the fundamentalist right come from people misunderstanding or misusing the words of the Bible in a manner completely contrary to its most central commandments for their own political or economic gain. Does the context of Christianity make it easier for people with their own gain in mind to abuse the system? There are reasonable arguments for yes, but I would argue that there are countless examples throughout history of people (ab)using secular "us versus them" propaganda that takes advantage of weak-minded people in much the same way that the fundamentalist right does. There will always be demagogues, and there will always be people who fall for them. Christianity is just one system some of today's demagogues are abusing for their own gain. Patriotism are fear-mongering are two secular means for demagogues to rise to power that they're also getting a lot of mileage out of in this day and age. Christianity is not supposed to be a demagoguery, so do not lump all Christians in with those who abuse it.

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I really like this post. While I'm agnostic (it's not that I do or don't believe, I just don't care one way or another - it's enough to try and lead a good life, in my philosophy: trying to fathom the universe's secrets is something that can wait till I've fathomed myself), I am very comfortable with root Christianity, as its most fundamental principles of 'love one another' are in deep accord with my own humanist principles.

Likewise, I never feel happy to accept the blanket assertions that religions are the root of all sorts of world problems, because it blindly sweeps away all the good things
(and I believe there are many) done daily in the name of one God or another. We all know about the bad, but we forget the good.


I loathe deliberate institutionalised ignorance like in those videos though. That's child neglect at best and abuse at worst, in my book.

[Blarg]

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Yes we worry, but their power is currently ebbing.

America is in fact in serious decline as a credible world power, but it has a long way to fall. And at least we don't get ourselves in a tizzy because a couple of CDs got lost in the post. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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We've had the same thing going on with the credit records before, and multiple times with national security information.

[TomE.]

This has been going on for some time, but it was documented better in Alexandra Pelosi's "Friends of God" film. That was scary, it shows the evangelicals telling their children that dinosaurs lived 3000 years ago, that evolution is a lie, etc.

I was raised Catholic, my wife was raised Baptist, and our kids go to Catholic schools. That being said, my kids have a very healthy grasp on what their religion means to them, because we have told them from the beginning to just be a good person because it's the right and human thing to do, not because your soul will be hurled into a fiery void of you don't. The kids in these videos seem to suffer from close-minded parenting. That's the scary part.

[Blarg]

If anything it is underhyped. It's fighting hard every day across the nation to work its way into our school systems. It has already succeeded in making prayers at the beginning of governmental meetings common, if not standard. It is difficult for a candidate to run for office without addressing and even endorsing religion, and religion is a very potent weapon in for those who would call attention to it.

The reason we don't pose it as more of a worry here is because we don't retain a historical memory of our own missteps into red-baiting, commie-hunting, blacklisting, union-busting, and spying on citizens. The American memory is selective, short, and self-flattering, and when it comes to questions of the world, our answer might as well be a simple, "We won." And by that we mean everything. And so, all other matters settled, our focus shifts inwards.

As far as our credibility goes, our might has usually functioned as an adequate substitute and remains one. Credibility is of limited use without power, and power needs it only sparingly. China and Russia may well increase their power dramatically in the coming century, but if they with their very flawed and corrupt systems do so, it will likely have as little to do with credibility as American influence does today. It will be the result of the success of their economic systems first and foremost. In this, America will still prove a potent competitor. But The American Century has come to a close. We are not the uniquely industrialized, unruined country we were after World War II. The power of the dollar is immense but no longer near absolute, and there are other markets and centers of innovation. America's insistence that there are no problems with its class structure because America has no social classes may also become more problematic as Eastern nations and a united Europe gain greater economic and political might, some of which will undoubtedly come at American expense. This, as uncertain times do, may in turn increase America's love affair with religion and hardline politics.

For all their problems, we may find it is Europe and the major nations of the Asian Pacific Rim that come to outpace America in maintaining and even increasing both the civil rights and the general welfare of the broad mass of their citizenry.

[whiskeytown]

as a recovering fundmentalist, I am very concerned about their influence on the military and paramilitary organizations within America - they seem to be ready to take up arms at a moment's notice - kinda disturbing.

RB

[katyseagull]

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as a recovering fundmentalist, I am very concerned about their influence on the military and paramilitary organizations within America - they seem to be ready to take up arms at a moment's notice - kinda disturbing.

RB

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Seriously? where do you see this kind of stuff? I don't see any fundamentalists organizing where I live. Where are these paramilitary organizations?

[4_2_it]

blarg,

Prayers at the beginning of public meetings go back 230 years or so. I have not heard anyone consider the Founding Fathers as the Fundamentalist Right.

DaveT,

I find it curious that when church members get involved in politics that people decry it as a violation of the Separation of Church and State. Separation of Church and State is simply that the government cannot establish a national religion, not that religion cannot be active in politics.

Also, 'Under God' was put in the Pledge during the Eisenhower Administration as an affront to Communism. The founders acknowledged a Creator so I don't have a problem with God being mentioned as long as the government doesn't mandate church attendance or belief in said God.

diebitter,

The Religious Right rose to power in the 1980's during the Regan era. Its tent was much broader back then (Anti-Communist, Anti-tax, Anti-Big Spending Government, Anti-Abortion all rallied together). Today, only the anti-abortionists are the only group that hasn't at least partially left the tent. The RR clearly still has influence and power, but it's power has clearly declined over the past 15 years. Whether it can regroup and remobilize is uncertain. My opinion is that the RR has had their day in the sun, but will not go gently into that good night.

[batair]

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Also, 'Under God' was put in the Pledge during the Eisenhower Administration as an affront to Communism. The founders acknowledged a Creator so I don't have a problem with God being mentioned as long as the government doesn't mandate church attendance or belief in said God.


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Article 19, section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution: Atheists disqualified from holding office or testifying as witness.
No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any court.


I don't think a lot of people no this, but if you are an Atheists you cant run for office Arkansas and a few other states.So in essence the government of those states are mandating church attendance and a belief in a God.

I wonder how people who believe in god would act if the shoe was on the other foot and they were not allowed to run for office in a state unless they denied god.I imagine that it would not go over to well with the fundamentalist.