Lightbearer Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 It's a no-brainer that modern day Christianity has alot of influence over the politics of America. I was wondering what the board members, primarily the Christians, thoughts and feelings were on this. Alot of people view Christianity as a tamed beast of sorts. I share that view, but lately I think the best is beginning to rattle it's cage a little too much and if were not careful, we will let it out to devour us all. What I mean by this are the Christians who openly seek to undermine the seperation of Church and State, who bomb abortionist clinics, who claim prayer is being taken out of school, who are obessed with the "Under God" being said in the pledge, whos Sunday sermons ride on the waves of cultural contraversy and not on any kind of positive message... The list goes on, but it's obvious that it will become a big problem. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 It all depends on the nature of the Xians in office. Some are lax or liberal in their belief and practice, others are more traditional and rigid. The latter group usually wants to legislate their religion and force the government to promote their beliefs, as if their personal faith somehow needs governmental support. Many others who identify as Xians evidently don't seem to care much, because their belief and practice is more liberalized. They know better. But as for people who want to legislate their religion or otherwise use the government to promote their belief when their belief flies in the face of truth, they have no business in politics. Politics should be about keeping a nation safe and running smoothly, not about dictating beliefs and ideas from the capital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotBlinded Posted February 8, 2007 Share Posted February 8, 2007 It's a no-brainer that modern day Christianity has alot of influence over the politics of America. I was wondering what the board members, primarily the Christians, thoughts and feelings were on this. Alot of people view Christianity as a tamed beast of sorts. I share that view, but lately I think the best is beginning to rattle it's cage a little too much and if were not careful, we will let it out to devour us all. What I mean by this are the Christians who openly seek to undermine the seperation of Church and State, who bomb abortionist clinics, who claim prayer is being taken out of school, who are obessed with the "Under God" being said in the pledge, whos Sunday sermons ride on the waves of cultural contraversy and not on any kind of positive message... The list goes on, but it's obvious that it will become a big problem. Thoughts? There's always an explosion before the fire burns out...or something like that. Antlerman can describe this better than I can, but it's like a last ditch effort to rise up against the changing tide. Damn...I can talk without metaphors. Sorry, lack of sleep last night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piprus Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 It's a no-brainer that modern day Christianity has alot of influence over the politics of America. I was wondering what the board members, primarily the Christians, thoughts and feelings were on this. Alot of people view Christianity as a tamed beast of sorts. I share that view, but lately I think the best is beginning to rattle it's cage a little too much and if were not careful, we will let it out to devour us all. What I mean by this are the Christians who openly seek to undermine the seperation of Church and State, who bomb abortionist clinics, who claim prayer is being taken out of school, who are obessed with the "Under God" being said in the pledge, whos Sunday sermons ride on the waves of cultural contraversy and not on any kind of positive message... The list goes on, but it's obvious that it will become a big problem. Thoughts? You hit on the very reasons why I have become more outspoken recently LB. There is a faction of fundie xians who somehow have taken on the responsibility of remaking the US into a "christian" country, on the mistaken belief that it was founded to be such. It was not. It was designed to be a secular nation. The fundies, however, envision that a perceived "decay" of American culture is due to an abandonment of "christian" governmental principles, and so they seek to "restore" that vision to gain the blessing and support of their god. They want a reactionary type "Leave It to Beaver" world that can never be. There is even a "reconstructionist" sub-faction that actually wants to model America on the laws of the OT, including summary executions for such things as adultery, homosexuality, or juvenile delinquency. They think that all our social problems of the present can be traced to something so simple as the withdrawal of compulsory bible reading and prayer from public schools, the sexual revolution, liberalism, or whatever. Such fanatics believe they have a mandate from heaven to wreak havoc on the US. The rule of law to them is irrelevant because they believe they are enforcing a higher law. Theirs. Which they believe came to them via an imaginary god. They envision an imaginary "beast" supposedly eminating from the works of an imaginary devil. In reality, the beast is they, themselves. And we who have sense must fight them. The alternative is an America not unlike a taliban Afghanistan, a demolished third world country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eponymic Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 They envision an imaginary "beast" supposedly eminating from the works of an imaginary devil. In reality, the beast is they, themselves. And we who have sense must fight them. The alternative is an America not unlike a taliban Afghanistan, a demolished third world country. Damn skippy! That about as clear as you can put it. The more they push, the more they enact the "beast" to become real. I think that's been becoming clearer & clearer over the last 10 years, and you can even see the evolution of it since world war 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 The list goes on, but it's obvious that it will become a big problem. Thoughts? You won't like the Constitution Party. They make regular Conservatives look like Liberals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xild Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Right now I'm reading American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America, by Chris Hedges. He was just on Air America and Colbert Report promoting it. It's pretty interesting; the guy is a minister of some type and was raised in fundamentalism, and he's been on the inside of things like Evangelism Explosion, which is a training program for Christians. It's a lot more organized now, than it was when I was in the church, but they were talking openly about it in our church even then, about how they would legislate morality, no questions asked, one day. I am concerned. I think the atheist movement, if what I am seeing is, in fact, a movement, or maybe it's just a reaction--is necessary. YouTube is an excellent venue for getting ideas out, so is this forum, but I think we do need to organize politically, in response to their well organized movement. Hedges wants to pass a law that says that they can't own the airwaves, nobody can. Anyone spouting hate speech, or certain types of intolerance, must give equal air time to an opposing viewpoint. I can't help but agree. I think they are dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trancelation Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Christians in politics is a double-edged sword for me. On the one hand, I doubt that Christians truly have the balls necessary to enforce a modern fascist regime in the US. They talk a lot of heat, but when it comes time to swing the sword, their wrists get weak. On the other hand, there ARE Christians that would be capable of hiding behind the guns of others while their rule is enforced. So it's a matter of who is actually enforcing their twisted rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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