By Mike Appleton, Weekend Contributor
“All governments are theocracies. We now live in a secular humanist theocracy. I want to change that to a government with God at its head.”
-Gary DeMar (quoted in John Sugg, “A Nation Under God,” Mother Jones (December, 2005)
When I started first grade in 1951, each school day began with the Pledge of Allegiance. We recited “one nation, indivisible,” because people understood that fidelity to one’s country is not a religious virtue. The National Prayer Breakfast was not on anyone’s calendar because it didn’t exist. Politicians felt no compulsion to invoke God’s blessings on the United States at the conclusion of every speech. Protestants opposed every effort to secure public funding of Catholic parochial schools in order to preserve the “wall of separation” between church and state. The corner grocer didn’t care whether a customer was gay or had been born again. Textbooks were not reviewed by religious committees for conformity with the King James Version. No serious person had yet suggested that insentient, artificial commercial entities could magically channel the religious beliefs of their shareholders. And no one complained that a war was being waged against religion.
But following some of the events at this year’s Values Voter Summit, I have become nostalgic for 1951.
The Summit is the premiere annual political event for conservative Christian evangelicals, and making an appearance has become almost a required pilgrimage for Republican presidential candidates who desire the support of the religious right base of the party. Those in attendance this year heard many of the usual rants against same-sex marriage, abortion and the contraception mandate in the Affordable Care Act. However, those concerns did not top the priority list. Instead, a 39% plurality of those polled at the conference believe that the most important issue facing the country today is religious liberty.
So how is this possible? The past 30 years have seen an explosion in government support of religion. Millions of dollars in public funds are provided to a variety of so-called “faith-based” programs. Taxpayers support charter schools with decidedly sectarian curricula all across the country. A number of states provide tax credits to enable parents to send their children to religious schools. Religious institutions and, after Hobby Lobby, for-profit businesses as well, have been granted exemptions from compliance with portions of the ACA. This is in addition to the exemptions from anti-discrimination legislation which religious institutions already enjoy in their hiring and firing practices. Religious groups distribute bibles in public schools and operate after-school programs on school property to proselytize grammar school children. The Town of Greece decision now permits governments to schedule ceremonial prayer in accordance with local majoritarian religious preferences. Most rational people would agree that freedom of religion and religious expression are hardly at risk.
The comments of several of the event speakers may furnish us a clue. Kelly Shackelford of the Liberty Institute repeated the false story of the child disciplined for saying grace before eating her lunch. Michele Bachmann reminded the audience that the battle against Islamic terrorism is “spiritual warfare.” Gary Bauer accused President Obama of protecting Muslims while ignoring the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. Jason and David Benham, whose proposed television program on HGTV was cancelled after revelations of their virulently anti-gay activities, compared themselves to victims of ISIS, silenced for their Christian beliefs. And Sen. Ted Cruz, who for the second year in a row won the presidential straw poll, intoned “We need a president who will speak out for people of faith, for prisoners of conscience.” So for the attendees at the Values Voter Summit, there is indeed a war on Christianity. It is being waged by Muslims and by those who object to intolerance.
But the whole story is really darker. When members of the Christian right speak of freedom of religion, what they mean is freedom for a particular brand of conservative Christianity. Tony Perkins is the president of the Family Research Council, the principal sponsor of the annual Summit. He is neither a legal scholar nor a theologian, but that does not matter. In Mr. Perkins’ view, religious freedom does not apply to Islam. It also does not apply to Christians who support gay rights. In fact, religious liberty is reserved solely for those holding “orthodox religious viewpoints. It has to have a track record, it has to come forth from religious orthodoxy.” Mr. Perkins’ First Amendment does not compel government neutrality toward religion; it requires preferential treatment for those Christian sects whose doctrines adhere to Mr, Perkins’ notion of orthodoxy. He is a theocratic dominionist in religious liberty’s clothing.
And that, in a nutshell, is what the war on religion in America is all about. It is a war declared by Christian fundamentalists on all religious traditions deemed non-conforming. The goal is a society in which separation of church and state is eliminated and religious pluralism rejected as unbiblical. Ted Cruz is merely the latest last hope for the hapless.
New commenters should read the archives I’ve cited, and more. Then they should decide for themselves if those are the “Good Ol’ Days” a few here want us to return to.
Nick didn’t know Mormons knocked on doors? Now that’s a man that is spending too much time on blogs.
The biggest hit and award winning show on Broadway, “The Book of Mormon”, had a huge hit song that was all about Mormons ringing doorbells. The show was written by the guys who do South Park. Perhaps Nick has never seen their show either. Hard to believe, though. It, and The Book of Mormon song, are all over the Net.
docmadison: Well, if we’re going by fictional works, Stone & Parker’s movie Orgazmo is all about door-to-door Mormons.
markkernes, I retrieved your comment at 6:34.
DocMadison, you have had a comment deleted under our civility rule.
David Weber, you have had a comment deleted under our civility rule. If you continue to re-post deleted comments, we will have to suspend further comments.
For a 3rd time, let me praise MikeA and defend him from the accusations of Steven. MikeA is intellectually honest and has a good heart. He and I disagree often times but he is the most civil person here. We had another Guest Blogger here named, David Drumm aka Nal. He died too soon. One of his last posts was on 11/2/13 titled, Girl’s Suicide Was Real. David had the character to admit he was hoodwinked by an atheist who used the tragedy of a young girls death to promote the atheist agenda.
November was an important month in the history of this blog. I encourage people to read the following posts. On 11/2/14 there is an edifying post Lou Reed RIP. I’LL LEAVE IT @ THAT REGARDING THAT POST AND THREAD!! Another edifying thread is 11/4/13 California Teachers.
It is important for new commenters to understand the history here. Being a history teacher, I deplore people trying to sanitize history, as it can be ugly. But “Those who don’t understand history are doomed to repeat it.”
Our work is cut out for us.
Obviously, we need to keep a set of books on terrorist Homeland killings – categorized by Christian terrorists and Muslim terrorists. I volunteer to keep the books on the Muslim terrorists and that score for 2014 is 1. Now who will volunteer to keep the books on the Christian terrorists? The informal score for Christian Homeland terrorists for 2014 is 3,244. (I have omitted the accidental shooting of children. Further, we shall have to have high-level discussions if we are to include the police shootings of unarmed black men although it is clear that such killings do terrorize black Homeland parents.) The Committee has determined that mental illness does not eliminate ‘just plain crazy’ killings from our database; i.e. the recent Oklahoma beheading.
Now who volunteers for the Christians? I realize the workload is extreme, but Breitbart has expressed great interest in our work and who knows – Fox just may come calling if our numbers are interesting enough!
This will probably get deleted ….but I don’t believe that I have ever seen a bigger bunch of whiny people in one place in my life.
There are good topics, intelligent topics to discuss but noooooo…everyone wants to get high centered on who is being mean to who and who said what about who and whine whine whine about being deleted.
Dear God, please give JT the wisdom to accept the things he cannot change, the strength to change what he can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Whipping poster children???
Is this where pics of wisks start showing up to go with the Pot Stirring set published previously? I’m thinking spatulas for flipping might also work? Door knockers too, though that could skitter off the path. MOAR pictures. MOAR Irish limericks. MOAR humor. MOAR commenters. And of course, MOAR prayers for the Host!
On the less end of things, LESS Zealotry: fanatical and uncompromising pursuit of religious, political, or other ideals; fanaticism.
LOL. On this religious thread I just said a prayer for JT. Poor guy can’t win w/ some folks.
Jim, I didn’t know Mormons knocked on doors, never had one knock on mine. And, I lived in KC where there are a decent number[Independence, Mo. has a big tabernacle] and spend winters in San Diego. Then Jehovah’s and Mormons are door knockers. I know Catholics and Presbyterians don’t!!
Annie and Elaine,
It looks like a number of the controversial posts have been removed without the offending party being admonished… See I do think that’s fair… But we are the whipping poster children😳….
Yes it was. Why no notice?
Annie,
There is no ’11 AM” comment. Was it deleted without a JT notice?
I actually used to get a kick out of the Mormons coming to my door when I lived out in CA. I used to love arguing against literal interpretation with them. I always found it weird that they seemed unprepared for the discussion.
MaMa, Isn’t is curious that just referencing a post in the archives of this blog is controversial?? Having been a reader here for a year or so, you know the history. I am constantly urging new people to get up to speed by reading history. Who would be opposed to that???
You know Annie, there are the Gotrocks and the Gotcha club…… I prefer the former to the later as its a more moralist approach….
Even the lefts poster boy Maher has a clue.
http://www.inquisitr.com/1503326/bill-maher-political-correctness-silences-liberals-on-radical-islam-video/
LOL! Versions of that quote are everywhere, with the aberration I quoted showing up here today on another thread.
I’ve had gay candidates come to my door, asking for votes, not to come to the Cardinal Club where they hang in Madison.
The only religious people I have ever had come to my door are Jehovah’s. I just smile, say “No thanks” and close the door. What the big freakin’ deal?
MamaM, “Those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it” was in bold letters on my bulletin board when I taught history. Having an archive is so important for many reasons, not the least of which being the quote you referenced. Great to have you here.