My oped on religiousradicalrightism

[usregimechange]

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Jim Bates (Globe, July 20) states that "Satan is trying to take over America" and is being aided by liberals. Why do you almost never hear similar rhetoric coming from progressives and liberals? I want to suggest that this may be true because, while most progressives are religious and Christian, they are not religious fanatics who believe God is on their side while the rest of the world's people are infidels.

Jesus, who was more apt to associate with sinners than hypocrites, practiced what he preached. He associated with the prostitute and tax collector, not because he supported their lifestyle, but because of the simple belief that we ought to love our neighbor before we follow the finger-pointers to the land of arrogance and ego.

Jesus taught those who don't read the Bible selectively that prayer ought to be done in private, not public (Matthew 6:5-8). The Constitution allows for public prayer, while Jesus does not. How ironic it is that conservatives wail away about the Constitution banning public prayer (even though it only bans government from directing it) while Jesus clearly prohibits it. Might I suggest that we do more reading in both the Bible and the Constitution and limit our proclamations of moral superiority?

http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=199389&c=96

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Well done!

I think you said it rather well. If everyone would follow the teachings of prophets like Jesus-tolerance, helping the poor, forgiving, etc-the world would be a better place.

[dalaigh lllama]

2. Wow, in SW missouri, no less

It'll be interesting to see the retorts in the next paper.

I read the other letters while I was there -- another letter writer pointed out the absurdity of the premises for war in Iraq --woo hoo!

I have to admit my favorite letter was from the writer who was upset by someone's quote: "there was nothing civil about the Civil War." They said saying such things would only confuse people (???), and felt compelled to list all the meanings of "civil" from Webster's Dictionary to un-confuse folks, I guess. What a chucklehead.

[usregimechange]

13. No response yet, we will see.

[splat@14]

3. Great Op-ed. I like `em short and to the point. Voted!

[asjr]

4. I wonder what finger these so-called "Christians" are

using when they point at the rest of us. We are held hostage by people who only want power to tell the country what should be done.

[hippywife]

5. Most excellent!

Very well stated and to the point like the truest of arrows. :thumbsup:

[1democracy]

6. Judgmentalism is the problem

The difficulty in dealing with fundamentalists is that they try to "save" the rest of us. That insults my intelligence as a human being and my own right to " life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Judgmentalism is at the heart of the matter and the Bible says "Judge not lest ye be judged" and "Take the mote out of your own eye" before you judge someone else (that is, that he who is without sin throw the first stone).
In a free society, we all have the right to make our own decisions, our own mistakes. A mistake in your eyes may be the right decision in my own. That is why a strict separation of church and state, along with a right to privacy, is essential for a free society.

[WhiteTara]

10. kick and welcome to DU

:kick:

[Pystoff]

11. Now for this to be uttered....

By a canidate from the podium at the Democratic convention. A lesson for the masses with the example of edicts from politicians here and a comparison to Iran's Mullahs and the Pugs will have a hard time using religion for politcal gain. But alas to find a canidate with the guts to say it.

[ray of light]

7. Excellent!

[yellerpup]

8. Excellent!

Way to go.

[jarnocan]

9. wow -good to know you-powerful stuff

Far right fanatics often use absolutes, and often repeat lies. Being honest is more difficult because -we care about being fair.
Our ends do NOT always justify our means.
the spew on cue crew tatics trickle down- freepers for example :puke:

43,200 severely injured/disabled soldiers- NOW according to MSNBC just heard.

[usregimechange]

12. Thanks for the good comments guys, I really think this is the way

to take them on. We damn well have the upper hand on religion we just need to express it.