Bush, religious right target churches (Christofascist Alert)

[Freedom_from_Chains]

Fighters for freedom of religion and freedom of conscience are voicing alarm that 228 years after the nation’s birth, George W. Bush and the ultra-right are waging a ferocious assault on separation of church and state, a pillar of democracy and toleration.

They cite taxpayer money doled out to favored churches in Bush’s “faith-based initiative,” his support for taxpayer funded vouchers for students attending parochial schools, appointment of judges who would tear down the wall separating church and state, and his claim that his Iraq war and other policies are approved by God.

“We see this as the biggest assault on the separation of church and state in the history of our country,” said Don Parker, a media spokesperson for the Interfaith Alliance, which unites 150,000 Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, and other believers, as well as secular humanists, atheists, and agnostics. The group has been endorsed by former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, who warned in an open letter that he is “deeply disturbed by the dangerous and growing influence of people like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell on our nation’s political leaders.”

Cronkite points out that both Robertson and Falwell called the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack God’s punishment against “feminists, pro-choice Americans, and other groups” they despise.

“The Christian Coalition has more than 2 million members and a growing coffer of funds, helping it influence elections and political candidates,” Cronkite continued. “Even politicians who privately dislike its tactics or are uncomfortable with its political agenda, have been scared into submission. So I ask you today to stand with the Interfaith Alliance to challenge the intolerant influence of the Religious Right in civic life.”

Alliance spokesman Don Parker said the principle of preserving a wall between church and state “is absolutely vital both for the good of religion and the good of government. It goes back to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It was Thomas Jefferson who advocated ‘a wall of separation between church and state.’”

The Bush administration’s faith-based initiative tears down that wall and permits a church receiving federal funds to bar workers from employment based on his or her religion. “And it is forcing families to decide to give up their religious freedom in order to feed their children,” he said, referring to pressures on recipients of faith-based charities.

Bush is engaged in a many-sided and highly demagogic drive to enlist religion in his efforts to win another four years in office.

The White House sent out an e-mail last month to 1,600 churches in Pennsylvania asking them to register voters and proselytize their congregations to support Bush-Cheney in flagrant violation of federal laws barring churches from engaging in partisan politics.

The issue came into stark focus when Bush flew to Philadelphia last month and spoke at Exodus Baptist Church. As Bush beamed, the Rev. Herbert Lusk II, pastor of the church, told the congregation Bush “is worth the African American vote.”

The White House had doled out $1 million in funds to the church as part of Bush’s “faith-based initiative.”

(con't) http://www.pww.org/article/view/5454/1/222/


http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm">14 Signs of Fascism

[Warpy]

1. Those "faith based" taxpayer dollars are part of a money laundering

scam because those big, prosperous right wing churches are expected to turn them back into campaign contributions while they illegally preach support for the GOP to their congregations.

Meanwhile, a church in California whose pastor dared to preach an antiwar sermon is under attack for violating the church/state separation.

It's getting to the point where Christian churches won't be able to preach any of Christ's teachings: they're counter to right wing cant and therefore partisan!

I wish people would start waking up to what a scam this is.

[Ilsa]

2. This morning after a thunderstorm, our local NPR was off the air, and

as I adjusted the radio, I picked up a local RW "Christian" radio station. They were discussing how churches need to be mroe aware of social, cultural and political news and trends. This was from the American Family-whatever RW group. They are really working on the church-goers.