America as a Theocracy

[Skyrad 0]

OK, so first thing first. "THIS IS NOT AMERICA BASHING!"
Right, I have been hearing more of the rise of the 'Christian right' in the US. More and more stories about how Christian belife is impinging upon US law. The whole recent right to die thing and the Catholic hospital post on SC right now are just two examples. So I'm wondering what the Americans think about what is happening in the US. IS this really happening or is it all media hype? is there a Christian revival happening or not and how do you feel about it, either way?

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[kelpdiver 2]

The Religious Right has been a force for the past 20 years or longer. They're like any other focused interest group - more effective than the less concern majority. But there's no growing trend. It's just after 8 years of Clinton, they're having their day in the white house again.

Media coverage is definitely more focused. In the whole the RR is losing, not gaining. Fighting for a marriage ban isn't a gain for them, it's an attempt to maintain the erroding status quo. Abortion will never go away. Creationism will never beat out evolution. The Pledge will likely remain UNDER GOD, but that issue has been around since at least my high school days in the 80s.

[Ron 10]

I'm not a Christian but think that a more moral US is a good thing

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I think most would agree that more morality is a good thing.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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[kbordson 8]

How's this for a waffleing stance.... "Yes and No"
Let me explain - yes, I feel that the Religious Right has made attempts recently to influence politics and to encourage the passage of (and in some instances actaully ensure the passage of) certain laws of moral conduct. HOWEVER, I also see enough people standing up to some of those laws and opinions and stopping the "forced belief" that some of the restrictions would place.
See the thread on the Pharmacist in IL, he was stopped by the gov't from trying to use his religion to influence people. But like wise, there was recently a vote here in KS against gay marraiges (which was passed). So there seems to be a balance at this point about religion and government.
I do think, to add to it, that the media does play it up a bit and depending on what you read/who you listen to, you do get a different slant on whether the decisions are "good" or not.

Karen

[CDRINF 1]

I think this sort of thing is cyclic. Look at the 1920's and 30's and you see the rise to political power of a generation of idealists (commonly referred to as the "Missionary Generation") who in reaction to the bad behavior of the "Roaring 20's" got prohibition passed, along with a whole series of "decency laws." Movie rating codes, the Mann Act, and numerous blue laws all date from this era. Characteristic of these idealist generations is that they see everything in black/white us/them terms and feel justified in imposing their views on others because they are convinced the are right (some might say "extreme right").

The idealist generation now in political power are the Babyboomers. Whether right or left wing, religious or secular, it is a generation with strongly held views that tends to want to impose its values on others and demonize those that don't agree. On the right it's abortion, school prayer, and the 10 commandments in court, on the left it's anti-smoking laws, environmental extremism, and gun-control (just a few examples). As a friend of mine once put it, it all comes down to trying to control people with "the only difference between the two political parties being that the Democrats want to control you in the work place, and the Republicans want to control you in the bedroom."

Read the book "Generations" by Straus and Howe and it outlines this cyclic theory of generational types and how history does repeat itself in roughly 80 year cycles based on where the different generational personality types are in their life cycle. According to their theory, unfortunately, the period we are currently in that sees this sort polarization usually comes to end end due to a good old fashioned crisis like a major war or economic crisis. Last one was the double whammy of the Great Depression and World War II, before that, it was the Civil War.

CDR

[jakee 1,596]

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I think most would agree that more morality is a good thing.

Who's version of morality?

I vote for mine

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[rehmwa 2]

I'd check the "I don't want an extreme religious view nor an extreme liberal view forced on me and that's what both sides are trying to do" box

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[TheAnvil 0]

This is just a bunch of media hype. The leftmedia is still quite upset that those pesky Christians actually voted in the last election to help defeat their darling sKerry. Anything they can do to focus on this 'religious right' in a negative or sinister light, they'll do. By focusing on the 'religious right' as the cause of their political troubles, America's leftists avoid facing the fact that their message is the reason they aren't doing very well politically right now.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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America's leftists avoid facing the fact that their message is the reason they aren't doing very well politically right now.

Yeah, because when you are good, like say O'Reilly, you just make up your facts and figures as you go along to help your point.

[TheAnvil 0]

I don't know what you're talking about and don't really follow what point you're trying to make. Is this a Canadian thing?

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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I don't know what you're talking about and don't really follow what point you're trying to make.

That an ardent and well liked "spokesman" for the right, in a show with the tag "no spin zone" is making up facts and stats as he is going along to support his right wing message and agenda.

Never mind Ann Coulter just having no clue what she is talking about.

[TheAnvil 0]

State whatever you like about BillO - haven't watched him in months myself. Perhaps you're right, perhaps not. Ann Coulter not knowing what she's talking about - hmmmm...I think not. She backs up what she says fairly well most of the time.

Even if she didn't, you really aren't saying anything. O'Reilly and Coulter are news commentators/columnists/pundits, not news broadcasters.

And the leftmedia is still just that - the leftmedia.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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Ann Coulter not knowing what she's talking about - hmmmm...I think not.

Yeah, that is what I thought....Her claim of Canada sending troops to Vietnam was quite hilarious.

[BikerBabe 0]

Wow...5 people answered "I won't be happy until the entire US is Christian"

Scary.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[TheAnvil 0]

Your ability to selectively quote is quite impressive. Like I said - she backs up what she writes pretty well most of the time. You can take her sarcasm out of context all you like - her slams on the leftists are right on.

And the leftmedia is still the leftmedia.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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Your ability to selectively quote is quite impressive. Like I said - she backs up what she writes pretty well most of the time. You can take her sarcasm out of context all you like - her slams on the leftists are right on.

Well dispute it then. Dispute that she claimed Canada sent troops to Vietnam. Dispute that she told the interviewer he was wrong when he countered that Canada never sent troops to Vietnam. Dispute that she said she would get back to the interviewer. Dispute that she never got back to him. Dispute that she subsequently went on Cspan and said that she really meant that Canadians enlisted in the US military at the time to go to vietnam. Dispute that she then called the original interviewer a derogatory name, indicating he would be to stupid to know that.

She is a joke. Unfortunately she is somewhat dangerous, since even you, who claims to be somewhat educated and up to date, think she actually knows what she is talking about.

It is dangerous on either side of the political spectrum to be so blinded by your belief that you miss the most obvious.

[TheAnvil 0]

Goto http://www.m-w.com and look up 'most'.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[SkyDekker 1,465]

ahhh, so no dispute, which is also no surprise....

[billvon 3,120]

From Congress Daily, 4/3/2005:

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Christian conservatives and a core group of congressional supporters are launching a significant new push to restructure the federal judicial system to reflect a more explicitly biblical world view, in the hopes that these changes will pave the way for broader social and political changes, leaders of the movement said.

Some of the most prominent conservative leaders in the country -- including Vision America's Rick Scarborough, Coral Ridge Ministry's James Kennedy and the Free Congress Foundation's Paul Weyrich -- launched the effort Thursday in Washington.

Members of the new coalition said they would immediately focus on bringing an end to Democratic filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees before pushing Senate Majority Leader Frist to enact sweeping changes in the judiciary.

They also warned that Frist and other politicians who have thus far been reluctant to force a confrontation with Senate Minority Leader Reid over the nominations would be held accountable if Democrats continue to block conservative judges.

Participants at this week's Judeo-Christian Council for Constitutional Restoration meeting said the group also will focus on forcing Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against any judge who does not conform with their biblically based interpretation of the Constitution, as well as permanently curb judicial authority over matters of church and state, marriage and governmental acknowledgement of a Christian deity.

"What it is time to do is impeach justices," Texas Justice Foundation President Allan Parker extolled a crowd of a hundred or so conservative lobbyists, attorneys and activists.