The Religious Right: Is Their Power Waning?

[josephT]

From the Washington Post:

Is the Christian right finished as a political entity? Or, more to the point, are principled Christians finished with politics?

These questions have been getting fresh air lately as frustrated conservative Christians question the pragmatism -- defined as the compromising of principles -- of the old guard. One might gently call the current debate a generational rift.

The older generation, represented by such icons as James Dobson, who recently retired as head of Focus on the Family, has compromised too much, according to a growing phalanx of disillusioned Christians. Pragmatically speaking, the Christian coalition of cultural crusaders didn't work.

For proof, one need look no further than Dobson himself, who was captured on tape recently saying that the big cultural battles have all been lost.

Shortly thereafter, in late March, Christian radio host Steve Deace of WHO Radio in Iowa aggressively interviewed Tom Minnery, head of the political arm of Focus on the Family. Minnery, whom Deace described as "the Karl Rove of the religious right," accused Deace during the interview of ambushing him when he had expected a chat about Dobson's legacy.

Indeed, Deace was loaded for bear -- or Pontius Pilate. It wasn't exactly a Limbaugh-Obama matchup, but it was confrontational, and corners of America's heartland and Bible Belt have been buzzing ever since.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/03/AR2009040303026_pf.html">Read the rest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdOHrl7zCBA">In the hope that this is true, I put together a music video to nudge them over the edge.

Enjoy!

[saltpoint]

1. The fundies were idiots to align themselves with the GOP, since all the

Republicans did was ratchet up the "family values" tension from coast to coast and left a wake of failure and disenchantment.

The fundies heard the loud summons by social conservative Republicans and they aligned with the GOP to bring God's Kingdom to earth, right here in the USA.

Yesterday morning the Iowa Supreme Court gave a clear and strong reading that must have sent the fundies into rage and despair. And with Obama in the White House, Rowe v. Wade appears safe for some decades.

The more stupidly conservative you are, the worse the past several weeks have been.

My hope is that more people who identify as "Christians" will read the damn New Testmament, most for the first time in their lives, and actually find out what's written there. Whether Jesus of Galilee was real or not or transhuman or not is far less the point than whether the dumbasses who vote for Reagan and Bush and Bush in the name of the same Jesus understand that Reagan and Bush and Bush stood to subvert the tenets of Jesus' ministry.

The fundies' alignment with the Republican Party is an intellectually lazy and deceitful position to take, not to mention politically unsuccessful these recent election cycles.

A lot of young folks who are just now forging their social consciousness likely don't see much to respect in the Republican model. They see a good deal to respect in President Obama, though.

And that's good for everybody.

[josephT]

2. How does one post a video?

[saltpoint]

3. Hi, josephT. And welcome to DU. Link below:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x9

[josephT]

4. Just found it. Thanks.

:fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump:

Posted it over in the videos for everyone.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the welcome.

[heidler1]

7. Couldn't agree more or said it better.

[JerseygirlCT]

11. Amen to that nt

[charlie]

5. "Is the Christian right finished as a political entity?"

Not hardly. They're still as mobbed-up and hooked-up as any corporate behemoth. They have television and radio networks, publishing houses, sit in boardrooms and think tanks, and pollute Washington with lobbyists. Think they're going to unwind all that and go home? These idiots have only two modes -- obnoxious triumphalism and insufferable self-pity. Their scripture says they're going to be persecuted for just standing around being Christians, so they inflate every setback, every infected hangnail into historic martyrdom. Their movement has been stymied for the moment, not defeated. The Divas for Jesus are just having their interlude of high drama before they regroup.

10 years ago Paul Weyrich declared the culture wars lost, said "Judeo-Christian civilization" was perilously close to being extinguished, and advised Real Christians to remove themselves from political institutions and society altogether. Deja vu.

[54anickel]

8. Wasn't Weyrich the founder of The Heritage Foundation? I remember him being disgusted at the lack

of disgust over the Lewinsky scandal. :eyes: I was always under the impression that he was calling for a change in strategy rather than declaring defeat and giving up the fight. Separation was part of the new strategy, following the example of the home schoolers/private schools leaving the public institutions to (in his mind) their own demise.

[54anickel]

6. I doubt they are going any where - just regrouping and redefining. All you need to do is

listen to the rhetoric of Rick Warren, looking for a kinder, gentler, religious right. His "epiphany" that the message of Jesus was to care for the poor....sounds better already, doesn't it? He's suckering the less extreme with that pitch and I believe it will result in even more money in the Religious Right coffers than before. They're taking the movement global - hang on to your hats...

[and-justice-for-all]

9. Their dream of an American Theocracy bubble has bust...nt

[sakabatou]

10. Hopefully their power is waning

They've fucked up a lot of people.