Smackdown in a Free Society

[LeftHander]

At what point does a free society crackdown on people that are causing one group of people to dominate another? At what point do we stop allowing "debate" of known accepted fact with outrageous emotional claims by religious zealots? When do WE as a society realize that it is harmful to THIS FREE SOCIETY to allow narrow callous viewpoints to continuously drown out reason?

I think you know where this is headed.

The Religious right in America has no justification to impose any of it's defined values or morality on anyone.

In fact the religious right has long been a problem. And has long been allowed to run amok in our State's governments because the local citizenry is in FEAR of powerful and influenceal "Christian" churches. More so in the past few years.

The big box retail religious movment has consolidated control of political thought and public debate. As small local churches are absorbed by huge mega-churches our "Mega" society is held hostage by fewer more charismatic individuals with motives that are all to clearly seen. Power, influence and wealth.

As much as I am for freedom of religion I am also as supportive of freedom from religion. Lets not forget this nation's true streangth is about diversity. The Christian Right wants nothing to with diviersity.

Never forget that.

Christian's do not hold sway on this nation's values. They are not the moral compass that guides us.

Reason, compassion and love for one another is the real guide. It is time for the Christians to start loving us, not just themselves and the words written by MEN in a document editied through the centuries to control the masses.

Religion in a free society is good when it is practiced in accordance of the values of the entire society not the definition provided by a few.

Last time I checked this is a land that was build on equality and freedom for all.

[Clark2008]

1. Please call them "Conservative Christians."

Because, the way you've phrased it is, well, incorrect.

Most people in this country still call themselves Christian; therefore, they ARE the moral compass that guides us simply because of sheer numbers. Majority rules and all.

Liberal Christians are NOT the problem - and never have been - and there are a goodly number of them, as well.

The people of which you're speaking are the narrow-minded FalRoberstwell bunch. Liberal Christians do love you and everyone else.

[Lars39]

4. I'm sorry, but the majority of this country in no way is the moral compass that guides us.

that is a crock, along with majority rules.

[porphyrian]

2. WE as a society and drowning out reason, the short version.

The people who hold those narrow callous viewpoints are, like it or not, part of this society, too.

And, while it may not seem so much of the time, they aren't really able to drown out reason. They just know how to be the squeakiest wheel. But they aren't convincing most of us (they can't even convince themselves - thus their need to keep repeating and reinforcing their garbage daily).

As citizens and members of this society, this "WE," they have every right to believe whatever they want and to say whatever they want, as long as they don't infringe on the rights and freedoms of other citizens when they do so. And sometimes (sometimes more than sometimes) they do, and living in the bottom of the Bible Belt, I sympathize.

If you want to prevent members of our society from abusing their rights and freedoms at the expense of others', I support that, and there are laws already in place to enforce against them. If you are suggesting we tell people they can't say or believe something simply because you don't agree with it, then we disagree.

[LeftHander]

6. Just asking that The religious right takes a closer look at themselves...

Rather than looking at others so closely....maybe then we would be able to get a long better. I could care if they believed God was a sea urchin that flew out of the butt of a purple dragon.

Freedom of religion for sure but not to let those beliefs put others in a position of persecution.

It is difficult but at what point and how does a free society recognize that it has gone too far...(Marriage amendments)?

[porphyrian]

8. The marriage amendments are more about politics than the radical beliefs of a minority.

Again, they are very noisy, so they may seem more numerous than they actually are. And, while their mouths may be the ones spewing the garbage, legislators (state or federal, depending on which amendment) are the ones passing the amendments, and they were voted into office by the less than half of all eligible voters who could be bothered to do so. So, it's a complex issue of corruption and apathy as much as fundamentalism, if not more.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. the religious right wing

has done more harm to the public's concept of religion than anything else they have done.

[Solo_in_MD]

5. I do hope you realize that muslims are much more of a threat in these areas than the xtian fundies

[LeftHander]

7. Are they? Really...here in this country?

Are the Muslims denying my rights? Seems to me there have been plenty of religious extremists here and aboard both Muslim and Christian.

John Brown was a religious extremeist, Jim Jones...Jerry Falwell, and a host of others....Fred Phelps and the anti-abortion terrorists among them too.