On October 20 and 21st, I attended the Value Voters Summit, a massive gathering hosted by the Colorado-based Christian right mega-ministry, Focus on the Family, and its Washington lobbying arm, the Family Research Council. With the pro-choice Rudy Giuliani leading in the race for the Republican nomination and the threat of another Clinton presidency looming, the stakes for the Christian right were high.
At the Summit, I witnessed all of the major Republican presidential candidates compete for the affection of so-called value voters. Rudy Giuliani, the current frontrunner, sought to assuage movement leaders' concerns about his multiple marriages, pro-choice politics, and penchant for cross-dressing. Mitt Romney pledged to fight for a Constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, hoping his newfound conservatism would somehow lessen evangelical resentment of his Mormon faith.
Though no candidate emerged from the Summit as a clear Christian right favorite, the badly underfunded former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister Mike Huckabee won over the audience with his insistence that banning abortion would put an end to America's illegal immigration problem. Huckabee's comparison of "liberalized abortion" to the Holocaust further endeared him to the "value voters." Later, during a press conference, I challenged Huckabee to explain the logic behind his rhetoric.
Recently, there has been a lot of mainstream media noise about a new, more socially conscious evangelical movement rising from the angry ashes of the Christian right. Pastors like Rick Warren and "evangelical feminist" Bill Hybels are supposedly bringing issues like the environment and poverty to the forefront of the movement's social agenda, while pushing anti-abortion and anti-gay activism to the wayside. Yet no one told those evangelicals gathered at the Value Voters Summit about this friendly new initiative.
If anything, the movement seemed more extreme and paranoid than it did four years ago. Rev. Lou Sheldon, dubbed "Lucky Louie" by his former paymaster Jack Abramoff, told me that homosexuality is a "pathological disorder" and "a groove" that is difficult to escape from. He proceeded to passionately defend his friend, Senator Larry Craig, from allegations of homosexuality.
Star Parker, a former welfare cheat who had multiple abortions, claimed to me that abortion is the leading cause of death among African American women between the ages of 25 and 34. Then she described her wish for the forced quarantine of all "sodomites." Parker was not a lone wacko milling around in the hallway; she was a speaker invited by the Family Research Council.
Neoconservative activist Frank Gaffney appeared at the Summit as well. Before a standing room audience, Gaffney exclaimed that "by not being bigoted and not being racist, [George W.] Bush has embraced Islamofascists on several occasions." Phyllis Schlaffly echoed Gaffney's comments, declaring that there are too many mosques in America.
These incidents and many more are captured in my latest video report, "Theocracy Now: In Search of Values at the 2007 Value Voters Summit." See it for yourself.
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The time is now to demand that these front runners tell us in detail the myths they hold dear. I do not want to roast in a nuclear blast because we were afraid to shoot Santa out of the sky with our retaliator
I just finished watching "Power of Nightmares 1: The Rise of the Politics of Fear" and "Portrait of A Big Taboo: The Power of the Israeli Lobby in the US". I truly understand why our Representa
Hillary talking about her "faith-bas
Al Gore: "I believe the purpose of life is to glorify God" (Senate testimony, Mar. 2007)
Christians
After all, 78% of Americans are Christians
Oh wait - some other religious fanatic beat you to it. And apparently
D.J. Fahey
"the anti-relig
"the image of God can be seen in every corner of creation" (Al Gore, Earth In The Balance, page 265)
"my own faith is rooted in the unshakeabl
"Freedom of religion does not mean freedom from religion, there is a better way" (Al Gore, Army Drug Rehibilita
Al Gore: Unshakeabl
I've never met a christian who thinks he / she has all the answers. I've only met christians asking God for strength to do what's right and find answers.
Christ also admonished "Woe unto the rich, woe unto the rich! For I say unto you, they have their reward!" and "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdon of Heaven!" These Dominionis
These self-appoi
They are theologica
They have no place in a democratic society, as they and their dogmas are antithetic
They are fascism wrapped in a flag waving a bible.
Leland R. Erickson
Citizen
The only thing different about them compared to the mainstream is they spout religion and pretend they're above it all.
They lie to themselves and claim to have all the answers while pointing fingers toward everyone they look down upon.
Complete phonies. It's one big act.
"oh they dont teach the glory gayness" "Those private schools dont give a complete education"
A death blow to public schools, now thats a dream.
Religion is rooted in barbarous ancient tribal beliefs. It is a weapon of the wiser to subdue, conquer and control those stronger and of lesser influence. It corrupts civilized behavior and defiles what is good and the progress of all mankind.
Religion works best when it is administer
Human beings and Americans in particular
I would say it is more a matter of; Who is being measured by whom and for what pupose, and to what end? For instance: Is who a man and who is whom? Need I say more...bec
TLV, It ain't worth dying for; there will be no resolution in our lifetime. But don't worry, humans will eventually cause their own extinction and all the other remaining critters will live happy ever after!
Ha Ha! Bless your soul, you think you're in control?
but the bottom line is that these people don't understand some fundamenta
If they understood that people don't incarnate into fetusus that are going to be aborted...
While some small fraction of the rank and file anti-choic
Barney Frank got their number years ago: "they think 'life' begins at conception
Well, something like half of their number, anyway. The rest of their number -- and the more important part -- is that the reality of the antichoice movement is utterly and totally about controllin
The reichwinge
They do not mean well. How many crack babies do you think they offered to adopt?
After the doctor slaps your ass; they'd just as soon see you dead unless you are a member of their church, born again and join their voting block.
Right to Life is strictly a divisive issue!