Theocracy Now!

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.

Comments

[ga4ry]

This is the problem, most of these people know that this crap is all myth and fear, yet leaders on both side, court the morons who belive in a cosmic jewish zombie, a talking snake and a magic tree.
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 retaliatory missles

[Purcy]

This stuff is really frightening...and, tell me, how is it that people like Newt Gingrich is leading the Christian right?

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 Representatives are making some of the decisions they make and wonder what we can possibly do about it. If you haven't watched these, I encourage anyone who is interested to google documentaries - free political documentaries and watch them. Lots of food for thought and concern about which presidential candidate (if any) will take steps to bring any of this out for public debate and what will happen. Seems that the public does need to be informed. Maybe most of you have known all this for a long time but as for me, it helps explain a lot of what I understood was happening or at least the reasons behind it.

[GoreSavingPlanetForJesus]

It will be fun to watch the Christian Left and Christian Right battle for votes.

Hillary talking about her "faith-based soldiers" (boston Globe, Jan. 2002)

Al Gore: "I believe the purpose of life is to glorify God" (Senate testimony, Mar. 2007)

Christians­AndClimate­.org...The Prayer Guide for Global Warming, Evangelical Climate Initiative.

After all, 78% of Americans are Christians, 12% non Christian, and 10% no religion. Christians on the left and right are the Nations majority by far.

[javaJimmy]

These people should demonstrate their dissatisfaction with these god-less candidates with some grand gesture - something like, oh say, hijacking 4 airplanes, crashing them into buildings in New York and Washingtion DC, and killing 3,000 innocent citizens.

Oh wait - some other religious fanatic beat you to it. And apparently, you don't get punished for it.

[transendentilist]

"Relious zealots decry murder; all the while, relying upon it."

D.J. Fahey

[ScooterLiddy]

Religion is a poison. It doesn't make people more moral. It makes them less moral because they now have a blind spot because they are deluded into thinking they have all the answers.

[GoreSavingPlanetForJesus]

Al Gore believes people like you are arrogant and intimidating.

"the anti-religious view is arrogant and intimidati­ng...makin­g people who believe in God feel like they're being put down and I don't like that. I've never liked that.' (Al Gore, 60 Minutes interview, Dec. 5, 2005)

"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 unshakeable belief in God as creator and sustainer" (Al Gore, Earth In The Balance, page 368)

"Freedom of religion does not mean freedom from religion, there is a better way" (Al Gore, Army Drug Rehibilitation Center Speech, May 1999)

Al Gore: Unshakeable belief in God... Prays to God... Relies on God... Faith in God...

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.

[Bright Creature]

I'm not coming down on one side of this argument or another... however I think the both of you should keep in mind that spirituality is different from religion. Spirituality is the search for the mystery that exists, while religion seems to claim to have all the answers already. So, is Gore religious or spiritual?

[maddogbitesback]

GSTPFJ Guess you never met Gerry Falwell or Jimmy Baker or all those other decider guys who decide who is going to heaven and who is going to hell.

[BlackWidowPilot]

What these creatures are are the "apostate church" that the Scripture warns honest Christian about NOT following. They are the "hypocrites, who pray on the streetcorners and in the synagoges, that they may be seen by men" that Christ warned about. He also said, "For I say unto you, they have their reward!"

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 Dominionist heretics also take some considerable pains to avoid even acknowledging these statesments for Christ Himself.

These self-appointed guardians of American freedom and virtue are heretical, hypocritical money worshipping con-artists and their delusional followers (I had some in my family BTW), catagorically do NOT represent Christians, Christianity, or Christ Himself.

They are theological throwbacks to the fire and brimestone hypocricy of the Spanish Inquisition and the murderous hysterics of the witch-hunter puritans of Salem.

They have no place in a democratic society, as they and their dogmas are antithetical to democracy itself.

They are fascism wrapped in a flag waving a bible.

Leland R. Erickson
Citizen

[villastrangiato]

Another one out of the park!!! Kudos to you Max Blumenthal!!!!!

[levibatgirl]

The crazy thing is these religious zealots are frauds. They have abortions in secret. The teenagers who "make out" and claim to not go any farther, do. They have the same percentages of gays as the rest of the population.

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.

[littleblackcat]

So true , my girl. New England yankees and southerners have a saying in common (Common sense knows no geography) and it is "The louder the ring, the emptier the jug!"

[isis]

One issue we need to uncover further is their trashing of public schools so that their propaganda factories for children aka private schools can benefit. One thing that the Prince family did in Holland Michigan was pour money into charter schools to the point that the public schools were nearly dealt a death blow. The Family Values virus has infected us in many ways.

[scorchedearthrepug]

is there a private school that you know of that is not clearly better than ALL public schools.
"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.

[TLV]

"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross" - Sinclair Lewis

[lyingtruth]

"Extreme War" would be a great TV program; First episode, The Christian Right vs. The Islamic Fundamentalist on the South Texas Plains!

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 administered hand in hand with politics.

Human beings and Americans in particular, do not know the meaning of free. Not so long as they are bound by superstition and the edicts of other men.

[TLV]

It's apparent to me that "values voters" make a huge exception when it comes to valuing other human beings. Frankly, I cannot live comfortably in a world where there are so many haters who consider themselves better than us "liberals" because of their amazing ability to hate while simultaneously blaspheming by naming God and Jesus as the leaders of their cult.

[scorchedearthrepug]

you cant put value on human beings. ALL human beings are of immeasurable worth.

[lyingtruth]

You must mean; Worth so little that it cannot be measured?

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...because I can if like?

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!

[maddogbitesback]

ser Humans are worth something. Some more than others. For instance children who aren't insured aren't worth the price of the insurance.

[ventana]

Great choice of closing song. Gnarles has it right. To be a Christian in this world surrounded by people who think that life is anything but sacred, or that trying to be good is bad...well you'd better be crazy.

Ha Ha! Bless your soul, you think you're in control?

[parryisle]

Delusional insanity is the only mental illeness that is acceptable by many Americans if it is gift wrapped in religioun. People in other parts of the world are amazed that charlatans such as James Hagee can command such large audiences and generate the enormous amounts of money he accumulates.

[mbaty]

These people mean well; really, they believe abortion is murder, they really believe that abortion thwarts someone from incarnatin­g...howeve­r, the odd thing is that to them aborted babies go straight to heaven, which means, no chance to be gay or liberal and thus go to hell. You'd think it would be good...
but the bottom line is that these people don't understand some fundamental things about how the universe works, and because of their confusion, they cause pain to others.
If they understood that people don't incarnate into fetusus that are going to be aborted...if they understood that evolution IS an intelligent design...if they understood that people are not inherently damned from the get-go...then maybe they would act differently. Beliefs cause so much misery between people.

[smartalek]

Sorry, can't buy that.
While some small fraction of the rank and file anti-choicers might "mean well," there's overwhelming evidence that the leadership -- to a man (and isn't it interesting how many more of them are men than women) -- are not. If they really cared about "teh baaay-beeeez" they'd support education and health expenditures, especially pre-natal care, SCHIP, etc. Where are they on these issues? Not just not supporting them -- fighting them.
Barney Frank got their number years ago: "they think 'life' begins at conception, and ends at birth."
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 controlling women's sexuality -- hence their constant rhetoric about suffering the "consequences" of teh SEX. If they really want to reduce the number of abortions, why is the antichoice movement uniformly against sex-ed, contraception, etc, and supportive of "abstinence-only" propaganda (which controlled studies have demonstrated is an utter failure, and leads to INcreased risk of pregnancy, STDs, etc)? All of this is regularly (and brilliantly) documented at Pandagon, Feministing, BitchPhD., etc; check it out.
The reichwingers are right about one thing, though. One of the many reasons that liberals so often lose political arguments when it comes to elections, policies, and power, is an inability to recognize actual evil when we encounter it, and a tendency to assume that even very, very bad people are, at heart, rational and "mean well." Anti-choicers in the main aren't, and don't.

[rixhex56]

Yeah, their actions belie any attempt to defend their intent.

[lyingtruth]

mbaty,
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!

[robiform]

Another great video from Max Blumenthal, proving once again, that fundamentalists, of whatever religious persuasion, are totally dangerous. In a 21st century version of "A Modest Proposal" (with apologies to Jonathan Swift), I would love to see all fundamentalists, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, whatever, exiled to some remote piece of real estate (preferably a neighboring galaxy!) and let them duke it out among themselves. Then, the rest of us can muddle through our lives without these assholes screwing everything up. And speaking of assholes, that Phelps crew from Kansas will hopefully go bankrupt after the judgment today against them. My congratulations to the father of the deceased serviceman who sued these imbeciles--you, sir, are a true American hero!