What do you think of the religious right in this country?

Question

Are they a fundamentalist threat to democracy or just humble country folk trying to intill their christian values in our schools and government?

I have to say the former. Barry Goldwater, conservative liberterian Republican icon of the past, agrees:

SOME GOLDWATER QUOTES:

"If they succeed in establishing religion as a basic Republican Party tenet, they could do us in."

"When you say 'radical right' today, I think of these moneymaking ventures by fellows like Pat Robertson and others who are trying to take the Republican Party and make a religious organization out of it. If that ever happens, kiss politics goodbye."

"Well, I've spent quite a number of years carrying the flag of the 'Old Conservatism.' And I can say with conviction that the religious issues of these groups have little or nothing to do with conservative or liberal politics. The uncompromising position of these groups is a divisive element that could tear apart the very spirit of our representative system, if they gain sufficient strength."

"By maintaining the separation of church and state," he explained, "the United States has avoided the intolerance which has so divided the rest of the world with religious wars . . . Can any of us refute the wisdom of Madison and the other framers? Can anyone look at the carnage in Iran, the bloodshed in Northem Ireland, or the bombs bursting in Lebanon and yet question the dangers of injecting religious issues into the affairs of state?"

"The religious factions will go on imposing their will on others, unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in public policy. They must learn to make their views known without trying to make their views the only alternatives... We have succeeded for 205 years in keeping the affairs of state separate from the uncompromising idealism of religious groups and we mustn't stop now... To retreat from that separation would violate the principles of conservatism and the values upon which the framers built this democratic republic."

Answer 1

the religious right is dangerous because of its linear thinking... there is no exception to their beliefs- this is a slippery slope. the whole "if you're not with us, you are against us" mantra goes against everything I love about this country. I should be able to question every move my government makes without being called a terrorist or unpatriotic. I, personally, am terrified of these right wing people. Which is why all of us moderate/liberal/rational human beings need to be more involved in politics and take back some leverage from these ignorant money grubbing morons. :)

Answer 2

I am a Christian, and I totally agree. I cannot STAND the moral majority/religious right. I consider myself a libertarian, because I don't want to be associated with the "religious right" by saying I'm a Republican.

Religion and politics should be kept quite separate. The religious right exists because people like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson realized there was money in the Republican party, and if they could make the Republicans look like the moral ones, they could make bank. Supporting the war in Iraq has NOTHING to do with loving Jesus.

What does banning gay marriage have to do with conservatism? Isn't that the government stepping into people's personal lives - something old conservatives definitely DON'T want? I mean, you already know all this, I'm just going off on my own little tangent.

I would be fine with the Republican party if it weren't for the religious right.
....what I'm trying to say is, I agree. Here here!

Answer 3

The United States have been centered via many of the devout zealots from Europe. When you cluster the trustworthy into one discipline you get a extra devout country. Europe has already suffered a few devout upheavals and discovered by way of suffering to take a much less worried view to faith. Freedom of faith is a pillar of the founding file for the U.S. on account that that is who was once dwelling right here. Masses of folks who left Europe to obtain extra devout freedom.

Answer 4

I think the radical right is bad for America because they brainwash people into thinking that religion and government are compatible when really, that's why we had the Revolutionary War-- They're basically standing for the same thing that the British did in the 1700's.

God and government can never mix, less we want to be told exactly how to live our lives according to some invisible guy that some rich white guys can only see.

Answer 5

Whacko’s, every one of them – their motto: ‘ If you’re not like me, then you’re wrong’, but the part I like best is this nonsense called the rapture, let’s see if I understand – go ahead smoke, drink, don’t worry about the health of the planet or anything else because all the believers will just disappear and float away one day and land in the great heaven in the sky.

Answer 6

Radical fundamentalist are a serious threat to the division of church and State in America.

They have become too powerful a lobby and have way too much influence over politicians and the govt in general

Answer 7

I think they're in the "religious WRONG" when it comes to trying to influence politics in this Country. Church & State should REMAIN separate. I DON'T CARE what a polticians "morality" is- I just want him/her to be COMPETENT, and RESPONSIVE to the WILL of the American People. And right now- we have a moral, "Decider..."- who doesn't know what he's doing, -running the Country.

Answer 8

I think liberals are extremist crazies who brainwash the masses,especially the youth,through propaganda.They paint anyone who isn't hip with Mtv and two girls making out as dangerous rightwing extremists.It's age-ist !!!

Age-ism is all they can get away with anymore since they can no longer get away with the kind of gross racism and slave-owning that they once were able to.

Anyways the religious left are the ones who are really the dangerous extremists who try to legislate their beliefs onto everybody else to the point of eroding our rights and limiting our ability to dissent against them by inventing coded speach like political correctness that just makes it so we can't disagree with them without being labeled or stigmatized as a racist,homophobe,xenophobe,etc-etc when they are the ones who ARE the KKK.It's a play straight out of the Nazis handbook.They are evil.Period.

Answer 9

Freedom is the line between church and state, and they want to erase it. They are dangerous.

Answer 10

What strikes me as curious is that many of the "relgious right" that I have met are also pro-war. That seems to be a contradiction