Some years ago in an e-mail list about Humanism, I made the argument that religion indoctrinates children to carry on the faith to the next generation. At that time, some on the list took me to task for using the word “indoctrinate” as if the parents and religious leaders were doing something criminal. I think religious training is child abuse just like when parents try to maintain that Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny are real. The recent documentary “Jesus Camp” proves my point if in a more hyper way.
Tag: religious right
May 5th was the so-called National Day of Prayer. It is an ad hoc “day” sponsored by the religious right front group Focus on the Family to misinform us all about the erroneous claims that fundamentalist Christians are being persecuted in the United States. President Bush made a public spectacle of the “event” but President Obama only continued the proclamation part. That is a good sign, but there are other reasons to drop the National Day of Prayer.
A religious right front group that is against same sex marriage is going to air a commercial that not only has actors giving fake personal stories but the stories have nothing to do with same sex marriage. The group, the National Organization for Marriage, instead is smearing gays by using made up problems. The Human Rights Campaign found the audition tapes and responds to the fake ad.
Saw an article on the blog Crooks and Liars, by Steve Benen, that talks about John McCain’s cozy relationship with a pastor that says crazy things. The press seems not to care about Pastor Rod Parsley and John McCain.
Walter Russell Mead writes, in a recent article in the Atlantic, that “America’s evangelicals are growing more moderate— and more powerful” in American politics. But to me it isn’t true. It has been a rollercoaster ride.
On the October 5th edition of “Bill Moyers Journal” had a story about the group Christians United for Israel (CUFI) that is lead by televangelist Pastor John Hagee. In a recent seminar in Washington DC Hagee advocated a pre-emptive strike against Iran. The Journal story showed that the confluence of Christian Zionism and a President who never passed up an opportunity to advance religious based foreign policy is a danger not only to the world but to the Jews.