Anybody here wearing combat gear? (moral, abstinence, choice, creation)

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

From Rapture Culture: Left Behind in Evangelical America, by Amy Johnson Frykholm

On Jerry Falwell's talk show Listen America, Timothy LaHaye used stark language to describe the state of the nation: "We're in a religious war and we need to aggressively oppose secular humanism; these people are as religiously motivated as we are and they are filled with the devil."

His religious war includes antigay, antiabortion, and antipornography campaigns, as well as campaigns for prayer and creationism in the schools. He believes that secularists are in a quest for "world domination" and that Christians have no choice but to fight back. This kind of aggressive political speech has fueled the public image of Left Behind as reactionary and even dangerous.

Rhetoric like LaHaye’s divides the nation into two groups — the good and the evil. Such division eliminates all shades of gray, all room for various understandings, and the viability of diversity of opinion. From there, many conclude that LaHaye’s fictional series also promotes hostility and a politics of fear.

As posted at http://atheism.about.com/b/a/238711.htm?nl=1

If one party decides they are at war, shouldn't that other party prepare and wage battle?

[robtex]

While I disagree with the arguement I understand the strategy he and other theocratists use and see the purpose behind it. Basically as I see the paradigm you have a small percentage of Christians who want a theocracy, a larger number of Christians who are apathetic or are pro-seperation of church and state but are influencable via appeals to God a small section of Christians who oppose seperation of church and state and who are not convertable and all non-christians who by and large oppose a christian-based theocracy.

The technique is a form of "forced victimazation" Where an enemy is named and the potential oppressors (the theocratists) project a role where they are the victims (as well as other Chrisitians) to the amorality of non-theists who are specifically named as secular humanists. I say oppressors because the proposal is that of forced alligence to a specific religious doctrine even at the non-belief of such a doctrine.

The real issue being debated in politics of pro-theocracy or pro-seperation of church and state is being inudated with the propoganda of God's legislation of abosolute morality and the bigger theme of the amorality of secular humanism. The bigger crime in my eyes is the glaring misrepensentation is not seen as a legal issue by the political process at the nation level resulting in the sway of opinion based not on the issue itself but the propoganda campaign used to disguise the true objective. That objective of converting a secular goverment to a theocracy.

[linwood]

Originally Posted by Pah

If one party decides they are at war, shouldn't that other party prepare and wage battle?

I think the "other party" has been winning the battles.
Faith based funding has been cut or stopped.
School vouchers have been cut or stopped.
Abstinence only education cannot stand against the scientific studies that denounce it and is falling in school baords across the coutnry.
Intelligent design is history, all thats left is to listen to it`s adherents rant about it on message boards.
Dover destroyed any hopes it had of gaining a foothold.
The gay marriage fight really needs to take a lesson from that Dover trial and to focus on the fears of the Discovery Institute during it.

It is only my opinion supported by the Wedge Document and the institutes statements about the trial and other litigation since but I truly believe they forced their hand too quickly as many states are with these constitutional amendments against gay marriage.

Politics are helping us here.
these representatives are putting forth these amendments in an effort to garner votes and I believe it is a selfish move that will destroy their amendments.

It will take time for them to be challenged and in some cases appealed but they cannot stand under our federal constitution unless there is serious manipulation of our constitution by SCOTUS.
If that happens then all is lost for decades and I`ll be looking at Swedish travel brochures.

[Victor]

I don't understand why you are dividing this into a "party" thing? Atheist and theist exist in both realms.

[Mike182]

i would oppose any such group over here in England ........ im not sure we have any though, non that i am aware of - im not very aware though lol

[linwood]

Originally Posted by Victor

I don't understand why you are dividing this into a "party" thing? Atheist and theist exist in both realms.

I don`t believe it was "us" that made this divide as is evidenced in the OP.

To deny an organized Christian effort to change the way America lives is to be blind to what is going on around us.

I know of no atheist who exists in the realm that states..

"We're in a religious war and we need to aggressively oppose secular humanism; these people are as religiously motivated as we are and they are filled with the devil."

[ChrisP]

Originally Posted by linwood

To deny an organized Christian effort to change the way America lives is to be blind to what is going on around us.

I agree but from an outside perspective to deny that an organized SH effort to change the way America lives is also blindness... Both groups have their agenda. It's the people in the middle who get squished.

[Darkdale]

Originally Posted by ChrisP

I agree but from an outside perspective to deny that an organized SH effort to change the way America lives is also blindness... Both groups have their agenda. It's the people in the middle who get squished.

Quite true. While Secular Humanists aren't as dangerous as fundamentalist Christians, neither group is doing much good for our country. I think they should both be laughed off the stage, so that the rest of us can continue building and strengthening our country.

[linwood]

Originally Posted by ChrisP

I agree but from an outside perspective to deny that an organized SH effort to change the way America lives is also blindness...

Please give me an example of this SH effort.