Many voters put credence in what the
religious right says because the religious right has cloaked itself
in robes of Biblical respectability. In the back of many peoples'
minds, they think Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed, John Hagee, ad nauseam
and the religious right in general are doing God's will. The Bible
Pat and his ilk use to mesmerize the well meaning masses with is the
teeth of the religious right and its source of authority over its
followers and its supporters. To render the religious right harmless,
it's teeth must be pulled.
As a political action group, the
religious right likes to intertwine their Biblical respectability
with old fashioned Americanism as is evidenced by the Tea Party. They
paint a picture of our Revolutionary War leaders as religious
zealots, as they themselves are. Contrary to Pat Robertson and the
religious right, America is not a Judeo-Christian nation, and it
never was. It is true, many of America's founders were religious,
however, none of their personal religious beliefs were permitted to
permeate the law due mainly to people with vision, like Thomas
Jefferson, who helped insure the separation of church and state. In
fact, the U.S. Constitution does not mention God at all, and the
Declaration of Independence mentions God, but makes absolutely no
mention of religion. The name of Jesus Christ is nowhere to be found
in either document, nor is there reference made to the Bible or to
Christianity. Instead, Deism is reflected in the Declaration of
Independence - that is God without religion.
It is important that no punches are
pulled in objectively examining the Bible and openly and honestly
reporting the facts. For too long the Bible and other "holy"
books have been off limits to honest criticism. By not questioning
the Bible people set a precedent in not questioning political dogmas
as well. This has given an upper hand in both religion and politics
to charlatans like Ralph Reed and Pat Robertson.
As sincere people in the religious right see the Bible has no divine authority, that its origins are found not in God but in the Roman Emperor Constantine they will turn from the ranks of the religious right. Each time a member of the religious right is reached with the facts about the Bible having ungodly origins as well as containing ungodly teachings and that it actually paints God as a jealous insecure mass-killer, a tooth from the jaws of the religious right is being yanked out! As religious right members develop independent thought they will demand real answers and real results not just from the clergy, but also from politicians. The sacred cows of the religious/political right will be openly questioned and culled. Real natural progress will then be on the horizon and within our grasp.