Christian fundamentalists are driving our country into the Dark Ages

[guno]

America has an infection. Whether it is terminal remains to be seen. The infection is that of anti-intellectualism, a steadfast refusal to acknowledge that one’s worldview is mutable, a worldview in which facts are only facts if they fit that worldview, and that anyone who disagrees with a Christian fundamentalist worldview is an “enemy” of God. The infection has taken hold in conservative politics, where it has spread to a significant portion of the American population, and even into a significant amount of the Canadian population. In Katherine Stewart’s article in the Guardian entitled “How Christian Fundamentalism Feeds Into the Toxic Partisanship of US Politics,” Stewart notes:

1. Erosion of education — escalating attacks on teachers as bad citizens, teachers’ unions as greedy “takers”, the evolution vs. creationism debate, resistance to stem cell research (or any kind of scientific research that conflicts with their Biblical worldview), fundamentalist emphasis on voucher system to create taxpayer funded fundamentalist schools, fear of a changing, increasingly pluralistic society (the current face of which is the extraordinary power fundamentalists give to the LGBT community as the force eroding American morality and bringing down the entire nation), and a negative economy which is generating public support by those who consider themselves members of the Religious Right by demonizing public education as a “liberal conspiracy” to take their children away from God.

2. Biblical Literalism: The Bible is the foundation of “truth,” from science to social interactions, and anything that disagrees with a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible is a product of Satanic manipulation, of which the by-product of Satan is secularism.

3. Oversimplification: The idea that there is a clear right and wrong (based on Biblical laws, or cherry-picked verses), the universe is either moral or immoral, and that so-called “assaults” on religious “freedom” of fundamentalists signify an invisible war between the forces of God (or “good&#8221 and the forces of Satan (or “evil&#8221.

Christian fundamentalists are driving our country into the Dark Ages


The lack of empirical education is eroding American society in favor of a “faith based” education that has nothing whatsoever to do with facts that threaten their worldview. Liberty is something they interpret as the freedom to live in a society based solely on their Biblical worldview. Freedom of religion for others in an inclusive society is anathema to them, because such freedom threatens to sideline them to the fringes. Individual liberty does not exist except for them, because they have an inherent distrust of the individual to make reasonable decisions, unless those decisions are based on their interpretation of Scripture. Thus, mainstream Christians are not their brethren; mainstream Christians are simply misinformed individuals who have deluded themselves into believing they are of the family of Christ, and only the clear lens of fundamentalism can see that mainstream Christians have been deceived by the enemy of God which is secular society.

The sole aim of fundamentalists is to “obey” God in creating conditions favorable to the return of Christ–and this one thought, this one design drives American foreign policy with Israel (they believe that when the Jews all return to Israel and the 3rd temple is rebuilt that Christ will return, (but not without sacrificing 2/3 of the Jewish people in the process), then all the remaining Jews will become Christians. American fundamentalists are only interested in Jewish people and Israel insofar as it furthers the return of Jesus Christ. That is all.

 

[chikenwing]

Bwahahahahahhahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JWBooth]

America has an infection. Whether it is terminal remains to be seen. The infection is that of anti-intellectualism, a steadfast refusal to acknowledge that one’s worldview is mutable, a worldview in which facts are only facts if they fit that worldview, and that anyone who disagrees with a Christian fundamentalist worldview is an “enemy” of God. The infection has taken hold in conservative politics, where it has spread to a significant portion of the American population, and even into a significant amount of the Canadian population. In Katherine Stewart’s article in the Guardian entitled “How Christian Fundamentalism Feeds Into the Toxic Partisanship of US Politics,” Stewart notes:

1. Erosion of education — escalating attacks on teachers as bad citizens, teachers’ unions as greedy “takers”, the evolution vs. creationism debate, resistance to stem cell research (or any kind of scientific research that conflicts with their Biblical worldview), fundamentalist emphasis on voucher system to create taxpayer funded fundamentalist schools, fear of a changing, increasingly pluralistic society (the current face of which is the extraordinary power fundamentalists give to the LGBT community as the force eroding American morality and bringing down the entire nation), and a negative economy which is generating public support by those who consider themselves members of the Religious Right by demonizing public education as a “liberal conspiracy” to take their children away from God.

2. Biblical Literalism: The Bible is the foundation of “truth,” from science to social interactions, and anything that disagrees with a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible is a product of Satanic manipulation, of which the by-product of Satan is secularism.

3. Oversimplification: The idea that there is a clear right and wrong (based on Biblical laws, or cherry-picked verses), the universe is either moral or immoral, and that so-called “assaults” on religious “freedom” of fundamentalists signify an invisible war between the forces of God (or “good”) and the forces of Satan (or “evil”).

Christian fundamentalists are driving our country into the Dark Ages

That's some funny shit right there considering that things are very clearly headed in the other direction.

 

[guno]

Now the good news!!

An Oxford University researcher and author specializing in neuroscience has suggested that one day religious fundamentalism may be treated as a curable mental illness.

LiveLeak.com - Religious Fundamentalism 'May Be Categorised As Mental Illness & Cured By Science'

 

[westwall]

Now the good news!!

An Oxford University researcher and author specializing in neuroscience has suggested that one day religious fundamentalism may be treated as a curable mental illness.

LiveLeak.com - Religious Fundamentalism 'May Be Categorised As Mental Illness & Cured By Science'

Will that work on envirowhackaloons too?

 

[Pennywise]

Now the good news!!

An Oxford University researcher and author specializing in neuroscience has suggested that one day religious fundamentalism may be treated as a curable mental illness.

LiveLeak.com - Religious Fundamentalism 'May Be Categorised As Mental Illness & Cured By Science'

Homosexuality is a mental illness. Supporting abortion is a mental illness. Believing you can legislate against natural human characteristics (the seven deadly sins) is a mental illness.

In conclusion, the entire leftist ideology is derived only by ignoring the reality of the human condition. This was once "common sense" until the psychiatric community was completely overtaken by minorities with an agenda to treat perversions as normal, and destroy the very fabric of western civilization.

 

[GISMYS]

THESE LAST DAYS ARE HERE NOW!! Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. 1 Timothy 4:1-2

 

[DGS49]

Here are a few things to keep in mind. The viewpoints that you consider to be the product of radical Fundamentalism (or whatever) are the very same viewpoints that were held by the vast majority of Americans just a few short generations ago (a generation being 15-20 years).

When I was growing up in the 50's and early 60's:

Abortion was considered by most Americans as almost equivalent to baby-killing. For a woman to admit she had an abortion was tantamount to an admission of total depravity.

Homosexuality was UNIVERSALLY considered a disgusting perversion. Every organized religion condemned it, without reservation. America REFUSED TO BELIEVE that Liberace was queer because the public simply could not countenance this entertaining flake actually being a degenerate in private. And believe me, if he had ever "come out" on his TV program the audience would have been ZERO the following week. But of course all of the sponsors would have bailed immediately, so the show would not exist.

Bastardy was a disgrace on everybody involved: the kid, the mother, the mother's family, and the sperm donor. The expression "shotgun marriage" was no joke. If you knocked a girl up and refused to marry her (even if you were a worthless bastard yourself), you could be looking at some very serious consequences from the girl's family.

Being on "welfare" was something to be ashamed of.

Being an adult male and living in your parents home was something to be ashamed of, and something to be avoided at all costs.

The idea of teachers having unions and the right to strike would have been considered insane (this "innovation" was entirely promoted by self-serving politicians, and with no consent from the general public). Although teachers always had a "remarkable" level of job security, there was always the theoretical possibility that an incompetent teacher could be fired. And accordingly, teaching was considered an honorable (if poorly compensated) "profession."

Sex education was ENTIRELY the responsibility of the parents, and the idea of some teacher instructing grade school and high school kids on sex techniques, masturbation, and how to avoid pregnancy would have caused a mini-revolt.

Other than prophylactics, "artificial birth control" didn't exist, so the vast majority of "nice" girls remained virgins, if not until marriage, at least until they felt they were in a committed relationship - which meant a hell of a lot more in the 50's than it does now. And if you bother to think about it, if sexual promiscuity was morally wrong before the advent of BC pills, does that invention change the moral ramifications? Not hardly.

All of the complaints listed in the OP are nothing more than a manifestation of peoples' desire to maintain the morals, ethics, and lifestyle that prevailed in this country through the first 200 years of its existence. There is nothing "wrong" with looking for moral guidance from the Bible, or from trying to shield your children from the nonsense and amoral degeneracy that is prominent in our public school systems today. Nor is there anything wrong with trying to divert one's tax dollars into an education that you find acceptable rather than feeding the monster of the State's public schools.

The worst conceit of the current generation is that its view of history goes only as far back as they personally can remember. The OP is "Exhibit A."

 

[GISMYS]

Abortion IS considered by most Americans TO BE equivalent to baby-killing. For a woman to admit she had an abortion IS tantamount to an admission of total depravity.

SICK MINDED Homosexuality IS UNIVERSALLY considered a disgusting perversion. Every organized religion condemned it, without reservation. America REFUSED TO BELIEVE that Liberace was queer because the public simply could not countenance this entertaining flake actually being a degenerate in private. And believe me, if he had ever "come out" on his TV program the audience would have been ZERO the following week. But of course all of the sponsors would have bailed immediately, so the show would not exist.
GOD ALMIGHTY MAKES THE RULES NOT little man!!!

 

[JWBooth]

Ya'll suppose gummo and gizmo are one in the same and jerking folk's chain?

 

[thebrucebeat]

Here are a few things to keep in mind. The viewpoints that you consider to be the product of radical Fundamentalism (or whatever) are the very same viewpoints that were held by the vast majority of Americans just a few short generations ago (a generation being 15-20 years).

When I was growing up in the 50's and early 60's:

Abortion was considered by most Americans as almost equivalent to baby-killing. For a woman to admit she had an abortion was tantamount to an admission of total depravity.

Homosexuality was UNIVERSALLY considered a disgusting perversion. Every organized religion condemned it, without reservation. America REFUSED TO BELIEVE that Liberace was queer because the public simply could not countenance this entertaining flake actually being a degenerate in private. And believe me, if he had ever "come out" on his TV program the audience would have been ZERO the following week. But of course all of the sponsors would have bailed immediately, so the show would not exist.

Bastardy was a disgrace on everybody involved: the kid, the mother, the mother's family, and the sperm donor. The expression "shotgun marriage" was no joke. If you knocked a girl up and refused to marry her (even if you were a worthless bastard yourself), you could be looking at some very serious consequences from the girl's family.

Being on "welfare" was something to be ashamed of.

Being an adult male and living in your parents home was something to be ashamed of, and something to be avoided at all costs.

The idea of teachers having unions and the right to strike would have been considered insane (this "innovation" was entirely promoted by self-serving politicians, and with no consent from the general public). Although teachers always had a "remarkable" level of job security, there was always the theoretical possibility that an incompetent teacher could be fired. And accordingly, teaching was considered an honorable (if poorly compensated) "profession."

Sex education was ENTIRELY the responsibility of the parents, and the idea of some teacher instructing grade school and high school kids on sex techniques, masturbation, and how to avoid pregnancy would have caused a mini-revolt.

Other than prophylactics, "artificial birth control" didn't exist, so the vast majority of "nice" girls remained virgins, if not until marriage, at least until they felt they were in a committed relationship - which meant a hell of a lot more in the 50's than it does now. And if you bother to think about it, if sexual promiscuity was morally wrong before the advent of BC pills, does that invention change the moral ramifications? Not hardly.

All of the complaints listed in the OP are nothing more than a manifestation of peoples' desire to maintain the morals, ethics, and lifestyle that prevailed in this country through the first 200 years of its existence. There is nothing "wrong" with looking for moral guidance from the Bible, or from trying to shield your children from the nonsense and amoral degeneracy that is prominent in our public school systems today. Nor is there anything wrong with trying to divert one's tax dollars into an education that you find acceptable rather than feeding the monster of the State's public schools.

The worst conceit of the current generation is that its view of history goes only as far back as they personally can remember. The OP is "Exhibit A."

What you describe is a time when all these things you detest on religious grounds were capable of making decent people into pariahs, a state of mind you support. The good old days when women knew their place, teachers had the privilege of teaching not the profession of it for fair compensation, gays quaked in fear of people like you, and blacks were being hung from trees and burned out of their homes.
The good old days. I lived through them, too.
In a post-war boom of unprecedented proportions where the infrastructure of the rest of the world had been annihilated and we were the only economy standing, we flourished. GI's were given housing, education, all kinds of government support to bring them into the economy. Unions were at their peak and workers were getting a higher percentage of a companies wealth than at any other time in our countries history. That created a thriving middle class that had money to spend, and they did.
With the population living off the fat of the lamb, people rocking the boat weren't embraced.
The one who's vision stops at the historical date stamp of their own lives is you. Most of our country's history is the battle for survival of the underclasses and that battle is back. In those circumstances rights become more of an issue and hiding behind fundamentalism becomes a serious obstacle and not a way of maintaining the status quo.
Christianity didn't cause our prosperity or smugness. It provided a divine excuse for our excesses, our hubris and our militancy.

 

[thebrucebeat]

Now the good news!!

An Oxford University researcher and author specializing in neuroscience has suggested that one day religious fundamentalism may be treated as a curable mental illness.

LiveLeak.com - Religious Fundamentalism 'May Be Categorised As Mental Illness & Cured By Science'

Will that work on envirowhackaloons too?

Are you describing the vast, vast majority of scientists that have all the data on their side?
Probably not.

 

[GISMYS]

AMERICA=IN GOD WE TRUST! ONE NATION UNDER GOD WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. AMERICA without GOD = another Sodom and Gomorrah, to go that direction is to ask for the same judgments that fell on Sodom.

 

[hangover]

christian fundamentalists are driving our country into the dark ages

amen!

 

[GISMYS]

christian fundamentalists are driving our country into the dark ages

amen!

Too bad! but some must learn everything the hard way!!!! and you????????AMERICA=IN GOD WE TRUST! ONE NATION UNDER GOD WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. AMERICA without GOD = another Sodom and Gomorrah, to go that direction is to ask for the same judgments that fell on Sodom.

 

[bodecea]

christian fundamentalists are driving our country into the dark ages

amen!

The Dark Ages, where the Church held sway and anyone who did not toe the Church line was excommunicated, imprisoned, and killed. Very similar state to what fundamentalist Islamic countries are in right now.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I don't believe its terminal.

There have always been people who fought against equality and education and there have always been people who fight for freedom and progress.

And, its always the freedom and progress what wins.

Well, except for places like Uganda.

 

[Chuckt]

2. Biblical Literalism: The Bible is the foundation of “truth,” from science to social interactions, and anything that disagrees with a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible is a product of Satanic manipulation, of which the by-product of Satan is secularism.

No. There was a tree of good and evil in the garden so why did God allow it? We don't all believe that we should be separated from the evil because no one is better than the other.

 

[GISMYS]

But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thess.5:22===Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22==Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Romans 12:

 

[JakeStarkey]

Christian fundamentalists are driving our country into the Dark Ages

Nah there are no longer enough of them, their children are rejecting the political and social ideals, and Americans generally are fed up with their red eyed caterwauling.