Theocratic Threats

Our Regressive Conservative PM may be an embarrassment, and we may have our own tiny YEC creation museum, but at least we do not live in that country so dominated by the religious right (more accurately, the religious wrong) that their leader claims to receive messages from God.

I'm talking of a nation whose degree of religiosity places it alongside nations with functional IQs close to 83. I'm talking of a nation with a lamentable human rights record and continuing unequal treatment of visible minorities. I'm talking of a nation where science education is under threat from creationism, even though most of Europe reconciled religion to the fact of evolution over 1oo years ago. I'm talking of a nation where a disproportionately high percentage of religious folk refuse to recognize that the Bible is a pseudohistoric allegory and insist on Biblical inerrancy, counter to all known facts that demonstrate that much of the Bible is inaccurate.

No, I'm not talking of a third world country. I'm talking of that arrogant superpower that is bankrupting itself in a futile war on terror.

Using God as a running mate might have guaranteed votes from Christian fundamentalists, but it has not ensured good government.

"Ninety-eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them." -Lily Tomlin

Thanks to the gullibility of the average voter, America now suffers one of the worst presidents ever. Giorgio W. Borgia is a man of less than stellar abilities who claims to answer instructions from God: Nabil Shaath says, "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, "George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan." And I did, and then God would tell me, "George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq …" And I did. And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, "Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East." And by God I'm gonna do it.'"

In October 17, 2004, Bruce Bartlett, a domestic policy adviser to Ronald Reagan and a treasury official for the first President Bush said of Dubaya, ''This is why he dispenses with people who confront him with inconvenient facts. He truly believes he's on a mission from God. Absolute faith like that overwhelms a need for analysis. The whole thing about faith is to believe things for which there is no empirical evidence.'' Bartlett paused, then said, ''But you can't run the world on faith.''

While most Americans have opened their eyes and seen the con perpetrated by Giorgio W Borgia's administration, the devoutly religious of America still favor the fool. Still, far too many Americans have not seen the costs and the danger of linking religious fervor to politics. Not only does American current policy demonstrate the dangers of excessive religiosity within administrations, the current Middle East, and world history demonstrate the political lunacies of theocracies.

Although the Founding Fathers' intent was that the state could neither establish a religion nor interfere with personal religious beliefs, religion and state are to be maintained distinct. The exigent need is no longer the protection of religious freedoms, but rather to protect political decision making, minority rights, and education from the depradations of religious fundamentalists.

This blog is participating in the July 1-4 Blogswarm against Theocracy. First Freedom First is an organization dedicated to separation of church and state, and provides resources, including articles and book recommendations. FFF is NOT a "sponsor" of the Blog against Theocracy blogswarm.