For those of you interested in God and politics, particularly the religious right, this is a very interesting article.
In order to understand what is truly going on with the McCain campaign right now, and why--in spite of overwhelming evidence that the American people are not responding to it--the Republican nominee seems hellbent on attacking Barack Obama for everything from associations "with a domestic terrorist" to allowing babies to die, as he did yet again in last night's debate, you have to realize that what we are seeing in the Republican party right now is basically a split between thinking, fiscal conservatives and the more moderate of the party who accept most of their precepts, and the religious right wing who have, in effect, seceded from the union already and are trying to take the party with them.
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What we're witnessing right now is a fragmenting of the Republican party as the religious right-wing breaks away from the conservative and/or moderate wings of the party. They've had power for a while now, and they don't want to let go. This is part of why there is so much rage and nastiness at their rallies. And you can bet that if John McCain loses, the religious right-wing will say it was because he wasn't fundamentalist ENOUGH, that he didn't push Bill Ayers and ACORN and other wedge issues ENOUGH, that he didn't get mad ENOUGH, and they will back someone wild-eyed enough for them next time--maybe Sarah Palin herself.
--Huffington Post, 10-16-2008
*****
What we're witnessing right now is a fragmenting of the Republican party as the religious right-wing breaks away from the conservative and/or moderate wings of the party. They've had power for a while now, and they don't want to let go. This is part of why there is so much rage and nastiness at their rallies. And you can bet that if John McCain loses, the religious right-wing will say it was because he wasn't fundamentalist ENOUGH, that he didn't push Bill Ayers and ACORN and other wedge issues ENOUGH, that he didn't get mad ENOUGH, and they will back someone wild-eyed enough for them next time--maybe Sarah Palin herself.
--Huffington Post, 10-16-2008
This is really interesting stuff.
For many of us in TEC, I think we see some of this reflected, more recently, in the Anglican Communion. And without naming names, we can feel that finger on our chests generally, but not always, originating south of the equator. We cannot be conservative enough. We cannot be plain reading enough. We cannot ignore diversity or the human condition enough. We cannot hate enough.
I agree that what we are seeing is a wild mitosis of belief where you either tow the right wing line or get out or are forced out; whether we call that orthodoxy, conservatism, fundamentalism. And, as always, this spills over into politics, and the reverse.
Is there such a thing as political fundamentalism? You bet! And this article may call it by another name, but it is alive and mad as hell.
For many of us in TEC, I think we see some of this reflected, more recently, in the Anglican Communion. And without naming names, we can feel that finger on our chests generally, but not always, originating south of the equator. We cannot be conservative enough. We cannot be plain reading enough. We cannot ignore diversity or the human condition enough. We cannot hate enough.
I agree that what we are seeing is a wild mitosis of belief where you either tow the right wing line or get out or are forced out; whether we call that orthodoxy, conservatism, fundamentalism. And, as always, this spills over into politics, and the reverse.
Is there such a thing as political fundamentalism? You bet! And this article may call it by another name, but it is alive and mad as hell.
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