Some true believers may believe their leader is nice. And some believe their leaders are not so nice, and they support that and seek to impose it on others. There was a time when generalities would have fit much better. A day when a group generally agreed. But with Christianity, and many other religions, we see that each individual practically has their own set of beliefs constructed just for them. Then there are the fundmentalists, and in my opinion, the problem. Why does it matter to me? I live in America. This is why it matters to me. . .
Evolution: This is science. There is constant pressure on the part of fundamentalists to introduce Intelligent Design into science classes. The pressure never relents, and we spend so much energy and resources pushing back. America is falling behind, particularly in science because these people try to suppress science. They believe their leader is nice, and therefore, everyone should follow only him.
Climate Change: Hey if science can't be trusted, then why believe the enormous consensus among scientists that humans are destroying the earth? A congressman read scriptures about the flood on the house floor. God promised never to bring about a worldwide flood again, therefore, he does not believe in climate change. So we need to do nothing to modify our behavior because this nice leader is in charge.
Abstinence: Schools teaching abstinence only to teenagers because this nice leader has said that is best. What? It doesn't work and has never worked. Teenagers need to be prepared for reality.
School Prayer: Yeah, we thought this one was settled. But just lilke THE BLOB it pushes through cracks and looks for other avenues. Why is school prayer a problem? Cuz not everyone wants to follow the same nice leader. Those that believe should be offended if a watered down generic prayer that seeks to fulfill the least common denominator is offered up to their nice leader. And those that don't believe should just be offended.
War on Drugs: The nice leader does not like drugs. So how does this translate? Money and resources used endlessly to quell marijuana use. It hasn't worked and will never work. This is one drug that on it's own does no harm. Instead we choose to construct a system that makes marijuana insanely profitable and the business of selling it incredibly dangerous. And when we enforce this war, we aren't banging down doors in white suburbs. We are yanking young, poor, minorities off the street and throwing them into prison and then bitching when they come out and can't find work. For the rest of their lives, they won't find work. What do you think they will do to get money?
Homosexuality: By far the biggest objection to homosexuality is religion. We have a group of people that are denied their civil rights because their rights offend the religious people around them. Hatred abounds---there is always enough to go around when people follow nice leaders.
There is much more. I am okay with believers that practice their faith and construct their lives around their beliefs. But in America we have another reality. A strong religiously motivated political power that seeks to contruct other people's lives as well. Those that don't believe bristle when we feel forced to abide by policy that has no grounds outside of what we consider to be superstition. Maybe we want to buy wine on a Sunday to have with friends and dinner. What? You don't sell wine on Sunday??? WHY? Because that's how the religious people want it.
Yeah--I taught my child about birth control, but why am I supporting this young mother? Why didn't she use birth control? Because that is how the religious people want it. WHAT? China has surpassed us in all areas of science? We were the best--we have the brightest. Why can't we compete on the world stage??? Because that's the way religious people want it.
What do you mean species are dropping into extinction faster than we can count? What do you mean our climate can't support the food we need to grow? Why have hurricanes destroyed my home that is clearly outside the zone? Why has our climate changed unstopped??? Because that's the way religious people want it.
Why have we allowed ourselves to reach an ecological armegeddon? Because that's the way religious people want it.
I totally get that some want to mind their own business and do their own thing. I love that about them. But it's not the reality where I live. Fundamentals seek to impose and change policies, even if it means a loss of civil rights, even if it means manufactured ignorance and even if it means the death of us all.
So I have nothing against you N.Drew. But we can't deny that religion has always been a powerful force and in many ways has worked in a counterproductive manner. If the rest of us sit by passively, we may not have an earth that can sustain life. If we allow the fundamentalists to set policy, we invite suffering at the hands of their nice leader. I get the sense from your post that you want to be left alone with your beliefs--and I can respect that. Of course posting here invites people to challenge you, so that will continue. But I'd like to be left alone too. Unfortunately that is not an option for me. My daily life is molded by fundamentalists as they ram through policies that have no basis other than their beliefs.
NC
