LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

This morning, I checked the front page and discovered that we've topped 700 members in the last few days. To our newcomers, welcome! I hope that you will take a few minutes to browse the older posts and read the guidelines on the front page. With the growing number of posts here, adherence to the guidelines is critical. The main thing is not to post quizzes, memes, petitions and things like that. There are plenty of other places on Live Journal for these things, or you can post them in your own journal. Also, watch out for off-topic posts. Sometimes these are purely accidental, or because the poster is inexperienced. But if it's off topic, we'll let you know.

There are plenty of resources here for you to utilize if you are just starting to delve into this very large and often troubling topic. Since this community was created nearly 3 years ago, many other sites addressing the topic of the hard right and dominionism have appeared. Some are thriving. Others are not, and have been retired.

One of our best resources is our Wiki. It's still pretty new, but it is growing by leaps and bounds. This is a participatory project, and if you are interested in contributing to it, please sign on, learn the ropes, and start adding to it. We already have a large collection of websites, books, movies, and biographies of various players in the religious right, as well as pages and articles about allies who are battling them. Knowledge is power, and the wiki goes beyond the limitations of this community to work as a repository for information and links.

The subject matter can be grim and frustrating at times, but to ignore it is to do so at your peril. The dominionists rely on apathy and ignorance of their real agenda to advance their cause. Lately, people are really starting to catch on, and are uncovering their vast web, and bringing them and their activities to light. More and more articles exposing their often blatant intolerance and hatred are being published in highly respected publications. People are starting to question their dominance and pushiness in the government.

This is not a Christian bashing site. There are people of many faiths, and none at all who read and post here. The main purpose of this site is education and critical examination of the political-religious hybrid that uses religion and the trust of its believers to advance a political trend. We must remember this, and welcome Christians who see the danger to their faith, and who wish to acquire the knowledge and the tools needed to reclaim their faith from the political forces. If we can enlighten, encourage and educate, we have done our job here.

Again, welcome. Enjoy your stay.