LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

ordos45 wrote:

"America's ideals are corrupted by human nature, just as the ideals of Christianity are corrupted by human nature. A wise man once said "Satan's greatest trick is to make us think he doesn't exist at all". I disagree, Satan's greatest trick is to make us think we're doing the Lord's Work."

Truer words have never been spoken.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

This New York Times article talks about the upcoming battle between the Dominionist owned Republicans and the "persecuting" Democrats over religion and judges:

As the Senate heads toward a showdown over the rules governing judicial confirmations, Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, has agreed to join a handful of prominent Christian conservatives in a telecast portraying Democrats as "against people of faith" for blocking President Bush's nominees.

Fliers for the telecast, organized by the Family Research Council and scheduled to originate at a Kentucky megachurch the evening of April 24, call the day "Justice Sunday" and depict a young man holding a Bible in one hand and a gavel in the other. The flier does not name participants, but under the heading "the filibuster against people of faith," it reads: "The filibuster was once abused to protect racial bias, and it is now being used against people of faith."

Organizers say they hope to reach more than a million people by distributing the telecast to churches around the country, over the Internet and over Christian television and radio networks and stations.

Dr. Frist's spokesman said the senator's speech in the telecast would reflect his previous remarks on judicial appointments. In the past he has consistently balanced a determination "not to yield" on the president's nominees with appeals to the Democrats for compromise. He has distanced himself from the statements of others like the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, who have attacked the courts, saying they are too liberal, "run amok" or are hostile to Christianity.

The telecast, however, will put Dr. Frist in a very different context. Asked about Dr. Frist's participation in an event describing the filibuster "as against people of faith," his spokesman, Bob Stevenson, did not answer the question directly.

"Senator Frist is doing everything he can to ensure judicial nominees are treated fairly and that every senator has the opportunity to give the president their advice and consent through an up or down vote," Mr. Stevenson said, adding, "He has spoken to groups all across the nation to press that point, and as long as a minority of Democrats continue to block a vote, he will continue to do so."

Some of the nation's most influential evangelical Protestants are participating in the teleconference in Louisville, including Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Chuck Colson, the born-again Watergate figure and founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries; and Dr. Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The event is taking place as Democrats and Republicans alike are escalating their public relations campaigns in anticipation of an imminent confrontation. The Democratic minority has blocked confirmation of 10 of President Bush's judicial nominees by preventing Republicans from gaining the 60 votes needed to close debate, using the filibuster tactic often used by political minorities and most notoriously employed by opponents of civil rights.

"Filibuster against people of faith". This is a prime example of classic Dominionist tactics at work: pretend to be persecuted and play the 'victim' card to the hilt, and make anyone who questions their bullying tactics look like some oppressor or worse. People like this love to play the martyr card, and anyone who questions them is seen as an attacker, who must be defamed and destroyed. Unfortunately, the 'lay' people who do not know how the Dominionists work take their cries of "victim" at face value, worsening the situtation. Keep a close eye on this- it will get worse.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

This Seattle Times article talks about the religious left engaging the Dominionists in politics:

Ten years ago, Kathy Sakahara proudly wore a button that read: "Keep churches out of politics."

The Maple Valley liberal feared the rise of the religious right. She worried America was becoming a theocracy. Though a Christian, the idea of preaching politics from the pulpit made her queasy. Today, Sakahara still has that button — as a reminder of how wrong she was.

"It was a mistake to try to keep religion separate from politics," said Sakahara, 50. "We need to wake up and try a new approach."

Given how packed Seattle's First Baptist Church was the other night, it's clear Sakahara is not alone.

A standing-room crowd of 900 heard traveling evangelical speaker Jim Wallis give an "altar call" for the religious left to engage in politics.

The night before, an estimated 1,000 heard Wallis deliver the same message at Seattle's University Temple Church. The night before that, 700 came out to St. Leo's Catholic Church in Tacoma.

"Something is happening here!" Wallis exclaimed at the size of the crowds. "The monologue of the religious right is finally over and a new dialogue has begun."

Read the rest at the site. Looks like Jim Wallis is hard at work. Good for him. I need to get his books.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

The Daily Kos has a fascinating 'poster' for next week's "Justice Sunday" (discussed in the link in the post below), along with the comment, "This is going to get ugly. And surreal. But the American Taliban have Frist in their grip, and won't relinquish until they have their Afghanistan-style theocracy."

And so it begins. Read the comments.

ADDENDUM: The Rude Pundit has some choice (and very rude- not work safe!) words about "Justice Sunday", along with links to the sites involved.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

The NYC Open Center conference on the Religious Right's agenda is two weeks from today. I've already got my tickets to go- who else plans to be there? One of my personal journal friends is going- and I believe someone on this board. Please let me know- I'd like to arrange a meet-up. With all the Religious Right craziness in the news- especially the thing next weekend, this conference is a great opportunity to learn what is going on, and what we can do about it.