Posted on 12/27/2007 7:41:11 PM PST by Libloather
Religious right is dead
BILL PRESS 26.DEC.07
No matter who becomes the next president of the United States, the American people have already won a great victory — with the total disintegration of the once all-powerful religious right.
Starting in 1979 when Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority, Christian conservatives have been the most powerful voting bloc in the Republican Party. Ironically, they began by casting out of the White House a born-again Christian who continued, as president, his lifelong practice of teaching Sunday school, and replacing him with a divorced and remarried man who seldom stepped inside a church.
But of course, Jimmy Carter was a Democrat and Ronald Reagan was a Republican. And by staying united, the religious right has been able ever since to exercise its veto power over Republican candidates and dictate the issues — abortion, same-sex marriage, stem cell research and school prayer — they would campaign on. Until, that is, the presidential campaign of 2008.
Today, the religious right has splintered into as many different factions as O.J. Simpson has alibis. Unable to find one candidate who fits the bill of being both true-blue on the issues and electable, America’s ayatollahs have divided their loyalties. Indeed, in some cases, they’ve even declared war against each other.
The National Right to Life League has endorsed Fred Thompson, even though he opposes a constitutional amendment to ban Roe vs. Wade and admits he only goes to church when visiting his mother — while James Dobson says he’s not even sure Thompson qualifies as a Christian. Sam Brownback has endorsed John McCain, who once called Jerry Falwell an “agent of intolerance.” And Bob Jones III and Moral Majority co-founder Paul Weyrich have even endorsed a Mormon because they think Mitt Romney is the only one who can beat Hillary Clinton.
Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee, the only ordained Baptist minister in the race, is almost totally ignored by his fellow Christians because, even though Huckabee scores 100 percent on the issues, they don’t think he has a snowball’s chance in Hell of winning. Huckabee’s only evangelical endorsement comes from Tim LaHaye, co-author of the “Left Behind” novels — which may be the appropriate title for Huckabee’s campaign.
And, in one of the most bizarre pairings in politics, Pat Robertson, who blamed gays for Sept. 11 and prayed for a meteor to strike Disney World’s gay pride parade, has endorsed Rudy Giuliani — perhaps because he’s counting on Giuliani to assassinate Hugo Chavez.
James Dobson has said he will never vote for Giuliani, even if it means staying home. But the fact remains that, with Robertson’s help, the Republican Party could very well nominate for president a candidate who is twice-divorced, thrice-married, pro-choice, pro-gay rights and an occasional cross-dresser.
Merely entertaining Giuliani as a candidate demonstrates that, for many conservatives, political power counts more than Christian values.
The religious right is dead. It will never again exercise the political clout it once had — which is bad news for Republicans, but good news for the republic.
While in the long term, some moderate Republicans might welcome relief from having to genuflect in front of the pro-life movement and Terri Schiavo, the short-term political impact for the Republican Party is a disaster.
Christian conservatives probably won’t vote for a Democrat. They’re more likely just to stay home. But the result’s the same: Overnight, Republicans have lost their biggest and most loyal bloc of support. It’s the political equivalent of Democrats’ losing support of the unions.
But for Americans generally, the demise of the religious right is good news. It means tolerance is back. It means we don’t have to worry so much about efforts to turn the United States into a Christian nation. It means “secular” is no longer a dirty word. It means politicians will be judged by more important issues than how many times they utter the God word in one sentence. It means the list of moral issues will expand from abortion and gay marriage to include health care, a living wage, global warming, pre-emptive war and torture.
In short, the dying influence of Christian conservatives means that people of all faiths, or no faith at all, will feel comfortable participating in the political process — and not just those who subscribe to the narrow-minded, intolerant, mean-spirited brand of religion espoused by Dobson and Robertson.
And for that we collectively pray: Thank you, Jesus.
Bill Press is host of a nationally syndicated radio show and author of a new book, “How the Republicans Stole Religion.” You can hear “The Bill Press Show” at billpressshow.com. His e-mail address is bill(at)billpress.com.
Naw, not dead. Just in hiding - waiting for election day.
Must've been a real hoot to attend the Press 'Christmas' party while Bill was upstairs typing out this tripe.
Merry Christmas Bill!
Bill, you should live so long.
The way they’re falling for the Huckster makes you wish it were true.
just so long as all people are comfortable.
Umm, no he doesn't.
See tagline.
Bill Press is still around?
Hey Bill, I am a Christian conservative and I am still around too...you may wish us gone. But we will come back.
And we do bring balance to your whacky way out in left field views.
So keep thinking we are gone and dead. After all, they put Jesus behind a big heavy rock and thought they were done with him and what he taught. Well he arose. And that is who and why we worship. And not you or some other elitist will ever take that from us, not now or ever!
I’ll give Bill Press credit for illuminating a salient fact.
Religious leaders should NOT go so far as to endorse individual candidates. It’s not their business and it diminishes them.
Just reading that laundry list depresses me.
Bill Press is a radical leftist with the IQ of a cretin.
...and like a Phoenix.......
...and like a Phoenix.......
Bill Press is still dead, unless he’s yielded himself to the Word of God.
"God .. if you're for real ... strike me dead, right now!"
pause
(continueing)
"See? .. I'm still alive ... God doesn't exist"
Of course, Bill Press is so open-minded, tolerant and of a generous spirit toward evangelicals. /s
Libs somehow don't see that they often are MUCH more intolerant, narrow-minded, mean-spirited, and bigoted toward evangelical Christianity than the average evangelical Christian is toward secularists.
Now you have done it … insulted cretins (idiots they may be).
.Uh... why not?
Well, religion informs my views and I don’t vote for democrats.
That goes without saying - no?
The left celebrates too quickly. It doesn’t take much to get them in the streets. The South is rising and we on the right are yanking our kids out of their indoctrination camps and raising the next generation while they heap praise on themselves for being environmentally conscious by not reproducing or waiting so long till they are more likely to have children with genetic abnormalities. They are playing a game while we are excusing ourselves and playing by our rules not theirs. They are weak and we are strong provided we are not divided or tricked into voting for weak candidates like Mike Huckabee who represent half/conservatives.
He doesn’t support school choice.
He doesn’t seem to know now where he stands on Sodomy.
He didn’t pause a moment when raising his hand in support of Al Gore’s Global Warming.
He seems not to understand the value of capitalism and has a taste for taxes that rivals Bill Clinton.
If the religious right is only dead if it votes for half a conservative.
I used to debate Bill press when he was on KFI in Los Angeles. A nice guy, but really screwed up in his views.
I used to debate Bill press when he was on KFI in Los Angeles. A nice guy, but really screwed up in his views.
Why not? Are they not also Americans, capable of having and expressing their opinions? Or is their something in the First Amendment that limits you to exercising only one or two of the rights therein recognized?
Lol. The rumor of their demise is greatly exaggerated, unfortunately - especially given Huckabee's rise. They are so easily fooled.
During his failed presidential run, one of Algore's mantras was to "take God back." I don't remember Bill getting his g-string tied in knots over that...
Yea...I don’t agree with him on any issues, but he seems real, and he’s Christian, so I support him.
Has the evangelical community all gone blonde???
Incidentally; when I stand in my garage I am a 1953 Studebaker. I must be a 1953 Studebaker. After all, being in the garage makes me one!
Hey Bill, if we go away who’s going to protect you from yourselves and your constituencies? Who’s going to protect you from the Muslims, Bill?
LOL.
(Shhhhhh. Bill never mentioned Muhammad.)
Good grief, what a silly rant.
As a post modernism liberal, Bill Press has been so open minded, his brains have spilled out: “In short, the dying influence of Christian conservatives means that people of all faiths, or no faith at all, will feel comfortable participating in the political process — and not just those who subscribe to the narrow-minded, intolerant, mean-spirited brand of religion espoused by Dobson and Robertson.” But then, with his audience, it will not be noticed fro a long time, if at all.
The religious right are the Catholics.
I don’t think they are dead.
Hey, maybe we have just matured and are not a complete monolith. I think that’s a healthy sign.
We=Me, and my husband, and my five kids. . . one of whom votes already. . .
People like Bill Press were spoken of by Jesus, as in some will come to Him and He will say ‘depart, I never knew you.’
“Religious right is dead
Naw, not dead. Just in hiding - waiting for election day.”
Right on,libloather. And praying every day for the end of The Culture of Death.
Who the heck is calling who intolerant? The left are far more intolerant then any group of people I have ran across. Who are the ones who can not tolerant God in public view? Who are the ones who can not tolerant a person protecting themselves? Who are the ones who can not tolerate babies breathing air?
Here is the way I see the reason the commie left wishes to be intolerant of God in public view:
The beginning of the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
Only Congress has the power to establish a religion and they are restricted from doing so. God in the Pledge of Allegiance does not establish a religion. A prayer in school does not establish a religion, and a manger scene on public property does not establish a religion. People saying the Lord Jesus Christ's name does not establish a religion. Congress passing a law that says we all have to go to the Glory Bound Baptist Church every Sunday establishes a religion.
Now, Congress is also forbidden from prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Hence, the law of the land says you can not tell me that I can not put a manger scene or the Ten Commandments up. You can not tell me I can not pray. You can not tell me I can not say the Lord's name.
Socialist/Communist wish to remove God from public view so you and I will begin to forget about God. Why do they want you to forget about God? Well, I am an American. I pray to my God and we handle my problems. I do not pray to my Government. Once people have forgotten how to pray to their God for help, they will begin to pray to the Government for help. From the cradle to the grave.
It is imperative that we keep God in public view.
I laugh because he is wrong. The whole world can’t take down Jesus Christ, let alone some secularists on the left in America. I’m still here. The repbulicans will pick a real conservative or lose the election. Then they will realize they need their conservative base. If they lose the election, they will become more conservative in four years. The only way the Christian Right is destoryed is if someone like Guiliani or Paul gets the nomination. Not to mention, liberals are contracepting, aborting, and buggering themselves right out of existence.
That's an astonishing comment, even for Algore (probably taken out of context, but what the heck, I'm gonna run with it anyways :) ... So then, Algore says that us *ants* need to "take God back"? As if God is something which us mere *ants* own, something which we need to control??? Algore and his band of merry Climate ChangeTM shysters don't have one clue as to the power of God, never had, and never will.
Nuff Said.
“Religious right is dead
Naw, not dead. Just in hiding - waiting for election day.”
Right on,libloather. And praying every day for the end of The Culture of Death.
To Say or Imply GOD is dead is Ludicrous...
I’m hoping the support of the Religious Right for The Huckster will begin to wane after his two gaffes today regarding the assassination of Bhutto in Pakistan.
#1. He apologized for her death. (Like it was our fault? Hellllooooo!!!)
#2. He said he was not sure if Mushariff would “CONTINUE” martial law or not. (Martial Law was suspended months ago.)
It’s not too late to stop Huckabee in Iowa and go for a REAL CONSERVATIVE who understands Foreign Policy in our dangerous world today. That would be Fred Thompson.
Yeah Bill, keep dreaming. The “religious right” is alive and well, and still the largest voting block in the US. Plundering in the name of Christ from the left isn’t going to impress people who understand the difference between Christian charity and political guile. That isn’t to say that Huckabee isn’t capable of doing long term damage to social conservatism, should he win the nomination. It won’t be his Christianity that hurts us, but his sappy, soft-in-the-head liberalism. The last thing the religious right needs is its own version of Jimmy Carter for the left to beat up on. What a hoot it will be though, the “tolerant” left (People don’t still believe that old cultural revolution garbage, do they?) beating up on a screwball who promotes high taxes and big government. Imagine the conflict that will cause for the ecumenical swill who buy into Obama’s liberation theology and the Marxist pap the religious left is selling. Some of them might get a little shocked at the intolerant hate coming from the posers of tolerance.
Just the fact that they can be suckered by Huckabee based on his maudlin religiosity is enough to make me hurl. Then again, the rest of the field is a little tough to take. As for Fred, he’s a second tier also ran. Watch and see. Who’s your second choice? If you don’t have one, it might be time to start thinking about it.
>>”The religious right are the Catholics.”<<
The religious right are also the evangelicals. And we’re not dead either.
They call us the “silent majority” for a reason. Remember it was only 4 years ago that the “Christian Right” came out in force against gay marriage.
That time will come about too. Globalist Democrats will be seen by the Regular Joe union member for what they are: Sell outs. The unions will split (already doing so) into international trade unions from their "patriotic" democratic memberships.
Now if blacks will just understand how the democrats are taking them for a ride...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.