Why the religious right has a permanent political edge over secular America [one atheist's view]

The Washington Post ^ | October 10, 2010 | Susan Jacoby

[Alex Murphy]

If you believe any of the hogwash about the irrelevance of the religious right to this election, take a look at the numerous right-wing evangelical websites promoting the 40/40 Prayer Vigil, which began in September with a prayer for Christian voter registration and ends--you guessed it--just before election day, Nov. 2. The 40/40 stands for the forty days and forty nights that Jesus supposedly spent wandering in the desert before finally saying no to Satan's temptations. I'm sure that you won't have any trouble figuring out which political party the Southern Baptist Convention--America's largest religious denomination and one of the many evangelical groups sponsoring pre-election prayer vigils--hopes will inspire its voters to just say no to the satanic works of government. It's perfectly legal; after all; none of these sites actually say that the purpose of these prayer fest/voter registration drives is to support Tea Party and Republican candidates who share the religious rights views on cultural issues.

But just look at the iVoteValues packet that appears on the websites of many Southern Baptist churches and state affiliates. Each church is advised to organize an iVoteValues team responsible for:

* Planning, advertising and conducting non-partisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives.

* Educating the congregation regarding biblical teaching on civil government, the responsibility for culture engagement, and the importance of being informed by biblical principles when considering current issues, candidates' positions, etc.

* Mobilizing members of the congregation to vote their values.

[Alex Murphy]

No secular organization is capable of mounting anything like an organized, church-funded campaign to recruit new voters. Churches reach deep into the daily lives of their most devout members in a way that no secular group can (or, for that matter, would want to do). Secular humanism and atheism are not religions, and no one goes to the First Church of Atheism to find out what Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens has to say about how to "vote our values." The whole idea of registering voters, while engaging in some ritual reflection for forty days before an election, would be laughable to most secularists.

[stars & stripes forever]

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom...the permanent political edge over secular America.

[pnh102]

The writer of this piece is un-American. How dare she criticize those of us who are religious for using our private resources to engage in our God-given rights.

[Tax-chick]

The whole idea of registering voters, while engaging in some ritual reflection for forty days before an election, would be laughable to most secularists.

What do they think ACORN is? It's the Church of Divine Caesar, "Give Me the Handout" branch.

[RichInOC]

In short, “They do stuff we just don’t do.” Well, if it’s that important to you, figure out a secular justification for doing it, and then do it. Otherwise, don’t whine.

[cripplecreek]

It didn’t end for me. I’ve decided to try and make it a lifestyle. I may not always be successful but I will always try.

[Morpheus2009]

No secular organization is capable of mounting anything like an organized, church-funded campaign to recruit new voters.

They certainly have a right to speak freely, and they certainly have a right to do so. Whining is certainly power, because politicians listen. A person who wishes to whine about not having power often appears to be well capable of being organized, if they tried. Any secular organizations out there? I certainly recall an organization out there that protested an old “Ten Commandments” display.

[circlecity]

"No secular organization is capable of mounting anything like an organized, church-funded campaign to recruit new voters"

Give me a break. The secular left only has at its disposal the media, all unions, thousands of NGOs, the public school system, government employee unions, the entire university system, untold government programs, lobbying groups and lots of outside money, (ie. Soros) and the entire Democrat party.

[ansel12]

no one goes to the First Church of Atheism to find out what Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens has to say about how to "vote our values."

Controlling until just recently, all television, all radio, all daily newspapers, all magazines, all waiting room magazines, all movies, all publishing, all schools and curriculum, all colleges, and everything else in the culture that wasn't inside the four walls of the churches on Sunday, seems like a pretty equal asset.

[righttackle44]

The whole idea of registering voters, while engaging in
some ritual reflection for forty days before an election,
would be laughable to most secularists.

Can you imagine what it would be like going to a secularist
joke-telling session, then?

[equalitybeforethelaw]

Geez, the WAPO seems surprised that Christians don’t really feel the need to be transformed by the mesiah of Chicago. You know that WAPO, always on the cutting edge of MACACA. Maybe if the left had any touchstone other than envy they could represent themselves as consistent over time. The truth is they are children, with childish desires.

[Gumdrop]

This is a bunch of balderdash. None of the liberal socialsits types ever complain about types of so-called religious leaders like Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his political rhetoric which borders on hatred of anything sacred in this country.

I think it is hypocrasy similar to the ridiculous assertion that blacks cannot be racists. For some reason all the Democrats go into black churches every election cycle and promote their liberal agendas through brain washing a captive audience. But, that is never ever questioned by the media.

[anniegetyourgun]

Sorry, Susan....we are commanded to pray - even for those in authority (NT) We are also advised to select from among ourselves righteous individuals. (OT)

Certainly we will continue to obey the Lord, regardless of your opinion....or even and edict from civil government to do so.

[wastedyears]

How dare she criticize those of us who are religious for using our private resources to engage in our God-given rights.

It's the Liberal way.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

The Left loves to make the Religious Right a boogeyman but the sad fact is that the country has taken a huge leap in the secular, hedonistic direction over the past 50 years. If you were to go back to 1960 and tell the average moderate voter that abortion and gay marriage would be legal, show them the anti-Christian “art” that is displayed and legally protected, and how we bend over backwards for Islam, he would think you were crazy. Even Liberal Dems of 1960 would probably think you were crazy. This article is simply about the Left needing an enemy and has no connection with reality.

[a fool in paradise]

The “god gap” as the Left called it in 2004 has proven to be a tough sell. They packaged Obama as a lifelong Christian so that he would sell well to black social conservatives who oppose homosexuality and abortion.

Rather than openly sell their agenda and beliefs, they hide behind a mirror and say “me too!” to different audiences, laughing about how the shuck and jive can pull the wool over the eyes of those in flyover country who still “cling to guns and religion”.

The followers of militant Islam cling to guns and religion and our pro-Islamist president says that it is “wrong” to antagonize them by burning a koran (but it’s okay to write more taxpayer checks for P*ss Ch*st photos).

[a fool in paradise]

show them the anti-Christian “art” that is displayed and legally protected

and taxpayer subsidized at the same time as publicly displayed crosses and 10 Commandment sculptures are judged to be cast off of all government property...

[a fool in paradise]

What is so ingenious and insidious about all of this is that the tax-exempt churches manage to stay just this side of their Internal Revenue Service exemption by using that single word "nonpartisan."

Has she never looked at the "non-partisan" Rock The Vote agenda items and "voter research materials?

No, they have the "politically correct" positions on all of the issues.

[a fool in paradise]

Again, my point is not that any of this activity is illegal. African-American churches have conducted similar voter registration drives for years, and we know that African Americans generally vote Democratic.

Ignores the Democrat politicians who visit these same black congregations on the Sunday before election day to speak from the pulpit in violation of election law and IRS law...

By the way, I vote "democratically" for Republicans. This "Democratic" Party nomenclature is bunk. DINO socialists (Democrat in name only). Thomas Jefferson wouldn't recognize "The Party".

[a fool in paradise]

And the right benefits most, because it has the largest churchgoing constituency in this nation.... No secular organization is capable of mounting anything like an organized, church-funded campaign to recruit new voters.

Secular Humanism is a faith. It pushes the mantra that there is no god, that every man is himself his own god.

And it is insitutionalized in academia and the media and is NOT restricted by laws prohibiting an establishment of "State religion" even though it IS a theocratic view.