Suggested dem theme-meme: "religious war."

[patcox2]

Use it the way the republicans use "class warfare" to mau-mau the dems away from traditional democratic economic issues (such as progressive taxation). Use it to put the republicans on the defensive on these social issues that they are killing us with.

Example: "My opponent is using this issue to divide people of different faiths, to promote religious war between people of different beleifs. Thats just wrong."

Because it is wrong. And those who buy into it, those who foment the false conflict are walking right down the path the republicans want you to walk down. Atheists who bitch about a creche on public property are doing just as much harm to america as bible-thumpers who bitch about "happy holidays." The republicans strategists want to create a cleavage line, a division, they want to divide america so that this issue becomes the deciding issue for some fraction of people. And when you engage in it, when you further this manufactured conflict by engaging at all with what is essentially a stupid fucking issue, you are doing Rove's work, fracturing this party and turning a large percentage of the US population against the democrats. Its just pathetic. I'd rather put up with a fucking creche than GW Bush.

[AllegroRondo]

1. I like that. So true.

Especially if we can show they divide Christians of different denominations as well.

[brainshrub]

2. I'm not sure I like it... but don't let that discourage you.

You've got the right idea.

I like to refer to Pat Robertson & other RW fundies as "Radical Clerics."

Example: Radical cleric James Dobson gave a speech on family values at Bob Jones University.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. sometimes the religious war is between people of the same faith

Many many Christian churches do not agree with the rw agenda. The courageous UCC message seen on TV shows this. Using the 'religious war' argument should hit home with liberal Christians and stir more to action.

[BOSSHOG]

4. Please join me in urging Radical Christian Conservatives

to stop whining about their plight on this planet and declare war against the USA. Their goal is to replace the constitution with the Bible. Tell them that goal will not be achieved by whining, they have to act. Have them encourage their radical christian clerics to take up arms against the government. Red State ignorance and hate almost ruined the Union once; let us encourage them to show their true colors once again. I live in a red state and I'd be more than happy to be part of the "French" resistance.

[patrice]

5. Right! Don't let them define the terms of the discourse.

Take "their side" away from them by agreeing with their values (which I often honestly DO AGREE with) - then - extend those same values to your agenda. The war is a perfect example of this: Pro-Life IS Anti-War because respect for life is extended to ALL life, including innocents killed in war.

At the grassroots what we are dealing with is usually people who have not identified (more or less) universal principles in what they say they value. We have to help them discover those universal principles, Piaget's & Kohlberg's most mature levels of reasoning.

[Union Thug]

6. Interesting point, but I think that it is one that ultimately is rooted in

..the class warfare divide. The religious diversion takes the focus off the economic warfare being waged on the working people of this country.

As an atheist, my problem is that so many born-agains seem blatantly clueless about this fact. My problem is not so much with the religion as it is with the mentality that cannot get past their personal mythologies and see that the only thing that matters is the economic war.

I mean, who the fuck cares about freedom of religion if you can't get basic medical care or can't pay the rent? It's the inability of the born again mentality to prioritize reality that irks me.

[patcox2]

7. You are right about it being a distraction, this calls it out.

The reason that the democrats have not been able to openly address economic issues is because every time they try to do so, the republicans have this theme, they all start screaming "class warfare" in an amazing example of the pot calling the kettle black. So if a democrat says "Bush's policies are screwing the poor while making the richest amercians even richer, we need to increase taxes on those who have been the most fortunate to help take the burden off the working people," you will hear a chorus of "class warfare," with its implied accusation of "socialism, communism" from the right wing pundits. By doing this so effectively, they have stolen the democrats' traditional bread and butter issue, economic justice and social justice, and left us looking like the party of divisive fringe issues like gay marriage and gun control and abortion.

So what I am suggesting is that this same tactic and this same big-picture reframing of the issue be used against the republicans whenever they trot our one of their divisive social-morality issues that are only designed to turn people against democrats anyway. They should be constantly and uniformly and loudly accused of fomenting religious warfare, of turning people of different faiths against one another in defiance of american traditions of tolerance and keeping religion out of politics. "Religious warfare" is an ugly thing, and its a truthful accusation, and they deserve it, and I think it can have the same effect as the "class warfare" accusation has had against the democrats, it can nuetralize their social-morality issues that they are beating us to death with.

And by the way, I do not base my beleif on the social-morality issues being the death of the democrats on the recent post-election poll, its a deeper trend and a fact, abortion, gay rights, feminism gun control, these issues are killing the democratic party just by association. What do we stand for in the average blue collar southerner's mind? Thats it, abortion, atheism, feminism, gay rights. Thats a major problem, that these issues define the party. When people ask "why do these people vote against their economic interest," the answer is that the democratic party does not make it part of the message that we are the party that represents their economic interest. And the reason we don't, again, is because the democratic party has beein intimidated by the use of the "class warfare" accusation by the republicans.