I KNEW IT!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

Last edited Sat Aug 29, 2015, 12:58 PM - Edit history (2)

Ever since the 1980s, I have observed connections between the religious right and the right wing, such as the campaign for school prayer, which never actually existed in most parts of the U.S.

Well, I'm watching a 2001 documentary on Netflix called "Constantine's Sword," which is about the history of anti-Semitism. The lead-in story is about harassment of Jewish cadets at the Air Force Academy, and then interviews Ted Haggard (founder of the biggest megachurch in Colorado Springs and a graduate of Oral Roberts University), who comes right out and says that he and other members of the National Association of Evangelicals had weekly teleconferences with G.W. Bush and other Republican politicians.

(Some of you remember that Haggard was outed by a male prostitute in 2006 and resigned his position. In the interview, he gives off definite gay vibes.)

As a liberal Christian, this makes me angry.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Quelle surprise.

[Martin Eden]

2. "campaign for school prayer"

They should be careful what they ask for.

Government sanctioned school prayer.

Diversity in the classroom, and a government mandate to treat all religions fairly.

Readings of the Koran with homage to the Prophet Mohammed and prayers to Allah.

I'd kinda like to see how they'd react to that, but religion has no place in a public school classroom except as part of the curriculum to educate young minds about human history and culture.

[SharonAnn]

3. Even if it's Christian prayer, which denomination? Catholic? Mormon? Seventh Day Adventist?

[Martin Eden]

5. It's a real can of worms

and another thing for folks to fight over

[raccoon]

4. The right-wing conservative ideology has become so intertwined with some

conservative denominations that it has really put me off churches.

I used to attend a Methodist church here. One day the teacher wasn't there and the class
got onto every right-wing talking point you can imagine.

I never went back.

If I knew of some liberal churches around here, I'd give them a try.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. Try the ELCA Lutherans, the Episcopalians, or the UCCs

They're generally (not always) the more liberal churches in any community. (The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod are very right-wing.)

[raccoon]

7. UCCs? Elucidate, my dear Watson. Also ELCA, por favor. nt

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. UCC=United Church of Christ

while ELCA stands for Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but they're not megachurch evangelical. Rather, it's a historic part of their name from the days back in Germany during the nineteenth century.

[beam me up scottie]

8. Ted Haggard is completely heterosexual: (nsfw)

https://m.

[pinboy3niner]

9. It really wasn't much of a secret

We learned back then about the RW message machine and the regular meetings and how it was orchestrated. I'd have to search back, but I believe the fundie participants were identified at the time. But that was only on our lefty net sites, not in MS media.

[question everything]

11. Indeed. It was Reagan that runed the Republican party from "live and let live"

to embracing the religious factions.