Reply #71: Found an excellent history of the Religious Right

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http://www.newtopiamagazine.net/content/issue15/features/evangelism.php

This is really first rate. It tells how the Religious Right came together in the 1970's, names many of the major players and organizations, sketches how they made the leap to political influence and connections in the 1980's, and concludes with a lucid explanation of how the Religious Right and the Neocons (who differ on so much else) were able to join forces over Bush's Middle East policies.

Although it doesn't spell it out directly, I get the impression that the major reason Bush *had* to invade Iraq (even more than the oil) was that it was the only issue that could hold together the two main factions of his supporters.

The only thing it doesn't touch is Moon's role in all of this, the extent to which he has been able to co-opt the Religious Right, and the way in which he now seems to be moving into Middle Eastern affairs as well.

One question about Moon I would love to have answered is whether he's simply been piggybacking on the pre-existing agenda of the Religious Right in order to increase his influence, or whether he's managed to turn the Religious Right into a mouthpiece for his own agenda. That could make a lot of difference as to how we attempt to counter him.