Reply #33: I agree to an extent, Odin but I believe the minister posting that message on his marquee

[Uncle Joe]

was surreptitiously attacking attacking reason as the enemy of any definition of faith to broaden his constituency or flock. His sign didn't say Reason is the enemy of structured or fundamentalist religion, or his Baptist Church, (if that's what it is?) etc. etc. but of faith. I believe this is because the vast majority of the people have some form of definitive "faith" religious or not.

Some people here would say he's only speaking of religious faith, but if you listen to them, when they attack Atheism, the basis of their logic is "Atheists don't believe in anything," the implication being anything goes and there are no moral boundaries. This creates fear among people of faith, and the manipulators use fear to beat your reason.

I believe this is a large part of the reason as to why strict, literal, fundamentalism became such a potent force in American Politics over the last few decades.

All you need to do is look at how the word Liberal in spite of it's positive connotations was morphed by the Republicans and their corporate media puppets. In some areas regardless of the logic or soundness of your proposal, all the opponents have to do is say "liberal polices or liberal politician" and it's as if a red flag was waved, hypnotic fear takes over and reason loses out to the demonic word of liberal.