Are We To Become A Christian Fundamentalist Nation?

When will the power of the Christian Fundamentalists become great enough to turn them into the American Taliban? Now that is something IMO for us nonbelievers to worry about.

tomorrow if they had their druthers....this is the problem...it needs nipping in the bud......

It gets scarier and scarier..............

The Big Chill at the Lab

By BOB HERBERT

Published: November 3, 2003
A list of nearly 200 scientific researchers has been compiled and given to federal officials by the Traditional Values Coalition, a conservative group that goes wild over gay issues and federal funding of research related to human sexuality.
The list, which has sent a chill through some researchers, is being used by the coalition and its government allies in attempts to discredit the researchers and challenge or revoke their federal grants. It's a sloppy, dangerous and wildly inaccurate list, put together by people who are freaked out by the content of the studies, and unconcerned about their value.
The targeted studies cover a wide range of topics related to health and sexuality, including H.I.V. and AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and adolescent sexual behavior.
The Web site of the Traditional Values Coalition is bizarrely fixated on sexual matters. The banner headline on the home page the other day blared, "HOMOSEXUAL URBAN LEGENDS: The Series . . ."
The site complained that "nearly $100 million has gone to research many projects which reasonable people, even those with no particular religious or political perspective, would view as prurient."
For a right-wing coalition to be hung up on these matters is one thing. But the coalition's list, which includes some of the most respected scientists and institutions in the country, is circulating among members of Congress and was forwarded to the National Institutes of Health, which is responsible for awarding the crucially important grants.
"It has a lot of people very nervous," said Dr. Thomas Coates, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at U.C.L.A. "People who have made a career out of this kind of research — well, when you see your name on a list you wonder what's going to happen to your funding."
"The list itself is less important than the context in which it's been generated," said Dr. Judith Auerbach, a vice president of the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Until recently Dr. Auerbach headed the Office of AIDS Research at the National Institutes of Health.
"The context is that in recent months there have been a series of specific inquiries to the N.I.H. from Congressional committee members, through their staffs in particular, asking about specific grants and specific grantees based apparently on the content of those grants."
The content is usually related to such matters as the AIDS virus, high-risk sexual behavior and other topics linked in some way to sexuality.
"Those inquiries come in a very negative tone," said Dr. Auerbach. "And they cast aspersions on the quality and the content of the science — from someone who doesn't know how to conduct science, and is not a scientist. So the N.I.H. has been put in the position frequently in the last year of having to re-justify research that has already been peer-reviewed, approved and funded."
Science has to suffer when the know-nothings come traipsing through the laboratories, infecting the research with their religious beliefs and political ideologies. Andrea Lafferty is the executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, which she says represents more than 43,000 churches.
"What makes us unique among all the conservative groups," she said, "is that I believe we truly represent the body of Christ."
Ms. Lafferty said she personally gave the list of scientific researchers to Representative Billy Tauzin, a Louisiana Republican who is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. One of its subcommittees has been reviewing the awarding of grants by N.I.H.
"We never said any grant on there was bad," said Ms. Lafferty. But she said she wanted to know why the grants were being funded, and why so many had to do with H.I.V. and AIDS.
Ms. Lafferty acknowledged that her group has a problem with homosexuality. "We're concerned that it's a behavior-based lifestyle, that you're not born that way," she said.
She insisted that the coalition does not oppose research on H.I.V. and AIDS, but added, "How many times do you have to study something to find out how to stop the spread of AIDS?"
The public officials who got their hands on this sinister list could have thrown it in the garbage. Instead, the list is circulating, like an insidious disease, and some scientists are worried that they are not immune.

The handiwork of the American Taliban. Their ayatollah is now firmly entrenched in the White house.

Can't you just imagine the southern accent, the beatific smile, and the blank stare of a complete loony?

hobitbaptistbob just doesn't sound right!

Book burning must be coming up soon.

hobitbob

Are you talking about Bush?

Book burnings happen weekly in Northern VA, Southern PA, Eastern Baltimore County, and parts of Pierce County WA.

"Are We To Become A Christian Fundamentalist Nation?"

No

[size=7]Thank god![/size]

Here we go again!

Don't you guys think you are being a little bit hysterical.

As you know from my other posts, I am no fan of Bush. But, like it or not, there is a significant part of our society that identify themselves as Christians. It is wrong for you to say they shouldn't have a voice.

The religious bashing of this post is excessive and out of line.

There is absolutely nothing in our Constitution that bans a religious person from being elected president. On the contrary, preventing someone from holding office because of there beliefs would go against everything I love about America.

We live in a Democracy. Within any democracy there are many different perspectives and viewpoints. The ideals behind democracy say that we can afford to allow different viewpoints to have a voice - and somehow, under our laws, we come up with a society that is decent to all.

Bashing people based on their religion is your right. It is a constitutionally protected expression of free speech. But so is book burning.

I think this thread goes against the spirit of democracy.

Attack the policies of Bush, and I will join you.

But don't teneralize all of the ills of society and blame them on a religion.

Craven doesn't share our concern about this danger. But it seems to me to be very likely.....and it's almost a reality already.

Hobitbob posted this on another thread but I can't find it here so I'll do it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/03/opinion/03HERB.html?th

Who are these "concerned Congressmen?"

Fundamentalist Christians seem to style themselves as a powerful voting bloc. Candidates like Dubya pay fealty to these people by keeping such non-issues as abortion in the public arena.

Brown
There is the principle of separation of church and state. The fundamentalists are attempting through their support of Bush, our bible thumping president, to blur that line.
Yes, there is no restrictions to the election of a believer to the presidency. There is however one to his governing based upon that or any other religion.

Lola the reason I don't share the hysteria is because of the hysteria.

Brown

Yes, they should have a voice but that voice should not be loud enough to drown out those who do not agree. That is precisely why the concept of separation of church and state was instituted to protect us from the tyranny of a religious majority.

Au, Where is there a threat to the seperation of Church and State?

Bush has the right to be a Christian. Bush has the right to pray with Tony Blair. I don't see Christians drowning our those who disagree.

There are people who are attempting to "blur the line" between church and state, Judge Moore, of Alabama for instance. The democracy is dealing with these folks - well democracy.

People always try to use a hysterical fear to try to advocate their political position. I reject this when the conservatives use this tactic. I am equally offended when the liberals use the same tactic.

We are a pluralist nation. This is entrenched in our laws and our culture. People with a Christian viewpoint have a voice. People with a liberal viewpoint have the same voice.

George Bush is an American who happens to have a religion. He can practice this religion, and this religion will inform his world view and values - just like the rest of us. This is true for every American and every president.

There is no danger of the US becoming a Christian Fundamentalist Nation. To say so is extremist partisan fear mongering.

au<

I'll say "amen" to the portion of your post quoted above.

And I'll say amen to that last paragraph from ebrown.