Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Is this the end of the Christian Right?

Courtesy of The New Republic:

Yes, pious conservatives earned the underfunded Rick Santorum a virtual tie in the Iowa caucuses, and, last week, a large gathering of evangelical leaders nodded fervently in his direction. Every GOP candidate still in the race speaks of Planned Parenthood as if it were a band of terrorists and vows to stop the largest and oldest reproductive rights group in the country from winning even a dollar of federal funding—and all of them except Ron Paul has signed a firm pledge to support a constitutional amendment that would essentially ban same-sex marriage. As for the presumptive nominee Mitt Romney, who has earned the suspicions of many conservative evangelicals, he has worked tirelessly to ingratiate himself with the Christian Right. Pro-Romney robo-calls in South Carolina currently feature a right-to-lifer from Massachusetts who opens her pitch, “I know you have heard a lot of folks talking about Mitt’s record on life, faith, and marriage while governor of Massachusetts.” 

But, whatever their influence on the Republican primary, the Christian Right is fighting a losing battle with the rest of the country—above all, when it comes to abortion and same-sex marriage, the issues they care most about. A strong majority of Americans backs abortion in the early months of a pregnancy. If elected president, it’s exceedingly unlikely that Romney would ever sign legislation that could lead to the indictment of millions of women and tens of thousands of physicians for fetal murder. Last fall, even voters in Mississippi soundly rejected a bill that might have done just that. 

Meanwhile, support for gay rights is rising, quite swiftly. Same-sex marriage tops fifty percent in some recent polls, and the remarkably placid response to New York’s recent legalization of the practice will make it easier for other states to follow suit. With over two-thirds of Americans now endorsing the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the debate on that once controversial issue is now a matter for historians to analyze. 

More fundamentally, the right of privacy is now all but unchallenged. Almost half-a-century after Griswold v. Connecticut, not even Rick Santorum proposes outlawing birth control methods that nearly every heterosexual woman has used or will use at some point in her life. The news that the traditionalist Catholic ex-Senator from Pennsylvania had suggested that contraception “is counter to how things are supposed to be” was enough to bury under a heap of ridicule whatever slim chance he had to win the nomination. In the modern U.S., once a demand for justice gets widely accepted as an individual right, its victory becomes all but certain. As the woman suffrage, birth control, and black freedom movements triumphed, so will those who campaign for legalizing gay marriage. 

Put simply, the Christian Right is getting old. According to the largest and most recent study we have of American religion and politics, by Robert D. Putnam and David E. Campbell, almost twice as many people 18 to 29 confess to no faith at all as adhere to evangelical Protestantism. Young people who have attended college, a growing percentage of the population, are more secular still.

As I have already pointed out in past posts, the new millenials are rapidly moving away from organized religions, the Fox News audiences are aging out of existence, and the world has grown far more progressive than the GOP is willing to comprehend.

It appears, unless there is some thus far unforeseen social upheaval, that the our children, and their children, will usher in a world of rapidly changing technologies, incredible scientific breakthroughs, and an end to the reliance on outdated superstitions to help them determine purpose in their lives.

I only hope that I live long enough to witness what may in fact be a utopian society.

Well at the very least, a world WITHOUT Fox News.

27 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:54 PM

    Don't go pounding the stake into the heart of the Christian Right until you see who they insist on as their presidential and vice presidential candidates. They don't like Romney, and the further that they drive the bus to the right, the more votes that they lose. Not just for president, but senate, congress, governors, other positions. Then, you can revise the cartoon to show the bus turned on its side in the ditch. First, give them a chance to crash it for themselves.

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  2. Anonymous4:01 PM

    Here you go, Gryph, from a Christian:

    "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone." John 8:7

    "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:5

    "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." Matthew 25:40

    "Judge not lest ye be judged." Matthew 7:1

    All from Jesus, the biggest socialist there was. You tell ME how the Christian Right has EVER followed this in respect to their fellow man.

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  3. lostinmn4:09 PM

    It cannot end soon enough for me. I've been attacked and harassed by the "pro-life" crowd, relatives I'm sure of the Michele Bachmann school of mind bending ignorance, siblings of the killer of Dr. Tiller, bombers of other clinics where innocent health care providers were wounded. They are terrorists but of course our politicians and justice department folks think that bombing a clinic and injuring and killing people is "Free Speech" but Tim McVeigh was a terrorist. I don't advocate either course but I wish to hell our legal system didn't allow fear of the fundie right to color their reactions. Assholes.

    I think they are so over the top and it doesn't bother me in the least they are wearing out their welcome with most Americans. Add in the website of the "new Tea Party" and we may be seeing the whole shebang may implode before we know. Wonder how the TP will react to the new TP and how the new TP might find a link to OWS? Wouldn't that be the frosting on the cake?

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  4. Anonymous4:21 PM

    I hope they will be GONE, GONE, GONE as I'm sick and tired of listening to their rhetoric. The majority of the far right preach all this crap and don't live up to most of it. They lie, cheat, steal, sleep with others when married, divorce easily and on and on. They are the WORST examples for other Americans to follow.

    DOWN WITH THEM, I say! Vote them out of office this next cycle. Mention 'christian' to me and I go on alert immediately.

    No wonder many Republicans are moving to the Democratic party.

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  5. hedgewytch4:57 PM

    Welcome to the Age of Aquarius.

    As someone who was born in '65 (I can never remember which generation name I'm in - its after the Baby Boomers, is it Generation X?) our generation seemed to have literally paved the way for the New Millennium-ist's to take the ball and run to the end zone.

    The world that they will build will make this last 50 years seem like all we did was pile up some wooden blocks. I can't wait.

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  6. Anonymous5:07 PM

    There's plenty of politicians ready to jump on the reactionary bandwagon, it's just that they all happen to be awful, thoroughly unappealing people.

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  7. Sally in MI5:25 PM

    Since the GOP is anti all of the following: women, children. education, contraception, abortion, gays, women in office, unions, workers, regulations, clean air and water, helping people, food stamps, health care unless you are a government worker, a career polictician, or Sarah Palin and her ties to the natives in Alaska, pork unless it's to their states,
    people of color, any color, voting rights, jobs bills, Medicaid, Social Security, and virtually everyone and anyone else in America, I'm not sure who they expect to vote for them for any office this fall. Seriously. Not only will the Christian right and Fox be damned, the entire GOP is imploding. And not a moment too soon!
    Oh, and they are the first to reap the 'benefits' of Citizens United, and they don't seem to like it as much as they thought they would when it is used against them.

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  8. DobieTracker5:28 PM

    OT But, I would like to get Gryphen's attention here:

    TO GRYPHEN:

    So much respect for your request for civility from GinaM.

    This person is exhibiting much of the same mental illness symptoms as Palin.

    Would not surprise me if GinaM IS Palin and is simply trying to bring this blog down to the gutter level in order to create contempt in others for your validity.

    I too am against censorship, but this woman is just vulgar and serves NO purpose except to incite ugliness, JUST LIKE PALIN incitead hatred against Obama during her VP campaign.

    Time to ban this person. Or else just hand your blog over to her.

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  9. Anonymous5:41 PM

    Hi Gryphen--- go over to Huffpost, they have an article about Sarah...she is angry at Andew Sullivan's Newsweek story, and she tweeted that he's the dumb author who went after the Trig story! Sarah immediately took the tweet off her page. Maybe she regrets reminding everyone about the Trig Truther story?? Great comments over there....check it out.

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  10. I am 67 years old and I no longer have anything to do with organized religion. I am a very spiritual person, but I'm no longer a religious person. Some of us old farts agree wholeheartedly with the younger generation. Its time to put an end to the religions right! Yeah, they are getting old and soon they will be history and we can get back to "freedom."

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  11. Anonymous5:51 PM

    Amen brother. One aspect you never mentioned, is that as one becomes older they start to become more religious and start to think more if there is an after life. The other aspect of getting older is the years become shorter and shorter as all of us have been told, but never were really able to completely understand until we became much older. I just turned 62 this past weekend and I see the evangelicals as mostly being 70 years old and older. But even myself, a scientist and lifelong atheist, I sometimes begin to contemplate life and how the universe came to be before there was a Big Bang. It's a question we may never be able to answer, but there will always be that question. Life is something you also start to think more about and just how unbelievable long it had to take to develop from a bacteria, or even before bacteria existed to develop into a human being. The last question, fortunately will not affect me is how much longer can our world we know can exist. Population, wars, nuclear weapons, disease, limited land for agriculture, and limited resources are all the things our children and our grandchildren will be faced with. Sorry for the long and depressing comment, but it is something we all need to examine now before it is too late.

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  12. Amen to Amy @ 5:43 PM. I too am your age and I'm really sick of hearing a bunch of old farts talking against equal rights for gays; women's right to choose; universal health care and workers' rights. Guess they were too busy trippin' on drugs back in the 1960s when some of us were pounding the streets trying to stop an insane war and get equal rights for women and minorities. How quickly they forget the struggles of the past. And it looks like we'll have to hit the streets to keep those hard-won rights. On Wisconsin!

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  13. Et tu Dobie Tracker?

    Your post are long and sometimes interesting...but I must say I'm surprised to see you on hear talking about "banning"...WOW!

    THAT'S IT! When somebody as cool as Dobie Tracker tells Gryphen that it's time to ban me...well...I WON'T BE BACK!

    GOOD BYE GRYPHEN COMMENTERS!
    ************************************************************







    PYSCHE!!!

    Just kidding Everybody...I won't be going anywhere....I was just pulling ya'll legs...matter of fact I can't wait until Gryphen post the latest video on InSannity tonight....WHEW...she was seriously on one TONIGHT!

    As old ass Arnold (that cheater) says...

    "I'll BE BACK'!! LOL!!

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  14. Anonymous6:37 PM

    They know this and that is why the GOP have rushed to create and push through voter ID laws targeting mainly Democratic voters and minorities.These so call Christians aim to suppress the vote.

    But Jesus says, go out and vote for Obama ignore the GOP they are not for my people.

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  15. Anonymous6:41 PM

    My husband and I did our part. We raised our kids (now adults) as atheists. They are moral, kind, hard working, educated and happy. And they don't have to rely on the Bible to define right and wrong. They are quite able to make that decision on their own.

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  16. Anonymous6:42 PM

    I've been joking about just WHAT in hell Fox channel will put on the air, if they get a Republican president installed once again.

    Old Matlock reruns?

    But then, it occurred to me, that if the Executive Branch is rightwing extremist held, and the same for the House, and maybe even the Senate...that the NEW dynamic will be to watch the frustration they go through, as the MINORITY Democrats, do what their counterparts have done for the last three years: block everything proposed.

    Which we can only hope they would. Bills to make it a crime to play golf on Sundays, when being in church will be mandatory, would no doubt come up for a vote.

    Lets hope the FILIBUSTER tactic can keep such ridiculous laws off the books.

    Same for overturning the Roe v. Wade decision, the abolishment of taxes for anyone making over $1 million per year, the repeal of all healthcare reforms, a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, legalization of the murder of Mexicans if caught running the border, rewards given for Muslim church burnings, the end of the public school system, the law against unions, the reversal of voting privileges for women and blacks, the killing of any minimum wage provisions...and maybe some I cannot picture the crazed with power Republicans coming up with.

    Fox channel squawkers could continue to scream into the camera, about the treasonous acts conducted by the Liberal pockets of resistance to what they consider to be the "taking back of America."

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  17. Sweet anny6:44 PM

    I'm voting for a spot on the blogroll. This is a great site.

    Tnx, Gryphen. You're the best.

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  18. Life would at least SEEM like Utopia if there were no Fox News. Or any other of the bloviating class. Good enough for me.

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  19. Anonymous7:06 PM

    Well, looks like Newt just got the Palin curse. And she is throwing him under the bus at the same time.

    Listen to her do her suspicious vetting routine. She is still pissed that McCain didn't let her use the ridiculous Bill Ayers and Reverend Wright card on Candidate Obama, and she clearly alludes to this. What a witch.

    See Sarah, no mistake was made four years ago, he just beat your ass and you can't stand it can you. Especially, when he had no use for you, doesn't think about you and you have done everything you can to get his attention, including attacking his wife and children, and he STILL doesn't give you a millisecond of thought. Eats you up and it shows.

    _______

    Sarah Palin: ‘If I Had To Vote In South Carolina, I Would Vote For Newt’

    Appearing on Fox News’ Hannity, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin endorsed Newt Gingrich — but only in South Carolina’s primary, to keep the Republican nomination race going. “If I had to vote in South Carolina, in order to keep this thing going, I’d vote for Newt and I would want this to continue,” Palin opined.

    “I think a lot of people now in the media and certainly on the left want to make voters believe that it is inevitable that today’s frontrunner who has all the campaign cash in order to run these ads and as– you know– strong Super PACs that have a lot of money to run a lot of negative ads against opponents, they want us to believe the more moderate can indicate– will be the one to face Obama in the fall, but I don’t believe it is inevitable and I don’t believe he with the most money actually has to be the one who wins.”

    “More debates, more vetting of candidates because we know the mistake made in our country four years ago was having a candidate that was not vetted, to the degree that he should have been so that we knew what his associations and his pals represented and what went into his thinking, the shaping of who our president today is. That vetting did not take place. I want to see that taking place this time because America is on this precipice — it’s that important. We need this process to continue,” she added.

    Watch Palin tell South Carolina voters to vote for Gingrich below via Fox News:

    http://www.mediaite.com/tv/sarah-palin-if-i-had-to-vote-in-south-carolina-i-would-vote-for-newt/

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  20. Anonymous7:07 PM

    ''Sarah Palin says she wants limited government. Does she mean fewer elected officials or more officials who resign in the middle of their terms? I think limited government will be perfect for her limited abilities.'' —David Letterman

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  21. Anonymous7:14 PM

    I hope so.

    Also, today, some of the extreme right hateful Christians picketed the SLPC*. They were upset the SLPC named them (accurately) as hate groups.

    (*Southern Law Poverty Center).

    http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2012/01/17/anti-gay-haters-plan-press-conference-today-at-splc/

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  22. Anonymous7:22 PM

    Sarah Palin Would 'Vote For Newt' To Keep Primary Process Going

    Newt Gingrich's campaign is touting a Fox News appearance by former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, with the headline, "If I Were A South Carolinian, I Would Vote For Newt."

    Palin did not really endorse Newt, but she did have nice words about his debate performance. She said she would vote for him if she were in South Carolina because it would keep the process going -- and prevent Mitt Romney from becoming the anointed nominee. From her appearance with Sean Hannity:

    I do think that Newt is the one who won the debate, if you will, because Newt came out just like South Carolina's own Smokin' Joe Frazier. He came out there swinging, talking about work. Talking about jobs. Talking about work ethic. ...

    If I were a South Carolinian -- and each one of these primaries and caucuses are different, Sean -- I want to see this thing continue because iron sharpens iron. Steel sharpens steel. These guys are getting better in their debates. ... If I had to vote in South Carolina, in order to keep this thing going, I'd vote for Newt. And I would want things to continue. More debates, more vetting of candidates. Because we know the mistake made in our country four years ago, with having a candidate that was not vetted to the degree he should have been.

    WATCH:

    http://huff.to/ziyFXU

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  23. Anonymous7:25 PM

    Just remember, IM commenters, pay VERY close attention to what these people say. They are not Christian in any sense of the word.

    Why do you think the Queen Bitch attach the "Lame Stream Media?" She's never been about God opening a door, NONE of them are.

    “….it is a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” - Macbeth

    Welcome to your Republican slate and the "you MUST pay attention to ME" 'pundint' who KNOWS her time is up for what she, and her idiot savants, still are trying to pull on our country.

    THERE'S your Skakespeare, Bitch Queen.

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  24. Ya know, I grew up in the deep south and I was thinking just this morning how NOTHING has changed in the last 40 years there ..... NOTHING. They, generally, are still the racist, mind-bent-from-birth automatons that I left behind as quickly as I could buy a bus ticket... It's like a time bubble just formed around that part of the planet and it just froze.... Astounding.

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  25. Anita Winecooler9:32 PM

    Thanks for allowing the Dobie comment, Gryphen, so we could all laugh along with you!

    Yeah, the graphic just about says it all. Sarah, of Wasilly, has endorsed Newtie, the serial monogamist, but only for Carolina. It's a conditional endorsement, mind you, just to keep this clown car going, she MUST keep the clown car going, because, you know, Mitt Romney's got the cash and the charisma she so desperately wishes she had. And who better to represent the Christian Right than Newt?

    Wonder what will hold the wig on when her head explodes when President Obama gets re-elected?

    Gryphen, wear a hardhat that day, it may go airbound, freeze, and fall back to earth like blue ice. Better to be safe than sorry.


    OT

    Happy belated Birthday, FLOTUS!

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  26. Anonymous4:26 AM

    I agree with you Sally M from Michigan (5:25 pm), however, there are all of those people who will vote Republican so that they can keep their guns and keep the rest of the poor people poor. In 2004 I was amazed to see huge "Bush/Cheney" signs all over poor, rural northern Michigan, in front of truly dilapidated houses and farms. Up there it was all to keep the guns, to keep anyone from having an abortion and to keep from having to pay "death" (estate) taxes. As if any of these folks would ever leave enough behind to trigger the payment of the federal estate tax to begin with. Unfortunately too many people vote their aspirations and not their real lives, their prejudices and not the facts of their lives. And the Republicans feed on that. That's why northern Michigan has so many red counties on election days. If these voters thought, they would never vote Republican.

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  27. lwtjb9:02 PM

    One can only hope. These people have done enormous damage in the world.

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