Secular News Daily

Pat Robertson: Fueling the Mosque Arson

2010-09-01T20:48:28Z

The planned relocation of a 30 year old Mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee has run into official difficulty, as well as arson and vandalism, after the 700 Club descended on the town. Having already obtained approval to build from the Rutherford County Commissioners, new concerns have been manufactured over the alleged increased traffic that may be caused by the Mosque. Anti-Muslim activists and the 700 Club suggest that these concerns may be effective as a means of delaying, or possibly derailing, the plans.

During the August 19 episode of the 700 Club a segment over nine minutes long was dedicated to raising fear over the relocation of the mosque. The segment entitled ‘Mega-Mosque Nation,’ which begins at the 17 minute mark, and ends after the 26 minute mark of the broadcast, includes, among other things, footage of local officials being pressured into investigating alleged dangers proposed by the Mosque.

After explaining that every religion in the area is treated completely equally, Rutherford County Mayor, Ernest Burgess, is bombarded with accusations by 700 Club staff that ‘The Islamic Brotherhood’ will infiltrate this Mosque with the intention of spreading ‘radical Islam.’ While Mayor Burgess was unfazed by the unfounded accusations and remains committed to the equal rights and freedoms of all individuals, County Commissioners have agreed to re-open the case based on the allegations featured in the 700 Club episode.

The Murfreesboro Mosque has received recent media attention after fires were set on the property, damaging three vehicles, and their sign was defaced with the words ‘Not Welcome,’ in spay-paint. As the airing of the 700 Club segment was prior to these actions, it’s difficult to ascertain whether they would have been committed without the fear-mongering and anti-Islamic propaganda provided by Pat Robertson and his staff.

As part of this anti-Islamic campaign, 700 Club reporter, Eric Stakelbeck, interviewed Laurie Cardoza-Moore concerning her allegations that the approval for the Mosque relocation by the Rutherford County Commissioners was somehow achieved nefariously. Cardoza-Moore was introduced as a local activist and documentary filmmaker.

Cardoza-Moore is an outspoken Zionist who, as part of her ongoing anti-Islamic campaign, recently spoke at Park51 Mosque protests. In her speech at the Park51 protests, Cardoza-Moore claimed that Muslims can’t be considered “Real Americans” because they ‘didn’t fight in the revolutionary war.’ Cordoza-Moore believes that the relocation of this 30 year old Mosque is part of a larger conspiracy against the local Christian community and its book and music industry.

In an obvious attempt to stir up fear in the Murfreesboro community, Pat Robertson told his audience:

“It isn’t just religion, just isn’t. Mark my words. If they start bringing thousands of Muslims into that relatively rural area, the next thing you know, they’re going to be taking over the City Council. Then they’re going to be having an ordinance that calls for public prayer 5 times a day. Then they’re going to be having ordinances that there’ll have to be facilities for foot-washing in all the public restrooms, in all the airport facilities, etc, etc. And, before long they’re going to demand, demand, demand, demand, and, little by little, the citizens of Murfreesboro, or whatever little town it is, are going to be cowed by these people. Not to mention their ability to bribe folks. I don’t know whether anybody is getting a pay-off, but it’s entirely possible.”

He goes on to completely besmirch the credibility of the local officials by suggesting that they can, and may very well have been, bought with as little as $300.00. He added that, in reference to the Muslim members of the Mosque, “these guys come in with pots of money.” Mr. Robertson rhetorically wonders for the cameras just how far $10,000.00 could go to buy political favor in a small place like Murfreesboro.

After looking into his studio camera and directly addressing United States representatives, telling them what he feels their actions should be, Robertson had the gall to charge the organizers of this local Muslim congregation with political activism. The blatant hypocrisy of his actions apparently lost on him. He then continues to allow his program to be used as a platform for anti-Muslim activists to spread the kind of propaganda that fuels actions such as the vandalism and arson committed only days later.

During the episode Rebecca Bynum is introduced as a ‘local journalist’ who infers that the funding for the Mosque is questionable. Her reason for making this accusation is that she has heard that other funding, for other Mosques, in other places, have been ‘accused’ of coming from questionable sources, and has therefore seen fit to level the same accusation against this Mosque. If this reasoning sounds sketchy, it may be because the ‘local journalist,’ Rebecca Bynum, is in fact an anti-Islamic propagandist that works for ‘The New England Review’ and has been the News Editor and Board Member of ‘Jihad Watch,’ a dedicated anti-Muslim organization. Bynum”>Her writings accuse Islam of not actually being a religion, and of being responsible for giving other religions a bad name.

The episode describes Murfreesboro as being the ‘buckle of the Bible Belt’ where many of the residents still focus on ‘God and Country.’ The narrative continues by describing how this ‘All-American feel’ will disappear thanks to plans for the Mosque. There is nothing subtle about the threat described by Pat Robertson, Eric Stakelbeck, Rebecca Bynum or Laurie Cardoza-Moore.

This sort of incitement through disinformation and deliberate propaganda is inexcusable. This has the appearance of a deliberate attempt to cause civil unrest and promote hatred against a specific group of visible minorities within a community. Law enforcement is currently investigating these hate crimes that seemed designed to inspire terror in the victims. Pat Robertson has voiced his bigotry and biases in the past, but this latest act of conspiracy with other discriminatory groups to spread a message of fear and intolerance that may have resulted in acts of terror, may just be criminal.

Review: The God Virus

2010-09-01T18:28:41Z

Most of the recent non-theist literature approaches the topic of religion from a very literal point of view. Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, and Dennett have been champions of the direct approach: Evolution is this. Religion is that. There is almost certainly no god. Secular countries are objectively less dysfunctional than theist countries in quantifiable ways. To be sure, there was and still is a need for this kind of writing. But there has been something missing.

As refreshing as it may be for us non-theists to hear someone tell it exactly like it is, this approach can be daunting. For many people who were not raised in an environment that encouraged scientifically precise descriptions and in-depth analysis of the nuts and bolts of things, it can be a little overwhelming. And frankly, for many non-theists, it’s difficult to make the link between these books and their own lives. Sure, understanding evolution is great, but what good does that do for Joe Non-Theist who is struggling to live in a theist dominated community? In-depth analysis of epistemology is also great, but how does it help Nancy Non-Believer talk to her theist friends about her lost faith?

The God Virus, by Darrel Ray, Ed. D., takes a different approach. Religion is explained as analogous to viruses, viral infection, and parasites. Using accessible language and familiar ideas, Ray gives us powerful conceptual language for thinking of religion as a self-serving “life form” that replicates, spreads through the population, and influences the behavior of its hosts in self-serving ways.

Though many religionists would probably be challenged by reading this book, its main purpose is not to convince people to become non-believers. Similarly, it’s not meant to be a definitive work on the precise objective nature of religion. Instead, it takes many propositions more or less as read. Unlike much of the atheist literature, you will not find an extensive bibliography, copious footnotes, or tedious step-by-step syllogistic proofs. Reading The God Virus feels much more like a conversation over coffee. And that is a good thing.

The bulk of The God Virus deals with five properties of viruses which are analogous to religion. Viruses infect people. They create antibodies against other viruses. They often take over both physical and mental functions and hide themselves from the host. They have multiple methods of transmission. They program the host to replicate the virus.

Most “recovering religionists” will immediately recognize the power of the antibody metaphor. A great deal of early religious training is designed to insulate us from dangerous questions or ideas. Religious dogma has built in mechanisms for discouraging and even shutting down our capacity for critical thought. From the threat of Hell to guilt to separation from friends and family, religion – very much like a virus – attempts to protect itself from external threats to its propagation.

Viruses spread through “vectors.” For example, a mosquito is a vector for malaria. Religion is also spread through vectors, only we call them priests, pastors or youth ministers. A single vector can be responsible for an epidemic, as witnessed by the success of Joseph Smith, Pat Robertson, and L. Ron Hubbard.

Viruses must mutate to stay competitive in changing environments. Similarly, religion adapts to the cultural and scientific landscape. Galileo and Copernicus’ scientific discoveries were eventually incorporated into the Catholic model of the universe (though not without some wailing and gnashing of teeth). Even Darwin is grudgingly accepted today by some of the more progressive religions. Very few religions can remain virulent while demanding that women stay silent in church, or that children be stoned for disobedience.

One of the most powerful metaphors for me was that of moral manipulation. Religious morality is compared to behavioral changes caused by parasites such as the lancet fluke (Dicrocoelium), which drives its host (an ant) to climb to the top of a blade of grass where it is eaten by a cow, in whose belly the organism reproduces. Using this analogy, Ray explains that moral mandates which are peculiar to religious dogma are not beneficial to the host (the believer), but rather that they are designed for the benefit of the parasite. Prohibitions on birth control do not benefit Catholics directly. But they do benefit the “Catholic Virus” by ensuring that already infected individuals will reproduce as much as possible, creating growth through both time and the population. Moratoriums on masturbation do not contribute to happiness or self-actualization, but they do create unassailable guilt which can only be relieved by “re-dedication to Christ” or other such religious rituals.

Having established the metaphor, Ray analyzes several examples of the religious virus, most notably American Evangelical Christianity. He dissects each aspect of the movement, using metaphorical language which makes it easy for the reader to begin thinking outside of the religious box. By this point in the book, most readers will find themselves incorporating the “virus language” into their thinking. I found – to my delight – that by the end of the book, I was having to work to consciously translate my thoughts backwards into religio-speak. Such is the power of the virus metaphor. It can literally change the way we think about religion.

And that is what it’s all about, isn’t it? For all the huffing and puffing about the evils of religion, isn’t the goal of most non-believers to make the world a better place by effecting change in both believers and religion itself? And doesn’t real change start when we see our world in a new light, one that forces us to abandon our previous conceptions of reality?

This is the power of The God Virus. It’s not meant to offer a sterile, scientific analysis of religion. Instead, it gives the layperson a mighty weapon in the struggle to create a better world with less religious guilt and oppression and more self-examination and self-actualization.

The later chapters of the book deal with the realities of living a religion-free life, and perhaps more importantly, relating to and living alongside religionists. This, I believe, is what has been woefully lacking in atheist literature. Ray takes a very non-judgmental approach to believers, as we would expect from a physician designing a therapeutic regimen for people with a viral infection. He encourages us to separate the victims from the virus, and to design our interactions to minimize the power of the virus without confronting it directly and risking a defense mechanism kicking in.

We non-believers are also encouraged to examine ourselves for evidence of residual viral infection. Even after leaving religion, it is still very common to retain damaging beliefs or behaviors relating to critical thinking, guilt, sexuality, and isolationism. Only with honest -– sometimes brutally honest -– self-examination and introspection can we eradicate the last remnants of the infection. It is frequently a lifelong project.

Though The God Virus is not a direct attack on religion, there is mention in the final chapter of the dangers inherent in the propagation of the virus, especially in its more virulent and deadly mutations. It is clear that this is a problem for all of us non-believers.

I believe that The God Virus is one of the most useful and emotionally appealing metaphors to grace the atheist meme-scape in some time. Unlike so many of the (Flying Spaghetti Monster forgive me) cumbersome and jargon-laden tomes by atheist scientific writers, this book and the concept it promotes are designed for the real workaday world where many non-believers live.

The God Virus is not without its flaws, though in the broad scheme of things, I think the flaws are so minor that they don’t significantly detract from the experience. There are a number of editorial glitches which will presumably be addressed in a second edition or reprint. Most of them are minor misspellings or grammatical errors. As I mentioned, there is no bibliography, which will probably lead to some poo-pooing by religionists and overly pedantic non-believers. Finally, for readers who skim or aren’t careful to digest the first chapter carefully, there is a danger of thinking that Ray claims religion is a literal virus. This is nonsense, of course. We are comfortable with the analogy of a computer virus, even though it’s obvious that there isn’t a literal physical virus inside our computers. We understand that “virus” is a useful analogy for the behavior of the programs which invade our hard drives and operating systems. So we call them viruses. In the same way, we are free to use the language of viruses and viral infections when discussing religion and religious belief.

I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Darrel Ray speak, and to have a wonderful conversation with him while preparing to write this review. I believe his approach to religion represents a potential turning point in the relations between not only religion and atheism but individual religionists and non-believers. It is a simple and powerful metaphor based in the scientific realities of the human mind, which is often overwhelmed when presented with complex and erudite data. Here is a man who has spent his career studying and practicing human relations. With this book, he has taken atheists out of the ivory towers and given them work boots and a tool kit. The God Virusis a must-read for anyone who wants to help themselves and others eradicate the infection of religion and live happy, religion-free lives.

Darrel Ray has created the Recovering Religionists website, dedicating to helping establish and grow local support groups for those leaving religion and learning to cope with God Virus epidemics in their communities. -Ed.

Separation of Church and State Border Also Needs Patrol

2010-08-30T05:53:10Z

In Utah’s race for governor, a religious issue has popped up that would likely never come up in other parts of the country because it has to do with religious instruction for children during school hours offered by the Mormon church. As part of a legal program known nationally as “released time,” public school children can legally be pulled from school to attend religious classes during normal school hours. In parts of the country where these programs are offered, they are usually weekly events for 30-60 minutes. In Utah, however, they are daily classes and take an entire class period.

Because these classes are so frequent in Utah, when the Democratic challenger for governor, Peter Corron, a Catholic, outlined an education plan that included additional math and science requirements, the incumbent Republican claimed the plan would stop children from attending released time classes, known as “seminary released time” in Utah.

“Electives you’re going to have to give up in Utah under his proposal are gonna be some arts and probably seminary time,” Gov. Gary Herbert, a Mormon, said. “I don’t know that everybody in Utah’s going to think that’s a good idea to give up art and seminary release time in order to have this more rigorous curriculum.”

Corron’s running mate, Sheryl Allen, a Republican and a Mormon, said, “It’s unfortunate that a religious wedge has been interjected by Gary Herbert, because the discussion is about the future of our children and preparing them for the 21st Century.” She also claimed that the charges are unfounded because there is plenty of room in the school day for what is being proposed without jeopardizing religious classes.

So, what’s this all about?

Released time programs have been around in one form or another since 1914 and grew steadily through the 1940s when the first legal challenge was brought in 1945. The case, McCollum v. Board of Education (Champaign, Ill.), ended up going to the Supreme Court. In an 8-1 decision, the court overturned lower court rulings and declared the program unconstitutional. This program was on school property, during school hours and managed by the public school system.

In another clarifying case in 1952, Zorach v. Clauson, the court ruled that a New York State program was okay because it did not involve public school property or personnel. The court even said the public schools could close if they wanted to in order to allow students to attend voluntarily.

With those rulings behind them, released time programs are still around. Each school district must approve of them independently. They are legally protected as long as they remain totally independent from the public schools system. (Information can be found from the Anti-Defamation League’s website here.)

In Utah, however, there is such a tight connection between these programs and the public schools that the Mormon church has built their own buildings right next to the public schools. And, it’s not only happening in Utah. In Idaho, a new high school just opened with an allowed building put up by the Mormon church next to the school.

In Ft. Wayne, In., they have had to stop a program they have had in place for about 60 years because the classes were held in trailers on school property. The replacement plan is still unfolding, and is an initiative called “Rising Stars Ministry” which will look to take place after school hours. Their plan is to put in place something even more involved, however, increasing it from 30 minutes each week in the previous program to two hours in the new one. “We want to incorporate more in this program than we did in the trailers,” said Sarah Deans Adams, Associated Churches director of educational ministries.

There are several organization around the country promoting these released time programs, including School Ministries, Inc., and Released Time Education, among many others at the national and state levels.

These programs are legal when they keep away from public property, personnel and funding. But the line between church and state is exceedingly tenuous and must be strenuously maintained. You can be sure that the people who run these programs will be looking to cross that line whenever possible and set up camp on the other side. A national border patrol of this boundary is as or even more important than the one between the U.S. and Mexico getting so much attention. This border, however, can be monitored by every one of us, and needs to be watched with vigilance.

Sex Rites: A video introduction

2010-09-01T05:20:49Z

A video introduction for Diana Agorio’s Sex Rites: The Origins of Christianity.

FFRF’s “Enjoy Life Now” billboard vandalized

2010-08-31T16:38:47Z

A billboard saying “There Is No Afterlife: Enjoy Life Now” placed in Watertown, Wis., by the Freedom From Religion Foundation on behalf of a local member, was vandalized. Paint was poured on the billboard posted at the entrance to Watertown at N8690 High Rd., apparently sometime overnight on Thursday, Aug. 26.

The vandalized vinyl message was promptly removed by Adams Outdoor Co., on Friday. Adams Outdoor is replacing the message gratis and expects to have it back up around Labor Day to honor FFRF’s 6-week lease. The billboard went up on the first week of August.

An octogenarian Lifetime Foundation member who prefers not to be publicly named suggested the wording of the slogan as a legacy for his grandchildren.

The donor of the billboard is putting up $500 and the Foundation is matching that pledge for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandal(s). The donor expressed shock and revulsion that a vandal or vandals would deface his message to “enjoy life now.”

“At least 45 million honest Americans reject the supernatural idea of life-after-death,” said Dan Barker, Foundation co-president, who has written two books about “losing faith in faith” and leaving the evangelical ministry. Barker quoted a poem by Emily Dickinson: “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.”

“There is no evidence of a soul or an afterlife,” added Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation co-president. “We freethinkers believe the only afterlife we should be concerned about is leaving a secure and pleasant future for our descendants.”

In order to claim a reward, information leading to the conviction of the vandal or vandals should be directed to the Foundation, which will pass on information to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. Contact the Foundation by phone (608/256-8900) or e-mail.

GOP has 10% lead in mid-term election polling

2010-08-31T16:46:35Z

The latest Gallup poll shows the Republican party widening its lead over the Democratic party in a mid-term election tracking poll to ten percent — its largest lead ever.

Gallup has conducted a weekly tracking poll positing a generic “Republican” vs. a generic “Democrat” for Congressional mid-term elections since 1942. In that time, the Democratic party has often seen wide leads; the largest, a 32% lead in 1974, came just before Republican President Richard Nixon’s resignation over the Watergate scandal.

Before 2010, the largest lead for the Republican party was 5%. Ever.

During the month of August 2010, the Republican party has seen leads of 6%, 7%, and now 10%. This most recent poll, conducted August 25-29, reached 1,540 registered voters in all 50 states and D.C., using land and cell lines, and speaking Spanish and English.

Image: Gallup

Were this result not significant enough in potential impact to the makeup of the House and Senate, Republican voters are also far more enthusiastic about voting this year.

A full fifty percent of Republicans declared themselves “very enthusiastic” about voting this year, compared to an anemic 25% of Democrats and similar 28% of Independents.

Image: Gallup

This combination of a generic ballot lead and intense enthusiasm for voting suggests a strong Republican turnout this year, including the potential for a reversal of both House and Senate majorities.

Gallup’s Frank Newport comments:

The last Gallup weekly generic ballot average before Labor Day underscores the fast-evolving conventional wisdom that the GOP is poised to make significant gains in this fall’s midterm congressional elections. Gallup’s generic ballot has historically proven an excellent predictor of the national vote for Congress, and the national vote in turn is an excellent predictor of House seats won and lost. Republicans’ presumed turnout advantage, combined with their current 10-point registered-voter lead, suggests the potential for a major “wave” election in which the Republicans gain a large number of seats from the Democrats and in the process take back control of the House.

The entire House is up for election, as their terms are only two years. Senate terms are six years, and staggered. Of the 37 Senate seats presently up for election, all predictors currently determine 10 seats to be “safe Republican” and 4 “safe Democratic”. Rasmussen predicts that 18 competitive seats are either a tossup or will likely go Republican (August 30). Real Clear Politics predicts 19 seats in the same boat (August 21). Barring surprises, if the tossups go GOP, we will see 28 to 29 of the 37 seats go GOP. That means a new GOP majority: 46-47 Democratic Senators and 51-52 GOP Senators (plus 2 Independents).

Is it coincidence that this new peak of Republican enthusiasm and ballot lead occurs simultaneous with Glenn Beck’s August 28 “Restoring Honor” rally and August 27 “America’s Divine Destiny” speech? Is it reasonable to ignore the theocratic leanings of Beck, the “rodeo clown”? Is it wise to discount the Dominionist Tea Party, the right-wing’s new fund-raising Jabberwocky packed to the gills with retired members intent on establishing a “Christian nation”, all happy to donate our tax dollars (received via the Social Security welfare program) to that end?

What do you think? Are these groups a real threat to America, or is the economy the sole cause for the unprecedented leads currently enjoyed by the Republican party? Or are Democrats losing their enthusiasm because the current administration’s focus on “bipartisanship” has led to watering down or killing nearly every initiative on which Obama campaigned? All of the above?

Now You Know – 8/31/2010 Atheist Cartoon

2010-08-31T15:30:33Z

Courtesy AtheistCartoons.com.

CFI Action Alert: Help Prevent Political Interference with Curriculum Standards

2010-08-31T03:11:30Z

The Center for Inquiry needs your help supporting a House Resolution to end political meddling with public school curriculum standards.

Earlier this year, Texas’ Christian fundamentalist-dominated State Board of Education mandated a bizarrely warped US history curriculum for Texas school children. Because of Texas’ enormous influence on the nation’s textbook market, the Board’s actions affect non-Texan students as well. In March the board included a plank directing students to learn about “the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phyllis Schlafly, the Contract With America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority and the National Rifle Association.” Because they didn’t care much for Thomas Jefferson, who coined the term “wall of separation between church and state,” they erased him from the history books, only to be replaced by lessons on the Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas.

As if scrubbing Jefferson’s name from history were not enough, the board adopted measures in May requiring students to “examine the reasons the Founding Fathers protected religious freedom in America and guaranteed its free exercise by saying that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, and compare and contrast this to the phrase ‘separation of church and state.’” This reflects conservative evangelicals’ false contention that the doctrine of separation of church and state was fabricated by judges and was not part of the original intent of the Constitution’s drafters.

Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson from Texas has introduced H. Res 1593, which “supports standards that guide curriculum development, instruction, and assessment in classrooms that are developed by experts and not subject to political biases.” Please contact your U.S. Representative today to urge him or her to cosponsor this important resolution.

Visit this link to send an e-mail to your U.S. Representative. You may modify the letter with your own words if you wish, but please send your letter as soon as possible.

Thank you for your support.

The Four R’s – 8/30/2010 Atheist Cartoon

2010-08-30T21:48:39Z

Courtesy AtheistCartoons.com.

Glenn Beck: Master Politician or Master Baiter

2010-08-30T17:22:30Z

The general consensus seems to be that Beck’s rally was little more than another of his attempts at race-baiting and an affront to the civil rights movement, as in fact it was. It was primarily deemed a self-aggrandizing religious revival and motivational speech, which it also was. But, what seems to have been missed was the redefinition of the civil rights movement to suit a very specific, very political, and very conservative agenda.

To accept the ruse that Glenn Beck’s rally was religious, rather than political, is to miss the message Beck was sending entirely, as well as the basis of his ‘100 Year Plan.’ His theme of Faith, Hope, and Charity was nothing more than a re-dressed version of his oft-repeated call for the drastic weakening of government and the elimination of all public funded, and public managed, social programs. He cloaked his politics in religion and seemed to fool everyone.

Faith, Hope, and Charity is his innocuous sounding recipe for extreme Libertarianism disguised as a revival of the church, rather than as a deconstruction of responsible government. Beck insists on a smaller, impotent government, and rails against what he calls a nanny state with entitlement programs. Faith should be in God, not government. He states that any such services or supports should be offered through churches or synagogues, or by individuals exercising their religious duty of alms-giving. This is the only acceptable form of charity.

Conservatives have often proposed that churches should provide social services, rather than the public provide their own services through their government. While this provides them with a convenient argument for the lowering of taxes, it also results in immediate, and drastic, social inequality. Church based, or faith based, services unregulated and unfunded by anything other than religious doctrine and their congregation of adherents, create an immediate and meaningful dominance by the majority over any and all minorities. Whichever church has the most attendees has the most money. Whichever church has the most money is able to provide the services required by the community. Whichever Church controls access to necessary services has power over everyone in the community.

Regardless of one’s religion, spiritual belief, or world view, they would be required to adhere to whatever criteria are dictated by the religious institution that dominates their community. For the majority of Americans this would be either the Catholic church or Fundamentalist Evangelical churches. Family planning, contraception, and abortion would all be impossible within this proposed system. Religious doctrine would dictate social policy, individual rights, and individual freedoms, and an individual’s exercising of their freedom of religion would now come at the cost of access to these necessary supports and services.

In a poor, and tasteless, imitation of her Uncle’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, Alveda King made it clear that homosexuality and women’s reproductive rights are not acceptable in the America being envisioned, and promoted, through this political/religious revival. By removing the funding for the social services that the public provides for themselves through their government, and allowing churches to govern and control those services, the religious right will achieve the agenda they’ve been unable to impose legally and democratically. Abortion would no longer be available, and homosexuals would be completely disenfranchised.

Beck’s nod to pluralism is as disingenuous and contradictory as his nod to diversity. There were more people of color on his stage of performers than there were in his crowd of approximately 96,000. His radio and television shows speak as clearly of Christian preference as they do about charges of racism against President Obama, and “reverse racism” against the oppressed white citizens of America. In Pastor Hagee’s closing prayer at Beck’s pre-rally event held at the Kennedy Center on Friday night, it was made clear that America’s acceptance of pluralism was a terrible mistake that must be corrected. The diverse clergy that Beck paraded onto his stage represented nothing more than a tool to wrest power from the people and their government. Once that power is removed from the people and their government, Christian preference, as well as white preference, would be established by the majority control of community resources.

Glenn Beck stated that his goal was to reclaim the civil rights movement. His actual goal is to redefine it, and reverse it. The conservative strategy is to change it from a movement that encouraged a robust and responsible government, acting on behalf of the people and ensuring the rights guaranteed in the Constitution, to a movement calling for the drastic downsizing of that very same government. Rather than being the force to battle against state rights and inequality, Beck’s “civil rights” movement would be a hapless pawn in dismantling the very government that empowered it when the majority of Americans were against it. Beck’s plan will put the power back in the hands of the majority that fought against the civil rights movement.

The Black Robe Brigade that Beck introduced is his political action committee for implementing this strategy. Like the original Black Robe Brigades of the eighteenth century, its role will be to agitate against government and mobilize its congregants in service of a political agenda. Unlike its name-sake, this new version will be charged with supporting a very specific, and very conservative, agenda.

Only Glenn Beck can turn Faith, Hope, and Charity into an insidious plot to usurp the government of the United States. By removing the power that the people have over their own government, eroding the strength and effectiveness of that government, and replacing it with the church, the Constitutional rights and protections of American citizens would be devastated. To clearly understand this, his constant insistence on lower taxes must be juxtaposed with his public call for all Americans to give ten percent of their wages to their Church, or religious organization, as he did during his rally. The only thing that this would result in is a small and ineffectual representative government, and a powerful, well funded, authoritarian church of the majority.

To underestimate Glenn Beck and the very aggressive movement that he represents would be a foolhardy mistake. He is a talented and charismatic communicator that wields a great deal of influence, and control, over a very large, very reactive, and very easily led audience. What he lacks in scruples, he more than makes up for in ability. He knows his audience well. He plays every wedge issue to his advantage and the promotion of his agenda.

As much as it pains any person with a modicum of independent, critical thinking skills to acknowledge it, Glenn Beck’s ‘Restoring Honor’ rally was a masterful exercise in political organizing. He promised a recipe for fundamental change to this country and he delivered. He delivered it right on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and no one even noticed. He presented a clear strategy for the undermining of the Constitutional foundation of this country and all anyone saw was a religious service.

If the rest of this country doesn’t wake up, and soon, to the agenda being pursued by the far right, the Christian Reconstructionists, and the anti-government conservatives, they’re going to wake up one morning in a very different America. Progressives, Liberals, Democrats, Independents, and Centrist Republicans cannot afford to abdicate their responsibility as voters.

Don’t be fooled by the emotional melodrama and rodeo-clown antics of Glenn Beck. He’s a political force as well as a controversial agent of divisiveness. He may seem like a jester that many find difficult to take seriously, but he’s proven himself a master politician as well as a master baiter.