Radical Right ruins Religion for the rest of us.

Religion has become a dirty word. When you say "Religon" in this political climate, images of Falwell and Buchannan leap to mind. It has taken on the meaning of a Christian Fanaticism that uses hate, slander and divisiveness to further its political goals: Theocracy, Oligarchy, Censorship, and Oppression.

My problem is that I love Religion. I grew up marveling at paintings of Jesus in our family Bible. I spent more time in college reading about the various religions than I spent on my studies. I believe that the human animal functions better when it has a religion to provide a framework for a world we otherwise perceive as chaotic. I believe that the tolerance, the forgiveness, the idea of redemption that is normally a part of Religion supports, comforts, and enriches us.

Secular Humanism and the intellectual elite recognize none of that. The issues of Free Inquiry that I've read seem to have two points: 1) all religion is superstition and is, therefore, bad, and 2) we can be moral through intellect alone. I can't discern any real platform beyond that. It's a barrage of "why the Right is Wrong".

Well, I agree that the Religious Right is horrible, hateful, and an excuse for blatant fascism. I refuse, however, to let the concept of Religion be permanently tainted by a fascist core of demagogues. I refuse to be dismissed outright by expressing views in accordance with my own belief system. I have no patience for Leftists who want to pretend you can't be liberal and spiritual. That kind of conceit is what we are supposed to be protesting in the Religious Right we dislike so much.

You may have noticed that I recently added headlines to this page from a couple of internet news outlets. They are unabashedly leftist in their politics, as am I. The first, Buzzflash, inspired this article. They are one of the few real news outlets extant any more. The corporate media is in the Bush camp, so TV is no longer a source of anything but Republican rubber stamps. I have a feeling, though, that Buzzflash thinks matters of religion are a waste of time.

For the 4th of July, Buzzflash started what I would consider a brilliant protest: They posted an updated Declaration of Independence. I was eager to sign it... Until I stopped to read it. It is rife with references to "God". Hasn't the educated Left wing figured out that "God" IS NOT A GENERIC TERM?! I know that this culture often treats it as such, so I dropped a note to Buzzflash, citing this problem and stating that I wish it was more inclusive. No response was forthcoming. Knowing that electronic mail is hardly fool proof, I wrote again, this time offering to write a non-sectarian version if they so desired, so everyone would be comfortable with its text. Again, no response.

Now, what am I to think? They don't care if anyone is offended by references to a vengeful Judeo-Christian deity in a political document? They think "God" IS a generic term and so I'm nit-picking? Or, they don't give a rat's ass - Bush is taking us all down a thorny path and Buzzflash has bigger fish to fry? Maybe I'm a crackpot who doesn't warrant a civil response?

I'm sure there are other interpretations - these are all I could think of. My point is this - my political message seems to be ignored if religion is mixed in with it. I only mix religion in, though, to point out issues where religion has already been included, if only subliminally. I am stating the obvious when I say that this culture has a strong bias for Anglo(white), Christian Males. While most of us generally recognize this, not all of us are aware of its pervasiveness.

It is impossible to watch an evening of TV without encountering numerous references to Judeo-Christian scripture, or patriarchial concepts. I don't expect or even want our news or entertainment sanitized of these references. I want us to be aware of them, and to understand the assumption that underlies them. The assumption that "normal" people pray to "God", read at least one book of the Bible, think the idea of Woman being crafted by a Male deity from a Man's rib is... well, quaint. ( That noise you hear is me trying to suppress my gag reflex...)

I will be the first to admit that my religious and political views are extreme. I don't expect people to agree with me on all or even any of them. Equality, hell - I'm a pure Matriarchist. I believe in the Great Mother Goddess and that Evolution is merely the birth process on a planetary scale. I don't want ANY religion mixed in my politics (common sense would be a nice change, though). I believe a culture is only as strong as the least within it. I believe in the natural sovereignty of women to decide their own sexual, reproductive and political fates. And I reserve the right to raise absolute fucking hell when those principles are violated by law, by habit or by tradition.

So, I know that my opinions will be dismissed by the intellectual elite because of my religious views. I know it's easy to dismiss me as a nut. I might even change my name ...Sisyphus? Cassandra?... But I'm not going to go away. You can try to ignore me, but I'll make damned sure you REMEMBER me.

PEACE.