Subscribe to Breaking News
Loading ...Besen: Religion and Republicanism have lost
In pandering to the fanatical and the fearful – both religion and Republicanism may have compromised their future.
First, the Republican Party seems in an awfully big rush to implode with Rush Limbaugh as its mercurial mouthpiece. The GOP’s other savior, Michael Steele, is just a big mouth who seems more suited to Limbaugh’s talk show gig than chairman of the Party. The GOP’s first African American leader, Steele, promised a “hip hop makeover” that would attract even “one armed midgets.” It is Steele, however, who is the incredibly shrinking chairman, with his promised “Big Tent” turning into a circus act.This carnival of “conservatives” has led the once-mighty Republican Party to O.J. Simpson-like popularity levels. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll this past week put Republican approval at just 26 percent, compared to Barack Obama’s 68 percent.
The state of the modern GOP was best captured on CNN’s D.L. Hughley Show, when the host interviewed Frank Schaeffer. A former member of the Religious Right and author of Crazy For God, Schaeffer said the GOP had created a “hard-assed neo fascist kind of direction in America.”
He went on to say, “The Republican base is now made up of religious and neoconservative ideologues and the uneducated white underclass with a token person of color up in front of the TV to obscure the all-white, all reactionary, all backward, and there is no global warming, rube reality.”
The Republicans Schaefer is referring to have lately come out of the woodwork in Utah, where State Sen. Chris Buttars called GLBT advocates, “the meanest buggers”. A right wing organization, America Forever, placed full-page ads in the Salt Lake dailies comparing gay men and lesbians to “druggies” and “hookers.” Of course, Utah Republicans might know about these things. A new study reveals that the conservative state leads the nation with 5.47 Internet pornography subscribers per thousand.
Similar to the Republican Party, religious organizations have catered to the crazies for far too long. The “ex-gay” organization, Exodus International, is a perfect example. It travels the world to proclaim its “love” for homosexuals. Yet, a Board member, Don Schmierer, spoke at a Ugandan conference that pledged to “wipe out” gay practices. Schmierer joined Holocaust revisionist Scott Lively to urge Uganda to continue its persecution of gay people, including life prison sentences for the “crime” of homosexuality.
Last week, the Vatican defended the excommunication of a 9-year old Brazilian girl’s mother and doctors, who helped abort the pregnant child’s twins. The procedure was recommended because delivering these babies might have killed the 80-pound girl. The local Archbishop, Jose Cardosa Sobrinho, justified this despicable decision by saying, “God’s law is above any human law.”
Such transparently vindictive versions of “love” is why Christianity has lost followers in Europe and is now draining them in the United States. A new survey by researchers at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. documents that the percentage of Americans identifying as Christians has dropped to 76 percent of the population, down from 86 percent in 1990. Fifteen percent of Americans now say they have no religion at all.
It may be that socially conservative churches and their anti-gay pastors are directly responsible for much of the erosion of Christianity. Sure, their mega-churches may be growing. But, for every new person they attract, they likely turn off ten others to all religion with their vituperative sermons.
Focus on the Family’s “ex-gay” road show, Love Won Out, is a perfect example of how the radicals are ruining the image of Christianity. The conference may attract a few self-loathing dupes who briefly claim they have “prayed away the gay.” But, for every temporary convert (It rarely, if ever, lasts a lifetime) they turn off thousands of gay people to all religious belief. How does Focus on the Family justify this as a “win”?
Even as the Religious Right rapidly contracts, conservatives are foolishly demanding that Republicans veer further right. Come to think of it, Rush Limbaugh may be the perfect leader for a party intent on alienating the majority while talking endlessly and aimlessly to itself.
this is not for publication. this is feedback for the idiot who wrote this article.
1. all your speculations are crap. Obama barely won with 52.9% of the popular vote (the electoral college results are irrelevant).
2. thru-out history each superstition has been replaced with one more virulent, not less so.
3. democrats are their own worst enemy. they stand for nothing unless one accepts their joint-republican stance on re-election.
4. limbaugh’s dittohead minions are brownshirts. unless he gets caught doing a minor, they’ll forgive his every drug induced indiscretion and vote as instructed.
5. you offer not one survey or research project that backs-up your generalities and anectdotal speculations.
6. from the conclusions you draw without evidence or data, i’m guessing you must have been on the No On 8 Campaign Commitee, drinking your own coolaide.
“It may be that socially conservative churches and their anti-gay pastors are directly responsible for much of the erosion of Christianity.”
It is a certainty that this, together with their hatred of the poor, of people who are not white, not gun-toting, of those who truly do try to follow God, of those who uphold freedom of speech, of those who uphold the freedom of the media, of those who believe in science, of those who dare to think critically, of those who want social justice, of those who see war as an awful last minute desperate necessity under dire circumstances rather than as a way of life and of anyone who supports human rights in any meaningful way, has worked to destroy their religion and has driven people away from God. The astounding irony is that the same book they claim to hold so dear tells them God will destroy their churches if they do what they have been doing, and yet they persist. Let justice be done and may their apoostate churches cease to exist sooner so that God’s name be restored among humanity.
I fervently hope this article is right on target. What is happening to people in countries under the bootheel of any flavor of religious conservativism should also be taken into account. The Taliban is ruining the Afghgan culture, destroying educational opportunities and healthcare for women, etc. Zealots stoned a raped teenager in Africa. The list of religious atrocities is endless. After all the merciless evil done in the name of god throughout the millenia, how can any rational person can find christianity or islam to be a source of moral compass?
I think the evolution of humanity lies along a much more accepting and enlightened path. It’s the hundredth monkey phenomena at work. Someday even Republican will get it. According to Mr Besen, they already are….
I keep wondering why Meghan McCain wants to be part of this.” …. “The Republican base is now made up of religious and neoconservative ideologues and the uneducated white underclass with a token person of color up in front of the TV to obscure the all-white, all reactionary, all backward, and there is no global warming, rube reality.”
I hope that the republicans can make an evolutionary step forward and focus on the fiscal policies that may save this nation from the slow bleed that’s coming. The religious sideshow act that they’ve played, and still cling to, has obscured many other worthy ideals and is not even fitting to their ideals of limited government, one that stays out of the lives of its citizens and lets them choose for themselves. I cheer their current collapse, because we need a new focused party for the problems that are coming.
Mr, Besen, true the Republicans lost, and rightfully so. But religion lost around 2000 years ago when Christ nailed it to the tree. Religion is man’s way to reach to God, it can never succeed. Christ was God’s way to reach out to men. It’s never about us. Thank God that the heart is looked on not the person or his lable. You are a crusader and a good one, don’t ever quit, I and a whole lot of people need those who can articulate truths in such a manner that people listen. Just be careful of the semantics. Stay strong. bnr
@RJLigier is a Republican/Right Wing rube sent to cause division within the GLBTIQ community.
Just look at his/her posts over the last six months. She/he tries to create division and strife. Not exactly what we need in this hopefully awakening moment of the American psyche.
He denies that we deserve existence and morality and always tells us we will fail when we eventually wind up winning.
@RJLigier Please keep it up; we always seem to win where you always say we will loose. We need more of you so we can finally reach victory for all human kind.
’nuff said.
My thoughts are these. For all the slandering against republicans and christian conservatives for their anti gay rhetoric, Obama did not win by a landslide. If the US, really does lean towards him, why was it not a blow out?My parents are conservative, christian, white, middle class, and they love me even though I am gay. I am also not alone, to make your point about what is left in the Republican party degrades my family and they are not what you listed above.
Secondly, are we a better society, with less of a population identifying with any religion? Since religion provides some sort of a moral compass, could that explain why crime is on the rise. Birthrates by those that can ill afford children is climbing and who will pay for it? (Ex:Octomom) Domestic violence, look at Chris and Rhianna, and for now she has gone back to him. Huge financial fraud schemes by those that seem to have no concious has had a catastophic affect on thousands.
Suddenly, having success has become taboo for those that have worked hard to achieve it and therefore its ok for the government to take it from you. Why do we not look at how much movie stars, sports athletes, singers and even politicians make a year and how much of it is paid in taxes or given to charitble organizations. Instead we focus on the business unit which actually drives our economy more than any other sector and demonize it. I heard a famous quote that rings true, the cost of success is high, and few people are willing to pay the price. This is the greatest nation on earth, millions come here to have a chance to make their own fortune and live their dreams and now so many think that a hand out is the way to go versus hard work and determination. My raising was partly focused on, if its worth having its worth working for. My parents both worked hard, my dad had two jobs all my life until he was in his early 60’s to provide for us and we learned the value of a dollar.
For every thing we can dramatize against conservatism, we can match with the opposite argument. It all depends on who is putting their spin on it.
RJLigier…. you are a nut..
I agree that in a few years, conservative philosophy might again be budding. Americans are notorious for having short memories politically. And I can see someone like Mitt Romney, who is not dumb even if he is a hypocrite, being a force to reckon with in the 2012 elections.
But I hope Wayne is right. I hope the 2008 election will end up being a major shift in the American political psyche, much like Reagan’s 1980 election was.
Yet, we will have to deal with the conservative looniness for some time. As long as Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter remain celebrities. As long as Republicans can filibuster. As long as supreme court justices in California exclaim they don’t know what an inalienable right is… well… it may be a decade or two before the disease is rooted out.
Sadly, I think that you are wrong Mr. Besen. The leftward shift in America may have been just a rejection of George Bush. After he is just a political memory in the not too distant future – we may be saying (with horror) “they’re back”.
RJLiger: There is nothing paranoid nor delusional about Wayne’s column. Like most Republicans, you dismiss what you do not understand or don’t agree with (usually both) and in the process discredit your own input.
As someone who follows GLBT issues in depth, on multiple fronts, and on an everyday basis, I can state that Wayne’s column is masterful in how it weaves several recent stories important to GLBT concerns into one cohesive and interesting read.
Thanks Wayne, and I am interested to read more of your thoughts regarding the lawsuit to protect “ex-gays” using pro-gay legislation.
Goodness gracious! We’re now attracting right wing loonies like this RJLigier character. See what you’ve done now Mr. Besen you’ve gone and angered a frustrated breeder! LMFAO!
More paranoid delusional propaganda from 365gay.com’s circus leader. Wayne, you have to do better. It’s an even playing field since 1998, spare us the histrionic and passive-aggressive behaviors for exposing the goals of the neurotic professionals within the liberal bodies of the APA(s) and the ABA. Secondly, please take all the LGBT Republicans and Conservatives back into your fold.
This is why, a few years ago one Pastor of a large church that wanted to attract all kinds of people looked into calling themselves “friends of Jesus” instead of “Chritians” because that name was being dragged down by bigotry and narrow mindedness.
Tom in Long Beach
Well I’d be happy to watch this mindless self-destruction take place, I’ve had enough of the hate, enough of the lies, enough of the deception.
It’s only a pity that any good news will reach me too late. Sorry folks