The struggle between organized region and non-affiliated has been
around since the nations was founded.
Benjamin
Franklin,
Ethan
Allen,
George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson J
ames
Madison, and
Thomas
Paine were all deists.
Deism the belief
in a deity based on
natural
religion only, or belief in religious truths discovered by people
through a process of reasoning, independent of any
revelation
through
scripture
or
prophets.
Deism can be contrasted with theism, Most theists ascribe to
organized religion. “Organized religion is typically characterized
by an official
doctrine
(or
dogma), a
hierarchical
or
bureaucratic
leadership structure, and a
codification
of
rules
and practices.”
The term theism was first used by
Ralph
Cudworth (1617–88). In Cudworth's definition, 'Theists, are
those who affirm, that a perfectly conscious understanding being, or
mind, existing of itself from eternity, was the cause of all other
things".
Most modern western religious such as Judaism, Christianity and
Islam are monotheistic. Almost all have official doctrine,
bureaucratic leadership, and a codification of rules and practices
often described as rituals.
Most of the early religions were integrated with and extensions of
the state. This may explain why many religions have developed an
authoritarian streak,
Barry Goldwater said this in 1981:
There is no position on which people are so immovable as their
religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a
debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls
this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God's
name on one's behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions
that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious
clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into
following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these
religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they
threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I'm frankly sick
and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me
as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in
'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' Just who do they think they are? And from
where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral
beliefs to me?
Goldwater further warned about Christan fundamentalists and Evangelicals
taking over the GOP:
If they succeed in establishing religion as a basic
Republican Party tenet," he told US. News & World Report in
1994, "they could do us in." In an interview with The
Post that same year, Goldwater observed, "When you say 'radical
right' today, I think of these moneymaking ventures by fellows like
Pat Robertson and others who are trying to take the Republican Party
and make a religious organization out of it. If that ever
happens, kiss politics goodbye.
So here we are in 2016. In 2012, we had Republican Mitt Romney
running for president. Romney believed he was the chosen one in the
White Horse prophesy. The prophecy predicts that the
United
States Constitution will one day "hang like a thread"
and will be saved "by the efforts of the (man on a) White Horse.
" Mormons have anticipated. the United States to eventually
become a
theocracy
dominated by
The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When Romney was running we also had Mike Huckabee and Rick
Santorum trying to build their presidential aspirations on church
altars. too. Newt Gingrich was another religious Catholic zealot
The worst by far is Ted Cruz who hold Dominionist beliefs. Ted
would like to be the emperor of the first American theocracy.
The authoritarianism in the GOP can be
explained to a certian extent by the a party riddled with religion.
The Republican reaction of the GOP to Obama may also have a religious
basis in that many fundamentalists think Africans a have the mark of
Cain on them. However, most anthropologists know that the human
species developed in Africa. The first humans were dark skinned.
So how does the Democratic party work
with Republicans who are religious zealots and ideologues with “my
way of the highway” attitudes?
Would guess Obama is doing the best he
can under the circumstances. You have to work under and around such
people and work to marginalize them in the next election. On
occasion, give them enough rope to hang themselves which is what
happened to the the GOP when it closed down the Federal government.
You simply cannot negotiate with a
“disloyal opposition” in good faith.
It's time for Democrats to put the hammer
down and to storm the election booths in 2016. If we make an
extended efforts, we can take the Presidency, the Senate and perhaps
even the House!
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