Friday, June 10, 2011

Of Christian Nationalism, the Israel Lobby, and Herman Cain's Loyalty Oath for Muslim Americans



Going to see Super 8 tonight, and am still working on a post on X-Men. Others have most certainly beaten me with my thoughts on the latter, but there is still lots to be said on the film.

A quick thought.

I have little use for religion. I also smile and smirk at the hypocrisy of Conservatives and all of their "values," "God," and evangelical talk. But I do love Bobby D's movie The Apostle. Riddle me that one.

Much of the Right's religious talk is rank hypocrisy. Rarely (if ever) does their interpretation of Jesus Christ as a historical figure's teachings mesh up with their anti-poor, kleptocratic, intolerant, judgmental, mean spirited politics--on that note, if you want to make the head of an evangelical Conservative explode give them a copy of JimWallis's book God's Politics.

In short, this country's founding document clearly mandates that there should be a thick and substantial wall between matters of church and state. It is ironic then that Constitutional fetishists like Herman Cain and other Tea Party GOPers want to tear down those barriers. It is doubly funny, that characters like black garbage pail kid Herman Cain want to impose unconstitutional litmus tests for Muslim Americans who want to be elected to public office. That a black man, a member of a group whose citizenship and fitness for national belonging has been repeatedly questioned would do such a thing, is tragic.

Moreover, when Alan Keyes is a voice of reason calling a person out for pursuing intellectually and morally indefensible canards of questionable thought and reason in respect to the Constitution we know that the Republic truly is on life support.

In the interest of consistency in all things, if Herman Cain supports a loyalty test for Muslim Americans because they are somehow conflicted in their support of the Constitution (and by implication are not patriotic), when is Congress going to have hearings on the Israel lobby and the role of Christian Nationalists in shaping American domestic and foreign policy? Will there be loyalty tests for members of groups such as Christians United for Israel or AIPAC? Where was the outcry when President Bush, without embarrassment, talked about God telling him to invade Iraq?

I am not religious. But I am fair. And if we are going to be fair the obvious must be stated: the Evangelical Right and Christian Nationalists have done more long term damage to the domestic and international security of this country than any Muslim American ever has.

Where are the hearings on those folks Mr. Cain?

5 comments:

Hank Nasty said...

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.

-Seneca-

chaunceydevega said...

@Hank. The opiate of the masses.

CNu said...

gnaw kneegrows, the entheogen of the masses....,

Once you come to know and understand the all-pervasive (but now all-suppressed) extent of this influence, it will deform your understanding of western civilization forever...,

Hank Nasty said...

@CDV: Good point, although with the crazy things people do on account of religion crystal meth might be a better comparison.

@CNu: Nice, I always thought there was something "trippy" about religion in general. Thanks for the insight.

jurist said...

This is really crazy!