Talk To Action | Comments | Author Mansfield Envisions a "Better Society...Less Open to Non-Christian Religions"

Create an account:
it's free Forgotten name
or password ?

Fake History, and the myth that the United States was founded originally as a "Christian Nation", is now being taught in hundreds of schools across America. Please click here to help Talk To Action Fight Fake History

Talk To Action Speakers Bureau

Religious Right Organizations

Site Sections

The War on Reproductive Rights

Attacking Public Education

Shadow War: the battle for mainstream faith
the covert campaign against liberal chuches and the social justice tradition

War on Judicial Independence

Special Features

Attack on The United Churches of Christ

Attack on The United Methodist Church

"The Christian Right, Dominionism, and Theocracy", by Chip Berlet

Parts One Two Three Four Five

"Taking Over The Republican Party", a four part series by Joan Bokaer

The Woman in A Mink Coat While We Were sleeping Angels On a Pinhead Under Cover of Night

Donate to or support
Talk to Action

[above: click on image for YouTube video trailer]"Renewal or Ruin": New Video Documentary By Steve D. Martin Spotlights Secretive Rightwing Effort To Destroy Mainstream Protestant Churches

Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy, by Frederick Clarkson

Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort
by Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons
sample chapter

God's Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade For Values Voters
By Sarah Posner

Liars for Jesus: The Religious Right's Alternate Version of American History
By Chris Rodda

Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism
: by Michelle Goldberg

With God on Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George W. Bush's White House.
by Esther Kaplan

Straight to Jesus: Sexual and Christian Conversions in the Ex-Gay Movement
Tanya Erzen

Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Installments of Jonathan Hutson's Talk To Action expose series

on the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game have been viewed by up to 1/2 million people. See our site section featuring Over 35 original articles covering the controversial "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game that has provoked a boycott by a coalition of religious groups and a letter writing campaign urging Walmart to stop selling the game. Media inquiries click here
(image: detail from Francoise Dubois' rendition of the Bartholomew's Day Massacre reveals the actual nature of religious warfare)

Donate to or support
Talk to Action

Author Mansfield Envisions a "Better Society...Less Open to Non-Christian Religions" | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)

Before you lower the boom (none / 0)

Please consider this, Mr. Clarkson. You and I are on the same page, with respect to what is being done to our country. You and I seem to love it, in fairly equal measure. You and I seem to be devoted to fighting FOR it.

So, our disagreement is over the concept of "religion". Here is my take on it. Faith can stay; religion should go.

Belief in god should be private and personal. Having a "personal relationship" with a particular deity should be private and personal. Faith should be private and personal. To make it public cheapens the act; so it is written in the NT. To "sell" it takes it to the marketplace, where it is threatened by knock-offs.

If you are saying that I am conflating religion and theocratic movements, I would remind you that without religion, there would be no "theocratic movement". That without the group-think that is religion, our Constitution wouldn't be threatened. That the group-think that exists within religion fosters dangerous ideas that lead to ever-growing inroads into all parts of our lives. Whether it's science, medicine, education, media, publishing - it is slowly metastasizing and threatening to kill our culture.

Please remind me why going to church is necessary. Is it a club, where one get's a fix for the next week? Is it a weekly meeting of faith-warriors who don't understand what peace is? Is it one more way to spread the word to our children? Religion, above all else, is tribal, territorial and generational.

Faith in the mysterious is not. If is requires re-dosing, it's not faith. If it requires reinforcing, it's not faith.

We've agreed that the bible was written by men. Perhaps by fallible, opportunistic men. Men who may have inserted language that was not there in the original. I see the "Great Commission" or "whenever two or more meet in my name" as just two of the most dangerous concepts unleashed on mankind. Both (along with Revelation and tax-laws that allow free-rein to predatory pastors) have led us to where we are today: fighting for America's future.

Would that everyone was only a deist...

You may ban me, if you like. It is your blog. But in doing so, please tell me what is false in my statement above.

by Naomi on Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 03:38:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It really very simple, Naomi (none / 0)

This is part of the very debate that is off topic on this site. You either abide by the site guidelines or you don't. It ain't rocket science.

There are lots of places to discuss such things. This is not one of them.

Many people -- women and men, gay and strait, and right here on this site -- are part of what you call "organized religion" and find such social institutions perfectly compatible, even essential to their faith. I guess you cannot accept them as allies, let alone friends, because they do not share your particular approach to faith; an approach that you treat as The Truth.

Consider this: You would rather get banned from a site where peole share many of your deepst values and concerns and where there is much that interests you, than deign to treat others who participate here with the same respect that they extend to you.

We don't get up in the morning looking to find reasons to ban people. When something comes up that causes us concern, we are usually looking for reasons not to ban someone.

But when there is good reason and clearly necessary, we do it without hesitation and not necessarily with any notice. There are only so many hours in a day, and we don't let trolls take up our time or divert this site for their purposes.

by Frederick Clarkson on Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 08:33:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Then I must ban myself (none / 0)

Mr. Clarkson, I have tried to tell you what I believe. I won't resort to claims to freedom of speech. This is, after all, your blog and you do make the rules. I bow to your rules.

There are atheist blogs and there are christian blogs. I had thought that this was a hybrid, where we could meet and discuss those that would steal our government and bury our Constitution. And how to stop them.

My mistake.

by Naomi on Tue Aug 14, 2007 at 12:01:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]

: you don't get off that easily (none / 0)

There are lots of atheists and agnostics and free thinkers of various sorts who participate here. Always have been, always will be. Some are friends of mine of many years. But they are not busying themselves trying to debunk or ridicule or explain away the beliefs and religious cultures of their friends and allies. You on the other hand, have been doing just that for some time, and have been politely and privately warned.
This site is indeed a hybrid, as you say. And because that is so it requires the creation of a culture of mutual respect. And the understanding of the necessity of doing this is a prerequisite to meaningful participation. It is inevitable that the hybrid will be imperfect and it will evolve. But inherent in the effort are bits and pieces of models for how to participate meaningfully in a democratic pluralist society: one that respects and protects the rights of atheists equally with those of theists of all stripes, and also contends effectively against the theocratic forces of our time.
I hope that you will eventually find a way to be respectful of others who see matters of faith differently than you do. It will make all of the difference in whether you are able to be effective in forming meaningful alliances with the majority of Americans who share our common concerns in opposition to theocracy, support for separation of church and state, and related matters -- but whose views differ wildly on the existence and nature of god(s) and appropriate forms of social organization among the like-minded.

by Frederick Clarkson on Tue Aug 14, 2007 at 01:13:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Author Mansfield Envisions a "Better Society...Less Open to Non-Christian Religions" | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)

TTA site search engine

WWW Talk To Action

After the election
Some observations I've made, now that the election has been over for several days (admittedly based only a few samples- but I think that they are telling): Unlike when Bush won (when conservatives were......
By ArchaeoBob (0 comments)

Shorter Dobson - Post-Election Special
James Dobson devoted two half-hour radio shows to his post-Obama victory thoughts along with a cadre of six other religious conservatives. Here is a brief summary of their discussion... ......
By tacitus (5 comments)

Katherine Harris & Ken Malone, October 3, 2008
(what this story is really about): this post is an adjunct to a larger story, Katherine Harris, Sarah Palin Linked To Same Prayer Warfare Network which explores the fact that both Katherine Harris and......
By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)

Ignorance and Arrogance
Ignorance results primarily from two sources: poverty and privilege. Either denied an education or entitled to power, this isolation that enables ignorance breeds arrogance, and our society suffers from both.In an interview on American......
By Jay Taber (3 comments)

Imagining a Witchcraft-Fighting Vice President
Other recent Talk To Action stories on this subject Katherine Harris, Sarah Palin Linked To Same Prayer Warfare Network Palin's Movement Urges 'Godly' To 'Plunder' Wealth of 'Godless' Palin's Spiritual Warfare Network Partners With......
By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)

Spiritual Mapping and Spiritual Warfare - Muthee and the "Transformations" Franchise / 1
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave Series By The New Apostolic Reformation Research Team Introduction A video starring Thomas Muthee as a prayer warrior and witch hunter was released in 1999. "Transformations" was the......
By Ruth (0 comments)

Spiritual Mapping and Spiritual Warfare - Muthee and the "Transformations" Franchise / 2
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave Series By The New Apostolic Reformation Research Team Part Two (continued)part one part three A video starring Thomas Muthee as a prayer warrior and witch hunter was released in 1999.......
By Ruth (1 comment)

Spiritual Mapping and Spiritual Warfare - Muthee and the "Transformations" Franchise / 3
Palin's Churches and the Third Wave Series By The New Apostolic Reformation Research Team Part Three (continued)part one part two There are Transformations networks connected to Sentinel Group and "prayer warriors" under the authority of Wagner's......
By Ruth (0 comments)

Rev Andrew Weaver: A Fighter for Justice to the End
In the world of the intertubes the word "friend" has taken on a whole new meaning. A friend can be someone you've never met, never even talked to except through the medium of the......
By mick arran (0 comments)

Setting Priorities
Two of the people with the most on-the-ground experience in dealing with white christian nationalists in the United States -- Devin Burghart and Eric Ward (both currently with Center for New Community's Building Democracy......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

Christianity was Hijacked
Kevin Annett's documentary film Unrepentant tells the story of the Canadian holocaust. For those unfamiliar with the systematic mass murder of indigenous people in Canada by the United Church of Canada and the Canadian......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

IMAGINE: Media as a Sanctuary for Dissent
"The media should be a sanctuary for dissent. It is our job to go to where the silence is."-Amy Goodman ......
By eileen fleming (0 comments)

Berlet, Clarkson and Maley on the Radio
The syndicated radio program Writer's Voice , which originates at WMUA, the radio station at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, recently featured Dispatches contributors Chip Berlet, Leo Maley, and me in an hour......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)

Reconquering a Continent
When it comes to threatening behavior, mainstream media's cover-up of Governor Palin's violent friends is a much bigger story than her abuse of power. Of particular interest to Native Americans -- according to Dr.......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

Power of Moral Sanction
With the question of how to effectively oppose the rise of fascism in the United States now in vogue, I thought it apropos to revisit this essay from 2002, The Power of Moral Sanction.......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

Where's the Action?
It would seem the objective of action is at hand. Organizing for that step can take multiple forms, but one that is essential to any political success is generating a list of supporters and......
By Jay Taber (5 comments)

Dispatches from the Religious Left -- on Grit TV
Following the dramatic launch event for Dispatches from the Religious Left: The Future of Faith and Politics in America, held at Middle Collegiate Church in NYC, Laura Flanders invited several of us to appear......
By Frederick Clarkson (1 comment)

Remembering Iran-Contra
For those too young to have watched the live TV coverage of the Iran-Contra scandal, the notion of murderous felonies being coordinated out of the White House basement might seem fanciful. With the new......
By Jay Taber (1 comment)

The Problem With Militias
Sarah Palin supports the militia movement? Public Good Project's Paul de Armond explains why that's a problem. ......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

Assemblies of God, Palin, and me
I spent eight years of my life as a Pentecostal in the Assembly of God. It's as odd and alien a sect to most people as Mitt Romney's Mormonism. ......
By whaleman42 (2 comments)

Dispatches from the Religious Left -- Now Available!
At least it is now "in stock" over at Amazon.com. It should also be widely available in independent bookstores and chain stores as well. I will not clutter this site with too much news......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)

Transcript for Mary Glazier Video
Transcript of Audio "Opening the Gate of Heaven on Earth: Receiving the New Prophetic Wind for Increase" Conference, June 12 - 14, Everett, Washington Description of Conference at: <a href="http://freshpublishing.com/global-harvest-ministries-c-192-p-1-pr-33372.html ">http://freshpublishing.com/global-harvest-ministries-c-192-p-1-pr-33372.html Mary Glazier Alaska......
By Ruth (0 comments)

"Seven Mountains" and the "Joel's Army" plan for takeover
In yesterday's post, I went into some of the initial detail on a statement given by Thomas Muthee in the infamous sermon where he "annointed" Sarah Palin and also claimed to literally run a......
By dogemperor (0 comments)

Christian Fascism
[also see: Brent Bozell's Newbusters Insults Christian Conservatives - editor] Sarah Palin's propulsion into politics was fueled by religious intolerance, organized through malicious harassment, and targeted at democracy. Her use of the power of......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

Politics of Thuggery
Much as most Americans prefer politics as entertainment, or at most as an informal seminar, the reality is that the politics of thuggery -- especially as practiced by the GOP -- is anything but......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

Thomas Muthee's "Seven Mountains" and coded messages
Today's diary is--and yes, I know, this is a shocker--NOT going to be about Sarah Palin. At least, not directly. This is more towards some of her supporters...and especially in light of Palin throwing......
By dogemperor (2 comments)

New Model for Change
With American society in free fall, some activists are now reviewing the effectiveness of political organizing models they've used in the past. We suggest they include in their discussions two of our reports on......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

Promoting Murder in America
Contrary to public opinion, promoting murder is not protected by the Constitution. Nor is it protected by tax exempt status, as in the case of charitable trusts and organized religions. The only place we......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

War of Ideas
<h2> Attacking the Truth</h2> Robert Parry talks about the role of right-wing US foundations in funding the attack on truth in media. ......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

Vigil Land
I receive on average half a dozen e-mails from Bay Area activists* daily. Almost all of these unsolicited notices are for vigils held at various locations in Berkeley, Oakland, or San Francisco. In addition......
By Jay Taber (0 comments)

More Diaries...

Donate to or support
Talk to Action

Blogs

Bartholomew's Notes On Religion Chip Berlet Max Blumenthal The Panda's Thumb Frederick Clarkson Chuck Currie DefCon father Jake Stops The World John Gorenfeld Religion Clause Chris Mooney Religious Right Watch The Revealer Jesus Politics Majority Report Radio Blog Mainstream Baptist Orcinus Dispatches from the Culture Wars Ex-Gay Watch The Wall of Separation Blog From The Capital:a blog on religious liberty issues and the separation of church and state

CrossLeft: Organizing The Christian Left Dark Christianity The Daily Kos Booman Tribune ePluribus Media My Left Wing Political Cortex Street Prophets

Organizations

American Booksellers Foundation for Freedom of Expression ACLU Anti-Defamation League American Library Association Christian Alliance for Progress Citizens Project DefCon: Campaign to Defend The Constitution Faithful America People For the American way Institute For Democracy Studies Interfaith Alliance Jews On First: Defending the First Amendment American Fundamentalists Americans United for Separation of Church and State Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty The Clergy and laity Network Political Research Associates Theocracy Watch Media Matters for America Military Religious Freedom Foundation Montana Human Rights Network National Center For Science Education Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice The Revealer Southern Poverty Law Center Texas Freedom Network CrossLeft: Organizing the Christian Left Theocracy Watch Truth Wins Out"

Subscribe to Talk To Action RSS feeds !