First lets' note that it is at the state level where much of the political strength of the Religious Right has been for many years. It is part of the long term strategy of the right in building a lasting political infrastructure.

(BTW: The group recently changed its name to the Maine Family Policy Council, consistent with its affiliation with FOFA.

At his personal blog, Heath gives us an important glimpse into his worldview:

The nation will right itself if it fixes sex

We are all rightly concerned about the nation's financial situation today. Our crisis is a symptom, not the cause.

Ruth Graham told her husband Billy years ago that God would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah if He doesn't judge America. They were reflecting on a list of sinful conditions existing in our nation in the 1960s. Things have only deteriorated since then.

I am not saying I know whether this financial crisis is God's judgment or not. It is not for me to know that definitively. Graham's observations are instructive, however.

If Maine's politicians really want to get serious about making Maine strong in light of this national crisis they will do the following immediately:

Put Maine on record as being against abortion the nanosecond the Supreme Court releases the Roe shackle.

Defund the Family Planning Association of Maine.

Amend Maine's Constitution to define Marriage.
Eliminate domestic partnerships and ignore pleas to create civil unions.
Unleash Maine's private sector to make Maine energy independent.
End discrimination against private religious schools and homeschools.
If we did that in 2009 I think God would crack a smile.

The worldview behind these statements is consistent with a wide swath of conservative evangelicalism, and some elements of conservative Catholicism, that believes that God punishes those -- inlcuding nations -- who do not conform to his laws (or at least, certain interpretations of God's laws as found in certain translations of the Bible). Such views were on spectacular display in the infamous episode in which Rev. Jerry Falwell explained the 9/11 attacks on Robertson's 700 Club cable TV show: "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"  Robertson unhesitatingly concurred.

Similarly, we have had John Hagee telling NPR talk show host Terry Gross:  "Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans." "New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God," Hagee said, because "there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came."

It is a false, manichean, anti-pluralist, and ultimately theocratic framing of life and public affairs in America.  This manifests itself most strongly in times of crisis, whether it is 9/1l, hurricane Katrina, or the crisis on Wall Street.  But it is worth absorbing the idea that variations on this worldview have been part of our culture throughout our history -- and it will likely always be so. What is different at this point in our history is that such views have grown tremendously in influence in recent decades and thanks to the political power of the Religious Right -- are front and center in American public life. This will probably continue to be so for the forseeable future.  There is much to be done in becoming conversant about such views and the destructiveness they bring to civil discourse, and to efforts to acheive fair and reasonable public policy in America.

It can be strange and complicated stuff. I know. But it really is central, not periferal, to the politics of our time. Fortunately, Chip Berlet recently posted a primer to go along with our intensive reproting on how these matters have played out in the campaign, most recently regarding Sarah Palin.

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