Short Takes
Frederick Clarkson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Thu Jul 24, 2014 at 05:39:46 PM EST
Bilgrimage:  Bill Lindsey discusses "an outstanding series of articles" by Frank Cocozzelli here at Talk to Action, originally posted in 2007, about the close ties of some of the Catholic members of the U.S. Supreme Court, "to the ultra-secretive, wealthy, and very influential right-wing Catholic movement Opus Dei."

The Hill:  "Religious liberty belongs to everyone, not just the religious right" is the title of an op-ed I co-authored with Tarso Luis Ramos.  

The religious right's effort is not limited... to the courts or even to abortion and contraceptives. Earlier this year, conservative legislators in Arizona passed SB 1062, the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act," which would have allowed private business owners to refuse services to LGBTQ customers by claiming a "sincerely held religious belief." The Act was vetoed by Governor Jan Brewer; just one month later, however, the Mississippi legislature passed a nearly identical bill that was quickly signed into law by Governor Phil Bryant. Similar legislative proposals are advancing in several other states....  If a business enterprise's "religious belief" can be used to justify discrimination in one thing, why not other things?

RH Reality Check:  Andrea Grimes wisely points out that it is long past time for progressives to stop using counter-productive terms like "American Taliban."  

There's no need to try and incite fear that right-wing lawmakers are going to turn America into an extremist Islamic theocracy when they're doing just fine turning it into an extremist Christian theocracy. The answer to countering right-wing attacks on Americans.... isn't to create a turban-wearing bogeyman looming half a world away, but to look at what's happening right here in our own country, in our own statehouses, at our own national capitol.



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I prefer talking about my complexion. NO!! I would just ask if those who use that term, as non-constructive as it is, aren't they merely describing the far-right Christians as similarly occupied with installing their rigid religious beliefs onto all of American society, just as the Taliban in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and increasingly seen in the edicts of ISIS are doing as we speak?

Regardless, it serves only to provoke and anger, and, while I used to be more "militant" in my unbelief, I see name-calling as the point where the person has run out of items to refute assertions and so the provocations are the sign off. I do not see name-callers as serious; just quitters.

by trog69 on Fri Jul 25, 2014 at 10:08:25 AM EST

or "Christian sectarian supremacist" are terms I prefer. "Dominionist" is the best term among those who study religious trends, but is an obscure term to the public at large. Emphasis is that the "Christianist" person wants to impose a specific narrow interpretation of Christianity on the population.

by NancyP on Fri Jul 25, 2014 at 05:01:32 PM EST
Parent

In high school English we were taught to compare and contrast characters in novels. This is one way of learning to discern and to articulate meaningful distinctions.  One of the many problems with the labeling of American conservative Christians as "Taliban" is that while there are comparisons to be made, there are also many contrasts. And when you do the homework, it reveals that the comparisons are not as compelling as the contrasts.  

This brings us to why people use the label.  

I believe that it is to substitute demonization for making actual, well informed, substantive critiques. My experience has been that when challenged, the more people insist that the label is "true" the less it seems that they actually know very much about the subject.  The Taliban label may be one way of expressing strong feelings about the Christian Right or its constituent parts, but that is not the same thing as knowing what we are talking about.  It is also about as intellectually reputable as calling people with whom we may disagree Nazis, or comparing them to Hitler.

We didn't do that in high school English class either. Getting an A is not the exact same thing as getting an F.  

by Frederick Clarkson on Fri Jul 25, 2014 at 09:18:17 PM EST
Parent



In his article, Bill Lindsey discusses a series of articles by Frank Cocozzelli that were originally posted on Talk to Action. Lindsey compliments Cocozzelli's work, stating that it is "outstanding"  make own engagement ring and provides an insightful look into the world of religious extremism. Lindsey goes on to say that Cocozzelli's articles are a valuable resource for those seeking to understand and combat religious extremism.

by isabelladom on Tue Nov 08, 2022 at 01:33:12 PM EST


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