Quote:
Do you believe it ? Can you defend it ? If not,
is it harmful to the rest of us,
and to the world's muslims? Do LaHaye and the
rest of the Christian Right's mullahs influence
Bush signifigantly and negatively. How can we
resist and minimize the potential for damage?
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While there has been much discourse, I haven't really seen the questions proffered in the original post answered outright so for the sake of being a stickler and so I can blow off a little more time at work I'll give my own answers.
1 .Do I believe it? Nope. Don't buy the whole Rapture, Heaven, Christian thing. I grew up a Southern Baptist and by the time I was nine I'd decided if God was the person our minister fire and brimstoned about every Sunday then he wasn't my friend or very smart either. Just couldn't stand up to the scutiny of a nine year old much less an adult.
2. Can you defend it ? If not, is it harmful to the rest of us and to the world's muslims?
No need to defend a view I do not have. Is it harmful? Anytime a group of people are vilified for their beliefs or there is intolerance for different views, cultures, or values we are all harmed and in danger.
3. Do LaHaye and the rest of the Christian Right's mullahs influence Bush significantly and negatively. How can we resist and minimize the potential for damage?
I don't know that the chrisition right is a major influence on Bush. They influence in that he already has these beliefs and he acts as he does due to those beliefes but not because he is pressured by christian leaders. Bush is a man born to power and privilige. He has never had to question his beliefs or have any idea that there is a way to live and believe different than his own. To truly understand that to some people christian beliefs and American style democracy and culture are not desireable is simply beyond him. He doesn't have the capacity for such thinking.
As for resisting and minimizing the damage, half of America is resisting and the other half doesn't understand why we don't just accept that they're right and join in on all the apple pie eating fun! Damage wise, we're screwed. Much of the world thinks us bullies or at the least terribly short sighted and naive. We are trillions of dollars in debt and it will only get worse as we spend more and more on this ill-advised war. Our grandchildren will pay the price for this folly. A religous zealot sent two planes into the twin towers and murdered thousands. Reeling from the shock and thirsting for vengeance America was driven insane. We are a divided and frightened people. We will recover, but it will be a long and difficult road.