Having just finished viewing the PBS series, ‘God in America’ :
http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/view/
I was appalled at the nearly total extent to which religious crazies had seized control of the country’s political machine. This was particularly manifested in the last episode ‘Of God and Caesar’. I’d strongly recommend the series (now available online to watch) for anyone seriously interested in seeing how the absurd notion of American exceptionalism was fueled by the delusions that the Babbits of this land possessed the only sure line to the divine, and the sole passage to “the truth”.
In the last episode, we behold the apotheosis of this mutation, visible in the hate and intolerance for those who tried to fight back against being ground under the jackboots of religious Nazis who disdained Jefferson’s ‘Wall of Separation’ between Church and State.
The first focus is on secular humanist Sue M’Collum who took her case to the local district and state (Illinois) Supreme Court – maintaining that her son, Terry, was coerced by the public school system to engage in religious baloney. She argued that the Separation of Church and State prohibited the state public school system from foisting religion on students, who represented a captive audience.
Suffering defeats in both lower court cases, the valiant Mrs. M’Collum fought on and took her case to the U.S. Supreme Court which by a 6-1 margin ruled in her favor. They indeed reasoned that the “Wall of Separation” was enshrined in First Amendment rights and these afforded protection for the non-believer as well as the believer. Specifically, in this case, the Champaign, IL public schools could not be in the business of imparting religion or religious teachings to Terry M’Collum, or any other non-Christian.
The ruling didn’t take long to rile the fervent and devout, who pelted Ms. M’Collum with garbage on one occasion, and strung up her pet cat – hanging it- in another incident. Nice, kind, loving Christians…..who I’m sure would be a credit to their Savior Jesus! And who’s words, as I seem to recall, insisted one “love your neighbor as yourself” and also – if perceived that someone smite you on one cheek, you then “turn the other cheek” to him (not that M’Collum “smited” any of them, she merely fought for her own rights as a dedicated unbeliever).
Terry M’Collum, in the segment, also recalled ignorant mail received that proclaimed he “now had the right to go to Hell”. Typical nutso blabber.
Also in the segment were five Jewish Long Island families (led by Alan Roth) who took umbrage at having their public school system stuff Biblical and Christian platitudes down the throats of their offspring. They also took their case to the U.S. Supreme Court which made an even more cogent ruling: that outlawed all prayer in public schools. The 1962 decision was heralded as major and ground breaking, finally releasing non-believers and non-Christians from the portentous grasp of a nation determined to fuel its ambitions of war and conquest via citizen fake piety.
The families, especially Roth’s, also suffered at the hands of the bigots and hater Christians, nearly having their cars fire-bombed by crazies tossing gasoline-soaked and ignited Molotov cocktails. This is how the crazies react, along with their predictable “Hell” threats, instead of using reason and making a stronger case (to the same courts) that the other side is wrong.
Fortunately, those rulings have stuck, though there are endless assaults to attempt to return the public square of the nation to a religiously corrupted one. It seems for too many “God fearing” Christians, learning to live in peaceful co-existence isn’t feasible unless they get to control all dialogue and choices.
Sad, but perhaps they need closer study of why this country isn’t exceptional at all, including its massive debt to the Chinese, as well as a rapidly debasing dollar value – thanks to craven policies of its central bankers - for whom money is the only true god worth worshipping!
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