In response to "How warm does it have to get?" in the April 4 paper, the trend among the religious right is to deny science. Since George Bush came to power, the floodgates have opened up for the Creationists, the Christian Reconstructionists, the theocons and the premillenial dispensationalists. All these groups, including Bush himself, have completely denied the factual basis of science and replaced those facts with fantastical worldviews.
The bit about the creationist point of view about the Grand Canyon is true. I personally have witnessed the complete denial of it by someone who supports and believes in the radical Christian world view. They claim the earth to be only 6,000 years old and that the canyon was formed after the "great flood" of biblical times.
Since the first day of his presidency, it has been George Bush's goal to subvert science, reason and logic and replace them with his simple minded, blatantly false, literal religious views. Science and scientists as well as progressives, liberals, peace nicks etc. have been demonized, de-humanized and ridiculed.
Christians claim that the most radical among them are few. If that were true, why is it that I can name over a dozen extremely radical Christian leaders who command thousands who follow them? Where are the moderate Christians?
Why is it that the media all pander to the most radical Christian leaders? When the media want to talk to a Christian about global warming they call Jerry Fallwell or Bill Donahue or Ann Coulter. Has Bush so divided this country and coddled the radical religious right so much that there are no moderates left on either side? Not only do Pat Robertson and Jerry Fallwell condemn so-called liberals, they condemn fellow Christians who don't brandish hate and ignorance to their level.
While blogging, I commented on the rise of Christian supremacy and Christian Domioninists who have hijacked Christianity and the White House. The same individual on that blog also denied that there is a rise in belief in Christian supremacy.
The dangerous melding of religion and politics is a direct result of the situation we find this country in today. With respect to global warming, evolution, stem cell research, women's rights, they only have one tactic, and that is to deny, deny, deny. Because they have nothing to back claims, no facts and no evidence. Denial is all that they are left with.
"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." (John F. Kennedy)
Erik Elison
Ketchum
