Realist,

A cogent, well written article. I may have additional comments later, but for now -- do you remember the old Pogo cartoon strip? In it, one of the characters, Pogo himself, as I recall, said We have found the enemy and it is us.

News, whether TV, radio or the rapidly (I almost said vapidly) vanishing newspapers have a primary purpose, which is to get ratings and sell advertising time. They give us what they think we want, and the process is self perpetuating. The more crap we get, the more we want and the more they supply.

It is sad, but I think it is true.

Dan

Realist,

The problem that the press is overlooking with the right's religious ties is that there are powerful political implications. The religious right is deeply involved in our politics. Look at Bush's stances in RU486, abortion (including its ties to foreign aid), supression of scientific research, attempts to teach pseudo-creationism in the classroom, stem cell research, etc.

What is worse, a religious affiliation with a minister who will cost votes (Obama), or political affiliation with ministers (and their voting blocs) that will deliver election-deciding votes to a candidate. Fear the religious right; they have real power and they are not shy to use it.

-JTS

I think that people like Hagee and Wright are full of shit, and no matter how many "halos of holiness" you put on the stuff, just because it shines in the sun doesn't make it anything other than shit.

But my beliefs aside, this election is rapidly becoming a contest over which idiotic pretender to the American throne can line up which goyisher preacher to back him up.

I believe in and maintain the Jewish vision for the Redemption of Mankind, and in this Redemption many will die - including Jews. But I do not hold with all the Christian millennial garbage that sells like hotcakes in the States. Christians can delude themselves all they wish - they've been doing that for two thousand years. It is irrational to expect them to change now. But Jewish prophecy is coming true, whether I like it or not; and usually I don't like it.

Realist, your big problem is not that you can't dig up facts; it is that you dismiss the truths of religion altogether. That is foolish.

Ruvy as usual is expressing one of the great universal truths of religion: Mine is correct; yours is wrong, and probably evil.

The idea that Ruvy's secret Jewish Da VInci codes predict anything is hilarious, though, although I don't want to inspire another asinine fantasy explanation of how the frequency of letters in a certain section of the Talmud predicted the Asian bird flu.

Until we diminish the importance of religion and superstition in our lives people will be susceptible to these crackpot religionists.

Dan Miller - Pogo was right
Leslie - sooo right!
Biffle - good point.
I attended an event recently where the speaker was a political refugee from Iran, who counseled us "Fear the Fundamentalists!"