On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 20:48:02 GMT, "John R. Carroll"
wrote:

Guido wrote:
Ed Huntress wrote:


This is a time in US history when there are no clear goals, no
direction, no generally agreed idea of "progress." It is a time of
stagnancy and ennui. It will pass, but, until it does, absolutist
religion is an answer that is attractive to the many people who are
extremely uncomfortable with all of the uncertainty and lack of
direction.


Yep we were watching some documentary a week or so ago on
Fundamentalist/Creationist/IDers and there was an overwhelming sense
that here was a group of people looking for absolute assurances,
something solid they could cling to whilst the world around them
shifted.

The entire issue reminds me of the "Red Scare" of the 50's.
I have yet to see a credible piece of objective evidence that anyone is
being denied the right to practice religion outside the confines of
Publicly financed places. There does, on the other hand, appear to be an
ongoing effort to subvert and divert public moneys to support an entire host
of religious groups or perspectives. That effort isn't meeting with much
success and it won't in all likelyhood.
Noone in the US is denied their religious preference or the ability to
practice it. That isn't the same thing as being able to use public resources
to promote the same.

Hummm could be. It sounds very similar to the big scare the leftists
are pushing about lack of freedoms, encroaching slavery, removal of
privacy etc etc.

Ive yet to see a credible piece of objective evidence that anyone has
lost their freedoms or privacy because of interception of phone calls,
or having their library records checked, or even as a direct result of
the Patriot Act.

Lots of What ifs...much like the Religion thing, huh?

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner