Knowledge is the enemy of faith. The Religious Right wants

[neverforget]

a theocracy and the Bush gang will help them however they can to institute it. They are appointing religious zealots to the Judiciary and to scientific panels. The Administration wants abortion outlawed and sex ed to be only about Abstinence. They want prayer in school and they want to "clean up" the airwaves to make it safe for Americans. Scalia and Thomas don't even believe in the right to vote if you believe the Bush v Gore opinion. Do they believe in the Biblical Rapture? Frankly, I don't want to find out. We need to beat these bastards in November and take our country back!

Not taking the Religious Right seriously is done at our own peril because they mean every word they say.

[salinen]

1. The Constitution,

and the Bill of Rights, are blasphemous documents from Hell.

[saltpoint]

2. You are right. Let's get rid --

-- of the whole pack of corporate hacks in the Bush administration.

They warp just about everything, religion included.

[NEOBuckeye]

3. Exactly. Just look at The Leave Every Child Behind Act.

It's ruining our public school systems so that religion-based private and charter schools can take over and indoctrinate our nation's children. Now, I'm not against private and charter schools, per se. But what the BFEE is doing to make them the only option for people is just plain wrong.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Knowledge is also power

and the problem is that religious extremists want that power for themselves; and for people's faith to be in the religious hierarchy, not in a god of your own perception. They'd rather have teenagers in ignorance, and dependent on faith-based charities for help in getting an unwanted child adopted, or bringing it up in poverty, than in knowing how to avoid the pregnancy in the first place.
They're also the most convinced of their own correctness; which makes them even more dangerous than right-wing economists, or foreign policy hawks, in the long run.

[chicagojoe]

5. "GOD" IS THE OPIATE OF THE MASSES...

...AND THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT WANTS EVERYONE TO BE ADDICTED. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN A HIGHER POWER, LET ME SAY THIS---NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN "GOD"; NO ONE ALIVE TODAY HAS EVER MET JESUS CHRIST; NO ONE HAS BEEN TO "HEAVEN" OR "HELL" AND COME BACK TO TELL US ALL ABOUT IT (OR SENT A POSTCARD).
REALITY IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[Muddleoftheroad]

9. You are incorrect

Many people have had near-death experiences where their body actually died. They have indeed come back and told stories of that experience.

[holeinboatoutatsea]

10. Those are likely the result of chemicals

released during severe trauma, or even various drugs.

my opinion

[Muddleoftheroad]

11. Your opinion

Exactly. You don't know.

[oneighty]

18. You believe them?

I been there and back and do not remember a darn thing.

180

[Muddleoftheroad]

21. I have no reason not to

The stories seem consistent and credible.

[oneighty]

23. Then of course

you believe me?

180

[Muddleoftheroad]

24. I have no documentation with you

Just your word here. No subsequent interviews. No lie detectors. No psychiatric tests.

So the jury is still out.

[oneighty]

25. I be glad to submit myself

to scientific examination any time. Just so the others are there also.

180

[Muddleoftheroad]

26. Many have already done so

And perhaps you saw nothing because you lack faith.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. You describe the crux of our "culture war," neverforget --

and we're fighting for the survival of the system instituted by the Founding Fathers, who believed firmly in separation of church and state. My avatar was such a strong believer in that tenet that he ordered reference to it inscribed on his tombstone.

[Festivito]

7. Yes, they want theocratic rule, knowledge might not be...

the problem.

Seperation of church and state is, by me. Like a cart before the horse, seperation before free choice and practice has left both the Christians and the Atheists thinking themselves superior to each other with no end left in sight. There is even talk of civil unrest.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1200852
Will there be another american civil war?

[neverforget]

8. Knowledge is the problem because it's the power to learn and grow.

The religious right wants to tell people what to do, how to think and how and who to worship. That's why they attack science because it questions their faith. The debate between Evolution and Creationism is the biggest example of faith vs science. They don't want evolution taught along with Creationism in the classroom, they only want Creationism. If you get rid of science, there will be no questioning of their faith and you dumb down the masses making the people more easily controlled. Knowledge is power and the enemy of faith.

[Festivito]

14. Knowledge is power, but faith is not the problem.

Please do not judge all religions based on a few nuts.

There are bad DUers. There are even bad scientists. Neither makes DU nor science bad.

Faith may at times conflict with knowledge. But, knowledge, no matter how well reasoned and tested, can be found wrong. So can the object of faith be found wrong. Neither wrongnesses makes either faith or knowledge wrong.

Knowledge and faith are tools. Use them wisely.

Creationism is more faith than knowledge.
Evolution is more knowledge than faith.

What I see are two belief systems protected by the first amendment argued by persons whose wisdom is obscured by each's certitude of being better than the other.

[neverforget]

16. I'm talking about FUNDAMENTALISTS of ANY religion. It's their

way or the highway. I have no problem with faith. The problem I have is other people trying to ram their beliefs down my throat. The Religious Right in this country wants their beliefs to be the beliefs of this nation. That's what I'm talking about and against. I'm not anti-religion. All I want is for this country to wake up and see that some in this country want a Theocracy. Practice your faith all you want, just keep it out of government.

[Guaranteed]

12. Do me a favor and don't knock "faith."

While I'm not a Christian, or even religious, I have faith that everything's going to be alright, that there's something out there that is making sure of that, whatever it may be.

You should be careful to make a distinction between having hope and being a religious zealot. Dismissing optimism and belief in goodness as the "enemy of knowledge" (and I have plenty of knowledge, too- it's where I find my faith) is not only a good way to get yourself pegged as "evil," it's also an unhealthy way to live.

Maybe I'm reading too much into your title, but your own zealotry, as it stands, is only the flip-side of the same hate and ignorance that the religious right spews.

[neverforget]

17. I'm not knocking faith in general. I'm knocking the Religious Right's

USE OF FAITH to get what they want: a Theocracy.

[Gore1FL]

13. The original sin was eating from the tree of knowledge

They have biblical reasons for being stupid.

[TrogL]

15. The Religious Right - Revealed

[Ilsa]

19. Thet've made it as difficult as possible to move on to higher education.

It's more difficult than ever to afford attending even a community college, much less an academically prestigous university. They have every intention of keeping the masses dumbed-down for easier control via scary religious messages and imagery.

[BeHereNow]

20. In defense of Christianity:

I am a Christian.
I know my Bible.
The people you are referring to are NOT Christians.
They are however, written of in the Bible,
with great heed to warning about them.
They are being decieved in a most dangerous way.
And I repeat: THEY ARE NOT Christians.
BHN

[BeHereNow]

22. Forgot to add:

I believe that these people are committing
the "sin that leads to death."
1 John 5 :16
Other DU Christians have any thoughts on this?
I know these folks look a lot like the ones mentioned
in 1 John 4 where we are advised on how to "Test the Spirits..."
BHN