Barry Lynn blasts the 'religious' Right

[ck4829]

The executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State warned an audience at the University of Mary Washington yesterday about the religious right's agenda.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn said he thinks this faction wants to "destroy, pretty much, all the cornerstones of American government."

Still, about 17 percent of Americans side with them, he said before a supportive crowd.

Only one person in the audience challenged any of his positions.

Lynn, an ordained United Church of Christ minister, visited UMW to promote his new book, "Piety and Politics: The Right Wing Assault on Religious Freedom."

The framers of the U.S. Constitution wanted the government to largely leave religion alone, he said. Former President Thomas Jefferson even refused to recognize a national day of prayer, he said.

But the religious right uses Christianity as an excuse to "run your life from the moment of conception to the moment of death," he said.

"And they pretty much want to tell you what to do every moment in between," said Lynn, who serves on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Since 1984, the government has spent millions on abstinence-based sex education. A book on the subject states that one out of seven condoms fail, Lynn said. "This kind of enforced ignorance, where religious ideology trumps good scientific information, is literally killing some of your peers."

Lynn also dismissed the idea of teaching intelligent design in public schools, calling it, "religious ideology masquerading as science."

And he denounced opposition to the morning-after pill and the human papillomavirus vaccine.

The religious right thinks easy access to both will make women more promiscuous, he said. "These are people who want to go deep into the last century in the way they want to control private, moral decision-making."

When asked about the current U.S. Supreme Court, Lynn said it's proof of the religious right's power.

"That is one institution where the religious right has already done at least 10 years' worth of damage," he said.

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/042007/04112007/274856

[Ian David]

1. "Piety and Politics: The Right Wing Assault on Religious Freedom."

Start: 2007-04-29 13:00
End: 2007-04-29 15:00

The Virginia Americans United Chapter is hosting a talk by Americans United Executive Director, Rev. Barry Lynn about his new book "Piety and Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom." In the book, Rev. Lynn explains why the Religious Right's dream for America is a nightmare. A strong defense of secular government, Piety & Politics argues that true religion doesn't need the government's assistance, and in a nation of many faiths, it's impractical and inappropriate to foster specific doctrines in the government or teach them in public schools.

The talk will take place at 1:45 at the Holiday Inn Select in Norfolk. A luncheon preceding the talk will take place at 1 and costs $15 per person ($5 for students). There is no charge for the talk itself, but a reservation is required to ensure seating. For more information and to RSVP, please visit: http://www.au-va.org/announcements.htm or e-mail the chapter at [e-mail].
Location

Holiday Inn Select
1570 North Military Highway
Norfolk, VA, 23502
United States

More:
http://www.firstfreedomfirst.org/node/451


Also:

In his new book, Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom, the Rev. Barry W. Lynn explains why the Religious Right's dream for America is a nightmare. Lynn deplores Religious Right attempts to demolish the wall between church and state. A strong defense of secular government, Piety & Politics argues that true religion doesn't need the government's assistance, and in a nation of many faiths, it's impractical and inappropriate to foster specific doctrines in the government or teach them in public schools.

More:
http://www.pietyandpolitics.com/





At Powells Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/0307346544

At Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ISBN=0307346544&pdf=y

At Overstock.com: http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?page=proframe&prod_id=1937902

[BOSSHOG]

2. "Enforced Ignorance"

It occurs (at least) weekly at a religious right church near you.

OUR KIDS IN UNIFORM ARE NOT FIGHTING TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE BIBLE.