As a person who finds his spiritual base in a strange mix of Buddhism and paganism,

[Jackpine Radical]

I often scratch my poor bald head in wonder as I contemplate certain aspects of religion in America.

Perhaps the greatest strategic coup that the right wing ever pulled off was the co-optation of the Christian fundamentalists. People today seem to have no historical awareness of the fact, but many, many evangelicals were social liberals in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The anti-slavery movement was largely the work of Quakers and other religious people.

Certainly the political positions of typical religionists did not map onto modern progressivism with any precision, but the number of parallels is amazing. Take, for example, William Jennings Bryan. Most people, if they know of him at all, know only that he was the lawyer who defended the State's anti-Darwinist law against Clarence Darrow in the 1925 Scopes trial. But here is Wikipedia on Bryan:

Bryan was a devout Presbyterian, a supporter of popular democracy, a critic of banks and railroads, a leader of the silverite movement in the 1890s, a leading figure in the Democratic Party, a peace advocate, a prohibitionist, an opponent of Darwinism, and one of the most prominent leaders of populism in the late 19th - and early 20th century. Because of his faith in the goodness and rightness of the common people, he was called "The Great Commoner."
In the intensely fought 1896 and 1900 elections, he was defeated by William McKinley but retained control of the Democratic Party. For presidential candidates, Bryan invented the national stumping tour. In his three presidential bids, he promoted Free Silver in 1896, anti-imperialism in 1900, and trust-busting in 1908, calling on Democrats, in cases where corporations are protected, to abandon states' rights, to fight the trusts and big banks, and embrace populist ideas. President Woodrow Wilson appointed him Secretary of State in 1913, but Wilson's handling of the Lusitania crisis in 1915 caused Bryan to resign in protest.

To me, it one of the great ironies of the 20th Century that the psychopaths managed to capture the religionists, making them totally forget the message of Christ in the process, converting a message of love, charity, and hope for change into a narrow hatred of certain out-groups, and that this great perversion has formed the basis of the right-wing power base ever since, They have been able to maintain the deception for 50 years now.

[havocmom]

1. Yep

Can I pour you a drink? I think I want one now.

[UTUSN]

2. Two words: Jimmy CARTER n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Yes, and Jim Wallis of Sojourners Magazine, and many others.

Remember that the Methodists opposed Bush's war, and even the Pope opposed it. But for many Americans, conservative religion and conservative politics go hand-in-hand.

[Critters2]

5. The Methodists opposed Bush's war? What?

Bush is a Methodist, and the Methodists are mighty proud of him. That's why they're building his library at Southern Methodist University. Cheney is a Methodist, too.

[intheflow]

7. I was attending a Methodist seminary when 9-11 hit.

Believe me, there were--and still are--a lot of Methodists against the B/C cabal. But you've hit the nail on the head when you mention Southern Methodist University. That's the conservative branch of Methodism. And even at SMU, not everyone is happy to be associated with BushCo., Inc.

Opponents keep up fight against Bush library at SMU

Methodists reject SMU Bush Presidential Library 844-20

[Critters2]

10. What seminary?

And, in the name of full disclosure, let me say that Methodists irritate the hell out of me. All that "open hearts, open minds, open doors" bs, while they have the most repressive attitude toward glbt people of any mainline church...exactly the same position as the Southern Baptists. I think of Methodists as stealth fundies. Fundies in mainline clothing.

Really, just irritate the hell out of me. Otoh, we in the UCC have gained some good folks in the people who were kicked out of those "open doors" for being gay or lesbian.

[intheflow]

11. That's very true!

When the Methodists voted against allowing openly GLBT clergy, the UCC did in fact gain a lot of clergy from my school. (I'm a UU, myself.) I went to the Iliff School of Theology, the most liberal of all the Methodist seminaries. I believe the Southern Methodists targeted us with a smear campaign with the intent to shut us down and shut us up. They've pretty much taken over administration now, the place is a shadow of its former self. :(

[Critters2]

13. Oh, yeah. I knew several people in Iowa who went to Iliff.

Don't know anything about the faculty, though.

I know lots of UUs! My ex was UU when we were married. He's now Eastern Orthodox. I'm still not clear how one makes a leap like that! :)

Nice to meet you! :hi:

[intheflow]

6. Martin Luther King, Jr.

He was certainly an evangelical preacher. :)

[Triana]

4. Hey, another Puddhist

;)

Thought I was the only one.

[create.peace]

9. Buddhagan here///

[fNord]

8. Might I recommend a healthy dose of Discordinism?

I has been called "Zen for round-eyes," "A religious indictment of organized religion," "Chaotic enlightenment" "A joke masquerading as a religion," "A religion masquerading as a joke," and all sorts of other things that are equally meaningless.

but check it out. do some research. And check out the link in my tag line

maybe it will make since, maybe you'll quickly scoff at it, but if your walking the line between Buddhism and paganism, I would defiantly recommend it.

[Jackpine Radical]

14. You could recommend it, but I only accept doctrine when served

with hamburger buns, and then only on Wednesdays.

[DollyM]

12. WJB is from my home town . . .

Just some fun facts for you on WJB . . . We have a large statue of him in the city park, the library is named after him, several streets, etc. Hey, you work with what you got! We are also the home of the original Miracle Whip recipe. Google in Salem Illinois and you will find all kinds of info on WJB.