Can’t we all just get along?

The rhetoric on both sides of the religious debate has plain and simple gone too far. Now, don’t get me wrong. I enjoy hyperbole as much as the next political hothead. But this idea that the religious right is about ready to establish a Taliban-like theocracy unless they’re stopped is not only absurd, it’s a slap in the face to those of us who are not religious in that they actually think we’re stupid enough to believe it.

This is what came out of a weekend conference of the loony left that met to discuss the “problem” of the coming theocracy:

“The religious right now has an unprecedented influence on American politics and policy,” said Ralph White, co-founder of the Open Center, a New York City institution focused on holistic learning. “It is incumbent upon all of us to understand as precisely as possible its aims, methods, beliefs, theology and psychology.”

Ah! The “psychology” of the religious right. This is a favorite tactic of the left going back to the election of 1964 when a dozen or so prominent psychiatrists signed a letter stating that in their opinion, Goldwater was nuttier than a fruitcake. By implying there’s a “psychology” to religious conservatism what they’re really saying is there’s a pathology at work - a disease factor - when someone believes in God; or at least with more fervor than they do.

Walking into this conference sounds like walking onto the set of some Hollywood movie, a hellish adaptation of some Stephen King novel where the monsters are on the loose and only a brave few are left to battle the evil stalking the land:

“This may be the darkest time in our history,” said Bob Edgar, general secretary of the left-leaning National Council of Churches and former six-term Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania. “The religious right have been systematically working at this for 40 years. The question is, where is the religious left?”

Speakers outlined such concepts — others would say conspiracy theories — as Christian reconstructionism and dominionism to a crowd that Mr. White said does “not understand the further reaches of religion.”

Notice that former Rep. Edgar wonders where the religious left is. I would say they’re right where they’ve been for the last 50 years - right in the thick of politics working like hell to have judges and politicians espousing their viewpoints elected and appointed. But you see, that’s perfectly alright if you’re a liberal. You can throw God in the face of conservatives for years, telling us we’re “immoral” for opposing any aspect of the welfare state. But when Christians stand up and timidly ask that you not put bare breasts or naked buttocks on prime time TV all of a sudden they’re the Taliban:

Tax cuts combined with increased funding for faith-based social programs and decreases in welfare spending, Ms. Bokaer said, were examples of “the theological right … zealously setting up to establish their beliefs in all aspects of our society.”

She compared the Federal Communications Commission’s threatened crackdown on indecency on television with the Taliban, the repressive Islamic rulers of Afghanistan who harbored Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network until toppled by a U.S.-led invasion.

“Indecency police are a major part of theocratic states,” Ms. Bokaer said, flashing a picture of Islamic women covered head to foot under the title, “Taliban: Ministry for the Protection of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.”

This is loony. This isn’t just over-the-top rhetoric. What’s truly frightening is that these moonbats actually think they’re battling evil. But then, liberals aren’t really happy unless they’re standing on the castle wall, outnumbered and besieged by a ruthless enemy, with the townsfolk looking up at them with a look of awe and worshipful admiration.

LOOK AT ME! I’M GOOD! I’M FIGHTING UNSELFISHLY TO PROTECT YOU FROM EVIL! LOVE ME!

At bottom, liberals have the emotional maturity of 12 year old girls - minus the cuteness.

There was one voice of sanity at this conference. It came from Chip Berlet of the human rights watchdog Political Research Associates:

“I’m uncomfortable when I hear people of sincere religious faith described as religious political extremists,” he said. “What does that term mean? It’s a term of derision that says we’re good and they’re bad. There is no content.”

Afterward, in an interview, Mr. Berlet added: “The Democrats do just as much name-calling as the right. It’s great for fund raising. [But] it’s a heck of a way of building a social progressive movement.”

But Mr. Berlet has been a lone voice tossed about on an ocean of hyperbole and intolerance.

The left is now in full-throated cry against religious conservatives. Politically, they think they’ve found a winning issue. Just as the left used to browbeat Republicans every two years over social security by scaring the beejeebees out of old folks, telling them Republicans wanted to steal their social security checks and put them out on the street so they could eat dog food, liberals are now excited at the prospect of hoodwinking their fellow citizens by raising the specter of “theocracy.” Aided and abetted by the usual suspects in the media who know a good story when they see it (especially if it hurts Republicans), the left, as Mr. Berlet points out, is raising gobs of money and attracting all sorts of attention by accusing Christians of…what?

The same thing they’ve been doing for 50 years: Participating in the democratic process as citizens of the United States of America.

The left is barking up the wrong tree if they think the American people are worried about stake burnings for heretics or Colosseum like spectacles involving hungry lions, tigers, and bears for network executives who put lewd or lascivious fare on TV.

Although… the prospect of seeing some network suit running around the arena in his own “reality TV show” just might prove to me that there is in fact a God.

UPDATE

The Captain knows exactly who to blame for this witch hunt:

This orgy of namecalling and paranoid conspiracies gets its impetus from such politicians as Howard Dean, Al Gore, and Ken Salazar, who have green-lighted a war on religion from the Left, especially during this debate over judicial filibusters. They have rationalized the unprecedented obstruction of qualified judicial nominees for their religious beliefs by creating out of whole cloth a threat to the Republic from Christianity, which managed to co-exist with democracy and promote it for over 200 years up to now.

McGehee at Yippee Yi Kay! is also blogging the story with some links to other thoughts on establishing state religions.