Violating Laws the Latest Perversion of Religion

Religiosity is the worst thing that can happen to the actual teachings of Christ, who actually practiced what he preached. And by the way, those teachings didn't reach the degree of respect that they did in order to found religions because of a nasty undermining quality that Americans representing themselves as 'Christian' show in our present day. Guess what! there was forgiveness, compassion, benevolence even rejection of prejudice! Key word: love.

It is funny in a way to hear searing, accusing tones calling their opposition names on CSpan, which a lot of us at Eschaton this morning were hearing. Everyone joked about the caller who claimed he'd made his wife divorce him since he wouldn't stop listening to talk radio. Some one tell me if they hear his recorded call on somebody's hate show soon.

Funny, too, is the violation of ethics by "Chrisian" soldiers who let themselves be pictured in uniform to promote their particular point of view. Breaking laws appears to be the new tack that the religiositous are taking to show they were specially called to be god's squad. Don't any of them see that they're setting a bad example, and rejecting the rule of law that is the greatness of this country? And if eventually they're living in religious dictatorship, is that what they were 'called' to bring us down to?

The Defense Department's inspector general has found that four generals and three other military officers improperly participated in a fundraising video for an evangelical Christian group, inappropriately offering support for the religious organization while appearing to operate within the scope of their official government duties, according to a 47-page investigative report.

Investigators concluded that the officers should not have participated in the filming in 2005 of a 10-minute video for Christian Embassy, a nonprofit religious group, which ultimately used the video as a fundraising tool. While Christian Embassy has hosted prayer meetings at the Pentagon for years, the inspector general concluded that the officers' endorsement of its activities -- while in uniform, showing their rank and in the halls of the Pentagon -- violated ethical rules.

"The overall circumstances of the interviews emphasized the speakers' military status and affiliation and implied they were acting within the scope of their official positions as DoD spokespersons," the report concluded.

The military's connection to religious expression has come under scrutiny in recent years, highlighted by complaints of religious intolerance at the Air Force Academy in 2004 and 2005, when officers were promoting evangelical Christian views. In 2003, Army Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin was faulted for criticizing Muslims while appearing in uniform before church groups, actions that the inspector general did not consider violations of ethics rules. Last year, a Navy chaplain was court-martialed for appearing in uniform at a political protest in front of the White House, though he maintained that all he did was lead a prayer.

Note that the only court-martial was of anti-shrub forces. The group committing this crime is scheduled for an unspecified 'corrective action'.

It is the saddest aspect of the mindlessness showed by many evangelical followers that they hate and often hate passionately. Reasoning is especially scary, because it shows them what they're doing to themselves and to their religion. But they seem most afraid of losing their feeling of belonging, the desperate clinging to an indefensible belief.

It is the mindset of concscienceless faith that drives maniacs like Rep. Tancredo to advocate 'taking out' Muslim holy sites and bombing Mecca. It seems also to be behind the blatant lies of the minority in Congress making up a family making $80,000 and illegal aliens to get CHIPs (Child Health Insurance Program). It makes visions of Dems throwing away the country's safety out of efforts to protect Americans from an outlandish religious extremism here on our shores. It is evil, and their Christ would have cast it out with other demons.

The extremists of our religiositous are driving rational people away from religion altogether.