Castelli on the "War on Christians" Conference : Dispatches from the Culture Wars

Profile

Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of Michigan Citizens for Science and co-founder of The Panda's Thumb. He has written for such publications as The Bard, Skeptic and Reports of the National Center for Science Education, spoken in front of many organizations and conferences, and appeared on nationally syndicated radio shows and on C-SPAN. Ed is also a Fellow with the Center for Independent Media and the host of Declaring Independence, a one hour weekly political talk show on WPRR in Grand Rapids, Michigan.(static)

Search

Other Information

Ed Brayton also blogs at Positive Liberty and The Panda's Thumb

Ed Brayton is a participant in the Center for Independent Media New Journalism Program. However, all of the statements, opinions, policies, and views expressed on this site are solely Ed Brayton's. This web site is not a production of the Center, and the Center does not support or endorse any of the contents on this site.

Ed's Audio and Video

Declaring Independence podcast feed

YearlyKos 2007

Video of speech on Dover and the Future of the Anti-Evolution Movement

Audio of Greg Raymer Interview

E-mail Policy

Any and all emails that I receive may be reprinted, in part or in full, on this blog with attribution. If this is not acceptable to you, do not send me e-mail - especially if you're going to end up being embarrassed when it's printed publicly for all to see.

My Ecosystem Details

« Duke Has Big Problems | Main | Dembski Changing Seminaries »

Castelli on the "War on Christians" Conference

Category: Religious Right Leaders
Posted on: April 10, 2006 9:36 AM, by Ed Brayton

Elizabeth Castelli, a religious historian, has an article at The Revealer analyzing the recent War on Christians conference in Washington DC.

Share this: Facebook Twitter Stumbleupon Reddit Email + More

Comments

I was listening to C-Span yesterday and Washington Journal had Rick Scarborough on talking about the role of relighion (specifically Christianity) in politics. While most of what he said wasn't that surprising (he thinks if you are a Christian it is your duty to be involved in politics and to push forward the "Christian agenda")he said one thing that really got my attention. Now this is as best a recreation as I can do from memory but... They got on the subject of illegal immigration and Scarborough made a direct connection from abortion to illegal immigration. he said somethin along these lines.

"I think that abortion is directly responsible for the lack of workers that would be doing the jobs that the illegals do now."

uh...scary

Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | April 10, 2006 9:53 AM

Ed: thanks for the pointer. I would never have seen the essay otherwise. Speaking to teachers tomorrow on the persistence of the Colonial period in modern American politics and culture and the essay will be useful in that regard. But that aside, informative and blessedly [no pun intended... well, maybe a little one] well-writen.

Posted by: Robert Becker | April 10, 2006 10:17 AM

Here's an interesting addendum to Castelli's article which shows how easily the religious right forgets how things really were in early American history: Talk To Action

Posted by: tacitus | April 10, 2006 11:05 AM

flatlander wrote:

Speaking to teachers tomorrow on the persistence of the Colonial period in modern American politics and culture and the essay will be useful in that regard.

That sounds interesting, can you give more details on what you'll speak about? In many ways, we are still refighting the battles that were fought during the formation of the nation. The same three sides of the separation question were represented then by accomodationists (Washington, Adams), separationists (Jefferson, Madison) and outright theocrats (Patrick Henry and others). The real difference is that the religious right position back then was that the Constitution was a godless document that would bring down the wrath of God upon us. Sometime in the mid-20th century, they suddenly reversed themselves and began arguing that the Constitution was a Christian document all along and "leftists" and "secularists" have distorted that history. It's not much question which side is really distorting history.

Posted by: Ed Brayton | April 10, 2006 11:17 AM

Here's one of my favorite bits:

But what of the biblical Jesus and his message of nonviolence and nonresistance? As Rick Scarborough explained it at the end of the panel on persecution, all of those demanding gospel values -- submission, tolerance, turning the other cheek -- are fine in one's private life, but they have nothing to do with the public mission of the church. As for those who draw attention to the gospel's message of nonviolence, this is simply a matter of "the Left using our own tradition against us."

So "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" only applies when you're alone? And "Cut up the concubine!" is how you're supposed to behave in public?

Posted by: Raging Bee | April 10, 2006 2:31 PM