American River College has, as most colleges do, a student body organization that is elected by the students. They recently had their elections, and got a bit of a surprise: the right-wing Christian group had organized, appealed to the student on the basis of their shared religious beliefs, and swept the election. It also helped that they could call on ethnic identities — Sacramento apparently has had an influx of Slavic immigrants with an odd(er) and often rather nasty form of the Christian cult. These are the Slavic Christian groups that are hysterically homophobic—it's evident on their club forum, too.
EVERYWHERE I LOOK, ON TV IN SCHOOL EVERYWHERE BUT IN CHURCH ALL I SEE IS GAY THIS, GAY RIGHTS THAT OPEN DISPLAYS OF THIER LIFESTYLE BEING PUSHED DOWN OUR THROATS, I KNOW THAT JESUS LOVES THE SINNER BUT HATES THE SIN, IT JUST APEARS THAT, THAT SIN IS BEING THRUST UPON US IS THERE NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE, IS THIS WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO, SODOMITES RUNNING AROUND, OPENLY PROMOTING THIER LIFESTYLE, GAY MARRIAGE, GAY PASTORS, GAY CHURCHES, ITS LIKE GETTING OUT OF CONTROL, AND ITS VERY SAD TO SEE THIS DAY COME TO LIGHT, AND THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
THATS THE SADDEST THING EVER
They also seem to have a deep-rooted aversion to the period. And isn't that just the cutest little example of suppressed homosexuality ever? All the pushing down throats and thrusting, and the poor little ranter is just so helpless.
Anyway, they organized and they got elected, which is fair enough. It's still worrisome that people can be so easily manipulated by a candidate who is clearly batshit insane, but just the religious testimonial is enough to sway them. It's what I dread about American elections in general: they are dominated by looney appeals to religious nonsense, and rational choice does not seem to come into it.
Of course, the fortunate thing about this petty coup is that, well, student organizations have some power to manage internal affairs, but don't really have much say in the larger picture of running the college. This sentiment is absurdly impractical:
The other former member club member elected to the Student Association, Dennis Choban, listed his goals on his Student Association application form. They included "removing humanistic bias from certain courses (such as evolution science), and encouraging live discussion of nontraditional views in all classes."
Student group leaders know that what is involved is largely sitting in meetings and managing paperwork that gets financial support from the administration flowing to campus organizations. If they go into this expecting to be able to purge gays, liberals, and evilutionists from the faculty, boy, are they ever going to be disappointed. And then there'll be the laughing in their faces and the wasted effort and the growing sense of futility. But who knows, they seem to be repressed bottoms, they might like it.
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I beg to differ about the amount of damage a student government can do. I spent one year at a junior college (discovered I did not want to major in math/computer engineering (I was good witht he math, but I did not enjoy it) and switched to something I do enjoy - history) and served as vice-president of the freshman class. I ended up chairing the funding committee. We disperesed the student activity fund. We tried very hard to be fair, and nobody got as much as they wanted (I then pushed through a bill in the student senate to quadruple the student activity fee, all the up to $40.00 per semester). There was a christian club. There was also a biology club. Since this was mid-1980s (damn, I'm getting old) there was no GLBT student organization, though I think there is one now. Had I a theological (christianist, dominionist, fundamentalist) agenda, it would have been quite easy for me (assuming the rest of the committee was stacked with like-minded troglodytes) to steer money away from the bio club to the christianist club.
Hopefully, American River College has faculty advisors who will prevent the defunding of non-fundamentalist student groups.
The best line from that college newspaper article:
Oh, I am so stealing that line.
I will be interested to see what the fallout from Romney's "freedom requires religion" speech. Until politicians are laughed at for saying such things, then people will continue to think it's okay. And loons like the ones you described at American River College will continue unabated.
Here in Canada, Romney's speech would make him instantly and permanently unelectable.
No freedom without religion? I would turn and ask him how he'd like it if someone said to him, "Freedom is impossible with Islam. Accept the will of Allah and his prophet, and only then can you be free."
His head would explode.
Why do religiotards care so much who f@cks whom?? That just seems so pointless.
They don't honestly want that though - because the free and legal expression of homosexuality is one of those non-traditional views, whereas their repressive religious views are very much the traditional ones! It's just another pretence - like claiming to be a persecuted minority when, in actuality, they're the persecuting majority.
@5: We all know the easy answer to that -- because no-one's fucking them -- but alas it isn't that straightforward. People attach their irrationality to all kinds of totems and then use those to justify their craziness. Homosexuality is just a convenient point of incomprehension to rally around and define themselves against. The revulsion may in some cases stem from repressed desire, but probably more often not.
"It is time for people to face it. Gays are a part of the fabric of society,
...and they are often better at picking-out that fabric as well."
Roy Zimmerman
Not all queers are submissive, PZ. Otherwise being queer would go hand-in-hand with being sexually frustrated forever.
My friend at American River College is concerned that the Christian insurgents will trash things like the student association's arrangement with the Sacramento rapid transit district for free rides for students who purchase the college's student body card, a progressive program in a crowded, smoggy, and sometimes gridlocked region.
I can see where Billy's concern (in #1) is even more likely to arise. However, the college newspaper made it clear that the student association president is not affiliated with the Christian group and the new senators do not command the two-thirds majority necessary to override any presidential vetoes (or replace him). A stalemate is likely to arise if the extremist Christian bloc (the Christo-fascists?) try to shut down funding for the Muslim student club and the gay student organization. The christers are set up for failure, although it is likely to be a noisy and whiny failure.
Perhaps the most encouraging clue, in my mind, is that this club of narrow-minded anti-gay creationist bigots couldn't wait to try to seize control and chose a mid-term special election as their vehicle. All of the new student senators have only one semester for their wrecking-crew efforts, after which a new general election will give students the opportunity to oust them. The next election at my friend's college will not be a stealth affair.
It's difficult to organize a lot of people without overblown rhetoric, it seems, especially among the religious. I suppose you need to have lofty goals to get people interested.
On a different note, why call them "Christianists"? What's wrong with their chosen name, "Christians"? Christianists has two suffixes, and it sounds weird to me.
It is simply intolerance 101. Finds those you are intolerant of, and make claim you are being attacked by them.
""I came home today and my house was filled with throw pillows! Grant you they were tastefully placed around the living-room, ...but throw pillows all the same!!!"
"...seem to be repressed bottoms, they might like it."
Now, that is a bum rap...
And here in Sweden I don't think even the members of the overtly christian party (Christian Democrats) would dare to utter such inanities for fear of being (rightly) ridiculed.
When I see the term "Christianist", I think it's supposed to mean someone who practices Christianism. That is, instead of acceding to the notion that the person in question represents Christianity (a very broad term indeed), the person is actually someone who has turned his own peculiar form of Christianity into a political ideology (an "ism") instead of simply a religion. It's an attempt to draw a line of demarcation between the people you're discussing and Christianity at large.
I think PZ means it as a framing device, but he can speak for himself, of course.
Wow! You gotta love that forum they have ... the very first topic is ...
A gay man was recently murdered by a group of Russian christian immigrants in Sacramento.
http://www.lgbthatecrimes.org/doku.php/satendar_singh
Rumor is that Karl Rove cut his teeth stealing studentbody elections at the University of Utah.
The politics of Haldeman and Ehrlichman in the Nixon White House were famously honed in student politics at USC, in practices coyly called "ratf---ing" the opposition.
Before Rove's work, the student association at the University of Utah forced the athletics department to fund the women's gymnastics team and the women's ski team, two of several teams that had gotten no traction in getting funding -- and the two which went on to win NCAA titles in the next few years. I am glad to have been able to play a role in that action and the subsequent litigation.
Student politics often is all fluff, but not always. It can be turned to evil, and it will be if good people do not step up to make it turn to good.
Same as all other politics, really.
I think they'll like it. One book and one type o' folk.
I'm just glad this probably won't happen at my school, the Christian group here seems rather quiet compared to this group, not to mention I believe they even have some gay members.
But I do think that the Current was right on target when it said their goals may not mesh with reality, although I think that should be extended to "their beliefs do not mesh with reality".
I picture that scene from the movie Bad Santa, where a self-loathing drunken gay man attempts to rape poor Santa while insisting that he's not gay.
Religion really does a number on people in suppressing even a modicum of self-awareness. It turns a bunch of college students with potential into a group of paranoid thugs. Their only potential now is being politicians.
Hmm... The potential for very bad things happening on the American River College campus seems to be quite high. For example, once this group realizes how powerless they truly are to enact the changes they desire, it's only a matter of time before one (or several) of them start to act out their hatred in an attempt to effect that change. All they need is to be made to believe that their god's laws supersede the laws of this nation, and when one is drunk with religion, it takes very little to do that unfortunately.
Because, like Islamists, they use their religion as a political ideology.
PZ didn't invent the term; google for it.
What I found rolling around, splitting my side, laughing funny was the fact that the ads on the website for their forum advertised "gay friendly" hotels in Las Vegas!
One of the posts from one of their threads:
I've been called all kinds of names just because as a Christian, i believe homosexuality is wrong. They call us homophobes, bigots, haters, ignorant, etc.
Let's see:
Homophobe: a person who fears or hates homosexuals and homosexuality.
Check
Bigot: a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.
BIG Check
"Haters": not actually a word, but given that it is part of the definition of "name" #1, I have to say, check
Ignorant:
1.lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man.
2.lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact: ignorant of quantum physics.
3.uninformed; unaware.
4.due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement.
check
It certainly seems that each of these "names" that this individual has been called is quite descriptive of their behavior and beliefs. Someone needs to teach these kids that accurate descriptives of their statements, positions, beliefs, isn't "name calling."
If you want to see painfully stupid, check out their section discussing evolution. All the old tried and true, it isn't science, it's faith, conflating evolution with the big bang, Hitler was an 'evilutionist," links to answers in genesis, references to fruit fly experiments quoted from a creationist encyclopedia.
A grad student could damn near write a thesis based on these posts. What's sad is some apparently rational students try to discuss and debate with them and consistently are buried under the same old cliches:
http://archristianclub.phpbbnow.com/viewforum.php?f=3
I'm in the Ohio State University's student government, and we disburse about a quarter million dollars to USG projects and student groups that come to us when they can't get funding elsewhere. We also have 25 seats on the University senate which functionally rubber stamps administration decisions, but which does have the power to prevent policy changes, approval of new graduate programs, etc. from being enacted. We'd need at least a few faculty on our side in order to actually stop anything, but at least at OSU USG has a pretty big footprint.
Re:
"...PUSHED DOWN OUR THROATS.."
I have noticed this quite often on Christianist websites and forums. It seems to be a favorite emotional phrase for something that is is supposed to be objectionable or something they are forced to do. It is usually phrased as:
"... [something] is crammed/rammed down our throats..."
I always find the imagery rather humorous because it is often on forums that ban any sexually explicit language.
-DU-
Aha! You're one of those intolerant, bigoted, ignorant, neologophobic Prescriptionists, aren't you? Hater!
Marcun Ranum wrote (#5):
Simple, control.
The intolerant Russians in this area tend to be more Jewish than Christian.
There was (is) a guy at UC Davis that tried to do the same thing, unsuccessfully. He started a student election slate called "Christian Slate", which failed, then he named it the "Christian Democratic Party" which failed, then he called it "Solidarity" which doesn't even wualify as a failure because it didn't even get off the ground. Apparently the whole point of this futile exercise is that he wanted the student government to say the pledge of allegiance with "under god". It kept getting voted down by the student government, so he started blackmailing his way to the top, which didn't go far. If you want to read more:
http://www.daviswiki.org/Steve_Ostrowski
What I find very interesting about this ARC case when compared to the Ostrowski stuff is that both are claiming an anti-christian bias. But there's no anti-anyone bias, all groups are treated equally. They don't want to be treated equally, they want to be treated superior - and in not being treated superior, they think there's some sort of bias against them.
That's basically what happens when a dominant group loses its privileged status - they angrily assert that everyone's against them, while they still have more sociopolitical power than the subordinate groups have. The fact that they so angrily fight against the tides demonstrates that their prominence is indeed slipping.
Reminds me of that Onion headline:
"Why do all these gay men keep sucking my cock?!?"
I think that targeting the social acceptance of homosexuals is about more than control: it's also about group identity.
Christians (and most other groups) like to think that they can be identified by their commitment to virtue, love, kindness, charity, honor, morality, and General All-Around Goodness. That's what belief in Jesus Christ's salvation is "really all about." It's what sets Christ -- and them -- apart from the worldly.
Unfortunately, virtually every other religion in the US "is all about" the exact same things. Even secular humanist Paul Kurtz puts out book after book waxing eloquent on the "moral virtues." So in order to tell themselves they stand out from other groups, they need some High Moral Ground which the worldly don't share.
Christopher Hitchens has a question he often puts forward when talking about his book God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (another great suggestion for under the tree!) He asks "can you tell me something good that a religious person could do that a non-religious person could not?"
Well, here's your answer. The non-religious would not be able to properly prevent:
Knowing these things are "sinful" sets them off from the rest of the run-of-the-mill Virtue and Goodness of the secular rabble.
AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE?
...son of a motherfucker...
*makes a note* I'll see what I can do next time I'm on campus.
Sastra:
Exactly. It is a manifestation of the establishment of a tribal identity seen in many of the Mosaic Laws. If one is looking for a non-theological basis of the laws, it can be easily be found in the many ways, especially sexual and dietary, that the Hebrews could be kept away from those lascivious Canaanites making whoopie with their fertility rites. Hetero- and homosexual ritual prostitution, crossdressing and other practices prohibited by Mosaic Laws could be [and were] used as a threat to maintain a barrier between people living in close proximity that had very different religious beliefs.
Son of a Bitch, their lecturers are making more than I am teaching the same *^&%*@&#(@% class working 20-30 hours a week!?!!?
"Some men are born gay, and others have gayness thrust upon them"
The first item on their links page is to Dr.Dino. Should I tell them?
Chris said: On a different note, why call them "Christianists"? What's wrong with their chosen name, "Christians"? Christianists has two suffixes, and it sounds weird to me.
I use the term christianist (also fundamentalist and dominionist) to refer to a small but oh so powerful group of christians. To me, a christianist is someone wants to inflict his religion on everyone. A fundamentalist is one who believes that every word in the bible is true (my question always is, which translation? and considering how poor early translations were backwhentherewasnorealpunctuationorevenspacingbetweenwords, how do you know what it said when it was first written?). A dominionist is someone who believes we should all live under a christian version of shari'a law (does that include stoning for eating shellfish?). Obviously, all of these aberrant forms of christianity often manifest themselves in political form.
I noticed that, too, Boko999. Perhaps we should give them a link to the cheerful little video featuring "Dr." Hovind in prison.
I can't wait to see the fall out from this "election." Especially once the professors get involved. Oh, my...this calls for popcorn and a root beer...
Unfortunately, we have a strong Slavic Christian base here in the Pacific Northwest, and while these people are amusing in their extremely absurd views, they are also frighteningly dangerous. They can become violent, and they do put up provocative signs on their lawns in front of their churches. There have been community meetings trying to deal with the conflict between groups, especially the Christian groups who are inclusive, the gay community, as well as others. These churches actively promote hatred that sounds so much like "newspeak," I doubt the Christianists would get the irony. To these groups, a dead queer is a good queer.
These groups are terrorists.
I'm shocked, shocked to find Slavs here!
#40, et al... Any term distinguishing between people who try to follow the (mangled) teachings of Yeshua and people who are on jihad for JEE-zus is an important gift. "Christianist" sounds rather legalistic and fails to capture their viciousness, so I use "Christiopath" when I am forced to discuss the more... passionate*... members of the tribe.
I refuse to use the same term to describe friends and family (Christians, mostly) as I use for Falwell or Dobson (Christiopaths), and so end up using "Christian" rarely.
BGBjr
PS: And yes, "Islamopath" works, too! There is probably a version for any flavor of evil fundamentalism (isn't that redundant...?).
* and by "passionate" I mean "batsh!t"
I live about five minutes from that campus. Zealous Russians are only a small part of the issue. We have an incredibly fundamentalist population here.
Mention evolution around here and you catch hell. All the more reason for me to walk about in my irreverent shirts and kilt. Sometimes it starts a real discussion, sometimes a robust argument.
Sometimes it just degrades into an attack, and at that point my smart-ass side comes out. I have been told many times that I am going to Hell. "Sweet, strippers and scientists for all eternity", is never the response they expect.
If anyone has suggestions on irreverent and controversial shirts, I would love to hear them.
I haven't seen this joke as a T-shirt, but it would fit:
Q: Why did Jesus die on the cross?
A:He forgot his safe word.
My safeword is "Ow!"
#11, #45: Tangential perhaps, but how about
"Christiananity" = of or designating the fervently held but manifestly false beliefs and intoierant attitudes of fundamentalist or evangelical Christians.
And, "stuporstition" = a combinatoric of stupor and superstition, being a characterstic of those adherents to irrational religious beliefs prominent in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, as for example those concerning dietary habits or sexual practices, or convictions regarding eternal life after death.
DR
Ha! My brother went to that school, many years ago. The evangelical Russians (not all Slavs should be tarred with this nonsense) have gotten to be rather a nuisance in some parts of the city, with their intolerance. I'm glad I live far enough away in a more cosmopolitan setting.
Atheist in a Kilt, at tshirthell.com I once saw a shirt that said "Mary was only a vigin if you don't count anal"
That'll piss 'em off.
"virgin", not "vigin". But "vegan" in this instance would raise the odd question of "am I a vegan if I only eat the anuses?"
Right, so, he wants it shoved down his throat . . . got it.
Campus pranks 101: paper his room with gay porn.
Okay, too mean...
Re: Dawkins for Christmas. . . That sort of borders on Irony, but sometimes irony is appropriate.
They want to discuss 'non-traditional views' such as Intelligent Design in the class room. Yet they rail against non-traditional lifestyles...
I am so relieved to read the many comments posted on this page.
I am a student who has been directly involved with student govt at American River for several years now. I can assure all of you that students are organizing and I am learning how to deal with reckless hate in my community.
These so-called "Christian" individuals appear to have some shady ties. I admit it is a little scary.
Individual students who do not fit the male, white-dominant heterosexual, protestant "Christian," pattern have been photographed and videotaped by the leaders, father and son Dick and Luke Otterstad. Google Luke for a treat. Enjoy the wonderful message from the Church of the Divide, a home-based church of approx 9 members run by Dick Otterstad.
So everyone knows, they cannot do anything to the bus pass contract; it is locked in for 10 years.
But, be afraid, they now do have control of over $160,000 to lobby with at the federal and state levels. "Representing" the student body of ARC (36,0000 students) I imagine they will try to push their creationist views at larger student gov't functions.
There are too many factors and incidents to tell them all.
Somebody attacked the electronic sign-board for the student govt with a metal chair a few days ago. It's now broken. I fear more violence. I fear this group.
We need help. We need resources. But we are organizing. I believe this is only a microcosmic occurrence in the greater macrocosm of our Sacramento, CA community. HATE IS ON THE RISE.
I am one of the people who were voted off of the ARC Student Association Council, and I would like to explain the events of this election. Some of these facts are not widely known as yet but will be soon. First it should be noted that the student group, which calls itself the Christian Civilization Club (CCC {I'm sure the similarity to the acronym KKK is purely coincidental. Uh huh.... } ), has had a booth set up in the main campus quad for the majority of days since the semester began. During this time they have had posters decrying the evils of evolution, humanism, abortion, and sodomy; they didn't receive significant opposition until they held their Islamic fascist awareness day. That they claimed all Muslims were bound for hell (just like all the evolutionists, humanists, abortionists and sodomites) and that Mohammed was a liar as well as a pedophile. For some reason Muslims took offense, can't imagine why? This is when they lost their first faculty advisor. One of your other posters remarked "here in Sweden I don't think even the members of the overtly christian party (Christian Democrats) would dare to utter such inanities for fear of being (rightly) ridiculed" they were ridiculed here too, but over here ridicule is considered more a badge of honor than something to be ashamed of. In fact such ridicule feeds their paranoid delusions of persecution that they cherish so highly. That it is a delusion is the evidenced by the very fact of their extended and continued presence on the campus main quad; which by the way no other group or club has ever, to my knowledge, been allowed to occupy for such an extended period before.
Moving on to the election; the CCC registered 9 of its members on the last day to apply. During the following week they did not advertise their campaign at all and never did so publicly. They did not participate in the student candidate forum at all, not so much as one of them. They were very quiet in their campaigning before Election Day if there was any at all. However that was about to change, what I have not made clear so far is that I am a transsexual currently transitioning from male to female. There campaign was as simple as is was dishonorable, it consisted of photographing me and going around to those students they felt would feel the most hostile to my existence (primarily Russian & Ukrainian Pentecostals {who are a significant minority group on campus and in Sacramento} and other like minded bigots). They apparently also went to their churches and campaigned. I don't use the word Christians to identify these groups because the majority of Christians on campus do not agree with the way these people act. Some of the people who lost because me are very devoted Christians, who are active in the community.
To emphasize what I just wrote: the campaign that was waged to get these people elected consisted of one and only one issue. That was whether or not the voter wanted to get rid of that Queer on Council. This is the message they spread secretly around campus the two days of the election. Their campaign manager Luke showed the clipboard he was using to administration officials. It consisted of my picture and a stack of handouts that described who to vote for and how to vote in English and Russian, nothing else. When we found out what was happening we tried to rally the second day. Coming closer that we thought we would. None of the candidates got fewer votes that the highest winning candidate in the fall or spring election. The turnout was approximately twice the last election.
Currently I have filed a complaint alleging harassment due to gender identity, and discrimination causing an unsafe school environment. I hope to overturn the election because of violations of the school's code of student conduct. Even if that were to happen I would not likely take a seat on council again because my very presence would destabilize the best functioning student association we have had in a long while. It would also be unsafe for me personally to be that high profile on campus now.
ARC has reason to be concerned. Google the names already posted, see others they associate with, then google operation rescue, save america, CFTIE (citizens for truth in education) army of god, Nogaymarriage...just to name a few.
You will find that some of their associates have been convicted of bombing clinics, think its ok to murder doctors to "save" the unborn. One COTD associate has been arrested over 80 times, including charges that involve weapons. I'll let you do your own checking, but beleive me this group IMO is a cult, just like Jim Jones, WACO, and the moonies. Church of the divide (cotd)is not a church in any sense of the word. At all there protests, they will have a "cameraman" who hopes to capture someone giving the "protesters" a hard time, so they can file suit claiming their first ammendment right was violated. IMO this is how they generate income. They have deep pocket lawyers and are only too happy to sue anyone and everyone. At least ARC is a college, I have to put up with this group at the grade school my 2 & 3 graders attend. Yes, they target little kids, those too young to understand what an aborted fetus is(pictures included)homosexuals, and get this: history text books that contain 2-3 chapters on Islam. I don't care what your beliefs are, but it wasn't too long ago that people of color had to sit in the back of the bus, and women couldn't even vote....we still have a long way to go but lets continue to move forward, don't let bigots/ racists take us back
One should comment on the inherent hypocrisy in this so-called CCC.
The leader, Luke Otterstad, is a known figure for his family's cult "The Church of the Divide" churchofthedivide.org.
His father, Richard (reads: Dick) is the leader of this particular cult.
Their infamy involves the frequent picketing of other churches for their involvement in what the cult considers "evil" or "immoral". (Consider, any church willing to accept natural selection, homosexuals, etc.)
This cult is cut from exactly the same cloth as the Westboro Baptist Church, The Branch Davidians, and others...
Their particular hypocrisy, however, involves the biblical cherry picking these deranged zealots seem to be fond of.
For example, Dick, is a divorce'.
Luke Otterstad would do well to realize that his denouncements should include either:
his mother, a whore...
Matthew 5:32
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Or his father, an adulterer
Matthew 19:9
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.
Cheers to free speech and free inquiry (as well as free access to public records!)
For what is happening with the Church of the Divide coalition on the American River College campus please see www.savearc.com
It should also be reported that the ARC Inter-Club Council performed symbolic weddings as a fundraiser for any couple who wished to "marry" on Valentine's Day, 2008. It was observed and video recorded by at least 9 individuals who prescribe to the COD philosphies.
Because, like Islamists, they use their religion as a political ideology.
PZ didn't invent the term; google for it.
I'm shocked, shocked to find Slavs here!
Just a Jesus-loving okie surfing through. I won't pester you further, but the discussion of Christianists and Christopaths caught my eye. I like those terms, to distinguish the Dobson-Robertson crowd from Jesus and me. Dobson and Robertson are to Christian as Pharisee was to Jesus.