The Danger of Tolerating Intolerance

[Guest guest]

" RageMAker " <editor

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:08:07 -0700

The Danger of Tolerating Intolerance

 

 

The Danger of Tolerating Intolerance

 

 

 

When we were kids, we would often amuse ourselves by snickering at the

antics of television evangelists and the shills who leapt from their

wheelchairs, " healed " by " The Laying on of Hands. " Our laughter would

usually draw reprimands for not paying proper respect to the

" religious values " of these con artists.

 

We understood the concept: people should be free to practice any

religion they choose -- even when to us it wasn't really a religion at

all. But something didn't feel right about that. We knew these were

scams, masquerading as religions for the sole purpose of prying loose

change from the hands of the ignorant and uneducated. You might say

this was the dawn of political correctness. And it has created the

monster that is eating America alive today.

 

A friend who fled Iran after the fundamentalist revolution there told

me that when he and his friends were growing up, they too laughed at

the silly mullahs and their primitive distortions of religion. Then

one day, the mullahs had all the guns and they were in control of the

country.

 

As the Religious Right rose to power in this country, we were urged

once again to make room for " their beliefs. " Now " their beliefs " are

being forced on the rest of us! And you see how intolerant they are of

tolerance. Creationist myth has been elevated to the level of science

and an unborn fetus is afforded the same rights as " other " human

beings. The Religious Right has twisted and lied about the basis of

this country's constitution, insisting that the founding fathers

intended this to be a " Christian country, " when in fact, they railed

against such a concept!

 

Next on their agenda will be tackling the " problem " of religious

freedom. How can we allow " people who hate America " to practice their

" deadly " Islamic religion in our country -- and receive tax

exemptions, no less? It will be time to define exactly what

constitutes a " real religion. "

 

No doubt the definition will only include the Big Three: Protestants,

Catholics and Jews – but only " approved " sects of those. Others, such

as Unitarians, Christian Scientists, and nondenominational faiths will

lose their tax exemptions. Such gatherings will be considered illegal

forms of assembly because if these people are not a practicing a Real

religion, they must be a terrorist cell. With just a little more

pressure from the " moral " majority, Jews and Catholics will be struck

from the list. The government will send in the Blackwater storm

troopers to shut down such illegal, terrorist gatherings. Secular

Humanists and Atheists will be shot on the spot.

 

We will have come full circle; closing the loop. The televangelists we

were rebuked for laughing at will have taken over the country.

Religious freedom will only be afforded… the religious.

 

If you think this is a far-fetched exaggeration, just take a look at

how Democrats as well as Republicans are tripping over each other to

ingratiate themselves with these Puritan zealots.

 

When I was growing up in free America it was also considered

politically incorrect to sanction anything that could even vaguely be

associated with Socialism or its evil twin, the dreaded Communism. But

it might be wise to heed the words of Karl Marx who wrote that

religion " is the opium of the people " -- before we all end up stoned!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9/15/2005