Saturday, April 23, 2005

The Injustice of "Justice Sunday"

Tomorrow evening an event will take place in Louisville, KY at Highview Baptist Church, organized by the conservative Family Research Council (FRC) and will feature a controversial videotaped speech by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Joining Frist will be other Christian conservative icons such as Rev. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, and of course the Dean of Dogma himself, Tony Perkins, the FRC's president. The event is to rally churchgoers to protest the filibuster as a weapon used by Senate Democrats to block Bush's conservative judicial appointments. The overall rallying cry is that the filibuster is being "used against people of faith." This is an outrage. Sen. Frist, House Leader Tom Delay and their merry band of Jesus Freaks will stop at nothing to strip this country of its cherished founding principles such as separation of church and state, separation of powers, and checks and balances. How dare they blur the line like this between religion and politics. How dare they make reprehensible accusations that a vote against a Bush judicial appointee is a vote against people of faith. They are relentless in their attempt to portray people against Bush, the Bush administration, his decisions, his appointees, Republicans and the Church as being "the faithless." Since when did Christianity become the only religion? Since when did God become a Republican? Since when did the rules changes so that, to become a "person of faith" you must follow Bush unconditionally, follow the church and follow politicians like Frist and Delay's religious dogma? Are there no Democrats of faith? Are there no Democrats who go to church, temple, mosques and pray to a God? Does God and faith only exist now in 2005 for conservative Republicans and no one else? Wake up America, our beloved land is becoming a very, very scary place. Andy

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with all of your concerns, well done. However, your use of the term "Jesus freaks" diminishes your point-of-view since it makes you look as intolerant as those you are accusing.

The Ostroy Report said...

Thanks for posting. I'm glad that you agree with me, but I'm sorry if you don't like my use of the term 'Jesus Freaks.'I do not think it diminishes my point of view, and I certainly do not think it makes me as "intolerant" as them. My tolerance, especially for peoples of all faiths, colors, and heritages, knows no bounds. It is people like Bill Frist, Tom Delay, Rick Santorum and Tony Perkins who are the intolerant ones. It is they who wish to ram their religious dogma down my throat and yours at every turn. It is they who wish to see America become a theocracy. Where Christian conservatism rules the publics schools, the hospitals, goverment buildings, our legilature and the courts. These people want to rip apart our sacred doctrine of separation of church and state. I call these people 'Jesus Freaks' because that is what they are, and I have no apologies, nor will I back off from using that term in the future. I am, like you, relentlessly hammered with their self-righteous, sanctimonious religiosity, and quite frankly I am just sick of it.

Anonymous said...

I certainly understand the concern of using terms like "Jesus freaks", however, this is a not a time for timidity, caution, politeness, or quite frankly, fairness. The "right" laughs at you when you don't fight back. Not to mention, these people ARE freaks. I am a man of faith...millions of Democrats as well as Republicans are people of faith...people that also live by and passionately believe in the laws crafted by the founding fathers of the United States. One of which is freedom of religion, another being separation of church and state. But this rabid obsession with conservative, or even better, rigid and cold hearted values, do not represent people of faith, they represent people with anger, fear and a psychotic desire to control others as they see fit, regardless of the laws on which our country was FOUNDED. So, they simply don't deserve the title of "People of Faith." They deserve a title more appropriate, which I belive Andy has identified.

Nathan Dean

Anonymous said...

Again, I agree it's completely necessary to "fight back". But it is not necessary to use phrases--like "Jesus Freaks"-- that offend people who otherwise agree with you (much less those that disagree with your views).

Is it your assumption that anyone who is Christian, Catholic, whatever is a Jesus Freak! Probably not. But I would submit that that term would offend someone who believes in the teachings of Jesus, but certainly does not believe in the extreme views of the "religious right".

The Ostroy Report said...

Anyone who hides under the cloak of religious dogma in order to further their own radical political agenda--and at the same time tells me and you that we are not people of faith simply because we disagree with them--don't desrve the respect you've afforded them. They've distorted the teachings of Jesus in order to further their own selfish, hate-filled interests. What's a better moniker than 'Jesus Freak'?