Feedback: Shadow Boxing Against Theocracy

Some feedback from Amanda in Carrboro, NC on my post(s) on this "Blogging Against Theocracy" idiocy:

If, as you say, Theocracy doesn't exist, then why are you so afraid of people blogging against it? Anyone in this country should be against the idea of Theocracy - regardless of whether or not they think it's happening.

And, as for religious groups being criticized heavily by the media - haven't we been criticizing Middle Eastern religions, Atheism, etc for a long, long time? Do they not get equal consideration, as religions (or lack thereof)?

There are a lot of religious people who are against Theocracy - most of the people I've heard talk about it are Christian, even. In your case, it seems like you don't see Theocracy happening because it's favoring your religion, but what about those out there who are being denied the rights to worship or not, and to be free from laws that favor particular religions (and hinder others).

I'm just asking that you think about it, and consider that you might be wrong.

I'm not afraid of anyone blogging against theocracy, but I am very concerned about what this group IS doing: attacking public expression of Christian values. I'm not sure whether the people involved in this are genuinely ignorant of the difference between a theocracy and what we have traditionally enjoyed in America until recently ( i.e. a culture influenced--not governed by--Christian values)...or whether they understand the difference and just don't care, as long as it servers their secularist ends.

No one in America is being denied their right to worship (except Christians who choose to do so publicly), and no one is being forced to worship. What we do have is a concerted effort to (a) deny that America was founded on Christian principles by a Christian people; (b) deny that Christian values have shaped our system of government and culture, and (c) purge any expression of Christian faith from public view under the guise of a fallacious doctrine not found in the Constitution called "separation of church and state."

Whether American government and culture SHOULD be based on Christian principles is a valid subject for public debate; if some people believe the United States should be a completely secular nation like France, or even an Islamic country, then let's publicly debate the pros and cons of such a proposition, then put it to a vote--that's the way we do things in the United States.

But attempting to revise history to say the Founders weren't Christians, that they didn't believe religious values should inform and shape public policy, that those values HAVE NOT traditionally shaped American public policy...that's the worst kind of intellectual dishonesty and deception. Beyond being lazy and cowardly, it attempts to short-circuit the public debate of a healthy republic and replace it with a lie foisted on the people without their proper consideration.

I've thought about it, and considered that I might be wrong. But I'm not. The evidence is beyond overwhelming for anyone intellectually honest enough to see it. The fact that this evidence is getting covered up by the dust of history--partially from lack of use, partially from people trying to bury it--should concern all Americans.

I'll be presenting just a few examples of this evidence this weekend, so stay tuned.

Thanks for writing, Amanda.