by Len Hart, The Existentialist CowboyThe ignorant (if not moronic) right wing is stirring up fears and spreading distortions about the First Amendment again. Rick Santorum, for example, has said that the separation of church and state is NOT absolute. I beg to differ and so would have Thomas Jefferson who described a WALL OF SEPERATION between Chruch and State. And I will venture that Jefferson was in a better position to know what he was talking about and that Jeffeson was infinitely more intelligent than Rick Santorum. The following is the text of the letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association in the State of Connecticut, assembled October 7, 1801.
To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.Rick Santorum is of an authoritarian mentality that asserts a "right" to believe claptrap i.e, "intelligent design" but at the same time DENY you the right to believe modern theories of evolution. These ignoramuses label their opposition with the word Darwinian --as if 'Darwinian' were a bad word. It's NOT! Of course, Darwin's theory is "Darwinian". It also happens to be, in the man, true and verifiable. It is not theory; it's fact! Tragically --the right wing has a mental blind spot. They are utterly INCAPABLE of applying to themselves objective rules of logic and evidence. While most intelligent people today are comfortable with the fact that the laws of physics apply equally everywhere in the universe; they are discovered, described ONLY by observation and empirical methods. The "right wing" inclined have, obviously, never considered for a moment that their thinking processes are, in fact, reversed. Intelligent people will follow a premise logically to a conclusion. The right wing --rather --ASSUMES the truth of an ideology and work backward. Forcing everything into the mold. As a result of prejudice and mentally impaired rationalizations, the right wing will accept ONLY those conclusions conforming to their prejudices. An "pen mind" is anathema to them if not completely unheard of. By any definition, the American right wing is a "kooky cult"!
GentlemenThe affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing. Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.
Th Jefferson Jan. 1. 1802.
2 comments:
"Kooky cult" Given that this is a matter of policy for them - to forward semi coherent positions as an aid to false labeling and Strawman Argumentation - would you not say that this is the operation of the Overton Window in practice; to change perception of what is reasonable by extremism which 'moves the goalposts' of public discussion.
Indeed, Opit! The GOP has institionalized their 'agenda' among themselves! For years, I had several GOP 'campaign manuals'. The strategy you mention was, in fact, recommended by several GOP 'consultants' but I do not recall that any mentioned 'OVERTON WINDOW' by name. But --of course --the GOP 'take-over' of TEXAS is probably the best example of it to be found. Texas had been SOLID Democratic for some 100 years. A term that seems to describe the GOP in Texas is often used by Sibel Edmonds --"Boiling Frogs"! In Texas, the boil was so slow that few realized until it was too late what had happened to the state --high school graduations had dropped to dead last; the prisons had gone corporate; pollution seemed to have been 'accepted'; democrats were gerrymandered out of a district! etc, etc, etc.
I never got my hands on any paper with Karl Rove's name on it, but would not be surprised if Karl put Machiavelli to shame. The 'books' I had acquired dated to the rise of Bill Clements (gov, Texas). It was during this 'era' that Thom DeLay began the gerrymander of the state. If I can name but ONE characteristic that makes the GOP a 'cult' it is this: US vs THEM. Anyone NOT a gopper is a 'THEM'.
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