re: #167 sagehen

It only seems fringe-y because you’re in Massachussetts. There’s millions — literally millions. The National Association of Evangelicals (Ted Haggard’s old outfit) supposedly represents churches with combined congregations of 30 million, and this is what their sermons are about. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell and Bob Jones preached this stuff. Franklin Graham preaches this stuff.

As for how it’s affected policy… the Bush administration was supportive of everything Likud ever wanted to do ever. American Republicans are more supportive of Likud than Israelis are.

I have no idea who Ted Haggard is. And what do you mean the Bush admin was supportive of everything Likud did? Can you be more specific.

As for the millions—those are the people who showed up at churches. Did they actually give a shit? Did they act on it? Donate money toward something? What? I just don’t understand. And maybe it’s because I live in the land of Unitarian, make-pot-legal, gay-marriage, state-mandated-health care (which, by the way, I fully support all of the above except for completely questioning the administrative costs of the health care consortium). Sure, I know all sorts of people who are interested and supportive (in a fractured sort of way) of social justice in international arenas. But there is not large scale political movement that impacts us locally. We have opinions that we express based on our own basic moral compass. But there is no organized outreach.

Are you saying that churches outside of the northeast are taking on the role of centralizing social policy for America? Because that’s all sorts of fucked up.