The fundies are, indeed, well-financed; well-organized and unshakably committed. As with their Islamic counterparts, there’s nothing better than knowing you’ll spend “eternity with ‘god’” when you die if you serve the ’cause’.

I’m all too aware of the spread of Christian fundamentalism beyond our shores, and the damage it’s causing to other nations. Remember what our own author, Sinclair Lewis, said of Fascism: “When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag, carrying a cross.”

I’ve said the same thing for some time – that it was our own foreign-policy which contributed to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism – we can now add our own ignorance (actually believing they weren’t a threat, or treating them as a joke, as you said above) to the rise of the dual threat of extremist Christian Fundamentalism.

This, in turn, has set the stage for the religious wars we now see.

They’ll bleed us white – by ‘us’, I mean ‘humanity’. I hope we’re ready for that.

–W

It may be a minority, but they are powerful and they have huge financial resources.

The other factor that bothers me tremendously is their global “evangelisation”. In an historically secular country like Australia, they are proliferating. Mega churches have mushroomed all over the country… and have done so seemingly “overnight” because none of us were paying serious attention… treating them as a joke rather than a serious threat. But, they’ve been “fishing” for members on the outskirts of the major cities… the suburban “wasteland” of people doing it tough who are largely uneducated.

It’s only been through this push for internet filtering that their agenda has been revealed. They’re also churches with roots in the USA, and bring here the notion that we’re a “nation under god”. Bullshit!! We never have been… but try explaining that to the zombies they’re manage to rally around their cross.

Apologies again to all… especially G… for hijacking the thread and venting my personal views. Unfortunately, it’s something that makes my bile bubble.

As for interpreting this as an attack on Islam… I’m sorry if I gave you the impression I had. Quiet the contrary. I found it a very neutral assessment. My “rant” stems purely from my own views on religious fundamentalism which this piece simply triggered.

Religious fundamentalism of any kind worries me and while Islamic fundamentalism gives me reason for concern, it’s more for the fact that the West, through its “disingenuous” foreign policy, has greatly contributed to its rise… and continues to do so. I also believe that “terrorism” is politically, rather than religiously, driven. (A moot point, perhaps, and one for another time.)

As for what’s happening in the USA… again, I’ll venture that this is largely politically driven.

Seems throughout history man is destined to keep using “god” to justify all kinds of power mongering. (Another reason why I shy away from any organised form of it.)

Thanks gain for a thought provoking piece G.

See how much difference two lost words make?

I am temped to go change in but I shall leave it up as I am apperently as fallible as the next bloke.

I’d also like to point out this was not intended to be an attack on Islam but rather a comparisson between two fundamentalist factions one of them the Taliban and the other the (continuing) rise of Christian Fundamentlism in the United States.

Mila: The reality of Christianity in America is one, ironically, of pure-democracy (‘mob rule’) – the minority, in this case, is the mob, shouting-down the rest, who are too polite to call “bullshit”, when that’s what’s clearly required.

I’m reminded again of Margaret Mead and V.I. Lenin: “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” (Mead)

“A lie told often enough becomes the truth.”

“A small cadre, sufficiently motivated, can change the world.” (Lenin)

(Recently, Rick Warren, my favorite Fat Bastard Preacher-Critter, called on his followers to do ‘whatever it takes’ to achieve their goals – and praised the organizational and ‘motivational’ skills of Lenin, Mao, and Hitler.

As I’m fond of saying — connect the dots and do the math….

-W

EDIT:
the initial conflict beginning in 1979 under Soviet Brezhnev and ending (at least according to my knowledge and reading in 1989 under Mikhail Gorbachev.

Should have read:

the initial conflict beginning in 1979 under Soviet Brezhnev and ending (at least according to my knowledge and reading) in 1989 under Mikhail Gorbachev.

(Careless as always… I forgot to close parenthesis! *grin*)