The Religious Right, the American Taliban?

Religious fundamentalism is defined as a belief in the infallibility of holy scriptures, absolute religious authority, and strict adherence to a set of basic religious principles without any compromise. Some of the factors which turn people to this adherence to strict religious philosophy are discontent in the political system , as a backlash against globalization, a strict religious education, or a lack of trust in government based on law versus one based on scripture. These factors may result in a population turning to religious fundamentalism to provide those needs that the nation-state cannot. - taken from US Army Field Manual on COIN (Counter Insurgency).

While reading the new counter insurgency manual the applicability of the previous definition of Religious Fundamentalism to todays Religious Right  was striking. For some time now I have teased my sister in Texas about the Texas Taliban in reference to the local intolerance she faces in the Dallas area, after reading the new counter insurgency manual I am not so sure that these references are not appropriate.  

Take for example, the Texas Bible Literacy Law, a state law that requires public schools to incorporate Bible literacy into the curriculum. What is the next step, turning public schools in Texas into Christian versions of a Pakistani Madrassa?  Well, not right away but that is the goal. How does this happen in America, well currently 4 states mandate Bible Class in public schools they are in addition to Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. As they didnt add an hour to school in these States what did they cut back on? Well the results are they cut a little math, a little reading, and a lot of science. Why teach the bible instead of science? What is so special about science that we should teach it to our young? Well science is not taught it is learned, the difference is science is a process of thought and that is why in the Madrassa’s of Pakistan science is not taught, because a scientific mind is a mind that questions not obeys. In the world of religious fundamentalists science is the enemy in the east and now in the west. What are the results of people not learning to question what they hear? Maybe we can find an answer in the answers to a simple poll question. “ Was President Obama born in the United States?

The results by region are as follows;  WEST 87%,  NorthEast 93%, and MidWest 90%  respectively, affirmed they believe Obama was born in the United States of American. However, in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee, less than 50% affirmed they believe Obama was born in the U.S.

My question is does a coorelation exist and if so how was it created?

What are the dangers of Religious Extremism, what are the triggers that turn a religious person from one of quiet religious study and harmless worship into a religious extremist capable of bombing an abortion clinic, becoming a suicide bomber in Iraq or Afghanistan or taking a shot at the President of the United States?

The American Taliban and insurgency.

 Have no doubt that we are fast approaching an American Insurgency, Pete Sessions RNCC said so himself. - ”Insurgency, we understand perhaps a little bit more because of the Taliban,” Sessions said during a meeting with Hotline editors. “And that is that they went about systematically understanding how to disrupt and change a person’s entire processes. And these Taliban — I’m not trying to say the Republican Party is the Taliban. No, that’s not what we’re saying. I’m saying an example of how you go about [sic] is to change a person from their messaging to their operations to their frontline message. And we need to understand that insurgency is required when the other side, the House leadership, does not follow the same commands, which we entered the game with.” 

Still doubt that the religious right is fighting an insurgency against the US Government, or at least stoking the flames of radicalism? Lets examine Gov. Rick Perry (R)  of Texas who recently made comments about secession, which is not only treasonous but down right idiotic.  Perry was quoted as saying, “When we came into the union in 1845, one of the issues was that we would be able to leave if we decided to do that.”  ” This was not spoken at some golf outing and secretly taped, this was from a prepared speech to a group of so called tea baggers! Tea baggers, are you serious that’s the best name you could come up with? Do you know what tea bagging is? Maybe they do and the joke is on me!

We all know that  over the course of the past three decades the GOP has tailored its message more and more to the religious right, pandering to maintain a grip on power in the face of changing demographics. But what many of you have failed to understand is the tactical advantage the GOP and the religious right have, what? Yes, I said the tactical advantage, because the GOP began in the 1980’s with the moral majority not seeking national office but with local offices, none too small or inconsequential, from school boards to utility boards, while the progressives have focused on the White House and Congress, they missed the boat and now, in many states your children study the bible in public school. Why, because the school boards are dominated by the religious right, how did this happen ? Because they ran for school board and no else bothered to, why? To control the educational system under the guise of protecting children from radical science and crazy liberal ideas like evolution and geology. Recently, the radical religious right have opened museums that teach children that the earth is 6,000 years old and that man and dinosaurs walked the earth together, like the Flintstones! Seriously these people deny fact and do not accept the whole radial carbon dating thing, or any science for that matter, why because it contradicts the literal word for word translation of the bible. What was the Army definition of Religious Extremist again?

Wonder why our students are behind most of the world in science and math and your doctor is from India, well I bet he didnt study the bible in India I bet he studied evolution and science not theocratic dogma. The bible is a fine book don’t get me wrong, but no one, whom has studied religion at a non-fundamentalist school thinks the bible or the Koran for that matter are 100% true and should be interpreted word for word.  Faced with these facts I have concluded  that we, the men and women of reason need to begin our own counter insurgency operations today, not tomorrow, for tomorrow may be a day too late. So get off your duff and do something before it’s too late.