Cowardly Freepers and Christianists

Perhaps it is goes with the territory of being a LGBT blogger, but still it is unsettling when I receive nasty, hate filled e-mails and comments that attack me for things I have said in posts - typically posts that take on lies disseminated by Christianists or politicians who are either in my view crazy or willing to sell their souls to the forces of the far right in order to get elected and thereby fluff their own overpowering egos. My recent post on Rick Santorum's presidential desires seems to have hit a nerve with more than one Christianist/freeper - who naturally left cowardly anonymous comments attacking me personally and/or ascribing to me the characteristics of their compatriots of the lunatic far right. As I have often said before, if you want to criticize my opinions or me, do so publicly and have the guts to reveal your real name and identity. If you have no spine and are unwilling to identify yourself, then I have no reason to publish your gutless attacks.

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That said, I believe there is a HUGE difference between bloggers who take on the lies of the far right and Christianist organizations. First and foremost, we bloggers rarely make a living out of our efforts to stand up to homophobes in contrast to professional Christiants and "ex-gays for pay" who literally make a livelihood out of spreading lies and falsehoods and trying to deprive other citizens of full equality under the civil laws. Our opponents and enemies literally make their living off of the equivalent of blood money.

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The second huge difference is that I and many of my LGBT blogger compatriots DO believe in religious freedom and equality for ALL citizens - this, of course, means that NO ONE gets to deprive others of civil legal rights simply because they do not live in accordance with one fear and hate based form of Christianity, Islam or Judaism. I stand for full rights for all under the U.S. Constitution and I will never sit back quietly when I see religious extremists trying to enshrine their religious views in the civil laws. The entire "culture war" in essence boils down to a struggle to stop the Christianists and their allies from imposing their religious views on all citizens and depriving other citizens on civil legal rights. It also involves opposing the "Christian nation" myth that far right historical revisionists try to use to dupe the larger public. A recent post on Pam's House Blend looked at some of the statements of the founding fathers that show what a deliberate and calculated lie the "Christian nation" myth is in reality. Here are a few highlights:

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For happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens." President George Washington August 17, 1790 Newport, Rhode Island

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John Adams: Gentlemen, we are not, nor have we ever been a Christian Nation ...
The United States is not a Christian nation any more than it is a Jewish or Mohammedan nation.
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Thomas Jefferson: The clergy converted the simple teachings of Jesus into an engine for enslaving mankind and adulterated by artificial constructions into a contrivance to filch wealth and power to themselves ... these clergy, in fact, constitute the real Anti-Christ. The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and ingrafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civil and religious rights of man. . . . History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes.

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James Madison: Religion and government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.

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Thomas Paine: All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.

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Benjamin Franklin: Lighthouses are more helpful than churches.

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The demagogues of the far right can go on all they want trying to rewrite history, but the truth is that their "Christian Nation" myth is a calculated and deliberate lie aimed at confusing and duping those who do not know the true history of the nation. It makes a farce of the actual principles held dear by the founding fathers and it makes a mockery of the Commandment against lying and bearing false witness.

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As for gutless and cowardly critics, when you verify your identity, I will publish you nasty comments. However, until such time as you grow a spine, do NOT expect to see me publish your cowardly attacks.