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 Self-Imposed Collateral Damage has Followed September 11 Branded Intolerant Bigots, Compared to Taliban, Apologizing |
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By Bill Berkowitz Despite huge increases in church attendance, off the charts Bible sales and the words "God Bless" attached to everything, the Religious Right is not benefiting from what many are calling America's "religious revival." Instead, for several of the Religious Right's most revered leaders, it has been one embarrassing and shameful episode after another since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Branded intolerant bigots; compared to the fanatical Taliban; and forced to apologize for stupid and hurtful statements, the Religious Right is floundering, not flourishing. As the camera eye zooms in on this particular historic moment the political influence of the Religious Right is plummeting. Don't get me wrong. This isn't one of those "the Religious Right is dead" columns that proliferate every time some popular televangelist gets tangled up in a sexual or financial scandal. In fact, there are a number of Religious Right organizations continuing to prosper, albeit within a rather narrow universe. Rest assured, Jerry Falwell will reach his goal of signing up one-million prayer warriors; Pat Robertson's 700 Club will continue to be broadcast every day over the Fox Family Channel; Lou Sheldon will continue to promote his anti-gay agenda to the 43,000 churches across the country affiliated with his Traditional Values Coalition. Successes, you want successes: The Rev. Donald Wildmon's American Family Association's web site is quite pleased to report that 170,000 or so "In God We Trust" posters have been sold recently. As if the AFA owns the rights to "In God We Trust!" For more than two decades, despite occasional fits and starts, the Religious Right has been on the upswing in American politics. They've been the most dependable and trusted political force within the Republican Party. President Bush may not have made it past the South Carolina primary in 2000 had not supporters of the Religious Right turned out in droves to help him defeat the then hard charging Senator John McCain. So don't jump on the bandwagon when some fool with a keyboard concludes that they are toast. They've been pronounced dead more times than Spain's Generalisimo Franco was before he was finally cut from this mortal coil. The Rev. Jerry Falwell got the ball rolling downhill shortly after September 11 with his now notorious statement claiming that the terrorist attacks were the result of America turning its back on God. He then pointed his finger to gays, lesbians, feminists, pro-choice activists, the American Civil Liberties Union, and People for the American Way as the main culprits. Most Americans quickly condemned Falwell along with the "700 Club's" Pat Robertson who listened and nodded his head in agreement. Falwell's subsequent apologies rang hollow and Robertson later shrugged off the incident with a Homer Simpson-like "doh!" In early October, the Rev. Lou Sheldon of Traditional Values Coalition said that gay or lesbian partners of victims of September 11, should not be granted aid money because it could be seen as an affirmation of their relationships. "[Relief] organizations should be first giving priority to those widows who were at home with their babies, and those widowers who lost their wives," Sheldon said. "It should be given on the basis and priority of one man and one woman in a marital relationship." The October 17th issue of Concerned Women for America's C&F Report cited a letter from Red Cross Vice President for Disaster Relief John A. Clizbe who was responding to an inquiry about the distribution of disaster aid from Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Clizbe wrote: "The terrorists killed indiscriminately, without regard to race, age, religion, class, or sexual orientation." He added, "As we distribute the relief funds, the American Red Cross recognizes that families come in many different forms. Rather than adhering to a strict definition of family composition, we are using a broad and inclusive definition of family. In doing so, we recognize traditional married families, as well as the committed relationships and domestic partnerships of many couples who are living together. Accordingly, these broadly defined families who have been living together are eligible for American Red Cross assistance." Sheldon, who was critical of the Red Cross' policy of inclusion in determining who gets help, added that "this is just another example of how the gay agenda is seeking to overturn the one man-one woman relationship from center stage in America, taking advantage of the tragedy." The Religious Right is taking a beating. Here are five reasons they are not winning the hearts and minds of the American people.
Bottom line: With no election for another 13 months, the Religious Right has become collateral damage in the war against terrorism. |
