Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Hyperbole on Hyperdrive
The ACLU and the courts are "basically cleansing America of religion and particularly Christianity. It's almost like a genocide. It's a sophisticated genocide."
- Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center
How does he come to that conclusion when more than 80 percent of U.S. citizens are Christians, and politicians from the president on down publicly and regularly invoke the name of God?
Thompson responds: Don't "look at the words so much, but look at the actions."
Focus on the banning of "nativity scenes, the cross, prayer in schools, bible reading in schools, moments of silence, prayers at football games - it's a very militant attempt to surgically remove religion from the public square and turn us into an atheistic society," Thompson says.
Now, of course, nativity scenes are not "banned." At worst, they are not allowed on public property unless such property has, by law or tradition, been given the status of a public forum and is open to any holiday display. And, as one wag noted, there will always be prayer in public schools as long as there are math quizzes. The only thing that is being limited is the ability of the majority to force their religion down everyone's throat, while making them pay, through their taxes, for the privilege.
But, for some religionists, the persecution complex cannot be denied as easily as reality can be.
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