For all the worthwhile endeavors the Religious Right has
championed over the last two decades, it has foolishly ignored
issues relating to civil liberties. This is very curious indeed. In fact,
it is more than curious; it is downright dangerous!
It seems that the Religious Right has a huge blind spot when it
comes to the importance of constitutional government and personal
liberties. And that is a monumental understatement! Civil liberties
issues do not even appear on the Religious Right's radar screen.
Why is this true?
America's Founding Fathers (most of whom were Christians) were
strong proponents of personal freedoms. In fact, our entire system
of law is predicated upon the belief that rights come from God and
that it is the responsibility of government to protect those rights.
So strong was the support for individual liberties that without the
trenchant prohibitions against governmental abridgement of
personal freedoms contained in the Bill of Rights, the original
colonies would never have adopted the U.S. Constitution. Even
with those safeguards, there was still sizeable opposition to
ratification of the Constitution within the sundry states of Colonial
America.
By today's standards, the fear of governmental abuse of power by
America's founders would be considered paranoia. However, it
was the founders' distrust of government that gave this nation the
legal underpinnings to produce the freest country on earth.
However, it seems that if the Religious Right has its way, civil
liberties would cease to exist in America. To the detriment of our
freedoms and even to our very way of life, the sacred principles
contained in the Bill of Rights are repeatedly and routinely ignored
by the Religious Right! Why is this true?
Why did we not hear conservative Christian leaders speak out
against the federal government's massacre of Branch Davidians
outside Waco, Texas, or the murder of Randy Weaver's wife by
federal agents near Ruby Ridge, Idaho?
Why is it that we never hear national spokesmen for the Religious
Right speaking out against an egregiously unconstitutional Patriot
Act, or the Orwellian Department of Homeland Security, or the
creation of a SS-style position of National Intelligence Director?
The sad truth is, Americans have lost more constitutional
protections of personal freedoms under President George W. Bush
than under any president in modern memory. And the Religious
Right is either totally oblivious to this reality or party to it. How
can this be?
Does not the Religious Right understand that without allegiance to
our Constitution and Bill of Rights, all politicians, even those that
profess to be Christians, become tyrants? Do our national Christian
leaders not comprehend that when freedoms are lost to some, they
are lost to all? Do they really not understand that when they allow
politicians to dismantle constitutional government, they are forging
the chains that will be placed around their own necks?
For the life of me, I cannot understand why the Religious Right
ignores civil liberties issues! However, I do understand this:
Americans are quickly losing their liberties, and, by its silence and
inaction, the Religious Right is equally to blame.
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