Dateline: February 03, 1999
Part 2: Redefining Families & Society
Redefining: Family Several years ago, religious right leaders who had been spending their time reacting to liberals and fighting progressive efforts realized that they would have trouble promoting their agenda over the long term if they were always cast in the role of opposition. In an effort to change their image, they hit upon the term "pro-family" as representative of their larger goals, thus implying that anyone who opposed them must be "anti-family." In this manner, the concept of "family," which should belong in a neutral manner to all Americans, has been appropriated as an ideology. Although it might appear that the debate is over how strong families are, in fact the debate is over what should constitute a family. Since family structures serve as a basis of society, and since the family functions as a microcosm of society, then defining the family becomes integral to defining society itself.
In the political arena, "pro-family" serves as a code word for opposition to abortion, homosexuality, single-parent families, premarital sex, and a host of other things. Frequently, the vision of "family" means men in control and women submissively doing what they are told. In order to legislate their narrow religious morality, they ride out under the banner of "protecting family values."
"[Pro-choice women] do violence to marriage [because they] remove the right of a husband to protect the life of the child he has fathered in his wife's womb" - John Wilke, former president National Right to Life Committee.
"A woman's nature is, simply, other-oriented...Women are ordained by their nature to spend themselves in meeting the needs of others." Connaught C. Marshner, The New Traditional Woman
"The woman who is truly Spirit-filled will want to be totally submissive to her husband...This is a truly liberated woman. Submission is God's design for women." Beverly LaHaye, The Spirit-Controlled Woman.
"Almost all abortion doctors are Jews. Abortion makes money for Jews. Almost all abortion nurses are lesbians. Abortion gives thrills to lesbians. Abortion in Orange County [California] is promoted by the corrupt Jewish organization called Planned Parenthood...Jews must be punished for this holocaust and murder of white children along with their perverted lesbian nurses." - Tom Metzger, White Aryan Resistance.
Redefining: Citizenship Here we find somewhat more variety among radical/religious right groups. Some focus making America a more Christian nation, others a more white nation, and still others want both. The effect of all their efforts would be increasing homogeneity and decreasing pluralism in our society. Immigration and civil liberties both suffer in such an atmosphere. A great deal of effort is expended to reverse court decisions which have strengthened the separation of church and state in the hopes that their churches will eventually manage to control the government of everyone.
"I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you...Yes, hate is good...Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a biblical duty, we are called to God, to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism." -Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue.
"Christianity is completely and radically anti-democratic; it is committed to a spiritual aristocracy." -R.J. Rushdoony, Christian Reconstructionist
"We intend to purge this entire land area of every non-White person, gene, idea and influence." -Louis Beam, Aryan Nations
Redefining: Society Major components of the radical/religious right agenda involve reversing gains achieved by the various liberal/progressive movements which have existed since the 1960s in areas like women's rights, gay rights, environment, etc.
"The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." -Pat Robertson
"We are no longer working to preserve the status quo. We are radicals, working to overturn the present power structure of the country." -Paul Weyrich
"You know, Rush is right: Racism is dead in this country. I don't know what the niggers have to gripe about now." -caller to Rush Limbaugh show
"The woman in the Garden of Eden freely decided to tamper with God's order and ignore His rules. She sought her own self-fulfillment...Sin thus entered the world." -Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum
"We are facing a crisis of righteous, courageous, physically oriented male leadership!" -Randall Terry
"I want you to imagine a land where little children pray in schools, and they read the Bible to them and they're taught things of God...there are no more abortions...church members have taken dominion over the forces of the world...the people of God will be the most honored people in society." -Pat Robertson
Don't miss the other section:
Part 1: Christian Victimhood?
Part 3: Policy Issues: Education, Media & Censorship
Part 4: Morals & Conspiracies
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