Atheism & Religion in the news
(Religious Right)
Dateline: June 03, 1998
Below are a number of recent news stories involving the Religious Right. The stories themselves are directly from original wire reports - I have only made changes in order to condense the information or to avoid violating copyrights. What you read is what was reported. The italic sections following the reports are my own comments on these stories.
Play With Gay Jesus Figure Canceled
NEW YORK (AP) The curtain won't be rising on a new Terrence McNally play featuring a homosexual Christlike figure. The recent announcement of plans to produce the play sparked an outcry from religious groups. But Manhattan Theater Club said it was canceling the production because of security concerns.
Yes indeed - those wonderful people desperate to protect their loving figure of Jesus decided to send in bomb-threats to the theater. After all, didn't Jesus use physical force in order to clear the temple? Didn't Jesus specifically state that he came not to bring peace, but the sword? At least some Christians have been reading his message carefully, I guess. (Note: the theater has since changed its position and will run the play. Needless to say, organizations long committed to free speech (as long as it is theirs) - like the Catholic League for Civil Liberties - continue to oppose it).
Dobson once again threatens GOP
James Dobson, founder and president of Focus on the Family, has said that "there isn't any question" that Republicans have insulted Americans who care about family values and stopping abortion. He has also stated that he'll be watching closely to make sure that Republicans will stay true to the right-wing voters who helped elect them. He added that he will campaign for someone outside the GOP who represents his values if the party fails to support conservative points of view.
In other words, he is being effective at scaring Republicans into thinking that they are beholden to a minority of goose-stepping fascists bent on turning this country into a de-facto christian theocracy. Will the Republicans cave in? I'm betting they will. Completely. And the losers will be the American public.
Anti-abortion group to protest gay fest at Disney
ORLAND0, Fla., May 27 (Reuters) - Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion, anti-gay group known for angry confrontation and civil disobedience, will stage protests inside Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom during an annual gay celebration there in June, the group's leader says. Rev. Philip "Flip" Benham said that Disney has become a target because it once epitomized family values, but now touts "a world view that says 'My right, my body, my choice.' But one day (Disney Chairman) Michael Eisner will have to bend his knee before God. It's God's right and God's choice."
These people are really scary - I can't imagine anyone not thinking that they pose a threat to the rest of us. At the very least, this event reveals that Operation Rescue isn't simply about saving fetuses - it's really about pushing an extreme right-wing agenda that endeavors to throw those of us who think and act differently back into whatever closet they can find.
Antiabortionists name doctors to kill
Eleven doctors who perform abortions have been targeted for execution by the "Rescue Platoon" of the mysterious Army of God in some sort of "hypothetical" article in Prayer & Action News, a conservative Christian publication. The article also asserts that every abortion clinic in the state of Florida will be "leveled in one night." "We knew it was a drastic step. But the children had a right to life, and we were going to protect that right with whatever force was required." Read More Details.
Once again, devout Christians demonstrate the love of their god and of Jesus by expressing their determination to kill those who violate their religious code. This is a real threat, not some juvenile joke (even though the writing of the message itself is often juvenile) and I hope that it is treated as such by the authorities.
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