Enlightened Today 02/16/2012

Today I was enlightened by a video of a panel of authors who had written books on the subject of the evangelical right and their desire to play tough politics through a thinly veiled masquerading of religion. I have heard them referred to as "dominionists," people who desire the upper hand politically and religiously.  Although I am sure there are many different ways in which they deliver this info to people, there is one area that seems as though it should be off limits, and that is the public school systems in our country. The ideology is introduced as an after school "Bible Study," labeled as The Good News Club. Innocent sounding enough? Maybe, but according to Katherine Stewart it has been found not to be all it is cracked up to be. Ms. Stewart was introduced to this movement in Santa Barbara, California from her child being told on the playground that she was not going to heaven as she didn't believe in Jesus. Actually, the child's words were that she was going to hell, and the reason was that she didn't believe in Jesus. Ms. Stewart clearly troubled by this conversation then heard the teacher take control and tell the one student that there are lots of beliefs and that not everyone believed the same thing and it was okay. However saying this did not soothe the child who told the other child she was going to hell, she stopped and began to wail, and cry "Why would they lie to me at school." Those words reverberated in her head, indeed, this program took place at school, sanctioned by the school, and attended by students within the community. Wondering how this program, which had been billed as an innocent "Bible Study," was brought into the school and what the goals and purpose of the program was, she did some research. What she found amazed her, and as I heard her explain I  also was amazed. This group went into schools, claiming an innocent Bible Study would be offered to the students. The school sent home permission slips for the seemingly innocuous after school program. Parents sent them back signed and the classes began directly after school. However, when Ms Stewart went to look in on these classes she found some things that were less than desirable. In fact, from her perspective students were being indoctrinated in the particular brand of religion, evangelical Christianity, hence the little girl who was so sure of her new understanding of what she had been taught had no qualms in sharing this with another little girl who had not been in the class, but now was sure the school, the place where she went every day to learn, had lied to her. Not the group, CEF, who sponsored this "Bible Study," but the school. This was bothersome to say the least, however, once she began to research it more in depth, she found that it was a pervasive movement which came in to schools, along with other evangelical groups, who paid no rent, or utilities, signed no lease and used the school and the children in this greater goal of getting the kids to turn to little evangelical "Stepford children."
I am a teacher and I have to admit I never saw anything like this in any of the schools I taught, but from the explanations given on this as well as the Quiverfull movement and the idea that this is not a religious takeover, but a use of religion to take control of the political landscape and in this case the Republican Party as stated by Frank Schaeffer. Interesting also was a historian on this panel who put the question to the audience, "Is it the fact that religion is becoming a point or do you not like it because it's not your particular brand of religion" As he read off quotes from the the 1930's-40's that had the same kind of tone as those of today, but were from the more liberal end of the political spectrum. I have to say, I was clapping for joy when Frank Schaeffer stood up and said that religion had NO place in the public school, that he didn't want special rooms for them to go and he didn't want want any religion in any school at any time. I never thought I would find me agreeing with that perspective, but I get it now, it really doesn't belong except perhaps as a study of Geography or Social Studies perhaps, in a solely academic manner.
I do know that I see this pervasive movement in just about all areas of social life, and I don't think it matters s much where one lives. Just this week we were all treated to an excellent example in the sole male panel gathered together to discuss the health care of women. Rep. Issa of California who apparently knows what's best for ALL women inserted the his power, which he apparently gives basis to religion, as this was supposedly about separation of Church and State, no women and no non- religious figures were allowed to be witnesses on this panel. We are seeing the effects of this very unholy alliance in which the so called "holy" are being jettisoned into the unholy society of non-evangelicals.