Prologue: Not all churches are covered by this post – only the authoritarian ones. Not all businesses, either (this writer’s employer is blessedly rational on this topic, for instance), nor government entities. So if your organization does not fit the bill, please refrain from getting your hackles up and screeching on the comments section. If it DOES; well then, you are either screwing others or being screwed by others, and so deserve whatever you read below. All clear now on respecting the sensible organizations? Yay.
As discussed previously, there is no government war on religion, regardless of the bushwah that has been dumped into the zeitgeist by the punditocracy and the advertisers they serve (faux “Wars” make for good ratings and that makes money). Nor does the money that has been invested in creating this false notion make it any more true. A big, well-polished and expensively-promoted turd remains a turd.
Here’s the deal: After removing the money factor, the so-called “War On Religion” is nothing more or less than another tool to help institutions to take away freedom from individuals. These institutions can be church, state, or businesses, but they all have the same goal of control. Anyone who has been thus affected by a large organization’s attempt to do such is likely nodding their head; anyone who hasn’t is likely scratching their head; and anyone who is trying to make this happen is likely having their head turn purple upon reading this thesis statement.
What allegedly caused the most recent blowup? A requirement that employers pay a few pennies for birth control for their employees who want and need such medical care. So, two things happened: first, there was money involved, and the churches didn’t want to pay it – times are tough and all that, ya know. Second, the more authoritarian churches saw a threat to their control over their flocks, and immediately fought back.
We can tell who is who by their reactions to the resolution of the money problem: most churches shrugged and moved on, problem solved. The Catholic Church, as well as some other authoritarian church, state and commercial groups continued to squawk. This betrays an agenda that is far more of a threat to our nation than an argument over the price and availability of hormone tablets.
The agenda is to change who controls the lives of the American people: from themselves to their institutions. Most Americans like to think we are in charge of our lives, but there are many institutions that don’t like that idea at all. Not that this is a new phenomenon: the Islamic Jihads raped, pillaged and murdered many infidels, as did the Crusaders in their time; the Inquisition did likewise to Jews and Protestants; so too did the Marxist/Leninist regimes of the last century. “Kiss the cross or kiss the sword”, as one tyrant put it. Be controlled or be killed. That is how these types of slimeballs used to assume and maintain control.
In modern times, authoritarian regimes have gotten a bit smarter if no less venal – they would rather keep the sheep alive longer so as to fleece them more often, instead of killing them. However, this only works for sheep, and not everyone in America aspires to that status. If people think for themselves, institutions lose control: if people do what they are told, institutions gain control. Not hard to guess which scenario the control-freaks prefer, so they do their best to encourage sheeply behavior.
For sheer power over the behavior of humans, religion is one with few rivals (mind, it is not all bad – lots of good is done by those with a spiritual bent): it has proven itself a potent force in controlling the thoughts and actions of human beings for millennia. In this case: these churches are attempting to control health care decisions that previously belonged to individual American women (“this church does not believe in birth control, therefore we will make it difficult/impossible for you to get birth control”. “Oh, and to Hell with your charming little notions of individual religious freedom, by the way”).
Of course, these churches like to pretend they are “victims of Obama’s War on Religion”. Bull-F***ing-S***. Churches can do almost anything they want, as can their followers, and the more realistic among them know this full well: but playing this card helps them to gull the gullible and confound the sensible. Authoritarian churches pretend to be powerless while accreting power. It is a scummy, dishonest and revolting, but regrettably effective and time-honored tactic.
Never mind the Constitution, the laws, or even the words of their own Holy Books; these power-hungry churls are following the path of Paul by setting up their Church as a political and economic force that can dictate terms to civil authorities. Nothing new: it has been done in Constantinople, Rome, France, England, Iran and many other principalities. Now they want to do it to America. It is our responsibility as citizens to not be controlled by such authoritarians: if we roll over and take it like stupid little baa-ing sheep at shearing time, we deserve whatever screwing we get.
Mr. B & C
Tomorrow, the debut of a new feature – The Lying Sack of S*** of The Week
bluntandcranky 