Extremely bad

[solarbird]

We're fucked.

President Bush has won re-election by running, essentially, to the evangelicals. Most of his campaign was based on winning mostly with them.

Anti-queer initiatives passed in 11 out of 11 states. All of the amendments ban queer marriage. Most also ban civil unions. At least one makes queer marriage a crime outright (a misdemeanor), not just prohibited.

NPR exit pollers are being surprised by how many people are giving "moral values" as a big reason for voting, and voting Bush. "moral values" means anti-abortion-rights and anti-gay stance.

I don't think we'll get the anti-gay Federal amendment revote next year. I think we'll get year after next, to whip up the vote again by lashing into us.

But if Bush really does name another Scalia or another Thomas to the court - as he's said repeatedly he wants to do - and that person replaces one of the five in the 5-4 decision overturning last year's repeal of the anti-gay sodomy laws - we could be kicked back 20 or 30 years in a very, very short period of time.

The evangelicals won this election.

It's bad.

It's really bad.

Comments

[murson.livejournal.com]

At the risk of sounding stupid (nothing new there, then!), or becoming unpopular with folks reading this, can I ask what "evangelical" means (or is taken to mean) in the US of A these days?

The reason I ask is, I hope, fairly simple: I'm married to someone that identifies herself as an Evangelical Christian, and I'd like to know what people Stateside take this to mean. Every time I hear it mentioned by someone from the US, it seems to carry bad connotations around with it, and this confuses this poor Scot to no end, as the evangelicals I've come in contact with are basically people who seem fairly stable, willing to let others get on with their lives, and tend to sing and dance while in church (to my mind, a good thing - shouldn't a religious experience or occasion be something to celebrate, after all?).

Sorry if this annoys anyone, and equally sorry for rambling in that last paragraph, but I figureed it was worth asking...

[solarbird]

"Evangelical" in this country's political shorthand means "conservative Protestant evangelical," indicating people who are "socially conservative." This means anti-gay politics, anti-abortion politics, growing hostility towards birth control, hostility to sex education (other than "abstinence only" approaches, which means "say nothing about birth control except that it fails; stress not having sex"). They're often also "young-earth" Creationists, and as such are opposed to the teaching of evolution; they're often pro-mandatory-school-prayer.

"Evangelical"

[kvogel.livejournal.com]

A notable ingrediant to the "American Evangelical" movement is its desire to spread the WORD. Often in a very aggressive fashion. Many believe that it is their duty to "save" everyone from their heathen ways. And if anyone rejects them, obviously they are the worst of sinners for rejecting the One True Way of GOD and they can then call jhad against them and all their kind. And additional aspect that creeps in is a bit of Calvinist snobbery that lets them distain the less fortunate, as God takes care of his own. So the less fortunate obviously haven't gotten right with God and have only their Godless kharma to blame (as God's chosen are pre-ordained and those not chosen are simply SOL)

Re: "Evangelical"

[murson.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the input! So, "Proseltysing Right-wing Conservative Christian Fundamentalists", even! Geez, this gets better and better... (sorry for the sarcasm dripping off of there!)

Again, this is different to what I've experienced over here. While my wife is a Christian, she (and the rest of the congregagtion at her church) seem to prefer to "advertise" Christianity (or its ideals) through actions, rather than bible-bashing sermons. They also seem happy to let others believe as they will - given that I am Asatru, this is probably a useful trait for the well-being of our marriage! :)

[murson.livejournal.com]

Right - so what I'd call "Right-wing Conservativve Christian Fundamentalists", then... (or, if I'm annoyed, "nutjobs" :)).

Sounds different to what I've experienced - the ones I have met certainly don't agree with homosexuality, or other religions, or other views on abortion, but seem to be able to let folks just get on with their lives.

Thanks for the info, though - I was sure there must be a major difference between what the term meant over there and over here, but wasn't quite willing to decide that I was right without getting some feedback from someone a bit closer to the situation over there!