This is how it's done...

[pecunium]

From little acorns to mighty oaks:

lj user hilltop

This points out one of the things I forgot to include in my last post... religion.

Not the bible thumping, chest beating, my piety is greater than yours kind. No, the deep-seated expression of faith.

Even if you aren't a Christian, you need to know how they think (and by this I mean the neo-con supporting types). You also need to have a more progressive take on the matter. Luckily it isn't hard to do, because asking, "What would Jesus do?" is a good start.

Fred Clark, over at Slacktivist is good for this, so is Real Live Preacher.

When they say Bush is Godly, ask how that squares with the tax shift; Jesus said the man who loved God, did not murder, honored his mother and father had only one thing left to do... give all his wealth to the poor.

There is a wealth of such argument in the Bible. Point to Micah ("three things does the Lord ask of thee, love justice, do mercy, and walk humbly with thy God"). Ask why Islamic radicals think God needs them to kill the infidel... can't he wipe us out Himself? When they agree, ask why He needs us to enshrine Him in the law, couldn't he do that Himself?

Lead them to the water, and baptise them in reason.

Comments

a comment on this topic I left in another person's journal

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

I agree with taking back our claim to morality. Not in the sense of trying to cloak ourselves in the same kind of morality the Christian and conservative right, but in the sense of not allowing them to get away with claiming that we are immoral or amoral and of why our stances are moral. Not just moral, but essential to the core of what it means to be an American.

Also, I don't think we should have to completely dumb ourselves down, but we can't be seen to be lording it over people we perceive as dumb, no matter how tempting it is, even if it's true that there are a lot of dumb people out there. Intelligence is kind of like good taste -- everyone would like to believe they have it, but really, not everyone does. But even if they don't have it, people don't like being treated as if they don't. Intellectual, educated people (and I consider myself one) run the risk of intellectualizing things past the point of practicality. If people think you're out of touch with their lives, they'll dismiss what you have to say. I know I dismiss all kinds of things said by people whom I think don't have a clue.

I wonder if there's not also something to be said for making it clear that having no religion, or an alternative religion, doesn't mean you worship the devil or have no morals. It's always irked me when people intimate that religion is the only thing keeping people from doing all kinds of bad things. Um, no. I don't do those things, not because I'm afraid the Big Invisible Guy will punish me, and not even because I'm afraid the law will punish me, but because I believe them to be wrong all on my very own. Since it's been said many times recently that churchgoers tend to be Republicans and voted for Bush (though, ironically, he doesn't go to church himself -- I guess he just speaks to god directly), and that atheists, agnostics, and those who just can't be bothered to show up tend to be Democrats and voted for Kerry, I think it's important to get across that being unchurched or godless or pagan in no way means that you don't know the difference between right and wrong.

Some of my most radical, non-mainstream ideas are deeply rooted in my own concepts of morality and righteousness. My morality holds that we should always strive to be excellent to each other, and much flows from that.