From: "Wirt Atmar" <[log in to unmask]>
>
>      -- http://www.godhatesfags.com/main/manifesto.html
>
> None of this comes close to the lessons that I absorbed from Christianity
> during my childhood, but it seems to be the core of the sentiments that
underlies
> so much of the red state/blue state divide that exists in the United States
> today.

That is about equivalent to a Republican pointing at a communist revolutionary
party "put the bosses against the wall and shoot them" web site and saying "
it seems to be the core of the sentiments that underlies so much of the red
state/blue state divide that exists in the United States  today."


> Does it matter? In one sense, no. These people are just a bunch of
> narrow-minded, poorly-educated bigots. Their contributions to society will
never be more
> than minimal, even under the best of circumstances.
>
> But in another sense, it matters a great deal. Basic research is the process
> by which high-tech jobs are created -- something everyone on this list seems
> to want -- and yet the United State's fundamental research is being
> increasingly conducted by people who have no association with Christianity
at all,
> although Christians represent 86% of the population of the United States.
Many
> American researchers are not American citizens, and if they are religious,
they
> tend to be Hindus, Buddists, Jews or Confucianists.
>

And the connection with Fred Phelps is ...?


> Not thinking is easy. Invoking God to justify your non-thought is even
> easier. Easier yet is condemning to hell everyone who doesn't agree with
you. But
> it's a wholly destructive process. It produces nothing, nor does it make
life
> better for anyone. But what is particularly discouraging is that it seems to
be
> an accelerating trend in American life.


What trend exactly is "accelerating"?  I'm trying to think what you could
possibly mean by this, but every plausible interpretation is so obviously
false that I must be misunderstanding you.

Clearly tolerance of homosexuals is at an all-time high, along with tolerance
of people of other religions, races, and nationalities.

Church-going and religious belief continue a long-term decline: a secular
secular trend, if I may coin a phrase.  "Invoking God" may be somewhat
popular, but it looks like it's a lot less popular that it was when I was
born.

So what are you talking about?

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