Gingrich gets Goddy

There can be little doubt that the death of Jerry Falwell last week will open the floodgates to all sorts of horribly mush-mouthed nonsense. Few Republicans will be able to resist the temptation to use Falwell's demise as an excuse to position themselves in front of his well heeled and politically active followers. Newt Gingrich -- the great undeclared candidate -- is no exception. This weekend he spoke at Falwell's indoctrintation center, Liberty University:


"Basic fairness demands that religious beliefs deserve a chance to be heard ...It is wrong to single out those who believe in God for discrimination. Yet, today, it is impossible to miss the discrimination against religious believers."

What complete palaver.

How is it that religious folk are discriminated against? Precisely what opportunities are they denied because of their faith? Last I checked, religious discrimination is illegal under federal law and moreover, the corridors of power in America have more than their share of god worshippers. It seems that religious faith is an unwritten requirement for any elected office in America. This country has 100 Senators. 98 of them identify themselves as Christians. One is a conservative Jew and another a practicing Muslim. For the past eight years we have had the goddiest President in history. He has told us repeatedly that he prays for inspiration and serves a "Higher Father." His minions have advocated -- at time successfully -- everything from abstinence education to creationism and the White House even has an Office of Faith Based initiatives. Workplaces are now chock full of prayer groups urging the almighty to deliver a successful first quarter. Every time you turn around, there is an athlete, CEO, or motivational speaker extolling his (and it is usually a he) personal relationship with the Almighty.

If this is discrimination, it is unlike any other type of discrimination I have ever seen.

So where is this horrible discrimination? What doors have been closed to religious folk? The answer is: precisely none. What Gingrich and others are reacting to is that religion, is now the subject of criticism, most pointedly through a string of popular books. It seems that some Americans have seen a bellyful of religion in the last decade, be it of the Muslim, Christian or Jewish variety, and are beginning to doubt its beneficial powers.

"Criticism" however, is not "discrimination." No. The term "discrimination" is used in a very calculated way here. You see, people who are discriminated against are victims. Victims have a certain claim to the moral high ground that Mr. Gingrich here wants very desperately to take. Moreover, victimhood can be an effective rallying call, a way to muster the troops. So even if you are not a victim, claiming to be one has certain benefits. Gingrich's strategy is not unlike that used by right wing radio talk show hosts who constantly describe an America in which the rich, white and god fearing are under virtual siege from feminists, left wing academics, terrorists, users of the internet and assorted other trouble makers. It is, of course, so much BS.

So, at least from my view, religious people are not being discriminated against. They are being criticized by people who believe they are misguided, hypocritical, or just plan wrong. If they do not want to be criticized for the views they openly express, and at times seek to impose on others, they are living in the wrong country. There are indeed countries in which religious belief is shielded from any criticism, but we are at war with most of them.