Religion in Politics

" For those who don't know about you you and your family your dad Francis Schaffer were part and parcel of the right wing evangelical. Marriage of the Republican Party that took place for years and you really think it helped destroy this country."

" Yeah you know it's been a long transition for me at 57 years old but when I was in my early twenties I was my -- Sidekick for awhile you know the evangelical community. A religious community for one reason or another kind of into nepotism you know Franklin Graham follows deadly. Oral Roberts kittens so forth and I was I was doing that until I got haven't yet started writing novels and making films for a living in Mac kind of thing that. I happen to be around doing this sidekick. -- it when that dad was getting very famous in the evangelical subculture in the seventies and eighties. And really became a father -- not me. What came to be known as the religious right so we were hanging around with Ronald Reagan and the and the bush family Gerald -- where my dead ministry and there father became president I sat down with Jack Kemp who -- the congressman at the time and can been tempted Jim -- get heavily involved in the pro life movement the anti abortion movement that was emerging then from the religious right. Over the years I looked at my involvement in the religious right I looked in my own. Faith as a Christian I looked at my politics and I began to change and move away from the things we were doing them and looking aware at all wound up today. I'm very glad I -- I'm -- attempt ally had enough life left."

" We'll start out at different kind of Akamai is -- seminal moment we -- was there and that if Tiffany and one moment there was a gradual movement to a -- where he'd been."

" Well you know I've got a couple chapters impatience and got on the fact. That really I think the movement went crazy I think it went into a kind of an alternative universe and most typically for instance if you look at the success. -- these left behind novels but I analyze in my book and why they're successful people waiting for began reading -- Armageddon. Is yet good news. Bad news to them they want things get worse they want war in the Middle East -- against peace talks with Israel. All these kind of things you know if you were from another planet looked at that he just didn't -- her crazy that I think really what happened is they've they've bought into a kind of religious fundamentalism which is. Very much our version of the Taliban now fortunately. We don't have too many people strapping bombs to their -- blowing up women and children but in terms of there there we are certainties about pure fantasy. That lead to a very strange politics of alienation and a chip on your shoulder anger at the government anger at the rest of the country because they're not like you. Circle the wagons home school your kids these visas -- tech talk about impatience with god and I I've kind of analyze that from the point of view of just what's wrong with this Specter."

" You want and you say they want us to fail because that way they can be right if we don't fail. There wrong."

" Not if they're right in the acute that Jesus that you personal savior and it was two -- heaven when that second coming. -- you completely missed the boat in the country ought to go down with you and in its most extreme form we have people standing at the -- of religious funeral screaming god hates fags that the."

" That's as you want small just the crazy forget about talking about yeah."

" The most extreme but the emotions that they are expressing in terms of -- removing his blessing from America exactly what Jerry Falwell on Pat Robertson said right after nine elevenths. They backed off that they got to achieve from so many people but this is basically what that movement believe they think America is outside of God's will. It's committing -- decisions. It's become the enemy of god and basically did you writes off. Much of this country. And you know parenthetically I speak here is the father every US marine who was fighting in Afghanistan I don't take kindly to people who hate this country in the name of god whether it's from Islamic. Perez -- whether it's right wing Christian."

" You also interestingly say that these fundamentalists. Are very similar in many ways to the atheistic neo atheists -- Making the rounds like Christopher -- we have on the show last week. And the people like that who are. You know talking about how there is no god you you put them in some respects in the same category."

" Well look I have my antenna for fundamentalist certainties I was raised in them and so when you look at -- Dawkins web site he's selling. Witnessing paraphernalia like his little eight he didn't start conversations that. Teach people what they give them about it reminds me of my mother. -- something she used to call the gospel wall map which was Capital One met with colored ribbons and that the two unfolded for people to illustrate. You know read for for Christ's blood white when -- washed clean start a conversation get them to be -- there there they have this sense that when you look at kitchens. And you read his book I've got a whole chapter on -- and that basically I think debunks a lot of what he says not from a philosophical point of view -- It's kind of weird anger that he carried with them again stole religions people. Completely over the top and it reminds me very much to which you hear from the from from the religious right he'd just have to change the -- you got the same. Then -- with him -- on top of that you know used to be a Marxist. He -- converted to beam its very jingoistic bush supporter -- America on into Iraq and so forth because of his hatred of his -- You know that the that this not fallow and I think that it's time to take some of these guys on antilock. I have no problem with atheism. No problem with -- not to schism or anything else would I do have a problem with this this fundamentalists spirit. Which has pervaded the debate between eight -- and religious people typical. What kitchens does which indulgent and kind of a mockery and and sort of a -- trading -- Intel and you know there's a different way to approach state and patients with god it's hopefully. The second part of the book lays out what I think that -- it gets way beyond this kind of that it's kind of insane alienation that you have these -- grow."