Dr. Ben Carson, the Detroit, Michigan born, Pediatric Neurosurgeon was best known for his work separating conjoined South African twins in 1987, before abandoning his medical career in favor of politics. The Doctor beat the odds, overcoming financial issues from being raised by a single mother, as well as anger management issues, now becoming a darling of the Christian Right. How did he do this?
Simple, he made numerous appearances at? Christian Right wing conferences, like the Value Voters Summit, where Dr. Carson said, last week, that Obamacare ?is the worst thing to happen in this country since slavery.?
On October 4, 2013, Dr. Carson wowed the Christian Right when he appeared at the Illinois Family Institute conference telling the crowd that
?When people come along and try to change the definition of marriage, they are directly attacking the relationship between God and his people.?
Dr.Carson also said that, ?if you can get rid of that, you can get rid of everything else in the Bible too.?
The far right loves to promote the feel good quintessentially American stories of a self made Black man, who pulled himself up by the bootstraps and became successful.? Think of Alan Keyes, who ran against Candidate Barack Obama in 2004 for Senate in Illinois.? Keyes claimed at the time Christ would not have voted for Senator Obama.? Keyes lost that election by 43 points.? Keyes went on to file one of the numerous birther lawsuits which have been thrown out of court claiming Barack Obama was ineligible to be President.
Then there was Herman Cain, the former President of Godfather’s Pizza who became the temporary leader and darling of the large GOP 2012 Presidential field.? Remember 999 and his history of being an alleged sexual predator?
The Christian Right has merged the far flung ideas on social issues, previously pushed by private figures and organizations, such as Brian Brown of the National Organization For Marriage, with those of elected Republican officials, such as Governors Paul LePage of Maine and Chris Christie of New Jersey, along with those of rising wannabes such as Dr. Carson.
Brian Brown, President of the National Organization For Marriage,?part of the World Congress of Families, which runs a myriad of groups pushing the homophobic agenda of the far Christian Right, recently went to Russia to promote the passage of legislation.? Brown and Russian President Vladimir Putin, have been hailed as ?lions of Christianity? by far right religious figures such as Bryan Fischer and Scott Lively for the pursuit of legislation in Russia that would take children away from same sex parents and place the children into orphanages.
These trips to Russia to push for anti-gay legislation have been suggested to be possible violations of Unites States Law.? Noted Activist and Republican Presidential Candidate in 2012, Fred Karger, has asked Secretary of Sate John Kerry and Attorney General Eric Holder to look into the matter.? The Logan Act, 18 USC Section 953, criminalizes a citizen’s activities attempting, without the consent of the US Government, to influence a foreign country against the interests of the United States.
This is not the first time that the American Christian Right has been involved with spreading anti-gay legislation overseas. From 2009 through 2012 there were many reports of involvement by American Christian groups in African countries helping to? push through legislation like Uganda’s ?Kill The Gays? bill.? People like Scott Lively and Pat Robertson were named as being involved.
Recently, the Illinois Family Institute, the same group that gave Dr. Carson his latest public platform, participated in a fund raising campaign with anti-gay Maine Activist, Michael Heath.? The email endorsed the remarks by Governor Paul LePage who has said that ?Maine is being sodomized by the left?.???The email goes on to warn that because of the passage of marriage equality legislation Maine ?experiencing God’s ?judgment and destruction?.
Current New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, is learning that you cross these far Right Christian groups at your political peril.? Having withdrawn the State of New Jersey’s appeal to the Court ruling allowing same sex marriages to proceed, Brian Brown made clear the position of the National Organization For Marriage.? Brown said; ?His surrender on marriage effectively surrenders any chance he might have had to secure the GOP nomination for President?.
Theocracy is a form of Government which depends upon religious leaders interpreting and implementing into public law the word of their God as revealed in their Holy Book of choice.? This is not the American way.? It is not the American Democratic Constitutional Republic envisioned by the founding fathers.
The far Christian Right is strong and powerful and part of the GOP/Teabully attack upon our American Democracy and on our Constitution.? Be vigilant, get out to vote in 2013 and beyond, lest the American Taliban succeed and take with them our Constitutionally protected rights to just be ourselves.
Edited by SS
