THE LOST RELEVANCE OF THE
RELIGIOUS RIGHT

It won't be going away soon, but the religious
right (RR) is losing its political clout and its
cultural relevance. Philip Jenkins, long an
approving chronicler of the movement, admits
in an op-ed that appeared in The Oregonian
and The Los Angeles Times that "the dependable
Republican coalition forged during the 1970s
looks terminally ill."

But, he says, don't write off the right just yet. He
adds: "We could soon face the same circumstances
that solidified the conservative base in the 1970s."
But he incorrectly claims of that period: "there was
no single issue or grievance that drove religious
believers to the conservative banner."

That's hogwash! The single issue was sexual
liberation. Whether the topic was abortion rights,
homosexuality, women's lib, sex education,
gender roles, whatever, it all boiled down to
society regulating sex along traditional lines.
That battle is about over. The younger generation
has accepted sexual diversity, and moved on to
concerns for the environment, world peace,
global warming, and so on. They aren't interested
in regulating personal behaviour. That hound
don't hunt anymore.

Pat Robertson threw in the "values" towel when
he endorsed Rudy Giuliani for president. He
was both admitting and demonstrating that the
religious right is now irrelevant. Giuliani is
pro-abortion, pro-gay, and lived openly with his
mistress while still married to someone else!
The rest of the country understands Rudy's
lack of suitability even if Pat doesn't! It's sad.
The battle has moved on.

jgoodwin004@centurytel.net