Close, But No Cigar

The only thing I can think of that is worse than the government trying to quash all outward manifestations of Christian belief, would be for the government to support liberals in telling us what Christianity is really supposed to mean. Here is a guest column in the SF Chronicle by someone lamenting that we've gone too far, because now only conservative views of religion get adherents, since the liberals are treating it as radioactive. Boo-hoo.

A pretty odd column if you ask me. It ends thusly:

We find it absurd that some people believe in the Biblical story of creation when we smart people know that creation is an evolutionary process. Of course it is. But how many know what the meaning of the creation myth really is? Do we know enough about the Old Testament to understand how this story has influenced literature, art, poetry, music and religion? How many of us liberal intellectuals know about how the Bible as a whole is the basis of Western law as well as Western civilization?

We have a great opportunity ahead of us. We must encourage critical thinking and study of the Bible and religion in schools and universities. Instead of mocking religion, we must make it a source of serious consideration and understanding. Members of religions must support leaders who are intellectually sound and rigorous in their religious teaching. It is time to beef up our understanding of what we are against by being informed about what religion is all about.

With friends like this, who needs enemies? The author is a "retired Episcopalian priest".