On the religious right 'nuts,' liberals, and catching a break

Josh, you ignorant slut.

I've always wanted to use that old SNL point/counterpoint line. In reality I respectfully disagree with some of Josh's post: "If everyone agrees the religious right is 'nuts,' can liberals finally catch a break?"

Look at the title. Nobody agrees that the "religious right" is nuts; in fact, it's the same sloppy characterization that continues to haunt liberals in pursuit of their own ideals: namely, respecting that Truth is not the exclusive property of one world view or other.

This is not to outline some hippy-dippy, all-things-are-equal ideology. I don't agree with the way much of the religious right sees, and interacts with, the world -- in fact, I find some of it downright frightening and repugnant. But when we disrespect it as the "wrong" way to see the world, we do so at our ethical and political peril.

But Josh will say that this is a straw man and that the post focuses on the distinction between the hucksters at the head of the religious right and the rank and file at its heart.

To that I say...