America: Religion and Politics

The religious fervour surrounding the Presidential Campaign currently in full swing in the United States is like a disease that is feeding on the health and life of democracy in North America; each candidate virtually tramples the other to prove they are more 'Christian' then their opponent. The religious elements in North America have experienced a boon in the past thirty years and it appears all the hard work of the fundamentalist Christians' has paid off because Canada's prime minister is a religious right winger running a minority government and the United States has a president who claims to talk to God and takes weekly prayer meetings with leaders of the religious right.
The fundamental concept of the separation of church and state is being eroded daily by well organized religious lobbies, each competing to install they're biblical view point into schools, government and courts. Presidential candidates compete for endorsement from a variety of snake oil salesmen promising a one way, uninterrupted trip to heaven for believers if only they sell out America and then bring on nuclear disaster. This past week Rudy Giuliani received the endorsement of right wing fanatic Pat Robertson who with breathless ardour weekly promises 'the end is at hand' and espouses a race war mentality that will see the forces of good (white people)defeat the forces of evil (Blacks, Arabs and Asians) in one final battle which must take place in Israel. The religious right calls this ' Gods Foreign Policy' and once World War III is raging, this bizarre off-shoot of Christian interpretation will see itself successful in creating the perfect conditions for Jesus to Return and convert or kill non-believers and snatch up all the precious white American believers and take them to heaven. Supporting and arming Israel is central to this Christofacist mentality in order to bring on the Second Coming. This religious ardour crosses party lines, Giuliani recently delivered a pro-Israeli speech standing before a podium that reads: We Stand with Israel for Ever and Ever, which is a quote from a speech made by Speaker of the House and Democrat, Nancy Pelosi.
The religious extremists in America are putting all of us in danger, creating a nuclear arms race around the world and generating more recruits that are willing to kill and die in defence of their own religion and nationhood.
The only hope is that the rational and sane portion of the voting population will act against these religious forces by actively writing their politicians and media outlets to demand real democracy and real dialogue regarding America's role in the world.