Going Crazy on Religion in Colorado Springs

During the 70's I served as pastor of a Lutheran congregation that held the the top volunteer visitation hour record at Oregon State Hospital. A patient there once commented to one of our volunteers that he had gone crazy on religion.

"Going Crazy on Religion." Somehow, that makes me think of Colorado Springs.

Republican Colorado Springs is home of Focus on the Family, the Air Force Academy, Pike's Peak, four or five military entities, NORAD Headquarters in Cheyenne Mountain and Rev. Ted Haggard. They contribute to making the stench of self righteousness pretty high along what has been dubbed the nuclear highway otherwise known as I25.

This time last week, Haggard was Pastor of Colorado Springs mega church and President of the
National Evangelical Association. This week he confessed "The fact is I am guilty of sexual immorality. And I take responsibility for the entire problem. I am a deceiver and a liar. There's a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it for all of my adult life."

Great! Twelve steppers know that one of the steps of true repentance is trying to undo the wrong he or she has done. We haven't heard anything about that yet, especially on a national scale. Ted, you see, didn't just sin in private. His attacks on others and lies were public sins.

Ted Haggard has been more or less poster boy and cheer leader for the Radical Christian Right.
Until now, he has had regular access to the Bush White House, has been a promoter of the anti gay legistation and agenda. When the truth started leaking out, his Christian right friend James Dobson (Focus on the Family ((politically correct family, that is))) attacked the media for going after what turns out to be the truth. Then Dobson went on the attack of those whose views differ from his.

More and more, the radical Christian right is showing America that it has gone crazy on religion.
If it is a private matter and you don't hurt yourself that might be ok. But especially during the past few election cycles, they have determined that their mission is to make their insanity the law of the land. For that, they ought to beg forgiveness.

There is research which indicates that just when a religious group accepts doctrines which might make the rational believe they have gone crazy on religion those groups become highly evangelistic. The Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are prime examples of this phenomena. But the radical Christian right isn't far behind.

But frankly folks, I don't want their insanity. I don't want their world view. I don't want their party. I don't want their president. And I don't their your war.