I agree Guest 9:25. Howard Dean, during his campaign, referred to the "in your face" attitudes of the right wing religionists being the problem too--even referred to the politicians that cherry picked from the Bible to "prove" their self-righteous, anti-Christian message was godly and pious and most of all "right", as "preacher politicians".

This sort of dirty religion is what is being shoved down throats in the US, and as justification for the dismantling of the US social welfare system, the environmental protection system, the infrastructure system--all to direct the US tax dollars away from services that benefit ALL taxpayers, to the bloated bottom lines of the military industrial complex, big energy, banking and credit, and pharmeceutical conglomerates. And they do it by crying "wolf" over terrorism that doesn't actually threaten our freedom one iota.

Phony religion and phony religious values are the charlatans of our day, who direct the diversions.

Unfortunately, ignoring them only makes the situtation worsen, not improve, for the citizens of the world. Everywhere the religious fundamentalists have made inroads in the past twenty years, have been in places where progress was being made to raise the standard of living of ALL citizens of this planet, not just the global wealthy elites, as has been the case throughout human history. That is why this battle is so fierce. We are literally fighting for our lives against the people who willingly snuff us all out without a second thought, to keep what they have got control of right now, which is nearly everything we need to survive.