Thursday, March 03, 2005

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose

The BBC has a pretty creepy story about the relationship between Patrick Henry College and our current administration. If I were posting this over at The Seventh Cross, it would be listed in the "Religion and Government are Intertwined" category (see the fourteen defining characteristics of fascism):
Mr Farris, a constitutional lawyer and political activist, established the college with a very clear aim: "To prepare Christian men and women who will lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless Biblical values and fidelity to the spirit of the American founding."

"If we are going to have our values reflected in our culture, we've got to train our kids in those values and train them for leadership," Mr Farris said. "And so this is a very concerted effort to train top leaders."

. . .

The values Mr Farris wants to instill in his students are those of the conservative Right.

Freedom is the key concept, and for Mr Farris freedom means the right to hold private property, and self-government.

He sees a limited role for the federal government, with decision-making being taken only by elected officials.

He is not a fan of the UN or the Supreme Court because they are unelected.

He is also vehemently opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage. [And, I'm sure, all manner of other things as well.]
Twenty-two congresspeople have had interns from Patrick Henry in the past few years--a school that makes incoming students sign a paper saying they believe in the literal word of the Bible. (Do they abstain from pork, you think?)

It does continue to boggle my mind that a guy like Farris can say within a few short breaths, first, that "freedom" is the watchword of his political faith and, then, that who his fellow citizens love and what they do with their own bodies should be legislated. What the hell is wrong with people? Have aliens really sucked everyone's brains out their ears with straws? I have been resisting this theory because I don't look good in a tinfoil hat, but I am finding it tougher and tougher to draw any other conclusion.

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