I grew up in Louisiana. I was continually around fundamentalist Christians and Republicans. If anyone tells you that Mitt’s Mormonism is not important to fundamentalists, they are ignorant about fundamentalism. Denominations are famous for slamming other denominations. I can’t tell you how many times I heard sermons at Southern Baptist churches about how the Vatican was the home of the Antichrist Pope. When it comes to Mormonism, fundamentalists are regularly indoctrinated about the evil false prophet, Joseph Smith. Mormonism is considered diabolic heresy. Voting for Mitt Romney would be tantamount to voting for Satan for president.

It is very interesting to hear fundamentalist Christian leaders blasting the Christian, President Obama and supporting the Mormon, Mitt Romney. What this tells me is reminiscent of what Nietzsche thought about Christianity – that it was an ingenious tool religious leaders used to manipulate their followers. When religious arguments work to further the goals of the religious leader they zealously proclaim it. However, they are willing at the drop of a hat to contradict their previous argument and maintain a contrary position when it works for them. Religious fundamentalist leaders are all too willing to take the words of Jesus that were highly concerned with the plight of the poor and the sick and twist them to manipulate their flock into believing in the rigged, free market that favors the rich and impoverishes the poor (https://www.mixermuse.com/blog/2012/01/11/the-great-recession-how-the-free-market-got-rigged/). Jesus said it was harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. They also oppose any attempt to help the sick and violently protest any attempt to do so. Jesus said he did not come for the well but for the sick. Do the words of Jesus sound like the fundamentalist Christian?

Contradiction is no problem when explained ‘correctly’ by the fundamentalist, Christian leader. The flock obediently obeys the voice of God. Isn’t this what folks detest in radical, fundamentalist Islam? We do not need to hate fundamentalist Islam, there is much to despise in our own home bred version of fundamentalist Christianity. I am not suggesting this is what Jesus was all about but that Jesus has been shut out from history by purely human, all too human exploitation. It is hard for radical Christians to understand that what many of us see about them is more Hitler-like than Jesus-like. Their testimony smells like the same trash that Jesus opposed. Of course, they dismiss this by telling themselves that they are suffering for Jesus. They are not suffering for Jesus. They are making the rest of us suffer for Jesus sake.