The Scene: The Role of Religion in Politics: Discussing Critical Issues: Views from the Right and Left, Tuesday 29 August at 7 PM with Michelle Goldberg and Phil Burress at the Schiff Family Conference Center at the Cintas Center, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH 45207. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by UnderONETent.org and The Edward B. Brueggeman Center for Dialogue.

Michelle Goldberg is a contributing writer for Salon.com, an adjunct professor at the graduate school of journalism at New York University, and the author of "Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism." Her fascination with the role of ideology in politics has led her to report extensively on both sides of America’s culture war.

Phil Burress has been president of Citizens for Community Values (a group right-wing gay-bashers trying to stamp out birth control, abortion, and homosexuality, and attempting to regulate people's private lives regarding sexual behavior and especially pornography) in Cincinnati since 1991. Burress is an organizer and board member for other supposedly pro-family efforts. Although he denies it, there is every indication that he is heavily involved in setting and executing political policy for the religious right on the national level. He admits only to strictly legal efforts to promote specific issues, and claims to dislike republicans and democrats equally. He disavows any party affiliation, attacks the ACLU (apparently for opposing the tactics and strategies used to further his agenda), and claims to have no broad knowledge or opinion regarding the broader role of religion in politics. In short, he insulted the hosts, his colleague on the podium, and the audience by bringing only his own issue to the table and pretending to have nothing to contribute to the topic of the evening.

It was standing room only (or sit on the floor).

Our moderator started out ok, but soon showed a tendancy toward bias as he appeared to vigorously challenge Ms. Goldberg's assertions while lobbing softballs at Burress and letting him dissemble regarding his (Burress's) role on the local and national political scene. Despite the title of the dialog, and despite Ms. Goldberg's references to participation by Burress in various national groups, regular weekly phone calls with religious leaders, and post-2004 election bragging, Burress insisted he knew nothing about any broad political connections, aspirations, or activities of the religious right, nor about any organized political work associated with any religious leaders or pastors, whom Burress described as "very independent." It turned out the only topic Burress was interested in talking about was pornography and how it caused people to become rapists. The several points of misinformation offered up Burress and a couple of questioners from the audience were quickly and effectively countered by Ms. Goldberg.

Ms. Goldberg was a good sport about Mr. Burress's dissembling, and more than carried the conversation with her extensive knowledge of the topic. While appearing somewhat surprised by Mr. Burress's professed ignorance, and by the supposed moderator's sometimes petulant attacks, her breadth of understanding, her cogent rebuttals, her committment to the highest ideals of American government, and her compassion even for Burress were exemplary.

I had booed Burress and some of his sycophants, and had exasperated the already failing moderator, so I had been a disruption already. Even so I joined the queue of people at a microphone to ask a question and was given a turn. Several good questions were asked, several monologues were launched in support of one or the other of our commentators. I used my moment state my disappointment that only one of the guests came prepared to discuss the topic, and went on to ask whether either panelist had read "American Theocracy" by Kevin Phillips. Michelle had, of course, and said she had given it a mixed review on Salon. Phil, of course, had not read that book. You have to wonder what the OneTent folks were thinking this maroon would add to the discourse. He was the picture of congenial and charming deception, and you could not help but feel, despite his smooth and folksy manner, that this man had little but disdain for those in the audience who did not support him, for the topic of which he pretended complete ignorance, for his colleague on the podium, and for academia generally.

As people left, they got to see the sign. Several stopped to talk.

I waited till the last of the group left. As Burress left, I called out to him: "Really, thanks for coming! You are a liar and dissembler, and nobody believes you when you claim to know nothing about the designs of right-wing religion in politics." He waved and smiled and turned away, no doubt contentedly reviewing the party line... Mission Accomplished. Major Hostilities Are Over.

A fine evening to protest western greed, ignorance, paranoia, arrogance, righteousness, and aggression in its spawning ground, the minds of the arrogant righteous here in our own back yard.

Notice:
Today's sign event page is dedicated to people who attempt to engage in dialog with dissembling, dishonest, snake-in-the-grass right wingers, even when it is obvious they are liars who refuse to admit what is plain for all to see.

More fun later,

Ray

Written August, 29, 2006