I’ve not ruminated on this subject much lately, but after reading some comments here and a few Facebook posts, it’s come back  to me.

The reason the extremist right is being so very extreme right now may well be their far right religion.

Glenn Beck, who seems to have emerged as the “leader” of the goofiness, is a bonafide end-timer. A Mormon end-timer, to be sure, but he is of the “world is coming to end” variety of religionists. And his sychophantic followers? They may be worse.

Remember that these folks take the bible literally. Here’s what it says:

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” ~ Mathew 24:9

“But take ye heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in synagogues shall ye be beaten; and before governors and kings shall ye stand for my sake, for a testimony unto them.” ~ Mark 13:9

And this is what they’re being told about those verses, along with all the others about wars and rumors of war and pestilence and famine and all manner of other horrifying things:

While the suffering, betrayal and martyrism of Christians have been taking place since the first century AD, the above verses are speaking of our times. And certainly many Christians are suffering and dying for their faith at present. This too is increasing in frequency and intensity like birth pangs. I am sure you are aware that with each passing decade, if not year, being a Christian is becoming more and more politically incorrect. As our Savior taught us, we welcome everyone into the fold, but somehow we are intolerant. We respect the liberty of others to believe as they choose yet we are not allowed to do the same. But still it is we who are intolerant. This seed was planted in the first century and re-fertilized in the nineteen-sixties. The resulting weed (spirit of anti-christ) has grown to the point that now the ekkleôsia is again being threatened into the silence of back rooms far from public view. Once the pressure to reject Christianity (read Yahshua) is great enough and consequences severe enough the above verse will be the equivalent of headlines all over the world. In many places they already are – have been.

And Alex makes this comment on Sara Robinson’s brilliant “Conservative Derangement Syndrome: What are they thinking?”

Sara hints at this strongly but does not make the full connection. The religious right is looking at Obama as the anti-christ. The Left Behind book series (very popular with the righties) depicts a man of peace that associates himself with the UN to create a world government that will turns into the anti-christ’s world dominion. This book series is where the religious righties are getting their insane thoughts. The righties call Obama Hitler not because he does anything like the real Hitler, but because he has been highly associated with the anti-christ character in this fictional armageddon book series. They are irrationally reacting to Obama not because (or only because) of racism, but because they feel this fictional book series is coming true. This is why the right is not willing to listen to facts, they are in their own fictional world of irrationalities.

Beck and others are considered the heroic crusaders of the just because they are willing to stand up to the anti-christ and tell him what they think is the truth. If you thought the president was the anti-christ wouldn’t you assume everything he said was a lie (hence Rep. Joe Wilson)? Obama needs to not only call out the liars in the Republican party but he needs to dispel the myths associated with the irrational connections the righties have made between him and the book series. If a Congressman calls the president a liar in a joint session of Congress, how do you think a less than sane gun totting religious extremist is going to behave? This does not look good.

Does not look good indeed. We are dealing with people so convinced of their righteousness and rightness that even facts cannot dissuade them from their erroneous beliefs.

Now, let me say right here that I have no problem with religion, per se. If you want to believe in a great god in heaven that created all things, go right ahead. Just don’t expect me to believe what you believe and especially keep your damned hands out of government if your idea is to mold the laws to fit your beliefs.

Religion should be a private affair. That’s precisely why the framers of the Constitution wrote about having no law establishing religion — they meant not only establishing a state religion but also writing laws that enforced religious beliefs.

That’s why the extremists should stay out of the same sex marriage debate. Civil marriage does not affect religion. If your church does not want to host a same sex marriage ceremony, it doesn’t have to. Other churches don’t believe what you believe and may choose to hold that ceremony. But laws providing for same sex marriage aren’t about religious ceremonies. They’re about civil rights, and religious beliefs have no place in determining which groups get civil rights and which do not.

It’s really not that difficult a concept. But we have, in this country particularly, a group of people who fervently believe Armageddon is upon us, and they are called by their beliefs to help establish Christ’s kingdom on other.

Nothing can dissuade them. Nothing. Personally, I think they’re in for a sizable surprise when the rapture does come, if it ever does, and they’re still here.

What will change the game around, however, is our steadfast hold on reality. I’ve stolen this graphic from Jeff Sharlet, author of “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.” The Family is that little group on C Street in Washington that counts dozens of congresscritters and other politicians among its membership. Like Tom Coburn, John Ensign, Mark Sanford. It’s where people like Ensign and Sanford learn that they shouldn’t resign because of their hypocritical philanderings because they’ve been chosen by god to change this country.

And, by god, that’s what they aim to do. By any means necessary.

We are playing with people who believe they can do no wrong. All they gotta do is say “oops, my bad,” and it’s done with. Or they can just ignore it, because — they can do no wrong.

What will defeat them, however, is that moment when progressive values move this country forward without them. And it’s coming. It’s gonna be a helluva fight that may even look like we’re losing for a time. But in the end — the real end — the real “right” always wins.

So, my friends, gird your loins (whatever the hell that means) and prepare for battle. We have a majority group here that believes it’s being persecuted. Prove to them that what’s being persecuted is the hypocrisy that leads them to believe that they should decide for all of us how we are. Step into the fray for the side that believes we all have a choice in that — and that the consequences of our actions should be felt in the here and now,  not some hypothetical afterlife.

Prevailing religious thought has changed dramatically over the millennia we humans have walked this planet. It’s time for it to change again.