Down with Theocracy Propaganda

Joe at Evangelical Outpost posted a list of clarficiations about his own positions. It's certainly interesting and a wise thing to do to head off anyone trying to recast his views in other ways.

This one really caught my attention:

I am indeed convinced that anyone who truly believes the U.S. is on the path to theocracy is a moron.

Indeed. I am also convinced of this. And I wonder how many people "truly" believe it and how many people just say it to cause hysteria. Regardless of the President's views on personal faith, or even on faith based programs, this country is so far from a theocracy, it's pretty ridiculous to even consider that we are anywhere near such a path.

Here are some of his other comments that are full of truth and common sense - two things severely lacking in mainstream media stories - especially those from the AP:

*I don't condone torture or support those who do. I also don't think the word has been properly defined in a way that is useful in clarifying the political debate on the issue. There is a broad spectrum that ranges from undeniable acts of outrage to the type of discomfort that I was subjected to in Marine Corps Boot Camp. Confusing the term in order to bash the President has done more harm than good and may unnecessarily inflame anti-American sentiment .

*Generally speaking, I don't think that the American public is stupid. I do, however, think they (and I include myself in this criticism) tend to be ill-informed and think in clichés. Anyone who thinks the Democratic Party is good for the poor or minorities or thinks that Republicans are for small government hasn't been paying attention.

*I'm honestly not sure what to think about global warming. But what I am convinced about is that the proposed solutions to the problem would be more detrimental to humanity than the effects of climate change.

Now, as a fair disclaimer, I took did not include everything that Joe said, but I didn't exclude things in order to make him look like he believes one thing or another. If you want to know what he said in its entirety, feel free to read it all, I am simply including the things with which I agree.

That's fair isn't it?

Either way, here's the last thing he said, and it's quite possibly something I would say about myself too, though I may increase the figure to about 61% :)

While I'm opinionated and hard-headed, I am open to persuasive power of rational argumentation. I've only thought through about 46% of my opinions so there is still plenty of room for convincing. In other words, if you think I'm wrong, you're more than welcome to try to set me straight.