Gee -- folks do not know any history -- do they?

I guess folks today do not know any history. they do not remember when Roman Catholics, AKA: Papists, were looked upon much like Muslims are seen today. the great fear of electing a RC President, like JFK, was that he would take his cues from Rome.

There has only been ONE Roman Catholic President (Kennedy), not one Jew, and of course, no Muslims, Women, Wiccans, Atheists, etc. (of course some of our first group of Presidents may well have been Atheists -- they were "Deists", and some did not believe in organized religion -- but, that's another story).

Now Ricky Santorum, the Republican LEADER in the quest for the Presidential nomination has said that John F Kennedy's seminal speech on the separation of church and state made him sick.

He assumes folks do not know the historical context. He assumes no one will emphasize his membership in Opus Dei, or the fact he follows the "Catholic Party Line".

It no longer seems to bother Protestants -- NOW. If there ever is a split between Evangelicals and Catholics (I'm sorry, WHEN) I'd bet they won't be as friendly.

I vividly recall a bulletin from a Lutheran Fellowship group back when I was in College. This was Central New York back around 1958. One sentence still stands out: "Such enemies of civilization as Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, and THE POPE".

In other words fear of the authority of the Pope was so pervasive, that a Catholic could not be elected as President of ALL the people.

The current romance with religious extremism, tied in with its manipulation by our corporate masters, may well destroy whatever is left of our Republic, our Democratic Republic.

Now, it has struck me that those same Corporate Masters truly understand where Earth currently stands. With Global Warming, Overpopulation, a looming Water Crisis, Dying Oceans, etc., etc., etc., perhaps they just want us to destroy each other. Kill most of us off so that we get back to a sustainable ecology. After all, if they allow stuff to follow its natural course -- some of THEM might die also. Can't have that -- right?

Outlandish religious "laws" and "rules" also help train us for the soon to be unveiled Neo-Feudal-System. Those "laws" teach unquestioning obedience.

I truly understand this is deep into tinfoil hat territory, and yet I still do not understand why really smart (at least I once thought them smart) folks insist on this breakneck dash to destruction.

Are they REALLY THAT STUPID?