An article in today’s New York Times caught my attention because it leads me to believe the conservative Republicans are bent on defeating themselves at the polls if they continue to thrust moral issues, which rightly belong in the churches, into the political arena.

“A Split Emerges as Conservatives Discuss Darwin"  By PATRICIA COHEN  Published: May 5, 2007

The issue raised it’s head again when during the Republican candidates debate the moderator asked for a show of hands of those who believe in Creationism/intelligent design. “…..the argument also exposes tensions within the    Republicans’ “big tent,” as could be seen Thursday night when the party’s 10 candidates for president were asked during their first debate whether they believed in evolution. Three — Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas; Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas; and Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado — indicated they did not. abortion, embryonic stem cell research and other practices they abhor.”

        Evolution has long generated bitter fights between the left and the right about whether God or science better explains the origins of life. But now a dispute has cropped up within conservative circles, not over science, but over political ideology: Does Darwinian theory undermine conservative notions of religion and morality or does it actually support conservative philosophy?”

Issues that make the vast majority of Americans, the people I refer to as “middle of the roaders”, uneasy are ones they feel are more related to an individual’s moral judgment and not the province of the public.

There was a justifiable reason for our forefathers to make the division of church and state a part of our Constitution. These people had had first hand experience with one belief or church being the arbiter of civil law. And it was a very bad experience. Church/state lead to the Inquisition in Spain, the alternate killing of Catholics or Christians depending on the religious beliefs of the kings and the intolerance of specific ruling religious groups as that allowed for hardships and was the reason for the settlement of the American continent and what later became the United States.

The problems created by joining religious beliefs to government is not behind us by any means.  It exists all over the world and is still a cause of hardships and even death to those who do not adhere to the dogma of the dominant religion.  So we certrainly have lessons right before us of what this could mean.

We in the United States have in the past tread carefully  to separate church and state. However more recently religious groups have tried to challenge this state of affairs not thru persuasion or popular vote, but thru the courts with appointed judges making law.  The longest running challenge has been from the so-called Religious Right. These people are mainly Protestant and have been at the forefront of the anti-abortion issue for 30+ years, or long before they were labeled the Religious Right. But up to just recently politicians could come out as either pro or anti abortion with no real worries about it affecting voters decisions because it was a tacit understanding that Roe vs. Wade would remain the law of the land. Anti-abortionist made a fuss over the issue and endorsed the candidates who made promises to get this endorsement. The rest of the population ignored this side show and voted on the candidates record and other issues.

This has changed since the Supreme Court voted against partial birth abortion. The Court is now leaning towards the conservative and giving the “middle of the roaders“, which is most of the population, some concerns. The majority of the “middle of the roaders” are outright pro-abortion or at least feel it is a personal issue concerning a woman’s body and a family’s economic status that government has no right to enter into or legislate.

The more recent political action of the Religious Right concerned  the debate over Creationism/Intelligent Design and Evolution. The theory of Evolution was tackled on a local level with school boards and the Religious Right trying to get text books changed to include Creationism in the science text books. This effort has so far failed as again the “middle of the roaders” have their own beliefs and even if their belief is for Creationism they do not want any one religious belief to dominate in public affairs. This was very strongly evidenced when a school board in Dover, Pennsylvania voted to put the teaching of Creationism in the science text books and the population of the county promptly voted them out of office and voted in people who rescinded the ruling.

I personally feel the question by the moderator of the was out of line and exposed the Republican candidates unfairly. However,  the answers still made me mark the three who raised their hands for Creationism off my list as possible presidential material. I am one of the “middle of the roaders”. Now this article in today’s New York Times coupled with the Supreme Courts ruling on partial birth abortion has raised my defenses against a possible Republican president. This although I have seen no Democratic candidates whom I would vote for and several Republican candidates I believe I could vote for. This then is my warning to Conservative Republicans: if you don’t want a Democrat elected in 2008 and the Congress to remain in the Democrats hands you had better back off fast. Your agenda is not popular with the vast majority of Americans.

And since I have started down this road I will just tell you exactly how I feel about you: You are a threat to my liberties! You are fanatics who wish to impose your beliefs and judgments on me. If I, and other Americans who feel as I do, allow you to obtain legal status for any moral issue then you will only persist like bullies to harass and condemn and campaign for more and more of your rigid dogma.

I have many friends and people I admire who are conservatives and who do not share my views on some of these topics (abortion in particular). These people blog on their views and are vehemently opposed to the “killing of babies”. I respect their views and would stand up and fight any who would try to take away their right to speak out for their views and to try to persuade others to their way of thinking. In fact, I have and will continue to speak for the life of the fetus by begging women to use alternatives. I will just as vigorously oppose any attempt to deny me my civil rights thru the courts to what I feel are personal moral issues.

Again I caution Conservative Republicans if you wish for a Republican president in 2008 then avoid getting on the bus with the relatively small group of Religious Righters.