A Stitch in Haste

This kind:

Mitt Romney has decided to address the topic of his faith -- and he is wise to do so, for rather than being any kind of disability, Romney's faith is actually his greatest strength. It defines him as a person of integrity in interpersonal dealings, of service to the nation and community, and of fidelity to his family. These are things that cannot be said about every candidate in the race.

Why do we still allow, in the Twenty-First Century, radical theists to propagate and perpetuate this Great Lie that the excessively religious are intrinsically morally superior to the less religious and the non-religious?

Is there one shred of credible evidence, that is not countered a million times over, that the religious truly are morally superior? Has no person of faith ever committed any crime, or tort, or sin? Are not the most notorious falls from grace by precisely those who claim an excess of grace? Have not several of the worst crimes against humanity -- particularly against humanity's weakest members -- been explicitly or implicitly sanctioned by organized religion? Are not the great human conflicts of this new century almost exclusively faith-based?

Which premise is better buttressed by the facts? That the religious are morally superior, or that all politicians are moral defectives? Just as it is an axiom, utterly irrebuttable, that there is no such thing as a truly Christian soldier, so too is it pretty damn close to an axiom, nearly irrefutable, that there is no such thing as a truly Christian politician.

And still the radical theists insist that "faith is the greatest strength." Especially in politics. This despite the fact that humanity, century after century, sees little to show for "faith as the greatest strength" except perpetual brutal and barbaric violence against the human spirit, the human body and human dignity. An endless litany of persecution -- against the infidel, against the foreigner, against the slave, against the dissenter, against women, against gays, against whoever the next Others will be. Coupled with an equally endless homily to anti-science, anti-reason, anti-liberty, anti-prosperity, anti-equality, anti-dignity, anti-life.

So tell me how much experience Romney has. Tell me what his policy proposals are and why they are so good. Tell me what his vision for America is. Maybe I'll agree, maybe I won't.

But don't dare tell me that I, or any sane person, should vote for him, or for any other politician, because "faith is actually his greatest strength."

That way madness lies. Always has, always will.