Vol. 1 No. 9 – October 2, 2006

Jesus Camp, a documentary feature film on religious experiences of evangelical Christian children, was released in Los Angeles last week. My supreme objections to exposing children to religion is a matter of public record, and this latest outrage is, well, outrageous. Camp founder Pastor Becky Fischer proudly compares her work to the indoctrination of young boys by extremist Muslims in Pakistan and elsewhere.

TART Remarks covers this story – without further comment, but to identify this behaviour as molestation, and proposes that the actions of the Christians involved in making and distributing and promoting films such as Jesus Camp indicate the corrosive influence of religion on young, receptive minds better than objectors to religion can ever hope to do.

A new U.S. poll found that receptiveness to religion really can help a candidate, and the party seen to be receptive to religion. Forty-four percent of those polled said they were more worried by public officials who don't pay enough attention to religion; 46 percent expressed more concern about public officials who are too close to religious leaders.

In the August 28 edition of TART Remarks the political acceptance of “atheists” in the United States was considered in an article on the Illinois Democrat, Senator Barack Obama. That article clearly indicated that atheists are America’s most distrusted minority – as is blatantly evident from a national survey conducted by researchers in the University of Minnesota's department of sociology, the results of which appeared in the April issue of the American Sociological Review.

Roman Catholic and Christian Orthodox leaders are focusing on writing a text that would serve as a basis to "seek the restoration of full communion" and close the nearly 1,000-year-old rift between the Catholic and the Orthodox. It astounds to note that while the Abrahamic religions are bent on obliterating each other, Christians are still attempting – after 1,000 years! – to “close the rift”. The mind boggles.

Another week…

Contents

Publisher’s Note

Editor’s Note

An Abstract On Origin And Evolution

Bridging The Divide

Receptiveness To Religion Really Can Help A Candidate

God's Boot Camp?

Escaping Illusion?

Paradise Lost

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Tart Remarks, Vol. 1 No. 9 – October 2, 2006