On the heels of the Value Voter Summit, researcher Chip Berlet shares some helpful insight into the mindset of Conservative Christian Evangelicals in a post on the group blog Talk2Action. Berlet concludes that the people who flock to the Value Voter Summit – to hear, among other things about how pornography turns young men gay – aren’t necessarily crazy, it’s the books they are reading! All the distorted populist rage among the Religious Right can be traced back to authors like anti-feminist icon Phyllis Schlafly and end times best-seller Tim LaHaye, says Berlet. My favorite line from the post reads, “For those Conservative Christian evangelicals with this specific set of apocalyptic beliefs, stopping Obama is a mission from God; and also a test of faith which might determine whether or not they go to Heaven or get Raptured.” What exactly are these people reading?! Find out, read Berlet’s post here.
And to hear more about the culture and history of the Religious Right, tune in this weekend, when Welton speaks with Max Blumenthal about his new book, Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party.
