John McCain’s refusal to denounce the views and endorsements of Pastors John Hagee and Rod Parsley illustrate the Republican party’s reliance upon support from Radical Christianity.  Republican policies and the ideals of true Christianity have such a chasm between them, that it is sickening.  This dangerous political positioning is all the more evident when compared with the current enemy number one of freedom: President Ahmadinejad of Iran.

In general, we know that not only Islamic radicals and Christian radicals but most citizens of all countries believe that their countries primary religion should be prudent in everyday law and acknowledgement.  How prudent is what separates the religious extremes.  However, what is not commonly pointed out is the similarities to the policies and politics of competing countries on opposing religious ends.  Mainly, the United States and Iran.  This was on display when President Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University in September of 2007.

A few things stood out from this speech.  First, he was rightly criticized for his country’s death penalty stance.  Yet, because of Republican ideals the United States is one of the only first world countries to allow the practice.  Second, the Iranian President repeated his ridiculous disbelief of the Holocaust.  It is obvious that the man does not truly believe this but instead continues to repeat the lies because it is politically advantageous to him.  This has become the loudest of talking points against Iran by the American Right. Yet ironically, around the same time the Democratic Congress was passing recognition of the Armenian Genocide to the strongest of Republican objections.  Did Republicans not believe the Genocide occurred?  No, only that it was politically disadvantageous to America.  Sound Familiar?  And finally, to the laughable moment of the speech.  Ahmadinejad’s claim that homosexuality does not exist in Iran and that it is a Western phenomenon.  Laughable yes, but anymore laughable than the Republican’s views on Homosexuality?  No.  Republican’s have used homosexuality as one of their main calling cries against the Liberal Democrats through their less than direct denial that homosexuality even exists.  While Ahmadenijad is direct, Republicans claim that the acts of homosexuality exist but only because the participant in that act chooses to participate and not because that person is actually gay.  After all, how could we deny rights to anyone based upon the way God made them?

Governments like that in Iran exist because of generations of those seeking power utilizing the fear of religion to garner support.  The result, politics translating to belief and a new generation of true and more ardent believers of religious tyranny.  If we continue to elect leaders who pander to these religious extremists, the United States will continue down the historically familiar path of religious fascism.