"You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist." -- Pat Robertson, The 700 Club, January 14, 1991

Don't worry. If you're not an Episcopalian, Presbyterian, or Methodist, Pat's had damning words for you too:

"The Constitution of the United States, for instance, is a marvelous document for self-government by the Christian people. But the minute you turn the document into the hands of non-Christian people and atheistic people they can use it to destroy the very foundation of our society." -- Pat Robertson, The 700 Club, December 30, 1981

"When I said during my presidential bid that I would only bring Christians and Jews into the government, I hit a firestorm. 'What do you mean?' the media challenged me. 'You're not going to bring atheists into the government? How dare you maintain that those who believe in the Judeo Christian values are better qualified to govern America than Hindus and Muslims?' My simple answer is, 'Yes, they are.' -- Pat Robertson, The New World Order, 1991

"If anybody understood what Hindus really believe, there would be no doubt that they have no business administering government policies in a country that favors freedom and equality. ... Can you imagine having the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as defense minister, or Mahatma Gandhi as minister of health, education, and welfare? The Hindu and Buddhist idea of karma and the Muslim idea of kismet, or fate condemn the poor and the disabled to their suffering. ... It's the will of Allah. These beliefs are nothing but abject fatalism, and they would devastate the social gains this nation has made if they were ever put into practice." -- Pat Robertson, The New World Order, 1991

If you haven't read the transcript of Mr. Robertson's recent "This Week" interview with George Stephanopoulos, you might want to.

He believes Muslims - and presumably all people of different religious beliefs (and certainly atheists) - should not hold important government positions, and they should definitely not serve in the judiciary: "They [Muslims] have said in the Koran there's a war against all the infidels. Do you want somebody like that sitting as a judge? I wouldn't."

As Tom Hamburger reported in the Los Angeles Times on May 2, 2005, James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Louis Sheldon of Traditional Values Coalition are in total agreement with Robertson. It was, after all, the apocryphal political message of the "Justice Sunday" simulcast on April 24, 2005: only the beliefs of fanatical evangelical leaders and their sycophants are valid. People of other beliefs and political persuasions just don't count. And beyond that, they're "wicked and evil." That point was well made by a star of the Justice Sunday Show, Rev. Albert Mohler: "any belief system [leading] away from the cross of Christ and toward another way of ultimate meaning, is, indeed, wicked and evil." That includes Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists and, of course, Jews.

In their own words the leaders of the evangelical Christian Right are making the case: religious beliefs must be separate from professional responsibilities. In other words, church must be separate from state.

Another star of the Justice Sunday Show, Bill Donahue of the Catholic League, appropriately asked "What are we, the Taliban?" Yes, Mr. Donahue, you and your buddies are indeed the American Taliban, and thank you for making that clearer than ever.

With every new utterance, the leaders of the evangelical Christian Right confirm their goal of turning America into a backward looking, isolated theocracy engaged in a holy war against its own citizens and the world at large. A particular "foreign enemy" was made clear in the Christian news service AgapePress' May 6, 2006 story by James L. Lambert entitled "Europe vs. America."

After ridiculing new ideas and social advances made by several European countries, Mr. Lambert concluded his statement with failed insight: "If the majority of Americans do not understand the importance of being a just, moral, compassionate society, we will certainly go the way of Europe."

Just one word twisted that declaration from what could have been a forward looking and hopeful message into a frightened call-to-retreat into the theocratic bubble advocated by Robertson, Dobson and Sheldon. Appropriately, that word is "not." Negativity is, after all, a hallmark of the evangelical Christian Right's rhetoric.

If the majority of Americans DO understand the importance of being a just, moral, compassionate society, we will certainly go the way of many European countries where
-- health care is more widely available and easily accessible,
-- the equality and civil rights of all citizens - even homosexual ones - are recognized,
-- new ways of dealing with consensual crimes are proving educational and more effective than proscription,
-- laws are crafted based on civic responsibilities, not personal religious beliefs.

A final thought on Robertson's, Dobson's and Sheldon's rhetoric, actions, and "religious beliefs" comes from Luke 18:22: "When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'"

Robertson, Dobson and Sheldon are all media moguls who live largesse, far better than the vast majority of Americans (including those who send them money). On the grounds of his estate, Robertson used to raise thoroughbred horses: not exactly a cheap hobby. Shouldn't "Christians" be asking Robertson, Dobson and Sheldon to divest and live as Jesus commanded?

Mel Seesholtz is a Professor of English at Pennsylvania State University.