The Christian Right in Context

Richard T. Hughes, a professor of religion and author of Christian America and the Kingdom of God, has put together a comprehensive four-part series on the Huffington Post entitled The Christian Right in Context. Part 1, which was posted yesterday, is the most clear and concise telling of the revisionist history the Christian right has been blasting for a third of a century. He even sheds light on how the founding fathers felt about Muslims: In light of the current hostility toward Muslims and the many recent attempts to ban their mosques and restrict their religious freedom, the Founders' stance on Islam is instructive. Jefferson, for example, argued that America should extend complete freedom of religion not just to Christians but to the "Mahamdan," the Jew, and the "pagan" as well. And following passage in Virginia of his Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom (1786), he reaffirmed the bill's intent: "To comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mahometan." This guy seems to be peddling the straight dope. Has anyone read the book yet? I intend to shortly.