Terrorism is a by-product of fundamentalism. When we support Christian fundamentalism, we are as bad as governments that support Islamic fundamentalism. Until we demonstrate to the world that we are impartial in our fight against people who hate, we cannot and will not be taken seriously. As long as we tolerate fundamentalist ideology in our government, we are part of the problem not part of the solution.

This is a free country and we must permit fundamentalists to believe and teach as their conscience dictates. We must permit it, but we must be ever vigilant to guard against their attempts to impose their beliefs and ideology on others. This is a pluralist society and we must allow individuals and groups their own lifestyle, but only within the limits of respect for the freedom of others.

If the fundamentalists want to pull their children out of the school systems and indoctrinate them in their own schools we must permit them to do so, but we cannot support their schools with tax dollars.

If the fundamentalists want to form paramilitary groups and live in armed camps in the woods, we must permit it but when they become a threat to their neighbors we must stop them.

If they wish to post the Ten Commandments on their lawns, we must permit them to do so, but we cannot allow them to force the public schools to post them in the classrooms.

If the Amish wish to preserve a lifestyle from before the industrial revolution, we must permit them to do so, but they will have to modify their lifestyle to accommodate the growth of industry and technology around them. Similarly, fundamentalist groups must understand that for freedom to exist, their interpretation Gods commandments can only be implemented within the context of respect for the right of others to disagree.

We must protect and preserve freedom of speech. As a result we must allow fundamentalists such as Falwell and Robertson to set up TV networks and say what they believe. But there are limits to free speech. You can’t yell fire in a crowded theater. And whenever these people use these media for hate speech, we must all stand up and loudly denounce them for it. We must teach freedom and respect for others right to be different and right to disagree as diligently as the fundamentalists teach their dogma. Protect your children from hate speech. Use parental controls to block CBN.

In a democracy, the majority rules. But the majority doesn’t get to do whatever it wants to. In a democracy, the majority is given the responsibility for preserving and protecting the rights of the minorities. If the elected majority does not understand this, democracy cannot survive. Fundamentalists (both Christian and Islamic) believe that they have been commanded by God to follow His commands. Fundamentalists believe that their particular interpretation of those commands is absolutely correct and true. No disagreement can be tolerated. No compromise can be permitted. When fundamentalists become the majority and are elected to rule, democracy is finished.

This is what makes politically motivated fundamentalists such as Gary Bauer, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Ashcroft so dangerous. They do not understand the nature of freedom and the nature of democracy. The do not understand the compromises that must be made to ensure the survival of a pluralistic society.