Their sad, sick obsession continues.

Evangelical Christians, who once proudly called themselves fundamentalists, but who tend to shun the term today, have been very busy in their holy jihad this week. Yesterday I mentioned one fundamentalist minister invited by the Republican Party to open the Minnesota legislature with prayer. He lectured them by falsifying history, he implied that Obama is a Muslim, and he made it clear that his idea of non-denomination, excludes everyone who isn't a Christian.

He was there the same day that the Republicans were scheduled to spend hours of legislative time debating new anti-gay measures. The Titanic is sinking and Republicans are making sure gay people don't get life preservers. You really have to give the Republicans credit for getting their priorities right. The country may in an extended depression but Republicans are going to spend all their time gay bashing, at the behest of the shrinking Religious Right.

In Tennessee the Republicans have spent days debating legislation that would make it illegal for any school teacher to even mention that gay people exist. The bill literally makes it a crime to mention the existence of homosexuals. Once again the Republican Party has their priorities in line. Remember Tennessee is the state that held the Scopes trial for teaching evolution, so the control fundamentalists have had over education there is long-standing. No doubt this explains why Tennessee is such an intellectual powerhouse in the West!

Just yesterday, in Brisbane, Australia the same thing happened except the Christians acted even worse. According to the Brisbane Times a rally in favor of marriage equality was "interrupted by violence" when "a small group of evangelicals used a microphone to yell abuse at marchers." The Times reported that scuffles broke out when "members of the small Christian minority tried to snatch same-sex marriage placards and flags from marchers' hands."

Last week at a gay rally in Adelaide, Australia a coven of born again bitches marched on the attendees, insulting them, screaming at them and even pulling one woman out of a wheelchair that she needed.

The depth of their hatred is astounding. I can understand why oppressed people would spend a lot of time to fight for their freedom. I just can't fathom why others would be so obsessed in preventing it. As for the Republicans: what the hell is wrong with them? This country is an extended depression. Every measure that Bush and Obama used to "solve" the problem were measures that failed in the past and which have shown themselves to extend the economic downturn. The solutions that have been tried merely keep the malaise alive and lingering. And what do the Republicans concentrate on? They spend their time bashing gays.

Photo: Evangelical Christian, in T-shirt from the "ministry" Operation Five Thirteen, tries to rip sign advocating marriage equality from woman at the Brisbane rally.