We are long overdue for a rescue round-up but there certainly has been alot happening in the Greater Blogosphere regarding the religious right and what to do about it. No doubt, there is much I have missed.

But before we get to the more traditional rescue round-up, I want to note that lately, an influential faction in the Democratic Party that overlaps with the agenda and talking points of the religious right has come under fire.  As I wrote here on Daily Kos, some fashionable political consultants think that candidates should jettison use of the phrase separation of church and state because, they say it sends up "red flags with people of faith."  What ever the merits of the scriptwriters du jour, fortunately, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which has for 50 years been led primarily by "people of faith" brushes off such glib faddishness.  Lauren Smith reminds us this week in their blog The Wall of Separation:

This will be a very brief diary entry, as I wanted to draw additional attention to both a specific article and the ongoing work of a researcher.

Marley Greiner, a researcher, activist, writer for the Columbus, Ohio Free Press and blogger behind
Theoconia: a Central Ohio Theocon Report has written an important initial article in the Free Press on Ron Luce and the Teen Mania Ministries Battlecry initiative:

photo credit: Marley Griener

And the article itself-
Teen Mania: Lift the Banner by Marley Greiner

   

Much has been written about the militant evangelical youth group, Battle Cry, organized by Ron Luce.  While there has been a fair amount of disagreement as to the nature of movement and what can be done it, (in ways that are somewhat reminiscent to me, of the debate about the Promise Keepers a decade ago), the group is nevertheless planning a series of events across the U.S. (and one in Canada) beginning on August first -- and stop the week before the November elections.

While the group insists that it is not political, and that the events are about increasing church attendance -- there is evidence that perhaps they doth protest too much.

Teen Mania Ministries is a great thing for our youth, or is it? To encourage teenagers to stand up to peer pressure and make sound decisions are what parents are for, but we all know safety nets are great for those who are less fortunate. What a lovely initiative whoever had come up with this Teen Mania Ministries. Well, that is what I thought at first.