MInnesota Family Council: Same-Sex Marriage Debate Equals WW2

The Minnesota Family Council likens the debate over same-sex marriage to the fall of France to the German's in World War II:

"For several years, opponents of the marriage amendment have defended their position by saying that same-sex marriage is already illegal in Minnesota; we don't need an amendment. To hear them talk one would think marriage is safe and secure behind a bulwark of laws and judicial decisions. This kind of ignorance is reminiscent of the WWII French generals who insisted that the Maginot Line would protect France from German attack. History shows that the Germans agreed - and went around it. France surrendered in a matter of weeks. Soon we'll be hearing 'peace in our time,'' no doubt."

They really, really want a war, what with the elections coming up in less than 4 months. The language is an unmistakeable call to arms to their base, some of whom undoubtedly are "Christian Nationalists" who would rather have their version of the Bible become our founding document. From an Alternet interview with author of "Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism," Michelle Goldberg:

"Christian Nationalism is a political ideology separate from evangelicals. Evangelicals are about 30 percent of the American population. Christian Nationalism is a subset of 10-15 percent. It's less a religion than it is an ideology about the way America should be governed. It has this whole revisionist history claiming that America was founded as a Christian nation, that the separation of church and state is a fraud perpetrated by seculars. What follows from that are ideas about Christianization of institutions in American life, and that the courts have vastly overstepped their authority in the enforcement of the separation of church and state."

The Minnesota Family Council is marching lockstep with the people Goldberg describes. The article sent out right before the anti-same-sex marriage call to arms, was an article lamenting the separation of church and state:

"Every time someone says 'that's in violation of separation of church and state', I am reminded of Pavlov's dog -- the canine trained to salivate at the sound of a bell. This is because American's have been pre-conditioned to respond with '...violation...' when stimulated by the juxtaposition of religion and government. Although this 'stupid pet trick' makes for good late-night comedy, it exposes the success of historical revisionists to redefine the original intent of the Establishment Clause, and, reveals the nations 'separation anxiety' concerning the future of religions protected role as an independent influence upon American democracy."

The Minnesota Family Council exerts a lot of influence over Minnesota politics. They run Minnesota for Marriage, an outfit devoted to a constitutional amendment to end domestic partnerships and ban civil unions and same-sex marriage. They train churches on how to speak about politics from the pulpit. They are a resource for the Minnesota GOP. And they want to use the bible to transform Minnesota into a state that is run with their brand of Christianity.