This article really jumped out at me when it came in. It's easy to assume that because you eat, say, American hotdogs, and watch American movies, understand the US electoral college system, and everyone seems pretty much the same there as they do here, but with a few accentuated differences, you know what Americans are like.

With people from non-Anglo cultures there is a prima facie, genetically and evolutionarily programmed sense of distance and alienation, but not with our cousins across the Pacific. Emunah shows me how wrong I am to project Australia onto the US, but not in the way that a Michael Moore might, where I'm pretty sure that the stereotypes are no more valid than my own, but with a sense of almost empathy for those she nevertheless criticises.

Regarding:Jehovah's Witnesses Fanatics:
Do a comparative Internet search and you will find that there are about four times more disgruntled Ex Jehovah's Witnesses websites 'per capita',then the other religions.

The outcry against the greedy ripoff Jehovah's Witnesses cult and their family wrecking is loud and clear.

Please don't squander your life for a miserable cult.

[Theologically,Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult of Christianity. The oppressive organization does not represent historical, Biblical Christianity in any way. Sociologically, it is a destructive cult whose false teachings frequently result in spiritual and psychological abuse, as well as needless deaths.]

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,but not their own facts".

Watchtower Whistleblower;Danny Haszard Bangor Maine USA http://www.DannyHaszard.com

The good news is that your experience of having been bullied, in essence, by the Christian majority as you grew up, is not everyone's experience. It sounds like one of those Deep South/Bible Belt sort of places, and luckily that doesn't cover the entirety of the U.S. That certainly does not characterize the places I've grown up in, which also have Christian majorities. So, cheer up, it isn't that bad.

Next, as you pointed out, you were referring to Christian fundamentalists, which does not characterize a majority (not even close) of Christendom worldwide. So I hope your points were not meant to be taken against all of Christendom.

Last, having said all that, I hope that your conclusions about the republican no-nos (stem cell research, abortion, gay marriage) were drawn from solid, careful, critical analysis. It would be a shame if the basis for the side you've chosen in that debate is as limited as the two dismissive sentences in your article. For example, "using foetus cells" is quite inaccurate, since the entire foetus is destroyed in the process of gathering stem cells, a process which quite often fails in that endeavor, while still destroying the foetus anyway.

Lastly, the article's title (comes out as the browser's title) says "Christian Fundamentalist America". I would like to think that whomever coined this title actually meant "Christian Fundamentalist Area of America", as not all of America is Christian Fundamentalist. If this was meant to be a swipe at the recent election results, then it is downright false, since a big chunk of the Bush supporters were Catholic, and Catholics are among the last people one would ever characterize as Christian Fundamentalist.

Hi Jeff,

The titles are set by the editors, so I take ultimate responsibility. It wasn't meant as a swipe at anyone, and I think the phrase actually indicates a specific subset of the US, rather than being indicative of its entire area.

Graham Young
Chief Editor

What is scary is that Fundamentalist Christianity in the US is beginning to look a lot like the Taliban in Afghanistan. They started on a moral ground, captured the political scene, and then played havoc with the country...and ironically both needed Osama Bin Laden to do it.

Christians aren't bad people but Fundamentalists (in any religion)are way beyond just bad--they're scary bad--because they speak for a God whom they can't hear because they shout their ignorance too loud.

If they looked in the Scripture they so proudly quote from (ignorance) they will realize that even Jesus said to render to the government what is supposed to be the government's and keep in the church what is the church's. In other words, don't push what you believe on someone else--the choice is theirs not some cloister's perogative.

Christianity is suffering because of (fundamentalist and ignorant (oxymoronic?)) Christians.

Hi, Graham. Pleasantly surprised and quite appreciative of your clarification. Perhaps the title can be taken both ways. :P