"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated" Mark Twain

Religious Right. The term evokes an immediate response of frustration, confusion, anger, cheering or dismissal. But what do you really know about the Religious Right? Join me in this book to delve into an explanation of the Religious Right.

Many today feel as though the Religious Right is on its way out or antiquated and will fade away - this book answers why that is absolutely, completely, and totally not the case. I shall address how the Religious Right's tremendous influence has to do with their marketing tactics and ploys - time tested tactics that continue to serve them in political arenas and elsewhere.

Perhaps you are thinking the Religious Right will change their ways and come into the enlightened new century. Consider how Reverend Richard Cizik, a high ranking official of the National Association of Evangelicals, was forced to resign his post after first drawing extreme criticism for his stance to address global warming and then the final straw of saying he was personally shifting away from the Evangelical position against same sex civil unions. Tolerance and growth do not go "hand-in-hand" as far as the Religious Right is concerned; where that might be the downfall of many organizations it is the core of what makes them who they are, a multi-million dollar political special interest group.

Rumors of the death of the Religious Right, or even of their fading power, are truly exaggerated and p erhaps even more dangerous than the movement itself since you then underestimate them. For in fact, that is all the reports of the Religious Right loosing their political prowess are, rumors - that need dispelled.

A change of White House administration in no way stops the massive movement nor does it even slow the organization down or deter them. It has only caused those of the Religious Right to focus on tried and proven successful tactics that shall be highlighted later. They simply do not have access to the White House as easily as they have had since the Reagan administration and subsequently George W.

They have made their own inroads into this new "liberal" administration - such as George W Bush's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives that is remaining under the new administration despite its shaky ground constitutionally. Who is president absolutely does not halt their reshaping of this country into what they want it to be. An example of this is that the Religious Right didn't get the presidential candidate they wanted in 2008, but they were able to have several significant and important pieces of legislation passed in various states that furthered their agenda.

Some clarification is needed here, when I use the term "the Religious Right," I am not writing about all of Christianity. I am specifically referring to the movement found within Christianity that asserts it should have dominion over government and all aspects of life in the United States. The Religious Right is made up of Evangelicals, Fundamentalists and Dominionists/Christian Reconstructionists. It can be found in almost every denomination from Catholic or Mormon to Baptist. The Religious Right's message is more often than not presented to the public with well-considered Public Relations and packaged pleasingly for mass appeal with plenty of sentimentality and misty-eyed promises of a simpler "Leave It to Beaver" era. The movement plays on fear of the unknown with exaggerations and fabrications of the horrors and evils surrounding us. They know what the terrifying future will be unless "Religious Right" legislations are passed. Their way is the only way to save us from such horrors.

I was a Religious Right zealot, heart and soul, and I am sharing my training and experience in the Religious Right to those who may not fully understand them and to connect-the-dots for you. I explain "wedge issues" and how they are utilized by the Right to cause division. Additionally I want to give insights on Bible themes that are motivating the Religious Right so you may understand their worldview and mindset. I hope to provide true insight and understanding of what drives the Religious Right's political involvement and reasoning for dictating their worldview.

I have written this book to present not only what and who the Religious Right is, but how the movement has become the powerhouse they are today and what their worldview and agenda ultimately is. Some readers may know parts, but will most likely be surprised at the whole picture that includes a rewriting of U.S. history, reconstructing schools to be church-run or home-schools only, our court system to be based solely on the Bible, a mandatory religious litmus test for all politicians, the media and arts to be fully censured and a taking over of Federal social programs. It is only when speaking to their followers that a person can get an unvarnished glimpse at what they want and how they are going about it. Thus, I have presented as much as possible in their "own words." I explain the doctrines that drive what we witness today. I present why the concept of separation of church and state is critical as we go through the Religious Right's political agenda, not in complicated academic jargon but in real life examples with recent news headlines.

There are many authors who have begun to expose different aspects of the Religious Right. My approach is to consolidate and categorize in a clear manner how all the pieces come together and formulate a complete picture of what the Religious Right is working towards for this country of ours.

My aim is not to cause division but to arm you with knowledge and awareness and even resources to protect your rights. This work is not advocating a reverse prejudice. I hope to generate positive action based upon a new awareness in which you proactively are involved in your communities to ensure your rights are not trampled. Once you have read the multi-pronged agenda the Religious Right is pursuing I hope and trust that you will turn to the resources found at the end of the book and become involved in your communities to safeguard you and your family's rights as well as your neighbors' rights.

I believe that being ignorant or downplaying the Religious Right's active role in politics and what fuels it is perhaps the biggest danger facing us all. There is a very real threat in not understanding the Religious Right's motivations and to underestimate the lengths they take to accomplish their political agenda.

This is no time to shrink from the Goliath of the Religious Right before us. They are only as powerful as we allow them to be over us. Ultimately, the concern is the preservation of separation of church and state that is in our U.S. Constitution. One of the most influential Supreme Court Chiefs, Justice Burger said it best:

We can no longer afford complacency in this country. We cannot just hope and trust that it will all work out or that a neighbor will fight the good fight or even that anybody else cares about your rights to live your life your way. This country is supposed to serve all its citizens; not just the loudest, or the educated, or just the wealthy, or even those of a specific spiritual belief system.

Each person has a responsibility as well to work towards fairness, human rights, and equality; not just in their personal lives and relationships, but in their public arenas as well. Let us first understand the Religious Right that is responsible for shaping many of the political policies we see today.

We need to understand their worldview and their motivations and know what is at the heart of the matter that they are fighting for or against. Before we move on let's hear directly from the Religious Right on what their agenda is in a nutshell.

D. James Kennedy was the founder of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that has an annual intake of $37 million and a captive audience of 3.5 million with the congregation, radio program, television program, and podcasts. He produced a documentary that claims to link evolution to Adolph Hitler. He founded the Center for Christian Statesmanship, an evangelical ministry in our nation's capitol and also founded the "Center for Reclaiming America" which is a channel for Religious Right views to advance a political agenda unhindered. Mr. Kennedy is a typical Religious Right example of the massive audiences that have been tapped with seemingly endless resources to fund their political agenda.