Boehlert, one of perhaps a half-dozen admirable Republican members of the House of Representatives, had been scheduled to be commencement speaker at the college until the Bishop of Syracuse let it be known that the congressman's presence would be unappreciated; not by the students, understand, but by himself.

What made Boehlert, a practicing Catholic, persona non grata to God's emissary? He is on record as favoring a woman's right to choice. In other words, he supports the law of the land, as defined in Roe v. Wade. But in the eyes of the Vatican and sundry right- wing Protestant sects, Constitutional law is trumped by God's law; whatever that is and as they define it, of course.

Boehlert, a gentleman, withdrew voluntarily when he learned that the bishop was opposed to his being the speaker.

That little episode of ecclesiastic meddling, minor though it may be, is symptomatic of an increasing level of theocratic muscle flexing in this country. We are seeing at nearly every level of government, but especially at the federal level, where the religious right has a friend -- or champion, take your choice -- in the White House.

We are seeing it in the public schools in the form of pressure groups demanding that something called Intelligent Design, a refined version of Creationism, be taught alongside Evolution, which is, after all, nothing but a theory and not scientific fact.

Intelligent Design, on the other hand, is based on hard evidence, but short on specifics, that some unknown but all-powerful entity created, or rather designed life as we know it. How? When? In what way? Don't ask. Just take their word for it.

We saw it in the shameful attempt by Republican opportunists such as Tom DeLay and Bill Frist to make political capital from the pathetic case of Theresa Schiavo.

We see it in the president's pandering position on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

We saw it last fall in the form of Catholic bishops warning their flocks that a politician who supported a woman's right an abortion, for which read John Kerry, should be denied holy communion. And we saw it most recently in a sub-Potomac Elmer Gantry who purged his congregation of a half-dozen or so sinners who had, despite his admonition, cast their votes for Kerry. The remaining congregants in turn purged him, which is encouraging.

The growing effort to establish the United States as a theocracy in accordance with God's plan is not without its humorous side, it should be noted. Recently, the Internet yielded up the following from an outfit called BushFish.org:

"Do you believe God belongs in government? Do you believe President Bush is doing the Lord's work? If so, then show your love for God & the USA!

"If this country's legislature and judiciary are supposed to reflect the values and beliefs of The People, then send them a message that they are WAY off course!

"If you are tired of secularists telling you that The Lord has no place in our government and our public institutions, then show them that you disagree."

And how do we show them? With a car magnet in the shape of a fish, the symbol of Christianity. You've seen them, I'm sure, the simple fish outline wrapped around the word Jesus. Understated but eloquent.

This one's different. The fish design's the same, but Jesus has been replaced by "Bush."

Let us pray.

Rossie is associate editor of the Press & Sun-Bulletin.

© 2005 Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin

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