It sounds so innocuous, wonderful, affirming. Most people want to be on the side of life. In Republican circles where it is very commonplace to find ignorant masses repeating rhetoric and sticking to ideals that they have no clue about, this phrase will get them going everytime. It lends them credence, lets them know that they are doing the “Lord’s” work.

They must then see those that don’t believe as they do and whom they oppose on many issues as being from the opposite culture, thus Liberals, atheists, gays, Democrats, and anyone else who is different are from the Culture of Death. Oooooh this sounds like we’re getting ready for an intergalactic war huh?

Not quite. Unlike our Republican friends we are willing to look beyond overused phrasing and see each side for what it truly is. When you strip away the armor of false advertising you are left with the side that wants us to give up our civil liberties in the name of safety, the side that does not want to see this nation’s children provided with necessary health care, the side that is not willing to spend an extra cent on the people of our country, the side that continuously allows corporations and the elite to feed off the backs of our working class, the side that sees nothing wrong with torturing and killing people as long as it is done in the name of their god or the war on terror, and the side that wants to continue the oppression of people with different colored skin, different sexual orientation or identity, or different religious beliefs.

Then there is the other side. The ones who wants to ensure that our children are insured, use diplomacy instead of weapons to solve international issues, promote education and knowledge to reduce the instances of STDs and unwanted pregnancies(thus abortions), make sure that our justice system is brought out of the Dark Ages and errs on the side of human life, work to bring jobs back to America so that our families can afford to support themselves, and many other life affirming values.

So which side describes themselves as the Culture of Life? The ones that in any other context would be the villains of a fairy tale. What’s worse is that they are extremely convinced that their god gives them the right to behave in this manner, to push their beliefs onto the nation as a whole. It is this mindset that has made the United States and international laughingstock and has other countries viewing us as an enemy of freedom.

The Right is exceptionally good at using language to manipulate their followers and others into believing what they want them to. It’s time that we call them on it and demand that they call themselves what they really are. The Culture of Hatred, Intolerance, Bigotry, Discrimination, Ignorance, and Murder.

• Lust –
  The uncontrolled or excessive craving for the pleasures of the body.
• Gluttony –
  The over consumption of anything to the point of excess and waste. Thomas Aquinas listed 5 ways to commit gluttony as related to food.
• Greed –
  The obsession with accumulating personal wealth and possessions, especially when that wealth comes at the expense of others.
• Sloth –
  The refusal or avoidance of physical or spiritual work. This also includes those who refuse to work beyond the minimum required, or fail to live up to their potential as a result of a lack of effort.
• Wrath –
  The uncontrolled feelings of anger, hatred, prejudice, and spite.
• Envy –
  The desire for something which another has. Dante defined Envy as “love of one’s own good perverted to a desire to deprive other men of theirs.” and therefore envy includes the sin of promoting yourself by tearing down another.
• Pride –
  The most serious of the 7 deadly sins, pride is the desire to be more attractive, important, respected, or popular than others.

References

• Wikipedia – Seven Deadly Sins
• 7 Deadly Sins – Sins