I wonder if there’s an indirect reason (on top of the direct reasons) to be concerned about Christian politics in the United States. That is, maybe they’re being too easily preyed upon by business interests, and therefore making life more difficult for all of us who want to avoid predation.

As social animals, we tend to be on our guard against free riders and cheaters. We’ll often go out of our way, even against some of of our more immediate interests, to punish such people. Psychologists also talk about how many people will also try to punish those who fail to punish, or who let themselves be taken advantage of. (We get pissed off at someone who lets another party cut in front, even if they’re back of us in line.)

That may be applicable to the political alliance between the Christian Right and business class conservatives. We’ve ended up with an amazing amount of plunder and corruption, natural in a climate where money is the measure of all things. And politically, this has a lot to do with working class Christian support for the business-driven right wing, even when in the realm of secular interests, the working class get screwed over the worst.

So, it seems to fit the bill. Conservative Christians have been easy prey, and unfortunately their predators have not been satisfied to prey on only Christians.

On the other hand, it’s not like I needed an extra reason to gripe about either fundamentalists or American politics.