Values vacuum: Summit showcases intolerance of religious right.

In late September, affiliates of the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family and other Religious Right groups held a three-day confab in Washington, D.C., attended by about 1,700 people. The gathering was a good reminder of the danger theocratic movements present to our rights and freedoms.

The so-called "Values Voter Summit" was marked by plenty of complaining about the alleged hostility toward evangelicals in society, liberally mixed with partisan politicking, divisive rants and attacks on Americans United.

The rhetoric employed at this event was often beyond shrill. Kicking things off at a breakfast for pastors, the Rev. Jerry Falwell said the situation the United States faces today is so bad it is "unlike anything in my lifetime. I was born in 1933. I remember Nazism and World War II." He labeled ministers who disagree with him as "stooges for the left."

The event managed to go downhill from there. A parade of speakers ridiculed, demonized and insulted anyone who dares to take issue with the Religious Right's oppressive goals. Ann Coulter, whose intemperate attacks on the 9/11 widows should have exiled her from polite society, received a hero's welcome. "Virtue Czar" William Bennett endorsed torture. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins blasted "quote, unquote Christians," differentiating them from the good "Bible-believing Christians."

Interspersed among this bile were strident attacks on all of the Religious Right's favorite targets: gay people, public schools, "the left," Sens. Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy and defenders of church-state separation.

Sadly, this weekend hatefest attracted the attention of some influential people. Several leading GOP presidential aspirants spoke, and White House Press Secretary Tony Snow brought personal greetings from President George W. Bush.

One thing is clear: The Religious Right would like to run our lives from the moment of conception until death (and they will determine when the latter will be, thank you very much). Its leaders spelled that out at this event.

Yet James Dobson and other Religious Right power-brokers have the gall to carp about "persecution." What they are really angry about is the spirited opposition to their theocratic goals led by Americans United.

They should prepare to get a lot angrier. Americans United is not going away and will only step up its opposition to the intolerance and extremism on display at the Values Voter Summit.

Even the Religious Right's allies are getting fed up. Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey recently repudiated the movement, denouncing "Dobson and his gang of thugs" as "real nasty bullies."

That just about sums things up. The vast majority of Americans probably hold similar views.