Religion and the US Labour movement

[OUTOFTHENIGHT]

Comrades.
How much of an obstacle is some of the christian fundamentalist groups  that seem  dominant in some parts of the US to the building of a mass movement of the working class?
I often get the impression from the amount of US happy clappy religious programmes  on sattelite  TV and it seems to be a real barrier to work especially in the mid west .
Ian

[DrUSA]

Well, as a mid-westerner, I know how bad it can be.  But the again Russia in 1917 was infinitely more backwards in terms of religious superstition.  It is significant that many members of the clergy, as well as many religious people generally (including of course the Pope himself!) have come out against the war of moral, religious reasons.  Many others (like Bush) see this as the fulfillment of God's will on earth.  I think that the general polarization of society will be expressed in many ways by different people.  Religion plays an important role in many people's lives here, but ultimately, concrete, material conditions will force people to make the decisive choices and take the necessary actions to safeguard their conditions of work and life here on earth.  I don't worry about it too much!  In practice many people are not as religious as they are on Sundays!  ;)