We already knew that the religious right would like nothing better than to sweep away the First Amendment.  Well, one of its more prominent leaders just came out and said it in terms as blunt as I've heard in a long while.  

You may remember Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, from back in October.  He endorsed Rick Perry for president on the grounds that Mitt Romney's Mormon faith disqualified him from the job.  He went on further and argued that if Romney gets the nomination, a large number of fundies might stay home.  Well, sometime in December, Jeffress told his flock in Dallas that the First Amendment's protections on freedom of religion invite the wrath of God on this nation.

Although our Constitution grants every citizen the right to worship or not worship any god he chooses, that right in no way changes God’s attitude toward idolatry. God does not change. Any nation that chooses to publicly renounce the true God in order to embrace and elevate other gods is going to face God’s judgment. That is what the Word of God says. And I closed that editorial in the Washington Post by saying, how ironic that the Air Force, which is trying to protect our nation against terrorist attacks, how ironic that our nation is doing the very thing that is guaranteed to kindle the anger of God against us.

And ladies and gentlemen, when God chooses to judge us, remember how he did it with Israel? He used a pagan nation that worshipped pagan gods to bring his punishment on Israel. And I believe he will do the same with us, and when he chooses to do that, no military power, no matter how strong we are, will be able to protect us against the judgment of Almighty God.

Listen to the whole thing (if you can stand it) here.