Boston. It’s the home of baseball, beans and the birthplace of the American Revolution. There, colonial rebels became the freedom fighters against the imperial Brits-we know them as patriots.

But Pastor Russell Johnson of the Fairfield Christian Church in Ohio hates Boston. He’s a conservative Christian Republican, and Boston, well, it’s the ass of America-Democratic and often secular in its beliefs. Johnson, along with a militia of Christian Republican leaders, wants to save Ohio from such a fate.

‘The establishment of the Ohio Republican Party is out of touch with its base,’ said Johnson. ‘It acts as if it lives in Boston, Mass.’

So, Johnson other Christian leaders have crafted the Ohio Restoration Project. Under the project, they hope to win the majority of local government seats, recruit candidates and register 2,000 evangelical, Baptist and Roman Catholic leaders to vote for conservative causes in future elections, beginning with the 2006 governor’s election.

And what would a true Boston foe call this militia? Of course, the Patriot Pastors.

Johnson must have skipped his history classes.

The original patriots crafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights. In that Bill, the patriots included the right to freedom of religion. No citizen should be forced to follow any religious doctrine under law and the church must be kept separate from the state.

But Johnson’s Patriots want nothing to do with this. They’ve made it their mission to hijack the Republican Party to create a radical Christian soapbox and political machine. Thus, the Republican position on nearly any issue-whether abortion, same-sex marriage or euthanasia – could be the traditional Christian view.

So, if the so-called patriotic plan succeeds, any non-Christians in Ohio will find their interests could be ignored. And any Christian Republicans who paid attention in class and value the separation of church and state, maybe they should consider voting Democrat.

This theocratic trend expands beyond Ohio-the Terry Schiavo case proves more people have been swept into the religion versus government debate. But the trend most likely won’t spread into Boston.

Perhaps Boston should launch another revolution, or, as one Facebook group recommends, convince its neighbors to join a Northeast Secession. But for now, it can be a refuge for non-Christians and progressively and secularly minded Republicans alike. Play ball.

JEAN STEVENS IS A JUNIOR MAGAZINE JOURNALISM, WOMEN’S STUDIES AND POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR. E-MAIL HER AT JMSTEV03@SYR.EDU.

Published on March 27, 2005 at 12:00 pm