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Taylor tells us that all the Presidential Hopefuls on the "D" side are banging the religion gong hard. In addition, Hillary Clinton has been hanging out with Holy Joe and scolding folks about violent video games.
If it's really sincere and not just a cynical ploy for votes, they really need to do something about this:
A Wal-Mart spokeswoman said the retailer has no plans to pull Left Behind: Eternal Forces from any of the 200 of Wal-Mart's 3,800 stores that offer the game, including just seven in California. The nearest are in Chico and Redding."We look at the community to see where it will sell," said Tara Raddohl. "We have customers who are buying it and really haven't received a lot of complaints about it from our customers at this time."
Clark Stevens, co-director of the Campaign to Defend the Constitution, said the game is not peaceful or diplomatic.
"It's an incredibly violent video game," said Stevens. "Sure, there is no blood. (The dead just fade off the screen.) But you are mowing down your enemy with a gun. It pushes a message of religious intolerance. You can either play for the 'good side' by trying to convert nonbelievers to your side or join the Antichrist."
I look forward to hearing from our party leadership who have chosen to make an issue of this. I'm sure they'll be weighing in on it at any moment.
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Jane!
blergh on Joe and Hill.
and pooh on Wal-Mart, too for selling the new Crusades.
You know, I must have missed that “mow down the blasphemers with a machine gun” part of the Bible in Sunday School. Ahem.
(And yes, I am now home safely. All is right with the world…)
Oh, welcome home Christy! Did you have fun and interesting conversations? I am sure you rocked!
Lieberman and Hillary. Talk about throwing my switches. I need to calm down, now.
Thoughts with Tim Johnson’s family. We are all South Dakotans tonight.
.
… HillDog ain’t gonna come out against WalMart; wasn’t she on their Board?
Ah, but you see, all the extremist fundamentalists have received a special 007 designation from God himself.
They get the updated version of “Thou Shalt Not Kill”. Theirs has the addendum “anyone who agrees with you”.
Welcome home Christy.
Oklahoma kiddo @
4
Ok k - you are funny.
ReddHedd!
angie at 3 — I did — lots of fun, very interesting discussions with some amazing speeches given as well. And I got to grab some coffee with lisadawn this morning. :) It was a nice bonus before my big drive home.
Luckily, there was a well-placed outlet mall about halfway home — so I had to stop and stretch my legs a bit by walking around and giving my credit card a little exercise. *g*
SusanD— 707!
Joe will argue “It’s only harmless fun,” and Hillary will triangulate, saying she would prefer that the game manufacturer make an exception for non-atheistic Jews…
shopping!
Clinton/Lieberman in ‘08. A balanced ticket.
Come on Al!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 9
hee hee! good for you!
did you get to meet Amy? lisadawn and coffee in the morning– nice.
That game sounds creepy. Even if it isn’t blood and guts violent, this is an important time for our leaders to speak out against religious intolerance.
Repost:
It’s getting to be Christmas cookie time. Anybody have a favorite recipe you’d like to share?
okk omg hush with that ticket talk.
I posted this a couple of weeks ago. Now it is On Topic.
My wife mentors intern teachers. One of the interns has a class which includes an even higher percentage of evangelicals and fundamentalists than is usual around here. Some of the kids are lazy or inattentive - like they don’t care bacause, after all, the Rapture will be here soon.
The intern has found one phrase which gets these kids motivated “You don’t want to be left behind, now, do you?”
Hillary and Joe will surely be out there soon with strong statements condemning Wal Mart on this. Not….
Oklahoma kiddo @
13
I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
…..and God said to the peacemakers, bite-me and eat lead, maggots.
I think that is in Leviticus somewhere.
-GSD
The Editors at The Poor Man Institute have what is probably the funniest take on Obama’s electability.
This doesn’t mean I support this discussion of Obama in regards to electability. I don’t. I just think this is hilarious.
pagans for Clinton/Lieberman!
They are the pro-witch ticket:
everyone they meet hopes some magic will animate their withered souls.
FDL has been an embarrassment of riches today. Lot’s to read and think about. Have to say I’d really like to see the Dems in Congress put in some kind of zero tolerance program for corruption, and they can start by showing my Rep (’Dollar Bill’ Jefferson) the door. I’m sure the FBI will get him eventually, but they do take their time to build cases …
I want to get all the pundits hooked up to a gizmo like this (from an early episode of The Simpsons) and give them a non-lethal dose of electric shock every time they try to hype a candidate for 2008.
Christy Hardin Smith @
2
Welcome back. You’ll have to tell us about the conference, I hope?
Re the Bible, there are lots of gory scenes, especially in the Old Testament. Our Revs et al can weigh in. No machine guns, for sure, but a pretty murderous use of the Red Sea, a monster species threatening flood, a plague of locusts, spirits killing all the first born in Egypt,then slaughtering the Jews, crucifixions, and so on. That was a pretty angry God, back then.
AirportCat @
22
We missed Christy but everyone did a great job pitching in to help out. Their efforts were all very much appreciated.
But they are all “brown people” with bushco’s and others ill- conceived notions bandied about.
It’s a- ok… get in line and buy one for yer babies quick– they’re flying off the shelves.
No pl*yboy, etc. ’cause “it’s nasty” at Walmart, but marketing to babes who must be taught to hate and kill is great.
very sick stuff, imho.
Republicans have gay weddings for batting practice. Lieberdems have video games.
Why don’t they try protecting laws already on the books?
Why don’t they try restoring some lost liberties for a change?
Because it’s a way for Hillary to pretend some fundies will eventually like her.
And Joe likes to whack away at any empty shiny object, like freaky kids toys.
Senators, get a life and do your jobs.
(I might start calling that format eureku’)
C-Span 2 is airing (at this point the end) of a rather large media panel on the CT Senate race.
AC - I am so sorry about your Congressional representation. I’ve asked my Congresswoman to not seat Dollar Bill. Others may tell her so here.
This videogame thing reminds me of a former colleague of mine, who told about intervening between his battling sons. He took the younger son aside, and in an effort to get him to reassess his behavior asked his son “What would Jesus do?” His son replied “Jesus would go back in the other room and whip my brother’s ass!”
scarecrow at 24 — yes, but then the evangelical saviour Christ the Lord came and raised the dead and healed the sick and said nothing whatsoever about mowing down the heathens with an assault rifle. I think the Left Behind people have some ’splaining to do — to the Big Guy — and not just to their bank balances.
I’m thinking Jesus will not take kindly to being used as an excuse for money-making on the backs of exploiting people’s violent tendencies as a means of selling games to make a hefty profit for their own personal
money lenders in the templebenefit.Eureka– check this out, I did not know what to do when I read this earlier:
http://www.hillnews.com/thehil.....hguru.html
TeddySanFran @ 29
Thanks, I think I will tell her.
Christy, if you haven’t noticed that modern-day Christianism has become about filthy lucre and authoritarian dominance and submission, you haven’t been going to the right churches.
Jesus’ views aren’t really relevant anymore to the Christianists.
Another spoiled rotten punk son gets his comeuppance and loses his job.
Pinochets’ grandson dismissed from Chilean army after disparging judges at Augusto’s funeral.
Smell ya later, fascist asshat.
-GSD
Teddy at 34 — well, that’s not how things are at WV churches that I know of — of course, we are usually about 15 years behind the curve on that sort of thing. Who knew that Jesus was about the bling?
Re Walmart:
I heard John Edwards say that 50 percent of the children of Walmart employees are on Medicaid.
OT..Tim Johnson…Both Wolfie and Scarborough..Jee were are so sorry..then if he is replaced with a Repub., breathless with excitement..Cheney will have the decisive vote, blah. blah. It’s pretty sickening. What has completely gone off the radar screen is the condition of Craig Thomas.
Jane at 25 is absolutely right — everyone was AMAZING pitching in while I was in DC. And it was very much appreciated by me. :)
angie @ 32
Would that be the Sideburns Strider of evangelical vote-gittin’ fame?
scarecrow @
24
There is one psalm, the number of which escapes me at the moment, which speaks approvingly of bashing the skulls of the enemy’s infants against a rock.
That meme of “culture of life” appears not to have been part of the public discourse in those days, eh?
Jane writes: I look forward to hearing from our party leadership who have chosen to make an issue of this. I’m sure they’ll be weighing in on it at any moment.
I just hope you’re not holding your breath. Incidently, while perusing the WaPo for news about Sen. Johnson, I came across this little gem:
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/
Where folks are discussing the “intellectual” basis for the notion that this is a nation founded on Christian principles. So far, no one’s caught on to the idea that they’re actually Greek and Roman principles, with a little Babylonia thrown in. ;-)
ReddHedd –
I’m so glad you’re back, and so proud of all the wonderful work you do!
Blessings on you and your family this Christmas/Holiday season!
Well, at least they aren’t bashing the skulls of the enemy’s fetuses against a rock…
I b’lieve so hackworth. Clyburn and Pelosi know him well.
Cujo– that’s Quinn and Meacham.
ick.
Cujo at 42 — Oh, suuuuure. Throw some history and mythology comparison in there, why don’t you. Sheeesh. *g* Babylonian Gilgamesh, anyone?
I actually called Hillary’s office and the mayor’s about this. It’s supposedly set in New York City. I am pretty pissed that they are getting their rocks off by imagining violence against the people of my town.
Hillary has clearly staked her 2008 claim to the Lieberman wing of the Democratic Party. That ain’t me. Is it any of y’all?
So how do we get a response from Hillary. Should we send her a copy of the Left Behind game?
Christy, yeah, those later books are different. When you mentioned “the Big Guy,” I thought you meant Clinton. Oh my! ;)
My favorite “end times” passage…
In the world of science:
Earliest flying mammal discovered
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sci.....176061.stm
The 125 million year old mammal is described as squirrel-like. It was found near the remains of a prehistoric moose.
A picture of the find can be found here:
http://www.seacoastonline.com/.....1curr2.jpg
Mrs. K8 @
41
Psalm 137. When I set that Psalm in a way which identified positively with the plight of Palestinian Christians, I was skewered.
Most composers who set Psalm 137, leave out those inconvenient lines.
UptownNYChick @ 47
Yeah, where’s Bloomberg on this crap?? He needs some pressure. Good work, UNYC.
Jane Hamsher @ 25
Your fill-ins were great, and they were appreciated by the readership as well. FWIW, I think they should all be invited to make occasional contributions, not necessarily on a schedule, but when an area of their expertise (or interest) becomes topical.
OT..but sickening..from TPMuckraker
A priest’s and nun’s mission to find the mother of a nursing baby was thwarted today after they said officials from Camp Dodge would not let them inside to tell their story.
Sister Christine Feagan, from the St. Mary’s Hispanic Ministry, and The Rev. Jim Miller, who is a priest from the St. Mary’s Parish, both said they drove to Camp Dodge [an ICE detention center] this afternoon to find out the status of a nursing mother who was deported and nursing a baby. . . .
“Camp Dodge” I wonder if that is part of the $385 million KBR concentration camp project?
www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002151.php
scarecrow @ 24
Which God do you want to talk about? There were lots of different Gods that appeared in the Hebrew Scripture (all using the same name, of course . . . . well, not quite, but all supposed to be the same deity). The question I always ask those who show up to “study” with me, is “How is the agenda of the compilers of the Bible reinforced by including this story?”
For the most part the stories are about who is “in” and who is “out” and why the one true God is better than all the others. That agenda is pushed in both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. For those who want to believe it, they will find evidence to further their case. For those who don’t, same thing. All scripture from all religions exists to push an agenda or a path. In western traditions it’s about power. In some Eastern traditions it is as well.
This whole Left Behind thing makes me angry. NO religion should be pushing anything that promotes violence over love and justice. Period. If we keep doing the same crazy stuff we will keep reliving the same crazy stuff.
And no, I don’t expect Hill or HoJo to do anything about this. Why would they? They like to kiss up to the corporations. It’s who they are and what they do. MallWart is not to be messed with as far as they are concerned.
hey jane…great to see you
off topic
one of your posters (pjf) cought a very incriminating screenshot of some searches to smear the fitzster
have a look here
http://patrickjfitzgerald.blogspot.com/
it’s the “opening throws” of the wurlitster, getting ready for the attack
AirportCat @
54
I think that is an excellent suggestion.
Jane –
You make a most excellent point here.
Now, here’s the question — what can we do to guarantee that this very question (about the disgusting “Left Behind” video in Walmart stores) gets placed front and center before the usual suspects (I hate to even type their names) such that they HAVE to respond publicly?!?
I would LOVE to see that happen!
Question for everybody –
It was several MONTHS ago that I first read about this disgusting “convert or die” monstrosity of a “game.”
I read about it on a blog, linked through Daily Kos — it was a blog concerned with the theocrats, but its name didn’t immediately trigger the thought of that subject matter. The blog was involved in a pretty public argument over the contents of this video with the creeps who designed and marketed it.
I can’t remember the name of the blog in question, but I’d love to go visit it again to see what they’re saying now.
Can anyone who knows the name of this blog jump in and help me out?
angie @ 32
I always watched Hillary waltz in and out of Pulaski Heights Methodist Church, in Little Rock as a kid. Not a fundie church at all. Her campaign could take consultant classics beyond any we have witnessed to date. I guess Rev. Falwell won’t invite her for a chat.
How does everyone like the more frequent posting? I think we’re going to be going toward that.
Yay, RevDeb– I completely agree. No religion really does; they all teach peace and tell stories of violence.
It’s people who use religion for their political and other interests that twist the real meaning, imho.
Jane Hamsher @ 61
the ongoing content is incredible
gonna get me fired though
scarecrow @ 24
Maybe I can find it, but a while back someone put together a list of what might, under other circumstances, be considered crimes against humanity in the Bible. I’ll see if I can find it. Joshua, in particular, was quite the little pillager. Women and children of the tribes he conquered seem to have represented potential new enemies. Of course, his god completely supported him in these efforts. How do we know this? Because he said so.
Joshua 10:40-41:
[emphasis mine, of course]
http://www.religioustolerance.org/imm_bibl1.htm
Gimme some of that old time religion.
That’s not the site I found before, but it’s the same idea.
Posturing and pandering to idiots via stupid talk, censorship, gay bashing, feminist bashing, flag burning amendments and such are the zeitgiest thanks to the rethugs and their MSM. Our 50’s era crewcut culture imprinted on society by the rethug movement and their media arm demands that false piety and sanctimonious hypocrisy be demonstrated daily by our elected representatives. They are doing their jobs as they see fit.
Liberals or progressives - proponents of The Enlightenment - must suffer with this horse pooh.
TeddySanFran @ 53
Any other nyc residents offended that the evango-fscists are taking aim at our city can email Bloomberg here.
angie @ 45
Sorry, should I have warned you? I always thought the phrase “America is a Christian nation” would serve as all the warning anyone would need that we were headed for the ozone, but I must admit to some prejudices in this area.
Jane Hamsher @ 61
I love the new front pagers, I learned lots.
I would prefer that it not move too fast, though.
A large part of my love of this blog is having the time to watch a topic take root and be able to engage and learn.
Mrs. K8 @ 59
Most likely Talk2Action. They are the ones taking on the theocrats and doing a fine job of it.
off to bed
g’night christie, g’night jane, g’night firedogs…keep the light on here @ teh lake…might be back L8 night
TeddySanFran @ 48
My contempt for Joe Lieberman knows no bounds.
(Inspired by punaise).
I can now check “daily affirmation” off my to-do list for the day.
“If it’s really sincere” posits Jane, and of course anyone who’s been following Joe and Hills for the past 6 years knows that they don’t actually know the meaning of the word “sincere.” Joe’s career is ready for a suspended animation tank, but Hillary might be running for President, and it’s shocking to me that anyone who calls themself a liberal or a progressive would support her at this point. She’s about one shade bluer than Holy Joe, and just better at keeping her mouth shut about it.
Al Gore is the guy who can actually lay claim to the sincerity mantle, after opposing the Iraq War before it got started, going to LA to help out in the immediate wake of Katrina, and pretty much everything else he’s done. If anyone doubts the sincerity of this guy, check out the video Spike Jonze made which SHOULD have been shown at the convention in 1999: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDhv15EKJNo. I have no doubt that Al would let that video or one just like it be shown at the convention in 2007.
RevDeb — thanks for the perspective on “agendas” of the authors — that’s helpful. Would like to take your “Sunday School” class, someday. I’m a little rusty.
A little more frequent but not too frequent. FDL is the only site that has comments that are worth reading and I can’t catch up if there is a blitz of new threads. (Bitch..Bitch other sites only wish that they had the same problem.)
Jane Hamsher @
61
Good idea! But don’t move to the next topic too quickly. We don’t want to be left behind. Is that why you brought this up now?
RevDeb rocks even more when we’ve got a topic like this.
Edward Teller –
Bless you for your efforts regarding Psalm 137!
In my church’s prayer group, they and their leadership refused to even discuss this particular psalm in terms of biblical scholarship. Anything that was difficult in terms of cognitive dissonance, or even just puzzling things out with reference to cultural history seemed to be anathema with those folks.
That’s just one of a number of reasons why I no longer belong to that prayer group. (Nor do I still attend the church in question.)
I happen to believe that speaking out in truth is one of our duties as human beings, period. [And it’s a duty for Christians, whether they like to remember that or not. If you’re a person who believes that there’s a God who knows your every thought and heart’s desire, it seems it would behoove one to LOVE truth, to cleave to it no matter what the consequences — even if that means pissing off one’s fellow (so-called?) believers.]
Hugh @
51
Hugh -
I didn’t think that Rocky and Bullwinkle went that far back! *g*
perris @ 63
I like it — IF the result is that threads don’t get EPU’d, but instead remain alive for a good long while after new postings get put up.
I wouldn’t like it if it should mean that postings and the lively discussions they inspire get cut off too soon.
Is there any way to promote long-life discussions?
Christy Hardin Smith @ 46
Well, in fairness someone in the comments over there mentioned that eight of the ten commandments appear to have been borrowed from Babylon (or was it Mesopotamia?). Anyway, claiming we were founded on Christian principles without acknowledging the origin of those principles just seems to me to be just ever so slightly selective about one’s history.
Stephen Parrish, CPA @ 77
Science is for non believers who are destined to burn in hell for all eternity. Ask Hillary or Dubya.
Stephen Parrish, CPA @ 77
This is TOO funny. Not I’m off to tell Mr. K8 about this — we have a small collection of Rocky and Bullwinkle videos going.
Jane Hamsher @ 61
I like it, Scarecrow and LHP have been great. Plus great to see Pach more often.
Missed Christy though, glad she’s home safe.
angie @ 68
What angie said. Sometimes I just get through reading an article and following the links, and we’re on to a new article. I do like having folks here doing articles, though.
From over at Jerelyn’s place:
shades of Fitzmas Carols . . . go read the rest. It’s good.
Jane Hamsher @ 61
With this line up of posters, positively brilliant idea. The big Swoop, Scarecrow, Hugh, LHP, Gilliard, Pachacutec, TRex, Howie, Watertiger, Donita, (wish Jordan could pop into comment a bit more), hello out there darkblack.
Amazing how wonderful these folks are!
Sure miss you and Christy, even in a short absence.
Not to fast though… comment quality takes time too….)
One of the potential benefits I see of more frequent posting is it allow the site to touch on more topics, possibly helping to expand the audience.
I like that we’ve been showcasing home grown thinkers and writers, and it’s a shame for them not to have a wider platform sometimes.
I get the sense that this community has been so fertile that building upon it might mean giving a platform to other talented writers and thinkers. It might help expand our reach and create continuing momentum for the site to help us with our efforts in the ‘08 cycle. Plus, Jane and Christy work really hard. I would be nice to have more hands to help manage the content load. I’d like to help more but I work full time, and anyway, there’s so much other untapped talent. I never got into this to be any kind of prominent poster.
What do people think about those ideas? It is a tradeoff, though, because if comment threads don’t last as long, and the community continues to migrate to new threads en masse, then it does change some of the feel for the commenting community.
Mrs. K8 @ 41
That’s just sooo Old Testament
(seriously, though…)
Stephen Parrish, CPA @ 77
707!
RevDeb –
Thank you SO much for the talk2action link! It was starting to make me crazy.
Yes, the site is wonderful, isn’t it?
I also like YOUR blog. You do good work!
Jane Hamsher @ 61
Good move
A observed earlier, an embarrasment of riches.
Were it not so, there could be a danger of “diluting the brand”
But I think the additional voices make a great thing greater
Jane Hamsher @ 61
I can’t read FDL at work, so I catch up on posts in the evening and on weekends. I generally try to read all of the posts, and as much of the comments as I can squeeze in — a lot really does go on in the comments. More frequent posts would be both blessing and curse for me, but I would favor a slight increase in frequency of posts (one or two more per day). BTW, I think Jordan Barab writes great stuff on labor issues, but he never seems to get much love in the comments … is he just in a (relatively) low-traffic slot?
Pachacutec @ 86
True. I do like reading the different voices, but it is moving so fast I know I for one can’t keep up and still earn a living. I do like the idea of longer posting times, but for me, I like the dialogue that goes on when we all shift to a new topic. I guess we will each have to make decisions about what topics we want to hang with and which to skip. That’s the only way I can see it working.
Then again, with Safari and Firefox we can have multiple tabs with multiple posts all in the same window. My head is spinning . . . .
BTW any updates on the Rootz site?
AND… more frequent posts means more opportunities for the coveted FitzZed
Hello from Lindale, TX! Our new front-pagers are great! The recent one from lhp on oversight was chock-full of great info. I am very impressed. Wish I could “throw in” more around here, but the demands on addiction suppliers are tremendous.
Glad you ladies have such outstanding relief.
Had a close call today, so my nerves are a little shot. Since I don’t drink, it’s always good to take a dip in the lake.
Is that a pumped- up Sanctorium and Mr. Teh (Haggard) in the picture?
What happened, OFG?
RevDeb @ 92
My brain is full now, I have to go.
Jane mentioned the other night that our concept of the Roots site has expanded, based on community feedback, to such a degree that we want to find a tech leader we can pay to do it right (maybe she did not mention all of that, but well, now I am). Stay tuned. We’ll be working on a community barn raising by and by.
My only whine is that I get home from work fairly often at 11:00 p.m. PST and this place is all about “g’nite, everyone.” For a while I thought my comments were scaring people away, but I’ve noticed things slow down at latenight at about the same time whether I post or not.
Some blogs seem to stay more active overnight, but I haven’t figured out how it works for them, but not so much for fdl.
Pachacutec @ 7:07 pm (#86) - What do you mean by “more hands to help manage the content load”? What sort of hands?