Login HereNOTE: Today is our next installment of "First Monday" -- we have a treat, with Peter Edelman of Georgetown Law coming by to talk SCOTUS, Scalia and Judging Character On The Bench. The discussion will take place at 3 pm ET/noon PT.
"Hate the liberals and the gays" has a resurgence, just in time for the election. Shocking.
For the power pastors of the religious right, it's about maintaining their hold on power and the illusion of control of political dialogue. For with such control and the trappings of power come large and regular donations. And those donations perpetuate their hold on power.
PFAW's Right Wing Watch put this YouTube clip together of a Coral Ridge Ministries program designed to motivate pastors to involve their congregations in electoral politics:
On Saturday, Coral Ridge Ministries—the televangelism empire of the late D. James Kennedy—broadcast a special program to encourage pastors to involve their churches in this year’s elections. While the panelists—Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel, Jordan Lorence of Alliance Defense Fund, and Gary DeMar of American Vision—offered the usual admonishments that there’s no such thing as separation of church and state, the theme of the evening was that Christianity is being “suppressed” in this country by liberals and the “militant homosexual agenda.”...
This is the persecuted majority syndrome: the idea that it’s a whole lot simpler to convince people to join your political program if you convince them that their faith is “under attack.” This has been one of the Religious Right’s dominant themes over the last few years through campaigns such as FRC’s “Justice Sunday,” a series of televised, church-based rallies to support President Bush’s most radical judicial nominees, who the Right claimed were being opposed because of their religion.
Oh, please. Why do they still have tax exempt status when they are very clearly operating as a shell wing of the Republican party, motivating their flocks through fear of damnation to vote for the GOP? Personally, I find using denial of salvation as a means of political whipping offensive, and a contemptible, shameful abuse of the power of faith. And I'm not alone in thinking this.
After watching the Rev. Wright media hoohaw, why do the "pastors of the right" continually get a pass? Especially when they deliberately and provocatively insert themselves into the political process with a vengeance? Hypocrisy, much?
As Emproph at Pam's House Blend puts it:
Just like the thief who thinks everyone is stealing from them...
Just like the liar who thinks everyone is lying to them...
Jordan Lorence of the Alliance Defense Fund thinks...the ACLU and the homosexual activists, who are into coercing unwilling people to do things, and to silence them, and all of that. There is an authoritarianism to that, that they are in total denial about
Ever heard of projection, Jordan? You may want to look it up.
Amen. Having uncovered DOJ personnel decisions by political and sexuality hiring purity tests, and with an office of religious dole in the White House dispensing public funds for church programming, I think I can safely say that their version of "Christian persecution complex" (H/T Ed Brayton) is a load of election year hooey. Shouldn't the religious right be called out for lying to their flock? Or is bearing false witness no longer a sin?
Especially when their hold on power within the GOP is tenuous -- or is being honest about their declining influence not something of interest?
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So, Christy!
Good morning Christy!
where’s the IRS and enforcement of 501c3 when you need it?
It’s amazing how some things can be predicted like clockwork every coupla years, isn’t it? It’s the first part of May in an election year: the leaves are coming out on the oak tree across the street, and the religious right begins their “fear, fear, fear” campaign stoking for the Fall…
Being used to investigate any minister who preaches an anti-war sermon?
The TheoCons might want to start reading their bibles. Again and again and again, the Bible recounts stories in which God’s angelic messengers tell everyone they meet some version of “Do not be afraid!” Rightwing preachers, OTOH, seem to tell everyone they meet “Be afraid! Be very afraid!”
Morning pups. Another day, another round of bad news. I read in the paper that our prison system has 83 unaccounted for deaths of persons held on immigration charges and green card violations. Oh well. Other countries do it to, I guess.
It is amazing how much of their theology seems to be Revelations-based ministry, all fear, alla time. It’s as though the entire rest of the New Testament is written in some impossible to decipher language of hope and good acts and compassion…funny how the rest of us can read it just fine, isn’t it?
If I believed in an anti-Christ I would definately think that Bush was one of his false prophets.
He speaks endlessly of peace but has delivered endless war for 7 years.
-G
I saw that — the NYTimes has a piece on it as well here.
Revelations based, except when they want to quote Leviticus.
And a twisted reading of Revelation, at that.
Yes, well, why bother with reading comprehension when reading manipulation gets you what you want? More fear = more power, I’m afraid, for these folks.
Yeah — funny how that whole “don’t touch the skin of a pig” thing doesn’t fly during football season, though, isn’t it? *g*
Maybe they weren’t issued the secret decoder ring. Mornin’ all.
The Hebrew scriptures have some rather strong things to say about so-called prophets who go around crying “peace, peace” when there is no peace.
The book of Jeremiah in particular would likely induce nightmares if read in the White House shortly before bedtime.
Some pix from my trip thru the inland empire:
http://freewayblogger.blogspot.....mpire.html
first one’s my fave. the rest were seen by the usual couple hundred thou.
Well, like other little things that come out of the ground to bloom, the fearmongering Right has emerged from the frost…
why do the “pastors of the right” continually get a pass? Especially when they deliberately and provocatively insert themselves into the political process with a vengeance?
I’m interested in the question of just who, and *why*, keeps believing these guys?
Haven’t they noticed that they’ve gotten none of the promises (with the possible exception of judges) made in 2000 and 2004, fulfilled?
That’s OK. I’d just as soon they leave me alone anyway.
Peterr — I thought that you would, especially, be interested in the “Christian persecution complex” link above. It’s a provocative essay on the roots of that and how it’s been manipulated by the religious right the last few years. I found it an intriguing read…
quote Leviticus.
President Bartlett speaks on Leviticus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHaVUjjH3EI
LOL
Morning all :)
Great post Christy.
Just to provide a point of reference and context: Tony Perkins, now of the Family Research Council, was a protegé of Woody Jenkins — the Republican who was just defeated in the LA-06 race this weekend.
Perkins managed Jenkins’ 1996 U.S. Senate race against Mary Landrieu. He purchased a supporter/contributor database from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke; Duke had created that list during his 1991 for governor of Louisiana against Edwin Edwards.
Jenkins, regularly described as “a suburban newsweekly publisher”, actually has deep roots in the conservative movement. He was the first executive director of the Council for National Policy. He headed “Friends of the Americas” which was rumored to have shared airplanes with the arms supply wing to the Contras which figured in the Iran/Contra scandal.
Jenkins and Perkins served in the Louisiana House of Representatives together, but it was Jenkins who opened the doors for Perkins to emerge on that national stage.
Jenkins’ record is well known in Louisiana. That may well have had something to do with the fact that former Republican Congressman Richard Baker, whose resignation created the vacancy which prompted the recent special election, did not endorse Jenkins against Democrat Don Cazayoux.
funny how that whole “don’t touch the skin of a pig” thing doesn’t fly during football season, though, isn’t it? *g*
and what about *professional* football players? Touching the dead skin - *and* working on Sunday….
Do we stone them once, or twice?
Is there a Super-Bowl-Winner exemption?
One other aspect of the “persecuted majority complex” is the way it fits in with the “prosperity preaching” done by many on the TheoCon Right. If the accumulation of personal wealth is a sign of God’s blessing, then the lack of wealth among the poorer TheoCon faithful in the pews could be seen as a sign of God’s displeasure. Since, however, God could not possibly be displeased with such good people, the fact their prayers for wealth have not been answered must be because Satan is persecuting God’s faithful people by using the ACLU, gays, libruls, and all the rest of Satan’s minions.
Left unanswered, however, is the question that this theology begs: is your God so small, that he can be thwarted by some First amendment lawyers and some same-sex couples? The Rightwing Preachers ™ do *not* want to answer that one.
There is some very sick theology at work here, intermingled in some very dangerous ways with government.
Meanwhile, despite — or perhaps because of — the throwing of the kitchen sink at Obama, he’s doing better among white voters than he was at the start of the campaign: http://ruralvotes.com/thefield/?p=1144
Even better: In last week’s special election in Louisiana, efforts by the GOP to use Obama and Pelosi against the Democrat Cazayoux in a heavily-Republican congressional district failed miserably, and LA-06 now has a Democratic representative for the first time in over thirty years:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/4/111946/0004
If expensive GOP efforts to play the race card using Obama (and/or the “gay card” using “San Francisco liberal” Nancy Pelosi) in LA-06 can’t stop Democrats from getting elected, that bodes well for Obama in the rest of the country.
busy,busy, busy
There was lots of bad blood in the LA-06 GOP side, that’s for sure. There were people who resented Baker for blatantly cashing in and/or tacitly admitting that he’d rather go for a lucrative and less stressful lobbyist career than spend the next few months trying to raise money from a shrinking number of donors just to be part of a shrinking minority caucus in Congress.
is your God so small, that he can be thwarted by some First amendment lawyers and some same-sex couples?
or a scared, pregnant 15 year-old girl getting an abortion?
and, hey, whaddya doing making my argument - I thought I came up with that one all by myself.
‘Course, that seems to happen a lot…
where’s the IRS and enforcement of 501c3 when you need it?
501(c)(4)’s, actually.
mebbe they could get ol’ man Phelps out there to do something about that part of the bible. make it a hat trick with the blending of fabrics
The NYTimes had an intriguing glimpse of that schism in the opinion section this weekend, regarding black theologians and the liberationist versus the prosperity wings in the pulpits of a lot of the black churches. It’s really fascinating stuff from a theoretical standpoint, and would make for some great discussion if it weren’t for so many of the parishoners being caught in the middle of the maelstrom in that struggle between two polar opposites in theological philosophy and push…
Maybe we need “Be not afraid” bumperstickers and signs at baseball games like the John3:16 [17?] folks do? Oh, and windshield drops in every evangelical parking lot in America on Sunday mornings.
Damn, they must envy the Taliban something fierce. A bunch of guys running around with guns, wives and womenfolk “in their place”, total freedom to repress anyone who disagrees and license to kill the infidels among them in gruesome, yet oh-so-biblical ways.
They don’t call them Talibangelicals for naught.
Funny youshould say that Peterr. My best friend and minister asked me to preach in his absence this June and I told him I was too much of a Jeremiah for this staid rural Lutheran congregation*g*
He now refers to me as Jeremiah.
Now that would be hilarious! Good idea…for bumper stickers, too.
That looks quite interesting. I’ve got it bookmarked for later reading — but a very muddy six year old has just come in from trying to catch crickets, and I’ve got to attend to the mess.
Christy, this is a very good post — and let’s hope it comes to the attention of some of the media folks around.
Spotlight, anyone? If the national press won’t cover it, the local media might take a whack at it. A fair number of the local reporters I know relish the thought of tweaking the celebrity journalists who give their profession a bad name.
The good news, they have nothing to say that is either new, or important.
Watch the YouTube, Jo — they lay it on seriously thick. SIGH
Started to read that piece - and will go back and finish it later. It is interesting. I’m surprised, though, that he goes back to the founding of the church, but does not seem to consider the Reformation in his analysis - much more recent, and I know that the effects of persecution during and after the reformation live on in the Mennonite church in which I was raised - I know I was raised on martyrdom stories and the sense of being a persecuted minority - reinforced in the case of Russian Mennonites by their experiences before, during and after the Russian revolution.
…or the reporting and investigative journalism by the media… oh, wait….
oh how right you are.
‘morning Christy, your post is linkalicious.
The problem is 501(c)3’s — classic charities such as churches, schools, hospitals — using their tax advantages to do political lobbying, as if they were a 501(c)4.
Link explaining the difference
Basically 501(c)4 organizations can lobby, but donations to them are not tax deductible.
Good morning, Christy:
Good morning, all …
What you say, Christy, is true.
But today, I choose to focus on the wondrous possibility (a certainty, in fact!) of doing ‘well’ by doing ‘good’ in the new ‘Dream Zone’ (previously termed, ‘Green’).
This is our best opportunity of showing the natives how swell Free Interprise really is.
Remember, however, that the coming GOLDEN AGE is a bit frightening for the unimaginative and small-minded American public.
Therefore there is the absolute necessity of gaining their attention … periodically … itr’s almost a religious thing.
Note: The preceding SNARK is all snark, except where it borders on despair.
I did, how depressing. They’re like moldy whitebread, you might be able to consume it but it’s a good be that eventually it’s gonna either make you sick or kill you.
I figured it’s a Monday morning. What else do folks have to do with their time? *g*
I also found this series on Theocratic Dominionism, but I haven’t had time to read it in full, so I didn’t include the link above. Thought others might be interested in the read as well, so here’s the link if you want to take a peek. Just know I haven’t fully read or vetted it as yet…
Maybe we could devise a plan to stir up an argument among these groups;, e.g., create rumors that Tony Perkins thinks it’s okay for women to have short hair, or Jordan Lorence thinks organ music in church is okay, and Gary DeMar doesn’t think the grape juice actually turns into blood. It always gets me that “the flock” doesn’t realize that prayer in school would be somebody’s particular prayer and likely to tread on the “beliefs” of somebody else. Oh well.
Incredible.
“I find it totally offensive.” (to be referred to as a fascist)
ooo and it’s Cinco de Mayo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK-66voXBNI
TAX THE CHURCH!!!
TAX THE CHURCH!!!!
TAX THE CHURCH!!!!
And while you’re at tr have the Food and Drug Administration indict it for FRAUD!!!!!
yeah, you’re right - realized my mistake a coupla seconds after I hit “submit”.
I guess I either really need the “Edit” function back, or a button that says “please ignore everything I just said”… *g*
Well that’s because the correct term is Christofascist. No one likes to be mis-labled. *g
Democrats have there own problems in LA-06, as well as possibly in LA-04, LA-07, and the senate race. The problem is that a number of African American Democratic state legislators (among them Rep. Michael Jackson in LA-06) are considering running as independents in the November federal elections, thereby avoiding Democratic primary races where they could/would face better-funded white Democrats.
The logic of these challenges (if they materialize) is that Barack Obama at the head of the Democratic ticket will spark record turnout by Louisiana African American voters and they could ride that turnout wave into pluralities that could catapult them into seats in the Congress.
This thinking is very pre-bubble tech entrepreneur like: seeing only the upside and discounting the downside. The more likely outcome would be Republican wins in those districts due to a split Democratic vote.
It is more than a bit ironic that the record turnout that these African American legislators hope to ride will be driven by a candidate (Obama) who has succeeded in large measure because he has not run a campaign based on race; and, yet, these lawmakers hope to capitalize on this by running what would be race-based campaigns for Congress.
The Louisiana Democratic Party bears no small share of responsibility for this state of affairs. The party, its funders, and many of its white candidates have a long record of relying on a solid block of African American support to win election, only to turn their backs on that same block when it comes to governing.
Lot of the dudes like that organ music.
Hard to hold a serious theological discussion around here. :>}
Somewhat OT, but this morning I heard that CNN had declared themselves a Jeremiah Wright free zone today in deference to their viewers wishes. They said that their viewers wanted them to move on, so that’s what they’re doing! I wanted to say thank you and congratulations for recognizing that this was a media thing, not something the people wanted to hear about ad nauseum!
Not to worry, it was a useful opportunity to go back and review my notes on the difference between the two.
I’ll stay away from that one.
Oh, man, if that’s true then that sound I heard this morning was wingnut heads exploding. Stand by for calls of “Liberal Media Bias” ad nauseum.
Everyone is Hot this morning.
Good Day Christy,
I was thinking about the All Saints Church also, as I read your post.
But, now that I’m reading the comments, I don’t have to do the links…y’all did that already.
I’ve been to that church. (a perk of living in LA) as well as watched some of the “evil” sermons preached against the war online.
They really are awesome. In a different way than the Talibangelicals.
Praise the Lord. It was getting to the point that I was having to fore go my news addiction.
BTW, meant to mention above that today is ou next installment of “First Monday” — we have a treat, with Peter Edelman of Georgetown Law coming by to talk SCOTUS, Scalia and Judging Character On The Bench. The discussion will take place at 3 pm ET/noon PT.
Well, knock me over with a spoon! Not to worry, darlin’, they’ll make up for it tomorrow…..and tomorrow…..and tomorrow……
In a prior thread on how to discipline healthcare professionals for aiding and abetting Cheney’s torture regime, I said that Bush was rapidly dismantling society’s checks and balances, not just the federal government’s. I think this development supports that hypothesis.
In a healthy society, these preachers’ sermons and their open politicizing of their ministries would be met with dismay. Churchgoers would question this use of the flock by their ministers, how it was ignoring what the needs of the flock to pursue personal power. It would be met with a loss of support as that realization spread, and as the inevitable tax man (reviled but respected for his neutrality) came calling, declaring their ministries to be what they are — profit making enterprises with a religious component.
That’s not happening in the way it would have done twenty or fifty or a hundred years ago. The Orwellian conflations have partially taken hold. The position of “leader” is becoming more entrenched. The tax man and all his government is becoming increasingly disdained because it is no longer neutral in its determinations or competent in its actions. In fact, it’s no longer even the government, but outsourced accountants and bounty hunters doing his job at twice the cost with less gained.
The press no longer question and ask the important questions. It asks, instead, “Do you really want to watch your President’s breasts sag as she ages?” or “Do you want that
uppity boy, radical Muslim, effete Ivy Leaguer, non-bowlerjunior Senator from Illinois to sit in the Oval Officerather than serve a real President his morning coffee?”People are, however, waking up to this loss of their normal checks and balances. They’re realizing that the press isn’t doing its job, but that lowly-paid bloggers are. That the collective they pay dearly for — government — isn’t doing a proper one either. Which means that a lot of things they were counting on, a lot of things they thought they’d paid government to take care won’t be taken care of. And that they now desperately need to do something about it.
That’s not a loss of patriotism, but finding true patriotism. That’s not criticism of religious fervor or government, but of bad religion and government. That’s the people finally telling its employees that they’re not doing a good job or a passable job, but that they’re working for somebody else and doing a horrible, no good, very bad job. And firing them.
FAITH not ‘religion’ separates the spiritual man(saved) from the natural man (a man cursed by God). The Scriptures clearly say that the Earth (our world) is ruled by Satan and God is on standby. Keep the Faith and toss the Huckster.
Ahem!!
In the Homeland;
Religion (and the American Military) are above criticism.
This is axiomatic.
‘Discussion’, if it is sufficiently respectful, is permitted, but only when the moon is blew …
Agnostics, Atheists (and war-resistors) are NOT allowed to join the discussion, because their prejudice is obvious …
Everybody knows the rules.
Or else we are ALL in trouble …
OT - gettin’ pretty nervous about tomorrow’s votes. I thought North Carolina was pretty much safe for Obama, but looks like it’s tightening up…
and Indiana, where I live, seems to be polling at about +6% for HRC - ‘course, this state is so red I don’t know whether anyone knows how to even find, let alone poll, Democrats.
I think that there’s only about 8 of us….
A good satire of the moral majority, theocons, neocons, macho Republicans, Faux News, etc: “The Department of Homeland Decency: Decency Rules and Regulations Manual.” Their motto: “We’re marching proudly backwards to the future.” It’s available everywhere. www.homelanddecency.com
Thank you for the heads up.
Now, I can plan for that — get a few things done between now and then.
Last weeks thread was wonderful.
Oh, goody. Something good to look forward to. :)
Burma says that 4,000 were killed in the cyclone which struck the country. I watched the development of this storm. It was one of those that begins right in the center of the bay of Bengal. The curve of the coastlines allows it to build in place and then it drifts over and hits one of those coasts. This time it was Burma. It is surprising how little these big storms are covered, except for those off our Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
HRC’s unforgivable sin?
Win at all costs, and do the republicans work for them. You know she had those meetings with Murdoch and Mellon Scaife for a reason. McCain is not their boy, he’s a placeholder. Hillary is their go-to guy for continued corporatist favor (and fervor).
Can’t toss him. The Huckster suspended his campaign, but may return as McCain’s choice for VP.
lol @ “It’s the law. Are you be ready?”
Damn, I’d love to be here for that, but I’ll be in a dental chair. :(
Yes, you have described the situation we are in exactly. The colonists
faced the same taxation without representation problem and were unable
to get satisfaction… hopefully the resurgence of civil interest and
discussion on the blogs can continue to influence the political solution
to those identified problems. It starts with the Democratic Party and
it’s mortgaged soul of corporate greed exemplified in the career of an
earlier generation of successful politicians now seeking a return to
the good old days rather than synthesizing a new patriotism and polity.
Uh, puh-leeze. That would require you know, actual work?
I have often wondered if the Reverend Jeremiah Wright was in part inspired by his namesake.
The 23rd Psalm, in particuar, comes to mind because it is so well known.
Note: Not a believer.
To paraphrase an Anglican canon in a Rumpole episode, “Don’t confuse the Christian church with Christianity.” A peasant craftsman, a village Jew. How would he view the wealth and power and political connectedness to the emperor of these modern-day Father Coughlins? Would he regard them as serving their flocks or themselves? The same question a Franciscan monk would have asked a medieval Cardinal and that Tom Joad would have asked the real father Coughlin. The visage these ministers see on that Roman coin is their own.
The Clinton record in 1980’s Arkansas and 1990’s DC is one of unfettered
corporate gravy train veiled by “programs” that offer symptomatic help
but no change to the system that produces the symptoms. It is the way
of the Republican Party.
My best advice to anyone who wants to raise a happy, mentally healthy child is: Keep him or her as far away from a church as you can. - Frank Zappa
I think he did mention that during his interview by Bill Moyers.
Jeremiah and the other prophets.
and,
When I couldn’t get to sleep last night, worrying about stuff, I was meditating on the Paths of Righteousness stanza of that Psalm.
Oh, this country is in such a mess.
I guess what we believe to be righteousness isn’t the same as what the folks at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue believe.
Well you know, she was a “Goldwater Girl” once. Maybe forever?
Oh, I love Rumpole. *G* Thanks for the reminder…
How could you possibly argue with someone whom named their child Moon Unit. :)
Yep - that…and commercial tv as well.
Consider for a moment any beauty in the name Ralph.
– Frank Zappa, on being asked by Joan Rivers why he gave his children such odd names
there is the how. how about the why!?
I find it interesting that some the most intriguing televison in recent memory has his kids involved in it.
1,833 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen JoFish and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
You have Mrs. McClinton pegged right on…I would say, however, that her unforgivable sin is bein’ a corporate fascist. If there is anythin’ we have learned in the last 6 years it’s that the corporate takeover of the parties of the left in western Democracies is about complete. Tony Blair was a catholic and a corporatist who hid Pinochet from the Spanish and he and Mr. Bill were the leading knights for the “third way” corporatist movement. There isn’t a single European country outside a possibly Spain that has a bonafide, established labor or progressive party.
No Brother Jo, Mrs. McClinton is not good for children and other livin’ things because she is not a democrat (with lower case) and she and her husband have been wholly owned subsidiaries of the corporate oligarchy since Mr. Bill ran for governor of Arkansas the third time after makin’ his peace with Tyson and the local Arkansas money. The American fascist oligarchy goes back ta antebellum political America and they’ve been usin’ political terror and undemocratic but constitutional methods to maintain political control since 1877…whaddya think the”solid Democratic South ” and the Dixiecrats were all about?
This primary is an existential battle for a continuing progressive movement in the Democratic Party and Mrs. Clinton that movement’s biggest foe.
KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, THE BASTARDS AIN’T GUNNA GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK…WE’RE GUNNA HAFTA TAX IT OUTTA THE FUCKERS!!
That was the original kool-aid… must be pretty strong stuff from what
I see going on now. Trying to reform the Democratic Party in the midst
of primary season is nasty business, but it must be done or the fix
stays in if the Clintons go back in.
eek, it’s not one of them “reality” tv shows is it?
are you this Mike Stagg ? - Welcome to the Lake