Open-carrying religious zealots who hate the government and are egged on by Radio Rwanda.
What could possibly go wrong?

Religion = Superstition

Fuck me if I’ll let superstitious people run my life.

Religious pap for the masses while the PTBs loot the treasury.

We’re back to God, Guns, and Gays. The Rs are boring if nothing else.

Uh-huh. You know where God is really, really, really big Senator? The freedom-loving states of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. And that’s no coincidence.

Also in this country where half the people think that the world (the only one on this planet mind you) was created over tea one afternoon and over 80% still believe that there is an effin’ god, a “supreme” being. Sick, sick, sick.

I can’t help myself.

Hanging from the cross.

wildly coincidental that just yesterday Glenn Beck was telling his listeners that God told him they all have to ‘get back’ to God.

The Fundies didn’t use to vote. The Rethugs awakened a sleeping giant, which will consume them. This is positively medieval. I’ve been re-reading Perry Miller’s The Puritan Mind in the Seventeenth Century. It’s not what you would call bathroom reading, but if you put your mind into it you get a pretty good notion of where these people are coming from: the 15th century.

I just love these references to “socialist Europe” that we get from rightist politicians and figureheads. Europe has, you know, major if not massive market economies in place, and big cities with stock exchanges, and corporate charters, and is compromised of nations that either hold or seek WTO membership, etc.

And from the rightists we get “socialist Europe has turned its back on God”.

I mean, Christ: the concept of a privately chartered corporation that trades in its own stocks and bonds in addition to engaging in capitalist venture did not originate in the United States. Western Europe had these entities in full-blown operation while the United States was still trying to settle the question of slavery and whether or not we are a national entity or a loosely confederated entity.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if DeMint was right; tea-bagging sparks a revival but then the tea baggers are discredited and fundmentalism follows them onto the trash heap of history.

God wouldn’t have the chance to get a word in with Beck babbling all the time.

And it is all about fear. Fear of god, fear of guns and fear of gays. I guess this fear thing is a pretty good seller, let’s face it the catholics have been selling fear for centuries and are making one hell of a profit from it.

Because what this country needs is a good religious purge. Tie it into the health plan-the trials of the new Inquisition that will have to be installed can be held by teh Death Panels-just expand their mandate.
Howdy, BT.

I think as this thing (the Tea Party movement) continues to roll you’re going to see a parallel spiritual revival that goes along with it.

Well thank Jeebus and iron your sheets. There’s gonna be a cross-burnin’ tonight!

One of the curious things about that Tea Party demographics poll making the rounds last week was that their attitudes about abortion and gay rights were much more “liberal” than the average Republican – only 32% are strictly anti-abortion, and only 40% are against civil unions for gays.

fear of guns

Not a fear of guns, rather a fear of those who don’t look like them, requiring a gun to defend themselves against a perceived threat.

I live in america, I am a naturalized citizen but I am still a Socialist European. I still get free health care in Europe, Canada, South America and the Caribbean. I travel on my Irish passport to avoid the hassles of being american. I can hardly wait for the next four years to pass when my spouse is due to retire so that we can get the hell outta fascist here and back to Socialist there.

If it were this guy, however…

Hey, Jimmy D.: Theocracy killed Jesus. Discuss.

Ok, you could call me a sort of a libertarian teabagger so maybe I can explain some things to you.

The spiritual “revival” of this country never really stopped. From the days of Kellogg, and the beginning of the natural health movement, to the reform of jails, insane asylums and many other things, people in this country have relied on their understanding of religion, especially reformation-style, “direct-to god” type. Besides, or next to, the tenets of the Classical Greeks, it is one of the few solid foundations our country has relied upon, throughout its history. In many ways for lack of anything else, since we had no tradition, no common descendents, and so on.

In fact, religion was so important to the civil rights movement that black male reformers, who were not ministers or preachers, were beaten, jailed, demonized and considered more of a threat than they actually were, to the general public. It was almost mandatory for the public to accept a male, black, reform movement.

Most reform movements in this country claim faith as a driving force.

And, in general, on a personal level, people want to associate with a group of people who are not going to be predatory toward them. You cannot say this about schools, military, government, corporations and other establishments, even Obama. When you go to church, usually, you will be fed, talked to, treated human, married, blessed, buried and, most of all, encouraged. Its really as simple as that for most people.

And, just a suggestion, if you are a real activist, not an internet one only, its always better to keep a certain amount of spirituality, however one chooses. It can help to keep one humble and as considerate as possible toward others who stress you. And, as an added bonus… try specifically praying (to whoever) for an answer to something or a solution to a problem where you cannot move a power bigger than your own. Interesting things happen if you pay attention, although I cannot explain it. I think it works equally if you pray to Mother Earth.

As DeMint shows, it is hard to explain. But don’t get so angry toward the baby. The bathwater is always going to be a little dirty, admittedly so.

And Blue Texan, I feel there is no need to be so caustic all the time toward those you do not agree with. Reserve it for the really bad things. Be frugal with your spew… You are starting to sound like Ed Schultz.

But I believe that guns were only made to kill and those that have them want those of us that do not have them or like them to be fearful of them.

But I see what you mean

Jeez, what a stupid fucking asshat whackaloon. That really is glossolalia he’s speaking.

BT: That picture of Jim D. kinda creeps me out… heh

Christ almighty the jews killed jesus………

These people only name-drop Jesus, they’re Old Testament patriarchs all the way.

but I’m pretty sure I remember the nuns teaching me about some guy in the bible who said stuff like “render unto Caesar” and “my kingdom is not of this world”?

We’ve covered this subject, in that, on average, Christians seem to know less about their religion than non-Christians in this country.

A new revival to follow the Bush revival, which followed the Reagan revival, which followed by maybe a generation an atmosphere in which we altered the Pledge of Allegiance to proclaim that we weren’t godless Communists…I mean, aside from one twenty-year breathing space, in recent memory, when have we not been having some form of spiritual revival? As the country swirls around the drain….can we chill with all the revivals for a while, and maybe address some real problems?

Ed Schultz couldn’t approach Blue Texan territory on the best fucking day of his life

I still remember a Christofascist wingnut on one message board who responded to a quotation from the Sermon on the Mount with: “Where did you come up with that liberal crap?” I don’t know what I found more frightening: his startling ignorance of his self-professed savior or his complete disdain for anything smacking of compassion.

Outside of the established groups like the Quakers, I don’t see any of the current fundies championing the poor, the downtrodden, prisoners, etc. There’s a big difference between spirituality and religious dogma.

Tropicgirl, I find a lot of what you say quite reasonable, with the reminder that politics is the art of compromise. I must quibble, however, with your descriptions of schools as “predatory.” As a teacher who struggles mightily to do the best I can for my kids every day, I can tell you that the vast majority of teachers, at least, are as far from predatory as you will find. Which is why the kids come to us with stuff they think they can’t tell anyone else.

The logical consequence of DeMint’s rhetoric:

Facebook User Implies He Or She Is Praying For Obama’s Death

I’ll never forget an encounter I had with a fundie couple at one of our weekly protests at BayWalk. I was dumbfounded at their ignorance of the Bible, either Testament.

“…the bigger government gets, the smaller God gets…”

I guess Jim DeMint’s God is pretty weak. Unlike mine.

The first Protest Tea bagger protest the Wiki said had 268,00 – 311,460 two other nation wide protests followed according to wiki but no numbers were reported.

Then 75,000 to tens of thousands show up for the next protest but we already have reason to doubt the high estimates because Fox News faked a photo of the crowd size as the Daily Show reported

But even if we accept the high number 75,000 is more than 2/3 less than the 268,000 the Tea Baggers had in turnout when they first appeared.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_protests

By way of comparison the Immigrant Rights March had 500,000 in L.A alone.

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/41382

Senator Jim DeMint: I think as this thing (the Tea Party movement) continues to roll you’re going to see a parallel spiritual revival that goes along with it.

I agree completely at this rate of rolling the Tea Bagger movement should wind down in a year. A religious backlash against Hate is very likely to be sparked by a Tea Bagger killing.

You did, hopefully, send him the chapter/verse citation without comment…

Good Tune:)

Yeah, I like it a lot. Audio ain’t so hot, gotta read the lyrics.

Back to work.

Namaste

I did, in fact. As far as I can tell, he ignored it.

I miss the good old days of Constantinople. Big God Government! Yahoo!

Decider Bush and Pickles were at your protest?

I am a teacher, also, in the higher levels. If I had a child today I would probably be cracking heads down at the public school in a very frightful way. I don’t know how some of these parents handle it. I wouldn’t blame the teachers, per se, but the state management is a total failure, in my opinion, at every level.

I have been cornered by many a kid, with a devastating problem and no one to send them to. I understand that scene. Younger kids are committing suicide, being locked in closets, abused for being socially retarded, vaccinated into autistic oblivion. Not good. Predatory. Ask any kid if they feel threatened at school and take a poll.

Continuing to prove my thesis that religion is responsible for almost everything wrong in the world.

the sooner we’re all Atheists the better.

Oh really? Which religion Christion or worship of Mammon?

What’s DeMented’s definition of spirituality?

Here’s one definition:

Everyone expects a Christian way of life from a Christian. They want to see in him an example of non-hypocritical faith, honesty, a spiritual attitude and love.

I’d argue that the following is clearly not a Christian, It may be a person who claims to be a Christian.

On the other hand, there is nothing sadder than seeing a Christian who lives only for worldly, mortal interests.

Be proactive, DeMint, and make government smaller: resign.

When you go to church, usually, you will be fed, talked to, treated human, married, blessed, buried and, most of all, encouraged. Its really as simple as that for most people.

My sister in law was conceived in sin and made to sit in the back of the Mormon church away from everyone else. She has a very slight deformity that was proof of her being punished by God.
My sister’s first day at Catholic School only the teacher and the girl down the street shook hands with her.
As far as feeding goes at my old church the members fought to prevent the school from one day a week being a homeless shelter.
No church in the county wanted the homeless more than one day a week how they were expected to get from town to town each night is beyond me. I guess the plan was 1 night a week you can sleep inside in the winter.
I’m sure everyone here can add more stories.

Except if the bigger Government is the God Blessed Pentagon with the Christian Warriors whos’ profession is Killing People.

And Blue Texan, I feel there is no need to be so caustic all the time toward those you do not agree with.

I feel no need to be tolerant towards intolerance.

I am a teacher, also, in the higher levels. If I had a child today I would probably be cracking heads down at the public school in a very frightful way

I feel the exact same way about the private schools that socially promoted Bush with Gentlemen’s C’s. I feel the same way about the entire Chicago School of Economics and Ron Paul’s Austrian school economics teachers, I feel the same way about all the NeoCons with advanced degrees who planned the wars.

Fair enough. Higher levels for me too…I agree with your take on the state administration, by the way, but I know with my kids, ineffective, indifferent, or abusive parenting is the main problem. What happens, imo, is state administrators and slack parents make a tacit deal to shift responsibility for their own failures by blaming teachers. Do kids feel threatened at school? Sure. But not by most teachers, in my experience. What state do you teach in? ( I know, grammar…)

His secretary rushes into the Pope’s apartment in the Vatican:

Secretary: “Your Holiness, I have some good news and some bad news.”
Pope: “What is the good news?”
Secretary: “Jesus Christ has returned, he is outside the doors of St. Paul’s cathedral!”
Pope: “And the bad news?”
Secretary: “He is PISSED!”

The need to show the difference between what those in power say and what they actually do is our calling we oppose the Lies the Dark One spreads!

It’s unlucky to be superstitious.

Hmmm? is the religious revival starting?

Spirituality is fine. Organized religion sucks. It’s that whole mob-dynamic thing.

LOL! Thanks, I needed that.

As DeMint demonstrates, Religion has been co-opted by the Republics as a strategy to get votes.

You can use whichever characters you prefer — Minister, Vicar, Deacon (except, of course, Richard Deacon).

Facebook User Implies He Or She Is Praying For Obama’s Death

Necromancy Death Magic Suffer not a witch to live burn her and Jim for leading her astray!

“vaccinated into autistic oblivion”

That is a false connection:

“http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/health/research/03lancet.html”

Senator DeMint has been spending way too much time hanging out in the C Street Fornicatorium with The Brotherhood celebrating God’s infinite wisdom, justice, and truth in selecting them to be his Chosen Ones.

The Republics’ religious reviling started long ago.

linky-thingy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/health/research/03lancet.html

Could be worse, then: he could be at the Capitol doing his job.

Oh noes! Blue Texan was taught by Nuns. Did they use the Nunchucks? Oh, and about Senator Demented, I think it’s funny how people drawing sustenance from the Federal tit preaches against drawing sustenance from the Federal tit.

Only for Other People.

“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” — Mohandas K. Gandhi

When your job is saying ‘no’, it can be done almost anywhere.

Off on the business of the Queen. See all later.

Gandhi might use stonger language if he met Modern Republics.

Does one become more spiritual hiking along the Appalachian Trail?

Public School education and the G.I bill after WW2 gave America her college educated middle class the GOP has been cutting public school funds and then blaming the schools for failing ever since.
Why the Private school gene pool with all the advantages cannot compete unless the system is rigged. We all saw Obama debate the House Republicans who had all the time in the world to prepare zingers to get the President.
Any House Republican who managed to nail Obama would have been famous and on the GOP short list for VP.
Bush a Harvard MBA Legacy couldn’t even speak to crowds of prescreened for loyalty gOPers without the questions being known in advance that is when he took questions.

No thats the cover story for going to bars in spanish speaking countries to *Falls down Laughing * Minster to people. Any bets Sanford doesn’t know Spanish ?
I guess the Holy Spirit moved him to speak in Tongues.

look, over there! Teabaggers! scary! and worse, uncouth!

so go ahead and vote (D) no matter what in even numbered years, because the (R)’s is stoopid. /s

sorry, I think people need better reasons to vote against their interests, especially considering the costly, endless, pointless wars and occupations the Democrats are maintaining.

Yeah, when your sacrament ritual consists of eating the body of your dead god, and drinking his blood..

Exactly. Chris Matthews challenged a fellow at the 4/19 protest near the Mall to talk about which of his rights were being taken away. The only one the fellow could name was his inability to carry a gun at that rally. Too bad Chris didn’t follow up with a full list of his actual remaining rights. I don’t think the guy knew what his rights were in general, much less the loss of habeas corpus, warrants, and privacy.

The Decider certainly knew the questions in advance and probably knew the order in which they would be asked.

DeMinted:

in fact more and more people see government as the problem

Yes, the federal government has been a problem for right wingers…

Slave owners
Segregationists
Discriminatory employers
The Klan

Wait your right its all Death Magic the Christians must by their own rules punish themselves! No wait its ok when God does it.
Just as its ok when a Priest does it.

And still he blew it how many times did bush give a speech and the stock market tanked that day?

DeMint is another example of Christian extremist which we have had here since Salem Witch Trials. On March 21, 1844, the Millerite Movement waited on hilltops for the Second Coming. William Miller who prophized this was stil waiting when he died in 1849.

Jim DeMint is not much different as he seems to think we all need a Come-to-Jesus moment. I don’t think Demint thinks much about the love Jesus preached as he does the Thou-Shalt-Not’s of the Old Testament.

The Decider was just saying the words that someone else wrote. He had nothing to do with the content. It wasn’t his fault.

Human sacrifice and eating the flesh..

Make mine thigh meat.. mmm..
transubstantiated of course.. .

The Quakers are ok as activists, but I was talking about the community experience, not activism. The Quaker service is very dry, closed-in, if you are not “one of them” and can be very unfriendly, although I do not doubt their resolve and am thankful for it.

Dogma has nothing to do with it (and Dogma, like the Quakers, need revision to be relevent). I was talking about the personal experience of being revitalized, feeling cared-for and safe, being kept company when no one else has time, and just being yourself among caring people. Aside from dogma. A lot of churches still take this seriously.

I was very disappointed when the Catholic Church abandoned its ecumenical period in the 60′s, which, I thought, was very healthy. Tell me where else one would go for this particular atmosphere. Some people are lucky to have good friends but a lot do not have that luck.

The most devastating thing, politically, for many of the evangelical churches was the move away from their local conferences, which helped hire qualified pastors and screen nutty seminarians out, and so on. The tv preachers did away with much of that so they could get the $$ direct.

The other devastating thing that happened to the evangelical churches was Francis Schaeffer, whose teachings are still the foundation of those evangelicals who became politically active and still are today. Its a series of well-produced films that were shown all over the evangelical world that discusses a basis for “christian activism” by enacting laws. While I somewhat agree with the take on abortion and euthanasia (this is where the fear comes from and he does make a case for the fear), it had a devastating effect upon churches everywhere. His son, Franky Schaeffer, now publicly apologizes for the movement and his father’s fault.

Anyone interested in how the churches became political in the 80′s and 90′s should view these films. Its fascinating and now an important part of history.

Who the fuck cares what retards like Deminit say? Why do we waste our energy and time writing and reading and moaning about these fanatics? Our real problem isn’t this bunch of religious morons it’s the Corporatist elites of both so called parties that have given away the Treasury to their pals in the private sector and continue to loot our children’s futures for profit.

Hah! I keep waiting to see the proof of that. (eye roll)

I’d consider myself a libertarian and my thoughts are this: DeMint is a legacy Republican trying to either co-opt or coerce the Teabag movement. Nothing in anything I’ve read about the “Tea Party” indicates religion is one of its driving forces. I understand that Republicans are trying with all their might to hitch their wagons to this movement, but to Jim DeMint: You’re doing it wrong, asshole.

The Muslims say there are three ways to support Jihad Fighting, Cash or Writing. We write we don’t care if its religious, Corporate or even Obama evil is evil it SHALL NOT PASS! ( Gandalf speech to Balrog Lord of the Rings)

Yeah, I agree, they are all trying to take ownership of the movement.

Agreed!

No, I certainly do not think kids are threatened by teachers. Far from it.

Kids are having problems being parented because the parents need parents. The parents need help just as much as the kids. But I do not think ANYONE will get that kind of help at school. The devolution of our society is a much bigger problems and is to blame for that, but that’s another issue (getting worse and worse).

So, back to the original question. Aside from a shrink (forget that) where do people get a safe environment?
In an activist group? (no, but you might get a heart attack or shrinking pipes from being angry 24/7), at school? (i think we did that one in), on the internet (no comment), group therapy? (a dark hole of sadness with no guide) or on tv? (constant, persistant violence). Church is all that comes to mind to me. For some reason, it works.

That would be a good project… where can one find comfort and acceptance these days? even if you have serious faults? without money? That would be a helpful blog and get a lot of “hits”. Ha!

This is for sheer rubber-necking amusement..

If you can’t find comfort within yourself, you won’t find it at all.

hanging from the cross

Thanks SD

For those of us that have lived in those environments are or tied by blood to those engagements, it’s a tough but required mirror to look in

You left out “gangs” (although “safe” is relative).

Why do we waste our energy and time writing and reading and moaning about these fanatics?

you answer your own question – because focussing on a few fringe scary frighteners and the crazy things they say distracts attention from the policies and actions of the Blue faction of the one Corporate Party.

that is the purpose of posts like this, and why if Sarah Palin didn’t exist, Blue Texan would have to invent someone to demonize. Apparently Jim DeMint is being auditioned to see how divertingly scary he can be.

You view things from a tribalist perspective.
Progressives are inclusive. The whole world is the tribe. You can get everything out here that you can in there. More in fact.

Nice idea, but it would be the world’s shortest blog.

Hey DeMint and all you “persecuted christians” – come down off that cross! Your buddies need it for tonights’s crossburning!

Has anyone else noticed the amount of intolerance people have towards religion, all the while, bashing religions intolerance? Look, if you don’t believe then don’t believe, your choice. But this notion that if religion didn’t exist then intolerance and wars would go away is silly on it’s face. People use all sorts of justifications for their wars, but ultimately it’s greed and or jealously that’s drives such things. Neither greed nor jealousy will be ended if religion itself were to be ended tomorrow.

:-)

Corporatism is a problem. So are theocratic right-wingers like DeMint.

We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Can someone please tell me what “freedom” could possibly mean to a religiously insane,authoritarian loving, fun-hating
fascist asshole like this guy? [edited by mod].

[modnote: no violent imagery, thank you.]

But I do not think ANYONE will get that kind of help at school.

I know a number of teachers (including psychologists) who work within the school system and to a person, they all tell me stories about the teachers being one of the only (if not THE only) stabilizing forces in the childs’ lives. Crazy parents very often raise crazy kids. Moreover, as regards that whole “home-schooling” thing, how are the kids supposed to learn any social skills. Having Jeebus rammed down their throats 24 hours a day just won’t cut it…

You have something of a point, but otoh, we are all well aware of a lot of abuse that happens in churches – witness the Roman Catholics, just to name one – so, to me, it’s not some kind of guarantee that you’ll wind up in a “good” church where the community is really a healthy, viable support system.

From my own personal experience, I’ve witnesses a lot of abuse (of various kinds, including financial abuse of the elderly, imo) and a lot of outright persecution.

I believe one prior comment spoke to finding your strength from within, and I have to agree. All too often, there’s a boatload of abuse in the churches, themselves, and very little in the way of real-life support, training, teaching, what have you. So it’s not a one-stop panacea, either.

…but to Jim DeMint: You’re doing it wrong, asshole.

Hehindeedy.

Oh, there’s lots. The freedom to exploit poor people, the freedom to impose your religious view on everyone else, the freedom to persecute teh gey, etc., etc.

Without going down the road of the home schooling debate, I agree with your first thoughts. I have several friends who are teachers, and I see first-hand their thoughtfulness and dedication. I’ve commented before here that a lot of forces wish to demonize teachers, and for sure, there are bad apples out there (as there are in any group).

But by and large, most public school teachers are incredibly dedicated, and these days fight against a lot of odds to teach the kids, to support the kids and do what they can. My friends have all come up with some really creative ways to help kids learn how to lead productive, healthy lives. Some kids learn from their efforts; other kids, sadly, don’t.

But it’s true that a lot of kids face all kinds of odds, and often teachers ARE the only ones they can go to for some help.

moderator please see # 104

Maybe not, but I’d rather be able to challenge someone’s intolerance on reality grounds than on what their understanding is of “what God wants.” The first is possible, the latter is impermeable.

Just because “twat” was misspelled?

It’s also up to us, in the community to engage and when required take tough, compassionate and caring positions.

My friends have all come up with some really creative ways to help kids learn how to lead productive, healthy lives.

I would add that the teachers are accomplishing this in the face of budget cuts, increasing class sizes, administrators who often can find their asses with both hands…the whole 9. So good on the teachers. And I, for one, hope this “home-schooling” fad has just about run its course, although I doubt that’s the case.

I think tropicgirl’s assertion accurately refers to the institution itself rather than some of the shining individuals who work for it. While the intent may not be predatory, in effect it can certainly be so; esp. if it feels legally threatened. The other included institutions speak for themselves. I would include some churches in the list. Frankly I can’t think of any human institutions which are guaranteed to be “safe”. We assume safety subjectively until experiences teaches us otherwise.

Are you sure you can challenge the non-believer easier than the believer? Do you believe that only religious folk can be stubborn? If that’s the case I’m going to need some proof of that. No, people are people, whether they believe in a higher power or not.

So, back to the original question. Aside from a shrink (forget that) where do people get a safe environment?
In an activist group? (no, but you might get a heart attack or shrinking pipes from being angry 24/7), at school? (i think we did that one in), on the internet (no comment), group therapy? (a dark hole of sadness with no guide) or on tv? (constant, persistant violence). Church is all that comes to mind to me. For some reason, it works.

That would be a good project… where can one find comfort and acceptance these days? even if you have serious faults? without money? That would be a helpful blog and get a lot of “hits”. Ha!

I feel safer here than at church and much more respected for my ideas. I see morals talked about in real world applications constantly rather than rich people in BMW’s sitting in pews for an hour.

Highschool is bad but to single out public schools? We have seen what the Elite Private schools produce Bush level moron’s who should in a meritocracy be asking do you want fries with that, an Ivy league dominated Press Corps that excuses Greed, Chicago and Austrian schools of economics that ignore decades of real world data that unregulated free markets are worse than socialism.
National Healthcare is and has for decades been cheaper than our system.
NeoCons who believe what they want to believe and massage facts like Iraq has WMD in order to get what they want.

Every Christian knows that Jesus disdains the poor.

How dare that the impoverished and disenfranchised think that it is up to the government to give them a free ride.

Furthermore, if there were handguns in Jesus day, you’d best believe He would have been locked and loaded. With instructions for His followers to do the same.

DeMint talks to God every day…if anybody knows God’s true plan, it is him!

There’s never a guarantee that persuasion can be achieved. But at least facts can be presented to a “non-believer,” while they are automatically excluded by “believers” as a matter of faith.

The stubborn will be with us always, to paraphrase somebody.

funny but no

calling for or hoping for violence

That means STUPIDITY rules the pee-parties !!! AND, by default, the IQ’s just went down 100 points !!! morons……

Whatever is parading around as progressive these days is a disgusting shell of what might have been in another time and space. Personally, lately, I haven’t seen such a hate-spewing fest from the left in my entire life. And I started my activist career with McGovern (won my state at least). It depends upon what club you are in, I guess. Or what you disagree with.

That’s why I say be careful of the spew. There are a lot of people who want to be convinced and explained to…. “converted” as the Christians say. That is why Christians are prohibited from spewing on the “unconverted”, the 2 thieves, remember, last minute mind changes? Now, if you have nothing helpful to say, then spew away. But if you do… well then…? Cough it up, nicely, but never back down (and NEVER censor anyone).

I would just suggest this to you. You are in a position to speak your ideas, to buy a computer, to interact with people bravely and to find your way. Some day, god forbid, you may be a little more helpless, not of your own fault. Not all churches, certainly, but some may welcome you regardless of your need. Hopefully.

See! See! Didja see that? He’s myth-jacking us, right out in public.

With apologies to the Pythons: Come and see the myths inherent in the system! See how his words offer people a way of seeing across time, and thereby, a way of being in the world that perpetuates that past order into the future? That’s the power of narrative aka myth.

Whatever vision our MOTU have, it has to pass through the people’s human psyches on the way to becoming reality. That’s the nefarious role of PR and propaganda of all sorts.

Note that the language of myth is metaphorical, not literal, and metaphors are vessels for going from ignorance to awareness.

Thus, myths are the “special purpose vehicles” for jacking whole voting blocs, whole nations, or just specific clients, all at once. Myths about WMDs are especially effective at jacking nations to war, as we can see in our myths about Iraq and Israel.

Greenspan et al.’s devotion to Ayn Rand’s myths has delivered us into this Waste Land. That much should be plain as day. Maybe what we have, instead of theocracy, should be called mythocracy.

To what myths are ObamaCo devoted? That of the corporatist Wall Street Democrats that paid his way to the White House, for starters: finance is king. And the myth of DoD as GoD: full-spectrum dominance.

Any others?

Just to say, I support your good heart, and your good experiences. My own church experiences have been less good, even when I’ve been helpless, so now I just go out and sit in the woods. Whatever works for you, as long as it’s honest.

The anger you’re seeing here comes from many sources, IMO, and much of it is valid. Anger is necessary to get any political force energized. Always has been. Be not troubled.

DeMint: great advice to prepare people for slavery.
Translation: No need to worry about getting your pocket picked here on earth by the financial elite, God’s gonna take care of you in heaven!!

I am a teacher, also, in the higher levels.

…

vaccinated into autistic oblivion.

I sincerely hope you’re kept far away from the sciences.

I don’t think anyone wants to be forced to do or believe anything. No one wants to be coerced. Whether it’s the religion of greed & gambling, the religion of spiritual search, or the religion of steadfast observation -it is not surprising when people rebel against coercion.

Politicians shrouding themselves in sacred clothing are trying to win entry to a cush job. That’s it. It’s purely self interest.

I expect government to enforce the separation of church and state because that’s the way our country was set up. The U.S. is not a theocracy for a reason. Politically active churches should be paying taxes.

It is my right to believe anything, or not; to exercise that belief or not, but when my activity hurts someone (Westboro church hate group, Branch Davidians, Jim Jones, Hitler’s Germany, etc.), then I am compelled to face social and legal consequences. My right isn’t gone, I exercised it.

With leaders like this. No wonder we are such a mess in this country.

Furthermore, if there were handguns in Jesus day, you’d best believe He would have been locked and loaded. With instructions for His followers to do the same.

How Silly

Very well said, carolbeth, nicely done. You write, as Nietzsche said, like a wheel rolling out of your own center, which I find to be the most fitting style for a fully human American citizen. IBIYVD (I bow in your virtual direction).

sarcastalicious akshully

Oh you know it. The same guy who went on to commit suicide-by-Pharisees surely would’ve wanted to take some of the bastards with him. What we need is a full-featured movie to mythologize it, portraying JC as a murder victim, so we can pin the blame on the perps and feel like the eternal victims, even as we make life a holy hell for everyone else on earth. No, wait, Gibson did it.

Hey wait again, wouldn’t that mean that Jesus started our present holy wars? WOOHOO! Now we can kill them all with extra self-righteousness. Thanks, I feel better already. /s cubed

Just a brief moment to thank you Blue Texan for yet another lovely read.

-Godless Heathen

exacatacally

heck Elliott, now I have to go find my dictionary …

IRYB(I reflect your bow)and include all involved in the discussion. I had a chance to hear that someone found such discussion refreshing. Turns out they were overwhelmed with the politics of personality and were starving for the nourishment received through discussion of the actual issues.

I just want to point out that not all homeschooling is religion-based. A couple of good friends have two children who are highly intelligent, but also severely ADHD. Between the two, they were average students in a class of 30 or more, not someone who the teacher could spend much time on.

As a consequence, they were home-schooled, on and off, for much of their early years — but still involved in extra-curricular activities, like band, at the school.

While I was living in Belgium, they came over for a visit. On the flight over, both kids were engrossed in their books, so one of the flight attendants asked what they were reading. “The Man in the Iron Mask,” responded the son (age 5). The daughter, age 8, was reading one of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Mom just looked up from her “Scientific American” and smiled sweetly.

Sure tropicgirl, suspend reality by “praying” to some vaporous, non-existant entity and everything will be OK.

Hey Toots, that’s the same old bullshit these bible thumpin’ jeezuz freaks and their distant relatives have been pedaling to the masses for all of recorded history.

So, just pray and believe in a higher power nobody can prove and guess what – everything is gonna be just honkey-dorey. Flowers will bloom, birds will sing and the sun will shine everyday forever. Ahh, I feel so much better when I stick my head in the sand, ignore reality and have my personal relationship with the jeezuz man…

It’s obvious that you and tropicgirl live in the same state of LA-LA land where everything is peaceful, nobody gets fucked by a preacher and politicians are public servents only interested in quoting the bible.

All the useful social functions of membership in a religion you describe can be had elsewhere, in fora where the individual is not required to accept a rigid view of the world (dogma-key component of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and largely what differentiates these faiths from non-theist eastern religions, paganism and totemism/animism).

Also, evangelical christianity was politicized in this country at least as early as the thirties. In point of fact, Shaeffer’s career dates back to the ’40s. I’d recommend Jeff Sharlet’s The Family on that subject.

What’s obvious is that you have major reading comprehension deficiencies. Don’t be a dick, Mick. You are sooooo barking up the wrong tree.

Nor do you have any good reason for beating up on tropicgirl. People like her are not the problem. She would never do anything to hurt you or me. Save your anger for better targets.

I hear that. Not two hours ago, I was thinking, it’s nice to plumb the depths of being human without getting called an effing “concern troll.”

Just now, out in my garden shed, I was thinking (staring out the door blankly, whatever), I should come in and bow to the Lady of the Lake (the metaphor, the spirit, the genius*, not necessarily a personage–but hey, if the metaphor fits, wear it, right?).

*”In ancient Roman religion, the genius was the individual instance of a general divine nature that is present in every individual person, place or thing.” [Source: Wikipedia: Genius (mythology).

I don’t think it is fair to characterize state-run schools as a complete failure. There are public schools that are doing a great job teaching kids in poor communities. If a school can do good things for underprivileged kids, then who cares if it is private or public? We should learn from successful examples in the public and private sector.

Public education is in need of reform but overall, public education has enabled our country to have the skills to innovate and work effectively in a white-collar/high tech economy.

As a side note, I want to give kudos to Rachel Maddow for covering the protesters who are AGAINST government cuts in funding (the opposite of the tea party). It is so rare that someone in the media shows there are people who desperately WANT the government to provide a social safety net. Now, if we could just reduce and transfer some of the military spending to our states…

“I’m pretty sure I remember the nuns teaching me about some guy in the bible who said stuff like ‘render unto Caesar’ and ‘my kingdom is not of this world’?”

And let’s not forget the one really solid advocate of theocracy in the New Testament: the character that Jesus met in the desert, who took Jesus up to the top of the temple and offered Jesus power over all the kings of the world if Jesus would worship him.

In my experience, these “Christian nation” types always seem oddly averse to reading their New Testament. Maybe it’s because the Republican god is is NOT Jesus, but the other guy? I’ve always suspected as much.