First up from the God Machine this week is a look at an ad promoting tourism to the United States, which may not seem especially noteworthy at first blush, but which has outraged some in the religious right.
Seems pretty harmless, right? The video, obviously intended for an international audience, was crafted to highlight the way in which the United States celebrates diversity. But if you pause the video 33 seconds in, you might notice a man with his arm around another man. And that's apparently a problem.
The ad promoting tourism to the US seemed innocuous enough, but Family Research Council president Tony Perkins warns that the advertising campaign is being used to "highlight same-sex attractions."
The Discover America ad highlights diversity in the US, including a song by Rosanne Cash and images of an interracial couple, two Muslim women in a city and people celebrating the Hindu festival Holi. But Perkins is peeved by its attempt "to celebrate homosexuality" by featuring a man with his arm around his partner on a bus for almost two seconds. Perkins claimed that the ad depicts "a country of radical values and backwards priorities."
Perkins went on to blame President Obama for this, calling the ad part of Obama's "push to 'rebrand' America." In the event of a Romney presidency, presumably Perkins will have the influence to make sure ads like these never air anywhere.
Also from the God Machine this week:
* The issue of state-sponsored prayer in public schools has largely faded away, but Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) apparently wants to bring it back.
* Don't mess with nuns: "In a spirited retort to the Vatican, a group of Roman Catholic nuns is planning a bus trip across nine states this month, stopping at homeless shelters, food pantries, schools and health care facilities run by nuns to highlight their work with the nation's poor and disenfranchised" (thanks to reader R.P. for the tip).
* Speaking of the Vatican, there's a major controversy brewing around the butler to Pope Benedict XVI who stands accused of leaking confidential memos to the Italian media.
* And David Barton, the religious right's pseudo historian, believes welfare recipients would be better off financially if only they'd read the Bible.
Leave a Comment:
Is Tony Perkins kidding? I had to go watch it a second time because I missed it the first time. I'm really surprised he hasn't suffered an aneurism or apoplexy, the way he keeps his blood pressure boiling.
People like that obviously believe in an evil god they have created in their own image*, and I'm sure they tend to be very coldly calculating. Perkins blood pressure is probably fine. It is the blood pressure of the uncritical True Believers that he wants to set to boiling.
Credo in un Dio crudel che m'ha creato
simile a sè e che nell'ira io nomo.
(They pretend that they were created by this god that they themselves created.)
He's the same kind of man that will keep touching a women, uninvited.
@EntropyRules:
"You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." -- Anne Lamott
December27,
Excellent quote!
December27,
Very well said.
Perkins is a horrible evil person on the level of Michelle Malkin.
Tony Perkins doesn't hate gay people, he just demands that everyone (including them) pretend they don't exist. Is that so bad, really?
/snark
Joyce ... Wow! That's a pretty low level.
Steve you are cracking me up. You and Tommy Christopher are the voices of sanity in this Right-Wing-World.
David Barton outsmarted Jon Stewart in his appearance on The Daily Show, and duped Stewart into endorsing Barton's new book. Stewart also unbelievably agreed with Barton's assertion that Thomas Jefferson and most of our Founding Fathers were in fact deeply religious Christians.
If The Rachel Maddow Show could get David Barton on to plug his book it would be a classic event.
link pls .... thanks
You must've watched a different interview from the one I saw. In my recollection, Jon did his usual excellently gentle skewering of Barton.
No Way! I was left feeling that we were given a shot at that phoney and he came out smelling like a rose. That interview was the equivalent of Ed Schultz interviewing Scott Walker and pushing walker's book and treating him with respect by lobbing softball questions. You are so wrong December27. You are another example of what is wrong with our side not hammering them for their lies.
David Barton and Tony Perkins need to be thoroughly discredited, and their lies need to be shown to be at the foundation of the phoney Republican Narrative that they are the Party of Norman Rockwell and Ozzie and Harriet.
@ December: I saw the interview Joyce was talking about and the name David Barton didn't register to me for most of the interview but I was interested in hearing about a book about Thomas Jefferson. Some of what he was saying wasn't sitting right with me and when I realized who it was, I was disgusted with the interview.
Perhaps you saw it as Stewart gently skewering Barton, but from my view, Barton came off really well and probably sold a few copies from that interview.
I remember this Jon Stewart interview but just to be sure just re-watched it. To Joyce, what were you watching?? Surely not the same interview referenced here. Jon pretty much skewered every point raised. Granted, he was polite in his destruction. Maybe that's what you are referring to.
Swerver if you were aware of all the lies Barton has perpetrated in his role as the official revisionist historian of the Tea Party prior to his appearance on The Daily Show, you would be, like me, be screaming LIE at the TV. Stewart's treatment of Barton was pretty close to how Glenn Beck treated him.
Chris Rodda has debunked all his lies many times. David Barton is yet another example of how it is impossible to debunk Mitt Romney's lies. Chris Rodda calling out David Barton's lies is about as effective as Rachel Maddow calling out Mitt Romney's lies, or Eugenie Scott calling out Duane Gish's lies.
The hopelessness of the cause of converting them by using facts is best illustrated in a YouTube interview between Wendy Wright and Richard Dawkins about evolution.
"Believing" that our president is a foreign born Muslim is good enough for them.
From what I saw of the interview, Stewart clearly was sparring with Barton. However, it did seem that he gave him more leeway and greater deference than I would have preferred in discussing an important topic with a borderline crackpot.
That California, Texas, and other states bring in David Barton to help write their state's standards in history for grades K-12 is nauseating. It also explains a lot about the average citizen's lack of knowledge of history.
I forced myself to go back and watch that horrible interview again and I am fed up enough to consider Jon Stewart as being compromised. Stewart was as tough on Barton as Hannity would have been. To watch it search Daily Show #17097.
Stewart stupid? Who'd a thunk it? He is the guy who thinks there's equivalence between left and right...
"highlight same-sex attractions."
I thought that sex tourism was limited to 3rd world nations.
What's that? We have become a third world nation?
not until rush limbaugh limits his sex tourism to the u.s.
Why is it okay for advertisers to use sex to sell their products in commercials, but the gay community is not allowed to show 2 men with their arms around each other? I think the degrading of women to mere sex symbols should be investigated by Perkins not this innocent gesture. He's targeting the wrong people. He should go after those that would exploit women like the Republicans who are voting against womens' rights. Now, that's something to warn people about.
My first impression of the commercial is that I like it. I would have guessed that BP was behind it in that it showed scenes of the Gulf, shrimp, and how tourism has rebounded.
I also still like the UPS commercial that has pixie dust and fairies and environmetal responsibility all shown as good things.
Commercials that confuse me are the ones by all these Energy companies that are pushing for better science emphasis in our schools. Right Wingers all want vouchers and A Beka textbooks in private schools, and the elimination of the department of Education. They want to get rid of teachers.
Right Wing commercials need to push prayer in school, Creationism, and expose all the "lies" of the treehuggers who are liberals and warn of global warming.
Joyce,
I agree with everything you had to say, except that cute "pixie dust" ad is really a FedEx ad, not their competitor, UPS's ad!. I guess that ad isn't working quite as well for FedEx as they would have liked!!
If you notice in the Fed-ex commercial, they are getting rid of the animals and the pixie dust and they have replaced it with a man driving a truck selling his product which is shipping material from one place to another. Can't he deliver his products without destroying the environment. He does use oil and this to some extent does cause a greenhouse effect. When advertisers start using nature to falsely promote their products something is wrong. That commercial disturbs me especially when they kill the dancing animals.
Wow. I have seen that commercial at least 50 times and I did not know who made it. UPS and Fed Ex are about the same to me. I only noticed that it promoted green energy that I agree with.
Joyce: The USPS had a surplus budget and were going to switch over all of their vehicles to electric/hybrids. The Republicans in ... 2006, I think, then passed that atrocious bill requiring the USPS to fund the retirement plans of employees not even born yet, in an unrealizable timetable, all to bankrupt the flow of information.
So years later FedEx sees it's commercially popular to do what the United States Postal Service was all set to do years ago? Imagine what the USPS could do with that cash they're forced to come up with and then sit on.
Th' awl bidness needs Chemical Engineers and Chemists to keep the flow of gas and other products from their refineries. They also need Bus. Ad. majors and MBA's to run their operations and a few PhD's to do some research. And lawyers, lots of lawyers.
Everyone would be better off if they read the Bible because then they would actually know what is in that crazy book. Brother dies without kids? You have to impregnate his wife -- even though you're already married -- or God'll kill ya! If your husband thinks you cheated on him the priests are mandated by God to force a potion down your throat and it it winds up sterilizing you it's proof you cheated.
There's some real beauty in it, particularly in the Gospels, but the Old Testament is pretty freaky and few people who truly read it could believe it as the "literal truth". If people actually READ the Bible instead of listening to what a bunch of crackpots SAY is in the Bible we'd have a much better time of it.
OH YEA!!! I wonder how many "Christians" have ever read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? The rest is pretty MEAN!
I collect Bibles. History was very scarry back then they had a lot of ways in which to punish people in the Old Testament, I am glad that when Jesus came a lot of these laws were abolished.
Angel,
REALLY? Were those laws REALLY abolished? Have you read the "history" of "Christian countries"?
What do you think the "religious right" would do to us "heretics" if they could get away with it?
I'm not impressed with the New Testament any more than the Old. For one thing, it ends with Revelation, which is like a hard-core sadist's bad trip on peyote.
1-publican, you're right, it sounded good though. That's what should have happened but, they crucified Jesus before it did. I love Revelations especially about the part where they discuss 7 letters to 7 churches. John wrote this prophesy. The parables are amazing and I had a great time figuring them out. There's just one 7 left and it is not my place to add that number to my name.
Christians like to say jesus is a man of peace but MY G-D!--read Revelation's last two chapters like you say. The second coming has Jesus fulfilling the 7th trumpet prophesy, and riding onto the plain of Megiddo on a white horse wearing white linen with his angels slaying at least 7 billion nonbelievers. I think 144,000 Jews will be allowed to convert and go to heaven too. That is the least G-d can offer to them for ushering in an era of 1000 years of peace.
It is sad to know that most people believe all that nonsense.
Jewish people did believe of Jesus they just didn't believe that he was the son of God. So they let the Romans crucify him. Not all jewish people just some. There are Jewish people now that believe what he was stating was the truth. I believe Jesus thought he was the son of god.
Angel#77
I believe Jesus taught us that all living entities were god's children/creation. That we are all One. Didn't Jesus say what you do to others you do unto yourself?
I spend most of my "spare" time reading work related materials and occasionally something political, like Dr. Maddow's book; I have no time for fiction.
Many times I get the feeling that so many people believe that God wrote the Bible instead of people writing the Bible. I guess they don't want to think of the implications of people writing the Bible.
I find it interesting that they think Shakespeare wrote the Bible when all he did was translate it before 1616.
Shakespeare had NOTHING to do with the Bible or its translation. The translation would have been undertaken by specifically chosen clergy and not someone who was considered by the clergy as "profane" as Shakespeare was!
It's not hard to translate, anybody could do it if you spoke several languages.
The cowardice of our own leaders to speak to the truth on those matters has serious implications on our foreign policy and the lives of our servicemen. Linkage. What does that word mean? To the people who work at Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon they know what it means. To the people who work in main stream media and Congress linkage is a lie.
Deuteronmy 11:24 says: Everyplace wheron the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river Euphrares, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.
Can anyone who reads Steve's blog recall when a top-level government official on the record rejected any Old Testament claim to "Judea and Samaria"
Of course not. Evangelical Christians and hard-core Zionists would "crucify" any politician who said that the Old Testament, Torah, or the Penateuch has no basis for determining the legitimacy of settlements in the West Bank.
They are trying to find loopholes in the Bible too.
"It's not hard to translate, anybody could do it if you spoke several languages."
Invalid statement (by someone is likely monolingual). If you know more than one language you know that some words and phrases don't translate well or at all.
Another problem with translating that book is that it is not written ini a language that Jesus would have spoken, so any New Testament in a modern language is a translation of a translation, at best (and most likely a lot of creative writing, to boot).
St. Jerome was one of the first to translate the bible from the Hebrew and Greek Vulgates into Latin. He caught a lot of flake from the church Elders at the time. Even St. Augustine chided him for translating something so "Holy" so that the "Vulger" masses - (aristocrates that could read Latin) would be able to read it. It took him several years to complete as he had to learn Hebrew as he translated and he was very meticoulous about finding the right Latin word to closely fit the meaning of the Greek and Hebrew. He wrote constantly of his frustration of the nuances of each word having slightly different meanings in each language, and how he was hard-pressed to find the right Latin word to convey the truest meaning of the Word of God. The Pope and Arch-Bishops of the time censored a lot of Jerome's writings due to his translation endeavor - a censorship that lasted into the 19th century (The Letters of St. Jerome were translated and published - except for the ones that detailed Hebrew letters and their numerical equivalent and meaning). Jerome mocked the early attempts of Bishops and priests who caculated the end-times because they were useing Latin numerical standards and not the Hebrew knowledge of number. Jerome was a 'fundamental' Christian by today's standards - though more accurately, he would be shunned by today's fundamentalists because he was more extreme than the ones today - he very much believed in sackcloth, ashes and self-whippings as punishment and cure for those "evil thoughts of the flesh."
Wasn't the New Testament written in koine greek and not hebrew?
some additional "twig" news
n. dakota to vote on "religious liberty"
npr
Next week, North Dakota voters will decide whether to add an amendment to the state's constitution that supporters say will guarantee religious freedom. But the ballot measure has prompted debate over precisely what it safeguards; opponents argue that it's a solution in search of a problem and worry about its consequences.
Measure 3 is worded this way: "Government may not burden a person's or religious organization's religious liberty." Its supporters call it the Religious Liberty Restoration amendment; they say it's needed because of a 22-year-old U.S. Supreme Court decision they believe has put limits on religious freedom.
"What this amendment is attempting to do is to restore that level of protection to what it was pre-1990," says Tom Freier, who heads the North Dakota Family Alliance. The group led the effort to put the measure on the ballot.
Freier says that making Measure 3 part of the constitution would give it permanence and help prevent attacks on religious freedom.
But the measure's opponents worry about unintended consequences. They say it could allow parents who abuse children to hide behind the curtain of religious liberty. One opponent is Tim Hathaway, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota.
"We are urging a 'no' vote on Measure 3," he says, "because it will seriously undercut protection for children in our state by opening the door for people to claim religious freedom as a justification for maltreatment."
Recent polls point to a close vote. Both sides are running a number of radio and television ads between now and the June 12 election.
http://www.npr.org/2012/06/05/154285336/n-dakota-religious-liberty-measure-sparks-debate?ft=3&f=1001&sc=nl&cc=nh-20120605
I'm old enough to remember when "Spare the rod and spoil the child" was uncritically accepted by most parents. Obviously, there are those who wish to return to the days when parents could basically do as they wished with their children.
It it passes, Russell, they're going to be sorry. That would mean that they would have to accommodate the Rastafarians and their marijuana use in religious rites, peyote use by certian Native American tribes, and the animal sacrifices performed in Santeria and the other voodoo-type religions.
Michael ... It's all in the interpretation. I'm sure the good folks in ND would find a way to declare that those are "lifestyles," as opposed to religions. That it's not really a religion unless it has "x" number of followers. Or some other dodge. What is--and what isn't--a religion in the eyes of the law can be a very flexible concept.
Religion has always been free. What are they proposing that cost money? Everyone is free to practice their religion unless they are doing something against the law. Now, are they really just trying to get away with doing something against the law. I wish I were free, but I cost a lot of money, It's even beginning to be hard to afford the food I need to survive. I'll truly be free when I leave this state of consciousness that requires me to eat. The only people who are truly free are those who are no longer with us.
These are the same whack-jobs that scream that same sex marriage destroys theirs? Yea, that's what we need. A constitutional amendment that panders to their sense of persecution. NOT!!!!
lenny...,
Yes, there can be no legitimate doubt that they would interpret any such amendment and enforce it in totally self-serving ways.
What a waste of money !!
A state Constitutional amendment does not override a SC decision about the US Constitution.
Better to get the Robert's court to reverse the decision.
Would have to admit I don’t know that much about the Mormon religion. But what I have been hearing already about how it picks out certain people that should be persecuted and put at a substandard level such as a slave that is bs and would never be acceptable in how things really are. It is bad enough that people misinterpret what Jesus wanted or said and look to use people for devious means. And they want to spread the Mormon religion around the world that for sure would cause nothing but more trouble with such sayings in that so-called book. Because people will no matter what take it literal somewhere a long the line. Instead of realizing, the narrow-minded man who wrote that book was a religious extremist of hatred. Start learning to figure things out the right way and look for the solutions that will help all people, instead of a select few hypocrites.
Deb, I'm a former mormon, and I have no idea what you're talking about. To my knowledge, since the LDS church was organized they have never practiced slavery.
I am not Mormon and don't know a lot about it. I Google it a bit these days. It is easy to find out information about their beliefs and secret practices.
DEb359- I believe what you may be referring to are in the racist "scriptures" of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Joseph Smith "divined" these scriptures by staring into a hat with magic stones inside. So said, Black skin is the mark of Cain, the Devil, etc.. After death those of dark skin may be exalted only by being hand servants to high ranking elite in Mormon Paradise.
Ooooh, the magic stones, like in Jack and the Beanstalk. Is it like magic pixie dust or angel dust? The only stones that I know are magic are the ones that I've prayed upon.
I'm sorry Angel, but reading your other comments about your belief in Jesus, and God, and whatever else you believe makes your above comment so ridiculous. Mormons are on the same level of ridiculous as Christians, or whatever you would like to call yourself. Where you mock 'magic stones', I mock 'magic conceptions' and bread turning into flesh
and in the other vatican controversy
(AP) — The Vatican chastised Italian authorities on Friday for seizing documents intended for the pope during a raid on the home of the recently ousted Vatican bank chief.
Italian paramilitary police raided Gotti Tedeschi's Piacenza home on Tuesday as part of a corruption investigation into Italy's state-controlled aerospace giant Finmeccanica. He is not under investigation, and at the time of the raid prosecutors said the search had nothing to do with Gotti Tedeschi's recently terminated role as president of the Vatican bank.
But during the raid, police seized documentation Gotti Tedeschi had prepared for the pope concerning his controversial May 24 ouster as president of the Vatican bank, known as the Institute for Religious Works.
In an unprecedentedly harsh move, the bank's board fired Gotti Tedeschi in a no-confidence vote, accusing him of leaking documents, failing to do his job and impeding the Vatican's efforts to be more transparent in its financial dealings.
http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-hits-back-italy-over-document-seizure-184333914.html
more info on the banker's ouster
http://news.yahoo.com/insight-vatican-bank-money-mystery-monsignors-102052963.html
So pastor "burn korans for jesus!" in Gainesville is now displaying an Obama effigy being hanged by a noose. Perhaps it's time he gets his due visit from the Secret Service or Defense Department.
He will almost certainly get away with it because he is not only a right-winger, he is also a Khrisschun.
And a wonderful advertisement for his religion he is.
I definately need to get my hands on a Koran.
I heard he's buying a parka and moving to North Dakota.
I have been looking for details on what Michigan's new comprehensive anti-abortion law has in it in terms of breaking new ground. One provision new to personhood laws is the requirement that aborted fetuses must be treated with respect. Since, according to them, life begins at conception then that must mean that each aborted fetus must be given a proper Christian burial.
Will we see the manufacture of showbox sized caskets as a new growth industry? If it is mandated in Republican law that every fetus be treated with respect is cremation an appropriate alternative to burial? Can a futus be buried in a family's backyard like a pet cat or dog? Congressional hearings led by trent Green need to settle those important questions. Will insurance under the Affordable Care Act pay for a funeral for a two-week old fetus miscarried by it's mother?
Republicans are creating new jobs!
This is probably referring to a revision of the 90's bill struck down by the court referring to partial birth abortion (not a medical term or practice).
I like Joyces' referendum, I don't support having abortions, but, the GOP can't have it both ways. Women need access to birth control. I could just see all the people trying to get money for their fetuses, they could be donated for stem cell research and for helping people with life threatening illnesses.
I am mocking them Angel. The idiocy of their neverending efforts to prove that they are extreme pro-life has exposed them and their bills as just plain crazy.
Interesting questions Joyce D - reminds me of the furious debate that the Nicene Fathers had over where the souls of still-born babies went since they were still innocent and not tainted by this world. That's when Limbo was concieved and spread into the masses so that young mothers and fathers that lost thier children at birth could rest easy knowing the soul was still loved by God, but in a safe Haven awaiting the resurrection. Saint Augustine expanded the concept of Limbo so that such great souls of great Greeks - Pythagorus, Socrates, Plato, et al and worthy Romans - Such as Cato and Pliny were also being saved for the resurrection. My question though, is, would a woman actually know if a two-week old fetus passed through her system?
You totally missed the two little girl lesbians running and holding hands.
The video seconds on the bus with two men, as far as I can tell, shows two brothers who are travelling to the city in order to fullfil their father's dying wish that they join the army and fight in Afghanistan. Look at the determination and satisfaction on the older brother's face as he supports his exhausted younger brother as they approach the end of their journey. They're going to fight for freedom!
I think Tony is "Wooking for Wuv in all the wrong places, he is actually searching for men who are holding hands, what is he looking for? Maybe he is looking for a suitable mate?
That's what happens when you're so insular you know nothing of other cultures. In many cultures straight men put arms around men, and straight women hold hands, and it's considered -- NORMAL!
Everywoman . . . Now you're going too far! Suggesting that there ARE other cultures. That we should acknowledge that it's valid for people to do things differently than we do. That we should respect people like that, just because some of those cultures have been around for thousands of years. How dare you!
That's blasphemy. Or ... whatever. Covering my eyes and holding my ears (which is really hard to do at the same time) so I don't have to see or hear anything I don't agree with.
Our way is the only way. Neener, neener, neener ....
“The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshiped anything but himself.” - Richard Burton
I'm sure this is the other Richard Burton. He translated "1001 Arabian Nights".
Thank you Benen, for the last couple of weeks inclusion of the challenge US Catholic sisters are facing.
Steve -
First of all, what kind of perv does Tony Perkins have to be even to have noticed this in the first place? By my best "guestimate", rightwingwatch was being extra generous in their estimate that the footage of the two men lasted "two seconds" - I had it pegged at slightly less than a single second.
Do you think Perkins must spend most of his time scouring media for any footage that might in any way remotely remind someone of "teh gay"? Nah, I suppose he probably has a squad of volunteers "working" around the clock on that project. <G>
And, for that matter, whether this is even footage of "teh gay" is a matter of personal interpretation - one sees in it what one chooses to. It's simply an image of one man with his arm around another. How do any of us, including Perkins, know that it isn't a man with his arm around his sleepy little brother, just to pick one possible non-sexual explanation right of the top of my head? Of course, if you're really looking carefully at the image, I think they're riding in a streetcar, not a bus. Streetcars, San Francisco... ruh-roh...
Eeeeeeeek! "Teh gay"!!?
Seriously. It's frustrating that Perkins and his ilk seem to have the degree of influence in our society that they do. In any more rational world, they'd just be seen as SILLY.
Streetcars are New Orleans. Cable cars are San Francisco. Glancing at the video, it looked to me like the two guys were in New Orleans.
Aaack, of course! What was I thinking? D'oh. I stand corrected - thanks.
Perkins et. al. still are being silly...
Sex obsession, Tony. You must consider this is in your own eye.
Basically you are saying "we can never tolerate THEM, because in my mind I immediately visualize their sex acts".
Christ it's funny to see these fanatics rant about stuff. My god they must be nuts expecting the world to bow to their belief. Heavens how the far right fanatics like playing god.
Thank god for separation of church and state huh.
The link provided about bringing back school prayer:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/04/school-prayer_n_1568144.html
Also has this section:
"In April, Arizona's Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed legislation that requires the state Board of Education to design a high school elective course titled "The Bible and its influence on Western Culture," which would include lessons on the history, literature and influence of the Old and New testaments on laws, government and culture, among other aspects of society."
This might actually be a good idea, as long as the history lessons are accurate. But in order to do that the Crusades, the persecution of Jews, the Spanish Inquisition, the persecution of indigenous people and a host of other truly horrible acts committed by Christians over the centuries would need to be included.
However, I am 100% sure that the intent of the folks that introduced and passed this legislation have NO INTENTION of the course to cover actual HISTORY.
Who decides what is taught? None of the subjects you have mentioned will receive more than a passing glance, sort of like "Columbus discovered America" way back in my day. Or wait, even better, "Duck and cover." Even most fourth graders could figure that one out, and now we are being governed by the very people who couldn't...
She must be listening to Sarah Palin, I think she still lives in Arizona. I'm just glad that I high-tailed it out of the city where her daughter moved to, she moved in right down the street from me. I still can't understand why Sarah Palin and her daughter moved to Arizona, I think they must assume that the Second Coming is supposed to take place in The Grand Canyon State, the 7th wonder of the world. All I know is she likes guns,and she dances . Maybe she was expecting Jesus to show up on her doorstep with the missing shoe, like Cinderella. God knows I've left my shoes in some shady places. Peace out.
If only President Obama had the power to "rebrand America" and take it to the left away from the pernicious influence of the masquerading Tony Perkins, what a quieter more loving, peaceable world we would have. Follow whom you choose, America, but far right evangelicals are headed straight to an America of their own making and it's full of war, guns, homophobes and greedy, greedy people.
Tony Perkins is such a clown, I can't wait until he finds his true significance before whatever he believes to be his creator (Carbon, Methane, Blowfly larvae). He needs a pie in his face every day until then. Tony Perkins is as concerned about society as the Ebola virus.
I'd say the Ebola virus is morally superior to Perkins. As far as we know, the Ebola virus has no self-will. Perkins has self-will and does evil.
Sometimes the real "value" in a life is upon his death. Tony Perkins is a living example of what not to be however, the sooner he expires, the better.
Did Barton not read the "Jefferson Bible" where Jefferson removed Jesus' divinity. How can you be called a 'Christian' when you don't believe that Jesus ever became the "Christ"?...(all miracles removed). Two words...King Constatine...That is who made him divine and when Jesus became 'divine'.
Please allow me to lie outrageously as a surrogate of Barton.
Thomas Jefferson cut out all the miracles and nonsense from the Bible so that it could be more easily understood by the Kaskasskia Indians who had previosly been converted by French Catholics. In addition, Jefferson also ruled that a new church would be built for them, and their Christian preacher would have his salary paid for by the US Government.
According to David Barton Thomas Jefferson never fathered slave children. We must restore the vision of our founders and reestablish the Church as the central instution of our existance.
He probably paraphrased the Bible so the poor black slaves wouldn't believe in miracles. I know they did.
The religious right or the non-rligious right (is there such a thing?) does not have any solid ground on which to stand. Everything is reaction based on prejudices and what preachers tell them. They are not free to think for themselves; that is "liberal" and "liberal" is evil to them because that is what they are told to believe about people who are not "religiou right". And they are very very very dangerous for they believe God sent them to destroy evil and to effect "armageddon".
It has been proven throughout History that it is a very dangerous thing to boast about interpretation of the Bible and then carrying out partial passages as if they were law. The GOP is good at that though, just look how they're pulling out only certain things The President is saying and using it against him. Their going to keep doing this deceitful practice, the journalists need to call them out on this everytime, because one of those times Republican voters are going to see this and start catching on. A lot of Publicans will not be voting this time around.
When someone calls me a treehugger I embrace it, but most men would be mortified to admit that they are a liberal. Why is it ok for us to admit to being liberal but for men admitting that you agree with Barbera Boxer(my favorite senator) is a disgrace? You might as well admit to being gay as admitting to be liberal.
Ed Schultz questions why 37% of union households vote Republican, and it comes down to identifying with the false narrative. Raxcism has a lot to do with it, but mostly it is just plain stupidity.
Too many people in the US have allowed themselves to be intimidated by the whining, narcissistic self-pity of those on the right. I suppose that is "stupidity" in a sense, but I'd say a lot more of it is moral cowardice.