Mitt Romney believes that his best line of attack is making the claim that he has not spent a moment as a D.C. politician while his two main opponents, Newt ...
No two ways about it, Rick Santorum had a good night. Not only did he sweep Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri but he also got off the best line of the ...
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As if you needed another reason to not vote Romney.
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In a perfect world, the Republican contest to find a nominee to face Barack Obama would go on forever...or at least until August. You cannot attach a number to the ...
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Quotes don't get much better than this one by Bob Dole.
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After the beating Gingrich took last night, it's hard to imagine under what scenario he can make a comeback. Florida is going to Romney and for Gingrich to regain the ...
There's a lot out there on the President's SOTU, so I'll keep my thoughts short and sweet.
The speech did what it had to do which was target liberals and independents ...
The highlights from last night's debate.
- Newt Gingrich can't wait to become president so he can revisit the early 60s and overthrow Castro in Cuba. War, baby, war.
- Santorum, who ...
It appears that the South Carolina verdict is forcing Romney to start taking Gingrich seriously.
“We’re not choosing a talk show host, we’re choosing a leader,” Romney said, saying that their ...
Mike Huckabee offers advice to Mitt Romney concerning his unreleased tax returns.
Let him [Romney] make this challenge: "I'll release my tax returns when Barack Obama releases his college transcripts and ...
Via Political Humor...
"Mitt Romney is coming under fire because even though he is a multimillionaire, he only paid 15 percent in taxes. That's not a tax, that's barely a tip." ...
Good line.
My guess is that after Romney fails to beat Obama in the general, Huntsman will be back in 2016. The most electable guy in the field and he could ...
I found this pretty funny...and accurate. It comes from a reader over at Balloon Juice.
So, let’s review. The contenders for the GOP nomination are
A vulture capitalist who believes that any ...
Lively little debate going on at one of last week's posts with Libertarianism put under the microscope.
ocLiberal:
I know I am in sketchy territory here, (start the indignant shouting now) but ...
In the contest to determine the winner of the Far-Right Politics gold medal, rack up a few more points for Newt Gingrich.
“I think an intelligent conservative wants the right federal ...
Via Political Humor...
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Story 1:
North Korea punishing those who 'didn't display enough sadness over Kim Jong Il's death'
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Birthers, teabaggers and the religious right are the conservative’s trifecta of bigotry, hatred and intolerance.
Amanda Simpson, who was named by President Obama to be senior technical adviser for the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, has worked in the field for over 30 years. But prominent figures on the religious right are claiming that she was picked only as part of some transsexual agenda.
“Is there going to be a transgender quota now in the Obama administration?” asked Peter LaBarbera, president of the anti-gay group Americans for Truth. “How far does this politics of gay and transgender activism go? Clearly this is an administration that is pandering to the gay lobby.”
Matt Barber, associate dean at Jerry Fallwell’s Liberty University, said the appointment “boggles the mind” and said that while African-Americans might deserve special treatment, transgender people don’t.
Kudos to the president on this one for doing what’s right and choosing the best qualified person regardless of their sexual orientation. As for the religious right, their phony shtick has gotten tiresome. These holier-than-thou bigots and purveyors of hate wield a bible like a bludgeon attempting to squash anyone who does not fit into their narrow interpretation of decency.
The only thing that “boggles the mind” here is trying to understand how delusional evangelicals still have the audacity to call themselves followers of a merciful Christ.
___
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The “religious” right will be the death of the United States of America and I believe they feel they are doing God’s work by doing whatever it is they do.
Rather sad isn’t it?
Christians, do you want to declare jihad on All transsexuals? Oh you’ve already done that. But hey, you didn’t bomb cars! Remember? You bombed gay bars. You precious little Taliban wannabe’s you.
I say if it doesn’t match your religious belief and you can’t kill em then treat em like the infidels they are – shame them into a closet so you can have your diktat of spiritual “peace” and protect all the Non-Christians from angst of having there’s. Stay in your churches and keep praying until the world outside has learned its lesson and they can be blessed with your presents once again!
BTW, I now totally understand why you do not believe in evolution –your just unable to do it!
But, you better hope the rapture doesn’t come while your in this stage of hating and judging your fellow man – Cause hate is a feeling not allowed in your heaven and judgment is something only God gets to do. So I don’t think St Peter is going to let you pass depending on What it is you hate or judge!
Talk about rhetorically harsh stereotypes and wild embellishments. Sheesh! I think I probably, have known personally over the years, thousands of Christians, and out of that group maybe a couple who would fit the description of those posted above. And… I don’t exactly live in a cave either. There are between 70-80 self-described “evangelicals” in the USA… and only a very tiny fraction could be likened as they have been portrayed here. That fraction, by the way, are an embarrassment to the rest of us…
There appear to be more “Christian Radicals” [The "Taliban moniker is just ridiculous and over the top... Radical "Christians" and even moderate Taliban aren't even in the same universe in both behavior as well as numbers) than what there really are because of course the Elite Media prefers it that way - because they have their own agenda.
By the way... just because a person don't agree with another person's life style, doesn't necessarily mean that person is a "bigot." I am quite sure that several here would not agree with my values and decisions, even independent of those hot-button "Moral" ones... Now because you don't agree with my worldview, values and behavior choices does that make you a bigot towards me? I don't think so... "Tolerance" does not mean that I HAVE to agree with every other persons (social progressive?)choices and values. The unfortunate dynamic here is: "That if I can't agree fully with how you or another person might want to live, then that must mean I am potentially placing how or the way you want to live in danger. Thus the pejorative term "bigot." However, if I must agree with yours and marginalize mine, doesn't that place my values, worldview etc. in danger as well? And if so, why is that okay? By what standard is this determined?
You would do much better in airing your concerns and issues, if you were more precise in identifying a specific sub-group. That [radical] “Christians” would try and prohibit someone from serving in government simply because of their sexual orientation is mind numbingly stupid… But your article as done little to help the discussion, because all it did was polarize a whole host of parties for whom this is a vital issue… Do you really think all of the vitriol above does ANYTHING in the way of motivating those who are more moderate (the vast majority) like myself? Think again…
Wow, I do not know where you get your numbers. There are millions of Christian evangelicals not 70 or 80. And if that ‘tiny fraction’ as you call it is an embarrassment to the rest of Christiandom then speak out against them — a bit louder than they hateyell.
As to your complaint about the “elite media” that is a common deflection used by someone of your political persuasion. This media is the same media that existed during the Bush years, I didn’t hear anyone during that time complaining that the media was ‘elite.’
Dreyfus, a lot of the vitriol does come from the Christian Right. No on is saying that all Christians are radicals or are painted with the same hatebrush but that does not mean there are not millions in the Christian Right.
The Christian Right, however small a percentage (you represent it is a small percentage) of your religion, yells the loudest and it is that yell that is heard. Those Christians are not tolerant, they do preach hate from their pulpits and their less than discerning ‘flock’ swallows that hate speak, internalizes it and then disseminates it in acts of hate, like beating up people who are homosexual, killing abortion doctors, badgering women who are exercising their legal rights, praying for the death of Supremes, praying for the failure of the Presidency.
How is this behavior Christ like?
That some Christians would try and prohibit someone from serving in the government simply because of their sexual orientation is NOT mind numbingly stupid, it is reality.
How is the Christian Right’s use of God as the bludgeoning stick for their views any different than the Taliban’s use of God as theirs?
Wow, I do not know where you get your numbers. There are millions of Christian evangelicals not 70 or 80.
OPPS! I MEANT 70-80 MILLION THANKS FOR DRAWING THAT TO MY ATTENTION
And if that ‘tiny fraction’ as you call it is an embarrassment to the rest of Christiandom then speak out against them — a bit louder than they hateyell.
MANY OF US DO… IN FACT, I WOULD SAY THAT AMONG THE MORE CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MOVEMENTS ADDRESSING ISSUES LIKE THIS HAS BEEN THE DOMINANT MOVEMENT… IT REALLY IS IN MOST OF THE MORE CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE… SUCH AS THE EMERGENT MOVEMENT ETC.
As to your complaint about the “elite media” that is a common deflection used by someone of your political persuasion. This media is the same media that existed during the Bush years, I didn’t hear anyone during that time complaining that the media was ‘elite.’
THIS IS A VERY WEAK ARGUMENT… POLL AFTER POLL AFTER POLL FROM EITHER SIDE REGULARLY SHOE THAT 95% OF THE MEDIA CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO BE “LIBERAL” AND SOCIALLY PROGRESSIVE. THIS HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED AD NAUSEAM
Dreyfus, a lot of the vitriol does come from the Christian Right.
THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT ARE A RELATIVELY SMALL GROUP WITHIN OVERALL EVANGELICALISM. WHILE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME, THEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.
No on is saying that all Christians are radicals or are painted with the same hatebrush but that does not mean there are not millions in the Christian Right.
DID YOU JUST READ ALL OF THE POSTS ABOVE… I THINK THEY WERE REFERRING TO ALL CHRISTIANS… THAT WAS THE POINT OF MY RESPONSE.
The Christian Right, however small a percentage (you represent it is a small percentage) of your religion, yells the loudest and it is that yell that is heard.
BUT THEY CAN’T BE HEARD, UNLESS SOMEONE PUTS THEM ON THE AIR OR WRITES ABOUT THEM… ENTER STAGE RIGHT THE ELITE MEDIA. YOU REALLY DON’T HEAR MUCH ABOUT THE MODERATES BECAUSE WELL, WE JUST AREN’T AS “SEXY” ON THE AIR AND IN THE PRINT… AND WE CERTAINLY CAN’T BE USED TO HELP GRIND THOSE AXES… :-)
Those Christians are not tolerant, they do preach hate from their pulpits
I WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED IN JUST HOW MANY PULPITS YOU HAVE PERSONALLY HEARD THIS KIND OF STUFF FROM WITH ANY DEGREE OF REGULARITY… WHERE ARE YOUR STATS? WHERE DID YOU GET THIS INFORMATION FROM? THAT IT HAPPENS IT IS TRUE AND THAT IS REPREHENSIBLE… THAT IT HAPPENS TO THE DEGREE THAT I THINK, YOU THINK IT DOES, I HAVE REAL DOUBTS ABOUT. MAYBE YOU SEE IT ON THE EVENING NEWS? :-)
and their less than discerning ‘flock’ swallows that hate speak, internalizes it and then disseminates it in acts of hate, like beating up people who are homosexual, killing abortion doctors, badgering women who are exercising their legal rights, praying for the death of Supremes, praying for the failure of the Presidency.
THAT ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAPPEN IS AGAIN REPREHENSIBLE… AGAIN, GIVE THE 70-80 MILLION EVANGELICALS IN THE USA, NOT TO SAY ANYTHING OF SECULAR CONSERVATIVES, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED AND THE NUMBER OF TIMES IT HAPPENS IS A VERY, VERY, SMALL FRACTION… AMAZINGLY SO… IT STILL SHOULD HAPPEN, BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE PRESENTED THAT ALL CHRISTIANS DO THIS ALL THE TIME. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT AMONG THE CULTURE ELITES, THE CHRISTIANS ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT ITS STILL OK TO BE “POLITICALLY INCORRECT” WITH… NOW THIS IS TRULY MIND BOGGLING! THE NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF THE ANECDOTES AVAILABLE HERE IS ASTOUNDING…
How is this behavior Christ like?
NOPE!!!
That some Christians would try and prohibit someone from serving in the government simply because of their sexual orientation is NOT mind numbingly stupid, it is reality.
OKAY… I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU… SO ITS A MIND NUMBINGLY STUPID REALITY… NOT SURE WHAT YOUR POINT HERE WAS…
How is the Christian Right’s use of God as the bludgeoning stick for their views any different than the Taliban’s use of God as theirs?
AH… BECAUSE THE TALIBAN ARE FAR, FAR, FAR, MORE RADICAL, MILITANT AND VIOLENT. PLUS THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY MORE OF THEM… THIS SIMPLY IS NOT AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON… IT IS MISGUIDED HYPERBOLE AND DANGEROUS AT THAT. IF ONE GROUP OF CHRISTIANS DON’T AGREE WITH WITH ANOTHER SET, THEY DON’T CUT THEIR HEAD OFF, OR BEAT THEM RODS ETC. ETC. OTHER CHRISTIANS, THOUSANDS IN ANY GIVEN TOWN OR COMMUNITY DON’T LIVE IN ABJECT FEAR BECAUSE WE MIGHT BE ARBITRARY FOUND OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH SOME KIND OF SACRED EDICT OR RELIGIOUS COMPLIANCE.
MY POINT IS, IF THERE IS A PARTICULAR CHURCH OR GROUP OF “CHRISTIANS” THEN CRITIQUE AND CENSOR THEM… DON’T THROW THE WHOLE GROUP OF US IN THERE. ITS NOT HELPFUL JUST POLARIZING…
WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT… I AND MANY I KNOW TRY HARD TO BE “CHRIST FOLLOWERS.” SOMETIMES… I/WE ARE NOT VERY GOOD AT IT… BUT WE TRY! BEING GOOD CAN HAVE ITS CHALLENGES AT TIMES CAN’T IT!
MY POINT HERE IS THAT THE POSTS ABOVE IN PRINCIPLE DO THE VERY SAME THINGS THAT THEY ACCUSE OF US OF… STEREOTYPES, OVER GENERALIZATIONS ETC… JUST NOT VERY HELPFUL IN GETTING CONSTRUCTIVE STUFF DONE… WOULDN’T YOU AGREE?
DREYFUS!
P.S. APOLOGIES BEFORE HAND IF THERE ARE ANY TYPO’S AINT GOT THE OLD SPECS ON AND I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME… GOT A DATE TO DO SOME DEER ‘HUNTIN!
1. You state that poll after poll has the media saying they are liberals. While there are polls that state some (some not all) journalists are liberals it is a common straw man argument from your side of the aisle to equate liberalism with elitism. This is a non-argument. Being liberal or socially progressive doesn’t make one an elitist just as being republican or a conservative or a Christian rightist doesn’t automatically make one an idiot. If you want to have a cogent discussion in this regard then you’ll need to state, with examples, why you believe the media is elitist. And what is the media’s agenda, their master plan?
2. You indicate the days of the Christian Right are numbered. Who are silencing them and how?
3. You want to know if I’ve heard pulpitspeak and where I get my information. No, Dreyfus, it isn’t from the evening news. Church websites, some conservative web sites, and You Tube have a multitude of sermons. That is where I get my information. My information is also received from people that I know, that are evangelical, who tell me what their leader says and how they believe it all. How same sex couples should be wiped from the earth etc…..
4. J says: That some Christians would try and prohibit someone from serving in the government simply because of their sexual orientation is NOT mind numbingly stupid, it is reality.
D says: OKAY… I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU… SO ITS A MIND NUMBINGLY STUPID REALITY… NOT SURE WHAT YOUR POINT HERE WAS…
The point, Dreyfus, is that you said in your prior post “That [radical] “Christians” would try and prohibit someone from serving in government simply because of their sexual orientation is mind numbingly stupid…”
I am saying no that isn’t mind numbingly stupid to think that. The reality, Dreyfus, is that the Christian Right DOES try and prohibit someone from serving in Government simply because of their sexual orientation.
5. I asked “How is the Christian Right’s use of God as the bludgeoning stick for their views any different than the Taliban’s use of God as theirs?”
Your answer is that the Taliban are more numerous more militant and more violent and that Christians don’t cut off someone’s head if they disagree with another Christian. Not the point Dreyfus. Both the Christian Right and the Taliban use God as a rallying cry to defend their violence. Violence is violence no matter if it is relieving someone of their life by removing their head or shooting them or beating them to death because of their sexual orientation. The two groups are exactly alike. They use God to defend their violence, their set of narrow beliefs and will punish and subjugate anyone who doesn’t subscribe to their narrow belief structure.
In addition, people do live in fear in their neighborhoods, right here in the good old U.S.A., One example; because the Christian Right line up to mock and verbally and physically abuse people exercising their legal rights at abortion clinics. Now the Christian right may not believe in abortion but the law says women get to choose. Lining up to mock, verbally and physically abuse those people is scaring them all because they are not in compliance with what the religious right dictates.
Some Christians do live in fear of being assigned to Hell if they do not comport themselves as their leader so dictates. But oh yes, I forgot about the handy ‘get out of sin free card’ Christians have whereby you can commit all manner of sins, ask for forgiveness, be forgiven, start over clean, and then go out and commit all manner of sins again…..ask for forgiveness….etc…
6. The above piece doesn’t criticize all of Christiandom, it clearly says “the religious right”.
1. You state that poll after poll has the media saying they are liberals. While there are polls that state some (some not all)
VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE SCHOLARLY NON-PARTISAN HAVE CONFIRMED THIS – A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH WILL DEMONSTRATE THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN…
journalists are liberals it is a common straw man argument from your side of the aisle
NOW HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT SIDE OF THE AISLE I AM FROM… PERHAPS YOU ASSUME TOO MUCH EH? :-)
to equate liberalism with elitism.
IN THE MEDIA A.K.A NBC CBS ABC NPR ETC… EITHER YOU MISSED MY POINT OR I WAS NOT CLEAR… IN ANY CASE… THE ABOVE GROUPS ARE COMMONLY REFERRED TO IN THIS MANNER…
This is a non-argument. Being liberal or socially progressive doesn’t make one an elitist just as being republican or a conservative or a Christian rightist doesn’t automatically make one an idiot.
AGAIN, THIS REALLY DOESN’T HELP THE DISCUSSION DOES IT… I THINK THAT I HAVE BEEN FAIR AND EVEN TEMPERED IN MY DISCUSSION… LEVELING INSULTS HURTS YOUR POINT AND THOSE WHO WOULD SIDE WITH YOU NOT HELP…
If you want to have a cogent discussion in this regard then you’ll need to state, with examples, why you believe the media is elitist. And what is the media’s agenda, their master plan
NEVER SAID THERE WAS A KIND OF KIND OF VAST LEFT WING CONSPIRACY HERE… DEMOGRAPHICALLY THAT IS WHERE THEY FALL… FOR MORE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE CHECK OUT A LITTLE JOURNALISM SCHOOL CALLED: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY…
2. You indicate the days of the Christian Right are numbered. Who are silencing them and how?
FUNDAMENTALISM ANOTHER SYNONYM FOR “THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT” HAS BEEN ON THE WANE FOR THE LAST TWO DECADES… AND I MIGHT ADD THANKFULLY…
3. You want to know if I’ve heard pulpitspeak and where I get my information. No, Dreyfus, it isn’t from the evening news. Church websites, some conservative web sites, and You Tube have a multitude of sermons. That is where I get my information. My information is also received from people that I know, that are evangelical, who tell me what their leader says and how they believe it all. How same sex couples should be wiped from the earth etc….. (THIS IS DEPLORABLE)
STILL… HARDLY A SCHOLARLY WELL RESEARCHED EXAMPLE… ALL ANECDOTAL… DISTURBING BUT STILL ANECDOTAL…
4. J says: That some Christians would try and prohibit someone from serving in the government simply because of their sexual orientation is NOT mind numbingly stupid, it is reality.
D says: OKAY… I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU… SO ITS A MIND NUMBINGLY STUPID REALITY… NOT SURE WHAT YOUR POINT HERE WAS…
The point, Dreyfus, is that you said in your prior post “That [radical] “Christians” would try and prohibit someone from serving in government simply because of their sexual orientation is mind numbingly stupid…”
I am saying no that isn’t mind numbingly stupid to think that. The reality, Dreyfus, is that the Christian Right DOES try and prohibit someone from serving in Government simply because of their sexual orientation.
OKAY SOO…. I AM SYMPATHETIC TO YOUR CONCERN HERE AND I AM EVEN GOING A STEP FURTHER BY SAYING NOT ONLY IS IT A DEPLORABLE REALITY, BUT THOSE “CHRISTIANS” WHO SO THIS ARE ALSO MIND NUMBINGLY STUPID… I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE ON FROM THIS POINT…
5. I asked “How is the Christian Right’s use of God as the bludgeoning stick for their views any different than the Taliban’s use of God as theirs?”
Your answer is that the Taliban are more numerous more militant and more violent and that Christians don’t cut off someone’s head if they disagree with another Christian. Not the point Dreyfus. Both the Christian Right and the Taliban use God as a rallying cry to defend their violence. Violence is violence no matter if it is relieving someone of their life by removing their head or shooting them or beating them to death because of their sexual orientation. The two groups are exactly alike. They use God to defend their violence, their set of narrow beliefs and will punish and subjugate anyone who doesn’t subscribe to their narrow belief structure.
I AM NOT COMFORTABLE TO REDUCING YOUR POINT THIS NARROWLY… I GET WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, BUT IT STILL IS NOT AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON… WHILE THEY BOTH USE GOD, THE AMOUNT AND DEGREE OF VIOLENCE IS RADICALLY DIFFERENT – THE “RIGHT-WING CHRISTIANS PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THEIR VIEW OF GOG WILL NOT PERMIT THEM TO DO WHAT THE TALIBAN AND THEIR VIEW OF GOD WILL ALLOW THEM TO DO… IT STILL IS VERY DIFFERENT IN MY MIND… WE MAY NEVER AGREE ON THIS SORRY…
In addition, people do live in fear in their neighborhoods, right here in the good old U.S.A., One example; because the Christian Right line up to mock and verbally and physically abuse people exercising their legal rights at abortion clinics. Now the Christian right may not believe in abortion but the law says women get to choose. Lining up to mock, verbally and physically abuse those people is scaring them all because they are not in compliance with what the religious right dictates.
TRUE, THIS HAPPENS… HOWEVER AND AGAIN, THE NUMBER AND DEGREE OF INSTANCES WHERE THIS HAPPENS IS MINUSCULE IN COMPARISON. SHOULD IT HAPPEN I DON’T THINK SO… STILL AND AGAIN, IT IS N-0-T-H-I-N-G IN COMPARISON TO WHAT THE TALIBAN DO TO THEIR OWN PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES INTERNATIONALLY…. NOTHING…. TO EQUATE THE FAR RIGHT TO THEM IS NOT ONLY A GROSS, AND UNFAIR COMPARISON IS SIMPLY IS IRRESPONSIBLE.
ONE FINAL POINT HERE… THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO TRY TO STOP A THING BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THERE IS A KIND OF GENOCIDE AGAINST A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP(LAW OR NO LAW – FOR EXAMPLE IT WAS LEGAL TO DO TO THE JEWS WHAT THE GERMANS DID TO THEM…) I AM NOT SAYING I AGREE EXACTLY WITH THIS ARGUMENT, I JUST SAYING THAT IS THEIR MOTIVATION. THE TALIBAN ON THE OTHER HAND STONE OR BEAT THEIR WOMEN FOR MERELY SHOWING THEIR ANKLES, GUN DOWN SOMEONE IN THEIR COMMUNITY IF THEY APPEAR TO BE TOO WESTERNIZED…
THE COMPARISONS HERE ARE SIMPLY UNFAIR AND ANY THINKING PERSON WHO DRAWS THE COMPARISONS WOULD HAVE TO AGREE… SORRY AGAIN…
Some Christians do live in fear of being assigned to Hell if they do not comport themselves as their leader so dictates.
TRUE THEY ARE OUT THERE… HARDLY A SIGNIFICANT NOR RESPECTABLE GROUP IN TERMS OF REPRESENTING EVEN THE “FAR-RIGHT”
But oh yes, I forgot about the handy ‘get out of sin free card’ Christians have whereby you can commit all manner of sins, ask for forgiveness, be forgiven, start over clean, and then go out and commit all manner of sins again…..ask for forgiveness….etc…
AGAIN, I SUPPOSE THERE ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO DO THIS… THEY ARE CLEARLY WACKED IN THE ALMOST UNIVERSAL HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT SALVATION IS AND HOW IT IS ACHIEVED… YOU APPEAR TO BE GRASPING AT SMALL INSIGNIFICANT CHRISTIAN GROUPS WHO HAVE NEVER TYPIFIED THE DOMINANT CHRISTIAN CULTURE…
6. The above piece doesn’t criticize all of Christiandom, it clearly says “the religious right”.
THE ARTICLE SAYS THAT, BUT AS I INDICATED A COUPLE OF TIMES… THE POSTS ABOVE THROW ALL CHRISTIANS UNDER THE BUS… REGARDLESS, I STILL THINK THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE GROUP WE KNOW AS THE “CHRISTIAN RIGHT” {FOR ALL OF THEIR WACKINESS THAT I FREELY ADMIT TO) AND THE TALIBAN AS BEING UNFAIR, INACCURATE, AND NOT VERY HELPFUL IN THIS DISCUSSION… LETS STILL TO THE ISSUES INSTEAD OF DESCENDING INTO PLAYGROUND-LIKE-BEHAVIOR NAME CALLING.
LOOK IT IS MY IMPRESSION THAT YOU CLEARLY FEEL STRONG ABOUT THIS SUBJECT AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT… BUT BASED ON OUR UM… CONVERSATION I AM NOT SURE THEIR IS A GRINDING STONE OUT THERE BIG ENOUGH TO SATISFY THE AXE YOU HAVE AGAINST THE FAR RIGHT CHRISTIANS. I AM SINCERELY SORRY THAT SOME OF THEM, SAY AND DO THE THINGS THEY DO… I FIND THEM EMBARRASSING AS WELL AS SOMETIME DESTRUCTIVE TO OTHERS, AND HAVE SPOKEN (AND WRITTEN) OUT REPEATEDLY IN THE WORLD OF HIGHER EDUCATION, MY CURRENT PROFESSION AMONG OTHER VENUES… IT WOULD SEEM AS IF YOU PERSONALLY HAVE SUFFERED SOME KIND OF PERSONAL DAMAGE AND WITHOUT WANTING TO APPEAR PATRONIZING I AM TRULY SORRY ABOUT THAT TOO…
I GUESS MY OVERALL POINT IS THAT IT IS FAR BETTER TO ADDRESS PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS AND SPECIFIC GROUPS RATHER THAN CASTING A WIDE NET TO GET ONE’S POUND OF FLESH AND END UP ANGERING AND ALIENATING PEOPLE WHO WERE NEVER A PART OF THE ORIGINAL GROUP… AGAIN… JUST REREAD THE POSTS RELATED TO THIS ARTICLE… THE COMMENTS WERE HARDLY SURGICAL. INFLAMMATORY, INACCURATE AND INSENSITIVE COMMENTS FOR EITHER SIDE NEVER REALLY ADVANCE THE DISCUSSION NOR TO THEY HELP TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM…
IF YOU CHOOSE TO RESPOND TO THIS THAT’S FINE, BUT AT THIS POINT, I THINK IT BEST TO WITHDRAW FROM THIS DISCUSSION. I AM NOT SURE ANYTHING CONSTRUCTIVE CAN BE GAINED FROM THIS… BUT KNOW THIS… THE COMMENTS ABOVE AND YOUR COMMENTS SO FAR HAVE DONE VERY LITTLE TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICULAR CONCERNS… ANECDOTAL RHETORIC, ATTACKING AND BELITTLING TENDS TO CREATE THIS KIND OF AN OUTCOME… IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO CHANGE MY MIND, IT FAILED, NOT BECAUSE I AM HARD HEARTED, BUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE DISCUSSION. WHILE I TRULY DO SYMPATHIZE WITH THOSE WHO STRUGGLE WITH THESE ISSUES AS A WHOLE [AS DISCUSSED IN THIS ARTICLE], THIS “DISCUSSION” DID VERY LITTLE TO PUT A HUMAN FACE ON THE PROBLEM… REGARDLESS, I WILL CONTINUE STOUTLY DEFEND JUST AS VOCIFEROUSLY AGAINST THE “RELIGIOUS RIGHT” WHEN I HAVE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF THE ISSUE… BOTH SIDES NEED AND MUST TONE DOWN THE RHETORIC… SIGNING OFF…
by your arbitrarily announcing the discussion is over prevents one from having a meaningful discussion about these issues. It is not a debating, conversation, or discussion tactic but an abject dismissal not only of me but of my views. How does that further understanding on either side?
This post was mentioned on Twitter by BrendaLott: RT @mariopiperni: The Christian Taliban (aka: Religious Right) http://twurl.nl/q2qwop #tcot // special place in Hell for these “men”…
Great analysis, Mario. I wondered if anyone was going to take up this mantle, today. Kudos.
I’m sure there is a special place in Hell for these phony, self aggrandizing “evangelicals”.
Great artwork and they are the Christian Taliban. Were it up to them women would have no rights and old white men would be telling everyone what to do
The “religious” right will be the death of the United States of America and I believe they feel they are doing God’s work by doing whatever it is they do.
Rather sad isn’t it?
Mark Twain was not Orwellian,
Saying one thing Christ would not be:
He would not be a Christian.
http://www.CitizenPoet.com
Christians, do you want to declare jihad on All transsexuals? Oh you’ve already done that. But hey, you didn’t bomb cars! Remember? You bombed gay bars. You precious little Taliban wannabe’s you.
I say if it doesn’t match your religious belief and you can’t kill em then treat em like the infidels they are – shame them into a closet so you can have your diktat of spiritual “peace” and protect all the Non-Christians from angst of having there’s. Stay in your churches and keep praying until the world outside has learned its lesson and they can be blessed with your presents once again!
BTW, I now totally understand why you do not believe in evolution –your just unable to do it!
But, you better hope the rapture doesn’t come while your in this stage of hating and judging your fellow man – Cause hate is a feeling not allowed in your heaven and judgment is something only God gets to do. So I don’t think St Peter is going to let you pass depending on What it is you hate or judge!
Wow…
Talk about rhetorically harsh stereotypes and wild embellishments. Sheesh! I think I probably, have known personally over the years, thousands of Christians, and out of that group maybe a couple who would fit the description of those posted above. And… I don’t exactly live in a cave either. There are between 70-80 self-described “evangelicals” in the USA… and only a very tiny fraction could be likened as they have been portrayed here. That fraction, by the way, are an embarrassment to the rest of us…
There appear to be more “Christian Radicals” [The "Taliban moniker is just ridiculous and over the top... Radical "Christians" and even moderate Taliban aren't even in the same universe in both behavior as well as numbers) than what there really are because of course the Elite Media prefers it that way - because they have their own agenda.
By the way... just because a person don't agree with another person's life style, doesn't necessarily mean that person is a "bigot." I am quite sure that several here would not agree with my values and decisions, even independent of those hot-button "Moral" ones... Now because you don't agree with my worldview, values and behavior choices does that make you a bigot towards me? I don't think so... "Tolerance" does not mean that I HAVE to agree with every other persons (social progressive?)choices and values. The unfortunate dynamic here is: "That if I can't agree fully with how you or another person might want to live, then that must mean I am potentially placing how or the way you want to live in danger. Thus the pejorative term "bigot." However, if I must agree with yours and marginalize mine, doesn't that place my values, worldview etc. in danger as well? And if so, why is that okay? By what standard is this determined?
You would do much better in airing your concerns and issues, if you were more precise in identifying a specific sub-group. That [radical] “Christians” would try and prohibit someone from serving in government simply because of their sexual orientation is mind numbingly stupid… But your article as done little to help the discussion, because all it did was polarize a whole host of parties for whom this is a vital issue… Do you really think all of the vitriol above does ANYTHING in the way of motivating those who are more moderate (the vast majority) like myself? Think again…
@Dreyfus,
Wow, I do not know where you get your numbers. There are millions of Christian evangelicals not 70 or 80. And if that ‘tiny fraction’ as you call it is an embarrassment to the rest of Christiandom then speak out against them — a bit louder than they hateyell.
As to your complaint about the “elite media” that is a common deflection used by someone of your political persuasion. This media is the same media that existed during the Bush years, I didn’t hear anyone during that time complaining that the media was ‘elite.’
Dreyfus, a lot of the vitriol does come from the Christian Right. No on is saying that all Christians are radicals or are painted with the same hatebrush but that does not mean there are not millions in the Christian Right.
The Christian Right, however small a percentage (you represent it is a small percentage) of your religion, yells the loudest and it is that yell that is heard. Those Christians are not tolerant, they do preach hate from their pulpits and their less than discerning ‘flock’ swallows that hate speak, internalizes it and then disseminates it in acts of hate, like beating up people who are homosexual, killing abortion doctors, badgering women who are exercising their legal rights, praying for the death of Supremes, praying for the failure of the Presidency.
How is this behavior Christ like?
That some Christians would try and prohibit someone from serving in the government simply because of their sexual orientation is NOT mind numbingly stupid, it is reality.
How is the Christian Right’s use of God as the bludgeoning stick for their views any different than the Taliban’s use of God as theirs?
My response is in bold:
Wow, I do not know where you get your numbers. There are millions of Christian evangelicals not 70 or 80.
OPPS! I MEANT 70-80 MILLION THANKS FOR DRAWING THAT TO MY ATTENTION
And if that ‘tiny fraction’ as you call it is an embarrassment to the rest of Christiandom then speak out against them — a bit louder than they hateyell.
MANY OF US DO… IN FACT, I WOULD SAY THAT AMONG THE MORE CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MOVEMENTS ADDRESSING ISSUES LIKE THIS HAS BEEN THE DOMINANT MOVEMENT… IT REALLY IS IN MOST OF THE MORE CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE… SUCH AS THE EMERGENT MOVEMENT ETC.
As to your complaint about the “elite media” that is a common deflection used by someone of your political persuasion. This media is the same media that existed during the Bush years, I didn’t hear anyone during that time complaining that the media was ‘elite.’
THIS IS A VERY WEAK ARGUMENT… POLL AFTER POLL AFTER POLL FROM EITHER SIDE REGULARLY SHOE THAT 95% OF THE MEDIA CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO BE “LIBERAL” AND SOCIALLY PROGRESSIVE. THIS HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED AD NAUSEAM
Dreyfus, a lot of the vitriol does come from the Christian Right.
THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT ARE A RELATIVELY SMALL GROUP WITHIN OVERALL EVANGELICALISM. WHILE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME, THEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.
No on is saying that all Christians are radicals or are painted with the same hatebrush but that does not mean there are not millions in the Christian Right.
DID YOU JUST READ ALL OF THE POSTS ABOVE… I THINK THEY WERE REFERRING TO ALL CHRISTIANS… THAT WAS THE POINT OF MY RESPONSE.
The Christian Right, however small a percentage (you represent it is a small percentage) of your religion, yells the loudest and it is that yell that is heard.
BUT THEY CAN’T BE HEARD, UNLESS SOMEONE PUTS THEM ON THE AIR OR WRITES ABOUT THEM… ENTER STAGE RIGHT THE ELITE MEDIA. YOU REALLY DON’T HEAR MUCH ABOUT THE MODERATES BECAUSE WELL, WE JUST AREN’T AS “SEXY” ON THE AIR AND IN THE PRINT… AND WE CERTAINLY CAN’T BE USED TO HELP GRIND THOSE AXES… :-)
Those Christians are not tolerant, they do preach hate from their pulpits
I WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED IN JUST HOW MANY PULPITS YOU HAVE PERSONALLY HEARD THIS KIND OF STUFF FROM WITH ANY DEGREE OF REGULARITY… WHERE ARE YOUR STATS? WHERE DID YOU GET THIS INFORMATION FROM? THAT IT HAPPENS IT IS TRUE AND THAT IS REPREHENSIBLE… THAT IT HAPPENS TO THE DEGREE THAT I THINK, YOU THINK IT DOES, I HAVE REAL DOUBTS ABOUT. MAYBE YOU SEE IT ON THE EVENING NEWS? :-)
and their less than discerning ‘flock’ swallows that hate speak, internalizes it and then disseminates it in acts of hate, like beating up people who are homosexual, killing abortion doctors, badgering women who are exercising their legal rights, praying for the death of Supremes, praying for the failure of the Presidency.
THAT ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAPPEN IS AGAIN REPREHENSIBLE… AGAIN, GIVE THE 70-80 MILLION EVANGELICALS IN THE USA, NOT TO SAY ANYTHING OF SECULAR CONSERVATIVES, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED AND THE NUMBER OF TIMES IT HAPPENS IS A VERY, VERY, SMALL FRACTION… AMAZINGLY SO… IT STILL SHOULD HAPPEN, BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE PRESENTED THAT ALL CHRISTIANS DO THIS ALL THE TIME. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT AMONG THE CULTURE ELITES, THE CHRISTIANS ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT ITS STILL OK TO BE “POLITICALLY INCORRECT” WITH… NOW THIS IS TRULY MIND BOGGLING! THE NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF THE ANECDOTES AVAILABLE HERE IS ASTOUNDING…
How is this behavior Christ like?
NOPE!!!
That some Christians would try and prohibit someone from serving in the government simply because of their sexual orientation is NOT mind numbingly stupid, it is reality.
OKAY… I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU… SO ITS A MIND NUMBINGLY STUPID REALITY… NOT SURE WHAT YOUR POINT HERE WAS…
How is the Christian Right’s use of God as the bludgeoning stick for their views any different than the Taliban’s use of God as theirs?
AH… BECAUSE THE TALIBAN ARE FAR, FAR, FAR, MORE RADICAL, MILITANT AND VIOLENT. PLUS THERE ARE MANY, MANY, MANY MORE OF THEM… THIS SIMPLY IS NOT AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON… IT IS MISGUIDED HYPERBOLE AND DANGEROUS AT THAT. IF ONE GROUP OF CHRISTIANS DON’T AGREE WITH WITH ANOTHER SET, THEY DON’T CUT THEIR HEAD OFF, OR BEAT THEM RODS ETC. ETC. OTHER CHRISTIANS, THOUSANDS IN ANY GIVEN TOWN OR COMMUNITY DON’T LIVE IN ABJECT FEAR BECAUSE WE MIGHT BE ARBITRARY FOUND OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH SOME KIND OF SACRED EDICT OR RELIGIOUS COMPLIANCE.
MY POINT IS, IF THERE IS A PARTICULAR CHURCH OR GROUP OF “CHRISTIANS” THEN CRITIQUE AND CENSOR THEM… DON’T THROW THE WHOLE GROUP OF US IN THERE. ITS NOT HELPFUL JUST POLARIZING…
WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT… I AND MANY I KNOW TRY HARD TO BE “CHRIST FOLLOWERS.” SOMETIMES… I/WE ARE NOT VERY GOOD AT IT… BUT WE TRY! BEING GOOD CAN HAVE ITS CHALLENGES AT TIMES CAN’T IT!
MY POINT HERE IS THAT THE POSTS ABOVE IN PRINCIPLE DO THE VERY SAME THINGS THAT THEY ACCUSE OF US OF… STEREOTYPES, OVER GENERALIZATIONS ETC… JUST NOT VERY HELPFUL IN GETTING CONSTRUCTIVE STUFF DONE… WOULDN’T YOU AGREE?
DREYFUS!
P.S. APOLOGIES BEFORE HAND IF THERE ARE ANY TYPO’S AINT GOT THE OLD SPECS ON AND I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME… GOT A DATE TO DO SOME DEER ‘HUNTIN!
Dreyfus,
1. You state that poll after poll has the media saying they are liberals. While there are polls that state some (some not all) journalists are liberals it is a common straw man argument from your side of the aisle to equate liberalism with elitism. This is a non-argument. Being liberal or socially progressive doesn’t make one an elitist just as being republican or a conservative or a Christian rightist doesn’t automatically make one an idiot. If you want to have a cogent discussion in this regard then you’ll need to state, with examples, why you believe the media is elitist. And what is the media’s agenda, their master plan?
2. You indicate the days of the Christian Right are numbered. Who are silencing them and how?
3. You want to know if I’ve heard pulpitspeak and where I get my information. No, Dreyfus, it isn’t from the evening news. Church websites, some conservative web sites, and You Tube have a multitude of sermons. That is where I get my information. My information is also received from people that I know, that are evangelical, who tell me what their leader says and how they believe it all. How same sex couples should be wiped from the earth etc…..
4. J says: That some Christians would try and prohibit someone from serving in the government simply because of their sexual orientation is NOT mind numbingly stupid, it is reality.
D says: OKAY… I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU… SO ITS A MIND NUMBINGLY STUPID REALITY… NOT SURE WHAT YOUR POINT HERE WAS…
The point, Dreyfus, is that you said in your prior post “That [radical] “Christians” would try and prohibit someone from serving in government simply because of their sexual orientation is mind numbingly stupid…”
I am saying no that isn’t mind numbingly stupid to think that. The reality, Dreyfus, is that the Christian Right DOES try and prohibit someone from serving in Government simply because of their sexual orientation.
5. I asked “How is the Christian Right’s use of God as the bludgeoning stick for their views any different than the Taliban’s use of God as theirs?”
Your answer is that the Taliban are more numerous more militant and more violent and that Christians don’t cut off someone’s head if they disagree with another Christian. Not the point Dreyfus. Both the Christian Right and the Taliban use God as a rallying cry to defend their violence. Violence is violence no matter if it is relieving someone of their life by removing their head or shooting them or beating them to death because of their sexual orientation. The two groups are exactly alike. They use God to defend their violence, their set of narrow beliefs and will punish and subjugate anyone who doesn’t subscribe to their narrow belief structure.
In addition, people do live in fear in their neighborhoods, right here in the good old U.S.A., One example; because the Christian Right line up to mock and verbally and physically abuse people exercising their legal rights at abortion clinics. Now the Christian right may not believe in abortion but the law says women get to choose. Lining up to mock, verbally and physically abuse those people is scaring them all because they are not in compliance with what the religious right dictates.
Some Christians do live in fear of being assigned to Hell if they do not comport themselves as their leader so dictates. But oh yes, I forgot about the handy ‘get out of sin free card’ Christians have whereby you can commit all manner of sins, ask for forgiveness, be forgiven, start over clean, and then go out and commit all manner of sins again…..ask for forgiveness….etc…
6. The above piece doesn’t criticize all of Christiandom, it clearly says “the religious right”.
Responses in Bold
1. You state that poll after poll has the media saying they are liberals. While there are polls that state some (some not all)
VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE SCHOLARLY NON-PARTISAN HAVE CONFIRMED THIS – A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH WILL DEMONSTRATE THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN…
journalists are liberals it is a common straw man argument from your side of the aisle
NOW HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT SIDE OF THE AISLE I AM FROM… PERHAPS YOU ASSUME TOO MUCH EH? :-)
to equate liberalism with elitism.
IN THE MEDIA A.K.A NBC CBS ABC NPR ETC… EITHER YOU MISSED MY POINT OR I WAS NOT CLEAR… IN ANY CASE… THE ABOVE GROUPS ARE COMMONLY REFERRED TO IN THIS MANNER…
This is a non-argument. Being liberal or socially progressive doesn’t make one an elitist just as being republican or a conservative or a Christian rightist doesn’t automatically make one an idiot.
AGAIN, THIS REALLY DOESN’T HELP THE DISCUSSION DOES IT… I THINK THAT I HAVE BEEN FAIR AND EVEN TEMPERED IN MY DISCUSSION… LEVELING INSULTS HURTS YOUR POINT AND THOSE WHO WOULD SIDE WITH YOU NOT HELP…
If you want to have a cogent discussion in this regard then you’ll need to state, with examples, why you believe the media is elitist. And what is the media’s agenda, their master plan
NEVER SAID THERE WAS A KIND OF KIND OF VAST LEFT WING CONSPIRACY HERE… DEMOGRAPHICALLY THAT IS WHERE THEY FALL… FOR MORE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE CHECK OUT A LITTLE JOURNALISM SCHOOL CALLED: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY…
2. You indicate the days of the Christian Right are numbered. Who are silencing them and how?
FUNDAMENTALISM ANOTHER SYNONYM FOR “THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT” HAS BEEN ON THE WANE FOR THE LAST TWO DECADES… AND I MIGHT ADD THANKFULLY…
3. You want to know if I’ve heard pulpitspeak and where I get my information. No, Dreyfus, it isn’t from the evening news. Church websites, some conservative web sites, and You Tube have a multitude of sermons. That is where I get my information. My information is also received from people that I know, that are evangelical, who tell me what their leader says and how they believe it all. How same sex couples should be wiped from the earth etc….. (THIS IS DEPLORABLE)
STILL… HARDLY A SCHOLARLY WELL RESEARCHED EXAMPLE… ALL ANECDOTAL… DISTURBING BUT STILL ANECDOTAL…
4. J says: That some Christians would try and prohibit someone from serving in the government simply because of their sexual orientation is NOT mind numbingly stupid, it is reality.
D says: OKAY… I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU… SO ITS A MIND NUMBINGLY STUPID REALITY… NOT SURE WHAT YOUR POINT HERE WAS…
The point, Dreyfus, is that you said in your prior post “That [radical] “Christians” would try and prohibit someone from serving in government simply because of their sexual orientation is mind numbingly stupid…”
I am saying no that isn’t mind numbingly stupid to think that. The reality, Dreyfus, is that the Christian Right DOES try and prohibit someone from serving in Government simply because of their sexual orientation.
OKAY SOO…. I AM SYMPATHETIC TO YOUR CONCERN HERE AND I AM EVEN GOING A STEP FURTHER BY SAYING NOT ONLY IS IT A DEPLORABLE REALITY, BUT THOSE “CHRISTIANS” WHO SO THIS ARE ALSO MIND NUMBINGLY STUPID… I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE ON FROM THIS POINT…
5. I asked “How is the Christian Right’s use of God as the bludgeoning stick for their views any different than the Taliban’s use of God as theirs?”
Your answer is that the Taliban are more numerous more militant and more violent and that Christians don’t cut off someone’s head if they disagree with another Christian. Not the point Dreyfus. Both the Christian Right and the Taliban use God as a rallying cry to defend their violence. Violence is violence no matter if it is relieving someone of their life by removing their head or shooting them or beating them to death because of their sexual orientation. The two groups are exactly alike. They use God to defend their violence, their set of narrow beliefs and will punish and subjugate anyone who doesn’t subscribe to their narrow belief structure.
I AM NOT COMFORTABLE TO REDUCING YOUR POINT THIS NARROWLY… I GET WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, BUT IT STILL IS NOT AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON… WHILE THEY BOTH USE GOD, THE AMOUNT AND DEGREE OF VIOLENCE IS RADICALLY DIFFERENT – THE “RIGHT-WING CHRISTIANS PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THEIR VIEW OF GOG WILL NOT PERMIT THEM TO DO WHAT THE TALIBAN AND THEIR VIEW OF GOD WILL ALLOW THEM TO DO… IT STILL IS VERY DIFFERENT IN MY MIND… WE MAY NEVER AGREE ON THIS SORRY…
In addition, people do live in fear in their neighborhoods, right here in the good old U.S.A., One example; because the Christian Right line up to mock and verbally and physically abuse people exercising their legal rights at abortion clinics. Now the Christian right may not believe in abortion but the law says women get to choose. Lining up to mock, verbally and physically abuse those people is scaring them all because they are not in compliance with what the religious right dictates.
TRUE, THIS HAPPENS… HOWEVER AND AGAIN, THE NUMBER AND DEGREE OF INSTANCES WHERE THIS HAPPENS IS MINUSCULE IN COMPARISON. SHOULD IT HAPPEN I DON’T THINK SO… STILL AND AGAIN, IT IS N-0-T-H-I-N-G IN COMPARISON TO WHAT THE TALIBAN DO TO THEIR OWN PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES INTERNATIONALLY…. NOTHING…. TO EQUATE THE FAR RIGHT TO THEM IS NOT ONLY A GROSS, AND UNFAIR COMPARISON IS SIMPLY IS IRRESPONSIBLE.
ONE FINAL POINT HERE… THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO TRY TO STOP A THING BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THERE IS A KIND OF GENOCIDE AGAINST A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP(LAW OR NO LAW – FOR EXAMPLE IT WAS LEGAL TO DO TO THE JEWS WHAT THE GERMANS DID TO THEM…) I AM NOT SAYING I AGREE EXACTLY WITH THIS ARGUMENT, I JUST SAYING THAT IS THEIR MOTIVATION. THE TALIBAN ON THE OTHER HAND STONE OR BEAT THEIR WOMEN FOR MERELY SHOWING THEIR ANKLES, GUN DOWN SOMEONE IN THEIR COMMUNITY IF THEY APPEAR TO BE TOO WESTERNIZED…
THE COMPARISONS HERE ARE SIMPLY UNFAIR AND ANY THINKING PERSON WHO DRAWS THE COMPARISONS WOULD HAVE TO AGREE… SORRY AGAIN…
Some Christians do live in fear of being assigned to Hell if they do not comport themselves as their leader so dictates.
TRUE THEY ARE OUT THERE… HARDLY A SIGNIFICANT NOR RESPECTABLE GROUP IN TERMS OF REPRESENTING EVEN THE “FAR-RIGHT”
But oh yes, I forgot about the handy ‘get out of sin free card’ Christians have whereby you can commit all manner of sins, ask for forgiveness, be forgiven, start over clean, and then go out and commit all manner of sins again…..ask for forgiveness….etc…
AGAIN, I SUPPOSE THERE ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO DO THIS… THEY ARE CLEARLY WACKED IN THE ALMOST UNIVERSAL HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT SALVATION IS AND HOW IT IS ACHIEVED… YOU APPEAR TO BE GRASPING AT SMALL INSIGNIFICANT CHRISTIAN GROUPS WHO HAVE NEVER TYPIFIED THE DOMINANT CHRISTIAN CULTURE…
6. The above piece doesn’t criticize all of Christiandom, it clearly says “the religious right”.
THE ARTICLE SAYS THAT, BUT AS I INDICATED A COUPLE OF TIMES… THE POSTS ABOVE THROW ALL CHRISTIANS UNDER THE BUS… REGARDLESS, I STILL THINK THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE GROUP WE KNOW AS THE “CHRISTIAN RIGHT” {FOR ALL OF THEIR WACKINESS THAT I FREELY ADMIT TO) AND THE TALIBAN AS BEING UNFAIR, INACCURATE, AND NOT VERY HELPFUL IN THIS DISCUSSION… LETS STILL TO THE ISSUES INSTEAD OF DESCENDING INTO PLAYGROUND-LIKE-BEHAVIOR NAME CALLING.
LOOK IT IS MY IMPRESSION THAT YOU CLEARLY FEEL STRONG ABOUT THIS SUBJECT AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT… BUT BASED ON OUR UM… CONVERSATION I AM NOT SURE THEIR IS A GRINDING STONE OUT THERE BIG ENOUGH TO SATISFY THE AXE YOU HAVE AGAINST THE FAR RIGHT CHRISTIANS. I AM SINCERELY SORRY THAT SOME OF THEM, SAY AND DO THE THINGS THEY DO… I FIND THEM EMBARRASSING AS WELL AS SOMETIME DESTRUCTIVE TO OTHERS, AND HAVE SPOKEN (AND WRITTEN) OUT REPEATEDLY IN THE WORLD OF HIGHER EDUCATION, MY CURRENT PROFESSION AMONG OTHER VENUES… IT WOULD SEEM AS IF YOU PERSONALLY HAVE SUFFERED SOME KIND OF PERSONAL DAMAGE AND WITHOUT WANTING TO APPEAR PATRONIZING I AM TRULY SORRY ABOUT THAT TOO…
I GUESS MY OVERALL POINT IS THAT IT IS FAR BETTER TO ADDRESS PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS AND SPECIFIC GROUPS RATHER THAN CASTING A WIDE NET TO GET ONE’S POUND OF FLESH AND END UP ANGERING AND ALIENATING PEOPLE WHO WERE NEVER A PART OF THE ORIGINAL GROUP… AGAIN… JUST REREAD THE POSTS RELATED TO THIS ARTICLE… THE COMMENTS WERE HARDLY SURGICAL. INFLAMMATORY, INACCURATE AND INSENSITIVE COMMENTS FOR EITHER SIDE NEVER REALLY ADVANCE THE DISCUSSION NOR TO THEY HELP TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM…
IF YOU CHOOSE TO RESPOND TO THIS THAT’S FINE, BUT AT THIS POINT, I THINK IT BEST TO WITHDRAW FROM THIS DISCUSSION. I AM NOT SURE ANYTHING CONSTRUCTIVE CAN BE GAINED FROM THIS… BUT KNOW THIS… THE COMMENTS ABOVE AND YOUR COMMENTS SO FAR HAVE DONE VERY LITTLE TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICULAR CONCERNS… ANECDOTAL RHETORIC, ATTACKING AND BELITTLING TENDS TO CREATE THIS KIND OF AN OUTCOME… IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO CHANGE MY MIND, IT FAILED, NOT BECAUSE I AM HARD HEARTED, BUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE DISCUSSION. WHILE I TRULY DO SYMPATHIZE WITH THOSE WHO STRUGGLE WITH THESE ISSUES AS A WHOLE [AS DISCUSSED IN THIS ARTICLE], THIS “DISCUSSION” DID VERY LITTLE TO PUT A HUMAN FACE ON THE PROBLEM… REGARDLESS, I WILL CONTINUE STOUTLY DEFEND JUST AS VOCIFEROUSLY AGAINST THE “RELIGIOUS RIGHT” WHEN I HAVE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF THE ISSUE… BOTH SIDES NEED AND MUST TONE DOWN THE RHETORIC… SIGNING OFF…
SINCERELY… BEST WISHES
DREYFUS
Dreyfus,
by your arbitrarily announcing the discussion is over prevents one from having a meaningful discussion about these issues. It is not a debating, conversation, or discussion tactic but an abject dismissal not only of me but of my views. How does that further understanding on either side?