Pantophobia Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/11/20/why-is-this-georgia-towns-chief-of-police-using-the-departments-facebook-page-to-preach-christianity/This is just one more thing in a long line of things that has me royally pissed off. I am so fucking sick of Christianity being inserted in every aspect of political and government life when IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. The Tea Baggers were just shrieking about how Obama didn't include "under God" in the version of the Gettysburg Address that he read, when actually, those words weren't in the original draft. We should not have "In God We Trust" on our money (which is fucked up for a number of reasons.) Lawmakers should never, ever EVER be able to defend their legal decisions with bible verses any more than they should be able to defend them with any other religious text. We should not have "under God" in the pledge. We should not be opening State and National events with "a moment of prayer." We should not be sworn in on bibles. There is no single rational person who should, for a SECOND, think that prayer, bibles and creationism should be taught in public schools. This is the garbage touted by people claiming to be "patriots" and frankly this shit is ridiculous. Why is Christianity given such a free pass in Murrica? Anyone who has spent five minutes of history should know that NO, the country was NOT founded on Christianity. There are tons of quotes from the founding fathers asserting that very thing. They never ever ever mention Jesus. The Puritans came here to escape the same kind of showy Christianity we see now touted as "American!1!" We've discussed the American Christian persecution complex elsewhere, but really, enough is enough. Christians can wear their fucking crosses and t-shirts. They can go to their churches and pray openly in public. They can celebrate their holidays however they want. They can buy religious crap in every fucking Super-Mart store. Christians and Christianity is portrayed in every aspect of mainstream American entertainment and media. But oh no, that isn't enough. The fact that they can be outraged about the Taliban, but not see that Christianity in America is the exact same thing is beyond hypocritical. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator buffettphan Posted November 21, 2013 Super Moderator Share Posted November 21, 2013 Totally agree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted November 21, 2013 Super Moderator Share Posted November 21, 2013 Uh,this is a Christian nation, founded directly upon Jesus. Ask any Fundy. The right wing has divested itself of its last remaining bit of dignity or morality and blatantly pandered to the large contingent of Christian nutjobs we are cursed with. It worked. The rest is history. Just as the left panders to illegals, minorities and welfare recipients, both political camps do and say whatever might get them votes from their target group of uninformed voters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryG Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Uh,this is a Christian nation, founded directly upon Jesus. Ask any Fundy. The right wing has divested itself of its last remaining bit of dignity or morality and blatantly pandered to the large contingent of Christian nutjobs we are cursed with. It worked. The rest is history. Just as the left panders to illegals, minorities and welfare recipients, both political camps do and say whatever might get them votes from their target group of uninformed voters. What's even stranger re this right-wing pandering is that the Republican party appears to have sold its soul to christian fundies for nothing. Right now, with the Obama presidency falling apart, the Rs could be setting themselves up for huge electoral victories based on "It's the economy, stupid" or on reasonable opposition to the progressive agenda. Instead, people look at them and all they see are anti-abortion, prayer-in-schools, creation-pushing, women-should-be-barefoot-and-pregnant nutjobs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator TheRedneckProfessor Posted November 21, 2013 Super Moderator Share Posted November 21, 2013 There's more wrong with our government and our society than just religion; but I do wholeheartedly concur with your rant. I'm hoping this current migration toward fundamentalism is indicative of the christian religion experiencing internal and external pressure, and that we skeptics can capitalize on the opportunities presented. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted November 21, 2013 Super Moderator Share Posted November 21, 2013 What's even stranger re this right-wing pandering is that the Republican party appears to have sold its soul to christian fundies for nothing. I agree, but it's too late. Religion now controls that party and its spinoffs. We now have a choice between Right Thinking God Fearing Republicans or the Baby Killing Welfare Loving Socialist Democrats. Normal people don't want either one, but politics isn't about "normal." It's about divide and conquer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantophobia Posted November 21, 2013 Author Share Posted November 21, 2013 And that's the problem, it's turned us into a binary of extremes, instead of finding a democratic balance for the majority. The Christian right will not accept ANYTHING other than their way, 100%. Why? Because blah blah blah Jeebus. Sorry to just blow up like this, but I can't say this shit on FB, and I am so pissed and frustrated, as a citizen, as an activist, as a woman, as a human, and, yes, as a non-Christian. How can these screaming disregards for the Constitution be acceptable? How are our leaders not going, "Uh, this isn't legal, actually?" and it being done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Personally I think religion is the least of our problems right now. We as Americans are rapidly being turned into indentured slaves by the collective powers of corporations, central bankers and government - Christians and atheists, republicans and democrats alike. At the moment, Christians are the least of my worries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantophobia Posted November 22, 2013 Author Share Posted November 22, 2013 That's the thing, Mike D. It's all baked into this marble cake of jingoism, and a huge part of the problem is the Christians (who, admittedly, are the crux of the Republican party as well as just a huge vocal population in America, are able to somehow reconcile corporate greed, and, especially, all but criminalizing poverty whilst cutting food stamps, benefits, wages, and pretty much 1) anything that would help people get out of poverty in the first place and 2) is diametrically OPPOSED to "what would Jesus do." How people can claim they are Christian and pro-family, and yet advocate that someone working a shit job at Wal-Mart should "quit whining" about having to work on Thanksgiving? How can people claim that they've read the bible story about the loaves and the fishes, and then turn around and say crappy things about people struggling with food stamps? How can you be anti-abortion because supposedly it's "killing," yet be pro-war? How is it possible that Christians manage to hold all these opposing ideas in their heads, and yet comprehending things like evolution and the Big Bang are beyond them?! It's like The Emperor's New Clothes or something. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybaris Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 That's the thing, Mike D. It's all baked into this marble cake of jingoism, and a huge part of the problem is the Christians (who, admittedly, is the crux of the Republican party as well as just a huge vocal population in America, is able to somehow reconcile corporate greed, and, especially, all but criminalizing poverty whilst cutting food stamps, benefits, wages, and pretty much 1) anything that would help people get out of poverty in the first place and 2) is diametrically OPPOSED to "what would Jesus do." How people can claim they are Christian and pro-family, and yet advocate that someone working a shit job at Wal-Mart should "quit whining" about having to work on Thanksgiving? How can people claim that they've read the bible story about the loaves and the fishes, and then turn around and say crappy things about people struggling with food stamps? How can you be anti-abortion because supposedly it's "killing," yet be pro-war? How is it possible that Christians manage to hold all these opposing ideas in their heads, and yet comprehending things like evolution and the Big Bang are beyond them?! It's like The Emperor's New Clothes or something. Was Jesus a socialist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geezer Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 I agree that Christianity has had an enormous influence when it comes to the creation and enforcement of a lot of our laws. Christianity continues to influence morality in the U.S. What society accepts as moral is clearly changing but Christianity still has significant influence on determining what is and is not “moral”. I’m uncertain why people think the doctrine of separation of Church and State is explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution because it just ain’t there. It is implied and the Supreme Court eventually adopted that position but it isn’t a law. If my de-conversion experience is anywhere close to what might possibly be classified as normal then I think, at least for those of us who were born again Christian fundamentalists, rethinking our political views and beliefs is somewhere towards the end of our list of stuff we have had to deal with. I am in that stage now. I dealt with the rest of the de-conversion stuff and now I am investigation my political thinking. So far I have transitioned from Tea Party sympathizer, Rush Limbaugh listener to moderate middle of the road leaning left independent. On social issues I am a full blown liberal now. Once I shed Jesus that was a relatively easy transition, but I still tend to be conservation when it comes to fiscal issues. I am still a work in progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted November 22, 2013 Super Moderator Share Posted November 22, 2013 Interesting read on the separation clause: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/estabinto.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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