Denied
By Thomas JeffreyArticle Posted: Sunday December 3, 2006
The intolerant membership of the Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church have yet again met their match, with the leaders of the Three Affiliated Tribes passing a resolution that specifically targets the gay-bashing Christians, prevented them from carrying out their idiotic protests on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.
“We will not tolerate any harassment that is intended to provoke ill feelings and violence. We recognize and respect the right to free speech and the public’s right to assemble, but we want everyone to know that the Three Affiliated Tribes, as a sovereign tribal government, has the right to regulate any person or persons who harass and show disrespectful conduct towards our members, within our boundaries.” Marcus Wells Jr., chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes.
The group had planned to stage another one of their “God Hate Fags” love-ins at Saturday’s funeral of National Guard Corporal Nathan Goodiron, as known by his Native American name Young Eagle, who died in Afghanistan on Thanksgiving Day. But tribal leaders followed in the footsteps of many local committees and state governments who have also decided to put the kibosh on the church’s plans—moves that are increasingly isolating the group, as well as their message, of hate and intolerance.
Bible-thumpers beware, just like the Smirking POTUS and the Republican Party, the country has grown wise to your religious antics. It’s time for you to repent.
Source:
Tribe bans church protest at soldier’s funeral—CNN.com
Harris On The Record
By Thomas JeffreyArticle Posted: Monday September 4, 2006
Leave it to Katherine Harris, a political opportunist if there ever was one, to openly pander to the Republican Party’s religious base in an effort to garner votes and attempt to save her foundering US Senate campaign.
In an interview with the Florida Baptist Witness, the “weekly newspaper of the Florida Baptist State Convention,” Ms. Harris asserted that the political doctrine known as the separation of church and state is a “lie that we have been told” and warned that if “faithful” representatives are not elected into office, then our nation would suffer under the weight of “secular” laws.
Maintaining that both the Founding Fathers and God himself never intended for our nation’s government to be so divorced from religious influence, Representative Harris went on implore the faithful to become more involved in the political process so that they could “take back [the] country,” because, after all, “God chooses our rulers.”
My dear reader, forget about fighting religious extremism abroad, we’ve got a battlefield right here at home!
And after having already alienated all other religious faiths not of the Christian persuasion with her statements—and pissing off quite a few of her colleagues on The Hill as well—Ms Harris then choose to train her sights on the issue of homosexuality, exposing herself as completely devoid of knowledge as to what civil rights actually are, while revealing a deep-seated dislike towards gays that is on par with the Republican rank and file.
Responding to the question of whether or not she supported civil rights protections on the basis of sexual preference, Ms. Harris responded with the following:
“Civil rights have to do with individual rights and I don’t thing they apply to gay issues. I have not supported gay marriage and I do not support any civil rights actions with regard to homosexuality”
Continuing to express just what the bible-thumping residents of Rural Devout, USA, love to hear, Ms. Harris also expressed her personal belief that abortions should not permissible under any circumstance—including those cases involving rape, incest, or health of the mother—and, going on to hitting the trifecta, Florida’s former Secretary of State stated that she is “adamantly opposed to embryonic stem cell research.”
Now here’s something that this Leftwing Nutjob can’t figure out. Katherine Harris is probably one of the most on-message GOP candidates out there this election cycle, yet she has been completely kicked to the curb by her own Republican Party—ostensibly because they don’t want to support a doomed candidacy.
But if that were the case, then why is the GOP pumping large amounts of money into supporting buffoons like Rick Santorum, who is as much of an anchor on the party as Katherine Harris most certainly is. I guess it’s a case of the devil and the deep blue sea for the GOP, choosing to support only the candidates that clean up well for the camera.
Source:
Rep. Harris: Church-state separation ‘a lie’ – CNN.com
Harris tries to douse furor over remarks to Baptists – Orlando Sentinel
2006 Primary Election Special Report – Florida Baptist Witness
The pew and the ballot box
By Thomas JeffreyArticle Posted: Saturday February 18, 2006
Is nothing sacred?
Yesterday it was reported by the Greensboro News & Record that the North Carolina chapter of the Grand Old Party was pulling out of its political bag of tricks one of the most disgusting, iniquitous tactics from the 2004 campaign; the solicitation of church member’s directories.
The North Carolina Republican Party, just like every other GOP corner office in Rural Devout, USA, is gearing up for the 2006 Mid-term elections, organizing their base, prepping their candidates, and stumping for every vote they can get. But their requests for congregational lists from places of worship is not only getting a chilly reception from national religious leaders of all faiths, it is also being rebuked from the very local pastors and ministers in the tar heel state that they has hoped to persuade.
The Rev. Richard Byrd Jr. of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Greensboro said anyone who sent in a directory “would be betraying the trust of the membership,” and the Rev. Ken Massey of the city’s First Baptist Church said the request was “encroaching on sacred territory.”
Chris Mears, North Carolina GOP political director, sent out a memo earlier this month entitled “The Pew and the Ballot Box,” that requested from state churches their membership directories so that their congregations could be properly “educated” about the issues and registered to vote in the upcoming elections.
Mears’ political justification for the request included the statement ”[the] Republican National Committee has completed a study on grass-roots activity that reveals that people who regularly attend church usually vote Republican when they vote.”
I don’t know what disgusts me more; the fact that the GOP continues to utilize this reprehensible practice or that they openly defend it as a useful campaign tool. A place of worship is no place for politics, but I guess this kind of chicanery is not surprising for a political party that diligently works towards tearing down the long established wall between church and state.
And they call themselves strict constructionists.
Source:
In N.C., GOP Requests Church Directories – Washington Post
Rejecting the Religious Right
By Thomas JeffreyArticle Posted: Monday February 6, 2006
Episcopal priest and former Republican Senator John Danforth, who was once a force to be reckoned with within the Republican Party, has taken a stand against the what he believes to be the hijacking of his party by the Christian conservative movement, asserting that if the GOP doesn’t mend its ways soon, it will cost the the party dearly at the voting booth.
Mr. Danforth believes the over decade-long intimate relationship that the GOP has culled with evangelicals has converted his party into “the political arm of conservative Christians,” transforming much of the debate in this country into mean-spirited, ” us-versus-them, my-God-is-bigger-than-your-God,” rhetoric. The former Senator, whose disillusionment crystalized with the sideshow antics displayed by GOP party leaders during the Terri Schaivo case, firmly believes that the more religion is fused into politics, even if only short-term gain, will eventually backfire on everyone involved.
Not surprisingly, the former Republican Senator has been ostracized by the GOP faithful. Party leaders poo-poo Mr. Danforth’s comments, citing gains across the board in both House and Senate seats as proof that they truly are doing the Lord’s work. Others merely say that they are answering the call of middle America, who, like the late Ronald Reagan, want to see the country return to those halcyon days of ‘Leave it to Beaver’ and ‘Father Knows Best,’ where women stayed home and men wore brycream.
However, moderate Republicans welcome Dansforth’s comments, relieved to find that they aren’t all alone in their dismay over their party’s spin into piousness. But don’t look for these same moderates to be asserting their views too loudly; they are unfortunately in the minority and probably don’t relish the idea of presenting a proposal that runs counter to a political strategy that has brought the GOP much success.
But I see an opportunity here for the Democrats. Historically portrayed as less than god-like by the GOP, if they were to present a more restrained, less bombastic moral view to voters, perhaps utilizing someone like Bill Clinton or Barack Obama (whose “we worship a mighty God in the blue states” was well received) to help steal away the votes of disillusioned moderate Republicans, it could pay off in spades, religating this sad chapter in America politics to the bottom shelf.
Source:
‘St. Jack’ and the Bullies in the Pulpit – Washington Post
Regulating religious extremism
By Thomas JeffreyArticle Posted: Monday January 30, 2006
The readers of this blog as well as the listeners of my podcast know just how low I regard the clowns of the Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church (whose initals, WBS, also happen to be an acronym for ‘whata buncha shit’ – ed.). Now, in light of the continued antics by “Reverend” Fred Phelps’ and his ilk, 5 states are considering legislation that would place restrictions on the staging of protests by activist groups like the WBS at both funerals and memorial services.
For the uninitiated, the congregation of the WBS stages protests around the country at funeral services of fallen men and women who have been killed in action in Iraq. These wackjobs argue that these servicemen and women’s deaths were acts of an angry God who is punishing America for its tolerance of gays and lesbians. The group also points to the Hurricane Katrina disaster and well as the recent Sago mine tragedy as further proof of the Lord’s disapproval, even going so far as to stage a protest at the memorial service for the 12 West Virginia coal miners 2 weeks ago.
But now legislatures in Kansas (which already has a law on the books) as well as in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Oklahoma, are looking at adopting restrictions on funeral protests that would define when and where a protest can occur, as well as provide for stiff fines and prison for any violators.
And as expected, these threats against their god-given right to evangelize are not sitting well with the members of WBS, with the church’s attorney threatening legal action if the restrictions are adopted.
“Whatever they do would be unconstitutional. These aren’t private funerals; these are patriotic pep rallies. Our goal is to call America an abomination, to help the nation connect the dots. You turn this nation over to the fags and our soldiers come home in body bags.” – Shirley Phelps-Roper
As for this Leftwing Nutjob, who already has a dim view of right-wing Christian demagogues like Pat Robertson and Jerry Fallwell, I can’t help but wonder when the more moderate members of Rural Devout, USA will stand up and smite these clowns for hijacking their religion. We’ve already seen how Islamic fundamentalists have poisoned the world’s view of Islam; how much longer before Christianity suffers the same fate?
Source:
5 States Consider Bans On Protests at Funeral – Washington Post
Podcast #117
By Thomas JeffreyArticle Posted: Tuesday April 15, 2008
Leftwing Nutjob Podcast, Episode 117, for Sunday, April 13, 2008
Penn hits the bricks, Iran in the spotlight again, the Obama money machine, al Qaeda’s rising star and more!