| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"johac" |
| Date: |
14 Dec 2007 01:48:13 AM |
| Object: |
GOP - God's Own Party |
Who's the biggest fundy of them all?
---
The GOP's race to represent God
December 13, 2007
A strange year, this. As Christmas casts its warm glow across much of
the land, a stubborn political freeze settles over Iowa. While GOP
presidential candidates continue what passes for campaign debate, they
seem agreed only that their fate rests with that 40 percent of Hawkeye
Republicans who claim the label ³Christian conservative.²
Mitt Romney, possibly feeling beleaguered after spending $6 million on
Iowa TV, delivered a nationally televised address aimed at proving he is
indeed a Christian while clinging to Mormon beliefs. He even has said
that Gideon Bibles provide his travel reading. But some who are working
those precincts for the Jan. 3 caucuses seem to have their own ideas of
what constitutes a Christian.
Meanwhile, the more centrist and temperate 60 percent of Iowa
Republicans must feel a mite wary upon learning that one of Romney's
ecclesiastic accusers Mike Huckabee of Arkansas has taken a polling
lead in their state. Huckabee, remember, was one of just three GOP
hopefuls who denied belief in evolution. He accepts without scientific
challenge that our Earth Grand Canyon and all is no more than 6,000
to 8,000 years old, its creation pretty much as described in the first
chapter of Genesis.
With equal certitude, Huckabee asks a college audience to believe that
his recent surge in Iowa opinion polls was ³the work of God.²
The image thus conveyed of celestial tabulators poring over party
registration lists in Dubuque seems innocuous enough. But last week
Huckabee's unquestioning faith was shown to have inspired an unfortunate
policy decision when he was governor of Arkansas. A virtual replay of
1988's ³Willie Horton² episode to wit:
An imprisoned rapist, one Wayne DuMond, persuaded then-Gov. Huckabee
that his born-again religious conversion while an inmate made him a safe
bet to rejoin society. Freed at the governor's urging, DuMond shortly
became a born-again rapist-killer, and he is back behind bars.
Other contenders have not escaped religious scrutiny. Several Catholic
prelates outside Iowa recommend denying sacraments to their church's
only entry in the GOP field, Rudy Giuliani because he's pro-choice on
abortion. Rivals otherwise seem to differ only on how many of the Seven
Deadly Sins they can pin on Rudy.
Arizona Sen. John McCain may feel reasonably safe from persecution. His
Episcopal faith was once facetiously described as the ³Republican Party
at Prayer,² though that has been of scant help to McCain in the
standings.
So much religious talk in a campaign for president seems strangely
outdated. It's almost as if these fellows were vying for a spot in the
Holy Trinity, not to lead a nation supposedly free of sectarian tests.
It's a reminder of arguments over how many angels could dance on the
head of a pin.
I may seriously misjudge the mood of those conservative Christian
voters. But I think they are people who play close attention to what's
happening around them. Surely some are troubled by a succession of
events likely to stir those easily jolted juices of the Republican
right, though ignored by campaigners.
Like ³dirty books,² as they're commonly called. A decade after it banned
salacious magazines, the Pentagon has re-approved Penthouse along with
Playboy for sale at PX stands and Navy stores.
Remember the Don Imus brouhaha earlier this year? The foul-mouthed
broadcast host, who hailed the near-champion Rutgers women's basketball
team as ³nappy-headed hos,² is back on the air, And try as she might,
TV's celebrated interviewer, Barbara Walters, could not coax Imus to
sound contrite.
Meanwhile, has no one been keeping an eye on the courts? Citing
overcrowded prisons, federal judges say they plan to release up to
20,000 inmates sentenced on drug offenses. Setting a passel of potheads
scot-free, that's what.
Richard Roberts, president of Oklahoma's Oral Roberts University and son
of its televangelist founder, found a strange way of dealing with
mounting debt. He went on a personal shopping spree that included a
single day's $37,000 tab at a Tulsa department store. Roberts says God,
no less, advised him not to contest his dismissal, quoting the
Almighty's very words: ³You live in a litigious society.²
And what to do about San Francisco? Mayor Gavin Newsom admitted to an
amorous affair with an office staffer, the wife of his campaign manager.
City-county supervisors thereafter passed a resolution proclaiming
office romances to be unavoidable and therefore OK.
Under the baroque dome of San Francisco's City Hall, from now on,
foreplay is fair play.
Folks aren't like that in Iowa, no siree.
Van Deerlin represented a San Diego County district in Congress for 18
years.
---
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071213/news_lz1e13vandeer.html
--
John #1782
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| User: "Uncle Vic" |
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| Title: Re: GOP - God's Own Party |
14 Dec 2007 02:00:11 AM |
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One fine day in alt.atheism, johac <jhachmann@remove.sbcglobal.net>
bloodied us up with this:
A strange year, this. As Christmas casts its warm glow across much of
the land, a stubborn political freeze settles over Iowa. While GOP
presidential candidates continue what passes for campaign debate, they
seem agreed only that their fate rests with that 40 percent of Hawkeye
Republicans who claim the label üChristian conservative.ý
Mitt Romney, possibly feeling beleaguered after spending $6 million on
Iowa TV, delivered a nationally televised address aimed at proving he is
indeed a Christian while clinging to Mormon beliefs. He even has said
that Gideon Bibles provide his travel reading. But some who are working
those precincts for the Jan. 3 caucuses seem to have their own ideas of
what constitutes a Christian.
Meanwhile, the more centrist and temperate 60 percent of Iowa
Republicans must feel a mite wary upon learning that one of Romney's
ecclesiastic accusers ð Mike Huckabee of Arkansas ð has taken a polling
lead in their state. Huckabee, remember, was one of just three GOP
hopefuls who denied belief in evolution. He accepts without scientific
challenge that our Earth ð Grand Canyon and all ð is no more than 6,000
to 8,000 years old, its creation pretty much as described in the first
chapter of Genesis.
But what do the Dems have in their arsenal to counter this attack? If I
vote at all next year, it will be for Mickey Mouse. Unless we get lucky
and someone convinces Al Gore to step up to the plate.
--
Uncle Vic
aa Atheist #2011
Supervisor, EAC Department of little adhesive-backed "L" shaped
chrome-plastic doo-dads to add feet to Jesus fish department.
Convicted by Earthquack.
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: GOP - God's Own Party |
15 Dec 2007 12:42:02 AM |
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In article <Xns9A061726843vicman@207.115.17.102>,
Uncle Vic <address@withheld.com> wrote:
One fine day in alt.atheism, johac <jhachmann@remove.sbcglobal.net>
bloodied us up with this:
A strange year, this. As Christmas casts its warm glow across much of
the land, a stubborn political freeze settles over Iowa. While GOP
presidential candidates continue what passes for campaign debate, they
seem agreed only that their fate rests with that 40 percent of Hawkeye
Republicans who claim the label üChristian conservative.ý
Mitt Romney, possibly feeling beleaguered after spending $6 million on
Iowa TV, delivered a nationally televised address aimed at proving he is
indeed a Christian while clinging to Mormon beliefs. He even has said
that Gideon Bibles provide his travel reading. But some who are working
those precincts for the Jan. 3 caucuses seem to have their own ideas of
what constitutes a Christian.
Meanwhile, the more centrist and temperate 60 percent of Iowa
Republicans must feel a mite wary upon learning that one of Romney's
ecclesiastic accusers ð Mike Huckabee of Arkansas ð has taken a polling
lead in their state. Huckabee, remember, was one of just three GOP
hopefuls who denied belief in evolution. He accepts without scientific
challenge that our Earth ð Grand Canyon and all ð is no more than 6,000
to 8,000 years old, its creation pretty much as described in the first
chapter of Genesis.
But what do the Dems have in their arsenal to counter this attack? If I
vote at all next year, it will be for Mickey Mouse. Unless we get lucky
and someone convinces Al Gore to step up to the plate.
I wish Gore would run too, but if he doesn't. what to do? I don't think
that this country could stand another four or eight years of neocon
theocrat rule. I looks like a Hobson's choice to me.
--
John #1782
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| User: "Geoff" |
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| Title: Re: GOP - God's Own Party |
14 Dec 2007 08:14:39 AM |
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Uncle Vic wrote:
But what do the Dems have in their arsenal to counter this attack?
I hate that they are pandering too.
If I vote at all next year, it will be for Mickey Mouse. Unless we
get lucky and someone convinces Al Gore to step up to the plate.
Right on, brother.
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