Why American Politics is so much fun right now, part #234: "The Filibuster Against People of Faith"

Democrats, for their part, are already stepping up their efforts to link Dr. Frist and the rule change with conservatives statements about unaccountable judges hostile to faith.
Bullshit they are. I'm not seeing shit from the Democrats. Buncha spineless fucks. And why aren't non fundy-religious Republicans more vocal & pissed off? God damn, this all just drains my energy.

since the feeling of persecution is rather central to their mindset, they'd probably be bolstered by this fact.

ex-fuckin'-zactly, and that's what I meant about "incredibly dangerous."

one hopes that they actually have contingency plans for when things do finally go to hell and teh Repubs do seomthing like shut down the gubmint again, etc.

Except that it would be bad, because the Republicans would have no trouble at all spinning that to their advantage.

and of course, Democratic leadership doesn't even notice, and is nowhere to be found. I have hopes for Dean as party chairman, but they really need to get off their asses and reclaim religious rhetoric for the left (of which there are bazillions of historical examples)

The language comparing this to racial bias is nothing new, though, and isn't aimed at black ears. The right has spent a very long time trying to frame its pet issues as equivalent to black civil rights (as has nearly everyone else in the country) -- cf Bush's debate answer implicitly comparing Roe v. Wade to Dredd Scott.

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In the hierarchy of my wife's family, who are all rock-solid Clinton-hating conservatives, I have been informed that my standing as the token Commie Pinko puts me one significant rung above my wife's sister-in-law, who is the token Holy Roller.

well, that is true enough (about time running out for "white america"). however, their hopes are pinned on latinos -- and, not coincidentally, the evangelicals have been recruiting like crazy in latin america.

latinos are "the other white meat" on the jesus freaks' plates.

http://cghs.dade.k12.fl.us/holocaust/cartoon.jpg

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also, i did go see Jim Wallis' appearance at the First Baptist Church in Portland last night, as part of his book tour for _God's Politics_. The dude had a LOT of interesting and useful things to say...

But the Bible says that Jesus Himself will come as a thief in the night!

* "ham" as in the son of noah who saw noah while drunk and naked and ergo cursed by noah and god, not "ham" as in the foodstuff.

Jim Wallis
Thursday the 14th, 7:30PM First Baptist Church

Since when did believing in God and having moral values make you pro-war, pro-rich, and pro-Republican? And since when did promoting and pursuing a progressive social agenda with a concern for economic security, health care, and educational opportunity mean you had to put faith in God aside? God's Politics offers a clarion call to make both our religious communities and our government pro-justice, pro-peace, pro-environment, pro-equality, pro-consistent ethic of life (beyond single-issue voting), and pro-family (without making scapegoats of single mothers or gays and lesbians). Jim Wallis inspires us to hold our political leaders and policies accountable by integrating our deepest moral convictions into our nation's public life. Please note: This free event takes place at the First Baptist Church, corners of 12th and Taylor St., downtown Portland.

here's a summation from his Seattle appearance:

...A standing-room crowd of 900 heard traveling evangelical speaker Jim Wallis give an "altar call" for the religious left to engage in politics.

The night before, an estimated 1,000 heard Wallis deliver the same message at Seattle's University Temple Church. The night before that, 700 came out to St. Leo's Catholic Church in Tacoma.

"Something is happening here!" Wallis exclaimed at the size of the crowds. "The monologue of the religious right is finally over and a new dialogue has begun."

Wallis' main point is in the title of his top-selling new book: "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It." Republicans have seduced religious conservatives to serve a political agenda that doesn't square with Jesus' teachings. And Democrats have an "allergy to spirituality" and can't talk about faith and values at all.

"The worst mistake progressives made was to concede the territory of religion and values to the right," Wallis said.

He says America's future is about moral values — only not abortion and gay marriage. Liberals ought to be proud to invoke the Bible to push for peace, economic justice and environmentalism...

Jim Wallis helps run Sojouners: http://www.sojo.net/ a group out of Washington DC. "Christians for Justice & Peace". their front page has bits on calling for support for family farms and efforts to end sprawl...

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Jim Wallis _was_ on the Daily Show. he talked about it last night, too, about how John came to the dressing room before the show with specific questions about the book. "You could tell John actually read the whole thing; the questions about bits from near the end of the book."

Carter: Rich States 'Don't Give a Damn' About Poor
Thu Apr 14, 4:53 PM ET Top Stories - Reuters

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Thursday harshly criticized his own country and other wealthy states for being stingy with foreign aid and said in rich countries "We really don't give a damn."

In a speech to a human rights conference in Atlanta, Carter said increasing financial assistance was critical to battling malaria, AIDS and other common diseases that disproportionately affect the poorest parts of the world.

"Unfortunately, in the rich countries like ours, we really don't give a damn," said Carter, who was president from 1977 to 1981 and who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

He especially criticized the United States for failing to follow other Western nations which are increasing spending...

My Christian father, with his liberal hermeneutic and often liberal politics, is pretty laughable: "I think I can tell the difference between what's cultural and what isn't" (in interpreting the Bible). Still stuck on traditional sex morality, but anti-capital punishment, etc. No, dad, it's just you and your generation, and your own take on things. Why does Christ not make his will more clearly known to all these Christians supposedly running around with His spirit in them?

what are you talking about? why is it an impossible gulf to cross between "giving a fuck about the poor, the hungry, the sick" to "enacting policy to help with the poor, the hungry, the sick"?

but yeah, true, there's isn't much so specific about how to make a functioning democracy, but if it sets up a system of ethics & principles, such things can suggest policy. as Jim Wallis said last night, "Budgets are moral documents."

It would be a bizarre historical turnaround in the U.S.A., and a break from the founding principles of the country; why is it that so few have the courage to speak up vehemently against it?

A lot of Jesus' teachings can't reasonably* be translated into government policy. I don't believe you could possibly have a completely turn-the-other cheek state, for instance.

The teachings on feeding the poor and other social issues of that sort can be taken as inspiration for government policy, but I don't believe there's anything that would really commit a Christian to seeing that as government's role rather than the Christian community's role.

But not too many Christians of any stipe are coming close to living up to Jesus' personal ethic which is pretty radical (and I think the evidence is that it was based on false apocalyptic expectations).

*You can call that a weasel word, but throughout most of history, a state that had a turn the other cheek policy would quickly have been swallowed up by a local aggressor, and maybe that would happen today as well.

(also "thall shalt not horn in on thy neighbors racket", I think that's somewhere in the back. )

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Ostensibly, in a democracy the people ARE the government. Ergo, it is a Christian's responsibility to participate and maintain the public welfare. There was PLENTY of this thinking in Puritan/Colonial America - see Roger Williams, William Penn, many others. The American Protestants had more than just a work ethic, they were also intensely civic-minded, it was a Christian duty to be responsible citizen. There is a rich tradition of this school of thought in America, but current fundie thinking is more adversarial and apocalyptic (ie, inclined to see the gov't as "the enemy" rather than an extension of a Christian community. See poster that started this thread).

why should that stop a Christian? the aggressor's going to Hell, yr going to heaven cuz you're saved. There's this thing called martyrdom... I mean I see your point about political expediency, but the counterpoint is that there is a tradition in Christianity where expediency is beside the point, where doing what is moral and what will guarantee salvation is important (still, theologian alert: possible digression into "works" vs "faith" here...)

sorry, typing fast...

JESUS HATES YOU FASCIST FUCKS, MONEYCHANGERS TEMPLE.

FUCK YOU AND FUCK THE RAPING OF MY FAITH

depends on the person. most people want their neighborhoods, their societies & their goverments to reflect the things they feel important.

heh. to quote Wallis again, "faith-based groups can't provide health insurance to the 53 million folks who need it. we need responsibility from all parts of society to take care of things how they can."

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oh yeah - country that firmly disproves this theory: pacifist nation Costa Rica.