409px-Duerer-PrayerThis prayercast was held yesterday………………………

 

The Family Research Council Action PAC just finished it’s spend 90-minute “prayercast,” an online event to pray for God’s intercession to get Senators to stop the health care bill, and it sure was interesting to watch.

Overall, the event provided a good look at the theocratic right, about which we’ll have more to write tomorrow. Guests included — either live, by phone, or on pre-recorded video — Sens. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Sam Brownback (R-KS), Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Randy Forbes (R-VA), Todd Akin (R-MO) and others.

But let’s start our review with one fun moment from tonight. At the beginning of the event, FRC president Tony Perkins and his co-host Lou Engle spoke of a stirring moment from the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Benjamin Franklin called for the feuding delegates to join together in prayer to God, and how “without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.”

“And you know what happened?” Perkins asked. “History records that they prayed.”

Actually, history records that they did not pray — and this has been a recurring myth of the American religious right that never goes away. As the Library of Congress says: “Franklin’s motion failed, ostensibly because the Convention had no funds to pay local clergymen to act as chaplains.”

We’ll have more tomorrow.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/religious-right-holds-prayercast-to-stop-health-care-bill.php

 

Now, I am not one to put religion down, to each his own, but how in hell do these people think praying to a merciful god would stop healthcare reform?  Are we not told to believe that God is merciful and only wants what is best for us?  If that is the case, how could a merciful God stop a healthcare bill that eventually could evolve in to the same type of coverage as every other civilized country in the world has now?  A commenter on the article posted this passage from the bible and since I am not real good with bible passages, I will use it:

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” (Rom. 13:1-2).

These people were praying to have God intervene in our healthcare debate because God does not want a government such as ours is now, basically saying they are all pagans.

If I believed in such a place as hell, I would say the gates are already open for these clowns.  Rachel Maddow also reported on this on her show tonite.  You gotta love Senator Sanders(see the video).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBTtv7nTYzY

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SueInCa
I am a soon to be 59 Nana to Anthony who is 11. I live in Benicia CA with my husband and Shih Tsu. I worked in Banking and the Financial Industry for 24 years in Fraud, Risk Management, Account Management, Program Management, Project Management and Customer Service. I was a Fraud Investigator for Credit Card and Merchant Business and investigated internal fraud and responded to Bank robberies. I was also management in most of these positions. Now I am content to find a part time job where I am just a worker bee, no more corporate BS for this gal. I also make jewelry. I can spend hours in a bead shop just touching all the fine baubles. Only another beader would understand that one.

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Pepe Lepew
Member

You know a scary thought?

If right-wing religious fundamentalists actually got everything they wanted. Wouldn’t America be a scary place?

Has anyone here ever read “The Handmaid’s Tale?”

AdLib
Admin

I have and I found life under the Bush Presidency too damn close.

Watching clips from that Prayercast, I did take some comfort in having Obama in the White House and these lunatics being shut out.

During the Bush admin, many of these wackos had regular teleconferences, meetings and input with them.

And people scratch their heads how America went off a cliff?

Scheherazade
Member

🙁

It’s been nice knowing you…

U.S. Christian Right Activists Pushing Death Penalty for Homosexuals in Poor African State
CAPE TOWN, Nov 11 (IPS) – The Anti-Homosexuality Bill under consideration in Uganda was sparked by a conference in Kampala earlier this year at which fundamentalist Christians from the U.S. identified homosexuality as a threat to “family values”.

The draconian law will institute the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” and criminalize human rights work.

Christopher Senyonjo, a retired Anglican bishop from Uganda, and Reverend Jide Macauley, from Nigeria’s House of Rainbow church, told IPS that a conference took place on March 5-7 this year, arranged by Stephen Langa, the director of a Ugandan fundamentalist Christian grouping called Family Life Network (FLN).

The FLN invited speakers attached to U.S.-based religious and “educational” organizations that propagate the idea that homosexuality is an “illness” that can be “cured”.

Changing values

The speakers were Don Schmierer, a board member at Exodus International; Scott Lively, president of Abiding Truth Ministries and author of a book that equates Nazism and homosexuality; and Caleb Lee Brundidge who works at the International Healing Foundation which ostensibly “cures” homosexuals.

“They told us all things are going wrong because the family is being neglected. Not having more children is one of the things that they said are going wrong. Homosexuality is a way of stopping us from having more children,” said Senyonjo.

If you finish reading that article you will see that people like me would soon be executed.

KevenSeven
Member

Direct that to any apologist for “Christianity” that you find.

nellie
Member

Rachel Maddow has been running segments on this all week. The Family — largely responsible for this twisted thinking in Uganda, apparently — has finally had the decency to speak out against it.

Scheherazade
Member

You know they wouldn’t have even worried with it had they not been under pressure to respond. That is the thing that upsets me the most about the way they look up the matter.

javaz
Member

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/18/dc-marriage/

Have you seen this yet?

“Marriage equality is now legal in the nation

KevenSeven
Member

We are only one turn of the screw away from the Religious Right forming Morality Brigades who would shoot down like rabid dogs women who dared dress provocatively.

And my life would be much poorer if women ceased to dress provocatively, so I say thank you but no thank you.

Emerald1943
Member

LOL! I’m getting ready to get dressed right now…and I will do so with you in mind, Keven! 🙂

KevenSeven
Member

I love having a fan club!

Emerald1943
Member

Hi Pepe! Good to see you! 🙂

That’s one reason that I have been violently opposed to Sarah Palin with her witch-doctor and bible-thumping. They would put Sarah “on the throne” where she would like to be, and the rest of us would be totally scrooo’d!

I don’t really believe she is all that religious though. I think she just uses it to connect with the rest of the loonies. I would be willing to put good money on her having LOTS of skeletons in her little closet…maybe a few affairs and a couple of other sex scandals? She ain’t “pure as the driven snow” as she would like us to think she is!

Pepe Lepew
Member

Seriously, if fundamentalist right-wing Christo-fanatics REALLY actually got what they wanted? If they really could get their wet dream wish list, what would you see?

(And granted, I don’t believe it will EVER come to this … this is just a nightmare scenario of what I think people like James Dobson or Fred Phelps would do if they really could … and thank goodness we have a Constitution that would never allow this.)

1) Of course, abortions would be illegal. No. 1 on the to-do list. All contraception would be banned, too.
2) Homosexuality banned. Homosexuals rounded up and put in “re-education” camps.
3) Sex outside of marriage banned, especially for women. Guys, they’d probably look the other way.
4) Islam banned. Muslims would be rounded up and/or deported. Probably wouldn’t be safe to be a Buddhist or even a Catholic, either.
5) The teaching of evolution and the Big Bang would be banned. In fact, physics, astronomy and biology in general wouldn’t be taught. Only Bible study and creationism in all the public schools. In fact, most libraries would probably be closed. No reason to read anything but the Bible.
6) Church attendance would be mandatory for all. Those refusing to attend church would be jailed.
7) Stem cell research? Forget it. Banned. MS and Alzheimer’s are God’s will.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, I think!

KevenSeven
Member

Female circumcision would make the list.

I, for one, worship the clitoris.

javaz
Member

Well, now, there was something about seeing this on the main page that captured my attention, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

(blushes)

KevenSeven
Member

Oh, I bet you can if you put your mind to it.

Hehehhehehhehe.

KevenSeven
Member

This is what people who claim to know the mind of god do.

There was a time, a wonderful time, not to long ago, when one’s religious convictions were a personal matter; about as likely to be discussed as what sexual acts one especially favored.

What the fuck happened to that perfectly civilized norm? Where did the religiously inclined get the idea that they have any right foist their delusions on the rest of us?

Seriously. There are millions of Americans who are convinced they are going to hell (and who am I to tell them different?) if they do not convince everyone else that their interpretations of the rantings of a bunch of bronze age peasants, who were hallucinating on spoiled meat as like as not, are the Word Of God.

What drivel. I want these simpletons to shut the hell up and leave me alone. I am a free-born American and a beneficiary of the Enlightenment. There is zero reason to believe in the existence of a god of any sort and I for one resent like hell the influence of the religious on the body politic.

And I also say, the hell with respect. I get none from them, I am not prepared to return the favor. I refuse to tolerate their intolerance. Those who want to practice their voodoo in private and not bother me with it will not learn of my low opinion of voodoo. Everybody happy.

Religious extremism is as much a hazard in the US as it is anywhere else in the world. I want none of it.

AdLib
Admin

What happened was Nixon’s campaign which began the process of cleaving the GOP to the Religious Right.

Once the religious extremists got a whiff of political influence, they were addicted and only wanted more and more.

I would think if Jesus came back today, he would end up being crucified by those claiming to be the most extreme and passionate Christians.

KevenSeven
Member

What happened was that a primitive and violent species developed a brain sufficiently large to cause it to ask, “where did all this come from?”

Now that we have been asking that question for 100k years, we are finally finding some answers.

The pity of it is that most of us refuse to let go of the answers cooked up by humans as ignorant as the Israelites of 6000 years ago.

Scheherazade
Member

I see there are many people here that I’ve not seen in some time. KQuark being one of them.

AdLib
Admin

I remember you from HP, wonderful to see you here.

Scheherazade
Member

Thank you kindly. 🙂

KevenSeven
Member

As an experienced businessman, I need to ask you: how did you find us here?

Scheherazade
Member

Word of mouth. 😉

KevenSeven
Member

Yes, but if you could be specific as to who told you of us?

Kalima
Admin

They should have named this travesty “Preycast.”

BigDogMom
Member
BigDogMom

“All in the name of Jesus”…one, (Jesus), which this group has created to suit their needs, that is so far from the actual man portrayed in the bible.

If the real Jesus walked the earth today, they would not recognize him and put him down as a socialist, commie, aarraabbb!

Your term “Preycast” is on the mark, these so-called religious Christians ‘prey’ on the fears of their followers and distort facts to fit their own goals.

Kalima
Admin

Sound just like Republicans, the fear factor.

javaz
Member

So, does this mean the people praying for divine intervention to help an ill loved one with health care, that their prayers are misplaced?
The religious reich in this country are not Christians, but selfish liars and hypocritical hate-mongers.

Here’s a prime example –

Chuck Norris wrote an article stating that the baby Jesus would have been aborted under Obamacare.

http://rawstory.com/2009/12/norris-obamacare-killed-jesus/

“”Norris ends his column with a sneak preview of his next column, entitled “Away With the Manger,” in which he promises to detail “how the feds are whitewashing America’s Judeo-Christian heritage via a progressive, politically correct and pro-Muslim platform.””

whatsthatsound
Member

Since most CINOs (Christians in name only) can’t even tell you all of the Ten Commandments, here’s a list they could probably be convinced come from the Big Guy Himself

Thou Shalt Not be a Communist or a Socialist
Thou Shalt Not Kill, Unless it Be-ith to Win Some Stupid War
Thou Shalt Not Vote For a Democrat, Whom I Loveth Not
Thou Shalt Observe the Sabbath, So that Thou Shall Be Able to Watch NASCAR, which I Holdeth in High Esteem
Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery; Indeed, Thou Shalt Not Even Act Like an Adult
Thou Shalt Bear Arms
etc,

KQµårk 死神
Member

😆 great one.

whatsthatsound
Member

Howdy, KQ, and thanks!

Bernard Marx
Member

LOL. Excellent, well done.

AdLib
Admin

Heh! 2 for 2! Loved it!

Pepe Lepew
Member

I’ve always thought it was interesting that for all the fundamentalists’ literal obsession with homosexuality …. that it is NOT a commandment.

Emerald1943
Member

The gentlemen do protest too much! LOL

Emerald1943
Member

LMAO! Good one! I’d “fan” you if I could! 🙂

whatsthatsound
Member

Our Senator, who art in Connecticut,
Lieberman be thy name;
Thy principles none, thy will be done
in the House as it is in the Senate
….

Emerald1943
Member

Now that was witty! LOL!

Khirad
Member

LOL!

Kalima
Admin

That is hilarious wts, sort of rolls off the tongue.

whatsthatsound
Member

doffs hat, to Kalima and Khirad and Emerald!

Kalima
Admin

Waves her brightly coloured, polka dot hanky out of her living room window.

Questinia
Member

Perfect!

BigDogMom
Member
BigDogMom

That’s wonderful…I am so embarrassed that this man is my senator…

AdLib
Admin

LOL! Brilliant WTS!

nellie
Member

Really brilliant, wts.

Kalima
Admin

When all is said and done, a Christian, a true Christian doesn’t ever pray for negative things, or winning a horse race, the lottery, a new car, tv or swimming pool. We pray for peace in the world, for an end to hunger and suffering, for a sick family member, friend or neigbour or for the strength to guide us through difficult times. What these people do in the name of Jesus is blasphemous against the very man they proclaim to believe in. God help them, no one else will.

KQµårk 死神
Member

So true Kalima.

Kalima
Admin

Good morning K, everything going as planned?

I sent an email to the other account, no rush.

Khirad
Member

Really? Benjamin Franklin? He’d be too lukewarm for these people (Biblical reference). Aren’t these the same people who freaked out when a Hindu gave the opening benediction once? This goes into the school prayer thing with me. The realities of a pluralistic nation have nothing to do with “doing away with God”. If they can, honestly, suggest that they’d be okay with the Gita, Qur’an, Bible, Talmud, Dhammapada, Tao Te Ching, etc. all being taught together in their kids’ schools and everyone participating in interfaith celebrations, that would be one thing. But this little exercise, and the method in which it is conducted (different religions pray different ways – though the less formal prayers are less distinguishable, the manner, when led, is discernible), no matter their exhortations that everyone is free to pray to their own god is bullshit.

By the way, was the New Zealand billboard already brought up? Even if so, it gave me a good chuckle:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091217/ap_on_re_as/as_new_zealand_church_billboard_1

KevenSeven
Member

These people say they are Christians, and who am I to argue?

I don’t know in what important ways these people differ from the Taliban.

Except of course that they are right here in America.

These people claim to know the mind of god. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

whatsthatsound
Member

Under the Taliban, women are prohibited from receiving an education.
Women are not allowed to leave home without wearing a burka.
Music, movies and TV, picnics, wedding parties et alia; no dice
Any violations of the above might get you stoned, hanged, or might cost you an arm and a leg, or at least a hand or a foot, literally.

As backwards as the Christian Right here are, they are not the Taliban, nor do I imagine they would ever reach that point. At least give them “credit” for setting up Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin (women in government? Outrageous!) as two of their most outspoken and high profile leaders.

KevenSeven
Member

There are plenty of equally reactionary “Christians” here in the US.

Replace science with creationism?
Shoot doctors. In church?
Deny gays equal rights?
Block scientific study of stem cells?
Hound the grieving survivors of KIA soldiers, at the funerals?
Demand profession of faith as a precondition to holding elected office?
Endless blather about the End of Days and direct efforts to encourage it and its genesis in Israel?

Palin was named to the ticket in a cynical attempt to attract PUMAs. Nothing more. Certainly not for her brains. I don’t give Deranged Christians credit for shit.

Here is a fact for you: The Deranged Religious Extremist exists everywhere, and everywhere are an existential hazard to civilization. This camel is attempting to stick its damp and snotty nose into the tent built by The Enlightenment, and once it gets a glimpse of what is inside, will tear down the tent.

Deranged Christians will begin shooting women in the streets for immodest dress shortly after we allow them another inch of our society. I fear and detest them.

Scheherazade
Member

Oh my gawd! Can it be? K7? My old boss who made me crawl on the floor on all fours and get him coffee? 😉 Hehe.

*MAJOR HUGS*

KevenSeven
Member

Indeed, welcome to my treefort.

Fix me a rubber band sandwich, and make it snappy!

Scheherazade
Member

*hands K7 a sandwich*

:beams:

KevenSeven
Member

And no damned smiley faces, either. They drive me nuts.

Scheherazade
Member

*innocent whistle*

boomer1949
Member

Okay everyone…my last comment of the day…

Just sent this to the Online Prayer Thingy so I can sleep tonight:

“Online Prayer Cast Inquiry:

Dear Judgmental Family Research Council:

How hypocritical of your organization to argue against health care reform. What would you have done if Jesus had walked past your dieing spouse, child, or parent? At one point in my life, I was involved and heavily influenced by individuals believing the same as you. Saddest part of my life. Why? Because I came to realize no one really cared about me, me the person, me. Nope, y’all just wanted to save my soul. Unfortunately none of you realized how evil you were. Nothing is worse than self-righteous, arrogant, and judgmental humans. Jesus would be so disappointed, so extremely disappointed. Shame, shame on you, your organization, and those you have seduced into believing your “Jim Jones Diatribe”. Grow up and get lives, Sweep your own doorsteps before you take your broom to your neighbor’s house”

I know…as I told Kalima a couple of days ago: I’m wound up tighter than Santa’s alarm clock.

Is it Saturday yet?

Kalima
Admin

You tell em boomer! Lot of bloody brainwashed, nasty hypocrites!

If it’s Saturday, I’ve missed most of my Friday.

boomer1949
Member

Kalima,

Oh no you haven’t. I just want to skip my Friday and wake up and have my tomorrow be Saturday 🙂 I need to sleep in.

Kalima
Admin

You are working, right?

Well good night then boomer, sweet dreams and be safe.

kesmarn
Admin

LOL. As Pepe said: you’re on fire!

boomer1949
Member

kesmarn,

Wouldn’t, couldn’t comment unless I’d been there, done that, and almost bought the tee shirt.

kesmarn
Admin

Just like one of my favorites: Frank Schaeffer!

seehowtheyrun
Member
seehowtheyrun

You’re on a roll Boomer.

Khirad
Member

You mean Jesus didn’t charge an arm and a leg for his miracles or raising Lazarus from the grave? He didn’t drive the money lenders INTO the temple?!

And yes, the coldness you speak of I experienced too. It was all so fake. In the end they just cared about the “points” they got from “saving” me. In one sense this was more than metaphorical – they actually got points for bringing people to church and even more for them accepting Jesus Christ – heck, I went through it, what the hell, I’ve also taken the Shahada, I hope they cancel each other out – if not that, well, my dabbling in Wicca would have done the trick. Needless to say, back to your point, they don’t actually care about you. I could rant on and on about this, but all you need to do is run out and rent the movie ‘Saved!’ – it’s all in there. Fortunately I never encountered anything as Fascistic as ‘Jesus Camp’, though I can easily imagine some of those places getting that radical. It’s all a matter of degree.

Pepe Lepew
Member