No contradiction

Thanks to my friend... Nonook of the frosty bum.

###

For your xmas entertainment...

Posted without comment

###

I wondered where Michelle Malkin got her leads...

... and I may have hit the motherlode.

"URGENT UPDATE on Connecticut Shooting

I believe our GOVERNMENT shot those kids and teachers and used Adam Lanza and his family to pull it off. They might have killed two birds with one stone. One: If these men are involved in the LIBOR scandal, they can manipulate their testimony. Two: they get gun control. How very, very clever and efficient of them, right? I hate to say it. I hate to put myself ‘out there’ with this because I KNOW how I will be attacked. But I don’t do this for anyone’s approval. I do it to help the American People."

Following the embedded links and the sidebar blogroll leads to even more bizarre discoveries. 

###

A paucity of sanity

Kooks, buffoons and dangerous idiots.

Vote or die?

Police: Gilbert wife runs over husband with SUV after fighting about Obama's re-election

I'm sure this is only because it's deer season.
Gun store's sales up 400 percent after President Obama re-elected

No worries about this guy buying any guns.
Obama's re-election drives Key West man to suicide, cops say

There is a large disturbance in the force with these people.

###

Full text, exactly as written

Dear Rep. Bachman, Rep. Franks, Rep. Gohmert, Rep. Rooney and Rep. Westmoreland:

The 42 undersigned religious, secular, interfaith, advocacy, legal and community organizations are united by our work to protect religious freedom for all. As such, we write to raise our voices in protest of your recent letters regarding prominent American Muslim individuals and organizations. These letters question the loyalty of faithful Americans based on nothing more than their religious affiliations and what is at best tenuous evidence of their associations. As such, your actions have serious implications for religious freedom and the health of our democracy.

In your open letters to the inspectors general of the Departments of State, Homeland Security, Defense, and Justice, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, you call for an investigation into individuals and organizations that you claim may have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. The basis for these claims comes primarily from reports by the Center for Security Policy, known for its consistently anti-Muslim agenda.

Those you accuse—including Ms. Huma Abedin and leaders of the Islamic Society of North America, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and Muslim Advocates—have long-standing histories of positive and committed work to strengthen the United States of America. Furthermore, we take offense to the implications of your actions for the American Muslim community as a whole, as you give momentum to "guilt by association" accusations and betray our foundational religious freedoms.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) spoke well of the vision of America jeopardized by your approach when he said: "When anyone, not least a member of Congress, launches specious and degrading attacks against fellow Americans on the basis of nothing more than fear of who they are and ignorance of what they stand for, it defames the spirit of our nation, and we all grow poorer because of it." More recently, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) provided a much-needed reminder about what religious freedom means in the United States: "…the First Amendment prohibits the government from making a distinction between what is a 'good religion' and what is a 'bad religion.'"

Far from supporting the safety of our country, these accusations distract us from examining legitimate threats using proven, evidence-based security strategies. Moreover, we know all too well the danger of casting suspicion on loyal and innocent Americans simply because they hold particular beliefs. We will not stand idly by and allow our country to revive federal investigations into innocent individuals based on their religious adherence. We will continue to speak out in support of people of all faiths and no faith, and the religious freedom of all Americans to practice—or choose not to practice—a religion without fear of criticism or suspicion.

Sincerely,

African American Ministers in Action
American Atheists
American Baptist Churches USA
American Civil Liberties Union
American Humanist Association
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Atheist Alliance of America
Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
Camp Quest
Catholics for Choice
Center for Inquiry
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada
Counselors Helping (South) Asians/Indians, Inc. (CHAI)
DignityUSA
Disciples Justice Action Network
Equal Partners in Faith
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations
Faith in Public Life
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Hindu American Foundation
Interfaith Alliance
Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers
NAACP
National Council of Jewish Women
New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good
People for the American Way
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office Of Public Witness
Rabbis for Human Rights-North America
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Secular Coalition for America
Secular Student Alliance
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
Society for Humanistic Judaism
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Church of Christ
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER)--

Will the reasonable remain silent?

Probably only a few who read this blog are Christian, and most of those would be reading only out of friendship. I think they know that I don't necessarily "hate" christians, but that I instead hold religion and religious belief in general in contempt. From my perspective the divisiveness, hatred, fear and bigotry we see rampant in the world today can be found rooted in pervasive religion. Religious dogma is established and gods created only when men can be wedged apart. 

My friends tell me that they still believe, but they only believe in the good stuff. The general tendency is to point at the other guy's religion as the bad seed. For some reason they reject the notion that every bit as much hatred and bigotry emanates from that King James on the bedside table as has ever oozed from a Qu'ran. There is nothing good about religion.

Right after 9-11 we started hearing it... "If there are moderate muslims, why don't they speak out about the extremism?" The Pam Gellers of the country still parrot that call. Christians, they say, are not like those evil Muslims. Christianity is a religion of peace and unity... Islam is a violent religion and one that drives wedges. Hmmm.

So now, after seeing "God's Chosen" rear their head in Alabama, I'll just sit here and wait to see how long it takes for the good, moderate christians to speak out.

I'm still waiting.

[No, the intent is not mockery. My point is that when good, non-bigot, loving people cling to the misguided notion that christianity is a passive religion, they are passively supporting people like these. These people are former Democrats who fled the party and now are very much involved in hard, right-wingnut Republican politics. When you do not denounce this, you enable it.] 

###

Novel excuse to get out of housework

Offered without comment.

###

H/T Jaunita

Contest

How many lies, distortions of the truth and points of outright hypocrisy can you count in this article?

WARNING: You'll need to take your shoes off... and then some.

###

Looney Toons apocalypse edition

So what else did your talking snake tell you?

From a couple weeks ago... Scientific American guest blogger Jessica Fostvedt, a Biology and Religious Studies graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, discusses Harold Camping and the reason humans fall for End of the World propheteers.

"Many neurologists have proposed the existence of a “God Spot”, a region of the brain linked to belief in the supernatural. Even though no such neural pathways were found that differed from those of non-believers, there is still much debate as to the origin of religion and its evolutionary significance."

###

So how are you spending the day?

...since it's your last.

###

God hates shrimp?

When I first saw this I thought the WBC loons had found new direction in life.


God Hates Shrimp

Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, mussels, all these are an abomination before the Lord, just as gays are an abomination. Why stop at protesting gay marriage? Bring all of God's law unto the heathens and the sodomites. We call upon all Christians to join the crusade against Long John Silver's and Red Lobster. Yea, even Popeye's shall be cleansed. The name of Bubba shall be anathema. We must stop the unbelievers from destroying the sanctity of our restaurants.

For more, visit the website HERE.

###

The Bible tells me so

Without comment...

###

Tuesday it was irony...

...today we have corn.

Parents call for boycott of Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls flavor

By Vidya Rao

Schweddy Balls ice cream is the latest in frozen threats facing your children, at least according to One Million Moms. The conservative organization, an offshoot of American Family Association, has called for a boycott of the newest Ben & Jerry’s flavor because they find it offensive.

For those who may not remember, the origin of this farce was Saturday Night Live. 

UPDATE: Oops! Juanita beat me to the draw!

###

Where Good Hair gets his money

This is a clip of Lou Engle of the International House of Prayer. Engle likens the American secular form of government to nazism. This is run of the mill stuff for Engle, who previously advocated for the criminalization of homosexuality and showed solidarity with Uganda while it was considering a bill that would make homosexuality a crime punishable by death. It should be noted that IHOP is one of the premier supporters of Good Hair's Prayer Fair.

From this particular soundbite, I find it difficult to understand the nazism comments. If that specter should at all be raised, Engle sounds rather more nazilike than a secular U.S. government.

"Can a homosexual have civil rights in America? They might. But it is not their right given by God. Their right is to repent and stand until Jesus delivers, and then the Church must go into war for them and get them free. Brothers and sisters, we made it two spheres: government has a sphere and God has a sphere. That’s what they did in Hitler’s day, they voted for money in economic crisis and they sacrificed the sanctity of life of the Jews. We do the same thing in America."

###

Verbatin

Holy kudzu! Vine in NC town said to resemble Jesus

KINSTON, N.C. (AP) — Some residents in an eastern North Carolina city say a patch of kudzu growing on a utility pole is more than an invasive vine. They see a likeness to Jesus Christ on the cross.

The Free Press of Kinston reports that people began noticing the growth last week.

Kent Hardison runs Ma's Hot Dog stand nearby. He says he was getting ready to spray it with herbicide until he noticed the resemblance.

Hardison and his customers think the vine can be seen as a symbolic reminder that God is watching over people.

But the likeness could also cause some problems. A University of Maryland biology professor says kudzu costs power companies about $1.5 million a year to repair damaged lines.

###

Why America is no longer exceptional

This is one of the more damning reports I believe I’ve ever read.

“81 percent of seniors from our top fifty-five colleges and universities failed a test of basic U.S. history questions drawn from a national exam designed for high school seniors.  Only 22 percent knew, for example, that the words “government of the people, by the people, for the people” came from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.  If most American youngsters don’t learn about their nation’s history in the K-12 years, they are unlikely ever to learn about it.”

From a History News Network article. Read the whole story HERE.

The sad part about this is we don’t seem to ever learn that putting dogmatists in charge of educational content contributes to the decline of understanding and knowledge. Judging from recent ballot victories, this might be just what the majority of Americans want.

The discussion in this report is about history, but social studies and science are also under dogmatist attack. Witness a recent opinion piece in Forbes, another in the Palm Beach Post, and some of the work coming from the Texas SBOE.

I'm sorry. The people who vote Republican want conservative, but that is not what they are getting. The Republican party long ago married itself to the "social" conservatives, and those now make up the vast majority of the biggoted dogmatists who have floated to the top of the right wingnut cesspool.

I'm all in favor of fiscal conservatism, but that goal will remain unachievable so long as these science deniers and historical revisionists remain in power. Their brand of "conservatism" more resembles the dream of the Taliban than that of the Founders of our nation. 

###

Absurdism illustrated

This story is splashed around the sphere, but for those who may visit this blog and not the others I felt it important enough to repeat.

Sully had a post yesterday with an embedded video depicting the vicious two on one assault and robbery of an openly gay man by a pair of homophobes. The video is of a news report and includes security camera footage of the beating.

That tattooed fellow right there at the end is a real piece of work… testimony to what the breeding of hatred with stupidity and hypocrisy can produce. Take a closer look...

The tat reads, “[Thou] shall not lie with a male as one does with a woman. It is an abomination. Leviticus 18:22.” Listening to the man make a selective reading of the Bible to justify brutal, criminal assault, and then proudly displaying his inked bicep can only be described as comical. This is especially true when considering what is written in the very next chapter of the same book:

"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:28"

Hemant says it best…

"Ah, suddenly it all becomes clear to me! He’s not an ignorant man clumsily using the Bible to support his prejudices! It’s a brilliant meta-joke, using delightful self-reference and blinding irony. Perhaps he’s gay himself and is using the tattoos to make a sharp-witted statement about the true meaning of morality, tolerance, and religion.

… judging by his TV interview, he hides his intellect well.

On a more serious note, I can’t think of a better way to illustrate the inconsistency involved when people cherry-pick passages of scripture.”

On a positive note the assailants were apprehended and will likely be plying their antisocial homophobia in a whole new arena in the very near future.

###

Governor Goodhair sure has Helen stirred up

And well she should be. Every Texan should be stirred up. The crap this Governor has elevated to emergency status is beyond imagination. 

Texas is facing a $27 billion budget shortfall, the balancing of which will inevitably cripple public schools, post secondary education, the ability of nursing homes to care for the elderly, and even of the highway department's ability to repair roads. The first budget proposal calls for cutting 9,600 state jobs, and will undoubtably to the loss of thousands more due to collateral damage to private sector industries and support services.

But this is not an emergency, according to Rick Perry. He just kind of brushes it aside and gives another speech railing against Washington excesses. Goodhair pretends the true emergencies in Texas don't exist, and that he and his wingnut cronies are not responsible for anything.

But what does Goodhair call an emergency deserving of the full and undivided attention of our state legislature? ...a bill requiring every woman seeking an abortion to view a sonogram of the fetus.

Helen does not understand. Texas is crumbling around our ears and Goodhair is only concerned with social issues. Read Helen's commentary HERE first, and be sure to read the comments. There are some doozies. Then read HERE where Helen addresses one of those comments. 

Priceless.

###

Those phoolish Phelps

Fred Phelps and his fiends friends of the Westboro Baptist Church plan to be in Tucson to picket the funerals of the six shooting victims from Saturday’s massacre. Phelps is claiming God dispatched Laughner to kill those at the political rally as retaliation.

His reasoning? It seems that just last month someone planed to direct a bit of the old ultra violence toward WBC members. The conspirator, U.S. Army veteran and double amputee Ryan Newell, was pissed at the group’s protests of military funerals. Newell, who has a recent history of some minor attacks on WBC folks, now faces felony conspiracy charges for loading his car with weapons with alleged intention of taking some of the loons out .

Phelps didn’t quit with just one justification for God’s wrath raining down on Tucson. He also claims that the death of a Federal Judge and shooting of a member of Congress was God’s retaliation on the Federal government for Congress’ recent passing of laws limiting WBC’s freedom to protest military funerals.

Tucson residents aren’t taking this threat lightly, and the Phelps crew won’t find much of a warm welcome when they show to protest the funeral of 9-year-old Christina Green. Angels will be there to meet them, and to shield mourners from even more trauma.

Bless them.

Additionally, the Arizona lege is moving at light speed to enact a law barring Phelps and his band of merry fools from doing that voodoo they do so well.

###