Monday, June 27, 2011
When God Talks to Politicians
President McKinley knelt in prayer over the decision to invade the Philippines and the Voice of God told him it was his DUTY to civilize those sinful savages and now Michelle Bachmann has it STRAIGHT from God through prayer that she should be president! The little voice in her head has spoken. I feel reassured.
Now let us imagine there was some culture where EVERYONE was very religious and prayed about every life decision. Therefore everyone who got it into their heads to be a movie star or a rock star would pray to the Lord Almighty and, guess what, that little voice in their head would say YES the Lord wants YOU to be a star. This is why all the religious sports stars kneel in thanks to Jesus after every touchdown or home run because of course, in addition to all the starving children and suffering animals in the world and all the wars and disease and crime, Jesus REALLY wants those religious athletes to score big time.
For my next trick: I have here before me "The American Spirit" (Bailey Vol 1. Card# 63-9701, 1963) which is a collection of original documents arranged to illustrate American history. Page 27, CONFORMITY IN THE BAY COLONY: Anne Hutchinson is Banished (1637) - The powerful Massachusetts Bay Colony soon became a Bible Commonwealth, centered at Boston, and the clergymen who dominated it could not permit heretics to undermine their authority. Mistress Anne Hutchinson, who bore her husband FOURTEEN CHILDREN, was a kindly woman of nimble wit and even more nimble tongue. Gathering at her home a select group, she would review and even reinterpret the ministers' sermons in the light of her own brand of Calvinism. Haled before the General Court, she was subjected to a rigid cross-examination. The case against her seemed to be breaking down when her voluble tongue revealed that she was IN DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH GOD - a heresy that the religious leaders could not tolerate. From this record of the Court, form relevant conclusions as to the Puritan way of thinking, and as to the justice or injustice of these proceedings. [Anne Hutchinson] Therefore take heed what ye go about to do unto me. You have power over my body, but the Lord Jesus hath power over my body AND SOUL; neither can you do me any harm, for I am in the hands of the eternal Jehovah, my Saviour. I am at his appointment for the bounds of my habitation are cast in Heaven, and no further do I esteem of any mortal man than creatures in his hand. I fear none but the great Jehovah, which hath FORETOLD ME of these things, and I do verily believe that he will deliver me out of your hands. Therefore take heed how you proceed against me; for I know that for this you go about to do to me, God will ruin you and your posterity, and this whole state. [Mr. Nowell] How do you know that it was od that did reveal these things to you and not Satan? [Mrs. Hutchinson] How did Abraham know that it was God that bid him offer [sacrifice] his son, being a breach of the sixth commandment?
[later in the text, the conclusion of the court] Governor Winthrop: The Court hath already declared themselves satisfied concerning the things you hear, and concerning the troublesomeness of her spirit, and the DANGER of her course amongst us, which is not to be suffered. THEREFORE, if it be the mind of the Court that Mrs. Hutchinson, for these things that appear before us, is UNFIT for our society, and if it be the mind of the Court that she shall be BANISHED out of our liberties, and imprisoned until she be sent away, let them hold up their hands. [All but THREE held up their hands]
Erik: William, you don't actually believe that the decision to engage in the Spanish-American war was a momentary whimsy of a God-nut, do you? Please tell me that you 'Remember the Maine.' William:
I am making a perfectly reasonable argument based upon well known facts. I seriously doubt that Bachmann SINCERELY believes that a little voice of God spoke in her head, that "still, small voice" that the prophet heard, BUT I think that she thinks it is politically expedient to say such a thing to appease the drooling Bible-belt masses. The journalist who interviewed her this morning on television (where she spoke of God's voice) also confronted her with some of her past statements which appear questionable and in some instances false. So, IF Bachmann really thinks that God is telling her to be president then this disqualifies her from office but IF she is LYING about her supernatural experience to gain Bible-belt votes then that too disqualifies her.
I am making a perfectly reasonable argument based upon well known facts. I seriously doubt that Bachmann SINCERELY believes that a little voice of God spoke in her head, that "still, small voice" that the prophet heard, BUT I think that she thinks it is politically expedient to say such a thing to appease the drooling Bible-belt masses. The journalist who interviewed her this morning on television (where she spoke of God's voice) also confronted her with some of her past statements which appear questionable and in some instances false. So, IF Bachmann really thinks that God is telling her to be president then this disqualifies her from office but IF she is LYING about her supernatural experience to gain Bible-belt votes then that too disqualifies her.
Erik: What "well known facts"? That McKinley "knelt in prayer over the decision to invade the Philippines and the Voice of God told him it was his DUTY to civilize those sinful" Catholics? Really? William: Erik, yes, really, and my wife is from the Philippines and is the most gung-ho Catholic on the face of the Earth, and Filipinos were Catholic and under 333 years of Spanish rule since around the 1500s BUT the South, Mindanao I think, was converted to Islam 200 years EARLIER by Arab merchants (just an interesting factoid to throw in.) Of course McKinley didn't know or care about that which is what makes his prayerful guidance so ludicrous. But THEN during the occupation, a bunch of good ol' Christian boys from the South wrote home about how shooting a bunch of N!g@rs was more fun than shooting rabbits. One American soldier was killed and so in retribution the Americans murdered an entire string of villages (which I suppose is GENOCIDE).
Tom: I think Bachmann is both delusional and opportunistic … a dangerous combination … strange, how war always begins with prayer, and religious pomp, with clergy parading around all wrapped up in the flag, whatever the flag might be. The story of the German Church, in both world wars, is unbelievable - they bought the Kaiser's world-view, and that of Hitler, lock, stock and barrel. William: Someone reading this thread might easily assume that I dislike Bachmann. On the contrary, as I listened to her I was extremely impressed by how capable she might be as a president. The purpose of my post is to try and demonstrate that Jefferson really did have a good idea about "erecting a wall between Church and State" … now Americans (good Bible loving Christians that we are) truly value the FAMILY which of course is a union of one male and one female (and no adultery, prostitution, porn, self-gratification, etc) and so whoever occupies the White House MUST be married and engage in sexual intercourse BUT would it have been appropriate for the journalist to ask for details about how often they do it, and in what positions, missionary, doggie, oral… hmmm…. I guess NOT on the basis of something that someone OH, yes, I remember, some fellow named JESUS, said that when you pray you should do it in the privacy of your bedroom and what you do in secret with God will be rewarded by God openly but as for the hypocrite who has trumpeters toot their horns as they do alms on the street corner, well, they already have their reward… so IS IT NOT reasonable to extrapolate from Jesus sage advice and conclude that it would be inappropriate for her to discuss her sexual activity in her bedroom as well as her prayer…. OH but who really cares what Jesus said or thought because Jesus said that divorce is simply dreadful EXCEPT for reason of adultery in which case a spouse may be "put away" BUT Jesus did not say that one is free to remarry, so perhaps Jesus felt that those divorced people would content themselves with a life of prayer and celibacy and fasting like various saints and prophets.
In theory an overweight Lesbian of African ancestry (who converted or was raised in Reform Judaism) might have all the attributes necessary to lead America and the world out of its troubles and create peace and prosperity BUT we could never put her into office BECAUSE we have an irrational fear of colored people, females, Lesbians, Jews, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. I was in the kitchen listening to the TV in the living room and heard Bachmann and even though I lean to the left I thought "now there is an impressive person" and I walked out, took one look, and said to my wife, "well of course she has to be drop-dead gorgeous because the lame-brained American public would NEVER put a plain looking person in office." No, Ms. Bachmann, if you had no boobs or if you had boobs down to your belly button we would have to disqualify you because we are a very picky nation. We only want genius BUT we dont like intellectuals BUT we like a certain type of Pharisaical religious person (but only from certain denominations) - SO, when you get on that old campaign trail we expect you to tell the Bible belt that you have invited Jesus into your hears as your "personal Savior" (what the heck is an impersonal savior anyway --- "ok, I am saving you all but I have no idea who the hell you are, but I dont care because I am the savior and that is what I do I save everybody and everything because I am a Unitarian Universalist --- just kidding, Tom, sort of)
Erik: I think that 100% of Republican disagree with what Tom has to say about Republicans. William: Most scorpions, if not all, would agree that the scorpion is the chosen people, and they pray to their scorpion God, for God was so loving that God incarnated as a scorpion and crawled the earth and died and was resurrected and ascended into heaven (but a scorpion without sin who never stang, stinged, stung once in his life… of course he was a MALE scorpion… dont be silly) …. but those heretic cockaroaches claim that the cockaroach is the chosen creature and they point to all the literature on nuclear holocaust which says that only the cockaroaches survive and they dont say beans about those scurvy scorpions.
Fortune: [yes that is her name] Stay focused - Bachmann's always preaching against accepting money from the government, but she herself reported 300K in profits from farm subsidies given to her "family farm." Likewise her husband's "Christian therapy" clinic receives substantial funds from the Feds for offering "drug treatment." Her "23 foster children" were of course also the source of transfer payments. She lives by sucking the very teat she wishes to deny others.
Fortune: No Wm. Not even in jest. She is a beacon of anti-gay hate. William: But, I thought God sees homosexuals as an abomination. That spiritual beacon of Catholic converts, Mr. Sparrow, back in 1968 carefully listened to rumors that I was a homosexual and then (rather than simply as to speak with me since I would have welcomed anyone's counsel on anything) he plotted with my best friend David Cicia to INVITE me to supper and I felt so honored that a Tutor whom I did not even know would want me to supper and during cocktails (about 10 minutes after I arrived) he suddenly rolled his eyes up into his skull like a mad bull and screamed to the top of his lungs "HOMOSEXUALITY IS AN ABOMINATION UNTO GOD" and I gave David Cicia a perplexed look and he looked embarrassed and I was thoroughly confused… nothing further was ever said that evening… the college had admitted Bob Kinsky straight from a mental hospital and Kinsky hit on me and I refused (because I never had sex with any male female or beast until I was age 30) and then Kinsky went about spreading rumors which of course Tutor Sparrow listened to (since idle gossip is also an ABOMINATION UNTO THE LORD) … but… karma has its justice because years later Sparrow got an anullment from the mother of his 10 or so children and had a Catholic wedding with another woman (Peter has the keys to the kingdom).. and SO Fortune why wouldnt you want a president who sees the obvious truth that "HOMOSEXUALITY IS AN ABOMINATION UNTO THE LORD" … or … is it… or is hypocrisy and idle gossip and rumor and bearing false witness an abomination unto the Lord, or perhaps the Lord doesn't really care… or perhaps Sparrow will roast in hell for all eternity simply for what he did to me…ah… but perhaps Sparrow asked God to forgive him just like the Honorable Newt Gingrich asked God to forgive all his adultery and.. God is so cool that he forgives all kinds of stuff…. so I say we let all the gays and lesbians marry and then simply ask God to forgive them… and that should work just fine… No?
David: I'm surprised that we seem to have apologists for American behavior during the Spanish-American Landgrab and the even longer Philippines War that followed. We often hear the "there were atrocities on both sides" argument. The problem with that argument is that the Filipinos ‘belong’ in the Philippines and Americans don't. The Filipinos did not invade the United States and commit atrocities here. If they committed atrocities they were against an invading army. I'm sure there were atrocities on both sides of the Soviet/Afghan war, too, but the Soviets were the invaders and the Afghans were defenders of their own territory (with a little help from their Muslim friends). I don't condone atrocities of any kind, but neither do I concede a moral equivalence b/w an invading, imperialistic force and a native, defending force.
