The "Religious Right" Tries Out A New Name, But. Christofascist Isn't It!

Headline in yesterday's Think Progress:

Religious Right rebrands itself as 'socially conservative evangelicals.'

Christianity Today reports that some “politically conservative evangelicals” no longer want to be referred to as the “religious right.” According to social conservative leaders like American Values President Gary Bauer, the term “religious right” and others like it have "become synonymous with extremism":

“There is an ongoing battle for the vocabulary of our debate. It amazes me how often in public discourse really pejorative phrases are used, like the ‘American Taliban,’ ‘fundamentalists,’ ‘Christian fascists,’ and ‘extreme Religious Right.’”

Maybe that's because those terms are accurate and descriptive of what the groups are. And, as I use it quite often, the term is NOT Christian fascists, but Christofascists. The two are different: the first maintains that some Christians happen to be fascist, the second implies a more homogeneous group whereas the tenets of each group are similar. "American Taliban" is a creative terminology but flimsy because America is not familiar with Taliban tenets. "Fundamentalists" is a terminology that has grown out of a small group of people into a much large, hence broader sect. It usually means people who are biblical literalists or inerrantists. "Extreme Religious Right" is rather confusing: is the group extremely religious or extremely right-wing? Or both?

No, Christofascism incorporates all the tenets of fascism under the guise of Christianity. I'll be defining Christofascism in another post. Meanwhile, some of the chief Christofascists in America are: Gary Bauer, Ralph Reed, Tony Perkins, James Dobson, Richard Land, Rod Parsley, Rick Warren, Mike Huckabee, Franklin Graham and all televangelists (with the exception of maybe Joyce Meyer)

Of course, sometimes it's difficult to tell whether they're Elmer Gantrys or Elmer Fudds:

Gary Bauer:

As long as there's land available, single-family homes will be built, and Colorado residents will always go for a single-family over a condo.

As President, I will end once and for all the use of taxpayer funds to promote the National Endowment for the Arts and other programs that subsidize amoral and degrading activities.

O.K., since Christofascists want to be called by another name, here are suggestions for new names:

People of the Trailer Park Christian Corleones Bible-Hurlers
Politically Conservative Anti-Everythings Religious Retrogrades

The Not So Pollyanna Crackers Curmudgeons R Us NeoReconstructionsists

But when you really come down to a name adequately describing somebody like Gary Bauer, Christofascist says it best.

What do you think?

Giveaways for God: 3200 Souls For The Price Of A Chrysler 300 LX!

Just Think How Many Souls A Bentley Could Haul In!

From Baptist Press Feb. 9, 2009

CUMMING, Ga. (BP)--Last fall, when Carol Gray entered the drawing to win a new vehicle at www.threeminutestory.com, she said she prayed "selfishly" to win before confessing her selfishness to God.

Way to go, sister. Selfishness comes first, then comes forgiveness from God. Of course, you know that this wouldn't be a newsworthy item unless her prayer was answered:

Before evangelist Ronnie Hill handed Gray the keys to a new Chrysler 300 LX, more than a dozen people professed their faith in Christ in response to Hill's invitation after preaching at First Baptist Church in Cumming, Ga. "That's the whole thing right there," said Gray, a member of Alpharetta (Ga.) First United Methodist Church. "The car is secondary."

"The car is secondary."

Right. Stay away from Cumming, Ga. The BS is still settling.

O.K., here's the lowdown straight from the heart of Baptist Press:

Evangelist Ronnie Hill conducted a 12-month campaign, giving away a car to some lucky devil picked at random. The catch: view Hill's 3-minute Gospel spiel on his website. This got you registered for the raffle. According to Hill, more than 10,300 people watched his video and over 3,200 people "recorded professions of faith in Christ" after watching the video.

Who entered the drawing? Supposedly people from all 50 states and 29 countries (I'd like to know the names of those countries for some research of my own!).

When Hill called Gray on the phone to tell her she had won, like a good Christian, she thought he was a pervert who had somehow gotten her name and hung up on him. It took three or four tries by Hill to convince her he was legitimate.

"God dropped this car right into my lap," she said. "What an awesome provider and awesome answer to prayer."

About 60 churches across the country "partnered" with Hill to promote the vehicle giveaway at county fairs, music festivals, block parties and football games. Some website cards were even distributed to kids at Halloween along with candy and Bible tracts! (Please. Do NOT go to Cumming, Ga. not with kids, anyway)

Wait, there's more!...When Hill bought the car from Chrysler sales manager Kelly Chadwick, the manager had prayed for a sale that SAME DAY!

"It shows you that there's nothing God can't do," Chadwick said. "There's nothing that He can't handle."

Hokey, blasphemous gimmick?

"I don't care what people's motives are for signing up for the car, just that they hear the truth," Hill said. "People came to Jesus in the Bible for the wrong reasons, such as to be healed, for free food or to be entertained. But Jesus still told them the truth."

So, in other words, it's O.K. to suck in souls as long as the end justifies the means. Remember Rick Warren's mantra: "Whatever It Takes." What difference then, between this kind of hucksterism than luring in poor people for a free meal, then tell them they have to "earn it" by listening to a preacher's harangue.

Somehow I just can't seem to capture the image of Jesus as snake oil salesman in my head.

Poor Mike Huckabee: "Congress Doesn't Like Religion...Whine Whine Whine"

Old Proverb:
If Money Is The Root Of All Evil,
Why Do Churches Beg For It?

Even Older Proverb:

Poor Mike Huckabee. He thinks that Congress' stimulus bill is the Democrats' way of being anti-religion.

(From USA Today, By: Mark Memmott and Jill Lawrence)

“You would think the ACLU drafted this bill,” the former Arkansas governor writes.

He urges people to protest to their members of Congress in the short term. “In the long term, we need to kick the Democrats out of Congress,” he says.

His pitch: Make contributions, make phone calls, forward his e-mail to 10 supporters. "Let those on Capitol Hill know that we’re outraged that they would take such a cheap shot at people of faith," Huckabee concludes.

O.K. So what's the beef about?It bans the use of higher education construction grants to modernize, renovate or repair facilities "used for sectarian instruction, religious worship … or a school or department of divinity; or in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission." In other words, giving money to organized religion (churches which do not pay taxes!) is un-Constitutional.

What Huckabee's rant really means is that he's pissed that churches (of the Southern Baptist variety) aren't getting any of the stimulus money directly. Even though they've been staunch conservatives, it seems America's churches never did think much of "trickle down" economics. They want money, they want to be tax exempt, they want prayer in all schools. They want, they want, they want! Rather greedy lot, wouldn't you say? Hmmm.

Let's take a tiny look at how the stimulus bill actually gives money to education and training:

- $53.6 billion for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund... which can be used for preventing cutbacks, preventing layoffs, school modernization, or other purposes; $5 billion to states as bonus grants for meeting key performance measures in education; and $8.8 billion to states for high priority needs such as public safety and other critical services, which may include education and for modernization, renovation and repairs of public school facilities and institutions of higher education facilities.

- $12.2 billion for Special Education/IDEA to improve educational outcomes for disabled children. This level of funding will increase the Federal share of special education services to its highest level ever.

- $15.6 billion to increase the maximum Pell Grant by $500. This aid will help 7 million students pursue postsecondary education.

- $3.95 billion for job training including State formula grants for adult, dislocated worker, and youth programs (including $1.2 billion to create up to one million summer jobs for youth).

(Hat Tip: Think Progress)

So it all comes down to money: who's giving it out and who's getting it. If over 7 million students are able to go to college as a result of the stimulus bill, it's worth every penny. If it prevents cutbacks and layoffs, and repairs the infrastructure of schools - it's priceless.

Mike Huckabee where is your soul? Oh, I forgot. It's in the church bank vault.

Just a thought.

And He Still Keeps on Making Us Laugh!

(From: Think Progress)

Former White House chief of staff Andy Card said today that President Bush may jump into social networking, as he is “very technologically connected to the world.” When Politico asked if Bush would join Facebook and Twitter, Card left the door open, saying, “I don’t know that he’ll invite me to be his friend on Facebook.” Watch it:

A good start for Bush would be to figure out how to use “the Google” first.

What a card that Andy is! "Technologically connected to the world!" LOLOLOL! Oh well, anything's possible, I guess. The question is: does the world want to be technologically connected to George W. Bush? I think not. He could be a very lonely clown out there in cyberspace.

I don't think he'll even get spam!

Celebrate Darwin Today! You've Evolved! Creationists: Get Over It!

Celebrate One of the World's Greatest Scientists
And The Time We All Discovered Evolution

Well, not ALL of us. Look at the chart below.

The latest Gallup poll concerning evolution shows that only 39% of Americans believe in evolution while 36% have no opinion either way! But look at it this way: Creationists are stuck with a score lower than they would like to see: lower than believers of evolution and lower than the ambivalent. They have 75% of Americans to convert! And in very little time since Armageddon is just around the corner!

O.K., so let's celebrate Darwin's big day by showing good ole' American entertainment: some a little drama, and a LOT of comedy!

Darwin Day: What Will The Creation Museum do?

As Expected: One Very Stupid Lecture by
One Not-Very-Qualified Lecturer

Thursday, February 12

12:00pm

"Darwin: His Life" with Dr. Tommy Mitchell

Where:

Creation Museum,
2800 Bullittsburg Church Road,
Petersburg, KY 41080 (map)

Description: Darwin: His Life

This presentation shares the story of the life of Charles Darwin. What did Darwin believe about God? How did the events of his life shape his understanding of the world? What led him to reject the history and teachings of the Bible? Did the death of his beloved daughter, Anne, destroy Darwin’s concept of a loving God? You will identify with the struggles faced by this man, and you will walk away equipped to answer the question of "death & suffering" for others! Dr. Mitchell received his major in Cell Biology and a minor in Biochemistry from the University of Tennessee along with as well as a medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Dr. Tommy Mitchell is a medical internist and a dynamic lecturer. To learn more about Dr. Mitchell please visit: http://www.answersingenesis.org/events/bio.aspx?Speaker_ID=51 This event is free with paid museum admission or Museum membership.

The Creation Museum as you well know, is that hellishly insulting pile of bile and animatronics people are laughing at. It's not really PC to laugh at someone's beliefs, but this one demands an all-out assault of laughter. Scientists (legitimate ones, that is) are calling the museum's philosophy "Yabba Dabba Science." When you pay to see the animatronic dinosaurs interacting with Adam and Eve you either have to be a brain dead believer or someone desperately in need of a good laugh.

"Young-Earthers," as most of the production and promotion staff are called, escort guests through the museum with sanctity and awe. They might all be "Flat Earthers" as well, but that's an entirely different Christian sect and (I believe) have their own museum. It looks like earth, but flat.

Most scientists think the museum is a flat-out insult to science and are extremely afraid that children will be taught that the Grand Canyon really was created by the Great Flood of Noah's time. "Do you want your children to be ridiculed and probably scarred for life because you and your pastor think you're right?"

Yes, the Creation Museum is an insult to intelligence, but where else can you imagine Jesus with a little dinosaur cradled in his arms?

Oh Brother! Just a thought!

The Limbaughlization Of The Conservative Mind (Or What's Left Of It)

Limbaughlization (n) the process of going through a long series of very forceful lies, distortions or specious reasoning so that the person who is listening will accept anything as truth. Limbaughlizing. (v) - repeatedly spouting forceful falsifications. To get Limbaughlized (subjunctive). To get pummeled senseless with dubious "truth."

After he turned on the car radio, Harry got so Limbaughlized, the police pulled him sensing possible road rage.

Rush Limbaugh thinks of himself as the successor to William F. Buckley.

He is not and never will be. He doesn't have the intellect.But here's his thoughts about the subject after the death of Buckley:

CALLER: Long-time listener. It is my pleasure. When you began speaking about Mr. Buckley, my first thought was that you are now being passed the torch to continue that fight for conservatism.
RUSH: You think so?
CALLER: Yes, I do, sir. You are more important now to this fight than ever before.
RUSH: You're right.
CALLER: Yes. I know I'm right.

(From The Guardian.UK.ca)

Tweet the People:
Is Rush Limbaugh the new leader of the Republican party?

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has said he wants Barack Obama to fail.

Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh isn't a big fan of Barack Obama. In fact, Limbaugh said on his programme that he hopes Obama fails as president. Some of this animosity is due to the fact that while lobbying for the passage of his stimulus plan, President Obama told Republicans 'You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.'

So, what do you think? Is Rush Limbaugh the new leader of the Republican party? Should President Obama respond to Limbaugh?

Quotes By The Great Mr. Conservative Himself:

• Words do not kill.
• Take that bone out of your nose and call me back.
• The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies.
• They're 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares? [about African Americans]
• Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?
• I'm going to tell you, what's good for al-Qaeda is good for the Democratic Party in this country today.
• Hugo, Cesar — whatever. A Chavez is a Chavez. We've always had problems with them.
• They oughtta change Black History Month to Black Progress Month and start measuring it.
• This is really shameless of Michael J Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting.
• It's so simple: I am a conservative who puts the country first, not a political party or a particular nominee.
• It's called Operation Chaos. The dream end, I mean, if people say what is your exit strate... strategery, the dream end of this is that if this keeps up to the convention, and we have a replay of Chicago 1968, with burning cars, protests, fires, literal riots, and all of that, that's the objective here.
• Screw the world. Do you really think we ought to govern ourselves based on what the world thinks of us?
• I mean, let's face it, we didn't have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I'm not saying we should bring it back; I'm just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark.
• You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray [the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King]. We miss you, James. Godspeed.
• Compassion is no substitute for justice.

Now you see why the thought of Republicans taking their orders from Limbaugh is terrifying.

Just a thought.