Honestly, I can not figure out why reasonably intelligent liberals are debating with Bil Kristol about Obama’s minister and whether or not Obama was actually ina pew on the day his minister said something. This is the kind of debate about minutae retrograde morons like Dan Riehl want to have, because they can frame the debate in the following way:
The reality is, Jeremiah Wright shaped Obama’s religious philosophy. By Obama’s own statements we know his religious philosophy drives his political philosophy. What else is there to know?
At best, Obama is a cynical politician who used a religion to win broader appeal throughout South Chicago. At worst, he’s a racist – viewing the entire American experience primarily in shades of black and white.
As a sign of the end times, I am in full agreement with Amanda Marcotte:
Why the fuck do I know Obama’s minister’s name?! No, really. Why? I don’t know John McCain’s minister’s name. (But he does have a “spiritual guide”.) I don’t know Hillary Clinton’s minister’s name? I don’t know John Edwards’ minister’s name. I don’t know Mitt Romney’s minister’s name, and Romney was in a church that is actually out of the mainstream and “raised questions”. I don’t know George Bush’s minister’s name, but I know that whoever he is probably thinks I’m going to burn in hell for all eternity for the sin of being a feminist atheist.
Nothing that Rev. Jeremiah Wright said from the pulpit is, in an objective sense, any worse than damning the majority of the population to hell, which is a bare minimum requirement for the religious right assholes in this country that we’re supposed to show such great respect for because it’s their beliefs and they’re religious.
Assholes like, for example, Jimmie at the Sundries Shack. Here Jimmie, good Christian that he is, smears every congregant at Trinity:
You know what I don’t see there? I don’t see one single thing about winning people to Jesus. I don’t see anything there about preaching the Bible and leading people to the saving knowledge of Jesus’ immeasurable sacrifice for them. I see nothing there about salvation or atonement. I see nothing there that comes anywhere close to the Great Commission that Jesus Christ gave to all believers, everywhere.
All across the country, large portions of the Republican party weekly attend church services that believe in the wildest of things, and I don’t think I need to run down the list of James Dobson’s beliefs.
As I have said before, what strikes me the most about these attacks on Obama’s church is the brazenness of it all, but I guess it really shouldn’t. This is, after all, the same crew who chants “Support the troops” at every opportunity, but the moment someone in uniform says something that could even remotely interpreted as disagreeing with George Bush, they are immediately villified, ruined, and tossed aside.
But for some reason, I thought religion would be different, but we now see that it is not. According to modern Republican orthodoxy, it matters not that you are a Christian, church-going, tax-paying adult who believes in God and believes in helping his fellow man and engages in widespread charity for those who are not well off. No, according to the new rules, you have to be the right kind of Christian, and all you have to do is have a minister who wears a flag lapel pin and shares your hatred for the gay and has a fetish for the fetus. Watch out, Christians. You need to believe in God, act in a Christian manner, AND have the right kind of counter-tops. You have been warned.
That, to me, is the real story. Not the fact that Bill Kristol couldn’t fact check his ass with both hands.
*** Update ***
Hillary supporter and apparent fanatic patriot Paul Lukasiak lets me know it is all about America, not religion:
john, when will you realize that its not about religion, its about “God Damn America”. No one would care if Obama attended a church that was gay-positive, supportive of abortion rights, etc. Hell, Wright could have said just about anything about Bush, and it wouldn’t have been an issue. Its when he starts attacking the country itself that people sit up and take notice.
Fine. How about this:
Why should God Bless America? I don’t know, maybe the media should start asking prominent Republicans how they feel about the issue?
I am so sick and tired of people and their damned religions. For someone who really does not care about religion at all, this entire debate is absolutely maddening. I think all of you are funny, with your arguments about water into wine, coming back from the dead, virgin birth, funny underpants, arguments about circumcision, not eating meat on Friday and pork being unclean, the immorality of the gay, etc. Having to hear someone is not politically viable because they don’t adhere to the letter of one sect’s brand of fantasy is enough to make me want to throw up. you all can practice whatever you want, I don’t care what you think, but I am sick and tired of hearing about it. Really.
The Wrong FightPost + Comments (151)