An Inconvenient Truth

Somehow, even though it is strictly prohibited by the No Religious Test Clause of our own Consitutuion, religion has become a litmus test for the office of President of the United States.

Quite frankly, given the pontificating of certain Republican candidates, it has become THE litmus test.

Rick Santorum, who is running as much for the Papacy as the Presidency, injects his religious beliefs into every word he utters, every threat he makes, every grandstanding moment he is at the pulpit, er sorry, the podium.

Newt Gingrich, whose slogan should be - I HOPE YOU DON'T REMEMBER WHAT A WEASELY CHEATING SHIT I AM - sucks up to the conservative religious base of his party like a hungry babe to a leaky teat.

And Mitt?  Well, we all know Mitt can't come too close to his religious roots (being Mormon and all <----said in shameful, hushed tones).  But even he, too, manages to work that good ol' time religy into his stump speeches, making sure everyone knows he is a man of faith.

It's amazing to me that this is where we have arrived in 2012.  From JFK having to assure the American electorate that his Catholicism wasn't some insidious evil that would infect the White House and his decision making, to Rick Santorum assuring the American electorate that his Catholicism is some insidious evil that will infect the White House and his decision making.

And President Obama is still subject to the "He's A Muslim" rumor mill.  Despite that same intellectully famined group of people who will still point at Reverend Wright.  (Psst, you can't have it both ways.  Is he a Muslim or a Christian who sat in Wright's pews for "years and years"?)

Even if he were, the whole Muslim thing (insert scary music and imagery of planes hitting tall buildings) never should have been an issue - again based on that whole inconvenient truth contained in the Constitution these people profess to love so very much.

They never could prove it, but they got that email forwarded from their cousin Bubba four years ago.  They heard it on Fox.  Some equally witless turd at the watercooler said it so it must be true.

Look, I can't prove Rick Santorum paints his body in multicolored latex and belongs to a Kimodo Dragon fucking club either, but then again, I cannot prove he doesn't...

What I can prove is that he pals around with terrorists.  (All credit to Wasilla's poet laureate.)

Religious terrorists intent on killing my right to not buy into what they have bought into.

THAT I can prove.

Greenwell Springs Baptist Church pastor Rev. Dennis Terry, in introducing Rick Santorum to an assembled throng in Baton Rouge, spewed his fire and brimstone and flew his verbal plane into the tower of facts and liberties on which this country was founded, "I don't care what the liberals say, I don't care what the naysayers say, this nation was founded as a Christian nation...There is only one God and his name is Jesus. I'm tired of people telling me that I can't say those words.. Listen to me, If you don't love America, If you don't like the way we do things I have one thing to say - GET OUT. We don't worship Buddha, we don't worship Mohammad, we don't worship Allah, we worship God, we worship God's son Jesus Christ."

And there was Ricky, in all his sweater vesty glory, clapping like Paula Abdul in the background.

I have another inconvenient, provable truth for the Reverend - this country was NOT founded on Christianity.  It was founded by people who were well versed in persecution, discrimination, and the dangers of having governance dictate a state religion.

Another inconvenient truth?  No matter how much Dennis and Ricky like to cry that they are somehow not being allowed to say words like "God" and "Jesus" in the public square, every speech Rick makes flies in the face of that.  No one is saying you cannot believe, and believe fervently.  What we are saying is keep it in your church. They are YOUR beliefs.  Not everyone's, and NOT the only ones.

And here's the line people should pay close attention to because it speaks volumes about intent, about respect for any opinion other than their own:  Listen to me, If you don't love America, If you don't like the way we do things I have one thing to say - GET OUT.

If I don't like the way YOU do things?  Who the fuck died and made you King of my country?  And don't you dare say Jesus because, while I may not go to church anymore, I do know enough of the backstory to tell you He most certainly did not die in order for you to sit on some holier than thou throne and tell me what I can and cannot do, believe, think, feel.

I am a citizen of this melting pot we call the United States of America.  And it is not, nor has it ever been, solely comprised of fearful, fact disdaining, Christian bible bangers.  It is a glorious stew of colors, backgrounds, dialects, personal histories, struggles, and yes religions - thousands of them.

Another inconvenient truth?

Reverend, your tax exempt status has no place in dictating, planning, or influencing the laws of my country.  And the more your ilk try to blur those lines?  Well, if that's how you want to play, get ready to start passing that offering basket out the door and to the IRS.

There are many countries in this world of ours that operate the way Rick, the Reverend, and their supporters would like to see the USA be run.  They are called theocracies - or theocrazies, depending on who's in charge.  You know, places in the Middle East where those dirty brown bastards live?  The ones you like to point your fingers at and pass judgement upon?

Come on, you know the ones - like the place where the young girl just killed herself because she was made to marry her rapist who continued to brutalize her?

How is that any different than Rick telling us a rape victim should make the best of it if she gets pregnant?

IT'S. NOT.

It doesn't matter if that shit is spewed by a mullah in a turban or an asshole in a sweater vest, it is wrong.  And it is dangerous.

But that's the kind of place you guys want to live?  And that's not the kind of place we were conceived as, built up as, ARE?  Cool.  To borrow from the Reverend, Listen to me, If you don't love America, If you don't like the way we do things I have one thing to say - GET OUT.

Comments

[Nikki]

These people are dangerously ignorant.

This country was founded by deists. People who believed there was a higher power but kinda vague on exactly WHO that higher power was, leaving the rest of us to decide for ourselves. The whole idea worked very well for a long, long time. And now these whackadoos think they know better than Jefferson & Co.? I don't think so.

Yes, religious people make many decisions based on their beliefs. But they make them for themselves, not the whole frigging country.

This is a dangerous path we are heading down. It makes me nervous.

[Katy]

Once again, you nailed it Linda:

"Come on, you know the ones - like the place where the young girl just killed herself because she was made to marry her rapist who continued to brutalize her?

How is that any different than Rick telling us a rape victim should make the best of it if she gets pregnant?

IT'S. NOT."

I'm probably going to sound like a nut, but I swear, I've been thinking about the "anti-Christ" and how all these Christians THINK they would be able to recognize him, but I swear, I think it's Rick Santorum! And all these know-it-all, holier than thou Christians are following him blindly into losing their freedom.

[Chrissy]

My favorite part of that whole pastor introducing Santorum was his saying that he was tired of people telling he he couldn't say those words...as he was saying them in a public room full of people. Really dude, who's stopping you? I don't remember any black helicopters or armed paratroopers hovering around my church Sunday keeping me from practicing my freedom of religion.

(Oh, and Rick? Those other people who don't worship Jesus? You know, the Jews? Do you really want to associate yourself with a pastor who calls for them to all leave the country? I know your party hates all the brown religions but seeing how they're pretty tight with Israel you maybe should be a little more careful who you have introducing you.)

[Chicky (Kathy)]

Standing O to all of you - you hit the nails on the heads, so to speak. How is Santorum any different from Hitler? Think about it.

Hitler belived that his God was the only God
Santorum insists that Christianity is the "Only Religion"

Much of Hitler's philosophy came from the bible
Much of Santorum's philosophy comes from the bible

Towards the end of Hitler's reign of terror, he developed his extreme nationalism, and believed that Germany needed to be "saved".
Santorum is running on a platform of terror towards women, and he believes that United States needs to be "saved".

Hitler genuinely believed that Jews were responsible for all of his country's problems.
Santorum genuinely believes that Muslims are responsible for all of the United State's problems.

Hitler had extreme homophobia
Santorum has extreme homophobia

Hitler rejected premarital sex, prostitution, pornography and "sexual vice".
Santorum rejects any sex that is not for procreation, pornography and sexual vice.

Hitler believed in a "Master Race"
So does, it seems, Santorum.

Hitler blamed Germany's Parliament for all the nations problems.
Santorum blames Obama for all the nations problems.

Isn't it time we stop this man before it's too late?

[audreyf]

last time I checked, this was AMERICA! dammit! This IS the land of the FREE! People are FREE to ascribe to ANY religion, thought process that they want and are NOT subject to ANYONE telling them otherwise..talk about taking "freedoms" away...sheesh!Santorm is driving the crazy train for sure!

[Dorothy R]

I really thought nothing could top the ignorance, truth distortion and just plain uglyness that was the 2008 campaign season...boy, how wrong was I? **SMH**

[Jamie in WI]

I concur - this is a horribley scary time we are facing. I fear for our nation if ANY one of those whack jobs gets into office. November will be here sooner than we think - I pray to God that Obama is re-elected. If not - we are screwed (oh wait - I better rephrase that, as I am no longer pro creating)!

[Pat]

I swear, day by day, the more I see stuff like this, that I am reading a crazy novel by Stephen King or the distopia books that I have been reading lately.

Truth in fiction? Kind of scary if you ask me.

I only hope that saner heads prevail, or your country is in for a shitload of hurt after November...

[Joanne]

Santorum is frightening to me. His extremism isn't appreciated by most Roman Catholics either. I would've thought he was evangelical for all the smack he talks. The whole religious right scares me because the amount of power they wield is waay out of proportion to how many of them there actually are in the US. They've essentially poisoned political life with their religious terrorism.

[Tracy D]

These fanatics are everywhere and I just cannot wrap my mind around their collective WILLFULL ignorance. I work at a call center for a major fashion retailer. On Monday I received a call from one of these "Our Lords way or the highway idiots that went something like this.
Thank you for calling my name is Tracy. How can I help you?
Do you know that your company advertises on the show Good Christian Bitches?
Yes.
I don't like it.
I am sorry for that and I am happy to take your feedback regarding your unhappiness with our company spending it's advertising $ with this show.
Are you a christian?
(Silence on my end for a moment)
I said are you a christian?
Maam my religious beliefs have nothing to do with this issue. I am happy to take your feed...
Oh so you must be a jew bitch.
(Me stunned and completely baffled as to how that leap of sophisticated logic was made)
So is that true are you a jew bitch?
Maam if you continue to speak to me in such a reprehensible and disrespectul manner I will release this call. I can take your feedback...
Why won't you answer if you are a christian. You must be a jew bitch and your company is a jew company. The jews run the media and the world and ...
At this point I hung up on her. Here's the thing I get calling an advertiser to lodge your complaint or concerns about how advertising dollars are spent. I did that with Limbaugh companies and posted sponsor address on my facebook so others could do so as well if they wanted to. But there is an acceptable way to do this and this woman was not even close. I mean did she realize how much she was a living, breathing, hatred spewing representative of the show title that she was so up in arms about. This is the same mentality of people who start calling every November to protest that we advertise with Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. How can so many of these religious folk be so off the mark of what Jesus (their ultimate savior and expert/teacher of acceptable behaviors) would want. It is like the religious right taliban is trying to hijack this country.

[Sue Fitzmaurice]

Nice work, Linda. New to your blog - came to it via a fan of my Facebook page "Trying God's Patience", which is what I believe most of us are doing every day. I'm entirely a religious nut - I like them ALL - at their source though rather than via the fruit loops you're describing so well. Scary times.

Great writing! Thanks.

[Katy to Tracy D]

Tracy: You should have told her, "no, but I'm one CRAZY BITCH!!" :-D

[Tracy D]

LOL Katy...Would that I could would that I could