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March 23, 2008 at 07:04:01

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Obama's Minister "Hates America" But When My Father Said the Same Sort of Things He Became a Hero To The Republicans

by Frank Schaeffer     Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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When Senator Obama's preacher thundered about racism and injustice Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when my late father--Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer--denounced America and even called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited to lunch with presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush, Sr.
 
Every Sunday thousands of right wing white preachers (following in my father's footsteps) rail against America's sins from tens of thousands of pulpits. They tell us that America is complicit in the "murder of the unborn," has become "Sodom" by coddling gays, and that our public schools are sinful places full of evolutionists and sex educators hell-bent on corrupting children. They say, as my dad often did, that we are, "under the judgment of God." They call America evil and warn of immanent destruction. Obama's minister's shouted "controversial" comments were very much like things pastors on the right say too.

Dad and I were amongst the founders of the Religious right. In the 1970s and 1980s, while Dad and I crisscrossed America denouncing our nation's sins instead of getting in trouble we became darlings of the Republican Party. (This was while I was my father's sidekick before I dropped out of the evangelical movement altogether.) We were rewarded for our "stand" by people such as Congressman Jack Kemp, the Fords, Reagan and the Bush family. The top Republican leadership depended on preachers and agitators like us to energize their rank and file. No one called us un-American.

Consider a few passages from my father's immensely influential America-bashing book A Christian Manifesto. It sailed under the radar of the major media who, back when it was published in 1980, were not paying particular attention to best-selling religious books. Nevertheless it sold more than a million copies.
 
Here's Dad writing in his chapter on civil disobedience:
"If there is a legitimate reason for the use of force [against the US government]... then at a certain point force is justifiable."
 
And this:
"In the United States the materialistic, humanistic world view is being taught exclusively in most state schools... There is an obvious parallel between this and the situation in Russia [the USSR]. And we really must not be blind to the fact that indeed in the public schools in the United States all religious influence is as forcibly forbidden as in the Soviet Union...."

Then this:
"There does come a time when force, even physical force, is appropriate... A true Christian in Hitler's Germany and in the occupied countries should have defied the false and counterfeit state. This brings us to a current issue that is crucial for the future of the church in the United States, the issue of abortion... It is time we consciously realize that when any office commands what is contrary to God's law it abrogates it's authority. And our loyalty to the God who gave this law then requires that we make the appropriate response in that situation..."

I'm not saying if I agree with Dad here or not. My point here isn't about Dad or Rev Wright's words but about the double standard applied to judging them and using them to smear Obama.
 
Take Dad's words and put them in the mouth of Obama's preacher (or in the mouth of any black American preacher) and people would be accusing that preacher of treason. Yet when we of the white Religious Right denounced America white conservative Americans and top political leaders, called our words "godly" and "prophetic" and a "call to repentance."
 
My dad's books denouncing America and comparing the USA to Hitler are still best sellers in the "respectable" evangelical community and he's still hailed as a prophet by many Republican leaders. When Mike Huckabee was recently asked by Katie Couric to name one book he'd take with him to a desert island, besides the Bible, he named Dad's Whatever Happened to the Human Race? a book where Dad also compared America to Hitler's Germany.

The hypocrisy of the right attacking Obama, because of his minister's words, is staggering.
When my late father and I were the guests of Jerry Falwell at Liberty Baptist College, Falwell said to us quite casually and seriously, while speaking of the "homosexual problem," that: "If I had a dog that did what they do I take it out and shoot it." And when it came to saying God was damning America he and Pat Robertson sided with the 9/11 hijackers by saying the terrorist's actions served America right and were God's punishment. Yet John McCain went to Liberty Baptist College and spoke for Falwell, in order to "mend fences" with the Religious Right. He said he no longer believed that Falwell was "an agent of intolerance." And Rudi Giuliani gladly accepted Robertson's endorsement. So much for the Republican "mainstream."

This cuts left too. Fair is fair. So where are the clips--playing incessantly next to Hillary Clinton's picture--of her antiwar friends and Bill Clinton's fellow draft dodger members of the New Left, cursing and damning America during Vietnam War protests and since? The company that Bill and Hillary kept in the late 1960s through the 1970s was defined by damning America and sometimes by rooting for the North Vietnamese. Clinton said he "loathed" the military. We still made him commander in chief.
 
Anti-American spewing also comes from left wing white preachers. Read the fiery sermons of the late Episcopal bishop of New York Paul Moore, Jr. who raged against America.
 
Want to play this smear-by-association game? Okay, while McCain was a prisoner of war a bishop in his church was rooting for McCain's torturers. Episcopal Bishop Moore, in his autobiography, Presences: A Bishop's Life in the City, wrote that the end of the Cold War had left the United States "like a wounded rooster crowing on the top of the dung heap." Blaming "corporate greed and lust" as well as "unbridled nationalism" for manufacturing causes for war, Moore cursed America as often as he served communion.
 
If we want to get really silly let's ask this: McCain is an Episcopalian so where are the clips of the anti-American rantings of Bishop Moore and not a few other Episcopalian pastors and bishops, next to McCain's picture? How can McCain be a member of that denomination?
 
Look, McCain's bishops, Obama's pastor, or my dad were all part of a tradition that taken in context is very American if crazy at times. Theologically based ranting and especially preaching, is a style of communication with its own cadences that is easy to mock and/or twist-by-sound-bite.
 
And all this is a massive and deliberate distraction. Yet I think there is reason to hope. There are decent people out there who have refused to go along with the smear-by-association campaign. Mike Huckabee defended Obama and even his pastor. McCain said we can't blame Obama for his minister's words. Not everyone on the right is stooping as low as the Clintons and the right wing media scavengers.
 
I think Obama is worth fighting for. History has thrown America an unlikely lifeline. Do we have the decency, the sense, the last glimmer of sanity needed to open hearts to change?
 
Obama offers civility in the midst of a national bar fight. Obama speaks in complete sentences, well-turned paragraphs, offers thoughts with intellectual depth, nuance, humility and compassion. Obama is a reasoned essay cast before sound-bite swine who seem ready to tear anything that falls into their sty to shreds.

By providence or blind luck, we are being given a second chance. In Obama our founders appear once again stepping from the mists of time to offer a wayward great, great grandchild an opportunity for redemption. But everything is turned on its head. Good is called bad. The greatest things about Obama are used against him, decency and transparency are mocked.


Frank Schaeffer is a writer and author of "CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back

 

FrankSchaefer.com

Frank Schaeffer is a New York Times best selling author. The Los Angeles Times described Frank's writing as, "A rich brew of cross-cultural comedy." The British newspaper the Guardian says: "funny and wonderfully observed." Frank is a survivor (more...)
 

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35 comments


Sins of the fathers

Mr. Schaeffer, you certainly deserve all the possible kudos, but what a tragedy to have such a father.  I am a father myself and I  think of my son every day. In all his rants, your father did  ahdd he ever thought about you? Had he ever thought...

by Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 269 diaries, 4101 comments [131 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 8:23:39 AM

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Reply: typo

I meant ,' had he ever thought about  you...'

by Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 269 diaries, 4101 comments [131 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 8:24:24 AM

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Democratic Revolution in our America

Re: Violent actions against the government is plainly stupid and without any understanding of our Constitutional  processes.  The simple logistic point is..., if you can arouse enough citizens to make a statement for change  against the political government..., through  violence..., you can most certainly briong together the same number of concerned cityizens to organize for a legal and peaceful revolutionary change from the present political/corporate stranglehold on our civic and economic institutions..

 Talk democracy.  Organize for its implementation... Rational thought provokes rational change.  Violence promotes more violence, and the political stste has all the "violence" machinery to destroy any shortsighted, half baked plans to bring back..., as many call for..."Power to the People," a slogan which has no substance because the "people," beginning in early colonial history..., and  in the time of the inauguration of our Constitution...We, the People, NEVER had control of the government.  This control has always rested with those who owned the  best and most economic features of the then growing United States.. G.Washington himself, was one of the largest land owners in the new America...,  acquired through the manipulation of the French lands through his use of the military during trhe Fr./Indians  Wars. We need new institutions We can acquite through the present political processes... Organization for a new Democracy is in order.  Well?

by Wally (5 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 14 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 8:39:07 AM

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Religion and war.

For centuries the religious nutcases have preached their hatred of humanity, their constant raving against everything human but war, oh! how they love war, how they love suffering, it puts them in the limelight you see. There they are in their gowns and funny hats giving all who are daft enough to believe their blessing, many are homosexuals as has been proven on many occasions but they attack other people with the same orientation.

 They have a set of rules called the Ten Commandments which they are not required to follow, no sir otherwise there would be no death penalty would there, rule number 6 isn't it. Then there's the Love Thy Neighbour but these same people praise the young people they've coerced into invading another country causing the death of thousands upon thousands of neighbours.

 If I had my way every religious leader would be put in prison until s/he learns to live in harmony, we could release the thousands of black US citizens who are there simply to prevent them voting.

by douglas kay (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 83 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 8:55:20 AM

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Finally, the truth has been spoken!

Thank you kind sir for telling the truth to Americans because God knows they haven't heard it much lately. The media has gone hog wild over Obama's preacher's snippets like they have never heard anything of the kind before. FOX is the most ignorant, racially motivated media of all times. And the others (ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC) seem to follow without even questioning the material. If anything comes from FOX, people with half a brain should investigate it thoroughly knowing the scoundrels and imbeciles that work for that station.

Thank you once again and there are "good media people" left in this world believe it or not. But it seems like all the Woodward and Bernsteins have been gagged by the neocon world elite.

But you give me HOPE! Bless you and your father because God knows, he was telling the whole truth.

babs

by b2008 (4 articles, 2 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 43 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 9:00:19 AM

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The important question,

it seems to me from my vantage point here in Northern Europe, is who was right in his analysis of, e g, US policy in Southwest Asia - Jermiah Wright or Barack Obama ? Whose analysis will underlie a possible war on, say, Iran - in the event that Bush/Cheney don't make the question academic in a new version of October (more likely August) Surprise....

Henri

by mhenriday (0 articles, 17 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 157 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 9:07:01 AM

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God bless you, Frank !

It takes a tremendous amount of courage and humility to admit even to a single person that you were wrong, and that a famous and beloved father was wrong.  Yet you have done so in a book, for the whole world to see!  I highly recommend your book to one and all and applaud the important point you are making here that the double standard the media is applying in Obama's case is irrational and shameful.

Your father's example is an excellent one, and I'm sure that many examples could be found in the rants of Dobson, Falwell, Robertson, etc., etc., that would be almost as bad as the Rev. Fred Phelps, with his God hates America (for not hating gays) campaign.  Yet Republican office-holders are never made to answer for the idiotic wrantings of these allies of theirs even though they are infinitely more visible than Rev. Wright ever dreamed of being prior to Obama's candidacy.

As for the merit of Rev. Wright's comments, I'm not sure that intelligent patriots, as opposed to the superficial kind, should condemn him. IMHO what this great Republican president said about the person of the president applies equally well to our country as a whole:

"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.
ex-president Theodore Roosevelt in an editorial in the Kansas City Star", May 7, 1918

 

 

 

 

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." -- Theodore Roosevelt

by Ray Dubuque (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 10 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 9:28:11 AM

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You can't get much tougher than a marine.

Major Gen. S. Butler
IMHO it takes a hell of a lot of gall to question the patriotism of a U. S. Marine General who in his 33 years of service to his country and earned more medals and honors than any other Marine in our nation's history (to that date at least). Now THIS is what he thought of the policies that his country had asked him to pursue and enforce during his illustrious career:

"War is a racket. . .

It may seem odd for me, a military man,
to adopt such a comparison.
Truthfulness compels me to.
I spent 33 years in active service as a member of our
country's most agile military force --the Marine Corps --
. . .
I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico
safe for American oil interests in 1914.
I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place
for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in.
I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central
American republics for the benefit of Wall Street.
The record of racketeering is long.
I helped purify Nicaragua for the international
banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-12.

I brought light to the Dominican Republic
for American sugar interests in 1916.
I helped make Honduras 'right'
for American fruit companies in 1903 . . .
"Looking back on it, I feel
I might have given Al Capone a few hints.
The best that he could do was to
operate his racket in three city districts.
We Marines operated on three continents".
S. D. Butler

"Butler understood the more honest function of the Marines (and U.S. foreign policy in general) was to forcefully maintain structures protecting the haves from the have-nots." { from www.VeteransForPeace.Org/military.htm}.

We feature many more excellent quotes of this sort at our http://LiberalsLikeChrist.Org/warvspeace.html .

by Ray Dubuque (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 10 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 9:43:13 AM

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Reply: What a great piece of commentary Frank

We should never confuse the truth with hate, yet it often seems appropriate for those in power who profit the most in war to confuse the two.

The good general had no political agenda. Only the truth in observation. That made him no friend of those who lie and would enjoy seeing that lie go on forever. Ironic too that beyond the Revolution, the Civil War and WW2, the later of which being a war to end fascist tyranny, we are left only to look around a few decades later and realize we have become (or perhaps we've often been) the very thing we have so adamantly and philosophically detested.

by Michael Shaw (12 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 439 comments [16 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 2:36:28 PM

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Reply: Whoops!

I meant Ray, Not Frank. Sorry Ray!

by Michael Shaw (12 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 439 comments [16 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 2:38:14 PM

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Right Wing?

A life long Dem here, one who wants candidates vetted.  Matters not where the facts come from.  This is our Presidency, and we do not want incompetence...we have had that with George W. 

OBAMA is right behind Geotge W. 

 

by SA McMahon (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 10:13:32 AM

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Reply: Well Mr McMahon

I can't see how anyone would be capable of following the incompetence, or better still the intentional abuse of power wreaked upon us by this current administration. To suggest Obama would follow in Bush's footsteps is not only unrealistic, speculative and presumptuous, it is unfair. Obama hasn't even been elected yet and already some are trying to compare him with George W. Bush. In my view the closest thing comparable to Bush would be Mussolini, along with the same type of military backed corporatism Italy experienced in the late thirties.

by Michael Shaw (12 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 439 comments [16 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 3:58:37 PM

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Reply: Obama vs Bush

Read this article and maybe it will straighten you out. 

http://www.progressive.org/mag_jarmail0408 

by macdon1 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 113 comments [4 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 7:15:00 PM

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Reply: macdon

Were you referring to the Winter Sldier Testimony? The link you provided has no storyline about Obama vs Bush.

by Michael Shaw (12 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 439 comments [16 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Mar 24, 2008 at 11:03:22 AM

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Wow!

Thanks for writing this!

by Amy Fried (45 articles, 127 quicklinks, 77 diaries, 247 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 10:29:47 AM

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Religion vs. Politics

I'm for seeing a gradual, steady, and long-term reduction in the number of religious politicians, period. I really don't care about faith, ethnicity, nationality even, just get a little air-space in there between the old representative government stuff and the religious stuff. White, black, latino, rich, poor, I don't care, there's a 'fundamental' disconnect, here. Make it a permanent one.

by truthtruffle (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 111 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 10:36:14 AM

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We Still Have a Constitution in NO Need of Violent Overthrow

"Radical" Christians, although not particularly advocating a violent overthrow of the US government, often "fret" (and somewhat hope) that it will come to that, I think because they want to self-identify with George Washington and the Sons of Liberty who vouchsafed the liberties we now enjoy.

The biggest flaw in that argument, however, is that we now have a Constitution that protects those liberties, despite how we might think they are not on occasion being protected. Whether it's Jeremiah Wright or Mr. Schaeffer's father, this type of advocacy is wrong.

Jeremiah Wright is correct on some issues, but his solutions hold very little water.

I don't trust radical Christians (I would MAYBE vote for Newt Gingrich for dogcatcher) for the same reason that I don't support Obama for president.

by Frank Staheli (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 37 comments [16 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 10:59:01 AM

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Religious Right Hate Speech

Thank you for speaking out against the sins of your father.  

The fact that our "forth estate", the Media is primarily used to "inflame" the public and they fail to point out the hypocrisy of the right attacking Obama, while they have no problem allowing the right to use religious leaders to attack US citizens.  

Falwell's attacks -  serious hate speech, regarding the "homosexual problem" was repeated over and over as if it was moral, true and valid.  It was HATE speech meant to inflame.

When he said, "If I had a dog that did what they do I take it out and shoot it." Pat Robertson sided with the 9/11 hijackers and was given, "moral authority" to speak.  He should have been dismissed, but instead, the Main Steam media parroted his remarks, with very little condemnation.

It is rarely pointed out that John McCain went to Liberty Baptist College and spoke for Falwell, in order to "mend fences" with the Religious Right.  John McCain, condones this "Hate speech" and he is not called out on it.

Rudi Giuliani accepted Robertson's endorsement.

And much of what Reverend White said, while inflammatory, also had some core truth to it.  I disagree with his "God Damn America" statement, but I do not disagree that we live in a country divided.

We live in a country with have and have nots.

We live in a country where there are rich and poor.

We live in a country where many of those that do the back breaking work do not share in the "wealth" of the country.  Where wealth is sucked out of individual's and small communities and concentrated into the hands of a minority of the "ownership" class.

We moved created a "slave" class.  Where the owners of society reap handsome benefits, where the working classes, work more, get less, and when they cannot work any longer, they are "disposable".

Minorities and those on the fringe of society, are easily disenfranchised.  The poor have always known that they do not share in societies prosperity.  Now the middle class is eroding from the bottom up.

The main steam media could be pointing out the destruction of our society, but that is down the rabbit hole.

Instead, the concentrate on those things, like Rev. White's comments, that inflame and divide.

That way they can keep the focus off of the important issues of our time, our disintegrating society. 

by August Adams (11 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 585 comments [11 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 11:12:37 AM

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America Hate

Pastor wright is as American as any one can imagine. To be American is to  stand up and speak up against the wrongs we do.

The extremist talk show radio hosts led by Sean Hannity, Riley, Limbaugh and Beck are feasting on it and sadly, and shamefully, we do not have ulgy talk show hosts on the sides of the moderate Americans, who are the majority of Americans.

These hosts do not represent America, but the fanatic binge.

Mike Ghouse

www.MikeGhouse.net

 

 

by Mike Ghouse (15 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 17 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 12:33:19 PM

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Reply: What scares me Mike

Is that recent Rasmussen poll  RASMUSSEN POLL: McCain Now Leads By Double Digits:that show McCain leading both democratic candidates. One of the top issues at hand is the Wright Sermon. That and the second amendment turmoil in Washington. Both events are deemed as strikes against Obama.

The neocon race card is in full swing as you suggest. This poll may well be an indiction that the smear campaign is working.  Of course one day in May does not a presidency make or break.  But if this trend continues my only observation would be we are the dumbest electorate in the world.

by Michael Shaw (12 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 439 comments [16 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Mar 24, 2008 at 11:16:07 AM

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Minister

Thank you for putting everything into perspective.

by Archie (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1750 comments [111 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 12:44:14 PM

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Seperation of Government/America

As I stated in a comment I sent to an NPR talk show, I have developed  a disdain for the US government, which has nothing to do with my love of country or sense of "patriotism." What a shame that the species having the capacity for advanced use of vocal cords to communicate, unlike the animals we reduce to products and commodities, uses language to distort, delude, and destroy.

While 143 MILLION pounds of contaminated dead dairy cow flesh was allowed sent to school children, with essentially no investigation, we hear at nauseum about Pastor Wrights sermon. Why isn't the media digging into why the USDA put, and puts the children of this nation at risk of disease, using OUR tax dollars to fund subsidies for the WORST and most heinous abuses to so called "food" animals, who endure unfathomable torture, are sick, injured, traumatized,slaughtered, and sent to federal food programs, increasing risks of disease? Instead, we hear daily distractions to avert the political FAILURE of government agencies to protect its own citizens, young and old, from the harmful consequences of using animals as vectors for 70% of crops grown, turning their bodies into resource depleting units, risking future pandemics and increasing environmental pollution. Pastor Wright, is right. America has become the mirror image of what it claims to abhor. We are over-fed, under-nourished,  self righteous, egoic cyborgs, acculturated by mass marketing and brain altering manipulation to be "consumers."

The movie, Good Night and Good Luck, says it all. No news that debates or delves deeply into why we have such violence in our midst, only shallow and dumb entertainment to keep the electorate complacent and captive....

Professor Richard Levins address at Tufts called, "The Ecology of Capitalism," articulates the rise and fall of societies, of which ours is declining. When societies are built on fractured foundations of illusion, they all fall down. It is my belief our current state of gvernment exists because Americans have given up individual obligation to care for their own health, and live dis-harmoniously with the natural world. American's seem quite willing to eat themselves to death, and ask government to insure they'll have "health care," to pay for their self inflicted diseases.  How can a nation be strong when its people  abducate their own responsibility  for their own organs?

Pastor Wright, in my view, was correct. Our government is ill, and American's are part of a collective egoic dysfunction.

Upton Sinclair once said,"If they(the commercial broadcasters), are allowed to continue,we will have the most debased society in the world."

 

by Laura Beth (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 12:51:52 PM

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Reply: Laura Beth

You are absolutely right. I would add further that it is not the government we should be mad at. The government of "We the People" is not at fault here! Hell! It's been drowned in the bathtub, thus the failures by the FDA and the other government agencies you are referring to. The real enemy is not the government, but rather those who have hijacked it. It is the duty of every loyal and patriotic American citizen to see to it they don't get away with it and that the basic foundations set by the forefathers are restored and honored. 

by Michael Shaw (12 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 439 comments [16 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 2:15:05 PM

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McCain and his spiritual advisor Hagee keep getting a pass

“Bomb,bomb,bomb, bomb Iran” McCain stands by the sentiment he expressed when he sang that song, He pictures 100 years of war for us. Yet he is given a pass on that because he is such a nice guy. Further, Hagee acknowledges McCain sought His Endorsement. John Hagee via his lobby, Christians United for Israel, assembles the most aggressive of the Armageddonist Christian Zionists into a considerable political force who are beating the drums of war with Iran. John McCain and his supporter Joe Lieberman have calculated that CUFI (Christians United for Israel) is a necessary constituency for his presidential ambitions. We pick some dangerous people with whom we prefer to have a beer.

 

McCain has still not rejected the support of Hagee himself, and has said nothing about Hagee's claims that American foreign policy towards Palestine is causing God to attack the United States with terrorists.

 

TPM's Greg Sargent notes the lack of mainstream media coverage of Hagee compared to Farrakhan (whose support Obama has rejected): Very much like Farrakhan, Hagee has regularly made remarks about current events and other religions that many would find alarming. But unlike Farrakhan, he has never truly faced the scrutiny of the mainstream press, and major politicians like Joe Lieberman and John McCain have freely associated with him.

 

by Christie (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 143 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 1:27:21 PM

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Well Frank......

You almost had me take my hat off to you. I will still give it a tip. The gist of your article is essentially correct but I might add that your reference to anti-war dissidents linked with the Clinton's left little to be desired and I feel deserves a larger explanation.

Dissidence and civil disobedience in certain circumstances is the most patriotic thing a loyal citizen can do. In fact some of the greatest and enigmatic people in world history were dissidents. They include Gandhi, King and yes even Christ among their honor rolls. These people did not hate. Oh contrar! They loved and a whole lot more than the average so called patriotic citizen.

Calling dissent hating American is ludicrous and something many of us in the realms of the peace movement will not adhere to. It is obvious the hate spewed from the religious right had a political agenda, the least of which being the trashing of the first amendment and giving power to a specific religious organization over all others. Theocratic dictatorships have never been a love of country, but rather a love for itself and God help those who live in it who are dissidents.

Now perhaps Clinton did say he hated the military. I'd like to see where and when he said that. Furthermore although it is true Clinton became a Rhodes Scholar to avoid the draft, he at least was opposed to that immoral war, unlike the people who supported your father. Reagan fought WW2 from a Hollywood studio. George H W Bush spent most of his time at war shooting a machine gun at coconuts on a desolate island in the South Pacific. His one act in "heroism" was bailing alone out of a plane that had no smoke or visible damage as seen by members of his own squadron and that news of course was quickly quelled by the major media during his first election bid.

As for George W. Bush, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove and nearly the entire rest of Bush's entourage, none of them served a lick in active duty and it wasn't because they opposed any war. Bush took it a step further by being AWOL in wartime. These chickenhawks love war but only as long as someone else has to fight it.

I would also add that many veterans of the Vietnam War were involved in the anti-war movement. The Winter Soldiers of that era have come full circle with today's generation of  Winter Soldiers, the vets of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These folks for the most part volunteered for duty after the 9/11 attacks.  Sadly they had a chickenhawk commander like George W. Bush who has caused more damage to our society, our civil liberties, our economy, our morality and our world standing than all of his predecessors combined. I place much of that blame on the religious right where it justifiably belongs.

by Michael Shaw (12 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 439 comments [16 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 1:37:33 PM

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Lot's of Courage

Yes, I agree it takes a lot of courage to share this information but I can totally understand where you are coming from, from another perspective. Religion is a scam and works hand in hand with politics. Many preachers use religion as a stepping stone into political office. It's sad but this type mindset along with other destructive mindsets has been passed down for many generations it's up to us today to break this cycle of misinformation with the truth.

I firmly believe that if we didn't have religions we would be so much better off and people would be so much free.  Religion is used to control people. Religion makes some feel like they are exalted because they go along with it while making others feel less than human because they don't follow it's dictates. Religion and politics do not mix! Spirituality is the way!

by Sharon Roach (15 articles, 0 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 184 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 4:00:51 PM

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Lot's of Courage

Yes, I agree it takes a lot of courage to share this information but I can totally understand where you are coming from, from another perspective. Religion is a scam and works hand in hand with politics. Many preachers use religion as a stepping stone into political office. It's sad but this type mindset along with other destructive mindsets has been passed down for many generations it's up to us today to break this cycle of misinformation with the truth.

I firmly believe that if we didn't have religions we would be so much better off and people would be so much free.  Religion is used to control people. Religion makes some feel like they are exalted because they go along with it while making others feel less than human because they don't follow it's dictates. Religion and politics do not mix! Spirituality is the way!

by Sharon Roach (15 articles, 0 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 184 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 4:01:20 PM

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It needed to be said...

It needed to be said and you were certainly the right person to say.  I was raised by fundamentalists Christian Holiness.  Their pulpit is poison.  Their message - fear, fear, fear.  It's sad that this dogma relies on threats of terrible retribution and rewards of heavenly riches  to control behavior of their flocks.  These are not the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

by Amanda Lang (23 articles, 14528 quicklinks, 442 diaries, 731 comments [17 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 5:34:06 PM

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Message from comments column

So you might vote for Newt for dog-catcher! What do you have against dogs?

by Beth Grimes (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 25 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 5:54:52 PM

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Well Said

Your column is well worth the read.  Perhaps a review of Article 6, third paragraph, second clause of the US Constitution is in order; "...However, no religious test shall ever be a requirement for the holding of a public office or trust of the United States or of the several States."

by Kenneth Barr (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 107 comments) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 8:25:42 PM

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Why was he a hero to the Republicans?

Was it because he hated America?

Was your father so close to any president they reffered to your father as a life long mentor?

I don't think so.

 

by Gallaher (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 990 comments [34 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Sunday, Mar 23, 2008 at 11:55:33 PM

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Thank you, Frank.

Well said.

Hypocrisy abounds upon the political playground -especially when politicians begin to pull religion or faith into the mix. 

Personally, I blame the MSM for fanning the flames of this ridiculous diversion... they are very good at inflaming passions and creating sensational headlines out of the mere nothingness of each day!

They've allowed Bush and Co. to unleash a shitstorm of hellish proportions without so much as raising a finger to question these guys -in some cases, they've led the cheering!  They've manufactured and perpetuated fear and dischord, abetted the criminal administration in power, lied by omission, and failed in all of the true duties of a free press...  The Media is at the forefront of near every tasteless offense to the sensibilities of our nation.

Facts no longer even matter.

The MSM will continue define 'relevant' and 'meaningful' discourse... 

by C.Bid (0 articles, 7 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 739 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Mar 24, 2008 at 2:03:48 AM

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Gotta say this .

if you REALLY want to have an effect that HELPS rather than being with more armchair activists ..

 

go over and leave encouragement for those brave young students who went right into the catholic mass (arranged by a horrible Bishop) and confronted Bush.

Get that story headlined here on OpEd News and garner them SUPPORT.

We should have real respect for what they did and they DESERVE our support.

AT least - when the follow up appears, please do comment.

Therein lies the hope of the future, really. They made grave witness to the politics of today - that Xian, militarist Orwellian reality that they should not have to inhabit.

 Thanx, I am as serious about this as I have ever been about anything to do with OpEd News.

 

by ladybroadoak (39 articles, 20 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 394 comments) on Monday, Mar 24, 2008 at 2:14:20 AM

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No double standard!

The outer fringes of both the left and the right do it. It is not only a shame, but a poor reflection on people of faith. The church's message should be the gospel of Christ and how we are to treat our fellow man because of Christ's teachings. Churches should not endorse one politician over the other. 

by Merylr (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 19 comments) on Monday, Mar 24, 2008 at 7:41:27 AM

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Church

OBAMA’S NEW PASTOR COMPARES REV. WRIGHT TO JESUS -- CHICAGO — The new pastor of Barack Obama’s church delivered a defiant defense of its retiring reverend Sunday, comparing media coverage of Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. to a modern-day lynching that resembles Jesus’ death at the hands of the Romans.  In a sunrise Easter sermon, Rev. Otis Moss III implied that his mentor, who has delivered sermons in which he likened the U.S. to the Ku Klux Klan and declared it damned for its “state-sponsored terrorism,” is facing the same challenges Jesus did.”No one should start a ministry with lynching, no one should end their ministry with lynching,” Moss said.  “The lynching was national news. The RNN, the Roman News Network, was reporting it and NPR, National Publican Radio had it on the radio. The Jerusalem Post and the Palestine Times all wanted exclusives, they searched out the young ministers, showed up unannounced at their houses, tried to talk with their families, called up their friends, wanted to get a quote on how do you feel about the lynching?” he continued.

by Hinnis (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 16 comments) on Monday, Mar 24, 2008 at 10:22:31 AM

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