God-Given Guns?

A couple of days ago, the most recent ex-Minister of Information for the Trump Administration, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, tweeted that "Democrats say we have guns in America because of 'corruption'. No, we have guns because it’s our God-given right enshrined in the Constitution."

Being the smart aleck that I am, I replied with "It seems sacrilegious (as well as ridiculous) to blame modern America's firearms plague on a mythical 'God-given right' to bear arms." and "But if the right to bear arms (as part of a militia) in the Constitution is 'God-given,' then so is the #emoluments clause." Checking back a couple of days later, I was heartened to see that my replies acquired more than a few likes and retweets, and that there were over 25,000 other replies to her original tweet, most of which were amazed and surprised at her invocation of The Almighty in her defense of assault weapons.

I wasn't surprised. This wasn't the first time I heard this claim about a God-given right to bear arms. It seems to be an article of faith among a certain subculture of Americans. Back in 2012, I quoted at length from the document of a right-wing extremist group, The Platform Committee of the Republican Party of Texas. Not only did they talk about the "God-given right" to open carry your firearm on page 14 of their 2012 platform, but that was one of their less controversial planks. Abolishing Social Security and Income Tax; withdrawal from the UN, IMF, WTO, and World Bank; anti-homosexuality and pro-confederate-monument planks; repealing the Endangered Species and Voting Rights Acts; and much more that makes Donald Trump look like a flaming moderate on the GOP scale of fucknuttery were included. You can read more excerpts here, or the full document here. We sometimes forget in these days of Trump's constant headline-grabbing distractions, that the foundations of know-nothingism run deep in the GOP and USA. The nightmare didn't begin in November 8, 2016.

(Also -- having an open mind -- if anyone can cite the Bible verse in which God gives people -- especially Americans -- the divine right to carry guns, I'm willing to listen.)

Happy Ash Wednesday

Courtesy of T.S. Eliot.

Another TBL Poll: How Will #MAGA Kill You?

If you die during the #MAGA years of @realDonaldTrump, which of the following is most likely to be the cause?

— True Blue Liberal (@TrueBlueLiberal) October 13, 2017

Or will it be a climate-change-induced weather catastrophe? Or black lung from all those new coal-fired power plants? Or getting hit by a Nazi-driven car because you had the temerity to engage in a peaceful protest? Or...?

Americans Should Never Forget this Moment with Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell

I just heard that President Trump gave an interview to Pat Robertson today that will be broadcast tomorrow on Robertson's main vehicle for extracting money from the gullible, The 700 Club on his Christian Broadcasting Network. It's bad enough that CBN deals in so much fake news and mythological mumbo-jumbo that it makes Fox News look almost credible by comparison (almost). The president can easily be criticized for seeking yet another safe interviewer deep within the right-wing media bubble, but the president should also be condemned for lending respectability to this founding mullah of the American Taliban. The other religious extremist nut in this one-minute video from September 13, 2001 is the late Jerry Falwell, the founder of every Republican presidential candidate's obligatory campaign stop, Liberty University, where Trump felt safe enough to return and give a heckle-free commencement address earlier this year.

Neither Falwell nor Robertson (or CBN or Liberty U) should ever appear in the news without the following video from two days after 9/11 immediately coming to every American's mind. This dangerous type of thought should never be mainstreamed (but it will have an even stronger proponent in the White House if Trump is kicked to the curb in favor of religious extremist VP Mike Pence).

Happy Hanukkah times two

Pick your favorite Hamilton-inspired Hanukkah production, "Hasmonean" from The Maccabeats or "A Hamilton Chanukah" (introduced by President Obama) from Six13.

 

Today's Bible Verse for Willard "Mitt" Romney and Donald "J." Trump

As long as taxes, their routine avoidance by rich American businessmen, and hidden tax returns are back in the news, this quotation from the Gospel of Mark seemed to be the appropriate True Blue Liberal bible lesson for the day.

Mark 11:13 And they send unto him certaine of the Pharises, and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.
14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man : for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. Is it lawfull to give tribute to Cesar, or not?

15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he knowing their hypocrisie, said unto them, Why tempt yee mee? Bring me a penny, that I may see it.

16 And they brought it : and he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Cesars.

17 And Jesus answering, said unto them, Render to Cesar the things that are Cesars : and to God the things that are Gods. And they marvailed at him.

This is taken, of course, from the 1611 King James Version, known here at trueblueliberal.org as "The Real Bible For Real Christians."

Today's reading from the only book Donald J. Trump claims to like more than The Art of the Deal

Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest; Goe thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poore, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, take up the crosse & folow me.

22 And hee was sad at that saying, and went away grieved : for hee had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God!

25 It is easier for a camel to goe throw the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

This is taken, of course, from the 1611 King James Version, known here at trueblueliberal.org as "The Real Bible For Real Christians."

Separation of Church and State in Iowa 2016

"I want to thank an all powerful and mighty God for the chance that he has given us to be a part of this endeavor here in Iowa." Marco Rubio started with the God talk early in his triumphalist "victory" speech last night in Iowa (celebrating his third place showing behind Cruz and Trump). A little later, he made it clear that he was not talking about just some vague Judeo-Christian-Islamic-Deist lip-service God, he was referring to a very specific manifestation of the One True God: "I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to come this far with each of you."

And Marco Rubio is supposedly not one of the chief Bible thumpers in this year's Republican field. The Southern Baptist Minister Mike Huckabee dropped out of the race after the caucuses last night, but the winner, Ted Cruz, while not ordained, is well known to be holier than thou, me, the rest of the Republican field, and the Pope. Cruz began his speech with the words used by most repeatedly-concussed NFL players whenever they see a microphone, "Let me first of all say, to God be the glory," but once he got that out of the way, I couldn't find the words "God" or "Jesus" again in the rush transcript of his speech. Of course the transcript cuts off when the Fox News cameras (the last network covering him) finally left him alone with his followers. He may still be up there speaking in tongues and quoting scripture.

The winner of the Republican speeches last night was, shockingly, Donald Trump, who was short, polite, congratulatory, and completely God-free.

True Blue Liberal's Bible Lesson For Conservative "Christians"

With all the proud militarists running for President while holding the cross of Jesus before them, it sometimes gets hard to remember the Vietnam era, when many churches and religious people were in the forefront of the peace movement.

Here's a verse that was popular back then, and is the True Blue Liberal verse of the day for Iowa caucus day:

And hee shall iudge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beate their swords into plow-shares, and their speares into pruning hookes [Or Sythes.]: nation shall not lift vp sword against nation, neither shall they learne warre any more.  --Isaiah, Chapter 2, Verse 4

This is taken, of course, from the 1611 King James Version, known here at trueblueliberal.org as "The Real Bible For Real Christians."

Today's Bible Lesson for our Anti-Refugee "Christian" Governors, Congresspeople, and Presidential Candidates

From Leviticus Chapter 19, with no further commentary needed:

33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Clementa C. Pinckney, Pastor of Mother Emanuel A.M.E.

Rather than focusing on the terrorist who shot and killed nine people, including Clementa Pinckney, inside Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church last night, please watch this video from 2013 in which this Pastor and South Carolina State Senator tells the history of the church to a group of visitors...

Rest In Peace.

How the Capitalists' "God" Weaseled Its Way Into the Pledge and Onto Our Currency

I had always known that the "Under God" and "In God We Trust" additions were products of the anti-Communist 1950s, but I never knew how deeply this Eisenhower-era religious revival was manipulated by corporations and big businessmen for their own purposes just like the current perversions of religion by right wingers:




If you can't see the embedded player above, you can listen or read the transcript to Terry Gross's Fresh Air story about Kevin Kruse's One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America by clicking here.

What would Stephen Fry say if he were confronted by God at the pearly gates?

This is two minutes and 24 seconds worth watching:

"Bone cancer in children? What's that about? How dare you?"

This Blog Could Not Exist in Saudi Arabia

Please read this appeal from the PEN American Center: Saudi Arabia: Halt Flogging of Raef Badawi

Raef Badawi has been sentenced to ten years in prison and 1,000 lashes (scheduled to be delivered in groups of 50 after Friday morning prayers for 20 weeks, beginning today) for the great "crimes" of “insulting Islam” and “founding a liberal website.”

The United States should not accept this from an ally without the strongest condemnation, especially during this week when we have seen the brave journalists of Charlie Hebdo die for the right to express themselves freely. If Charb, Cabu, Tignous, and Wolinski had tried to publish their cartoons in a weekly published from Riyadh rather than Paris, we can be sure that they would have been executed -- or at least flogged 1,000 times -- long before this week.

I don't expect a formal public rebuke of our friends on the Arabian peninsula from the US Government, but I'll add this small formal "FUCK YOU SAUDI ARABIA" from TrueBlueLiberal.org.

Hanukkah Miracles!

Along with New York banning fracking yesterday, and a U.S. President finally treating our Cuban policy with a modicum of common sense, we were also apprised of the following sign of divine intervention in human affairs, with god revealing his (or her) true face:

Behold, Grumpy Cat is the one true god because I found him in an apple. pic.twitter.com/pSM1VFKYLm
— Darth Skeptic (@weakSquare) December 18, 2014

Even more surprising than the feline nature of God (which is actually not surprising at all), is the fact that God is female. Because, despite the "him" in Darth Skeptic's tweet, we know that Grumpy Cat (alias Tardar Sauce, alias God) is a girl.

Happy Hanukkah

Matisyahu has convinced me on more than one occasion that if I weren't an atheist I'd have to be Jewish (or Rastafarian).


(But I still find it strange to see Matisyahu without his beard.)

"...no faith teaches people to massacre innocents." Has Barack Obama read the Bible?

President Obama was perfectly correct today to condemn the Islamic State murderers who executed American journalist James Foley, but I have to take exception to some lines in his remarks:

... They [the group known as ISIS, ISIL, or The Islamic State] have murdered Muslims -- both Sunni and Shia -- by the thousands. They target Christians and religious minorities, driving them from their homes, murdering them when they can for no other reason than they practice a different religion. They declared their ambition to commit genocide against an ancient people. So ISIL speaks for no religion. Their victims are overwhelmingly Muslim, and no faith teaches people to massacre innocents. No just God would stand for what they did yesterday, and for what they do every single day. ...
--Barack Obama, 20 August 2014 [emphasis added]

We don't have to search further than the unread books sitting in every American hotel room to find a "faith that teaches people to massacre innocents":

Deuteronomy 13:6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;

8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:

9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.

12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,

13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;

15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.

16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the Lord thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;

18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord thy God.
--King James Version [emphasis added]

We have to stop paying lip service to this god of the three Abrahamic faiths as if he were nothing but a benign and peaceful poltergeist.

The Patron Saint of the Tea Party

As the lemmings with suicide vests are in the process of flying off the cliff in this third week of the GOP shutdown, it's important to look back at the forerunners of those who are currently waving Confederate flags in front of a black family's house in Washington DC. Specifically, we can't help thinking of March 23, 2003 every time we see the word socialist spelled "scholiast", or fields of waving yellow snake teabag flags, or a tricorner hat festooned with teabags.

On March 23, 2003, in the midst of nationwide demonstrations against the Iraq War, one unnamed flag-bandanna-bedecked Urteabagger and future meme confronted hundreds of antiwar protesters outside a Boeing missile factory and gave us the creatively-spelled sign that would launch thousands of imitators as soon as Barack Obama was inaugurated.

From a Google image search on the word "Morans"

Mr. Get-A-Brain!-Morans deserves to be the Patron Saint, or at least the Unknown Soldier, of the modern Tea Party.

How do we atheists worship on Easter weekend?

I'll start by watching and photographing the wildlife in my backyard.  

This guy visited me earlier this week on his way to steal some eggs. I'm sure that he's hard boiling and coloring them now and preparing to hide them behind trees and in downspouts and birdbaths of Christian homes (this traditional and ancient leporine curse has been misinterpreted by Christians as a blessing for centuries).

"... beliefs that would shame even a gorilla ..." The Bible Belt is voting today.

In honor of the GOP primaries taking place tonight in Alabama and Mississippi where up to 81% of the voters are self-described "White Evangelical Christians" and  45-52% of the voters are stupid enough to think that President Obama is a Muslim and only 12-14% believe he's a Christian (a triumph of white-flight Christian schools and home schooling lazily reinforcing treasured prejudices and stereotypes), the quote of this minor election night comes from the mouth of a young Alexander Portnoy, recording his first impressions of a visit to the home of Christian:

"Tacked above the Girardi sink is a picture of Jesus Christ floating up to Heaven in a pink nightgown. How disgusting can human beings be! The Jews I despise for their narrow-mindedness, their self-righteousness, the incredibly bizarre sense that these cave men who are my parents and relatives have somehow gotten of their superiority -- but when it comes to tawdriness and cheapness, to beliefs that would shame even a gorilla, you simply cannot top the goyim. What kind of base and brainless schmucks are these people to worship somebody who, number one, never existed, and number two, if he did, looking as he does in that picture, was without a doubt The Pansy of Palestine. In a pageboy haircut, with a Palmolive complexion -- and wearing a gown that I realize today must have come from Fredericks of Hollywood. Enough of God and the rest of that garbage! Down with religion and human groveling! Up with socialism and the dignity of man! [...]"

--Philip Roth, Portnoy's Complaint

(p. 168 of 1969 hardcover)

I hope I offended somebody.