Monday, September 5, 2011
Hello, God? It's us, the fringies in the GOP.
I was just wondering, after reading Rep. Michele Bachmann's explanation of her "joke" about God sending messages to people written in His inimical earthquake and hurricane hand, if she has any insight into what sort of message God is sending to the people in the area of Austin, Texas?
People like Bachmann, Gov. Rick Perry, and Pat Robertson, who claim to understand the mysterious ways in which their mysterious god works, are silent when tragedy strikes areas of this country where the people's political and religious beliefs most closely reflect their own.
We come to the conclusion then that when terrible natural disasters happen in mostly blue states, it's God's judgment on how the people are behaving; but when terrible natural disaster happen in mostly red states, it's, well, just a natural disaster with no punishment intended for God's own people--Goopers. See their god sends calamaties as a judgment on their behaviors only to liberals and non-whites, not His beloved Anti-Help Thy Neighbor conservatives.
Just thought I'd clear this up for everyone.
BTW, two of the above loonies want to be your president.
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14 comments:
Well, you know I'm lurking, so I'll bite...
I actually kinda agree with you. Anyone who presumes to know God's mind opens themselves up for such criticism.
I'm more from the humble Abraham Lincoln school: Instead of loudly proclaiming that God is on our side, I rather hope that we are on God's side.
I really can't rebut what you said, other than it has not been proven that Perry and bachmann are loonies.
I apologize for the lack of a good argument.
Religious logic is infinitely flexible because it isn't real logic. When the earthquake and tsunami struck Indonesia and Thailand a few years ago, the Westboro Baptist Church decided that it was divine punishment for tolerance of homosexuals -- in Sweden. (A lot of Swedish tourists had been killed.) No doubt the drought and fires in Texas are punishment for something or other, somewhere. Bachmann's imaginary friend just has a really lousy aim.
While it's true that no one has PROVEN that Bachmann and Perry are loonies, it is also true that loonies are known to claim that God speaks to them and they have used this claim when committing homicide.
Bachmann has stated that God has called her to run for Congress and now for the presidency.
Presidential hopeful Rep. Michele Bachmann says she has the highest endorsement she can get: an endorsement from Above.
The Minnesota congresswoman said she received a "calling" to enter the 2012 presidential race. She spoke in an interview with Iowa Public Television on Friday.
"Well, every decision that I make, I pray about, as does my husband, and I can tell you, yes, I've had that calling and that tugging on my heart that this is the right thing to do," Bachmann said.
Bachmann says she experienced a similar type of spiritual guidance in 2006 when she ran for Congress from Minnesota.
"God then called me to run for the United States Congress. And I thought, what in the world would that be for? And my husband said, "You need to do this," Bachmann said at The Living Word Christian Center, a megachurch in Minnesota, during her campaign.
The problem with claiming one is hearing God speaking to him/her on running for office is that what the politician is hearing usually coincides exactly with that politician's political ambitions.
Infidel is partially right. Judaism and Christianity are only partially in the realm of logic because they are "Because God said so" beliefs, so we do or don't do something based upon that.
It's not infinitely flexible in that you can't violate God's law.
This is why someone who kills an abortion doctor is horribly wrong. God did not tell us to do that. He cannot contradict his own law to not murder.
I don't want to turn this into a theological spat, because they never get anywhere.
I just wanted to clear one other thing up. When someone says "God called me," they rarely mean God talked to them directly.
Usually, it means the person has prayed, read the bible and reflected on something to come to some conclusion.
I know, it sounds like hokum, and I'm not asking anyone to believe in it, I'm just giving you the Christian perspective.
Obviously, I speak for no one but myself, and I am not a fundamentalist or evangelical, and there really are nuts out there who believe God has told them to do this or that.
Looking at the words they use and the context, I believe Perry and Bachmann are not claiming God spoke to them, but rather have prayerfully come to a conclusion.
My struggle with this whole response from Bachmann is this.
At first, when she was called on her remarks, she demurred.
Then she said it was a joke, and the right went with that.
But then she changed that line of reasoning to "it was a metaphor."
Her understanding of the vents seems to be fluid.
I would like to point out that belief in God is not that big a deal. Christian scripture says in the book of James even the devil believes in God.
The truer test of someone's Christianity is to be found in a stated desire to follow Jesus and His teachings.
I have seen nothing from any contender to suggest they are taking that calling to heart.
There have actually been a few studies showing that there are some mental illnesses associated with hyper-religiosity. Some 33% of bipolars are hypre-religious.
Leslie, is that a cause, or effect?
I've seen that too...
Dave: I no longer have my bookmarks - was thinking of doing a blog on it. But there is quite a bit of stuff. I just Googled "hyperreligiosity and mental illness" (I always start broad and then refine it). More specifically you can search "hyperrelgiosity and bipolar." A lot of the material is in professional journals. Apparently significant numbers of bipolars become hyperreligious when having a manic episode.
Interestingly I found this out when getting a divorce. I'm bipolar but not H-R. My ex was an undiagnosed bipolar and very H-R (and abusive - go figure). I learned, although I wasn't supposed to, that the numerous mental health pros who were involved in our case thought my ex was BP precisely because of his H-R - and of course some behavioral issues.
Over the years I've taken that and looked closely at my father's side of the family. Lots of BP (undiagnosed of course)and way beyond even H-R. it's an interesting subject and maybe I'll do something on it.
So that means 66% of bipolar people are not. What does that say?
So the Texas wildfires that Perry says are out of control are God's punishment for not building a fence to keep predominantly catholic Mexicans out?
Funny how nothing is ever a republicans fault.
Dudley, actually in a strange turn of events, Perry is against the fence and supports in state tuition for illegal immigrants...
Of course with those views, I am not sure how he gets elected in the GOP primaries...
Now go look for a fire hydrant to violate...
As many of you know, I’m an Atheist, but I don’t begrudge religious people using their phrases and terms and I try to understand where they’re coming from when they do.
In Bachman’s case, I think she meant she had a “purpose” when she said “calling”, although I don’t know why she said she was joking as I don’t believe a person’s “purpose” in life is a joke, whether others agree with that “purpose” or not.
We all have to figure out our own path in this life and be comfortable with it, because ultimately we’re the ones who have to look back and be contented with the one we've chosen.
I have to admit I don't know the difference between God calling someone and God speaking to someone. They seem the same thing to me, but what do I know, I'm not a believer, so I don't understand the nuances between being called and being talked to.l
That's fine Dave. Everybody wants to correct the dog. Just watch where you step cause I know where you walk.
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