Monday, April 06, 2009

The Christianist Backlash

All too predictably the Christianists who seek to destroy the U.S. Constitution and enshrine their own toxic religious belief system on all citizens are beside themselves over the ruling of the Iowa Supreme Court handed down this past Friday. In its ruling, the Court made the following statements that go to the very heart of the dispute over same sex marriage:
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"state government can have no religious views, either directly or indirectly through it's legislation," . . . . "As a result, civil marriage must be judged under our constitutional standards of equal protection and not under religious doctrines or the religious views of individuals."
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This statement is diametrically opposed to the agenda of the Christo-fascists who want all laws and all legal rights patterned on their toxic form of Christianity. They have only contempt and disdain for those with differing beliefs and - in my view - are a clear and present danger to the U.S. Constitution and freedom of religion for all. Among the blowhards of the far right condemning the Iowa decision is Tony Perkins, mouth piece of the lily white Family Research Council (pictured above). Perkins has a similar contempt for not only gays but also non-whites, immigrants, non-Christians and a host of others. He and FRC are more easily defined by who they don't hate since they hate almost everyone. Unfortunately, the media anchors and talking heads never point out this fact or challenge Perkins and those like him. Here's a sampling of Perkins' disingenuous pontificating:
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"Same-sex 'marriage' continues to be a movement driven by a liberal judicial elite determined to destroy not only the institution of marriage, but democracy as well. The casual dismissal of the facts of human biology and thousands of years of human history, simply to pander to a small band of social radicals, is bizarre and indefensible,"
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"FRC will continue to stand with those states which are seeking to pass marriage protection amendments in order to protect our most fundamental social institution from the kind of judicial activism we saw today in Iowa."
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"We urge Iowans to contact their legislators and urge them to move quickly to pass a constitutional amendment protecting marriage, joining the twenty-nine states that have already defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman in their state constitutions,"
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Another homophobic Christianist who can never keep his mouth shut is Matt Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University's Law School (a blight on Virginia's reputation), who like Perkins couches his shrill remarks in terms of judicial tyranny but in reality seeks to have extremist Christianist beliefs imposed on all. Here are a few of Staver's untruthful remarks:
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"These activist judges are no more than proselytizing engines of social change," . . . "That's not the role of a judge. They are to be umpires merely calling the balls or strikes. They don't rewrite the definition of marriage." . . . "The judges in this case crossed the line. This is an example of the kind of judge that should never be on the bench."
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Both Perkins and Staver would prefer religious courts like something out of Iran or Saudi Arabia to impose their intolerant religious beliefs on gays and everyone else. The reality, of course, is that as soon as their religious based arguments against same sex marriage are removed, their entire screed collapses like a house of cards. But then, with the Christianists, it is ALWAYS all about them and to Hell with everyone else.

1 comment:

Phillip Minton said...

I agree with you that many of these people refuse to listen to anyone except those who believe exactly as they do and are more than willing to trample any who oppose them. I'm glad that you point out that what they believe in is a "toxic" form of Christianity and thus call them Christianists.

I was raised in a Christian home, and though my parents and I don't see eye-to-eye on my sexual orientation, they don't go out and try to strip me or anyone else of their rights.

True form of Christianity is to love thy neighbor and to not judge them. Jesus would be ashamed of these Christianists who go throwing his name around anytime they want some form of authority. It's sad what a bad name they're giving him.