Just when you think that Fr. Jonathan Morris is the only game in town, think again. In the spirit of diversity, the "fair & balanced" Fox News hosted, on Christmas Eve, two non-Catholic clergy men who spoke about the importance of faith. But just when you start thinking that Fox News might actually be attempting to be more religiously inclusive, think again. In the spirit of hard core, conservative theology, these two men of the cloth were not from the mainline American faith community. Rather, Rabbi Aryah Spero and Rev. Robert Jeffress represent religious and political views that are part of a radical right wing that, with the support of Fox News, seeks to spread its toxicity to a country that doesn't embrace theological world views which demonize the President, gays, and Muslims. But in the spirit of Christmas, birther Heather Childers warmly welcomed the aforementioned men to speak about the importance of religion. Ironic, don't ya think!
Childers, on Happening Now, reported that a new study has found that those with no faith are the third largest religious group. She spoke first with the Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Spero who, when he was a guest on David Barton's "Wall Builders" show, hoped that his new book would inspire people "to rise up and take to the streets in protest against the "hard-core leftist socialists" who are out to destroy the Constitution and the Judeo-Christian philosophy" He also feels that gay marriage is a sign of the end of the world. At Glen Beck's "Restoring Love" rally, Spero compared Obama to a pagan king of Israel. Spero is head of the conservative Caucus for America which is "battling for the soul of America." He appeared on an all male panel, hosted by Megyn Kelly, to diss the Obama birth control mandate.
Spero is concerned about the study and claimed that secular people have adopted the "religion of liberalism" which isn't "sourced in our Judeo-Christian ethos." He claimed that it is "problematic" for the country because we need morality. He made the specious claim that "our identity has always come from the Old and New Testament and Judeo-Christian ethos." (Uh, how bout the secular Englightenment?) He blithered about morality and how without it, we slip into "moral relativism."
She tossed to Jeffress who, after the election, said that Obama "is paving the way for the future reign of the anti-Christ." He also said that marriage equality victories will bring God's judgment on America for "backing evil." He has described the LGBT community as "perverse" and that there is a link between homosexuality and pedophilia. He warns that "homosexuality will lead to an implosion of our country." He feels that Christian leaders should be preferredover non-Christians. He has also said that Islam "supports pedophilia." Jeffress also took some heat over his comment about Mormons being part of a cult. Recently he claimed that US Defense policy must include banning gay marriage.
Jeffress spoke about how his church is just growing by leaps and bounds because people from all religious backgrounds are coming to his church because it isn't identified with being Baptist but "being a follower of Christ." (So that means that the religions that these folks are leaving aren't valid?) In what might have been a slam on Mormons and Muslims, he added that he teaches the Bible and not a "man made creed."
In response to Childer's question about how religious groups can get new members, Spero said that religion, rather than "feel-goodism" needs to be emphasized because it provides "an understanding of what is right and wrong." He again made the bogus (and Bill O'Reilly) claim that the country was founded on Judeo-Christian ethos. Jeffress said that when non-believers describe the CT massacre as evil, they prove the existence of God who hates evil. He said that both he and the rabbi believe that "a relationship with God gives fullness and meaning and morality to life."
Nothing like a couple of homophobic, Islamophobic, anti-liberal, anti-Obama "men of God" to provide some Christmas Eve inspiration about the awesomeness of a relationship with God! Seriously, there should be no question about the growing number of religiously unaffiliated when you see hypocrites like this.
Can anybody give the exact quote and explain why nobdy has explained to the man of god the difference betwen Horse and Cart.
Help us stamp out intolerance! Tell everyone who doesn’t share your beliefs they are going to Hell because God told you so!!! Let them know your hate is sanctioned by God! Scare them so much they jump ship an skedaddle to so place you don’t even know about! Then and only then will tolerance reign in America!!