Fox News head honcho Roger Ailes feels that "the clear-and-present danger confronting America is secularism" and that "efforts to drive religion from the public square" are comparable "to a wall threatening to cut America off from its Judeo-Christian roots." His belief that Christianity is under siege would account for Fox's steady parade of stories about godly persecuted Christians and evil atheists who are out to destroy our alleged "Christian nation." Thus, on Fox, Christian 1st Amendment groups are lauded while those groups who seek to maintain the constitutional "wall of separation" are denounced. One such group is the Freedom From Religion Foundation which has earned the wrath of Fox for its attempts to defend the constitutional "establishment" clause. And now that they scored a victory, in getting a publicly funded college to remove Gideon bibles from a school sponsored hotel, the Christian right is upset and turning to Fox News which, judging from Megyn Kelly's warm affirmation to homophobic hate group leader, Tony Perkins, didn't disappoint!
Tuesday night, "straight news" host Megyn Kelly, whose desk was designed with maximum leg view in mind, started the segment in her trademark loud and snarky tone. Eyes flashing and nostrils flaring, she reported that "a hotel in the heartland has decided no more bibles in the night stands." She explained that the decision was a result of a complaint from - drum roll please - the Freedom from Religion Foundation that wanted the bibles to be banned because they were "alienating to non-believers." The chyron supported her agitprop message with just the right codes inflammatory words which let you know, loud and clear, who is responsible for this outrage: "Bible Banning, University Hotel Complies With Atheist Group." She warmly welcomed her guest, SPLC designated homophobic hate group leader Tony Perkins.
After she acknowledged that this is a "state run college and hotel," she sneered as she continued "therefore they say they can't be endorsing religion over non-religion." Perkins, a Christian right grievance hustler and not an attorney, quoted from the First Amendment and whined about how it's "hard to conceive how a donated bible, in a draw, is an establishment of religion." As he accused the FFRF of "doing this across the country," the chyron reinforced the message: "Group Demands Iowa State University Hotel Ban Bibles."
Kelly provided validation: "Everybody has gone to a hotel and seen a bible in the nightstand and I don't know if I've ever felt that somebody is pushing religion on me. But they react as though this has been an abhorrent experience for them." Kelly is wrong. The basis of the FFRF complaint isn't emotional but rather that "It is a fundamental principle of Establishment Clause jurisprudence that a government entity cannot in any way promote, advance, or otherwise endorse religion."
Perkins spoke about how having bibles in hotel rooms prevents suicides. Kelly sarcastically said "I'm sure they're on a campaign to get rid of triple X porno in hotel rooms..." which, of course, has nothing to do with church/state issues as this does. As the camera angle zoomed to get maximum Kelly leg shots, Perkins warned that this could be a "slippery slope" which could result in religious programming being banned. He zeroed in on the main message, one that he frequently invokes on other Fox persecuted Christian segments, about how this reflects a "hostility towards religion." After Kelly claimed that the FFRF "finds the bible...objectionable," Perkins, on cue, read a FFRF statement which described some of the more unsavory parts of the bible which, according to Perkins, *"aren't in the bible." Kelly chuckled, "we'll leave it that."
So if a taxpayer funded college had Korans in their hotels, Perkins and Kelly would be OK with that? And BTW, when Kelly says “I’m a straight-news anchor. I’m not one of the opinion hosts at Fox," she is either seriously deluded or full of shit!
*The FFRF quote stated that the bible has instructions to kill homosexuals. Perkins says that's not in the Bible. Perkins is wrong: Leviticus 20:13: "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." Looks like Perkins isn't reading his bible!
Legyn – Bible Bible Bible Bible Bible Bible Bible Bible Bible Bible
Perky – Slippery slope! Slippery slope! Slippery slope! Slippery slope! Slippery slope! Slippery slope! Slippery slope!
Legyn – God & country! God & country! God & country! God & country! God & country! God & country! God & country!
Perky – Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies!
Legyn – Leg Shot ! Leg Shot ! Leg Shot ! Leg Shot ! Leg Shot ! Leg Shot ! Leg Shot ! Leg Shot !
Perky – Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies!
Legyn – Wow! I’m hot!
Perky – Gays! Gays! Gays! Gays! Gays! Gays! Gays! Gays!
Legyn – So when ya commin’ outta the closet Perky?
Perky – Ahemmm!!!!!!
Let’s say that Hotels start getting special, custom made Kindles that have every holy book on them, not just The Bible. By special, I mean the memory comes pre-written, no ports to re-write the info. Not cost effective, but let’s pretend that isn’t the point.
Would she still be making the same points she is now, or would she be pissed that the bible is sharing space with The Torah, The Tipitaka, The Quran, and the Book of Mormon? I think we all know the answer, but I’d like to hear her hate-filled little mouth admit it.
How is this world going to survive without bibles in the motel rooms?
Not only has their presence stopped suicides, but just think of all the chicanery with “thy neighbors’ wife” that never happened in motel rooms!
This is going to be one evil world!!!!