It's funny. During the flap over the HHS contraceptive mandate, Jesus' BFFs whined about First Amendment freedoms and the separation of church and state. Yet, when Air Forces patches, which say "Doing God's Work With Other People's Money," were changed after a military atheist group complained, Jesus' inner circle whined about these evil atheists who don't understand that it's just fine to say that our taxpayer supported Air Force can invoke the name of a Middle Eastern deity. Yesterday, alleged "straight" news anchor, Bill Hemmer, provided a warm and sympathetic milieu for uber Christian congressman Randy Forbes, head of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, to whine about this latest outrage against persecuted Christians at the hands of evil atheists. Forbes was last seen, on Fox, whining about how Vanderbilt Christians are being persecuted. As Jon Stewart said, "conservative victimization is the true genius of what Fox has accomplished.
Hemmer immediately with the usual Christian right wing trope: "We have God on our money, we say it in the Pledge of Allegiance, so what's wrong with God on a patch for the Air Force?" In answering his question, he invoked that standard Fox blame-the-atheist meme: "Plenty, according to one atheist group." He reported that this group of evil doers pressured the Air Force to remove the aforementioned reference to God and substitute the word "miracles."
He welcomed the congressman who, with other Republicans, is trying to get the Air Force to reconsider its decision. Forbes immediately started whining about how this decision means that any reference to the word "God," even when it doesn't reference a deity" (God isn't a deity, God damn!) "has to be banned" and that means that the Air Force couldn't use "In God We Trust." Hemmer provided the scripted question when he asked Forbes if he was implying that all references to God could be taken out of the military. Forbes claimed that the patch, when it was created nine years ago, didn't refer to a deity but referred to their generals as a reference from God." (WTF??) Forbes continued to whine that the Air Force is saying that they are being forced, from a legal perspective, to comply with the atheist demand and "if they have to take it out in this situation, they will have to take it out in every situation."
He asserted that this comes on the heels of other anti-Christian measures. His litany: Banning ethics courses with biblical references. Fact Check - the ethics courses included a lesson on how Jesus supports nuclear weapons. Banning officers from telling those who serve under them that there are programs to help them in the chaplains office. Fact Check -The officers were, in effect, proselytizing. Banning a cadet from sending an e-mail requesting the people help with a charity because it had a faith component. Fact Check - the e-mail was supporting a Christian charity run by the Islamphobic Franklin Graham. The charity inserts little Christian messages in toy boxes that go to Islamic countries.
Hemmer asked "where is this coming from" - a scripted question that was framed to elicit an answer that reinforced the persecuted Christian meme. Forbes responded that it's a "small group of anti-faith" people who have - wait for it - "DECLARED WAR ON FAITH and religious liberty across the country." Hemmer's response was even more bizarre: "The Air Force doesn't have to listen to them." (Hey Bill, if they want to avoid court cases, which they might lose, they have and do listen to them.) Forbes continued to whine about how "the administration" is mistreating the Christians. He then provided more misinformation about how the Federal Reserve "tried to get a private bank to remove "Merry Christmas." Fact Check - Along with "Merry Christmas" buttons worn by teller, the bank displayed a "bible verse of the day" and crosses on the teller's counters. Forbes claimed that the "constitutional rights" of Americans are being "trampled on." Hemmer, who has never served in the military, said "no atheists in a foxhole." Fact Check - There are 9,400 active duty atheists.
Can you imagine the outrage, if the government Food Stamp program had a logo which said "feeding people with other people's money." But the function of the Air Force office is to speed up weapons systems and those Air Force "ethics" teachers told us that Jesus loves nukes - so I guess that means that blowing up people is doing God's work! Praise Tim Tebow.
Good point Hemmer! We all remember that 6,000 years ago on Day 6 God said "I want my name on your money & I want the phrase “under God” incorporated into the future Americas’ Pledge of Allegiance by June 14, 1954. That way I’ll have an nation of bobble-head morons who have no shame when they firebomb people who ‘get out of hand’.
Our God tells us to murder, destroy, enslave, rape, obliterate and lie. We are more powerful because our Hate is greater. Have a God Damned Day Everyone!