As the mouthpiece for the Christian right, Fox News is always willing to promote whatever the church of the perpetually outraged is outraged about. Their new hissy fit involves the withdrawal of the pastor, who had been invited to give the benediction at the presidential inauguration, over publicity about his past anti-gay commentary.This  prompted howls of outrage from the right wing including Fox's Todd Starnes who urged Christians to fight the gay bullies. More outrage when MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, in discussing this issue on his show, snarked about the necessity of having the president take his oath on the bible - a book that teaches that homosexuality is a sin. Newsbusters Noel Sheppard called it a "disgraceful tirade" and the homophobic, pedophile priest defender, anti-Semitic Bill Donohue said that President Obama should take the oath on Karl Marx's Das Kapital. And today, Fox's one true priest for the perpetually outraged, Fr. Jonathan, Morris, devoted his weekly Fox & Friends sermon to Lawrence O'Donnell's comments which, in true Fox fashion, were distorted but Father knows best?!

As the patented Fox agitprop chyron read "Banning the Bible, TV Commentator: Remove It from Inauguration," Mike Jerrick reported that the pastor selected for the presidential inauguration has withdrawn after a sermon that he gave "years and years ago about gay marriage."  (Giglio, in the 90's, gave a sermon in which he sited biblical verses interpreted to require execution of gays.) Tucker Carlson said that this controversy "led some on the left to attack the bible itself." Audio of O'Donnell's comment, in which he referred to the swearing on the bible, as "an absurdist tradition" involving a book filled with stuff that neither he nor the rest of the country believe in" was played. Not played was the part where O'Donnell cites all the death sentences mandated in the bible, including the burning of prostitutes.

The cute little Fox priest immediately advanced a Christian right meme that he's been flogging lately) about a "war of intolerance, sweeping this country, intolerance of any public expression of God or religion." To Carlson's question of where it's coming from, Morris replied "spokesmen like this" and "activists who would like to wipe the name of God off the face of our own conscience but of the public square." The chyron: "Absurdist Tradition? Bible's Role in Presidential Inauguration?" Alisyn Camerota, in referencing O'Donnell's assertion that the President doesn't believe every word of the bible, asked if it would "disingenuous" to swear on the bible. Morris compared it to saying that if we don't believe in all the Commandments, we should "take them down from our courtrooms."

The chyron reinforced the blasphemy: "Where's the Faith, O'Donnell, No Bible on Inauguration Day." (He wasn't calling for a bible ban merely raising a question). Morris got absurd when he claimed that O'Donnell was also suggesting that "in God we trust" be taken off of the dollar bill" and that we should "get rid of any expression of religion if we believe in the true meaning of the separation of church and state means that God stays within the walls of a church." He continued to bray about how these "activists" are trying to give God the boot. After Jerrick noted that President Obama would use two bibles, Morris said it was "a wonderful thing" and then continued his spittle laden rant about all the God references that these evil doers are trying to get rid of. The agitprop chyron attacked O'Donnell: "O'Donnell Disses Bible, Should No Longer Be Used To Take Oath." Morris frothed about how if we say that we believe in the bible but not what's in it, it's like ripping out pages from the bible. Carlson said that "when we remove God, the state is the final authority," so "it's useful." After Jerrick noted that not all president's used the bible, Morris, said that we need to let Presidents "be who they are instead of being so intolerant to say that they cannot do anything that everybody doesn't agree with." (And can you imagine Fox's outrage if Obama wasn't using a bible?!)

So rather than discuss Giglio's hateful sermon, Fr. Morris attacks Lawrence O'Donnell for something that was a question not a demand. And funny, the bible used by Obama, in 2008, was Jefferson's bible in which (OMG) all the miracles had been excised. But here's the thing - Morris lied - O'Donnell DIDN'T SAY THAT THE BIBLE SHOULDN'T BE USED FOR INAUGURATIONS. He merely suggested that the oath is being taken on a book that has some unsavory things. He also mentioned that Michelle Obama, a descendent of slaves, will be holding a book that does not condemn slavery. The sweet little padre didn't mention that either. But then his mission was to push propaganda about godless liberals and Fr. Morris was doing the lord Roger Ailes work!