As part of its patented meme about a "War on Christianity," Fox News is now pimping "The Fight for Faith." Seriously, that was the opening visual on this morning's Fox & Friends during which Jesus BFF, Steve Doocy, hosted a segment to attack those who want to celebrate a national day of reason as an alternative to the "National Day of Prayer" which, for right wing Christians, is almost as sacred as Christmas which, we know, is being attacked by those evil atheists. Although the piece was primarily an affirmation of the need for faith, from the very faithful Penny Nance, it was also a thinly veiled attack on a Democratic politician who has been nominated for the post of Secretary of Transportation - the message being that the godless Obama is putting godless people in his cabinet and that of course makes Jesus weep. 

After saying "forget the National Day of Prayer," Steve Doocy reported that Anthony Foxx, the mayor or Charlotte and "newly minted Obama cabinet member" has proclaimed today a national day of reason for Charlotte because reason has provided more "hope for survival" than "other means." (On Fox, a heretical view!) He introduced his guest, Penny Nance, Christian right wing wingnut head of the very Christian and very right wing Concerned Women for America.

Making strange mouth motions, Doocy again mentioned that today is the National Day of Prayer and "yet this Mr. Foxx guy is calling it a national day of reason."  Sweet lil Penny noted that North Carolina has the seventh highest church attendance in the country so Foxx isn't concerned about re-election because of he's being considered for a national cabinet post. While a photo of  Foxx, an African-American was shown,  Penny quoted GK Chesteron (not a clergy member) about how the doctrine of "original sin" is backed up by "3,000 years of empirical evidence." (Penny obviously doesn't know that the doctrine of "original sin" is a Christian concept, not accepted by Judaism, that was developed by St. Augustine.) She claimed that "we need faith...and it's silly for us to say otherwise." (Really?)

Nance, not a historian, claimed that the Age of Enlightenment "gave way to moral relativism" which - ready for it - led to the Holocaust. (Traditional Christian anti-Semitism didn't?) And in another amazingly idiotic statement, she claimed that we have "dark periods of history when we leave God out of the equation." (Of course some of the darkest periods of history - Crusades, the Inquisition, religious wars were done in the name of Penny's "God" so go figure.)

Doocy added that the National Day of Reason was created by an atheist organization. In an iteration of the patented Fox "some say," he noted "what's troubling to some is that they would take the National Day of Prayer" and co-opt it to get publicity "to get us talking about it." Nance replied that even though they succeeded, it's a great opportunity to talk about the awesomeness of faith. She quoted John Adams who "said that our Constitution depends on a moral and religious people." (Does Penny know that Adams, a Unitarian, also said that The question before the human race is, whether the God of nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether priests and kings shall rule it by fictitious miracles?")  She continued to preach about how "we must have faith in God "to contend for their beliefs," which she supports, but Christians have "better ideas."

That Fox News is preaching to the Christian right is underscored by Doocy's reverence for the National Day of Prayer which is closely connected to Shirley Dobson, wife of  Focus on the Family founder, Dr. Pat Dobson. Last year the National Day of Prayer Task Force prayed for the defeat of Pres. Obama. (How'd that work out for ya!). The volunteers are required to sign an oath that they believe Jesus is the only path to salvation. But beyond the promotion of Fox's patented Christianity, Doocy's piece was a way to bash an Obama nominee. What Doocy didn't mention is that the National Day of Reason was started in 2003 and "has expanded to more than a dozen cities, where it's observed with blood drives, training on pro-secular policy lobbying and voter registration drives, as well as social events." So it's just not Mr. Foxx.

But if you're talking about reason, you're not talking about Steve Doocy!