While the Christian right loves the 1st Amendment's religious liberty protections, they don't have the same respect for the "establishment" clause's separation of church and state implications. And while they decry tax payer money being spent on the lawful activities of Planned Parenthood, they have no problems with taxpayer money being spent on the unconstitutional intrusion of Christianity into the public domain. And when this intrusion is questioned, they raise howls of indignation about how they are being persecuted by evil atheists - howls which are then validated on Fox & Friends. This morning, Jesus' AM BFF's hit the patented Fox & Friends persecuted Christian meme by promoting Todd Starnes and the religious right's newest bullshit persecuted Christian whine and, in so doing, cited the Constitution to support what appear to be Constitutional violations. But hey, "constitutionalist Eric Bolling doesn't think so. And as said in Plan 9 From Outer Space, "that proves it."
Elisabeth Hasselbeck began the "Fight for Faith" segment with an ominous message: "It looks like some groups might not get the Bible. There's a war on religion going on and you know it." She reported OMG that "bibles are booted from navy base guest rooms and an atheist group is telling a Georgia high school football team to punt the prayers." (Hardeharhar) She informed us that if you visit somebody at this navy base, the guest rooms, OMG, will no longer have bibles and described how a school in Georgia, uses a quote from "Proverbs," on their banners to "inspire" their players. (There is more including coaches and teachers leading Christian team prayer). She sneered as she described how one local complained about the football team being "too religious" and "being forced on the players." (Ya think?!) The chyrons reinforced the agitprop: "The Bible gets the boot, Navy nixes religious literature in lodges;" "Punting on prayer, atheist group goes after GA football team."
Eric Bolling, "as Christian as they come," showed us why he is as dumb as they come: "I don't know how having a Bible in a hotel room is forced on anyone. If you don't want to read it, leave it in the door. You're not forced to read it." He continued with his genius commentary: "How is that implicating the Navy, in any way, shape or form?" The chyron: "Good book banned, Bible no longer allowed in Navy lodges." Brian Kilmeade demonstrated his noted mental acumen whilst engaging in the Fox & Friends requisite atheist bashing: "You'd think a federal run organization would be able to make their own decisions but it's atheist organizations that are pushing back on that." (Uh, Brian, First Amendment, hello?!) Bolling responded that "if it's a money thing" you can bet that somebody will be willing to donate all the bibles in Navy and the high school." (Huh? The high school issue isn't about bibles and the Navy issue is about separation of church and state.)
They showed their Facebook commentary about the issue which proved that their viewers are as stupid as they are - but it also showed that all that besieged Christian bullshit, pimped on Fox & Friends, has hit the mark: " "In America - we are guaranteed "Freedom of Religion." Now it seems that the only ones who are not guaranteed that are the CHRISTIAN MAJORITY;" "Why are atheists rights more important than everyone else? Where does the Constitution say that we never have to see something that offends us;" all these lawsuits do is cost tax dollars and they all offend me;" Sad that they push equality unless it comes to Christian beliefs and they it's wrong, very hypocritical."
Theologian Hasselbeck preached that "in light of what's going on in the world and persecution of Christians [so f**k the Yazidis and other religious minorities including Muslims?], right now how close...do we want to get to eliminating religious freedom, particularly here." (Uh, Elisabeth, American Christians, who are not being persecuted at gunpoint, still constitute the religious majority in the US so fret not.) Bolling pulled out his copy of the Constitution and declared that he's a "Constitutionalist." He preached that "these freedom from religion groups, I don't think that they have a basis in this" and that they are "overstepping their bounds." Kilmeade: "They're passionate in what they don't believe." Bolling: "Or what they want you to believe."
Wonder what the gang would think about Korans in taxpayer funded, government lodgings? Or Koranic verses on public school football banners? Or a public high school Muslim coach leading the players in Islamic prayer? Just saying....And when it comes to "what they want you to believe," you only need watch Fox News to see how that's done!
But the issue has nothing to do with “being offended.” It has to do with making everybody who isn’t Christian a second-class citizen outside the government-mandated mainstream.
Fox and it’s viewers are just SO PERSECUTED. There’s always a war on something or other over there. Propaganda 101.
That’s why Fox viewers have to go to the polls and vote Republican. Gotta keep those evil Democrats from persecuting them.
People with ethics would look at Nazi propaganda techniques, and those used in the book 1984, as bad. Right wingers see the same stuff and think “we can use that!”
Perhaps whoever made this comment would care to flashback to the late 80s/early 90s when Congressional Right-wingers were so offended by certain artists’ work (especially those receiving Federal grants) that Congressional hearings were held to “prove” these artists shouldn’t be getting taxpayer money to fund their “obscene” art. Or when a Cincinnati museum was protested over the Mapplethorpe exhibit.
Or what about the time when Rudy Giuliani was sooo offended by the Brooklyn Museum of Art’s displaying of Chris Ofili’s “The Holy Virgin Mary” that used elephant dung (as a tribute to African folk art traditions) on the painting? Giuliani even declared “There’s nothing in the First Amendment that supports horrible and disgusting projects!”
I guess when it’s something that right-wingers support, the rest of us shouldn’t be allowed to get offended to the point of complaining but when right-wingers are offended by something, the rest of us should recognize this and keep the offensive stuff away from their delicate sensibilities.
