The religious right loves to talk about how settlers came to the American colonies to escape religious persecution. Flash forward a few hundred years and it's the Christians who are trying to force their Christianity onto everybody else - including in the public square where it doesn't, constitutionally, belong. And when the forces of nasty atheism object to taxpayer funded Christianity, those who stand for Jesus get warm Christian affirmation, on Fox News, from official Fox priest Fr. Jonathan Morris who just gets so upset about those nasty atheists who are trying to "wipe" the "name and voice of God" from our Christian nation. And according to the cute little padre, that's exactly what's happening in Montgomery Alabama where a taxpayer funded program, to place Christian clergy at crime scenes, is being challenged by - wait for it - those who are trying to wipe out the name and voice of God. Morris shouldn't worry his pretty little head. As long as we have Fox News, where "God" gets top ratings, that won't be happening any time soon!

Yesterday, as part of Fox's trademark "Fight for Faith" series, Anna Kooiman reported on how Montgomery, Alabama permits clergy to join police at crime scenes "to comfort victims" in order to help reduce crime. She added that "a group of atheists doesn't believe the town's intentions" and, subsequently, are requesting that the city provide proof that what they are doing is trying to decrease crime. Of course, Kooiman didn't mention that there have been complaints about the program or that on a Christian radio program, a police officer said, about the "Good Shepherd" program, that “what we want to do is combine the religious community and the Montgomery Police Department and we want to unite those as one." According to American Atheists, "the police chaplain has openly said that it is his intent to take ‘evangelistic advantage’ of people in times of crisis and to preach Christianity to them." (Ergo, proselytizing on the public dime.) Clayton Morris asked if "religious leaders should be allowed to join police at the crime scene" and tossed to Fr. Morris who was in serious need of a nice shampoo and blow out.

The very cowlicked Morris said that the police don't "usually" invite clergy to crime scenes; but if he sees an accident he will offer his services. After Clayton Morris explained that the atheists are looking for proof about how this affects crime, Morris did his patented objection - "Do I want the city to be encouraging in any way the forced conversion...absolutely not" followed by his patented qualifiers - "What we're talking about here is grief counseling...this is not usually at the scene of a crime or the scene of an accident but rather going into prisons, going into police stations, working with people who are absolutely, probable candidates...for recidivism..."  Fr. Morris is full of holy shit because the program, in question, is intended to "minister at crime scenes." It has nothing to do with prison ministry.

In response to Kooiman's comment that the program is only for Christian clergy, Morris solemnly intoned that there should be an option for a rabbi and an imam. (In Alabama, good luck with that!)  But, in doing another patented qualifier, he dramatically continued "what we don't want is these very, small activist groups to try to wipe off from the face of our country and from the public square the name and the voice of God and that's what they're trying to do."

When Clayton Morris referenced the atheist demand for proof of the effectiveness of the program, Fr. Morris dodged the question and brayed about how the best proof of recidivism is a "conversion of heart" which, he breathlessly intoned, involved an "encounter with a living god." According to Fr. Morris, this is the intent of the Good Shepherd program which, "of course, we shouldn't get rid of." When Clayton Morris said the city was defending the program, Fr. Morris said "that's what they should do."

Hopefully you will never get into an accident or be the victim of crime in Montgomery because, if so, you'll have some crazy Jesus freak trying to save you. As the "Church Lady" would say, isn't that special."

Some reactions from Fr. Morris' Facebook fans. It's no surprise that these walls of genius are also Fox fans who have learned their Fox lessons very well. And funny, Fr. Morris' "living god" obviously has no problem with lies and smears directed towards our president - lies and smears that the sweet little priest ignores. But once again, Ailes is a genius. The "faithful" absorb right wing/Fox propaganda from their favorite priest - and then spread the religious propaganda bile on Facebook. TV becomes reality. Brings a new meaning to Sunday, bloody Sunday...

 RIP Lou Reed