Today's Infuriating Story:
Right-wing Christian: Liberals are the real theocrats because they want to help the poor
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/16/right-wing-christian-liberals-are-the-real-theocrats-because-they-want-to-help-the-poor/
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What The Fuck?
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Excerpts:
“What is that saying?” Perkins said. “Is that saying then that the government has a responsibility to care for the poor? That’s not what the Scripture says.”
He said The Bible makes clear that individual Christians were expected to care for the needy, but not the government.
“As Christians, we’re responsible for the policies of this government because it’s us,” Perkins said.
Another Family Research Council official said last month that there was “nothing more Christian” than cutting millions of food stamp recipients off of public assistance.
Perkins said Jesus never asked the Roman government occupying Israel during his lifetime to help care for the poor using tax money, which he’d instructed his followers to willingly give up.
“He never said to Rome, to the Romans, ‘Hey, you guys need to make sure that you’re taking out of one person’s pocket to put into another,’” Perkins said.
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-Yes, of course, Jesus totally approved of the Romans and the way they treated the poor. Tacit approval. Of course it was. Of course he did. Why, if he had had a chance to change it, to somehow make the Roman government more loving to the poor, perhaps even eliminating starvation in the whole area, he would have totally passed on it. Not his job. Doesn't relate. Very different. Apples and oranges.
They will go to any lengths to deny what they have allowed themselves to become, which is nothing less than their own worst fear. They, more than anyone else, are the "Anti-Christ."
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Here's my list of the Modern Right-Wing Christian Sacraments...
-Egotism
-Authoritarianism
-Deception (including self-deception)
-False Pride/Hubris
-Projection
-Hatred
-Fear
-Judgmentalism
-Schadenfreude
-Anti-Intellectualism
-Love of Money (Mammon)
-Hypocrisy
-Detachment from Reality
-Contempt for the less fortunate
I bet we can think of a few more, too.
If you watch Ted Cruz ranting without the sound, he pokes air, where a desk might be then stretches his arm out in almost a straight arm salute, but with a little, almost imperceptible wave. This man isn't just happening to look like Adolph Hitler mesmerizing 'his' crowd, he's doing it on purpose. It's code which we're supposed to have forgotten, you know, all except the white supremecists.(sp?)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JO5MqaG3wg
ReplyDeleteJust look. the 'truth-telling hands' and the clasping hands(which we all agree on), the 'factual points'(hammering with his finger).. the marching across the stage(to let his 'truth' sink in). double handed point making and a salute.
LIttle after seven mins. bunch of finger points and a salute.
8 min. mark .. blatant salute.
.. and so on.
I never noticed that before. Do you think it's intentional or just a subconscious emulation of his idol?
ReplyDeleteAnd here's TODAY'S infuriating story:
ReplyDeleteRick Scarborough, Tea Party Leader, Suggests Class Action Lawsuit Against Homosexuality
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/18/rick-scarborough-lawsuit-homosexuality_n_4124195.html
"What The Fuck" doesn't even begin to cover this one.
How do these people function even on a 'put food in this end and eliminate waste from that end' level?
ReplyDeleteProbably not to well. I bet their wives have a lot of skid-marked underwear to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
DeleteOh look, a twofer:
ReplyDeleteTodd Kincannon, Former Executive Director of South Carolina GOP, Believes Transgender People Should Be 'Put in a Camp'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/parker-marie-molloy/todd-kincannon-transgender-camps_b_4100777.html
Perhaps their god's son never specifically mentions that the government should take care of the poor.
ReplyDeleteHe also never mentions homosexuality.
Good fucking point, that.
ReplyDeleteThis one from Salon is about the religious right not really being biblically based
ReplyDeletehttp://www.salon.com/2013/10/15/the_religious_right_is_a_fraud_nothing_christian_about_michele_bachmanns_values/
Bernie Sanders reminded everyone how the recession started. Bush dropped a buch of taxes for the rich, started a completely unnecessary war, which had to be paid for.
ReplyDeleteThe less-than-ever regulated banks gambled and lost a fortune of individual people's money and charged the U.S.A. for it.
The right-wingers solution for this, cut foodstamps.
These are dark times, and threaten to get darker yet.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad, and so unnecessary.
I wish we had 99 more like Bernie Sanders. The other major billion dollar debacle created by Bush at the same time was Medicare D. Completely unfunded and a giveaway to big Pharma and Insurance Co's., no regulations put on them at all, and no provisions to negotiate prices. I am all for doing as much as possible to have affordable meds for seniors, but this program SUCKS. I deal with it every day. The doctor does not decide what med you're on, the insurance co. does. They require pre-auths for everything, and if they think what is ordered is too expensive, they deny it, or tell you what they will cover, which might be "similar" but not exact. It is a fight every single day to get people the meds their doctors have ordered. I don't know why people aren't more outraged that the heart med you get in the US is 200.00 a month is the same exact med that people in Canada or Europe get for 15.00 a month from the same manufacturer. All because we allow the insurace co. and the drug companies to call all the shots. Other countries don't allow it. The US likes to say we have the best medical care available, but that is false. Our citizens are not being allowed to have the medications they need unless they choose to pay the overinflated price in cash.
ReplyDeleteIt is unnecessary Brian...are you thinking darker forever, or dark before the dawn? I don't know anymore whether to have hope that all these TPGOP's will be thrown out over the next election cycles or not. At times it seems they will be, but we have a nasty core that will go to any lengths, (depths!) it seems, to keep us in a constant state of misery. Everyday it's more voter suppression laws, gerrymandering, dark money, I don't know how it ends.
Brian...are you thinking darker forever, or dark before the dawn?
ReplyDelete------------------
Depends, I guess. On whether the general population gets smarter. Which is something I hate to have to count on.
As it stands the Tea Party could set off a black-market tactical nuke in downtown NYC and 49 percent of the US voting public would excuse them for it somehow. 25 percent of them would thank them for it.
I think the plan was simple and brilliant. Under Bush the tax base was slashed and two wars fought. After a few years the debt climbed and everyone clamored for spending cuts. Of course welfare was to blame - not the tax reductions and wars. The idiot electorate forgets that and demands spending cuts - always directed away from anything they actually use.
ReplyDeleteJust another corporate takeover. Who woulda thunk it, those, "Trying to take over the World(bwahaha) cartoons, are REAL."
ReplyDeleteThink of the endless eons before now and the endless eons to come.
ReplyDeleteNothing is permanent and therefore nothing is real.
In my short time, the short time I have on this planet, the only 'reality' I know
Changes before my eyes, little by little, seemingly reaching for final rest.
I might say to a friend, "You're looking good today!", and not mention that they are one day closer to death. It would be crass, it would be pointing out the dying elephant in the room.
The reality I know is an expectation that the World I know will be more or less the same, the model I have in my mind of the World around me will, at least roughly match with the model I have created since time, for me, begun.
Unless I lose my marbles, then it's going to be some crazy ride.
I'm so fucking pissed off at the press and repubicans. Republicans for the obvious reasons, but the fucking press is a bunch of idiotic assholes.
ReplyDeleteThe healthcare website isn't working. Big fucking deal, it's a website with technical problems. They're calling it "Obama's Ground Zero" and "Waterloo" and a bunch of republican-programmed and inspired idiocy. Why the FUCK are they believing the republicans now? Did they suddenly become credible? It's a website, for crying out loud. Big deal. It's not the healthcare law, it's the website. Are they listening to these CHILDREN all crying about their poopy diapers again? So sickening I can't even pay close attention to it. Disgusting. The press is willing to believe the republicans yet again even when just coming off the FIASCO of the debt ceiling and government shutdown WHY? It was all their fault, so why the fuck are they believing anything they say now about the website? They're evil children, to be ignored, not listened to. The press is a large part of the problem in this country, and right now they're really pissing me off.
Sorry. I feel better now.
ReplyDeleteThis blog needs CPR.
ReplyDeleteBrian, Brian, Brian. Always remember what I, Harry C Pharisee, say about blogging.
DeleteType softly and carry a big shtick!!... Because to hang well, one must be well hung.
You're welcome.
So I need less 'bump in the night' and more 'badump-bump.'
ReplyDeleteGot it.
I guess the question could equally be, "Why are you so vehemently supporting Romneycare? The right are just a bunch of shit-chuckers and saber-rattlers, no matter what Obama does, but he's hardly a centrist, never mind left of center.
ReplyDeleteThe people have NEVER ran your country, EVER.
It's all a show. And don't imagine that I think Canada is run by it's people either.
Because it's a piece of shit law that does do a couple of good things in spite of itself, so god forbid the republicans let any single fucking thing happen in this country that makes it one iota better. Anything good they see they automatically drop their pants and shit all over it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.upworthy.com/the-eye-opening-study-every-american-needs-to-see?c=ufb1
ReplyDeleteNow that was just sad.
ReplyDeleteFigures.
The republicans are still loathsome of course.
Wow, that really was sad! Agree that GOP are totally loathesome, but gotta say I'm getting more jaded with all politicians than I've ever been. (This didn't help that, Pboy!) Even in the last couple of weeks, I haven't been into politics on line or watching MSNBC either, it's just stomach churning how despicable it all is. :-( Bernie Sanders is a gem, we need 99 more like him....
ReplyDeleteI see it here and there that people want Bernie Sanders for President. That would be a total disaster since nothing would get done, the right would want to impeach him all the time and the Dems.(who are hardly left) would pretend to agree with him knowing full well the right would use their majority in the House and/or filibuster in the Senate.
ReplyDeleteI love Bernie, but you're probably right.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it, if a true liberal got in and actually started to enact liberal policies, some evil rightwing fuck would assassinate him.
I'm kinda surprised that there haven't been any attempts on Obama's life, at least not credible ones.
ReplyDeleteI remember decades ago on Saturday Night Live, Eddie Murphy had a sketch, a very short one... he was announced as "Introducing the First Black President of the United States." So he walks out, BANG! ...gets shot, falls down, end of sketch.
It's getting to be so frickin' sad it's funny. I remember one smart pundit, might have been a year or two ago, I don't know his name, but he was almost laughing at the regular pundits as if everyone knew the game was rigged and this was all a show, just a stupid show actually meant to crush the spirit of liberals, bit by bit, drip by nauseating drip.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/07/texas-school-tosses-6th-graders-breakfast-in-trash-after-he-cant-pay-30-cents/
ReplyDeleteI smell a republican.
http://www.skepticblog.org/2009/11/16/deepak-chopra-mangles-quantum-mechanics-again/
ReplyDeleteHere's a conundrum:
ReplyDeleteI've always maintained that in this dreamlike world we get our expectations confirmed. We see what we are expecting to see. Early researchers 'saw' mysticism in the Copenhagen Interpretation; today most do not. Most researchers today see what the article you posted says that they see. "Proof" that consciousness is not involved.
My question to you then would be, what are their expectations? What do they *wish* to see here? Do they expect to find that consciousness is indeed involved? Or the opposite?
They're seeing it. What they wish to see. What they expect to see.
So what?
Now if I didn't have the coincidences... if some of my salvia visions didn't disturb sleeping dogs and wives...
ReplyDeleteIf only, huh? Then I'd buy the article you posted. But I have other reasons for not buying it.
The coincidences made me seek out explanations. Not the reverse. The coincidences came first. And I've been getting them a lot more lately. The more that I talk about this stuff, the more I get them. All the time now.
Too much for it to be randomness.
But that's me. I don't expect you to buy into that. You see what you expect to see. IN your case, it's science. In mine, it's that reality gives me what I expect it to.
Now if I expect science, and I get it, that can mean that science is the right answer, or that the expectations thing is the right answer. But if I expect the expectations thing to be the right answer, and I get confirmation from reality *on that,* then that eliminates the science answer, and indeed, all other options.
Neat, huh?
Scenario 1: Science is true, and consciousness is not involved. We do not get what we expect to get at some subconscious level.
ReplyDeleteScenario 2: We get what we expect at some subconscious level.
If #1 is considered, any proof of it in no way invalidates #2.
However, if #2 is considered, any proof of it proves that #1 is false, but it also explains why those who seek the answer from science, get what they expect to get, a validation of science.
#1 being apparently true, says nothing to disprove #2. #2 being apparently true, explains why #1 is seen to be true by the majority of people that follow science.
I realized early on that I can do nothing to prove or disprove science, because I lack the detailed knowledge of science necessary to ever do such a thing, but I could seek to explore #2, because any confirmation of that is also a confirmation of why so many do not see it, and instead see what they expect to see. I mean, I like such puzzles, and what else do I have to do with my spare time? No harm in exploring it, and no need to discard it just because other people see it as false. By it's very tenets, it explains precisely *why* we can expect them to see it as false.
As I read this article, at first I thought that Deepak Chopra has a few things in common with your theories. Then I thought that Deepak Chopra has a few more things in common with your theories.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, I didn't write the article, not sure what his credentials are, is he a quantum physicist, I dunno.
Thought you'd like to know that Deepak Chopra has, somehow, come to the same conclusion as yourself.
Oh, a lot of people are of the general opinion that this reality is a dreamlike state of pure consciousness. The whole Vedanta religion, a lot of Buddhists, and most "New Agers" as much as I hate that latter term. The New Agers tend to be a bit flaky. It's a very old idea. I didn't know about it until I was looking for some possible answers to the freaking coincidences thing. The only conclusion that I drew from them was that consciousness had to interface with observable reality somehow, and as soon as I started to look for things that related to that a lot of books seemed to fall into my hands that spoke of reality as pure awareness or consciousness or a variation of that.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why the coincidences thing didn't start in my life until I had that lucid dream in my thirties. That very afternoon I started to notice them. I remember the first one very clearly. I was driving behind a backhoe and noticed movement on it's 'back deck' or whatever you call it. Something pointing upwards like a small finger, waving around. It was a geometrid caterpillar, a large "inchworm" approximately two inches long or maybe a bit more. (they come in many sizes)
ReplyDeleteIt had it's back end anchored and was waving its front end upwards, as they sometimes do when looking for a new perch. So it did look like a small green finger pointing upwards.
Upwards toward a large word on the back of the backhoe.
"CATERPILLAR"
I though that was pretty funny, and would have dismissed it of course, if I didn't get like three more that day, and the next, and so on.
And here I am.
(I don't even like Deepak Chopra, by the way. He's making money at this. Unethical.)
ReplyDeleteBuddhists have this saying, "Maya deceives".
ReplyDelete"Maya" is the veil of illusion that keeps us from seeing what reality actually is.
So they believe that we are deceived by reality.
It's not like reality seeks to deceive us.
We are the ones that are deceiving ourselves. Reality is just giving us whatever we're expecting it to be giving us.
Or what we're fearing it will give us. That works too. That's still a form of expectation.
So when you are of this school of thought, you learn to police your own thoughts.
(I only mentioned this because I wanted you to know that the idea of reality being deceptive and giving us what we expect or fear it will, was not an invention of mine. I'm far from alone on that one.)
DeleteHonestly Brian, I've told you about coincidences that I've had, but, I see them as coincidences. Perhaps I didn't want to look as closely as yourself, who knows, maybe that's just part of my personality.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can tell, you(Americans) have gotten your 'government by the wealthy, for the wealthy'(and Canadians too, not letting me off the hook, although I voted against it and/or it was pointless me voting anyways, I live on the 'lefty coast'.(not accurate btw, but for my district, yes).
If it's all consciousness, then it's all emotion because only very emotional people can be tricked by psychopaths as easily as voters in this world are.
"Leave my Medicare alone, Govt!!!", (really?)
Honestly Brian, I've told you about coincidences that I've had, but, I see them as coincidences.
ReplyDelete----------------------------
Just to be clear, before that lucid dream experience happened, I used to have coincidences too, the normal amount that any person gets. So we're talking 35 years of experience having the normal amount and kind of coincidences. A lifetime of being used to the amount and kind of coincidences. Just like most people. Just like you.
All the more reason for me to KNOW that the coincidences that I was getting after that dream experience were not normal, neither in amount nor in kind.
It's not like I was new to having coincidences, Ian. Everybody gets them.
I find it interesting that I hear people (like you for instance) trying to tell me that what I'm experiencing is just the normal pattern of random coincidences but for some reason I'm just noticing them more now, when I can compare 35 years of the regular kind with what's happening now. I have my "control." It's my entire life until I was 35.
Also, why on that day? The day of the lucid dream? I didn't have a dream about having coincidences. I never thought about such a crazy thing. Why would I? Nobody had ever told me that coincidences could mean anything, either. I had no reason to attach myself to that idea. I mean, it was NOTICEABLE. One day, the normal amount of coincidences, the next day I have a dream and then WHAM, waaaay more of them and more significant in kind as well, for ever afterwards, to this day.
You haven't lived my life, so you will not believe this, I get it. But I have. And I do.
Also, another confirmation...
ReplyDeleteYou know that I've dated a lot of women in my day. Many of them after I was 35. I also was married since then, two times.
Anybody that was with me more than a couple of weeks would notice my coincidences. Would notice that they were 'really weird' and even 'scary.' And not me talking about them.... them actually happening.. I mean, they're hard to miss. Anybody that knew me more than superficially would notice them.
Dude, they're not normal. They're just not.
Last night for instance. A minor one to be sure, but still, worth a mention.
ReplyDeleteI was in the process of beginning to tell my wife that on my Thursday blog post on the salvia blog that I'd been typing and was in the middle of typing the word "bubble" (as in "bubble of vision" relating to my visual field) and as I was typing the word, the television in the other room had someone on it talking (I wasn't really paying attention to it at all) and they said "bubble" as I was typing it. This is very common for me... to hear something that I'm thinking or typing just happen to be said on TV or radio in the background at the same time is not really that special anymore. Very common. The only reason that I was even telling her was that she and I had been talking about coincidences.
But before I really got started she interrupted me to tell me about some coincidence that she'd had that day, and while I forget the details of it right now, it revolved around a television show that my son had been watching.
"Bubble Guppies."
And this is what I consider a *minor* one, not even really that significant.
I'd have noticed this, before that dream thing. I know that I would have.
I want to note that I had not yet spoken of the word 'bubble' when she interrupted me. I'd barely gotten started.
They happen often enough for me to notice commonalities. At least one.
They always revolve around me saying or typing or noticing something that has an emotional impact to me, that I am excited about. Either something that I am laughing about (either internally or literally) or something that has significant meaning to me that induces an inner state of 'awe.'
When I was typing the word "bubble" I was at that moment imagining the way in which my visual field became like a glass bubble in my previous night's salvia experience, and then became many such bubbles, which was wild. I was debating how to use the word, which way to say it to indicate how fucking wild it was.. As I typed it, I was visualizing it, reliving it. It was an important word to me in that moment.
Bill Maher Rages At Christian Hypocrites: 'Just Admit You're Selfish!'
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/09/bill-maher-religious-hypocrites_n_4246596.html?utm_hp_ref=comedy
Good stuff.
Pboy (and anyone else lurking about), I just wrote up an interesting salvia experience on my other blog.
ReplyDeletehttp://salviaspace.blogspot.com/
It's different. As my favorite skeptic I'd really like to have your opinion on it. I mean, I'm pretty sure that you will not believe that I actually saw what I saw, but I'm curious on your take on what you think I saw.
Alright Brian, I remember doing some acid, I had a few drinks, the acid didn't seem to be doing much, so I went to bed.
ReplyDeleteI woke up in the middle of the night with a profound insight which I knew that I was going to forget by morning. So, I wrote it down.
In the morning I was a little disappointed to read, "Cattail this, cattail that."
At the time I took the trouble to write it down, I thought it was a wonderful insight.
Seriously.
Gotcha. 'Bout what I expected.
ReplyDeleteWell, I asked, didn't I?
I guess I always try to discuss things that I'm interested in here on this blog and then I realize that I just can't.
ReplyDeleteLately posting here is more of a chore than anything else. Frankly it's depressing to me.
I'm done with this place. Last time I did this, a few people tried to convince me otherwise and it worked for a while, but let's face it, this place is a total dead zone, and I'm just not interested enough in it to try to resurrect it. My energies are elsewhere.
So I'll be posting on the other blog. Yeah, the loopy new-agey fucked-up one that everybody here thinks is an aberration in my personality. Anybody ever wanna say hello there, you'd be welcome to it.
I'm done here, sorry people. It's time to end it. Or rather, let it die. So you can all say your goodbyes, those who are left. I'll leave it up for a while for that purpose.