“…both have their advantages, ‘heaven for climate, hell for company’…” – Mark Twain’s Notebooks and Journals, vol. 3
Meta. On occasion we get comments which our system holds for approval. At times, when we’re particularly bored, we’ll take a comment that we wouldn’t normally remove from moderation and post it separately to mock it.
Today:
The thing is, is people want to go to hell then that’s their choice! Religion isn’t forced upon anyone! But christians are forces to deal with lots and lots they shouldn’t have to because non Christians rights appear more important! The Bible commands Christians to walk about the land spreading the Word! Telling the Good News!! So we do! Not our fault you’d rather not go to heaven!
We rest our case.
You’re not a particularly convincing representative. We want to be wherever you’re not.
This morning along a highway in west central Missouri:
When I was a kid I got in trouble in religious school during a lesson on creation for answering, in all seriousness, “Hippopotamus” to “What had not yet been created?” In my defense it wasn’t on the list we had covered up to that point.
Representative Mary Elizabeth Coleman (r) [2019 file photo].
On Twitter:
Last night:
MaryElizabethColeman @meaccoleman
To call yourself an Irish Catholic while actively working against the teachings of the Catholic Church is …transparent. 9:07 PM · Sep 29, 2020
Well, the use of “teachings” [plural] is quite transparent.
Kyle Garner (D) [2015 file photo].
One of many series of responses:
Kyle Garner @KyleGarnerMO
Republicans “Attacking a person’s faith is off limits!”
So let’s talk about the teachings of the Catholic Church: What does the Church say about feeding the hungry? Caring for the sick? Welcoming the stranger? Worshipping gold? Protecting God’s creation Earth? Telling the truth? Paying fair share of taxes? 2/
Using the Lord’s name for your own purpose? Following false prophets? I could go on. Now let’s look at your leader vs the man you’re attacking. Biden is a lifelong Catholic & attends service regularly. Trump gassed Americans to hold a Bible upside down and feuded with the Pope 3/
In fact, the Pope, the leader of the Catholic Church you lie about following, denounced Trump as “not Christian” specifically for his violent cruelty to people. And that was before he set up concentration camps to sterilize women on our border. 4/
So spare us your pharisaical objections while you chant for Barabbas. You worship a man and elevate a Party that is the antithesis to Christianity and all Christ called us to be. end/
Wise men decided a long time ago: “…our Constitution was designed to avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings…”
Statement by Vice President Joe Biden on His Faith
Like so many people, my faith has been the bedrock foundation of my life: it’s provided me comfort in moments of loss and tragedy, it’s kept me grounded and humbled in times of triumph and joy. And in this moment of darkness for our country — of pain, of division, and of sickness for so many Americans — my faith has been a guiding light for me and a constant reminder of the fundamental dignity and humanity that God has bestowed upon all of us.
For President Trump to attack my faith is shameful. It’s beneath the office he holds and it’s beneath the dignity the American people so rightly expect and deserve from their leaders. However, like the words of so many other insecure bullies, President Trump’s comments reveal more about him than they do about anyone else. They show us a man willing to stoop to any low for political gain, and someone whose actions are completely at odds with the values and teachings that he professes to believe in.
My faith teaches me to love my neighbor as I would myself, while President Trump only seeks to divide us. My faith teaches me to care for the least among us, while President Trump seems to only be concerned about his gilded friends. My faith teaches me to welcome the stranger, while President Trump tears families apart. My faith teaches me to walk humbly, while President Trump teargassed peaceful protestors so he could walk over to a church for a photo op.
As I’ve said so many times before, we’re in the battle for the soul of our nation, and President Trump’s decision today to profane God and to smear my faith in a political attack is a stark reminder of what the stakes of this fight truly are.
King James? English Standard? American Standard? Contemporary English? Concordant Literal? Geneva Bible? Jerusalem Bible? Etc.?
In Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic?
The Missouri House third read and passed HB 267, a bill sponsored by Representative Ben Baker (r), which would allow the Bible to be taught as a class in Missouri public schools. Notwithstanding that the Bible can already be used as part of a course.
HB 267 — ELECTIVE SOCIAL STUDIES COURSES (Baker)
COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN: Special Committee on Student Accountability
This bill allows a school district to offer an elective social studies unit on the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament of the Bible, or the New Testament of the Bible. The course will include the contents, history, literary style and structure, and influences on society. No requirement shall be made by the district on the text translation students must use. This bill requires that any course offered shall follow applicable laws maintaining religious neutrality, and shall not endorse, favor, promote, or show hostility to any particular religion, nonreligious faith or religious perspective.
Amendments to include other religious holy books were defeated.
A point:
Matt Sain @mattdsain
Rep. Carpenter brought up a good point about how we can already do this. By having a bill that specifically gives protections and permission for one holy book is offensive to all other religions in our state. 4:31 PM – 25 Mar 2019
Representative Hannah Kelly (r) [2019 file photo].
A bill, introduced yesterday by Representative Hannah Kelly (r):
HB 837
Prohibits public institutions of higher learning from discriminating against a religious student association or denying a religious student association any benefit available to any other student association
Sponsor: Kelly, Hannah (141)
Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2019
LR Number: 1782H.01I
Last Action: 02/06/2019 – Read Second Time (H)
Bill String: HB 837
Next House Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
Calendar: HOUSE BILLS FOR SECOND READING
This bill prohibits public institutions of higher learning from taking any action or enforcing any policy that denies a religious student association benefits available to other student associations. The bill also prohibits discrimination against a religious student association based on its requirement that leaders of the association adhere to its sincerely held religious beliefs, religious practice requirements, or religious standards of conduct.
The bill also authorizes aggrieved religious student associations to seek appropriate relief in a judicial or administrative proceeding against a public institution of higher learning that violates the requirements of the bill.
This bill is similar to HB 2074 (2018) and HCS HB 642 (2017).
If Pastafarians want to hold a spaghetti dinner on campus on Talk Like a Pirate Day would that qualify? Would this exempt them from having to provide a separate sauce for vegetarians? Just asking.
“…It seems trite but necessary to say that the First Amendment to our Constitution was designed to avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings…” – 319 U.S. 624 West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (No. 591) [1943]
Yesterday evening from Mitt Romney (r), via Twitter:
Mitt Romney @MittRomney
Robert Jeffress says “you can’t be saved by being a Jew,“ and “Mormonism is a heresy from the pit of hell.” He’s said the same about Islam. Such a religious bigot should not be giving the prayer that opens the United States Embassy in Jerusalem. 8:42 PM – 13 May 2018
Today, from Representative Vicky Hartzler (r):
Rep. Vicky Hartzler @RepHartzler
Historic day as the U.S. moves our embassy to #Jerusalem. Is long overdue to recognize Jerusalem as the Capitol of Israel. God established it as such over 3,000 years ago! 2 Chronicles 6:6 7:59 AM – 14 May 2018
Some of the responses:
Hail Satan!!
Except for the fact that we should not be basing our foreign policy decisions in 2018 on a book that was written 3000 years ago!
Is that like Two Corinthians??? Still believing in fairy tales…and u are in the House of Representatives!
Waiting for the Rapture?
Every time god wanted a peace of land it was a one sided issue. Your just cashing in on something that makes you sound like you give a care about religion! Or was that not you trying to pull hlthcare away from the poorest among us? Wake up folks! #BlueWave2018
America has blood on their hands of innocent children as the result of this action! WWJD?
Freaking Clueless, people are dying today ~ right this minute bc of your party’s clueless actions! Tragic!
Awe, how cute….Vicky senses the Rapture is near…you know, when Jesus rides a dinosaur into Israel and converts all Jews into Christians.
Meanwhile:
Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish
UPDATE: Israeli forces kill at least 41 Palestinians protesting in Gaza and injures more than 1,700. Follow our live coverage:[….] 8:40 AM – 14 May 2018
Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) had something to say about London via Twitter:
Rep. Vicky Hartzler @RepHartzler
Disturbing London killingsTragic people believe killing others will bring them life when there’s a Savior who gave his life so we might live 6:46 AM – 4 Jun 2017
Some of the responses:
Religion itself is the problem, not the solution.
As an elected official, please keep your superstitions and myths out of civic responsibilities as it seems to confuse you. #MODeservesBetter
Not everyone is Christian.
fanaticism z tragic n any religion or belief system. We must stay true 2 our values. freedom of religion, freedom from religion
Please keep your religion to yourself. Has no place in politics or government.
A true Christian would have offered prayers and condolences for the victims. Yet you use this to push your own religious beliefs.
I am your constituent & a non-Christian. Please don’t advocate your religion on your public platform.
How ’bout instead of preaching AT people, we show them Jesus by…I don’t know…feeding the poor & healing the sick. Just a thought.
If only your actions demonstrated you understand His words.
If you are going to misrepresent us Christians could you at least form a coherent thought?
Separation of Church and State! This is inappropriate, especially from your official account.
This is the right policy! Until our government officials can ensure immigrants entering our country are peaceful and are willing to assimilate, they must be prohibited from touching U.S. soil.
Missouri must take measures to ensure the safety of our residents, too. This is no time to sit back and take chances….
So, Donld J. Trump (r) said “all Muslims”.
Some of the responses are illuminating:
[….] When a religion advocates murder as part of the free exercise thereof, it fails the constitutional test.
Wow, just wow.
[….] When its a threat to our National Security I have a right as do all Americans to defend ourselves. You are not thinking as protecting me or my family and friends [….]. You let more of these un vetted Muslims that believe in Shariah law over what you just quoted then it is you that is ignorant and unlearned! You should know better! Dont you think that there are places over there to help these people and send them instead of bringing them to the USA? There is a lot we can do. Why is this president so hell bent on defending Islam and Muslims ? Have you studied their religion? I have! They consider shariah law higher then what our government laws are. So they want to rape or behead infidels they can. They can do what they want. How are you going to defend that once we get 100’s of thousands of them here ? We are at war sir!
In response to someone who took issue with the bigotry:
[….] your wanting Americans to give up our Liberty and Freedoms for who? What about our freedoms? Do you hear yourself talk? They consider you an infidel. Why dont you give up your freedom and liberty and go live among them? You would be lucky to last a week. Stop asking Americans( actually your not asking your forcing them on us) to give up our freedom and liberty! And your asking us to pay for it to ! Stop the madness!
[….] Your an idiot! Christians are under attack. 14 Jews and Christians just lost their lives. What about the Christians and Jews that are losing their lives and are being targeted in Syria and Iraq and other places now? Know your history! Know whats going on in the world now! Learn to make sentences for yourself instead of pulling one or two lines from history. Interpret history as a whole. Guess you want to take my guns too?
You’re wondering what that’s all about? Your guess is as good as mine.
And this:
[….] I agree, Mike Moon!! By the way, Muslim isn’t a religion….
And Representative Moon (r) replied:
Mike Moon You are correct, [….]. Thanks for chiming in.
Back to business, responding to the individual who took issue with their bigotry:
[….] You can lol! All you want [….]. You go live with them and see how accommodating they are. You tell me after a year how that goes.
Uh, we live with “them” now.
[….] You are completely correct Mike. I get so tired of the left be so willing to give the full benefits of our free society to non citizens!
Really? You mean like in the Constitution? Did we just stumble on to the set of Starship Troopers? Just asking.
And then, this:
[….]I disagree with you [….]..muslim countries should be taking them…we certainly did not accept all germans during world war 1 or 2 And we did not open our doors to imigrants from italy or japan during he war How would this be different?.
To the world’s eternal shame many nations in the world, including the United States, denied sanctuary to persecuted minorities. As a result millions lost their lives. Uh, we actually interned American citizens of Japanese descent during World War II, to our shame. I’m beginning to wonder about that last part.
[….] I just wonder, during WW11, how many German people were allowed to immigrate to this country??just asking..
And how many died?
[….] I agree. I think we might need to go one more and close our boarders.
“Trailer for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents.
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain’t got no cigarettes
Ah, but, two hours of pushin’ broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room….”
Oh, wait…
[….] Their ideology doesn’t fit here, in fact, many of their “religious” beliefs and acts are illegal in the United States. Ending the war in their country or even keeping them in a country that practices that ideology is the best bet. I would however consider allowing Christians to come here, those people need protection.
