“Oh God” is a multi-use term, much like the word “fuck” serves multiple purposes. And although I’m an atheist, I use the “Oh God” expression fairly frequently.
“Oh God” was my reaction when I first heard this clip from Michele Bachmann explaining how God told her to marry Marcus Bachmann (even though they weren’t in love or anything), and then went to law school and for her post-doctorate in tax law (even though she hates taxes) because her husband told her to, and the Bible says women must be submissive to their men!
Of course, that’s how she really feels.
Frank Schaeffer (author of Sex, Mom & God) has a new piece up at Alternet, “Are Michele Bachmann’s Views About ‘Christian Submission’ Even More Extreme Than She’s Letting On?” that shows just how batshit crazy she is, proving that she lied during last week’s Republican presidential debate when she said that being submissive means “mutual respect.”
Oh God.
Schaeffer joined me on the show this morning to talk about the dangerous religious zealotry of Bachmann as well as Rick Perry, and how they’ve doubled down on the insanity of George W. Bush.
Speaking of Rick Perry, I’m not sure what type of “Christian” calls for violence directed toward anyone (in this case, specifically Ben Bernanke), that Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional, or for a moratorium on all regulations (you know, those pesky rules that are in place to protect we the little people)….
If Rick Perry is so gung-ho on doing away with regulations, let me suggest a vacation to check out how awesome it would be…
Speaking of “non-Christian” behavior by people who claim to follow the teachings of Christ, we learned a bit today about the Willow Creek Community Church, which hosts the Global Leadership Summit, an event that many influential (and even progressive) figures have attended in the past. However, the Willow Creek Community Church is known for their anti-gay position.
So, when gay rights activist Asher Huey heard that the CEO of Starbucks Howard Schultz would be speaking there, he launched a Change.org petition asking Schultz to issue a statement, making it clear that Starbucks does not support the anti-gay views of Willow Creek Community Church. Schultz took it a step further and withdrew from the Summit. So, Asher took down the petition (that had amassed 799 signatures).
The story continues when Asher Huey, in an interview about the Starbucks story with the Huffington Post, questioned Michelle Rhee’s appearance at that same Summit at Willow Creek, became the target of smears and attacks by Hari Sevugan – former DNC Spokesman, now Michelle Rhee’s PR flack at the Students First organization.
Asher joined me on the show this morning and told us the whole story, including the fact that the Willow Creek pastor addressed the situation during the conference and claimed that his church is not anti-gay (they simply oppose marriage equality, civil unions, domestic partnerships, adoption rights, etc. They believe that gay people simply should remain celibate and not act on their feelings).
The pastor also said he’d reach out to Asher Huey to invite him to get together to discuss their differences. Asher says he’d love to, though he hasn’t heard from the pastor yet. However, a petition urging Huey to meet with the pastor has been launched at change.org.
Oh God.
And my final “Oh God” for the day goes to my congressman. Yep, Allen West is at it again.
Not only did he call himself “the modern day Harriet Tubman” (I kid you not!), this racist, Islamophobic sorry excuse for a public servant responded to a letter from the executive director of the Florida chapter of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) with one word – “NUTS”.
According to Broward New Times,
“(The letter to West urged) him to cut ties with “anti-Islamic extremists.. CAIR singled out Bridgette Gabriel, Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, and Rev. Neil Dozier as Muslim-haters with whom West has shared stages.
“Muslims protect and serve our great country and are afforded equal protection under law,” the letter read. “We shouldn’t have to defend our rights to worship freely or participate in the governing of our society.”
And this was his response to the 679-word letter that included those lines:
Oh God, he is nuts!