Friday, July 29, 2016

The Inner-City Of God



From http://bizstandardnews.com/2015/08/20/jim-bakker-urging-followers-to-buy-real-estate-in-heaven

"I’m urging people to make these regular donations so we can offer up special prayers to guarantee their homes in heaven,” Bakker said. “People need to look at this like a down payment on their heavenly mortgage.”
Bakker and his ex wife Tammy Faye were among the most flamboyant televangelists of the 1980s, until they were brought down by financial and sex scandals. Bakker went to jail, but has resumed his ministry.
“Heaven has all kinds of property, ghettos, shacks, apartments, starter homes and mansions,” Bakker said. “Send in your love offering to ensure you have a palatial mansion in heaven. You want to make sure you are in a good heavenly neighborhood.”

There are bad heavenly neighborhoods? They must be in the ghetto. You know, the inner-city of God.

Well... In one of the lost Gospels, a wealthy man hires an apostle to build a mansion. When the wealthy man checks he finds that the apostle has been using the money building homes for the poor. Confronted, the apostle replies that by building these homes for the poor here in this world I have built you a mansion in heaven. Sorry, can't remember which lost Gospel it was.

Of course, the lesson of that parable would be the opposite of what the preacher man is saying. Building actual mansions for an actual rich man is not quite the point.

Ever wonder why people are so upset with self-proclaimed "Christians" these days? It's not persecution. It's disgust.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

New Lows, Who Cares?

Response to the following article which lead Michael to state, "If this doesn't convince, nothing will.":


Nothing will. The Trumpsters want a powerful man who bullies everyone else into doing what they want. It doesn't ever occur to them that Trump might end up bullying them as well.

No, they don't want a Hitler. They want a Mussolini. As I have pointed out before, Mussolini was at least competent and effective. Trump is neither.

Also, never forget that right up to the moment he was murdered by partisans, Mussolini maintained a core support among a few of the Italian people.

Nothing would change their devotion.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/trump-pleas-for-russia-to-hack-classified-american-information/493244/?utm_source=atlfb

Monday, July 18, 2016

Economics


In response to a post from my friend, Charles which asked who agreed that the media was responsible for promoting racial division, I responded:

Well, yes. In the same sense for that the drug dealer is responsible for spreading drugs around. If nobody came to buy the product, they would sell a different product.

Remember that even supporters of the right wing media lie machine state freely that the "Conservative" venues were created in order to give conservatives the news they wanted to hear as opposed to all the news they didn't want to hear. They don't understand that the news they wanted to hear wasn't being promulgated because it was lies and deceit. The bottom line is millions of Americans are saying, "I will make you rich, famous, and powerful if you tell me the lies I want to hear."

Is it so surprising that there are people out there willing to sell that product?

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Doing It Right


In response to a post suggesting that Ruth Bader Ginsberg has nothing to apologize for in having made statements regarding Donald Trump's candidacy I responded:

There's no doubt how much I despise Trump and believe his presidency would destroy America so thoroughly that he would make George Bush Junior look like the greatest president in history by comparison. I also have a deep respect for Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

Having said that, I must say she did the wrong thing. It is true that the Supreme Court is very political and the conservative Justices are more political than judicial, yet it remains inappropriate for a Supreme Court Justice to speak up and attempt to influence voters in an upcoming election.

Certainly Republicans in general and conservatives in particular demonstrate no regard for common decency, or manners, or politeness. Trump himself regularly declares that you can say anything you want because even opposing insults and racial smears is only political correctness. This does not mean the moderates, independencts, and liberals need to descend to those levels. Nor does it mean they should.

Finally, I think her actions are understandable and are therefore entirely forgivable. This doesn't change the fact that they were wrong. She did apologize, so as far as I'm concerned, apology accepted.

Friday, July 8, 2016

I Don't Got A Problem..,

Charles posted an article stating that Obama is too intelligent for Republicans to understand.  I responded:

It's not the first time I've said it but:   It's an excellent point though I must add a caveat. It is that the Republicans are not able to act intelligently, but not because of low intelligence quotients. It's because of that most memorable quote for the science-fiction classic "Dune".  "Fear is the mind killer."

The quote is accurate, but  incomplete.  A brain  awash with the biochemicals produced by fear and rage is a brain incapable of higher cognitive functions.

All propagandists know this. This is why propaganda focuses heavily upon emotions. This is why the emotions propaganda focuses upon are generally fear and rage.  In my posts, I often ask Republicans who are addicted the right wing media when are they going to get tired of being wrong and when are they going to get tired of being constantly terrified and enraged.  It's the same pair of questions I asked when I spoke to loved ones who were addicted to self-destructive, self delusional behavior patterns.

In other words, Republicans have this problem not because of a low intelligence level, but because they, like any addict, are incapable of facing reality. They are in a state of clinical denial.

And the answer to my questions is that someday they will either hit rock bottom and begin a long hard climb back up to self-respect, or they will die still wrapped up in their self delusions.  It is up to each individual.

I fought this battle with those I loved who were alcoholic and/or addicted to drugs. I know how clear reality is and how bitterly they will ignore the most obvious facts.  Trying to have an intelligent conversation with a Republican is exactly the same; and for exactly the same reasons.

I don't make my posts in response to their inanities in an attempt to convert them. I know better. I make my posts to let them know that their delusions are not shared by the whole world, to make sure that my non-addicted friends and associates are aware of what is happening to the addicts, and to help people understand the bizarre beliefs that are driving Republicans to commit otherwise inexplicable self-destructive acts.

Also, sometimes I get so angry that my higher brain functions shut down and I simply must make a response which is not a slap in the face to reality.  Still, I never get so confused as to think that it will actually reach any of them, or do any of them any good. Which is sad. No one likes to feel helpless when seeing others suffering, even if they are inflicting that suffering upon themselves.