Fox News contributor Robert Jeffress (screen grab)
Flaming asshole Robert Jeffress has decided to speak up, in defense of cops, naturally. Couldn’t possibly be concerned about all those corpses strewn in the wake of police everywhere.
Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, lashed out at what he called “bogus ministers” who did not preach about having “respect for the police.”
During an Sunday interview on Fox & Friends, Jeffress called on churches “to instill in their a members a respect for the police.”
“The New Testament says in Romans 13:4 that law enforcement officers are ministers of God sent by God to punish evil doers,” he opined. “When you think about it, police officers are just as called by God to do what they do as pastors and priests are called by God. And I think we need to remind our members of that.”
Policing is a called by god vocation now? You could say that of any profession, that’s no reason for automatic respect and obeisance. I’m not about to give those things to someone who is allowed to get away with murdering a person in broad daylight, in front of witnesses.
“There are some police officers that maybe engage in overreaction,” Jeffress said, adding that presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump had “the leadership to stop the downward spiral of this nation.”
Ohhhh. So that’s what the rampant killing of People of Colour is, an over-reaction. So, no big deal, right? All those people who have had their lives irrevocably changed by the death of a loved one at the hands of police can rest easy now.
“And you know, I have to say if we would teach our children to respect law enforcement officers, they wouldn’t have anything to worry about,” Jeffress concluded. “The Bible says law enforcement officers are nothing to be feared if you do what is right.”
Philando Castile was doing right. He did not do anything wrong, he was cooperating fully. For doing that, he was murdered in front of his girlfriend and her daughter. Cut down as though he were a rabid animal. There’s no right in that, Pastor. There’s no reason in that. There is every reason to fear though. I will not bow down blindly to authority, and I sure as hell am not going to bow down to authority because it’s walking around armed. It’s nice for you, Pastor, that you don’t have to do Yessir Nossir Yessir Master two step in the hopes you’ll survive an encounter with police. It’s not so fucking great for everyone else.
Via Raw Story.
… police officers are just as called by God to do what they do as pastors and priests are called by God.
True, dat.
This is dog-whistle politics combined with stochastic terrorism. Jeffress is inciting racists (cops or civilian white gun fetishists) to commit violence. And it will end the same way as when anti-abortionists incited violence against doctors, or Palin’s gun targets on maps.
When a religious fanatic says, “Our mythical god is on this side,” the unspoken corollary is “Their side is against our mythical god.” There is an unspoken implication that “they” are evil -- therefore “criminal” -- and need to be stopped with violence.
Jeffress’s mud slinging came within one step of saying “mud people”. You can be sure it’s what he was thinking.
Romans 13 is fascinating. It basically says that rulers have divine authority and therefore Christians should be happy to live under dictatorships. I find it hard to reconcile Romans 13 with statements that the bible is the foundation of our democratic government. Yet, the religious right is eager to oppose Obama.
Romans 13
1. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
left0ver1under @ 2:
Jefress didn’t leave that unspoken, he came right out with it. Whoever the cops punish was an evildoer, full stop.
*spits*
“In the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I arrest you!” says, by the grace of the God, Sheriff’s deputy. (spit)
There he goes, demanding blind obedience with the threat of divine retribution, in the same way kings, priests and noblemen did. The lower classes and minorities were always the ones allegedly committing grave sins in secret which then caused wars and famines. And then Mr Jeffress thinks that getting Trump as the pope and emperor will get it all right. A fucking Borgia pope with nukes, Air Force, tanks, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines. A pogrom-starting emperor.
Ice Swimmer:
Exactly. As bad as things are right now, they can still get much worse.
I don’t see that being said in the OP, but admit I have not read the linked-to article. Whatever, it reminds me very very much of the famous Ed Messe (Ronald Reagan’s Attorney General) quote: “If a person is innocent of a crime, then he is not a suspect.”
That statement so infuriated me at the time (and it still infuriates me!) I joined the ACLU. (Since moving to Europe I’ve let my ACLU membership lapse.)
blf @ 7:
It’s in his ‘cops are the ministers of god’ bible quote.
If cops are ministers of god, then that’s just one more vote against god, who seems to be a cruel, thoughtless god, indeed.
The pastor’s extreme white privilege is showing. He doesn’t have to worry about the cops stopping him and shooting him for a broken taillight. He can respect law enforcement officers because they respect him. If only he had some empathy and tried to educate himself as to the reality of the situation, he could see the disparities inherent in the system instead of being blinded by his privilege.