Kowtowing to the worst


John Hagee is one of the most contemptible people to have an unwarrantedly prominent voice in our country. He’s an obese, smug televangelist whose claim to fame is a terrifying dedication to the apocalypse, war and death, and prophecy and damnation. He is a perfect example of how arrogant ignorance can slide directly into evil. The man is a walking talking nightmare, and even more frightening, some people take this raving nutcase seriously.

The latest to bend over and praise this demented fuckwit is none other than John McCain.

It’s unbelievable. The Republican party is still in thrall to these vile goblins of the religious right.

Comments

  1. T_U_T says

    The Republican party is still in thrall to these vile goblins of the religious right.

    Im afraid, republican party IS these vile goblins…

  2. says

    It’s unbelievable. The Republican party is still in thrall to these vile goblins of the religious right.

    How long have you lived in Minnesota? Don’t the names Grunseth and Quist mean anything to you?

  3. pfc says

    Hmpf – two of a kind there. Keep ’em all afraid of imaginary threats.

    I can only assume he’s trying to mop up the Huckabee-voting types. Don’t see why – who would they end up (reluctantly) voting for? The other party ? But sure, go ahead and alienate the moderates. It’s hard to see how this kind of pandering would improve the (R)’s chances.

    (And please don’t give me grief about the peculiarly U.S. political definition of “moderate”, I remember the previous discussions!)

  4. pfc says

    Or Michele Bachmann. I have several friends in the 6th district who are furious about how that whole… situation could happen.

  5. says

    High school career advisor: “Good morning Mr X. I asked you to come in today because I’ve just gotten back your test results. You are what we call a `demented fuckwit’, and so my advice is the best careers open to you are politics and screeching, er, I mean preaching. Religion. Myths. You’ll get lots of attention. You can lie, cheat, and steal all you want, and people will actually give you even more money, virgins, and respect. Congratulations Mr X, you, as a demented fuckwit, are ideally suited to suck up vast amounts of gravy!”

  6. jeff says

    Unfortunately, McCain will feel tremendous pressure from those goblins and will have to look and act like he’s one of them. If the democrats can’t win this time around, we are soooooo screwed. Triple threat: endless war, sinking economy and dollar, and the increasingly powerful christian taliban will descend upon us like the plague. And two more justices like scalia should get creationism in the schools and finish off the educational system for good (McCain has promised to appoint very conservative judges).

  7. So Laris says

    The short answer is that John McCain finally decided to be a “true ‘Republican'” in public as well as private. His desire to be pResident is greater than his desire to be human.

    Like Bushites and their religious/political competition in the vomit-causing sweepstakes, no matter how disgustingly untruthful and pandering a hole you imagine a politician can dig for themselves, McCain is the candidate who will prove he can worm himself even deeper into the muck.

    (If these people were fiction, thet would be admirable works of art on par with the best characters of Dickens.)

  8. ER says

    Hey, wait a minute, because of my personal values I’d be labeled by most as in the so-called “religious right,” and we’re not even close to being a monolithic group, not all theocratically-minded morality imposers, and regarding Hagee, it appears you haven’t heard the latest: Hageee’s considered something of a heretic these days, due to his recent book denying Jesus is the Messiah, and he’s been rebuked by a range of Christian leaders, even including a regional director of his own CUFI lobbying group.

  9. Bobby says

    It’s unbelievable. The Republican party is still in thrall to these vile goblins of the religious right.

    Neither unbelievable nor even surprising. It’s basic arithmetic: if they lose that voting block they’ll only be able to draw in 10-20% of the vote. They might as well disband if they decide to ditch those goblins.

  10. jeh says

    Hagee is just another prophet-eer. Charlatans like him have been making money off of the hopes and fears of people for years, running their slideshows of fear in ev-fundy churches all around the country–claiming they are some sort of ministry. They’ve made ridiculous claims and “prophecies” for years, yet when their predictions are disconfirmed, the predictions have long since been forgotten–by the very people that forked over their dough as some sort of “love offering.” This must be one of the most profitable rackets in the entire corrupt enterprise of ev-fundy-ism. LaHaye and Jensen just figured out how to take it to a whole new level by taking the standard dispensationalist nonsense and dividing it up into the smallest publishable unit. Only in America can a book series that glorifies the death of billions, as a necessary manifestation of divine justice, become a best seller.

    Unfortunately they are setting up the ev-fundy masses for one big disappointment, when the Rapture fails to materialize as expected. What will they say 10 years from now, 50 years from now, 100 years from now when all of their standard arguments about the imminent end of the world are repudiated? Even worse for them, what if the world faces major wars or tragedies, but there is no divine rescue, no magic wand solutions, no fortress American insulated from the world’s problems? What worries me the most is that individuals like Hagee think that they can act to “force the hand of God” and trigger the Apocalypse. Or they go the other way, like D. James Kennedy and other dominionists, and figure if God won’t make things “right,” then they sure will. Scylla and Charybdis.

  11. Meg says

    “He’s an obese, smug televangelist…”

    Somewhat off topic: what does his obesity have to do with it? Would he be less vile if he were slender?

  12. Lilly de Lure says

    The latest to bend over and praise this demented fuckwit is none other than John McCain.

    This is not suprising in the slightest. There have been rumbles from the far-right kooks from the start of the campaign that McCain isn’t “moral” enough for them (hence the suprising (comparative) success of Chuckleberry).

    Although they won’t be voting Democrat they might well decide not to vote at all if they decide McCain is too left wing (i.e. not batshit insane) leaving his ass hung out to dry come the election. Hence his desperate attempts to make noises about how he in fact lurves the loonies so he can get their votes.

    Depressing isn’t it?

  13. Gustav says

    Any comparison of Hagee and Buckley isn’t valid in the slightest. The latter was an eloquent writer and an actual thinking human being, while the former resorts to pointing to his 2000 year old book of fairy tales and/or ghost in the sky whenever he is challenged… and spends his time as a fear-mongering rapture-preaching kook.

    And as for bigot, from what I know Buckley was at least prone to changing his mind once he thought things over… e.g. assuming a new position regarding segregationsm. That is a very redeeming feature in my book.

    Respect should be given where it is due, though politial opinions may differ. :)

  14. Holbach says

    # 14 I agree with you on that insufferable bigot Buckley
    being dead. His religion permeated his whole demeaning
    life and he made no attempt to conceal it. Years ago when
    I was sloughing off religion, I read his “god and Man At
    Yale” and could not finish it as my brain started to
    seize up with such mindless claptrap. He never had a
    more than worthy opponent to counter his moronic ideas
    as we now have in the person of PZ, Dawkins,Hitchens, whom
    I am sure would have slaughtered him with superior and
    devastating repartee. His darting tongue got to be a real
    annoyance and I was always hoping he would choke on it.
    Good riddance to one less religious dolt.

  15. AlanWCan says

    #15: You’re kidding right? To abandon a public position when that position becomes a liability is not really a redeeming feature in my book.
    #16: Yes, but I wouldn’t class Noam Chomsky as not a worthy opponent. This little Vietnam-era discussion really shows up what a vile snipe Buckley was though. He’s supposed to be the respectable face of conservative intellectualism? And he threatens to smash Chomsky in the goddamn face? That’s just the standard bullshit John Wayne alpha male bravado the right has bolted onto themselves and their SUVs with plastic testicles, adopted wholeheartedly by OReilly, Limbaugh, all the little Faux news bobbleheads, and of course W.

    And FWIW, I didn’t despise Buckley because of his religious views – couldn’t really care less – but he was certainly an unpleasant right wing enabler.

    Sorry, got sidetracked from the vacuous Washington pastor because I thought folks here might find this important. Feel free to carry on with the normal programming…

  16. Gustav says

    Well, I am perhaps being naive, but I like to think that Buckley actually reconsidered his stance and did not simply switch it on a populist whim. “Awakenings” happen you know.

    Granted, I have not read his books and so might change my opinion if I do, but he seems to be outmatch the current conservative “brains” in the US by leaps and bounds… which admittedly might not be very hard to do.

    I do agree that while Chomsky in my view is far from being a rational and honest opponent, threats like that are simply moronic. And yes, Dawkins would obliterate him in a religious issues debate. I am not a fan of the US style conservatism (or any brand really) as they are retarded beyond what anyone can fathom on moral issues, but a little bit of respect for capable if insufferable opponents does one good.

    One should call a spade a spade, but with style..!

  17. negentropyeater says

    Whatever little song and dance McCain performs to the religious right will not solve the key problem that he will have, ie this group is far less homogeneous than it used to be 8 years ago.

    I don’t know if you have read this article, but it discusses the generational shift within the Evangelical voters.
    http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/02/24/0224faithful.html

    “At the moment, no candidate can lay sole claim to the evangelical vote, said Michael Lindsay, a sociology professor at Rice University in Houston.

    “2008 will go down as a real milestone in evangelicals’ political activism,” said Lindsay, whose book “Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite” portrays evangelicals as far more diverse and sophisticated than the stereotype of the right-wing fundamentalist.

    The ideological divide seems to form along generational lines, according to evangelical Christian writer Tony Campolo, who lives in Pennsylvania.

    Evangelicals 40 and older tend to vote for the most socially conservative candidate and rally around issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, he said, but evangelicals under 40 are defining a new set of political priorities, with poverty and the environment at the top of the list. That means even on evangelical college campuses, usually havens for conservative thought, Clinton and Obama are finding support, Campolo said.

    But that shift doesn’t signify a change of heart on moral concerns, he said. Young evangelicals, he said, “still think abortion is immoral. They still think that homosexual marriage is not within their purview of truth. But they see these as not the overriding issues as older people do.”

    McCain can get all the support he wants from the Hagees of this world, it won’t hide the fact that they represent, a dying political force. And it won’t hide the fact, that McCain is old enough to be Obama’s father…

  18. James F says

    #9 ER wrote:

    Hey, wait a minute, because of my personal values I’d be labeled by most as in the so-called “religious right,” and we’re not even close to being a monolithic group, not all theocratically-minded morality imposers…

    Actually, it’s the theocratically-minded morality imposers who are properly called the Religious Right. It’s not the values per se but rather the effort to breach the wall of separation between church and state. The more evangelicals and social conservatives who speak out against people like Hagee, the better.

  19. John Vreeland says

    I would hardly call McCain’s statement a ringing endorsement. It sounded more like a standard election-season rallying call. McCain’s big problem right now is that with conservative radio cheerleaders threatening to vote for Clinton instead of him, conservative Xtians will be so despondent about his candidacy that they won’t even bother to vote in November. He has to make them feel like he is not really the anti-Christ. Any creepy televangelist who sings his praises will be thanked for it.

  20. Grant Canyon says

    McCain may have to walk a fine political line to keep the evengelicals, but saying that he was “honored” and “proud” might be the straw that broke the camel’s back for a bunch of us moderate (read: liberal-ish) Republicans who find the whole religious right aspect of the party distastful and/or dangerous. A simple “Thank you.” would have been polite and politic without being ingratiating. This is ingratiating.

  21. CalGeorge says

    The pro-Israel guy!

    Way to go McCain!

    “He has been the staunchest leader of our Christian evangelical movement in many areas, but especially, most especially, his close ties and advocacy for the freedom and independence of the state of Israel.”

    It was also nice to see Clinton and Obama bend over backwards during the last debate to say those nice pro-Israel things. So kind!

    We need a knee-jerk pro-Israel AIPAC song or something that everyone can sing.

    Israel… God… everyone get on board the bus.

    Or else!

    TNR:
    “A little while ago, I told Mort Klein, president of the influential Zionist Organization of America, that I was writing an article about Barack Obama.

    “You mean Barack Mohammed Hussein Obama?” he asked, laughing.

    Ha ha ha! Hee hee hee!

  22. RussellSeitz says

    WFB’s literary mentor ,Dartmouth English professor Jeffrey Hart, endorsed Obama last month

  23. Ian Gould says

    “…He’s an obese, smug televangelist …”

    So how is Hagee’s obesity relevant here?

  24. Chemist says

    “So how is Hagee’s obesity relevant here?”

    Simply as a symbol, along with his wealth and opulent lifestyle, that he is indeed richly blessed by his version of his god YHVH. Therefore he deserves to be listened to and followed by pResident DimWit.

    Watch some of his shows on “Christian” cable… Note well the glassy-eyed faces of his “flock”… Cult?

  25. Steve_C says

    Isn’t gluttony one of the seven deadly sins?

    I hope there’s lots of juicy video of Hagee spewing with McCain in the background nodding.

    It may energize the social conservative base, but it will probably energize the liberal base even more.

  26. RamblinDude says

    A fat fake named Hagee once farted,
    His flock said, “It’s God he’s imparted!
    It’s the trumpet of doom!”
    They gasped, through the gloom,
    “And proof, Armageddon has started!”

  27. joan grim says

    Why hasn’t the IRS investigated Hagee & the rest of these church leaders for tax evasion for violating the church tax exemption? They do quite a bit of preaching to their members about voting republican and they endorse republican candidates like unions or PACs. They’ve turned their congregations into a voting arm of the republican party.Does anyone have any info on their tax status? I know Obama’s congregation,which is a member of the United Church of Christ, is being investigated by the IRS because he made a speech there a couple of years ago.I’ve never heard of a wingnut republican “church” being tagged.

  28. says

    Hey, wait a minute, because of my personal values I’d be labeled by most as in the so-called “religious right,”

    Let’s all have three cheers for misogyny and homophobia! Hip! Hip!….

  29. horrobin says

    What will they say 10 years from now, 50 years from now, 100 years from now when all of their standard arguments about the imminent end of the world are repudiated?

    They’ve been saying that Jesus is coming “soon” for about 2000 years now, they’ll likely be saying it for another 2000.

    …conservative radio cheerleaders threatening to vote for Clinton instead of him…

    What’s the reasoning (maybe a bad choice of words, I know) behind this? Is it just the biggest, most insane threat they can think of? “I’m so mad at McCain, I’m gonna vote for Hillary! HA! Just watch me!!” Are other conservatives supposed to try to talk them down? “Everyone back off! He’s just crazy enough to do it!”

  30. David Marjanović, OM says

    What worries me the most is that individuals like Hagee think that they can act to “force the hand of God” and trigger the Apocalypse.

    And that in spite of Mark 13…

    13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
    13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
    13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

  31. David Marjanović, OM says

    What worries me the most is that individuals like Hagee think that they can act to “force the hand of God” and trigger the Apocalypse.

    And that in spite of Mark 13…

    13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
    13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
    13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

  32. dwarf zebu says

    Gotta bone to pick concerning one of your pejoratives, PZ…

    The guy’s a fuckwit, check. Smug? Yup. Arrogant, ignorant, a nightmare, and frightening? Okay, I can see that!

    But obese? WTF?!? Does that really have anything to do with Hagee’s horribleness? Or his gawd-soaked arrogance?

    A study might possibly show that a majority of obese people are fundies and other breeds of believers, but correlation is still not causation.

    As a technically obese individual who is squarely on the side of reason and science, I am a bit miffed here.

    And Chemist @#26, is my obesity relevant here in any way? Just wondering.

  33. cm says

    Yeah, dwarf zebu and others, I noticed that obese thing too. It is not just a non-sequitur, it’s just uncool here because it’s used as a put down.

  34. Colugo says

    “Obese” struck me as off-note too. Darn them all to heck – Michael Moore, Horatio Sanz, Mo’Nique, Camryn Manheim, Fat Bastard, the whole lot of them. Because obesity goes hand in hand with smugness.

  35. gerald spezio says

    Okay Dirk Diggler, doan you know that when you knock Israel, you are knocking the Lord God.
    We must not stand in the way of God’s plan and armygedditon before the rapture.

    I hate you & your anti-Semitism, homophobia, Darwinist atheism & irrational hatred of kindly Senator-from-Israel-Joe Lieberman, Esquire.

    Watching that terrifying video for the third time made me shudder about horrible Islamo peeyar probably funded with their oil bucks..

    How can the Islamo peeyar machine manufacture this anti-Semitic stuff?

    Just to “prove” that the Islamoterrorists are framing the problem in order to elude their own murder:

  36. tacitus says

    Hagee and McCain share at least one thing in common. They both cheated on and then ditched their first wives for much younger models.

  37. says

    It says in the bible that “A fat priest is an abomination unto the Lord.” In other words, one should not be gluttonous in living off the offerings made to God. The original offerings were made to God and then some of them were eaten by the priestly clan. Leviticus is full of which animals, oils, and grains should be offered when and where on the altar you should rub the blood.

  38. Pierce R. Butler says

    So Laris: If these people were fiction, thet would be admirable works of art on par with the best characters of Dickens.

    Most of ’em seem to me as if they came straight out of Rowling…

  39. gerald spezio says

    Since the right reverend, Hagee, is a large fellow according to his body mass index, we must avoid the charge of anti-Semitism concealed as scientism by not noticing his empirical girth.
    Mama says that it would be best to display our objectivity by refusing to cruelly frame Hagee as obese, homosexual, misogynist, homophobic, or preverted in any way just because he loves the Christ and irrationally hates Muslims.
    Whether or not Hagee is in denial about existentialism or phenomenology (only theories) is a fun frame but still just sophomoric psychologizing about incommensurables.

  40. foxfire says

    @ Grant Canyon #22: as a former Independent who registered Republican last year specifically so I could vote in the primary elections (for McCain)this year, I feel the same way.

    I liked the old “agents of intolerance” McCain. Not so much this new McCain….

  41. James Fox says

    A couple of factual and supportable observations…
    You are more likely to be obese if you are poor and conservative religious beliefs tend to be more common among the uneducated and poor.
    Both Democrat and Republican politicians suck up to complete irrational fucks on a regular basis. Amazing how snarky and reactive skeptics can be when they turn to politics.

  42. dustbubble says

    Oh we love it, just love it, over here in the Old World when you unveil yet another of these freaks. Eventually his private life will be raked over, opening up whole new vistas of unimaginable depravity and vice which had heretofore never crossed our stuffy old minds. Can’t wait!

  43. Ichthyic says

    *stares in fascination*

    Is that right?

    sure it isn’t more like staring in abject horror?

    stunned into a sickened silence?

    :p

  44. themadlolscientist says

    @dustbubble (and anyone else who might be interested in an inside, or at any rate an ex-inside view, from someone who was involved in that garbage for a number of years):

    Paul Harrison has a gynormous batch of videos on YouTube about those whackballs and their shenanigans. So far he has:

    “Faith Healing and Televangelism” (109 parts in all, highlighting various prominent names in the business)

    “Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel” (35 segments on the “send me all your money and God will make you rich” scam)

    his own “Belief to Unbelief” story (31 parts).

    There’s also a 20-part “Pentecostal Movement and Speaking in Tongues” series, which he’s currently reworking into audio-only, so it’s not all back up yet.

    (Planned but not up yet: a “Signs and Wonders” series, on the end of the world and all that.)

    I would have posted a link to The Daily Show’s “God Stuff” series (produced by The Wittenburg Door, a terrific religious satire website) for those who just want a good laugh, but it seems to have vanished entirely from cyberspace (looks like I grabbed it just in time!). Pity — it was hilarious!

  45. Ichthyic says

    McCain may have to walk a fine political line to keep the evengelicals,

    a fine religious line as well. He changed his actual stated religion to Southern Baptist shortly after first announcing his candidacy for this election round.

    this, after soundly chastising the same groups in the 2000 election.

    I do think at least he is making it SO obvious, that anybody with any brains can at least figure out he feels he basically HAS to do this shit in order to have the slightest chance of winning the primary.

    This is what he learned from the 2000 primary, after rejecting the evangelical portion of the republican base.

    Still, if the demos don’t jump on it as a great example of “flip-flopping” during the final election campaigns I’ll be surprised.

  46. says

    Is that right?
    sure it isn’t more like staring in abject horror?
    stunned into a sickened silence?

    Well, there is a bit of amusement as well.

  47. says

    Still, if the demos don’t jump on it as a great example of “flip-flopping” during the final election campaigns I’ll be surprised.

    The Dems can churn out every flip-flop McCain’s pulled, they can demonstrate his hypocrisy when it comes to big-money lobbyists, they can point to his own personal corruption, but Chris Matthews has been calling Monica Lewinsky to rent the knee-pads, and Timmeh has been trying to outbid Cokie Roberts on eBay. The “Straight Talk” lie is such an established narrative that putative liberals will constantly pull out what a “moderate” McCain is–a complete fabrication of the fellating DC press corps.

  48. Ichthyic says

    but Chris Matthews has been calling Monica Lewinsky to rent the knee-pads,

    LOL

    Chris Matthews: the next choice for white house Press Secretary?

  49. Longtime Lurker says

    A few years back, I went to a pro-immigration rally in the Bronx sponsored by the “Legalize the Irish” group, but attended by immigrants of all sorts, and their supporters. The John McCain of the “McCain-Kennedy Immigration Bill” was the featured speaker. You know, the old McCain that opposed Falwell as an “agent of intolerance”. Well, here he was in the auditorium of St. Barnabas Roman Catholic School (Hagee would have plotzed to see all the popery), speaking out in favor of a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants, and we all responded by singing “Fields of Athenry” for him. “Fields of Fucking Athenry” -a turnip would have wept, had it ears to hear. Now he pulls this anti-immigrant, pro-domininionist crap! If I were a believing man, I’d curse the blackguard!

  50. says

    Lurker,

    Here are my pictures from the massive immigration rally in Boston a couple years ago.

    One of those “I love this town” moments happened when everyone was gathering in Copley Square. There’s an Irish drum and fife combo playing traditional music, and an entire crowd of Salvadorans, Hondurans, Brazilians, Jamaicans, Cape Verdeans, and Haitians dancing their asses off to the Irish music. It was one of those times when you couldn’t help but smile, and love the mixtures that urban life produces.

  51. deang says

    I had a supplemental paper-shuffling job at one time in Austin, Texas, and worked beside a follower of Hagee. This woman seemed nice but would occasionally let loose such telling gems as, “I never let my kids celebrate Halloween because it encourages ritual sacrifice of children.” To which I replied, “But that was always the funnest part.” Her glare lasted a good five minutes. She also worried about her children’s use of the internet and cell phones “because Satan could get to them.” Once, I was telling her that I had seen a Great Horned Owl while birding. A look of horror came over her face at the word owl and I asked what was wrong. “Owls are Satan’s messengers!” she said. I didn’t talk to her so much after that.

  52. Aquaria says

    Oy vey, y’all don’t know the half of how creepy Hagee is. Think his politics are weird? That’s nothing.

    If you are a teenager/young adult male who attends Horrorblock, you must ask permission of the church to date a female Horroblock member. If the church approves your request., you will meet at the monstrosity Hagee calls a church with several other young males and a few chaperones. Then you will load into a van, and the wimmenfolk will be collected from their homes. San Antonio’s a fairly large city, geographically, so they must get started at a non-rush-hour time to accomplish this.

    Anyway, once the wimmenfolk are rounded up, everyone will go to a church-approved place to conduct the date. There will be ZERO groping, pawing, hugging or kissing. Don’t remember if hand-holding is allowed, but I somehow doubt it. There will be no alcohol, drugs or clubbing/dancing. I think some movies are allowed (I’m sure Passion of the Christ was a really big Horrorblock date destination — eeeewwww). Perhaps a coffeeshop afterwards to talk (most likely about the Invisible Space Gods and their magical book), and then everyone loads into the van at a time determined by the chaperone. The wimmenfolk will be dropped off first. The boy can walk his girl to the door, but he cannot kiss her good night. He may shake her hand, I suppose. And then the boys are taken back to the church, and they go home.

    Oh, and you have to have permission to propose marriage (of course the silly women aren’t allowed to propose!). Hagee will decide if you can get married at all.

    I kid you not, this is how they do things over there. Hagee speaks, and these idiots obey. And anyone actually thinks there’s any reasoning with people this brain-dead? Please!

    As for McCain, he’s sent out a huge flyer in the past few days here in Texas that says he’ll “protect the unborn”. That’s the entire message of the flyer (about 11X5–awful things). The arsehole actually links up his POW experience as the basis for why he “respects all life.” It’s almost as vile as the Republican Congressional mailings I’ve had to look at (I’m a postal worker). It almost makes looking at Hillary’s attack flyers against Obama enjoyable (and she has about 7 different ones she’s sent out so far–Texas must be do or die for her).

  53. RamblinDude says

    Wow. Reality is stranger than fiction.

    It’s like a totally immersive, tax free, relentless RPG.

  54. David Marjanović, OM says

    I kid you not, this is how they do things over there. Hagee speaks, and these idiots obey.

    Führer[,] befiehl, wir folgen! (“Leader, order, we follow/obey!”)

    Sorry. Someone had to godwin this.

  55. David Marjanović, OM says

    I kid you not, this is how they do things over there. Hagee speaks, and these idiots obey.

    Führer[,] befiehl, wir folgen! (“Leader, order, we follow/obey!”)

    Sorry. Someone had to godwin this.

  56. Tulse says

    Bill Donohue of the Catholic League is denouncing McCain for cozying up to Hagee, who is well-known for anti-Catholic pronouncements. Donohue fighting with Hagee is kinda like watching Alien vs. Predator.

    (And you simply have to watch the video at the end of the Greenwald article linked to above — talk about batshit insane. As watching, remember that this is a boon friend of the aspiring leader of the Free World, and that said aspirant would control nuclear weapons.)

  57. themadlolscientist says

    Aquaria: That sounds a lot like Bob Jones University. I don’t know if it’s still true, but not all that long ago, even married couples weren’t allowed to hold hands in public. They could get kicked out for that! Oy vey is right.

  58. bernarda says

    Max Blumenthal did a report on the John Hagee end-times preaching. Alzheimer McCain loves these people.

    If you want the end of the world, vote McCain.

  59. Longtime Lurker says

    MAJeff,OM,

    This is the world these authoritarians truly fear, the groovy world where everyone gets along, where the labels are meaningless, and a good time is had by all -the world where there are lines of communication that allow us to realize that we are all one human family (Common Descent!), and their imprecations and condemnations fall on deaf ears.

  60. MCullen says

    I think McCain knows he needs the religious right on his side to have a half of chance at winning this scary election. He is sucking up to them in hopes of a chance. I sure hope he fails.

  61. says

    MAJeff,OM,
    This is the world these authoritarians truly fear, the groovy world where everyone gets along, where the labels are meaningless, and a good time is had by all -the world where there are lines of communication that allow us to realize that we are all one human family (Common Descent!), and their imprecations and condemnations fall on deaf ears.

    Or, as Michael Franti has so elegantly stated it: “All the freaky people make the beauty of the world.” :)

  62. Ichthyic says

    the groovy world where everyone gets along, where the labels are meaningless, and a good time is had by all

    hey, wasn’t that the theme of your get together in Boston last night, Jeff?

    congrats, btw, sounds like it went quite well.

  63. says

    congrats, btw, sounds like it went quite well.

    Thanks. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, there were too many people to really mingle thoroughly in the particular space. I think that overall, though, folks had a good time.

    That’s what I love. Get smart people who are curious about the world together, and they’ll find something to talk about very easily. Add good conversational lubricant of alcohol to the mix, and it there’s a lot more giggly curious people having a good time.

    Maybe there’s an NSF grant in there somewhere…..

  64. Ichthyic says

    Maybe there’s an NSF grant in there somewhere…..

    LOL

    kinda curious what you would title the grant app. though…

    How about:

    “The effects of alcohol as social lubricant in variable sized groups.”

    :p

    …Carlin just finished his latest routine.

    still funny after all these years. I suspect if PZ caught it, he will be posting about it tomorrow – so many topics covered by George were remarkably relevant…

  65. says

    Carlin just finished his latest routine.
    still funny after all these years. I suspect if PZ caught it, he will be posting about it tomorrow – so many topics covered by George were remarkably relevant…

    I’ll have to wait for the bittorrent…oh, I mean the Original HBO DVD to go on sale.

  66. Ichthyic says

    oh yeah, I ‘spect it will be up around *cough_thepiratebay.org_cough* in the next few days.

    this was the show, btw:

    “George Carlin: It’s Bad for Ya”

    just so ya knows which DVD to buy…