The World's Dirtiest Word

Religion.

I'll give my usual disclosure: Whatever you believe, great. If it helps you sleep better, if it makes you a better person, great.

That's faith.

Mine? Given the ridiculous stuff I believe on a daily basis, I can hardly call myself an atheist. I'm not certain what eschatology I fall into. One thing I'm positive of, I don't believe there's an old man with a book or iPad waiting for me to either:
a.) be good and so get to go listen to cherubim holler Ave Maria until I put a celestial nuclear weapon in my mouth, or;
b.) be sent to a pitchfork wielding Pan expy who has all the good musicians and a long pork barbeque.
I try to be a decent human to be a decent human.

Now. I am on the mailing list of the Minnesota Family Council. Most well known for being pro-bullying. especially if gay kids die, it is a hard-right-wing political action committee. I stay on the mailing list because these people are dangerous as hell and it's a smart thing to keep an eye on the bastards. The CEO, John Helmberger, sends out pleas for money, prayers, action, and money. He asks for donations as well.

So, his latest 'testimonial', encouraging caucus participation, needs to be explored a bit. To begin, though, let's face it, this 'event' never happened. Lying for Jeebus.*

A Defining Moment at a Precinct Caucus Only behave as citizens worthy of the gospel of Christ Philippians 1:27

The Red Words? Nope. Paul. Color me surprised, most evangelicals have never read the gospels. They like Paul and the Old Testament, books and letters what give them an excuse to kill. The Rabbi Yeshua ben-Yusef, if he existed, seems to have been pretty chill. Feed the poor, heal the sick, whomp the ever-loving hell out of bankers. Paul's a complete bastard.

As a university graduate student, I arrived late at the precinct caucus for my new neighborhood. The room was full, with standing room only, and I could barely find a place to squeeze in near the entrance. As it turned out, that was a good thing.

Okay, basically true. Political engagement is a great thing. Although I have major issues with the caucus process, preferring the primary system, good on you. Good on everyone who goes.

Having grown up in a politically active family, it was only natural, now that I was out on my own, that I also would participate in the grassroots process of debating and voting on issue resolutions, hearing from candidates, and choosing delegates to represent my neighbors and me at upcoming conventions where candidates would be endorsed.

 Again, engagement. How can I have a problem with this cat?

But something had changed. Or rather, someone had changed.

I had been conditioned from my childhood to identify with a party that increasingly valued personal autonomy above any faith or moral code, looked to government as protector and provider, and oftentimes viewed faith in God with open hostility.

And, we're off. Meine dog's ears are bleeding. Who's faith? I know all'y'all don't believe in Papism or Smithism, but even more than that, the pre-millenial dispensationalists think the post-millenial dispensationalists think the Prosperity Gospel crowd think the UCC bleeding hearts are all wrong and going to hell. And everyone hates the Jews (h/t Tom Lehrer).

"Above moral code"? Moral code, is, ummm, laws. And you're damn right I want government protection, from bankers and 'patriots' and Lost Cause types and godbotherers who feel the need to dictate faith and moral codes.

Of course, I had never thought about it in those terms. In fact, I never thought about my party affiliation at all. I just followed the path I’d grown up in without questioning it.

So, it took you until graduate school to think?

But now, in that crowded caucus, I couldn’t do that anymore. Some years earlier I had become a Christian. It took a while to get serious about studying God’s word, but as I did, it started changing me. It changed my values and priorities. It gave me a new lens through which to view everything, including politics. I found myself evaluating policy on everything—from abortion to taxes and spending—in light of Scripture.

Abortion? Not a word. (Although the Old Testament was awfully approving of killing kids. Dash the children against stones, anyone?). Taxes? Render to Caesar what is Caesar's. Spending? Before Pauly stuck his misogynistic beak and lust for authoritarian power into things, the early Christians were egalitarian socialists, share what you have, Mary Magdelene one of Christ's beloved.
Which religion will save the world, Johnny? Seems Lil' Teddy Knickers; Stabby McNeurosurgeon; Florida's Parched Theocrat; Cousin Itt cosplayer, college president, and one-man Ukrainian model immigration agency Don 'Don' Trump; and the rest (Mary Ann, Ginger, Kasich) have vowed to set much of the world on actual fucking fire

I now knew I had a calling to engage in the process as “salt and light” for the sake of the gospel of Christ, the only power that can truly transform hearts and minds and cultures.

Back up, dear. I don't believe any of your nonsense. I have my own nonsense and have yet to stab or set fire to anybody.

As I stood in that caucus meeting listening to demands for one policy after another that conflicted with what I saw as God’s pattern for a truly just and moral society, it hit me. “I don’t have anything in common with these people,” I thought. “I don’t belong here.” Thankful that I was near the door, I slipped out as quickly as I could, making a clean break from the inherited politics of my youth.

You were not the only thankful one, John-John. These people were exploring solutions to problems. Together. Not looking for the simplicity of listening to 200 preachers arguing about when Jeebus comes back but agreeing that the gays must be killed.

Since that defining moment, I’ve caucused with another party whose platform—and usually candidates—more closely align with biblical principles (though not perfectly—that never happens in our fallen world). I’ve become more actively engaged than I ever had been before, spurred by our calling to “behave as citizens worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27, ESV literal rendering of Greek).

Ok, bucko. Let's take the revisionist history - The republican party invited you yahoos into the party in a quest for political power. Votes. As late as Barry Goldwater, you were kept at arm's length. Abortion was chosen as the visible politically acceptable way to organize for misogyny, segregation, and an alphabet soup of phobias. Reagan then brought you guys in. The republican establishment has used you for 36 years for votes. They, prior to the rise of the Teabaggers, would never have outlawed abortion. Too politically useful. And the road went both ways. A couple of notable items were added to your laundry list. The rights of rich people (yeah, the irony is like rain on a wedding day). The end of the Public Commons.

If you haven’t participated in a precinct caucus, I encourage you to give it a try on March 1. Find your precinct caucus location and learn more about Minnesota’s precinct caucuses. There’s more at stake than ever before, including the freedom to engage openly in our culture as a Christian. Come shine your light—it’s needed!

John Helmberger
CEO of Minnesota Family Council

Yeah, I'm going to participate in my caucuses. Sorry, JJ.

'freedom to engage openly in our culture as a Christian'?!? We're riddled with you rodent molesters. Fuck yourself. 

*

Another Supreme Court Theory, Somewhat More On The Less Conspiratorial Side

So, of course, Fat Tony is tits up. I do feel bad for his family, death sucks on ice. I feel bad for Justice Ginsberg, who considered him a close personal friend, as, surprisingly, did Justice Kagan, who made more than some efforts to befriend him. Sympathy, to all of them, and I am being quite serious.

Now.

Given the makeup of the Senate, confirmation of anyone who is not David Barton will be difficult. We may well looking at an extended 4 (left/center left - Notorious RBG, Justice Kagan, Justice Sotomayor, Justice Breyer) to 4 (monsters - The Silent Man, Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Alito, and... oh, wait...)

The makeup of the Court has been long referred to as 4 to 4 with a Kennedy swing vote, I'm not pulling this out of any available orifice.

Four left/center left and three serious brownshirts. And Anthony Kennedy.

Anthony Kennedy. Confirmed during a presidential election year, by the way, so Ted Cruz, lil' Marco Rubio, et alia can choke on this convenient box of hammers.

(Surprisingly, not near the top of google images, apparently there is some tweeny looking film called Bag of Hammers.)

His personal politics have to be at least mainstream rightie, likely an economic hard-rightie, but he doesn't rule by his political beliefs. Instead of political beliefs, he makes his rulings based on the political environment, and relishes the role of swing vote, as the bargained chip, as an elder windsock.

I submit that in order for him to maintain that role, he may go with the left side of the court surprisingly often, in an attempt to be An Hero, in an attempt to burnish his legacy as the Decider. We may see a lot of 5 to 3 rulings, and if President Obama can push though another center left appointee (I have no hope that he will nominate a true liberal, we're likely to end up with a Wall Street hack like Lynch or Srinivasan, who, while they at least may be reasonable on cultural issues, will happily continue the cudgelling of the working class), I would not be horribly shacked to see frequent 6 to 3 rulings.

I don't know, just a thought.

I Can Haz Shortwave Radio Nao?

Mr. Grain posed a puzzler.

Per Alex Jones, President Blackenstein had a Judge offed. TenGrain is holding a small collective creational Kaffeklatch to figure out how. This aggression cannot stand.

Thus, I posit this.

President Obama put his PLAN into place shortly before New Years with a diversion in Oregon. Special Raptorforce Agent Ritzheimer, J., put the ouija-board pieces in place, then, informing his pawns that there had been a contrail sighting at the Jade Helm Camp Alphabits and his presence was required, he headed for Texas.

Wearing his issued Hyperthelegic Duck-aticion Inviso-foot Caster, he snuck 4 cases of Megovaltine into the Palatial Patriotic Palace and Pyoluretic Podiatrics Practice in Paris, Texas, where the Council on Fraternal Relations was having its annual epistemic closure.

On Friday night, the ELF receiver implanted in Deep Stage Agent Ritzenwollenstein (his actual name, and a lot of good men died horribly of Samoan Cunnilingusboarding to get that information) gave the go signal, three short brrrrrts and a beep. He turned on his negroidizer to blend in with the staff, and upon Shadow Chief Justice Scalia’s page requesting a warm milk and two small pre-punctured children, entered the moratorium, where Scalia had already spread plastic, making the agent’s job even just that much more pleasant.

Pulling his gauss gun, he quickly injected electromorphins in the judge’s chest region. Placing the gun in the hand of one of the, by now, rather sloppy children, knowing that in doing this, the mainstream of the party would blame Scalia’s passing on age and the continuing presence of America’s Funniest Home Videos on many Fox affiliates, the Agent tapped the transmitter stitched to his prostate, announcing the deed had been done, and bit down on his thermite molar.

Lil' Frankie Graham Watches Us From Olympus, Longing For His Own Lightning Bolts

So, Wee Frannie Knickers went to CNN and scolded us, verbing things about secularism, theocracy, and gay marriage. Ignoring the fact that he ignores all facts, he said in regards to weddings presumably followed by extremely festively lubed buttsex:

“I think we need a nationwide referendum on this and let’s see what the people say,” he concluded.

No. Just no.

We are not a democracy. We are a democratic republic. Important distinction time.

We are not a democracy, because individual people are stupid and should probably be maimed. We are a democratic republic under the theory that individual people elect representatives of the people as a whole, so that the representative is removed from Steve's individual feelings of ickiness and tinglies in his special spot when he thinks about gay sex, and instead works for all the people. Protecting the minority from the majority of individually stupid people who should be maimed. Festively, if you like, I'm not in a party mood at the moment but perhaps could be persuaded.

The fact that we fail miserably at the whole Republic thingy, and have more frequently than not failed miserably at the whole Republic thingy, does not change the fact that it could work, and certainly works better than a country with 300 million individual governments, with 300 million individual agendas and prejudices. And no paved roads. And Wonder Bread being declared 'organic'. And Star Wars prequels, Bud Light winning the Great American Beer Fest, FloridaGeorgia Line being considered music...

OOOOH. MUSIC. I was just keyed into this, but I want to hug these people!