Do you think the police are doing God's work ????

[SamKnause]

Alisyn Camerota does.

On New Day Alisyn Camerota stated that police are doing God's work everyday.

Source: CNN transcripts

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1601/29/nday.06.html

[Skittles]

1. no, I think cops actually work

[SamKnause]

2. Thank you for your input.

[HoneyBadger]

3. Only God does God's work

Cops, oath takers and religious workers certainly do not. And if they say they are, they are lying.

[SamKnause]

4. Thank you for your input.

[democratisphere]

5. Cops see and must deal with the absolute worst things humans do to each other and it ain't pretty.

So yes, oftentimes cops do the work of God.

[SamKnause]

8. Thank you for your input.

I disagree with your assessment.

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. Ugh.

[SamKnause]

18. Thanks.

That made me chuckle.

I feel the same way.

[el_bryanto]

43. It depends on your calculation of how many Cops are corrupt or racist

Whats the percentage. If you believe that something like 90% of them are racist or corrupt than saying they are doing the work of God is kind of silly. On the other hand if you think 90% or so are honest cops trying to do their best than many of them probably are.

Of course even a very small number of corrupt or racist cops can create terrible problems and hurt a lot of people; they have authority, and their corruption and racism can really do terrible things. So I do think we need to ensure that our cops are monitored and watched to make sure they don't create problems. That has to be our main focus, not the feelings of those who might be hurt by accusations or questions.

Bryant

[HAB911]

6. More and more they do the work of

White Nationalist, Supremacists

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017422170

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/31/the-fbi-has-quietly-investigated-white-supremacist-infiltration-of-law-enforcement/

[SamKnause]

10. Thank you for your input.

I agree with your assessment.

[Demsrule86]

7. No they are policing for profit...and are aides to the 'money lenders'

Many of the police should be fired and the rest retrained. We should have taxes not fines to support our states.

[SamKnause]

11. Thank you for your input.

I agree with your assessment.

[Demsrule86]

30. My pleasure...

Interesting how these so called Christians ( not really) twist their faith to fit their politics...righties. There are people who live their faith, but they are not conservative. You can not be conservative and also Christian...the two things are completely opposite. They better pray there is no God or they will surely be sent straight to hell.

[SamKnause]

39. I don't believe in hell, but if it exists I hope there is a special place

reserved just for them.

If you look up hypocrite in the dictionary it should have photos of 'Christian' Republicans.

[Demsrule86]

48. And I am a person who believes.

I have watched those haters destroy faith for many people : young people especially. The faux Christian right are in trouble, and I believe they will go to hell ...all the old testament quotes won't save them. I go to the Episcopal church which has already vowed to fight Trump and allows Gay marriage and ministers to the poor and those in need.

[Iggo]

9. No, no one is doing god 's work.

There's no such thing.

[SamKnause]

12. Thank you for your input.

As an Atheist, I must agree with you.

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. Agreed.

[Orrex]

13. Funny you should ask, as a matter of fact!

Why, just last week I saw a cop make the firmament, and divide the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.

[SamKnause]

14. Thank you for your input.

I asked the question because I thought it was odd for a news pundit to

be making such a strange statement.

I am an Atheist.

I don't think anyone is doing God's work.

With that being said, if I did believe in God, I certainly do not think that police are doing God's work.

I would classify them as doing the devil's work and protecting the 1% to the detriment of the 99%.

[Orrex]

22. I wouldn't call it odd.

All kinds of assholes claim to be doing God's work all the time. Abortion clinic bombers claim to be doing God's work. Fred Phelps claims to be doing God's work. Megachurch evangelical hucksters claim to be doing God's work. Their God is vengeful and vindictive and petty and greedy and cruel, and they are more than happy to do His work for him, because it aligns so closely with what they were probably going to do anyway.

So, yes, it was a dumbass comment from the pundit, but as an atheist you must be aware that in our society this sort of mindless religious pandering is slightly more common than air, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

[SamKnause]

23. I am tired of it being inserted in every discussion as a matter of fact.

Odd was not the correct word.

Anger is what I actually felt.

[Orrex]

25. I can get behind that.

I could link to my previous observations about this phenomenon, about how society simply assumes that we're all Christians, and everyone who isn't a Christian is simply pretending that they're not.

I hate it. I hate all the bullshit about "you're in my prayers" and "God has a plan" and "in God we trust" and "one nation under God." All of it. Even here on DU, we're told to accept such religious non sequiturs "in their intended spirit," as if I'm an asshole simply because I don't give higher priority to a theist's sales pitch than to a grieving mother's pain at losing a child, etc.

When I hear such statements, then I recognize "their intended spirit" for what it is: a declaration that (whatever flavor of) Christianity is correct, and they can safely ignore whatever anyone else believes or doesn't believe.

[heaven05]

31. nothing christian about this country

KKKristianity yeah, there's no god in that religion just hate and murder. Been going on and is top religion in this country for generations.

[ProfessorGAC]

44. What Orrex Said!

Thanks. Well stated.

[Donkees]

17. ...

Link to tweet

[SamKnause]

19. It is sad that people put them on pedestals.

I am so sick of God being brought into every conversation or being inserted as a matter of fact.

Some people really like wearing their religion on their sleeves.

Thanks for your input.

[Ilsa]

20. I think most police are working a job,

trying to keep regular people safe from harm, help people who've been in accidents, etc. I respect first responders until they've shown me that I cannot trust them (individually).

But yes, I also believe most police forces have been infiltrated by racists, misogynistic bigots, and in some cases, they are running the show.

I don't think it is appropriate for media people to say what Camerota said. It is not their job to make such pronouncements. It's more subjective than saying "Bless you" after a sneeze, but it isn't something I'm going to spend a lot of time trying to change. This was her opinion. So what. I don't have to care what she thinks.

[SamKnause]

21. Thank you so much for your input.

Your second paragraph says it all.

I don't think it was appropriate either.

I am tired of it being inserted into conversations as fact.

[Ilsa]

24. Then your OP has nothing to do with police, per se,

It's about the characterization by those with media power of people's actions as being directed by God.

[brooklynite]

26. "god helps those who help themselves?"

[Turbineguy]

27. ISIS does Gods work.

Just ask them and they'll tell you. And then they'll kill you.

[MarvinGardens]

28. Only in the sense that we all are.

God's work? Like causing matter to condense out of the early universe, causing stars to form? Causing individual photons to collectively form a wave interference pattern on a target after traversing a double-slit? Eating and making more humans according to our biological programming? Most of us are doing that last part which we are programmed to do by nature, the universe, or whatever you choose to call it.

In that last sense, we are all doing God's work, and there is no reason to suggest that the police are doing God's work exclusive of all other humans, or all other matter in the universe.

[heaven05]

29. ask

Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Dontre Hamilton, John Crawford III, Tanisha Anderson, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and they are just some of many, many more UNARMED AA murdered by police all over this land of bannon and his boy-potus puppet. Things will get much worse soon....

[SamKnause]

33. Exactly !!!!.....

That is exactly what I was thinking when she made that statement.

It made me sick to my stomach and angry that many put police on pedestals.

Thank you for your input.

[coco22]

32. Another FOX retread (Camerota)

No!These people think they define to us how we should feel or think when many of them are living in their media bubble,they didn't listen during the campaign.

[SamKnause]

35. FOX retread.

I agree.

I have nothing in common with them, or would I want to.

I disagree with their entire outlook on where this country should be heading.

[coco22]

38. I will never forget how she used..

sit on the couch with lying ass racist Steve Doocy and block head at the other end of the couch. She laughed and lied her ass off.

[WillowTree]

41. She's hasn't been on Fox for going on 3 years now.

She's on CNN now.

[coco22]

46. I know but..

She is one of the same hateful bitches like Megan Kelly. I have watched them all move around throughout the Bush years.

These people enabled Bush,Cheney,Rumsfeld.Teabaggers and the rest of the gang. She is one who is responsible for fake news and now she acts like she just discovered it when she pedaled it everyday on Fox and Friends,they hope we forget or won't tell others who they really are.

I like Cuomo to a point but Camerota can...

[La Lioness Priyanka]

34. no. i think they enforce laws created by men (mostly)

so no.

[SamKnause]

36. Agree.

White men of the 1% category.

The 99% have zero say in anything.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

37. well most of us get to vote. so in that we have some control

although even voting is harder for minorities

[logosoco]

40. I am pretty much an atheist (raised Catholic)

but I do like some of the things Jesus said. "Judge not" being one. It seems like cops are out there making judgements constantly and being in a position of taking action. Many times, as we have seen, they are making very wrong judgements which are leading to actual harm.
Perhaps this person and many people think that protecting the 1% (which is much of what cops do now) is God's work. But I would like to think it would be something else. People who look away when others are harmed or damage is done to the planet don't seem to be doing God's work but I think they see themselves as Christians so anything they do is okay.

[SamKnause]

42. Excellent post.

Thanks for your input.

As an Atheist I agree with your assessment.

[haele]

45. No, they're going around enforcing laws.

Pretty insulting policepersons who are of other religions, Atheist or Secular.
As for their "work"...
Sometimes Police do good things; sometimes they're helpful and try to be good role models, but ultimately, they're just people doing a government job for pay.
Ms. Camerota - the definition of people who are doing "God's Work" are charity workers, priests, or missionaries/NGO aid workers who are associated with a particular religion who are doing their work for the promise of God's approval, not because they're getting paid a good sum of money by a community for safety purposes.

Haele

[SamKnause]

47. Thank you for your input.

[MyNameGoesHere]

49. Well fuck no. They should be doing police work

And leave perpetuation of fairie tales to TV evangelists.

[Warren DeMontague]

50. No.

For one thing, The Police actually exist.

[nil desperandum]

51. Cops, like the military

implement government policy.

Regardless of the morality, or legality sometimes, of the policy.

They can be a tool for good or for evil and represent the worst power the government has over us, the power to imprison...

Ayn Rand is a nut, but one quote I've always remembered isn't a bad one....“There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.”

We can't wipe our asses without permission from the government and we still somehow think we are free...

[The_Voice_of_Reason]

52. No I do not...

I don't have a particular gripe with policemen per-say, and afford them a level of respect as a man/woman in blue. However, do not see them as doing God's work any more than I see the person making my sandwich at the deli. Additionally, too much of the time officers spend out in the field on patrol is spent protecting the assets of the rich. Go watch how many times officers spend time driving around, or parked in the business district late at night even though no one is around, while our residential neighborhoods never see an officer unless there is trouble and/or a emergency.

[braddy]

53. I understand the comment, but I have mixed feelings about those city employees.