ABC News: Religious Conservatives Demand Changes at Nation's Parks

[question everything]

Religious Conservatives Demand Changes at Nation's Parks

Debate Over 'Moral Values' Spills Over Into Nation's Landmarks
BY JAKE TAPPER and AVERY MILLER

(snip)

For roughly a decade, a film has been shown to visitors at Washington's Lincoln Memorial, depicting historic events that have taken place there -- from civil rights marches to antiwar demonstrations. The film shows a number of marches with liberal themes like gay rights and abortion rights, intercut with older clips of historical figures like former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Marian Anderson.

Then, one day the Rev. Lou Sheldon saw it. "It showed only those liberal, pro-abortion, pro-homosexual marches," said Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition.

(snip)

Some Park Service personnel resent having to edit the film.

(snip)

Park bookstores at the Grand Canyon now sell the book "Grand Canyon: A Different View," which contradicts science, saying the Grand Canyon was formed by the great flood from the Bible story of Noah... Letters to the Park Service from leaders of the scientific community protest the inclusion of the book alongside those based on science.

(snip)

Though a decision from the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., has been pending since the beginning of 2004, none has been forthcoming and the book remains on the shelves.

More..
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=273668&page=1

[buff2]

1. What the hell is WRONG with those people?

They are going too far.Do they think we ALL have to drink their kool-aid? Not me.....I never will.

[President Jesus]

69. 'Rev' Lou Sheldon's history of campaign contributions --> GOP shill

This guy is nothing more than a GOP shill, and here's the proof:
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=CA&last=Sheldon&first=Louis

[hcashew]

80. This has got

to be the trend for the next four years

[serryjw]

96. "What the hell is WRONG with those people?"

How much time do I have? :freak:

[Sannum]

2. I am so sick of this BULLSHIT!!!!

When will it end? Can we just give the fundies an island somewhere so they can leave us in peace?

[SoCalDem]

57. They already have their "island".. It's called The USA

With gated, armed borders and ocean on two sides, their little "siland paradise" will be complete..:puke:

[mcscajun]

3. Some Snippage...

...with emphasis added:

Sheldon's influential Christian conservative group took their complaint to the government's top levels — "so they could reach down and work their system and cleanse in a proper manner and make it fair and balanced," he said.

Sheldon would like film of some conservative marches intercut in as well, though it is unclear that any major conservative marches have taken place at the Lincoln Memorial itself, which is the film's focus.

The National Park Service is currently reviewing the contents of the film and debating whether they should remove images that Sheldon finds inappropriate — including, for example, one visual of a protester holding a sign reading: "The Lord is my shepherd and knows I'm gay."

Some Park Service personnel resent having to edit the film.

"They felt that there was a political effort to rewrite history, to edit out gays, feminists, war protesters," said Jeffrey Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit group.

National Park Service superintendent Vicki Keys says she has no firsthand knowledge of any complaints, but she said, "I take those kinds of things into consideration in my decisions about what modifications if any need to be made to any particular exhibit."

The fight over who controls the portrayal of history is playing out all over country, from the Lincoln Memorial to the Grand Canyon.

Looks like we have some more letters and e-mails to write...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. "cleanse in a proper manner and make it fair and balanced"

Why does the phrase "ethnic cleansing" keep jumping into my head when I read those words?

[Kool Kitty]

40. It keeps jumping into your head

(and mine) because that is exactly what he's talking about. These are truly scary times.

[jhain]

62. huge red flag

at this point the phrase "Fair and Balanced" is the ultimate red flag.
gag me.
Puh, I suppose that 'gag me' is actually a literal directive now.

[chookie]

38. Um, confederate sympathizers unlikely to rally at Abe's Memorial

Hey Rednecks, leave our Abe alone!

Sheldon said (I paraphrase from memory) "The Clinton years were a nightmare to us. Since God W Bush has become president, it has been like dying and going to heaven."

If Abe isn't supposed to be the icon of emancipation of the oppressed and disenfranchised and the embrace of America (after many other nations) of Enlightenment values of equal rights -- well, what do they propose he stand for now in their reconstructed redneck history? Or do they plan to pull his statue down, once the confederate takeover is complete?

Gee, I remember that amidst all that durned peace and prosperity there were witch hunts against the Clintons, but don't recall any witchhunts against Christians, you know, Roman Coliseum feeding Christians to lions kinda thing -- though they are so hepped up about it, you'd think it was something that bad. I recall something about letting gay men and women strap on an M16 and fight for their country; resisted like the crazy idea of letting blacks serve, decades ago....

Imagine -- all these self-declared straight hetero guys, and their worst nightmare is that a gay guy might wink at them? Do these fat stupid rednecks flatter themselves or what -- to think they might be found desirable by gaymen, or even straight women for that matter? Oh yeah -- i forgot -- we've gone "faith-based" and just "believing" your pot-bellied porkbutt are hot "fag bait" who will be inevitably kidnapped into some kind of liberal Greenwich Village Abu Ghraib scene and preached at day and night to give up heartland family values -- AW COME ON REDNECKS!!

[intheflow]

41. Not at Abe's Memorial. Rednecks protest at the Southern Poverty Law Ctr.

Included with this article are photographs of a lovely teenage girls running gleefully with confederate flags. Horrible, ugly image.

http://www.sclos.org/splc-1.htm
(On the South Carolina League of the South website)

Hate group protests Center at Civil Rights Memorial

Oct. 25, 2004 | MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- About 50 demonstrators, in town for a national meeting of the League of the South, lined up last week here in front of the Civil Rights Memorial to protest the Southern Poverty Law Center. Its office is directly across the street from the Memorial.

Men, women and children brandished Confederate and southern state flags and held up signs denouncing the Center and its founder Morris Dees. One man held placards in each hand, one declaring "The SPLC is a hate group" and the other "Morris Dees is a scalawag."

(snip)
(more)

[KT2000]

45. Oh no - that is awful

this is what this idiot has unleashed in this country. Nuts of every stripe - now america hates those who are childless by choice; co-habitating;
now it is the american way to be bigots?

we are in so much trouble

[tk2kewl]

4. are there som klan marches on the mall they want included?

:shrug:

[Divernan]

9. What about that group of about 6 freepers w/misspelled signs?

I think that was in the area of the Washington Mall.

[tk2kewl]

11. that would be perfect

show a handful of hateful people shouting obsenities at peaceful protesters

[eowyn_of_rohan]

58. Actually, they should probably be included too.

For historical accuracy

[Reverend_Smitty]

5. wow thats about the dumbest thing I've ever heard...

right, the grand canyon is only 6 thousand years old

[Lefta Dissenter]

8. and I didn't realize that

Noah built his ark in the Western United States :shrug:

[question everything]

24. It fits with the image of a blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin Jesus

who, if existed, was a Semite born in the Middle East.

[eleonora]

6. What a bunch of supreme idiots.......!!!

Man, I hate those people. They make me hate their god too, because he sure isn't MINE.

[GainesT1958]

23. Please don't hate God...

For a bunch of damned fools who blaspheme His name merely by getting up in the morning!:mad:

This guy belongs in the same "melting pot" with Bob Jones III, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson--a nice boiling HOT melting pot, that is!:eyes:

B-)

[WindRavenX]

7. I seriously loathe these asshats

I can't much more of this x(

[napi21]

10. Are they trying to change history here?

I think if there were marches against gay rights and abortion, they should be included too, but just because you don't like what happened in history doesn't make it go away.

As to the flood and Noah...isn't Mt. Ararat in Eastern Turkey? Wouldn't it be really difficult for a flood there to have an effect somewhere in the US?

I guess, next, Bethlehem is actually going to be somewhere in.....hmmmm....NC, Utah, Alabama, or hmmm. Georgia?

[genieroze]

14. Remember what these nuts say

George Bush will be looked at fondly in the future. Sure he will after they rewrite the history books. People this stuff is getting serious now. Enough is enough.

[question everything]

25. Isn't Bethlehem in PA ;-) nt

[napi21]

35. Haaa, Yes it is. So was Bethlehem Steel at one time.

I lived in Pa afor many years, and I never remember anyone from Bethlehem claiming it was the birthplace of Jesus though.

[Mokito]

44. Yup

And did you know that New York was actually build around the stable where baby Jesus was born. I kid you not.

:eyes::shrug::eyes:

[jhain]

64. It's in PA n/t

[Richard D]

12. Can somone hold my hand . . .

. . . while I scream.

[drhilarius]

13. The Grand Canyon IS 6000 years old...

God created it so the angels could have a good, trough style urinal to use after jeebus threw one of his wine and crackers parties.

[salin]

54. while this isn't yet as extreme as the below example

at the time people wondered at the mentality behind the blasting up of the historic giant buddhas at Bamiyan in Afghanistan...

In that case the radicalized religious fanatics had complete control and were drunk with their self-righteous arrogance...

So could these be the first baby-steps in that direction?

[PassingFair]

90. I'm pushing to get my book sold next to the fundie book...

"The Grand Canyon: A Psychotic's Explanation" is my working title.

[NVMojo]

15. ...and the whack jobs keep rolling along!!!

I thought we were going after religious zealots after 9-11? How come religious zealots are running our government now?

[mcscajun]

67. Because you become what you oppose...

...when you don't take care how you oppose it.

:::sigh:::

Can I pull the covers over my head now?

[drscm]

16. Thank God they are not concerned about poverty, the unemployed

or the underemployed, illegal and immoral wars, the environment, world hunger, racism, sexism, ethnic cleansing, corporate corruption, economic or social justice...

Keep your eye on everyone elses genitals and a sick interpretation of scripture and all the world's problems will be solved.

[XemaSab]

85. Oh, they're concerned all right....

Concerned that poverty, unemployment, et al aren't increasing FAST ENOUGH, concerned that racism and sexism are losing favor in some circles, etc....

[0007]

17. The repukes are like yapping coyotes after the election.

[Zorra]

19. Elvis created the Grand Canyon, and I want my book there too! n/t

[BlueJazz]

20. Some of you might find this interesting.

a while back I saw a show (I think Discovery) where the show had on a team of engineers and scientists. They were examining the story of Noah.
I won't bore you with the details but it was figured out that a Wooden Ship only Half the size of Noah's Ark could not be built and used today, even with the vast technical knowledge that we have.
It would collapse easily by it's sheer weight.

One engineer said "Noah's ark is for children but not for serious adults"

[George_S]

21. And as Mark Twain asked...

Why did God insist Noah include mosquitoes with malaria?

And why chimps?

[genieroze]

28. And why chimps?

So we could have the Scopes Monkey Trial.

[delete_bush]

31. and a 43rd President...

[jobycom]

22. Looks like 230 years may have been about all the nation could handle

America is one of those hubris tales where our own success has led to fat, stupid, superstitious people taking over ideals and principles they can't understand. The American experiment seems just about played out. We are becoming what we were formed to oppose-- a religious theocracy full of stale ideas and mediocre minds.

RIP America, it was a good ride.

Feeling defeatist today. This story did not restore my faith.

[Dogmudgeon]

26. Fat people are now bad. Read all about it.

For instance, Fred "God Hates Fags" Phelps ia a major diet-and-exercise freak.

Ironic, isn't it, that posts decrying bigotry usually include it.

--p!

[jobycom]

33. O for the luv a mike

I ain't that skinny! Fat is a state of over-indulgence, not a body size.

Why didn't youu defend lazy people? Are you too bigotted to defend lazy people? It was okay that I cut down stupid and lazy people, but fat got your goat? Geeze.

[Dogmudgeon]

39. You're w-a-y off on that

Fat isn't a state of over-indulgence except for a small number of the fat people -- and that isn't usually a matter of indulgence, but using food as a folk cure for being anxious, depressed, whatever. Being fat is no more a moral deficiency than being diabetic, epileptic, or having cancer -- and yes, each of those three disorders has also been explained as moral laxity.

The only things keeping people from becoming fat in poorer countries is either expensive food, or a reliance on physical labor. Once those obstacles go away, overweight results.

In addition, many of the products of food processing, farming, and cost-cutting food substitutions directly cause overweight. Many of them, especially the pseudoestrogens, also cause sexual disorders, cancer, and birth defects, as well as obesity. Hydrogenated soybean oil is probably the most common source of these chemicals.

As I've said before, read the literature (the current scientific work on the subject), and you'll have a vastly different take on things.

Angry moralistic reactions -- "that's rationalizing!" -- are common among Fundamentalists. And many Americans have a Fundamentalist-level of disdain for overweight people. I've never met so many people who would get so angry over the subject as people who claim to have the public's health in mind.

Actually, I'm not a big fan of moralizing over the flaws of other people in general, whether it's about weight, smoking, being sexually "different", or any other perceived weakness. It puts the moralizer in the position of proclaiming his/her superiority. All's fair picking on the powerful, but most of us are not powerful.

Why does it get my goat? Because you can't use the word ****** or ********** or **** (here it will get your post pulled), but you can substitute abuse of fat people. Anywhere. And if you challenge that, you get the angry "public health" lecture.

The idiotic habit of calling people "whitebread" and bitching out about "white hetero males" is also offensive.

Too many people use these terms without thinking about them, then complain loudly about "Political Correctness", as if they were the victims of a political crackdown, instead of having to take responsibility for their ignorant remarks.

It's simple. The Republicans, Conservatives, and "Christians" let the moralistic anger fester in them, and have become a civil and political blight. No way will I let this happen to "my tribe" without speaking up about it.

And if you're taking it personally, don't. I've done more boneheaded things than I care to admit to. But I've also taken many more angry lectures than I can keep quiet about.

--p!

[Occulus]

43. Did you ever think maybe it was fat of the mind?

Having a fat mind is bad. Your body can be as heavy or light as you like, but if you have a fat mind, you can be dangerous to everyone.

These people have fat minds. They don't exercise their logic, reason, free will, or their very human capacity for compassion, sincere forgiveness, and love for others.

Their fat minds convince them they are doing things right and living a good Christian life. If they ever bothered to think about what they say and do to others unlike them, they'd be shamed, and their fat minds won't allow that.

Fat people aren't a threat. Fat minds are.

[Dogmudgeon]

47. Fat minds?

Is having a "Fat Mind" anything like having a "Black Mind" (e.g., Uncle Tom) or a "Jewish Mind" (e.g., Shylock, Jud Süss)? Is it at all like using "Chick Logic"?

And let's not forget all the "Bitch Slapping" that gets written about around these parts. Listen to any 16-year-old, too, and you'll hear about how everything they don't like is "Gay". "Lame" is the collegiate version, especially when it comes to music. Music, I suppose, must be able to walk, run, and "kick ass", which handicapped people -- or "lamers" -- can't do.

It's similar to the "Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin" trope so beloved by Fundamentalists of all creeds.

Look, I really don't want to over-demonize the practice, or jobycom, or you, but it's nearly universal, and no one seems to think anything of it. It's one of those foibles that we liberals are guilty of more than conservatives. It's a form of totemistic thinking, and when so much rage gets attached to it, it's far from a Good Thing.

Around here, as soon as somebody wants to write a rant, the first adjective they turn to is "Fat". Not "Narrow". Not "Petty". No, the word we revolutionaires prefer is "Fat". And we use it with all the venom we deny to the older expletives.

Your wrote, "(i)f they ever bothered to think about what they say and do ..." which is exactly my point. It's not about being pecksniffian about the trifles, it's about overlooking major biases in our attitudes and language, and the casual abuse of new, improved out-groups.

A clever turn of phrase will often refer to a particular group, but when used sparingly and without hatred, it's just a turn of phrase. Our use of colorful phrases about fat people are overwhelmingly hostile. And when the word "fat" is almost always spoken in the context of expressing contempt and rage, yes, everybody, fat and skinny alike, should not ignore the chill and the shudder.

--p!

[mcscajun]

68. Thanks, Pigwidgeon!

I've been seeing this "fat, stupid" stuff on posts all over here...and you're right. And you put it very very well, indeed in all the posts here.

Folks...Fat isn't evil. Fat isn't bad. Fat isn't an issue. We're not any less intelligent that you are (hell, in some cases we might be more). We're not automatically lazy, or sloppy, or ugly just because we're fat. We might be all or none of those things.

And there are plenty of Fat Liberal Democrats here willing to fight along side you skinnies. They might not be as vocal as Pigwidgeon, but believe me, they get just as hurt every time they see that "fat, stupid" stuff in posts on DU. Just for the record, we fight our own battles with our weight each in our own way, and we don't need to fight more of 'em here.

So stuff the prejudice and hostility and intolerance...in short: stop acting like the repukes.

[jobycom]

72. You'd do it for Randolph Scott!!

This has nothing to do with what I said, and little to do with the post it responded to. You're battling a windmill.

[GreenArrow]

75. so I guess we shouldn't use the term "narrow mind" either

since it could be offensive to thin people? And I guess "slim pickins" and "slim chance" should be out as well...

[Dogmudgeon]

76. One More Time

Here's what I wrote, with the pertinent parts in bold:

You wrote, "(i)f they ever bothered to think about what they say and do ..." which is exactly my point. It's not about being pecksniffian about the trifles, it's about overlooking major biases in our attitudes and language, and the casual abuse of new, improved out-groups.

A clever turn of phrase will often refer to a particular group, but when used sparingly and without hatred, it's just a turn of phrase. Our use of colorful phrases about fat people are overwhelmingly hostile. And when the word "fat" is almost always spoken in the context of expressing contempt and rage, yes, everybody, fat and skinny alike, should not ignore the chill and the shudder.

And here's the original unvarnished chunk of rant:

...fat, stupid, superstitious people...

--p!

[TheWraith]

82. Excuse me,

But you're completely fabricating a meaning to try and bolster your point. The common noun usage of 'lamer' has nothing whatsoever to do with handicapped people. The word lamer is used to describe someone who is clueless, willfully ignorant, immature, arrogant, obnoxious, self-aggrandizing, or possessing of other negative personality traits. As a term that found its vogue on the internet--where no one knows if you have legs or not, and frankly they don't care as long as you can input text one way or another--it has nothing to do with being handicapped.

Besides that, I think that you're overestimating the use of the word fat. It's used more in your post than I have seen in the last fifty or so messages that I've read on DU, and I've certainly never seen anyone turn to 'fat' as a first choice for a negative word. I think you're being oversensitive. Given how bad out opposition is, the last thing we need is to tear each other apart looking for ways in which we might accuse them of bigotry. I could exploit the same logic you used to accuse you of being intolerant towards the free speech rights of others. So why don't we cool it, and try dealing with the actual living fascists, eh?

[jobycom]

70. You completely ignored what I said. nt.

[Dogmudgeon]

81. One more time -- and Randolph Scott can shift for himself

Here's your complete post, which I read in as much detail as it contained (bold and italic are mine):

America is one of those hubris tales where our own success has led to fat, stupid, superstitious people taking over ideals and principles they can't understand. The American experiment seems just about played out. We are becoming what we were formed to oppose-- a religious theocracy full of stale ideas and mediocre minds.

RIP America, it was a good ride.

Feeling defeatist today. This story did not restore my faith.

And here's my own main point (new italics noted):

Too many people use these terms without thinking about them, then complain loudly about "Political Correctness", as if they were the victims of a political crackdown ...

It's simple. The Republicans, Conservatives, and "Christians" let the moralistic anger fester in them, and have become a civil and political blight. No way will I let this happen to "my tribe" without speaking up about it.

What we do by disparaging fat people is what the Radical Right does in its own shopping list of hatred.

The Fundamentalist "Christians" are angry because "Libbruls," gays, lesbians, evolutionists, secularists, judges and lawyers who aren't part of the Federalist Society, and Hollywood are "out of step with the Mainstream" and because they/we "hate God and America". You are angry because of "...fat, stupid, superstitious people taking over ideals and principles they can't understand."

In other words, immorality and/or illiberalism is caused by some group of people who just happen to be the target of contempt. The real culprits, as always, escape unidentified, unscathed, and refreshed.

I'm not fishing for a grand apology or submission here. I've been guilty of this error many times myself. I'll be happy if you -- indeed, if every one of us -- simply give some thought to how this "infection" has gotten under our own skins.

--p!

[PlanetBev]

27. Jobycom, you nailed it to the wall

Hubris is right. Kill native Americans, enslave Black people, grab a few states from the Mexicans, start a few coups in other countries and appropriate other countries natural resources. While your at it, provide a lousy educational system that does not bother to teach civics and government and keep the people satiated with fast food and "Fear Factor". Voila! You've got yourself a nation of cretins.

[Occulus]

42. Remember: this is WHY the 2nd Amendment exists.

So we cannot be taken over by a religion, or another nation. Our Founders gave us that for a reason.

I advocate NOTHING except the preservation and exercise of our Constitutional rights by making that statement.

[XemaSab]

86. The 2nd amendment exists...

...so the people can fight (not metaphorically... really fight, with guns, in the streets) againt a takeover of the government by fascists willing to deploy the military against the citizenry.

Tanks in LA, anyone?

[Javaman]

78. All gov't is theory and America was only an experiment.

One thing that Democracy has shown to be true, that with enough money and power you can corrupt even the faithful, but at the same time sell it as it being something good for you. That you can't live without it.
Sometime in a few thousand years, some person will rediscover the Constitution and remark how, were either stupidly naive or we were hopeful genius's.
Either way, we will be long gone and humanity will have moved on to something different.
The Constitution: the Rosetta stone of future Governments.

[The Stranger]

84. If any post other has more accurately reflected by thoughts and feelings,

I certainly cannot remember it.

[gumby]

29. The Victors write The History

The wing-nuts have had their revisionism already printed and implanted in their progeny for many, many years.

Now, with Dear Leader Bush, they're set to go.

It's here, it's now, and not only are they gonna keep you pregnant, they're gonna change your history. Dear Leader has already changed 'science.' His Reign will live forever in history, amen.

[PartyPooper]

30. I was at the El Tovar, Grand Canyon a few weeks ago.

And, I didn't see that stoopid book anywhere in all of the gift shops I visited!

:bounce:

[jobycom]

34. Well, thank god!

Love El Tovar.

Last time I hiked to the bottom of the Canyon, I didn't see no arks, either.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Autobot77]

36. "showed only those liberal, pro-abortion, pro-homosexual marches"

So what does this idiot expect them to include? Anti-Abortion zeolots bombing abortion clinics? The KKK? Protesters with signs saying "God Hates Fags?" Almost all those moments in our history like Civil Rights, Anti-War demonstrations, Labor, etc. were fought tooth and nail by conservatives. All this idiot wants is pro-repuke propoganda.

[question everything]

95. I think that he is just trying to see how far he can flex his muscles

All the fundies are now standing in line to demand that Bush follows their dictate. Apparently they do not realize that this is his last term, he does not need them anymore.

[FubarFly]

37. So did Noah discover America?

I am going to write a book called "Grand Canyon: A Different Different View." And it's going to be chock filled with aliens, leprechauns, and reindeer. And it's going to star Santa Claus except that he's going to look a lot like Dennis Hopper for some reason. The subtitle to the book will be called: "Alien vs. Kringle: The Christmas that almost never was." I'm going to demand that they put it in their bookstore. And I'm going to get all of my friends to do same. And if enough people demand it, by golly I bet we can finally educate the bejebus out of people, and show those poor misguided park rangers what's what.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

46. when he was letting the dinosaurs out of the ark

did you ever wonder why the american southwest has so many fossils? that's why dinosaur national park is located there, you heathen!

[FubarFly]

48. No, no. no

They are not fossils, they are alien bones.

The grand canyon was formed by a massive explosion. It was part of Santa Claus's final solution to defeat the aliens and um, save Christmas.

Like there were actually dinosaurs. Sheesh.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

50. perhaps you are right

after all they already made a movie on it


i think we should also rename devil's tower, the badlands, and death valley while we're at it

those name's are jsut too evil!

[Blue Gardener]

51. I want that book

Sounds like an interesting read.

[bling bling]

49. The parasites are just crawling out of the woodwork.

They hate science. They hate people who aren't clones of themselves. They hate everything about America. I can't believe these freaks are empowered. :mad:

[Blue Gardener]

52. Yet another reason for the rest of the world to laugh at us

No tourists are going to want to visit our national parks or monuments if they are going to be subjected to this crap.

[ze_dscherman]

53. Who controls the past controls the future; ...

.. who controls the present controls the past."

George Orwell, 1984

[Triana]

55. I think we should all pitch in to send Rev Sheldon some CHEESE...

...to go with his WHINE.

Preferably some really stinky, moldy cheese and a lot of it. Maybe include a case of condoms, too. Cheese-filled condoms, maybe. Heh.

Idiots. The AmeriKKKan Taliban strikes again!

[democracy eh]

56. the 21st Century - the new age of Unreason

500 years of progress down the drain in 1 flush..

[GoldenOldie]

59. Give these clowns a stone tablet and a chisel

Then they can re-write history any way they want.

Talk about education within our schools I wonder how many of these individuals are home schooling and how many of their kids are being educated by the diploma-mill home ministry.......$5.00 down and $5.00/per wk, Jesus will send a personal authographed diploma.

[snippy]

60. This is what happens when people vote republican. n/t

[nonconformist]

61. Ah, the good ol' Divided Theocracy of America

Be afriad, be very afraid.

[sniffa]

63. science sucks

science is Like a bLabbermouth who ruins the end of a movie. weLL, i say there are things we don't wanna know; important things!

[JohnOneillsMemory]

65. The Dominionist 'Mandate': eliminate science, the US Constitution.

"Freedom is the freedom to say that
two plus two equals four.
If that is granted,all else follows."

-George Orwell 1984

[machiado]

66. Dominionists

This type of thing is going to be happening more and more frequently. Yesterday, I learned of a web-site called Yurica Report, in which Katherine Yurica has written extensively on the "Dominionist" movement. The Dominionists are the radical Christian right and for 30-40 years they have carefully planned, and executed, strategies to infiltrate our government and transform our culture. This is some really scary stuff!

http://www.yuricareport.com/

Here is a snippet from one of Yuricas articles:
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheSwiftAdvanceOfaPlannedCoup.htm

Americans and the main-stream media have been very slow in catching on to the fact that we are in a war—a war that is cultural, religious and political. One document not mentioned in The Despoiling of America is the closeted manual that reveals how the right wing in American politics can get and keep power. It was created under the tutelage of Paul Weyrich, the man who founded the Free Congress Foundation. Conservative leaders consider Weyrich to be the “most powerful man in American politics today.” There is no question of his immense influence in conservative circles. He is also considered the founder of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank made possible with funding from Joseph Coors and Richard Mellon-Scaife. Weyrich served as the Founding President from 1973-1974.

To get a sense of how revolutionary the political fight for power in the U.S. is, we need to look at a few quotes from what has been dubbed, “Paul Weyrich’s Teaching Manual,” the Free Congress Foundation’s strategic plan on how to gain control of the government of the U.S. Written by Eric Heubeck, and titled, “The Integration of Theory and Practice: A Program for the New Traditionalist Movement,” the document is no longer available at the Free Congress Foundation’s website for obvious reasons. But excerpts are published at the Yurica Report. The excerpts explain why the Dominionists are winning; the tactics they endorse are sheer Machiavellian:

I have paraphrased the four immoral principles of the Dominionist movement as the following:

1) Falsehoods are not only acceptable, they are a necessity. The corollary is: The masses will accept any lie if it is spoken with vigor, energy and dedication.

2) It is necessary to be cast under the cloak of “goodness” whereas all opponents and their ideas must be cast as “evil.”

3) Complete destruction of every opponent must be accomplished through unrelenting personal attacks.

4) The creation of the appearance of overwhelming power and brutality is necessary in order to destroy the will of opponents to launch opposition of any kind.


http://web.archive.org/web/20031219194917/http://www.freecongress.org/centers/cc/new_tradiitionalist.asp

[Catt03]

89. Some people care enough to do something about it

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/23/international/europe/23CND-UKRA.html?hp&ex=1101272400&en=824922d4036ac304&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[apple_ridge]

71. The age of reason has

been burned at the stake.

[arwalden]

73. They Are ALL IDIOTS!! Fundamental Christian Idiots!!!

[Politicub]

74. Read The Handmaid's Tale

Do it now if you haven't already. It tells of the logical conclusion of the coming theocracy in the US.

The writing is on the wall. These people are led by superstition and fear. They are devoid of hope and get pleasure from raping the earth. Things are bound to get worse if left unchecked.

[gizmo1979]

77. someone please

please shoot me I can't take 4 more years of these FREAKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maine-ah]

79. EH?

:wtf:

[d_b]

83. What's next?

[Hotdiggitydog]

87. You know what????

If they want to sell a book at the Grand Canyon bookstore that says the canyon was formed by the "Noah Flood", let them. Only idiots would buy the book and the revenue would help sustain the park. I'll consider it a tax on stupid people.

The park won't stop selling the books describing the plate techtonic uplifting process that took several million years to form the canyon. I'll be able to buy that book when I visit the park, so who gives a crap. Let the idiots waste their money.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

88. If it's erased from the tape, it never happened....

Books will be next (once these Neanderthals learn how to read).

[Ellen Forradalom]

91. The film needs to show the Freepers' porta-potties

at their sparsely attended marches!

[GRLMGC]

92. God, this perceived "power" that they

think they have is getting out of control. I can't go a day w/o hearing about these fundamentalists demanding or complaining about something!

[stepnw1f]

93. Child-Like Antics for Attention?

"I want it my way." "God told me, so don't get mad at me."

[MnFats]

94. drunk with power, these people feel emboldened.....

by the election 'result.'
though they're delusional, they have concluded this is the time to make their move....the next two years of dubya's second term is their time to remold the whole country and every aspect of culture to suit their narrow religious beliefs...

Shelton, Robertson, Falwell and Dobson are the new pharisees...falling over each other to prove they're most holy.

Perhaps the most obvious example was James Dobson, the 'focus on the family' nut, and the interview with Stephanapolous....

he declares that Sen. Pat Leahy 'hates god's people.' Can't say for sure that he hates god, but he surely hates god's people, Dobson says with this leering grin.

pretty strong stuff, Stephanapolous declares. perhaps an apology is appropriate?

no way, dobson says.

seems like a christian thing to do, stephanapolous suggests.

Dobson scoffs, audibly. A big guffaw. "You're going to lecture ME on who's a Christian?" Dobson almost shouts.


that was a scarey moment to me.

If Jesus turned up today, they'd crucify him all over again and be utterly convinced they were following god's will.

[ally_sc]

97. This is a prime example of how someone else's religion...

Is going to affect your life and constantly be in your face. The park was depicting historical events on the record. For anyone to interfere with that...It just goes to show you already the church is becoming enmeshed with the state slowly but surely.