Florida Baptist Witness editor: "We aren't electing saints here! All of us have fallen!"

[Bluebear]

All of a frigging sudden.


======

.....Note to readers: bookmark this post; you will want to refer to the following mind-blowing quotes from this article time to time.

First up, Jim Smith, editor of the Jacksonville-based Florida Baptist Witness:

"If someone's walk doesn't match their talk, of course it's relevant. But a politician's conduct "also has to be evaluated in light of other considerations, and we aren't electing saints here," Smith said. "All of us are fallen and subject to sin. We're not looking for perfection. But we do want integrity."

They accuse the left of moral relativism and hair-splitting? On to Father Tony Palazzolo, priest and pastoral consultant at the Diocese of St. Augustine:

"Is it a one-time indiscretion, or a pattern? Was there an apology? Repentance? It seems to me your religious values determine how you make a decision about right or wrong and good and bad, and if you're willing to compromise those values in your private life, it seems the same thing would hold true for a person's public life."

How about this, from John Stemberger, of the Florida Family Policy Council Inc. (he's working to pass a same-sex marriage ban amendment in the Sunshine State). The article notes that he suggests a "sliding scale" when evaluating a politician's fall from grace.


"If I'm going to hire a plumber, their primary job is to do it right, and I'm not too concerned with their character and moral life. When does it become relevant? To be a lawmaker and then a lawbreaker means there has been a violation of trust. Character does matter."

Oh, so it only matters if you're caught breaking the law. What this is really about is going back to the good old days where "forbidden immoral acts" occurred on the DL on Saturday night, and you turned up in church in your Sunday best the next day -- and no one knows you broke your marital vows by blowing that guy in that highway rest stop, potentially exposing your spouse to STDs. That's correct "Christian" behavior.

My personal favorite comes from Ralph Reed, the former executive director of the Christian Coalition, associate of Jack Abramoff, and frequent talking head when the MSM wants a rep from the far right:

Let's be clear what voters of faith are saying. They're not saying that every single politician who professes a conservative viewpoint should live up to that standard. It's really the opposite. None of us are perfect, and we all fall short of God's grace. A lot of times that gets lost when someone's failing becomes politicized."

Yes, working to elect people to deny tax-paying, law-abiding LGBT citizens civil rights while those self-loathing pols cruise for gay sex makes perfect sense.

One frustrated Florida pol wants more reasonable standards for hypocrites. Republican State Senator Jim King of Jacksonville has been fighting off rumors that he was frequenting t*tty bars.

"I live a pretty good Christian life, but in the eyes of some people I'm being disrespectful because sometimes I like to drink wine with dinner. That's frustrating. Elected officials are expected to live a totally different life than their neighbors."

Stay out of our wombs and bedrooms and then we'll stop talking about the moral hypocrites when the stories hit the front pages.

http://www.americablog.com/

by Pam Spaulding/Americablog

[lligrd]

1. Not In A Public Bathroom Though! LOL nt

[mcctatas]

2. my fundie in laws have a bumper sticker that say's...

"Not Perfect, Just Forgiven". I think that pretty much sums up the fundie attitude, as long as your in the club, the rules don't apply to you. Sickening hypocritical bullshit:grr:

[Bluebear]

4. "as long as you're in the club, the rules don't apply to you."

YOU SAID IT.

[liberation]

6. I dated a girl with fundie parents...

It was a constant strain because they felt it was their moral obligation to convert my ass. I was clear, I respect their belief, they should respect mine.

I don't know how it came to be, but there was some sort of discussion -probably pertaining Clinton, which was their only worry in the world back then it seems-. The conversation developed and they made the same point as your in laws: they were not perfect, but "perfect" enough to be Christian and ask to be forgiven. The felt that made them superior morally somehow, it seems that once you have the fundie Christian card you are always right no matter what.

I thought that was mighty hypocritical of them, so I said... "well, let me try: you are a bunch of stupid gits!" and then I asked for their forgiveness. Instead, they showed me the door and asked me to stop dating their daughter in a not very polite manner. I thanked them for proving my point, and remind them then I was in my house so they were free to go (their daughter had moved in with me, I was the one paying rent and they were my guests)

Sadly we had to break up a few months later, the poor girl went on to marry and divorce, a fine Christian man who cheated the shit out of her... but I am sure he asked for forgiveness after each extra marital affair.

[ingac70]

8. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[calimary]

10. Welcome to DU! Interesting story but not terribly surprising.

These folks sure harangued and gnashed their teeth and rent their garments about "situational ethics" when Clinton was the whipping boy du jour. But now that it rebounds on one of their own, oh - well, that's different. I guess it's just that THEY'RE allowed this kind of bullshit and we're not.

I think this "I'm forgiven" stuff is nothing but a cop-out. You're not forgiven so you can just keep going out and acting like an asshole, justifying that by saying - "I'm FORGIVEN!" as though it was some free pass to the express elevator. That is not the point. You're forgiven in an act of humility with a sense of contrition and acknowledgment of your transgressions and a resolve to be better, not to take the free pass and run amok with it. Where I come from (Roman Catholicism), the whole point after you got absolution or reaffirmed being forgiven by The Lord was to "go thou and sin no more" - NOT to "go thou and keep on screwing up because it really doesn't matter, you have a get-out-of-jail-free card. I think some of these people translate that "I'm forgiven" business into "so it doesn't matter if I keep on fucking people over or stealing or lying or cheating or killing, because, hell, I'M FORGIVEN!!!" Their version involves no sense of remorse, no sense of accepting responsibility for your crappy actions, no self-realization or attempt to rectify anything and/or try to stop fucking up. It's merely a rationalized excuse to keep being a schmuck with no perceived consequences. If you're already forgiven, then whatever you did doesn't matter and, it could then be argued, is no big deal. A fine way to manage one's conscience. It means you can go ahead and screw people without guilt - because, hey! You're forgiven!

[mwb970]

14. A perfect description of a sick situation.

These people are CINOs - Christian In Name Only.

[RB TexLa]

16. They were wrong about their moral obligation

Christians have a moral obligation to evangelize, a word that has been very much distorted. To "proclaim the gospel," to the world is not a call to force conversions, and yes my church has been guilty of this. Proclaiming the gospel in action is more important and the true calling and obligation. Someone who wants to enter into a relationship with God has to do so on their own, it is our call as Christians to be a person who by our example they would willingly come to and ask about such things.

I have only had this happen once, a young man from Africa who was working with me on a habitat for humanity project. He asked if I could tell him about the Bible. I told him I could, and would answer questions as best I could, but he would do much better to read it for himself and gave him one.

[ashling]

12. as long as your in the tub the rules don't apply

the fundie hot tub .... Jesus in a Jacuuzzi: .image

[mcctatas]

18. Somehow I don't think a dunk in a jacuzzi that looks like it was

found at a fire sale from the moonlight bunny ranch would make me feel closer to God...just sayin;)

[LittleClarkie]

3. I'd like to find out what he said when it was Clinton

and not a Republican

[DeSwiss]

5. I've fallen and I can't get up!!!!

Shit. I swear these assholes should have choked as those words fell from their pieholes. They're all full of forgiveness and compassion when their own are exposed and shown not meeting the strict standards of "moral behavior" that they've been ordained by god to prescribe for everyone else.

You're right Bluebear, I bookmarking and copying this tripe. And I'll wait for the next pronoucements from the mountaintop, and throw it right back at them when they feel its safe to resume their seats upon the high horse.

Each of these assholes are the recepients of the DeSwiss "Pile of Shit Award"



- K&FuckingRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

[tabasco]

7. "also has to be evaluated in light of other considerations"

IOKIYAAR - It's okay if you are a republican.

[girl gone mad]

9. Religious hypocrites?

Stop the presses! :sarcasm:

[O.M.B.inOhio]

11. True(ish) statement. I wonder what this editor had to say about Clinton/Lewinsky.

I can't stomach GOP supporters wishing to overlook sex scandals after the Clinton impeachment. For that matter, it's unforgivable that anyone who supported the impeaching Clinton for saying something misleading about a private affair (e.g. Voinovich) would not be ardently pursuing impeachment of Bush and Cheney for their lies and crimes.

Jesus would have been in favor of forgiveness. But this GOP hypocrisy would have made his blood boil.

[malaise]

13. That's the latest talking point

for Rethugs. Remember Rethugs and their religious goons can judge Dems, but they are judged by their imaginary friend. Religion is sooooo convenient.


By the way, please ask Pat Robertson if Larry Craig was the reason for the Minnesota bridge collapse?

Sometimes I love the phrase: fuck the collective pack!

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. What remarkable examples of rationalization.

I'm so glad to be tipped off to the right-wing's "sliding scale." This is very important. It means that a Democrat can be demonized MORE for doing exactly the same indiscretion that a Republican is guilty of, because the Democrat might raise taxes for social programs. Remarkable.

[gratuitous]

17. Except Craig maintains he did nothing wrong

He was tricked, tricked I tell you, into pleading guilty on August 8 before he had a chance to talk to his lawyer about the events of June 11, who he didn't talk to at all even though on June 22, he demanded information from the Minneapolis Port Authority on behalf his the lawyer he didn't talk to, hadn't talked to, and wouldn't talk to for at least six weeks when he was tricked (did I tell you he was tricked?) into signing a guilty plea on August 8.

And he didn't tell anyone for three weeks because he's just that kind of super Christian guy that he didn't want to cause anyone else to stumble because of his sins. Which he didn't commit.

So, how does that square with the "if he repents and asks for forgiveness (and he's a Republican) the hunky will once again be dory" nonsense?