"Christian Activist" to "risk arrest", says we are hypocrites for condemning Myanmar...

[Bluebear]

Good gravy, co-opting a human rights tragedy in which peaceful people are being slaughtered and comparing it to his being "threatened" for holding his little sign, DISGRACEFUL.


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Contact: Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Christian Defense Coalition, 202-547-1735, 540-538-4741 cell

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney will hold a sign with the full text of the First Amendment on a public sidewalk in front of St. Matthew's Cathedral during the annual celebration of the Red Mass, on Sunday September 30, before the opening of the Supreme Court's new session on Monday.

Minister says it is hypocritical for our government to condemn the leaders of Myanmar for crushing free speech and human rights in that country, while threatening to arrest a minister for peacefully and prayerfully holding a sign on a public sidewalk in America.

The Red Mass requests guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice, especially by members of the Supreme Court and other public officials.

Rev. Mahoney will be in front of the Cathedral at 8:30 A.M. with the Red Mass beginning at 10:00 A.M.

http://www.earnedmedia.org/cdc0929.htm

[Richard Steele]

1. Jesus told me to cock-punch that ignorant little fucktard until he pukes up a kidney.

Just sayin'.

[Heidi]

2. If he cares so much about justice, why isn't he attending the Red Mass

instead of goin' all "Look at meeeeeeeeeee! Look at meeeeeeeeeeee!" out on the sidewalk in front of it?

[KharmaTrain]

3. It's The Flavor Of The Moment

So Myamar is a repressive society? Knock me over with a feather. I recall a similar uprising in the late 80's/early 90's which was as brutal as what we're seeing...there was the usual media "outrage" until something else came along. We didn't hear/see much since. I suspect if this uprising is repressed, the same thing will happen again. Then the veil of secrecy will decend on this poor country and it'll be out of sight, out of mind.

Unfortunately there's precious little this country has done in regards to the human and civil rights in this country and considering the repressive regime we have in place right now, the U.S. is in no position to tell others about such issues until we clean up our own mess.

[Bluebear]

4. Whatever. I see photos of people being gunned down there now, and this "reverend"...

...comparing his "persecution" to that situation is beyond decent.

[KharmaTrain]

5. Sadly Others Project Their Plight By Using Others

I hear fundies complain they're "persecuted" in this country...it makes me sick. They attempt to site the problems of other societies and claim them for their own...yet are intolerant of others beliefs. Or they'll use someone elses tragedies and attempt to justify them as "god's will".

Now would that reverend be so upset if he saw a picture of people gunned down in front of a mosque vs. someone getting harassed for trying to "spread the word" in these countries...ya know which one gets the bigger outrage.

[rpannier]

7. Let us not forget how fundies in the US compared their plight to the one Christians face in N. Korea

In North Korea Christians (and other religious people) are sent to "Detention Centers" (Gulags), Executed in public (often in the most barbaric ways the government can come up with) as a means of scaring the population into supporting the one true 'God' (Gim Jeong-il -- Although Jeong-il likes to be referred to as "The General"), family members of Christians can also receive the same punishments from the government as well.

Now, I haven't lived in the US for over a decade, but I travel there once a year and I haven't seen anything like that -- Am I missing it?

These 'Christians' disgust me because they try and latch on to someone's REAL misery and equate it with their own.

[TheMadMonk]

6. The bloke may indeed be an arsehole.

My direct experience with RC priests is one scare them straight softy in PS. A pragmatist handing out condoms at a Venturer Bash, one abuser from same bash ('82 Venture, Australia) and an embezzler. And the stories are alway fun except where they are tragic.

He is right however in his statement: It is hypocritical to condemn Myanmar for it's practices, whilst carrying out exactly the same practices at home.

Method of suppression notwithstanding, suppression remains suppression and should not be permitted. And that remains true whether the party being inappropriately suppressed is a frothing at the mouth skin headed neo-Nazi or a Buddhist monk.

[cali]

8. Method of suppression nothwithstanding?

But is does matter. He's not right nor are you. are people proclaiming loudly in every medium they can think of, that it's just as bad here. It's not. I've gone to D.C. and marched in the streets without being harassed let alone shot. Yes, they're have been encroachments on the first amendment and they must be corrected, but it's just fundamentally wrong to compare the two.

The OP is spot on.

[spoony]

10. Hypocrisy doesn't require equality of offence

For anyone in this administration, actively shredding the Bill of Rights, to condemn other governments for rights abuses rings a bit hollow. Of course that isn't to compare the severity of the two, but just the inconsistency.

[cali]

11. I do agree on that.

this administration hasn't a square millimeter of high ground upon which to stand.

[TheMadMonk]

12. Exactly. Method of suppression notwithstanding.

Ever read Terry Pratchett's book "Interesting Times". There's a concept in it that resonates in America today (though fortunately less so than for a while there). As it resonated in Nazi Germany, and in so many other places where freedom took a holiday.

"They have something worse than whips." "They have obedience."

"Shut up or else!" is unacceptable whether the "or else" is a main battle tank or a wasted afternoon, because you were a little slow obeying a simple but illegal request to "move along". Why? Because all too often, what starts with polite "requests" to conform, ends with those tanks and sick jokes about hand brakes.

[rpannier]

9. I read the whole article

And if true then I do wish to add something in this guys defense.

He said he was told by police, at a previous incident where he was holding up the Ten Commandments on a sidewalk, that he could stand there all he wanted, but if he held up the copy of the Ten Commandments he'd be removed.

I find that disconcerting. Because if it's true (and oddly enough, I believe it is) then that's just plain wrong and dangerous.
It doesn't take a government long to make the next logical jump to outlawing a sign supporting some cause I believe in being unacceptable to hold up on a sidewalk.

[hedgehog]

13. Can anyone tell me why he was arrested? nt