Republican Family Values: Bullshit!

The Republican Party, in a rather successful attempt to convince poor and middle class Americans to vote against their self-interest, have embrace the idea of family values.  They are anti-choice (because women are made to have babies), anti-birth-control (because if the sluts want to have sex, they damn well better get pregnant (otherwise, they might do it for pleasure)), anti-sex-education (because if you teach kids the facts about how their bodies work, they might get the wild idea that they can control their own fertility), anti-pornography (because we certainly don’t want humans to think that sex might be enjoyable), anti-GLBT (because we should ignore the Levitican proscriptions about shellfish and mixed fabrics and embrace the anti-homosexual message (without, of course, cherry-picking the Bible) and anti-freedom-of-though (because rational thought is the enemy of faith). 

How Do Christians Make Decisions

Over the years, we have seen many, many, many evangelical pastors and extremely religious right wing politicos get into trouble with drugs, prostitutes (male and female (you know the GOP is in trouble when the right heaved a great sigh of relief when Sanford’s mistress was actually female)), and theft.  Keep in mind (and this is why I pick on blog about them), these are the people who consistently claim that atheists cannot be moral, that Democrats are out to destroy the family, that gay marriage will destroy marriage and that liberals are out to destroy all that is good.  Anyway, here is a flow chart I developed to help me understand just how a good Christian decides that cheating or breaking the law is okay:

Evangelical Sexualization of Pre-Teens

One of the joys of my life has been watching my babies become toddlers become preteens become teens become adults (with some (in (((Girl)))’s case) some stopoffs in ‘bitch’).  At every stage, there were difficulties, there were challenges, and there was growth.

And the toughest part about growth was trusting.  I trust myself.  I trust (((Wife))).  Trusting (((Boy))) and (((Girl))) to make the right decision when needed can be a little trying at times.  All (((Wife))) and I can could do is teach them, help them recognize what destructive decisions can do, and, most of all, understand cause and effect relationships.  It has made for a rather roller-coaster ride but, for the most part, the kids have made pretty damn good decisions.

(((Wife))) and I did not lock them up in a convent (though it was (on occasion) tempting (though I’m not sure a Unitarian convent would have had the desired effect).  We did not fill their heads with fairy tails about birth control or the risk of disease.  We did not subject (((Girl))) to a Purity Ball.

At Last, Truth in Advertising

Today, (((Wife))), (((Boy))), (((Girl))) and I went for a drive.  We meandered up the back roads of the Pocono Mountains, traveled West to Binghamton, and then down through the Endless Mountains and the Back Mountain back to Wilkes-Barre.  We managed to stay off the main roads.  It was nice.

I did, however, see a sign for a church up in Laceyville, PA.  And the name of the church brought an instant reaction from me.

A Strange Combination of Bumper Stickers

I just got back from the grocery store.  While walking across the parking lot, I almost got run over by a large SUV (no, Sarge, it probably was not the one gunning for you).  It had an odd combination of bumper stickers on the back:

Another Doctor in the Sights of Operation Rescue

On May 31st, the warnings of the Department of Homeland Security  regarding the possibility of increased activity by far-right extremist groups, including religious and nativist ones.  Dr. Tiller, one of the few doctors in the country willing to defy the repeated threats and attacks by Christian extremists and provide a necessary  procedure, was murdered by a 51-year-old zealot.  Despite repeated denials by members of Operation Rescue, many links were found between this right-wing terrorist and the Kansas leadership of OR.

I Need to go to Confession

I do, in one small way, envy Catholics.  No, not the dogma or the liturgy or heirarchy.  I envy Catholics because of the whole confession thingie.  Case in point:  I am currently watching a TV program which I should not be enjoying.  I have avoided things like American Idol, America’s Got Talent, The Bong Show, all those other celebrity-creation mind numbers.  I have avoided all of the Survivor and other reality bullshit (my personal opinion, I understand other may enjoy watching that shiesse).

Yet Another New Chick Tract

That’s right, folks — another Chick Tract.  And the best line in it?  “What can I do to save myself?”  Answer, “Nothing, Absolutely nothing!”

See it here!

Carnival of the Godless #120

I volunteered to host an edition of Carnival of the Godless.  Should be fun, right?  Entertaining, right?  Bring lots of visitors to my blog, right?  Easy, right?

Well, after I waded through three condo sales websites, one Christian Bible Studies sitewith the ever popular Psalm 14:1:  “The fool says in his heart, ”There is no God,”” followed by lots of circular reasoning, and two adult male enhancement adverts, I started to wonder about the ‘fun’ part.  Though, I admit the godbot idiocy was mildly entertaining (much the same way a train wreck, a Dallas Cowboys victory, or a Vin Diesel movie is entertaining — disgusting, but you cannot look away).  The CotG should bring some visitors, but it sure as hell was not easy.

Another Home Schooling Success Story

The North Georgia Falcons, a home-school football team, have this sign on the football field fence: