Tuesday, March 4, 2014

ANOTHER FACE PALM MOMENT

Another facepalm moment. I'm putting in a link to the HP article simply because the photo of DeLay is so priceless. He looks like a cat who just swallowed a sour mouse. 

"Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) urged Americans to realize that God “wrote the Constitution” and predicted an upcoming “awakening” during aninterview on John Hagee Ministries’ Global Evangelism Television network on Wednesday.

“I think we got off the track when we allowed our government to become a secular government,” DeLay told host Matthew Hagee, the executive pastor of the Texas Cornerstone Church. “[W]e stopped realizing that God created this nation, that he wrote the Constitution, that it’s based on biblical principles.”

DeLay, who was convicted of money laundering and conspiracy charges before a Texas appeals court overturned the conviction in 2013, said that he has been trying to lead members of the House to Bible study. He then recounted an incident in which he “sealed off the rotunda of the Capitol ... so that for three hours leaders of the House and Senate got on their knees seeking the face of God and praying.”

DeLay, aka “The Hammer,” also assured Hagee that “the Lord has heard us, I see the Holy Spirit moving,” before alluding to an upcoming “awakening.”

In October of 2013, DeLay made similar remarks in an interview with Matthew Hagee’s father, John Hagee, in which he claimed that after “a conference call with the Lord," God instructed him to write a book advocating for the urgency of a constitutional revival.

"Jesus died for our freedom," DeLay, who became a born-again Christian in 1985,said in October. "And Jesus destroyed Satan so that we could be free and that is manifested in what is called the Constitution of the United States. God created this nation and God created the Constitution; it is written on biblical principles."

The cast of characters. Matthew Hagee is the son of John Hagee, a far right wing nut who pastors an absolutely huge mega church in Texas. Great believer in allowing Israel to do pretty much what it wants so that Biblical Israel can be recreated so that the End Times can be brought about. Face palm of my own here. 

Tom Delay got booted out on his ass several years ago on corruption charges, that unfortunately were overturned. He did spend time in prison. His nickname in congress was "the hanmer." I remember a blog entry I did at the time in the form of a letter. Reminding him that as long as he was seen as useful the leadership would let him come in the front door, sit in the parlor and use the good china. But, as soon as he seen as an embarrassment he'd be out on his ear. That was then. These days being embarrassing is almost a badge of honor. 

What can I say except what to they teach in US history classes in Texas? My school district covered US History three times. Fifth, eighth and eleventh grade. Then I took it again in College. Imagine my surprise at this article. This country was founded as a secular state not a theocracy. Any other ideas are wishful thinking on his part. God did not write the constitution. Most of the founders were quite clear on the subject. They may have been praying men, but they did it on their own time and made very sure that no one religious group could gain control of the levers of government. 

I'm sure that Satan being destroyed (if said individual exists) will come as a great surprise to most church going fundies. After all Satan hiding in the bushes with the witches creating fake fossils and planning other dastardly deed to undermine their fragile faith. 

"Jesus died for our freedom." First time I've heard THAT claim. There are several atonement models that have Jesus dying for our sins. The worst is Substitutionary Atonement. Look it up if you want to be appalled. At the other end of the spectrum Jesus opposed the existing imperial power structure with the Kingdom of God.  In any case claiming that He died to support the idea of individual freedom on steroids found in the US is purely idiotic, It's a concept of freedom that didn't even exist two thousand years ago. 





1 comment:

Lisa :-] said...

Assholes like Delay can make these outlandish claims, and a population kept purposely ignorant--or fed a steady diet of the kind of crap the fundies want taught in public school--stands on the sidelines pumping their fists in the air and cheering. Those of us with brains have created this monster; for too long we were convinced that these "fringe" idiots did not have a chance to gain real power. We were so wrong, and now we are challenged to fight them off as a clear and present threat. What a mess.