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Tea Party steeped in fringe faith
Delaware GOP Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell this weekend attended the annual conservative Values Voters summit in Washington, DC. There, she emphasized that although she is backed by the Tea Party, she is also a politician who "toiled for years in the values movement," alluding to her longtime work as a Christian activist.
What is the Tea Party? Is it "a recession-era version of the religious right?" Is it something else? And if the Tea Party is not a religious movement, why is it raising up candidates like O'Donnell who has a strong background of religious activism?
At a Tea Party Express rally in Birmingham, Ala., last November, I saw a woman with a handmade sign that said: "I'm right-wing, pro-life, pro-gun rights, anti-illegal immigration, a Christian, an Activist." The word "Christian" caught my attention.
I asked if I could interview her. She agreed. I asked her about her faith. She said she was an independent Baptist.
When I asked where she went to church, she cut her eyes at me and asked if I was with the federal government.
After assuring her that I was not a federal agent and handing her my business card, she warmed up.
As a Christian, I asked her, what did Jesus mean when he said, "give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what's God's."
"Well, I don't think that the Obama administration knows what's Jesus, what belongs to Jesus and what belongs to them. That's my big gripe. Apparently, he doesn't know. But then, that's because he's not a Christian. He's Muslim," she answered in rapid fire.
"It's a proven fact he's Muslim," she continued. "He wasn't born in this country. He was born in Kenya. There are people who know it, people who know where the birth certificate is. It's locked up and our government can't get a hold of it. He's a illegitimate president, in my estimation."
So you think the teaching of Jesus doesn't apply because Obama is a Muslim, I said.
"No. My problem with him is he wants more than what is due him. Because he looks at it as what belongs to him. Not what belongs to our country. He is not a patriot. That's because he is not an American at heart," she quickly replied.
Faith is central to her Tea Party ideology, a dynamic that surfaces repeatedly.
Sharron Angle is a darling of the Tea Party and a Southern Baptist. Nevada's Republican Senate hopeful believes God has called and equipped her to unseat Sen. Harry Reid.
Another Tea Party congressional candidate is Glen Urquhart, who was endorsed by the political action committee of the James Dobson-founded Family Research Council.
A conservative Presbyterian and Delawarean, he said the phrase "separation of church and state" was not in President Thomas Jefferson's 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association.
"The exact phrase 'separation of church and state' came out of Adolph Hitler's mouth, that's where it comes from. So the next time your liberal friends talk about the separation of church and state ask them why they're Nazis," said Urquhart.
Jefferson used the phrase "building a wall of separation between Church & State."
For these Tea Party members--and you can add Delaware GOP Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell and Sarah Palin to their ranks--faith is central, but their faith appears at the fringes of Christianity.
By
Robert Parham
|
September 21, 2010; 10:13 AM ET
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Posted by: woodstock-41 | September 27, 2010 10:31 PM
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TO: Daniel HEiMBACH {Blocker of Posts] ; On; "WHY DADT must Stay" (09.27.10):
Dear Bredren, Brother, Bright.. (Note: Huggs n a Kiss's To allk da Sistrens, Sisters, SisStars.. too):
AMAZiNG, NO GRACE! iNteresting!
A little bit of a tangent. "DADT" intent/purpose is fo Non-Straights NOt to Advertise 'openly' their Sexual Preferences or Sexual Orientations [Similar] in Military or else where, aye!?
So, Earlier on On 'onfaith' {the Greatest Blog On Earth, ya ya] that Mr. Gustav Niebuhr wrote, entitled,; "DADT [Gays] & Church [of England], r Ahead of the Politico/a [U.S.] (similar said.Soo
i[WE] Eklaht-i-ON's or Apocalyptic-ON's (not Apocalyptic-Offs), or simply HUUMATE(s) of S.S. Earth argue THAT
WE[i] Huumates (NOt Humans) or APOCALYPTARiANS (Not PRE-Apocalyptarians) If it becomes O.K. to Openly for None-Straights Advertise ones SEXual Desires, on a Same Sex Basis: that, THEN The Military should make a special Rule/Provision for OPENLY ANTi-Xristians, Anti-Ju's, Anyi-Mormons, Anti-Ishlami's, Anti-Hindus/Seiks/Jains & Anti Buddhist folk in da Military! Note: SEX IS NOt LOVE: KLiFE IS! Soo then,
Think of a Don't Ask Don't Speak-out Against Pre-Apocalyptic Human's and their Religio-Preferences or Religious-Orientations question, aye!!??
Example: If I told Me Captain, Adjadent, Seargant, Generla etc.. that "i Dislike JU's, or Dislike Xrstians, or Hate Muslims. or any raggggg-hheads..lala O-P-E-N-L-Y, then what will ye yo Do to i[WE] US????
So, under the "EQUAL PROTECTiON" of our Holyi U.S. CONSTITUTION (born/made via Miracle: a Holy Holy Truth) that if Ye Yo's allow da Gay to Be OPEN about SEX (prefrences/Orientation) THEN WE[i] Eklahtions, aka Apocalyptarian Nationals sahould be Able to Be Open about OUR "Religious" Prefrences/ or Orientaions. aye Boss!????
Bottom Line: VOTE: Do-Not, i[WE[ repeat, NO-Repeal DADT et al!!!!!
Secret (opposite Revealation): Foreign Agents can Compromise and infiltrate the Pentagon et al institutions;
2nd Secret: Fact: Those folks behind Exposing The Classified Military Documents/pages recently of the U.S. War Effort (a great Embarrassment & Danger to our Coalitions straught-Guys & straight Gals [Bless them] was and is spread'd via GAYS! GAYS! within da Military!!!! via Non-Straights!@ aka Commy Finkle Fagarino's!! O' QUEEEERS! TROUBLE MAKERS! Pleazza, Better Suckk on Lolli-Poppis! Oye! Oye!
So: GAY to GAY "HONEY-TRAPS" {for Espionage Activities etc.. via none-Straights is a THREAT To U.S. (includes Other Nations) NATIiONAL SECURITY+!}
VOTE: NO Repeal "DADT". DO Not Fix What is NOt-Broken Generals, Congress, Mr. Prez et al!!! Else
Shoot oneself w/out shooting a Shot" [Similar].! So, Gay-Scare + Ishlami-Scare Spread is REAL! And GAY-PHOBIA & ISHLAMi PHOBIA; is O.K. to Experience. aka Right Thinking!! Never let any one Fool Ye, or make ye/yo as if Guilty Mind! P' Satanic VersUS sneaky folks & CO.!
Posted by: woodstock-41 | September 27, 2010 9:13 PM
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The pitiful woman that Parham encountered sounds hopelessly mired in rationalization, and not just because of her conspiracy thinking. Notice how she changes her argument when Parham questions her reasons for opposing Obama. First she insists that he's a foreigner, and then she claims he isn't a patriot or an "American at heart." It's tempting to suspect that "he looks at it as what belongs to him" is euphemism for racial myths about dark-skinned people being prone to thievery. But it may not be Obama's ethnicity that is pushing her emotional buttons - it could be the fact that he's educated.
Posted by: Carstonio | September 23, 2010 12:16 PM
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Fishcrow:
"fringe"Christianity: Christianity that isn't exactly like mine.
Being that christianity has about ten thousand denominations, sects, and spinoffs, It appears that in christianity, there's as much fringe as there is surrey.
Posted by: gladerunner | September 22, 2010 3:59 PM
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You casually tossed O'Donnell and Palin in at the end but neglected to explain how their Christianity was "fringe"Christianity.
"Executive Director, Center for Ethics" indeed.
Or maybe the deadline for the assignment sneaked up on you?
Posted by: fishcrow | September 22, 2010 3:25 PM
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Seems to me they may be well past 'faith' and over the line into believing whatever nonsense is convenient to their aggression and ambition and anger.
The candidates they follow are clearly not fit for office or interested in American freedom or democracy or anything *but* their apocalyptic nightmares.
Posted by: APaganplace | September 21, 2010 2:19 PM
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Secret (opposite REVEALation):
The Reason for "Sodom n Gomorrah" is, ironicaly True (opposite MYTH). WHY?
Because, "Non-Straight"s, aka Gays (Sorry Parents) is that they are an "ARMY"! An Army Of Vile Human(s)! NOt like US straight HUUMATE(s)! Hence Why They Must Be STOPED! Not Destroyed in These AquariUS times, Zero from Pisces-age Times of Lores! How Luck they [non-Straights] have Come. So, Throw Them All out of The Military & Federal, State & Local Systems NOW, NOW! Not Later!
IT is TiME!
If ye/Yo Believe in Scripture, or some of the Truths therein, Then Ye/Yo Will Believe US EKLAH-t-iON's (zero OFF's), whom com'th to Save Ye/Yo's, justly fo a time via Holyi TiME! Behold: The REFRESHING!
Soo, If Ye/Yo con't see what WE[i] See'th or Warn'th, Then Death to yo/YE all [Pre-Apocalyptic-OFFs] MEMETiCs (Posterity)! Not US (Apocalyptic On's) on/of S.pace-S.hip Earth!!