GOP alleges leftist plot to outlaw Bible

Post by **Roofus** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 9:34 pm

The New York Times site requires registration, so I'm electronically reproducing this article in part or in whole without the express written consent of the New York Times. Oh well.

The New York Times wrote:The Republican Party acknowledged yesterday sending mass mailings to residents of two states warning that 'liberals' seek to ban the Bible. It said the mailings were part of its effort to mobilize religious voters for President Bush.

The mailings include images of the Bible labeled 'banned' and of a gay marriage proposal labeled 'allowed.' A mailing to Arkansas residents warns: 'This will be Arkansas if you don't vote.' A similar mailing was sent to West Virginians.

A liberal religious group, the Interfaith Alliance, circulated a copy of the Arkansas mailing to reporters yesterday to publicize it. 'What they are doing is despicable,'' said Don Parker, a spokesman for the alliance. 'They are playing on people's fears and emotions.'

In an e-mail message, Christine Iverson, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, confirmed that the party had sent the mailings.

'When the Massachusetts Supreme Court sanctioned same-sex marriage and people in other states realized they could be compelled to recognize those laws, same-sex marriage became an issue,'' Ms. Iverson said. 'These same activist judges also want to remove the words 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance.'

The mailing is the latest evidence of the emphasis Republicans are putting on motivating conservative Christian voters to vote this fall. But as the appeals become public, they also risk alienating moderate and swing voters.

An editorial on Sept. 22 in The Charleston Gazette in West Virginia, for example, asked, 'Holy Moley! Who concocts this gibberish?'

'Most Americans see morality more complexly,' the editorial said. 'Many think a higher morality is found in Christ's command to help the needy, prevent war and pursue other humanitarian goals. Churchgoers of this sort aren't likely to believe childish allegations that Democrats want to ban the Bible.'

In statement, Senator John Edwards, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, said President Bush 'should condemn the practice immediately and tell everyone associated with the campaign to never use tactics like this again.'

Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, called the mailings an ugly contrast to Mr. Bush's public statements. Although the president has called for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, he often emphasizes the need for tolerance as well.

'The president takes more or less the high road and his henchman and allies on the right have been let loose to conduct these ugly, divisive smear campaigns,' Mr. Foreman said. 'It is wedge politics at its worst.'

In any event, the Bush campaign appears confident about its religious appeal.

The mailing seeks to appeal to conservative evangelical Protestant pastors and political leaders who say they worry that legal rights for same-sex couples could lead to hate-crimes laws that could be applied against sermons of Bible passages criticizing homosexuality.

Conservative Christian political commentators often cite the case of Ake Green, a minister in Sweden who was jailed in June for a month for a sermon denouncing gays as sinful.

Mr. Parker, of the Interfaith Alliance, said, 'I think it is laughable to think that someone could be arrested for reading out loud from the Bible.''

But Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, argued, 'We have the First Amendment in this country which should protect churches, but there is no question that this is where some people want to go, that reading from the Bible could be hate speech.'

Still, Mr. Land questioned the assertion that Democrats might ban the whole Bible. 'I wouldn't say it,' he said. 'I would think that is probably stretching it a bit far.'

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:02 pm

I would think that is probably stretching it a bit far.

Gee, you think?

weeperofsouls · Post by **weeperofsouls** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:14 pm

will the fearmongering never end?

DaMadFiddler · Post by **DaMadFiddler** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:39 pm

"Listen up, people! You HAVE to vote for us! If you vote for them damn lib'rals:
-Church will be outlawed
-Weed and heroin will be part of the school lunch program
-All pregnancies will be forcibly aborted
-Everyone will have mandatory, hands-on sex end in 5th grade, where you experience both hetero and homosexual intercourse, so you can decide which you want
-We'll take all your paychecks and spend them on paying people to count bees in the Himalayas
-Terrorists will be given automatic greencards, and diplomatic immunity"

...This whole election reminds me of when I ran for president of the student council in 4th grade, and lost to a guy who was promising to put Kool-Aid in the drinking fountains (true story).

Post by **Roofus** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:57 pm

DaMadFiddler wrote:"Listen up, people! You HAVE to vote for us! If you vote for them damn lib'rals:
-Church will be outlawed
-Weed and heroin will be part of the school lunch program
-All pregnancies will be forcibly aborted
-Everyone will have mandatory, hands-on sex end in 5th grade, where you experience both hetero and homosexual intercourse, so you can decide which you want
-We'll take all your paychecks and spend them on paying people to count bees in the Himalayas
-Terrorists will be given automatic greencards, and diplomatic immunity"

...This whole election reminds me of when I ran for president of the student council in 4th grade, and lost to a guy who was promising to put Kool-Aid in the drinking fountains (true story).

That's the funniest thing I've read in days.

weeperofsouls · Post by **weeperofsouls** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 1:47 am

you forgot to mention that liberals like to drown kittens.

archduke · Post by **archduke** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 9:14 am

DaMadFiddler wrote:"Listen up, people! You HAVE to vote for us! If you vote for them damn lib'rals:
-Church will be outlawed
-Weed and heroin will be part of the school lunch program
-All pregnancies will be forcibly aborted
-Everyone will have mandatory, hands-on sex end in 5th grade, where you experience both hetero and homosexual intercourse, so you can decide which you want
-We'll take all your paychecks and spend them on paying people to count bees in the Himalayas
-Terrorists will be given automatic greencards, and diplomatic immunity"

...This whole election reminds me of when I ran for president of the student council in 4th grade, and lost to a guy who was promising to put Kool-Aid in the drinking fountains (true story).

Hey madfiddler.... where do i sign up?

Lartrak · Post by **Lartrak** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 5:51 pm

...This whole election reminds me of when I ran for president of the student council in 4th grade, and lost to a guy who was promising to put Kool-Aid in the drinking fountains (true story).

That SOOOO perfectly sums up how retarded politics are.

weeperofsouls · Post by **weeperofsouls** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 6:07 pm

who are more stupid, the candidates or the morons who believe their lies and vote for them?

Lartrak · Post by **Lartrak** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 8:57 pm

weeperofsouls wrote:who are more stupid, the candidates or the morons who believe their lies and vote for them?

So almost everyone who votes in America is a moron? Probably true, come to think of it...

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 8:59 pm

Lartrak wrote:
...This whole election reminds me of when I ran for president of the student council in 4th grade, and lost to a guy who was promising to put Kool-Aid in the drinking fountains (true story).
That SOOOO perfectly sums up how retarded politics are.

I'd vote for Bush or Kerry if they put Kool-Aide in drinkng fountains! Or beer.

Post by **Roofus** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 9:43 pm

Inu_Sess__ wrote:Or beer.

That's just like you republicans. Imposing your values on all of us. Not everyone drinks alcohol! We don't want to be forced to drink beer from water fountains!

DaMadFiddler · Post by **DaMadFiddler** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 10:22 pm

Roofus wrote:
Inu_Sess__ wrote:Or beer.
That's just like you republicans. Imposing your values on all of us. Not everyone drinks alcohol! We don't want to be forced to drink beer from water fountains!

{facetiously} Then you don't have to make use of public facilities

[waits for this to segue into a "Pledge" debate]

Link2k4 · Post by **Link2k4** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 10:53 pm

well this is a prophecy in my relgion where the chuch will be outlawed. well I didn't believe it is the end of the world but it is, I know god haters will put me down but tough. this is a prohecy and welll the end must be neigh................

404NotFound · Post by **404NotFound** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 10:58 pm

DaMadFiddler wrote:"
...This whole election reminds me of when I ran for president of the student council in 4th grade, and lost to a guy who was promising to put Kool-Aid in the drinking fountains (true story).

I'd vote you into president if you put Kool-Aid in the drinking fountains, too.

Ak? · Post by **Ak?** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 8:25 am

weeperofsouls wrote:you forgot to mention that liberals like to drown kittens.

"He's bebop-in and scottin' and i'm losing it!"

SuperMegatron · Post by **SuperMegatron** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 12:04 pm

In truth extreme "liberals" (not all democrats are liberals) want the following things
1. No guns
2. Gay marriage
3. The total removal of all things deemed religious from the government(no under god on the coinage,no prayer at the opening of congress,no cross on a state flag & no Christian clubs on school grounds)
So from a conservative point of view a they kinda do what to outlaw the bible. I tend to think we shouldnt force religion on people but if a prayer club meets at a school library before and after school who cares and the cross on a flag should be preserved for historical reasons. What has happened in recent years is a culture clash between the extremes and the average every day joe. Take gun control for instance the average american would like to see assault riffles/cop killer bullets/and some semiautomatic hand guns banned but our choices are all or nothing so it creates a huge rift in opinions. Then there is abortion, this is a real hot issue while most americans don't care if a women has a abortion during the first trimester there opinion changes when its a late term abortion but we cant separate the two.

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:54 pm

no Christian clubs on school grounds)

I am not aware of any major liberal group that advocates such an extreme measure (i.e. banning unofficial religious gatherings). Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, probably the most influential organization promoting separation of church and state, says this:

Mandatory prayer, Bible reading or other religious activities sponsored by public schools are fundamental violations of the right of conscience. Public school students have the right to pray on their own in a non-disruptive fashion, and schools may teach about religion as a part of objective instruction, but public schools must not sponsor religious worship.

Lartrak · Post by **Lartrak** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:39 pm

So from a conservative point of view a they kinda do what to outlaw the bible.

More like from a retarded point of view.

well this is a prophecy in my relgion where the chuch will be outlawed. well I didn't believe it is the end of the world but it is, I know god haters will put me down but tough. this is a prohecy and welll the end must be neigh................

Number of times Christians have said the end is nigh - countless.

Number of times said Christians have been even partly correct - ZERO.

weeperofsouls · Post by **weeperofsouls** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 4:32 pm

couldnt have said it better myself.