Why your voting matters in November - God's Own Party Edition *UPDATED*

Going back to the Vice Presidential debate, we saw how the GOP has chosen to see secular government. Namely, it shouldn't be, there should be no barrier keeping the church out of the state's business. And as a social actor, I can agree that religious institutions should have a voice to share their opinions, as they already do. What for Ryan and conservatives is the problem is the lack of undue deference to religion. Society doesn't bow and scrape the way it once did. And, sadly, religious conservatives, and most conservatives, miss this and want to see it again.

Conservatism has chosen to embrace a twisted worldview in the passed several decades that has placed it in confrontation with modernity and the rights every American should be able to access.

John Stewart put it nicely:

According to the Republican platform, and the man who wants to be a heartbeat away from the presidency (Paul Ryan), if a woman wants to have a baby in vitro fertilization, she cannot. Rape? She has to.

This is how Conservatism has decided to look at society. Some things are God's will, and if you don't like how you are treated, how you are abused, or how you are ignored, tough. It's God's will.

And when you want science and medicine to help you, tough. It's God's will.

It is no way to govern.

How are they now trying to explain the rape comments now? To say that it isn't that God wants us all to get raped. It just wants us to suffer through a pregnancy that results. The pregnancy is the act of God. As Digby notes:

... 

I'm not a religious person so I can't speak to the theology here, but as a logical person I can only hold my head in my hands and moan. God doesn't make mistakes but he didn't intend for a rape to happen. It's God's will but sometimes bad things happen. All of this is supposed to be true simultaneously. 

I'm sorry, if it's God's will and he doesn't make mistakes then he must have intended the rape as well as the pregnancy. You can't have it both ways and say he is omnipotent and all powerful and let him off the hook on that half that equation while you insist that the pregnancy is inviolable because God intended it.  

...

The desire is to try and ignore horror and pain and try to spur out some virtue. But it can't be that clean.

Of course for the GOP, it doesn't matter how clean it really is. It is ideology. It is about pushing ends, regardless of means, or of side effects. It is cold and cruel.

But you utter your deity's name. You say a prayer. And you get forgiven for the suffering you bring...at least in faith. In the polling place, we can chose not to forgive. Choose not to let them push their vision of the will of God on us.

God's will. How can we accept this? God's will as law? How can we take comfort in attempts to place God's will into law? Whether it is one's own god, or the god of another? Should attempts to assert religious law be accepted?

As I understand it, if this was Islamic or Sharia Law, we would all be called to rise up and stand against the outrage. But to say laws against gays, or women, or atheists, or science are just the will of God...I guess that is different. At least it is for around 47% of voters in a presidential election.

How can this be right?

But for the GOP, and religious conservatism what is right and wrong is what they say it is. Even science must bend to it's knees before them.

Look at a grand example with Representative Paul Broun of Georgia:

"God's word is true. I've come to understand that. All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the big bang theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell," said Broun, who is an MD. "It's lies to try to keep me and all the folks who were taught that from understanding that they need a savior." 

... 

"You see, there are a lot of scientific data that I've found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young Earth. I don't believe that the earth's but about 9,000 years old. I believe it was created in six days as we know them. That's what the Bible says."

This is a member of the House Science Committee. Really. Young Earth Creationism. Maybe he's a flat earther as well. But, no. He gets a prestigious placement. He freaking gets elected to office! Know who else is on this committee? Representative Todd "Ovaries Are Magic" Akin. This is who Republicans place in charge of discussing and guiding legislation in regards to science. Let that sink in please. People who shun science oversee science legislation. This is who the GOP have chosen to become.

From the environment to science to the social safety net, they've chosen to place the wolves in the role of sheep hound to a legislative flock. But, not to worry, God smiles down on this.

And if you don't do as they want. Fear God!

Mike Huckabee, a man who once tried to play moderate voice for the future has now has slid firmly into unabashed religious conservatism's nuttery has been trying to spread the fear for Mitt Romney.

Your vote will affect the future and be recorded in eternity. Will you vote the values that will stand the test of fire? This is Mike Huckabee asking you to join me November 6th and vote based on values that will stand the test of fire.

Test of fire. Recorded in eternity. You vote for Obama. You will burn in Hell.



The video does play the words in two ways. It shows metalworking, so you could say it is talking of the fire of the forge and longevity of crafted metal. But if you are good churchgoer. You know what Mike is saying to you. The image of fire behind a man is always clear, and has been for CENTURIES. And a good evangelical preacher like Huckabee knew it in making this propaganda.

Just the same as what is being said from some Catholic pulpits. Bishop Daniel Jenky, has already compared President Obama to Hitler, and now is having a shot at pushing voting as he sees fit. He lists out the ills of government, Obamacare mandates for coverage, abortion, contraception, etc. He calls the legislators who "enable" abortion guilty of grave sin. And then reminds us all of God's judgment and eternity. Then ends with:

I therefore call upon every practicing Catholic in this Diocese to vote. Be faithful to Christ and to your Catholic Faith.

Like with Huckabee the intent is clear. The protection or lack of action to end abortion, is a sin, and if you "enable" legislators to continue, how will God judge you? It is shameful. Pulpit bullies. And as the piece above noted, Jenky completely ignores the Vatican's call to have Congress act to help and protect the poor. Guess that isn't important to Jesus (He never mentioned the poor, right?).

We need to stand up to all these bullies. Bullying voters. Bullying women. Bullying gays. Bullying society.

America is bigger than any one religion. E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. We all should have a voice and have out rights. Don't let them silence you, or others. Don't let them attack our freedoms.

Vote by November 6th. Make use of your right to vote proudly and defiantly.

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ADDENDUM:

Ryan has continued the religious panic.

... Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) used some of the precious remaining hours of the 2012 campaign to reach out to social conservative voters in a town hall-style call on Sunday night, warning that "Judeo-Christian" values were at risk if President Barack Obama is reelected. 

"This is a huge election," said Ryan. "Please know that Mitt Romney and I understand the stakes. We understand the stakes of where this country is headed. We understand the stakes of our fundamental freedoms being on the line, like religious freedom -- such as how they're being compromised in Obamacare." 

The call was organized by Ralph Reed's socially conservative Faith and Freedom Coalition. The call was originally scheduled for Oct. 25, but was then rescheduled for Sunday night. 

Ryan added that Obama's vision was "a path that grows government, restricts freedom and liberty and compromises those values -- those Judeo-Christian, Western civilization values that made us a great and exceptional nation in the first place." 

...

Western civilization is at stake folks. Christianity is in peril. This is what Paul Ryan is talking about as the election looms. Obamacare, gay people, educated ladies, modern society it all seems to scare Ryan and conservatives.