Thursday, March 28

Religion And The Presidency

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Religion is a hot button topic in the United States when it comes to presidents. From George Washington right up to Barack Obama, the president’s religious beliefs have been a source of controversy, conflict and outright lying. A recent Pew Research Poll that showed more and more Americans (now an astounding 18% of them) believe President Obama is a Muslim. This perception continues to grow, despite the fact that Obama’s 20-year affiliation with The United Church of Christ and the controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright was his presidential campaign’s first major setback.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

This is not the first time a president has been associated with an unpopular religion, despite the fact that he does not practice it. Rumors that Abraham Lincoln was a secret Roman Catholic were quite popular during the years before the Civil War. Catholicism has long dealt with a second class status in the United States, mostly likely due to the overwhelming popularity of Protestantism in early America. This might seem odd now as this religious organization makes up the largest sect of Christianity in the United States. Roman Catholics make up the largest group of Christians in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Florida, New Mexico, Vermont, Maine, Minnesota, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Washington, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri Wyoming and Oregon. With 68 million plus members, roughly 23% of the population, Catholics have only been represented by one President, John F. Kennedy, making them the least represented religious organization in U.S. history.

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  1. Ira J. Cornspear on

    His own version of the Gospels? Sounds like Tolstoy’s ‘Gospel in Brief.’ Very interesting.
    I’d like to see your sources for this information:


    Roman Catholics make up the largest group of Christians in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Florida, New Mexico, Vermont, Maine, Minnesota, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Washington, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri Wyoming and Oregon. With 68 million plus members, roughly 23% of the population, Catholics have only been represented by one President, John F. Kennedy, making them the least represented religious organization in U.S. history.

    I don’t think this is accurate.

    • The numbers are drawn from ARIS and NSRI data, Pew surveys and state reporting.

      http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html

      http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris/aris_index.htm

      http://religions.pewforum.org/reports

      As for a list of states and their percentages of Catholic population, I used an academic paper I have from three years ago, though you can find pretty much the exact same list on this well-documented wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_the_United_States#Demographics

      As for JFK being the only Catholic president, well… he was. I don’t think anyone has ever countered that. With Catholics constituting 23% of the U.S. population and having only one president that followed their religion it would make them the most under-represented religious group in the U.S.

        • My point is that, if religions of the presidents accurately represented the demographics of the U.S., then almost a fourth of the presidents (10-11) should be Catholics. Instead there is only one.

          Jews represent about 2 percent of U.S. population, as do Mormons. This would equate to roughly one president by demographics per group. While neither group has had a president, they are in such a minority that it does not seem strange they are not yet represented in the presidency.

          By the way, Mormons are really Christians. The group’s real name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Joseph Smith himself proclaimed the mainline tenets of Protestant Christianity as integral to faith. An often quoted line from The Teachings of Joseph Smith is: “The fundamental principles of our religion (Mormonism) are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

          • They also believe in wearing “magic underwear” that protects against knives, bullets, fire, Satan and sexual impropriety. Here are some other odd beliefs that may turn a few away from Glenn Beck:

            10. The earth is 7,000 years ancient. There is no official statement by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints about the age of the earth, but many Mormons (and many Christians of some sects) believe that the age of the earth is on the order of thousands of years rather than billions calculated by widely accepted scientific methods.

            9. Mars and Venus have dry rivers. The dry rivers on Mars and Venus were the source of the flowing rivers on earth. The theory is that the dry rivers on Mars and Venus ”match” the rivers on Earth and that proves that all three planets were organized from the same source.

            8. Dinosaur bones come from other planets. LDS Church Institute instructors teach that fossilized dinosaur bones are from creatures that lived on other worlds that were ruined in the creation of the earth.

            7. Mormon scripture teaches that Cain, who killed his brother Abel, was so evil that God ”cursed” him with black skin, thus making the African race. In a related belief, though the LDS church has deemed any worthy male to be part of the priesthood, black males were not recognized in this capacity until 1978.

            6. In cases of the sin of murder, the murder of the sinner and the mixing of his blood with the earth bring forgiveness. In 1977 after the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty, Gary Gilmore chose to be executed by firing squad in Utah due to his belief in blood atonement.

            5. In 1960, The Prophet Spencer W. Kimball taught that when Native Americans become Mormons their skin turns white. He said ”The [Indian] children in the home placement program in Utah are often lighter than their brothers and sisters in the hogans on the reservation.”

            4. Also on the subject of Native Americans, the preface to the Book of Mormon from 1981 indicates that descendents of Lehi are a ”remnant of the House of Israel” and were ancestors to American Indians. But, the DNA of Native Americans indicates an Asian origin.

            3. When a marriage is sealed in the Temple, a husband can know his wife’s celestial name, but she cannot know his. This is so that if he so chooses, he can resurrect her after her death by calling her celestial name.

            2. Mormons believe that after the resurrection, Jesus visited America and there he performed miracles and taught.

            1. Kolub is a star mentioned in the Book of Abraham as being closest to the throne of God. The Book of Abraham is canonized by the LDS church, Mormon fundamentalist organizations, and other LDS sects. Kolub inspired ”Kobol” in Mormon Glen A. Larson’s Battlestar Galactica universe.

          • Outfit Horsey Expert on

            Mormons are not Christians. Arguably, if you wanted to go way, way, way out on a limb, you could maybe suggest that they could possibly be considered a fringe Christian-ish sect, perhaps a Christian “cult,” at best. But that would be really pushing it.

            I’m not saying that its an illegitimate religion, that no one should follow; I’m just saying it’s not Christian.

            There’s an old joke:

            A cardinal goes running into the Holy Father’s office and is quite beside himself. “Holy Father, Holy Father!”

            “What is it my son?” the Pope responds.

            “I have some good news and some bad news. Which would you like to hear first? “

            “The good news”, responds the Holy Father.

            The Cardinal says “OK. The good news is that the Lord Jesus has returned as He promised!”

            “Alleluia, Alleluia. Praise be to God!”, the Holy Father responds “So what’s the bad news? “

            The Cardinal responds “He in Salt Lake City.”

            Of course, everyone gets this joke, but if Mormonism wasn’t so outlandishly fringe, no one would.

  2. 68 million strong on

    Wow I thought there were 40 million Catholics.

    Too bad all 68 million Catholics were not voting age (what did “my friend” McCain pull in some 50 million votes?) because I am sure they would not have put a man in the WH that voted ‘present’ in the IL Legislature 143 times but ‘for’ partial birth abortion 3 times!

    Funny what Obama will take a stand on.

    And as far as his birth certificate I think we have not seen the long form birth certificate (as every other president has produced for the American people) because it lists his religion as Muslim or Moslem (circa 1950’s term).

    And no I don’t think he is Muslim and likely states this on his BC because his mother was an athiest and father was Muslim.

    Although some would argue that because Obamas father was Muslim he also is Muslim – something to do with the Muslim religion.

  3. Good article, but there’s at least one error: “Rumors that Abraham Lincoln was a secret Roman Catholics were quite popular during the years before the Civil War.”

    One request: Dear Joe, please confer moderation privileges upon other members of your staff so we can have better, more efficient and coherent discussions.

    One question: Joe, is this “Mr. Jingledonkey” from the other thread “made” ?

  4. Founding Fathers on

    There aren’t many modern presidents capable of authoring their own version of the Bible as our founders were deep thinkers, truly intellectuals unlike the self proclaimed intellectuals of our time.

  5. In a perfect world, a President’s religion would have no influence on his policies and performance in office.

    Secularism is actually growing faster than any other religion in America. Its actually driven Mormons, Catholics and Evangelicals to unite together to combat it.

    I would assume Glen Beck’s latest gathering was motivated by this. They may want to stop the paranoia on Islam and instead focus things on secular America.

    Regardless, the President’s religion should have no bearing. All this Muslim talk is simply ridiculous conspiracies and you should feel stupid that your leaders actually believe you stupid enough to adopt and continue these silly, easily-proven-false beliefs.

    That’s what an article should be written on…the paranoia and fear tactics throughout US history…and driving/believing blatant false rumors.

    Fox News is owned by the Saudi Prince…who also financed the Ground Zero Mosque…so obviously it can’t be that evil right?

    • Actually thinking of a convention of Mormons, Evangelicals and Catholics, to “unite” when they each believe the other will burn in hell for eternity is rather comical. 🙂

  6. In a perfect world we would not be subjected to logics mindless inaccurate dribble on

    “Secularism is growing faster than any other religion in America…” You think liberalism/secularism is an actual religion. Great I can’t believe we gave women the right to vote as no man would have the motivation to post such ridiculous comments again and again and again!

    • Smart comeback. Shall I ask Joe to ensure the age limit on this website is 14?

      Regardless of what you think of secularism, its growing faster than anything else.

      Going forward, I would encourage you to come up with better responses that include facts, or don’t bother responding. Though I would be more than happy to continue making you look like an idiot. 🙂

    • 68 million strong on

      So you couldn’t respond to Logic with anything more mature than calling him a woman?

      Its people like you who make conservatives who believe in Jesus look like rednecks. Please refrain from continuing that.

  7. Outfit Horsey Expert on

    I’m Roman Catholic, but secularism doesn’t bother me a bit. So long as I’m allowed to attend the church I want and state my personal opinion when I feel like it, I don’t feel threatened at all by it. Religion is a private thing, anyway, and I’m not all that into people publicizing it or throwing into the faces of others. So, if that’ where this country is going (in the direction of Europe), bring it on. It doesn’t bother me.

  8. I wasn't calling him a woman I am sure he is actually a woman on

    trust i have dealt with many liberal women. they all have the same lame comebacks, claims of facts, filibustering etc. very much drone like.

  9. I wasn't calling him a woman I am sure he is actually a woman on

    if i was trying to be immature i would have called her a ex hooker or porn star.

    judging by logics reponses over the last few articles why would engage someone intellectually incurious or from my hill billy side wrong headed as logic.

  10. I wasn't calling him a woman I am sure he is actually a woman on

    does anyone think obama will resign tonight or just take credit for the surge – w’s and mccain’s surge -which obama strongly opposed as senator.

  11. 1st abortion - then partial birth abortion - then late term abortion (what is that like 5th grade or something?) on

    RE horsey expert – I am all for everyone practicing their religion freely.

    Unfortunately Secularism/ liberalism / worship of big government will always lead to tax payer funded abortions. I do not wish for my tax dollars to ever fund abortions or promotion of abortion.

    • I don’t wish for my taxpayer dollars to fund prevention of abortion, or anything else based on religious principles. So where do we net out? With the majority of the nation.

      Luckily, the majority of this nation is on my side.

  12. 1st abortion - then partial birth abortion - then late term abortion (what is that like 5th grade or something?) on

    RE Horsey Expert – good joke.

  13. emotional peak interest has passed on

    Liberals have a war room for everything except war… media matters or whoever you are welcome.

    How is not using taxpayer money to fund abortion lead automatically to using taxpayer money for abortion prevention?

    Again I say leave government out of this let people live freely without government co-opting their wealth through taxation for issues like abortion. Pretty simple.

    You libs are amazing we can’t kill convicted murderers on death row but the unborn go to the front of the line and now let’s use taxpayer money!

    Abortion is not necessarily a religious issue for some it is just a decency issue. Have you none?

    • You want to kill humans on death row who were found guilty by their peers and have guns but go nuts over killing a grouping of cells or a fetus that in many cases, was the result of rape, incest and within a girl under the age of 12?

      Thats the difference…those for pro-choice believe a fetus or grouping of cells to be that…cells…not a person. If it is not a religious issue, then back that up with science showing that “life” starts at the point of conception. You won’t because it doesn’t exist.

      Federal funding of abortion has always been prohibited. The new healthcare laws severely restrict access to abortion coverage in the insurance exchanges, even for individuals who pay for coverage with their own money. Imagine that!

      Women’s rights groups are actually outraged at this…stop reading conservative-only media outlets and you will get the facts on your own.

      Women (or their spouses, partners or parents) will have to write one check for abortion coverage because it is not Federally subsidized and a separate check for the rest of their coverage. Insurance industry experts believe the administrative nightmare of keeping these funds separate will dissuade insurers from maintaining abortion coverage in their plans whatsoever.

      See how what happens when you have facts instead of myths, assumptions and stereotypes?

  14. YOU ARE CATHOLIC? on

    I guess you and Ted Kennedy were/are the only Catholics actively promoting infanticide.

    Moral Equivilency much?

    • Moral Equivilency for myself? Sure. For everyone else in the nation? Nope…let them decide their own fates instead of “forcing something down their throats” as the tea party would say. My beliefs are my own…your beliefs are your own. Make sense?

  15. Mickey Fitzsimmons on

    Dear God,

    If you are reading this, which I am sure you are, I would like to take this opportunity to thank and praise you for conferring upon Eric Massa (the former Democratic U.S. Representative for the 29th Congressional District of New York) the gift of unintentional comedy.

    Deo gratias

  16. Swimming Rabbit on

    Dear former President Carter,

    If you happen to be reading this, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for a hapless and enfeebled one-term presidency.

    Sincerely,

    The Swimming Rabbit that tried to attack you on April 20, 1979.

  17. Ricky Ray Rector on

    Dear former President Bill Clinton,

    If you happen to be reading this, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for for maintaining extramarital sexual relationships with Monica Lewinsky and Gennifer Flowers, and I would like to assure you–and I think I speak for the entire country when I say–that we hold all of your other alleged acts of sexual impropriety very dear to our hearts, as well.

    The crimes perpetrated by you, Mr. President (such as the sexual harassment of Paula Jones and the sexual assaults of Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick and many others), are commendable and, of course, extremely befitting for the leader the executive branch of our government and the commander-in-chief of our armed forces. Thank you, sir. Thank you.

    Your repeated failures to capture Osama Bin Laden in the 1990’s, as well as your curious rejection of the Sudanese government’s offers to arrest and extradite Bin Laden to the United States, were instrumental in facilitating the tragic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Three cheers for you, Mr. President. For without enduring the hardship of these attacks, the United States would not have lost so many of its dearly loved citizens nor would the stage have been set for various economic catastrophes that we have encountered in the 21st century, thus far.

    We truly enjoyed and continue to celebrate your unofficial Presidential policy of pandering and triangulation, without which your legacy as a true liberal and productive and effective politican would be very much intact and untarnished.

    In closing, Mr. President, I would just like to add that your strategy of race-baiting while campaigning for your wife in 2008 was (and remains) a source of great moral encouragement, as is your fluffy, puffy, bouffant hair-style. Sir, sincerest congratulations on your impeachment, which, of course, stemmed from the incident in which you inserted that cigar tube into your unpaid summer intern’s private parts.

    Sincerely,

    Ricky Ray Rector

  18. Sad but true. Clinton had a ton of potential to be a really great president. Instead he was, at best, an OK president.

    At some point early on, he decided to be Slick Willy in the White House where he had carte blanche to grope ass and goof of in the Oval Office. Too bad for the American people.

  19. Coffee Club Boy on

    What about when Clinton was trying to get the Kennedy’s to endorse Hillary and proclaimed that Barack Obama – just a few years back would be “fetching us coffee” to Ted Kennedy the liberal lioness.

    • Liberal “lioness?” Ha…conservatives are the most clever people!

      Obviously the Clintons underestimated Obama and I believe America had learned by that point the Presidency was not a “family business” as George W. had thought it was.

  20. TOTUS VS POTUS VS MINIATURE DITKA on

    Miniature Ditka by 30 points!

    The Clintons underestimated TOTUS (teleprompter of the United States) not POTUS.

    I think America is glad it had “miss me yet” – yes we do W rather then the spineless politician McCain (still a war hero) for 8 years.

    Speaking of Gore wasn’t the now dead Discovery hostage taker “awakened” by Gores fraudulent movie an inconvient truth? Didn’t a judge in Great Britain require that a multipage disclaimer be handed to students before they were forced to watch this movie in British schools?

    • What is this obsession with the teleprompter anyway? As if previous presidents, speakers, CEOs and candidates had not used it and are using it now?!? Because he has notes does that take away from his speech? Should he write those notes on his hand like Sarah Palin? Regular “folks” write notes on their hands and I guess just “elitists” use teleprompters right? So odd the way you people glom on to the most ridiculous criticisms.

      And what YOU think that Americans think is obviously wrong, given W’s polls and the fact the guy became so reclusive after he left. The only ones saying otherwise are the same ones searching for birth certificates, Muslim radicals in the whitehouse and communists. And they will keep looking I guess too.

      Sorry but you need facts to make assumptions like those…

  21. I’m off-base? YOU’RE off-base!

    Have you heard the Buddy RICH, tapes??!! I though not. I’m a conservative, but I disapprove of comments ridiculing Ted Kennedy’s drinking.

    HOW DARE THE LOT OF YOU???!! YOU DAMN GOSSIPS!!!

    OFF LIMITS!

    • You really are an idiot trying to use my name like this lol…seriously way to make your side not look like whackjobs.

  22. morning paper, coffee, bagel on

    I realize that this is off-topic, but I hope this Giannoulias boobie gets routed in the Senate race.

  23. Logic II that pelosi pic is awesome.

    Can someone explain to me why a class on logic was never required or offered in high school or college?

    Sure in college I remember a statistics, philosophy, calculus, labor law, US history but not a class on logic.

    This will be interesting will logic now impune my education which was public school and state funded university.

    I remember in my philosophy class actually learning about Edmond Burke so I cannot accuse all my educators of being marxists radicals.

    • calculator kid on

      A logic course is usually part of a philosophy curriculum–“symbolic logic” is usually the gateway course, and if you can’t pass that, you can’t pursue philosophy as a major. Arts departments have “critical thinking,” which basically teach argument “structure” (e.g., modus ponens, modus tollens, etc.) and logical fallacies. Neither of these is compulsory the way English-comp. classes are. Perhaps, they should be.

      This is a good topic to bring up because ANP commenter “Logic” claims to use logic, per se, which he usually is not. That said, while I don’t agree with “Logic,” I will admit he usually argues intelligently–not necessarily logically, per se. Especially when he is engaged in personal attacks (a logical fallacy known as “argumentum ad hominem” – arguing at/to ‘the man’).

      If you want the truth, out of all of the presidential candidates of the last 10-years or so, the one who constructs the most technical and logically precise arguments is Alan Keyes. The problem is that in the process of explaining some of his more rigorous syllogistic arguments, his interviewers and opponents almost always get lost in the process. Keyes also has the unfortunate tendency to get into the minutiae of frivolous arguments, revealing a lot of embarrassing personal information about himself in the process.

    • There is an important step: not accusing people of being marxist radicals for disagreeing with you.

      I also attended a state funded university for my undergrad. So I applaud you.

  24. Kirk and Gannoulious are neck and neck – the reason they are both liberals.

    If Mark Kirk had a pair – which his record clearly shows he doesn’t – he voted for cap and trade an economy and job killing bill that would not help the environment at all. Anyway why an environment bill global warming doesn’t exist just another facade from the left that has cost the US taxpayers $80 billion since 1989.

    If a real republican a conservative were running they would be leading by 10 points but instead these two will douche it out and since they will probably vote similarily while in office it won’t matter to IL citizens.

    We would be better served by a well trained monkey – sort of like Pelosi. I heard she is so slow that she is taught dem talking points phonetically.

    • Conservatives calling others “dumb” is rather ironic. Half of the whackjobs running for the GOP won’t allow their children to read Harry Potter books and don’t believe in dinosaurs. Now keep attacking Pelosi and teleprompters as if the majority of this country is as dumb and ignorant as you.

  25. I love when 20% of the people of this fine country think they know what the rest of us want, believe or are I guess dumb and ignorant like me.

    Less than two months until the election enjoy.

    • That’s what the tea party doesn’t seem to understand…though even less than 20% of this nation is uneducated and paranoid to the point of insanity.

    • Mr. Jingledonkey on

      Scotty W. Rasmussen (LOL) — that guy would’ve been better of sticking polling the size of his mama’s a**!!! (that MOTHER!)

    • And only 40% identify as conservatives. That is far from the majority…so when you have all these tea party whackjobs running for office that believe things only other whackjob neoconservatives believe (birthers, militia types, evangelicals, etc.) then they will obviously alienate everyone.

      But seriously…please keep electing the Rand Pauls and Sharon Angles of the country…see how well they do during a debate. Are you aware that the Tea Party-backed Christine O’Donnell in Deleware doesn’t think abstinence is enough, but thinks we need to eliminate sexual desire completely. Seriously…and she’s about to win the GOP primary…wow does that sound like a rational, sophisticated person who can hold office.

      But hey guys good luck…keep the Christian loonies in the forefront…here you are complainin about Mosques and then electing people who emulate the values of Iran and Saudi Arabia 🙂

  26. America 230+ years of Jedeo Christian values on

    easiest way to eliminate sexual desire in anyone is to look at any of the leading liberal women.

    again why are you libs obessessed with sex – do you really think her views on abstinance are the most important part of her campaign

    the liberal movement has lost the independents which will swing the election. independents put the snake oil salesmen in the wh or as al sharpton says ‘we have one black man living in dc in public housing’ i guess he was implying we are still a racist country even though we had just elected a black man to the wh.

    Americans are concerned with the economy and national security while you libs are race, sex, sexual desires and how much saturated fat we eat – gee who do you think will win elections going forward?

    • America Was Founded for All Religions on

      Well she thinks masturbation and pornography is the equivalent of cheating on your spouse. Its her thinking…if someone believed in martians and thought they were talking to her, would you elect her to hold office?

      So if this whackjob is this irrational on religion, how can she begin to understand modern business and economics? USE LOGIC 🙂

      And the liberals haven’t lost independents…they are pissed on the economy, but not stupid enough to believe the fear mongering. The GOP has no answer for the economy either…but LOGIC will allow the educated to realize modern thinkers who believe in science probably have a better grasp of economic policy then whackjobs who want to make masturbation a crime and cancel halloween. Seriously use your head…use LOGIC.

      PS–if not for liberals, you probably couldn’t look at women whatsoever…they would be in prarie dresses and traditional clothing based on religious BS The feminist movement and sexual revolution would not have happened without liberals idiot. USE LOGIC 🙂

  27. America 230+ years of Jedeo Christian values on

    40% of Americans identifying themselves as Conservative is an all time high – another cause of concern if you are a fan big government tax and spend liberals.

  28. Obviously another sexually unhappy liberal insisting that all Americans conform to what liberals determine to be moral. on

    Oh and America wasn’t founded to support liberalism/secularism/communism/socialism/progressivism or any other liberty robbing ideology!

    Use logic we didin’t fight the revolutionary war to years later be ruled by a bunch of arrogant elitists.

    I pray you do not have children or intend to have/raise your children to be souless and morally bankrupt as you clearly are – use Logic!

    The hypocracy – really the feminist revolution – but yet you hate Sarah Palin – why because she has morals, values that are not in line with yours.

    Sexual revolution – really like no one ever had sex until liberals formally introduced it. What’s next did liberals land us on the moon? Did liberals win us the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WWII? Oh I forgot you libs have a war room for everything except war!

    I think Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennet can take more credit for a sexual revolution than a bunch of drug using, long haired, smelly hippies!

    Good day hippie

  29. “But it should be pointed out that consistent atheism, which represents itself to be the most rational and logical of all approaches to reality, is in actuality completely self defeating and incapable of logical defense. That is to say, if indeed all matter has combined by mere chance, unguided by any Higher Power of Transcendental Intelligence, then it necessarily follows that the molecules of the human brain are also the product of mere chance. In other words, we think the way we do simply because the atoms and molecules of our brain tissue happen to have combined in the way they have, totally without transcendental guidance or control. So then even the philosophies of men, their system of logic and all their approaches to reality are the result of mere fortuity. There is no absolute validity to any argument advanced by the atheist against the position of theism.

    On the basis of his won presuppositions, the atheist completely cancels himself out, for on his own premises his arguments are without any absolute validity. By his own confession he thinks the way he does simply because the atoms in his brain happen to combine the way they do. If this is so, he cannot honestly say that his view is any more valid than the contrary view of his opponent. His basic postulates are self contradictory and self defeating; for when he asserts that there are no absolutes, he thereby is asserting a very dogmatic absolute. Nor can he logically disprove the existence of God without resorting to a logic that depends on the existence of God for its validity. Apart from such a transcendent guarantor of the validity of logic, any attempts at logic or argumentation are simply manifestations of the behavior of the collocation of molecules that make up the thinker’s brain.”

  30. Deconsctructing liberalism's logic on

    “Progressivism and liberalism (and other “ism’s” they love such as socialism, communism, and fascism) are lies. And so they must be based on lies.

    And so history has to be transformed in order for the lies they seek to advance can have any “legitimacy.”

    In reading New Deal or Raw Deal? I was amazed that basically two handpicked presidential historians created, built, and sustained the entire FDR myth. They were selected to have unique access to FDR, and write his “history.” And then their students picked up the mantle, and so on.

    Had Hitler won WWII, we would have seen the same thing done for everyone’s beloved Fuhrer.”

    The liberals, of course, love Darwinism, until you logically apply it to society, in which instead of helping the pajama-clad couch potato, we should allow the struggle for survival of the fittest take its course and let the species go extinct.

    Which is to say, liberals love Darwinism when it undermines God’s place in society, and they love it when it gives them what they want. And then they deny its fundamental premises and disallow its obvious conclusions from that point forward.
    CO ME

  31. An Old Pal from the US Navy on

    Dear former-U.S. Representative for the 29th Congressional District of New York, Eric Massa (D):

    If you are reading this, I would like to take the opportunity to say that we, the people of the United States, owe you a debt of gratitude for using “tickle fights” and horseplay as a pretext for perpetrating sex crimes against members of your staff, thus embarrassing yourself, your constituents, and anyone with even a vague sense of common decency. Moreover, thank you, Congressman Massa, for attempting to preemptively squash these allegations by admitting to using inappropriate language and being “too familiar” with your staffers.

    You, sir, are the very model of gravitas and political rectitude, and we will miss you dearly as you spend the remainder of your days in obscurity and deep personal bewilderment.

    Sincerely,

    Chief Petty Officer Gaylord Calamite

    • Joe, I am wondering what you make of these comments. I think they’re sad but true. Don’t you think democrats should be embarrassed by guys like Massa pulling sexual gags and playing grab-ass on our watch and on our dime?

        • Believe me there have been many more Republicans and conservative religious leaders caught…with their pants down shall I say? Most of them ironically, anti-gay crusaders.

          Please stop acting like Massa has any reflection on democrats what-so-ever.

  32. Harry Reid for President of the United States! on

    Dear Harry Reid, senior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Democratic Party:

    If you happen to be reading this, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for the laundry list of laughably ill-advised positions that you have adopted over the years with regard to policy and legislation. The fact that you are simply not up to the task of effectively emptying the trash receptacle that I put out at my curb every week–let alone holding a position of power in our legislature’s upper house–will undoubtedly be of great inspiration to our posterity. Thank you, Senator Reid. Thank you.

    I can assure you, sir, that Americans will somehow find a way to repay you for bravely using campaign contributions to pay for your staffers’ Christmas presents, thus prompting Citizens United to file a formal complaint against you. And it almost goes without saying, but allow me to state that it amazes us all, sir, that while serving as Senator you not only found the time to misappropriate the aforementioned campaign funds, but you also managed to simultaneously become embroiled in the epochal Las Vegas Land Deal scandal. This is precisely the kind of ethics, political efficacy, and efficiency that we expect from our elected officials, Senator.

    Senator Reid, I am as aware as anyone that you are an exceedingly humble man. But, sir, I do not think that I have ever been more proud to be an American than on that glorious day when you threatened the advertising director (of all people) of the “Las Vegas Review-Journal” even though your gripe was not with him but with its publisher, Sherman Frederick. And, Senator, how you ever managed to skillfully play directly into the hands of Rush Limbaugh by circulating and submitting that asinine letter of complaint about his radio show–which he promptly auctioned-off for 2.1-million dollars–we will never know (probably because we lack your foresight and intelligence).

    As you proudly know, sir, the proceeds from the Limbaugh auction went directly to the Eugene B. Casey Foundation, which created the novel situation of you being solely responsible for turning Limbaugh, your enemy—who you ironically set out to destroy with the letter in the first place—into a widely-regarded and much celebrated American hero. Clearly, Senator, your strategic mind knows no bounds.

    In closing, Senator Reid, allow me to tell you that we are very much in love with the way you manage not only to be a perennial enemy of conservatives, but also cleverly and consistently disappoint your own constituency by waffling on foreign policy issues and leading the Democratic Party into public relations quagmires by pulling such stunts as making flippant racist remarks–e.g., referring to President Obama as a “light-skinned” African American “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

    Senator Reid, to evoke Erasmus, “vir omnium horarum” are the only words that come to mind when I contemplate, in silence, your grand and elusive mystery.

    Sincerely,

    Yoric Hunt

    • You forgot to thank this clown for the callously lauding the Iraq War and its casualties–in public–only because it would deliver more Senate seats to dems.

    • Luckily you elected someone to beat him who probably doesn’t let her children read Harry Potter, thinks having a gun is a political statement and once crusaded against allowing the local high school football team to wear black because it was a “satanic color.”

      Since Sharon Angle is such a whackjob and refuses all media interviews and debates, she’s most certainly solidified another term for Harry Reid…

      ….doesn’t reality just “Bite?” 🙂

      • i call b.s. on the chicago outfit myth on

        LMFAO! LMFAO!

        re: 5 September 2010 at 3:54 pm

        “And, Senator, how you ever managed to skillfully play directly into the hands of Rush Limbaugh by circulating and submitting that asinine letter of complaint about his radio show–which he promptly auctioned-off for 2.1-million dollars–we will never know (probably because we lack your foresight and intelligence).”