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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 01:36 PM Jun 2014

Gohmert Uses House Hearing To Debate Whether Non-Christians 'Go To Hell'

CATHERINE THOMPSON – JUNE 11, 2014, 12:50 PM EDT

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) on Tuesday repeatedly confronted a faith leader -- who also happens to be a noted church-state separatist -- about his Christian beliefs during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on religious freedom.

“Do you believe in sharing the good news that will keep people from going to hell, consistent with the Christian beliefs?” Gohmert asked Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

Lynn responded that he wouldn't agree with Gohmert's "construction of what hell is like or why one gets there." When Gohmert pressed him to say whether he believed people "would go to hell if they do not believe Jesus is the way," Lynn again answered that he thinks failing to ascribe to a certain set of Christian beliefs doesn't necessarily doom a person to hell.

"No, not a set of ideas," Gohmert insisted. "Either you believe as a Christian that Jesus is the way, the truth, or life, or you don’t."

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/louie-gohmert-debates-reverend-christianity

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Gohmert Uses House Hearing To Debate Whether Non-Christians 'Go To Hell' (Original Post) DonViejo Jun 2014 OP
omg! That is a gross misuse of his question privileges. hrmjustin Jun 2014 #1
What? He's just trying to establish what kind of christian he is. AtheistCrusader Jun 2014 #31
Gohmert's job is to be a religious asshole. Ilsa Jun 2014 #2
He is certainly very good at... 3catwoman3 Jun 2014 #3
Well said. He is a jerk. And he should go to hell. Louisiana1976 Jun 2014 #41
such a fucking tool snooper2 Jun 2014 #4
If there was a God, lightening would have smote rep Gohmert on the spot. Just sayin. nm rhett o rick Jun 2014 #5
What on earth is the context of this hearing? jberryhill Jun 2014 #6
From the article in the OP... DonViejo Jun 2014 #7
Yes I was hoping for something more specific than that jberryhill Jun 2014 #8
Religious freedom for these dinks means "freedom for me, not for thee". riqster Jun 2014 #10
Here ya go.... DonViejo Jun 2014 #11
Religious Liberty = "all Christian pastors must promulgate my personal beliefs" muriel_volestrangler Jun 2014 #12
But, of course!.... DonViejo Jun 2014 #13
You're kidding me ... muriel_volestrangler Jun 2014 #15
Don't I wish I were kidding you, muriel.... DonViejo Jun 2014 #17
Ah, okay, yes, the Christians are being mercilessly persecuted jberryhill Jun 2014 #20
It is another one of those STUPID... SkyDaddy7 Jun 2014 #29
Surely the Creator must weep at antics such as these. If only there were separation of indepat Jun 2014 #9
+1 million Louisiana1976 Jun 2014 #42
You know 2000 years of Christian theological thought hasn't yet answered this question but Gohmert Johonny Jun 2014 #14
dear mr gohmert, none of your fucking business. spanone Jun 2014 #16
"Hell is other people" -- but especially Repugs. nt eppur_se_muova Jun 2014 #18
True. Louisiana1976 Jun 2014 #43
We paid for this asshole to question someone's religious beliefs. EEO Jun 2014 #19
I resent that fact too. Jamastiene Jun 2014 #40
Pagan Rome sulphurdunn Jun 2014 #21
Message auto-removed Name removed Jun 2014 #22
Next week, Louie Gohmert moderates a debate on how many angels can dance on the head of a pin Jack Rabbit Jun 2014 #23
That was one of the most offensive things I've seen. el_bryanto Jun 2014 #24
Oh jezus H. christ. n/t BlancheSplanchnik Jun 2014 #25
Gohmert's Pile of Whackjob Bile Blue Owl Jun 2014 #26
People have strange visions of heaven/hell packman Jun 2014 #27
Double U-TEE-EFF?!!! What Asylum did she escape from? Ecumenist Jun 2014 #36
You can't spell Gohmert without GOMER. muntrv Jun 2014 #28
He should be forced to either Spirochete Jun 2014 #30
And Lynn was appearing for ? And Gohmert used this time to interrogate someone about religion? YOHABLO Jun 2014 #32
The more you have to shout TNNurse Jun 2014 #33
Welcome to DU, TNNurse...right glad tameetcha! Ecumenist Jun 2014 #38
You mean that followers of Jesus Christ should leftieNanner Jun 2014 #39
OMG!!!! G_j Jun 2014 #34
Yep, in a hand basket. Jamastiene Jun 2014 #44
& this dude gets payed G_j Jun 2014 #48
I suppose... DirtyDawg Jun 2014 #35
On the Road to Theocracy leftieNanner Jun 2014 #37
Gohmert needs to get himself an abandoned drive-in movie theater... KansDem Jun 2014 #45
I'm sure the Republican leadership will stand up and condemn Gohmert's hate speech. Right? Scuba Jun 2014 #46
Claiming that non-Christians will go to hell is utterly ridiculous in this day and age. Nye Bevan Jun 2014 #47
Hitchens was right, religion poisons everything. nt Demo_Chris Jun 2014 #49

Ilsa

(61,690 posts)
2. Gohmert's job is to be a religious asshole.
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 01:44 PM
Jun 2014

It's his way or Hell. And he wants to prove to everyone that his self-righteousness is justified. Total jerk. I wish he was being tossed from office. Pharisee.

3catwoman3

(23,949 posts)
3. He is certainly very good at...
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 01:47 PM
Jun 2014

...that job. I wish he would go to Hell.

This shouldn't even be part of any congressional discussion.

DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
7. From the article in the OP...
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 01:53 PM
Jun 2014
"...a House Judiciary Committee hearing on religious freedom."


The first sentence.

DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
11. Here ya go....
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 02:09 PM
Jun 2014

HEARING: THE STATE OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN THE UNITED STATES
2141 Rayburn House Office Building

2:00 p.m.

By Direction of the Chairman

Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice

http://judiciary.house.gov/index.cfm/hearings?ID=155C8980-8171-4A92-B528-A3E0387C0891

muriel_volestrangler

(101,271 posts)
15. You're kidding me ...
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 02:30 PM
Jun 2014

He's a dumb asshole. How the hell did he pass any bar exams, let alone persuade anyone he could be objective enough to be a judge?

DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
17. Don't I wish I were kidding you, muriel....
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 02:35 PM
Jun 2014
Gohmert was born in Pittsburg, Texas, the son of Erma Sue (née Brooks) and Louis Buller Gohmert. He is of part German ancestry.[2][3] Gohmert was raised in Mount Pleasant, Texas, where he graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1971.[4] He was then accepted into Texas A&M University, receiving his B.A. in history in 1975.[5] Gohmert spent a summer as an exchange student in Ukraine.[6] He received an army scholarship while at Texas A&M, where he was a brigade commander of the Corps of Cadets and class president.[7]

He later received his Juris Doctor from Baylor Law School in Waco, Texas in 1977 where he also served as class president.[8] Gohmert served in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, at Fort Benning, Georgia, from 1978 to 1982.[9] The majority of his U.S. Army legal service was as a defense attorney.

Gohmert was elected as a state district judge for Texas's 7th Judicial District, serving Smith County (Tyler, Texas) from 1992 to 2002; being reelected to a total of three terms.[9] Gohmert first saw national recognition for a 1996 probation requirement where he ordered an H.I.V. positive man, who was convicted on motor vehicle theft charges, to seek the written consent from all future sexual partners on a court provided form notifying them of H.I.V. status;[10] angering AIDS and Gay rights activists, as well as civil libertarians.[11] Gohmert was appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry to fill a vacancy as Chief Justice on Texas's 12th Court of Appeals, where he served a six month term from 2002 to 2003.[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louie_Gohmert
 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
20. Ah, okay, yes, the Christians are being mercilessly persecuted
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 03:03 PM
Jun 2014

...and the lions aren't hungry enough.

SkyDaddy7

(6,045 posts)
29. It is another one of those STUPID...
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 04:13 PM
Jun 2014

Useless waste of tax payer dollar committees on a topic that has NOTHING to do with anything to help Americans!

I think this one was on "Religious Freedom"...I guess they think religious freedom is under assault because they can't bash gays & get away with it like they use to. Seriously!

indepat

(20,899 posts)
9. Surely the Creator must weep at antics such as these. If only there were separation of
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 02:05 PM
Jun 2014

church and state, Americans would not be subjected to theatrics such as his.

Johonny

(20,818 posts)
14. You know 2000 years of Christian theological thought hasn't yet answered this question but Gohmert
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 02:25 PM
Jun 2014

thinks he'll settle it with a hearing.

Jamastiene

(38,187 posts)
40. I resent that fact too.
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 04:38 PM
Jun 2014

No one should have to sit through that kind of pompous, arrogant holier than thou type of preaching, especially not at taxpayers' expense. That really pisses me off.

 

sulphurdunn

(6,891 posts)
21. Pagan Rome
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 03:15 PM
Jun 2014

was very tolerant of the religions of its subject peoples and even its enemies, so long as they didn't challenge the authority of the state. Then, for historically murky reasons, Rome began throwing Christians to the lions. It didn't work. Rome became a Christian theocracy and all the various pagan religions disappeared very quickly. There are different ways to look at that. One way is definitely not flattering to Christianity.

Response to DonViejo (Original post)

Jack Rabbit

(45,984 posts)
23. Next week, Louie Gohmert moderates a debate on how many angels can dance on the head of a pin
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 03:51 PM
Jun 2014

Gohmert wastes as much time and money on this kind of crap than Darrell Issa.

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)
24. That was one of the most offensive things I've seen.
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 03:54 PM
Jun 2014

He only allows e-mails from his district - jerkass.

Bryant

 

packman

(16,296 posts)
27. People have strange visions of heaven/hell
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 04:11 PM
Jun 2014

This is in all seriousness - a women told my wife and I that EVERYONE is doomed to hell. But, the good people in hell would be separate from the bad people in hell by a glass window . And the good side would be air-conditioned so they wouldn't burn up and they would spend some time there viewing and enjoying the torments of the bad people on the other side before they would be taken up in heaven. The reason? So they would appreciate heaven even more than just being taken up immediately.

TNNurse

(6,926 posts)
33. The more you have to shout
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 04:25 PM
Jun 2014

About being a Christian, the more I suspect that you are not. That includes those assholes who make millions "preaching" and building mega "churches". If you go to a church where the minister does not know your name and flies off in a private jet for his or her next event, you should ask if this is what Christ was teaching about. If your focus is mainly on worrying about other people's private lives and not feeding and educating children, forgiving others and making the world better for ANYONE, you need to look into your heart and get down on your knees and beg some forgiveness for yourself.

End of sermon for today.

leftieNanner

(15,063 posts)
39. You mean that followers of Jesus Christ should
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 04:36 PM
Jun 2014

actually follow his deeds and his teachings??? What a concept!



P.S. I miss Molly Ivins too

Jamastiene

(38,187 posts)
44. Yep, in a hand basket.
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 04:43 PM
Jun 2014

I'm sick of this kind of arrogant preaching being paid for by our tax dollars, against our will.

 

DirtyDawg

(802 posts)
35. I suppose...
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 04:32 PM
Jun 2014

...it would have been 'un-Christianlike' for Rev. Lynn to have said to 'Gomer' Gohmert, 'You really are as big a piece-of-s$$t as everybody says you are, aren't you Congressman?'

leftieNanner

(15,063 posts)
37. On the Road to Theocracy
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 04:34 PM
Jun 2014

That's where Louie wants to take us. And a lot of other Congresscritters would go there too. David Bratt (who defeated Eric Cantor) is one of the churchies as well. We'll have our very own Taliban here in the US. Truly scary.

KansDem

(28,498 posts)
45. Gohmert needs to get himself an abandoned drive-in movie theater...
Wed Jun 11, 2014, 05:09 PM
Jun 2014

He can open one of those drive-in churches and do his shtick for the Sunday morning Fundies.

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
47. Claiming that non-Christians will go to hell is utterly ridiculous in this day and age.
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 12:41 AM
Jun 2014

I think the worst they should expect is 5 to 10 year in Purgatory, followed by admittance to Heaven conditional on their good behavior.

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