Anybody Got Some Serious Dirt on the Religious Right?

I'm pissed. Post it here please. I need ammo.:mad:

worse... if memory serves.

Kids get married too early, have unrealistic expectations, run into severely bad relationship issues. Substance abuse is huge.

from reality and supporting a bunch of lunatics in D.C. as well.

to the point that their fundie religious pitch sounds plausible.

http://www.divorcereform.org/rates.html

http://www.motherjones.com/news/exhibit/2005/01/exhibit.html

(use Control F to find "red states")

Hypocrites everyone of them.

in sex stings at a higher rate then catholic priests.

their existence.

October 17, 2005
TVC's Sheldon Accepted Big Bucks to Support Gambling, Mislead Followers

The Washington Post reported Oct. 16 that the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, head of the Traditional Values Coalition, accepted at least $25,000 in direct funds, and perhaps thousands more in indirect support, from an online gambling company and indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff in a 2000 campaign to block federal legislation that would have banned online gambling.

Furthermore, former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed reportedly acted as a financial, political and marketing go-between, channeling (laundering) funds in a $2 million pro-gambling campaign involving former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's office, the gambling industry, and Christian rightists allied with Reed and Sheldon who were willing to accept money without knowing its source; shoot down antigambling legislation without concern for the facts; and battle fellow Christian rightists.

When the campaign briefly went sour, and Sheldon's lying was exposed, Sheldon diverted attention with an attack on homosexuals.

As XGW noted last week, Sheldon continues to exploit homosexuals to divert attention from his own unethical behavior.

According to the Post,

{Reed and Sheldon} kept in close contact with Abramoff about the arrangement, e-mails show. Abramoff also turned to prominent anti-tax conservative Grover Norquist, arranging to route some of eLottery's money for Reed through Norquist's group, Americans for Tax Reform.

At one point, eLottery's backers even circulated a forged letter of support from Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R).

{DeLay aide Tony C.} Rudy declined to comment for this report. A spokesman for Reed -- now a candidate for lieutenant governor of Georgia -- said that he and his associates are unaware that any money they received came from gambling activities. Sheldon said that he could not remember receiving eLottery money and that he was unaware that Abramoff was involved in the campaign to defeat the bill. Norquist's group would say only that it had opposed the gambling ban on libertarian grounds.

More:
http://www.exgaywatch.com/blog/archives/2005/10/tvcs_sheldon_ac.html

And within that, there's all the stuff about Operation Blessing being just a front for Robertson's mining operations in Africa.

esp #'s 7, 8 & 14


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=62868&mesg_id=62871

but here are a few off the top of my head:

1) BTK serial killer- high church lay official and registered Republican

2) Timothy McVeigh- Evangelical christian

3) Alabama- Fundie youth minister busted for kiddie diddling

4) Iowa- Fundie youth minister busted for kiddie diddling

5) Louisiana- entire evangelical church leadership taken down for kiddie diddling AND beastiality

6) Pennsylvania- Fundie homophobe street preacher busted for soliciting little boys for "sucky-sucky"

And here's the line that will bust your evangelical foe's chops but good: "I'd no sooner leave my children alone with a fundie preacher than I'd leave 'em alone w/ Charles Manson."

specifics.

He and other evangelicals are actively working to take over the judiciary just as they are trying to control the executive and legislative branches of government.

She has him in quotes but there no sources cited. Perhaps she could share those with us.

definitely something sneaky.. like along the lines of Robertson and his blood diamonds.

They cry all the time about "activist judges" but they're the one's doing the activist part! The other judges are just trying to do their job.

to beat children "until they cry real tears."

Bastard!

Google around some. I did once when I was gonna write an article, and I was aghast to find that the main body of fundy "thought" holds that Dobson is a pussy because he doesn't think you should beat kids before the age of 2 years (or is it 18 months?--No matter), and he actually suggests the use of positive reinforcement for good behavior.

Ew.

You mean dirt like... they are using the name of the Christian Messiah to get rich? Or they support, with their money and votes, the powerful that use the name of the Christian Messiah to get rich.
Maybe, letting Terry Schivo die while not calling Benny Hinn
to heal her? Or do you mean the part about being theocratic fascists?
Fascism of any kind is evil. Theocratic fascists have an ironic
dilemma. They speak 'good versus evil' yet they are evil at their
core.

George Barna Research Group. George Barna, a born-again Christian whose company is in Ventura, Calif.

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdates#2004


http://www.worthynews.com/news-features/christian-divorce-rate.html

The Barna Research Firm is defending a recent survey which found some disturbing statistics regarding born-again Christians and divorce. The survey found that born-again Christians were just as likely as non-believers to divorce.

In fact, the survey found that the divorce rate is higher for Christians when compared with non-believers.



http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/12/afa/62002a.asp

A new survey shows that adults with no connection to the Christian faith have low opinions of evangelicals. The researcher who conducted the study believes that may be one reason why churches are not growing.

The Barna survey asked respondents how they felt about evangelicals, born-again Christians, ministers, and other types of people. According to the survey, evangelicals came in tenth out of eleven, trailing lesbians and lawyers but beating out prostitutes.


http://www.worldvision.org/worldvision/pr.nsf/stable/new_barna

A new survey shows that evangelicals less likely than other Americans to help children orphaned by AIDS.

The survey of more than 1,000 adults, sponsored by World Vision and conducted by the California-based Barna Research Group, found that 3 percent of evangelicals said they "definitely" would help children orphaned because of AIDS, compared with 5 percent of all respondents.



http://www.connectionmagazine.org/archives_old/archives/2000/oct2000/disturbing.htm

Americans have been called the most religious population on earth. But a new study shows that only a minority of adults strongly hold opinions that line up with scripture.

A recent Barna Research survey showed that 60% of all adults agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all it teaches. However, people's knowledge of the content actually taught in the Bible often falls short. For example, 53% of people believe the Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves. Forty-one percent agreed that the Holy Spirit is not real, but a symbol of God's presence.

Fundies have lower IQs than any other group in the country?

I have parkinson's they think in embryo is more important than I am.
If I wasn't excummunicated I still couldn't attend mass because they make me feel like a hypocrite. My family belongs to the church that I was excummincated from also, because I refused to take pictures of women entering abortion clincs so that they can scarlet letter them.
How's that for a kick in the head.

fuckers

I can't remember what issue it was, but it had a whole list of the fundies on TV and why they are sinners.

Can't remember because I was drunk off of Killians Irish Red and Sam Adams at my friends B-day. I laughed so hard when I started reading it and had shown it to my buddy who is studying to be a history major with a minor in poli-sci.

Robertson, Fallwell, Focus on the Family, etc.

http://s7.invisionfree.com/Christian_Liberal/index.php?s=536b3522b4218afd284959665c1be1c4&showforum=3

And I have an older much larger archive of articles here.

http://p073.ezboard.com/fchristianliberalfrm14

http://p073.ezboard.com/fchristianliberalfrm14.showMessage?topicID=26.topic

Hagar is an especially nasty piece of work. These guys are power hungry sickos.

"Davis alleges that between 1995 and their divorce in 2002, Hager repeatedly sodomized her without her consent. Several sources on and off the record confirmed that she had told them it was the sexual and emotional abuse within their marriage that eventually forced her out. "I probably wouldn't have objected so much, or felt it was so abusive if he had just wanted normal (vaginal) sex all the time," she explained to me. "But it was the painful, invasive, totally nonconsensual nature of the (anal) sex that was so horrible.""

This is also from The Nation's article: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050530/mcgarvey

"For Hager, those moral and ethical issues all appear to revolve around sex: In both his medical practice and his advisory role at the FDA, his ardent evangelical piety anchors his staunch opposition to emergency contraception, abortion and premarital sex. Through his six books--which include such titles as Stress and the Woman's Body and As Jesus Cared for Women, self-help tomes that interweave syrupy Christian spirituality with paternalistic advice on women's health and relationships--he has established himself as a leading conservative Christian voice on women's health and sexuality."

The man must be deranged. And I'm sure since George appointed him he must be "doing a heck of a job."

and PostPartum Depression. His Rx? PRAY. I am sure he would be leading the way not only to ban contraceptives (of course abortion), but probably also pain medication and mood stabilizers too.

He's in it DEEP too. :) There was a thread on it here on DU, but I didn't save the thread. You should be able to find it with a search of his name though. :hi:

Before coming to Congress he was president of Southwest Baptist University in Boliver, Missouri.

http://www.blunt.house.gov/About.aspx?Section=5

These guys are the kings of sleaze. Or should I say monarchs? :eyes:

http://www.firedupmissouri.com/blunt_ltrs_for_jack

"The federal investigation into lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his ties to the Republican leadership keeps making fascinating twists and turns. Today's NY Times reports on a $9 million mega-deal Jack worked on with the President of Gabon.

But of more interest to Missourians is the cash that flowed through Jack to the House GOP Leadership and then on to almost every major Republican candidate for anything in Missouri.

The feds are already looking into whether there were official actions taken for the money that Abramoff showered so liberally on key GOP leaders.

It's only a matter of time before the feds take notice of Majority Leader Roy Blunt (R-K Street) and his keen interest in Indian gaming matters. In May of 2003, at Abramoff's urging, Roy Blunt sent a letter to Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior, taking the side of Abramoff's client in an Indian gaming dispute. Just a few short weeks later, Blunt joined Speaker Dennis Hastert, then-Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor, in yet another letter to Norton, once again siding with the Abramoff client. These letters were designed to aid Abramoff's prized client, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana and their casino gambling operations."

Bobo's World
Dispatches from the American Heartland.
http://heartlandvalues.blogspot.com/

Thanks.

I added that page to my favorites.

She has concluded that they are good for the Democratic Party because Pat Robertson and Dobson both keep putting their foot in thier mouths and will ultimately create their own backlash. Eventually, GOP leadership will have to distance themeselves and then the party will implode.

Personally, I thin Pat Robertson has gon around the bend and is quickly digging his own grave.


Why would you want dirt? Who are you trying to convince that they are fools.... the only ones who listen to them anymore are theere own followers.


I would rather have them aroung for political grist then make an attempt to destroy them. A coordinate attempt to do that would look likley allow them to play the perscution card.

And I know of Christians who think Pat Robertson should just shut up and retire because he doesn't do any of us any good which is true. Robertson just cares about the money. It's good to know this information though in case you come across someone who is a supporter of their's than you can give them all the dirt. I think your Mom is right though about them. They have so much power now in the republican party and some of the non-religious republicans or not so fundamentalist one's are turning away and voting democratic or something.

There are good teachers and bad ones, good RWers and bad ones, good Christians and bad ones, good DU posts and bad ones.

Yes, there are problems inside churches and schools. And the problems with these two are often in the leaders.

How much is the leadership setting up smokescreens? How much do the churches attract people wanting to hide their proclivities? How much are churches a resource for such proclivities?

Without some numbers, good people will be alienated from thinking any further about our politics.

I'm not saying that you should not do this. Just be careful. Don't lose your focus. Anger won't be an excuse by then.

No kiding? Haven't met one yet and have bumped into quite a few.

A lot are scared sheep. They are not unreachable. Churches are about evenly divided Dem/Con. They do tilt toward Cons at this moment.

Cons have created issues a church can mention, e.g. abortion, gays, values, conservativism, which are code for RepubliCON and do not, so far, lose them their non-profit status.

We CAN, if we deem it needful, we can fight this practice, or, we can undermine these issues, or we can take these issues for ourselves. I think we can do the last two.

Yes, they spew the CON line, but it's weak and getting weaker. One thing to notice is when the slightest parallel is drawn to Hitler, the CONs go ballistic with denials and threats. If the churched realized how close it was, there would be a major flood of either Dem voters or ex-CON voters who will sheepishly stay home.

I know a lot of Christians at my church who are republicans and they're just good people who believe the republican party is a good party. They don't keep up with the news or anything like that since they have their own lives and jobs. My dad is a republican who is a Christian (he's an old fashioned republican) and we even voted for the same guy for mayor which really surprised me. It's all about exposing them for what they truly are.

is the operative pairing here.

And anyone who has read anything of the New Testament and applied a miniscule quantity of human understanding would realize that it is utterly and completely impossible to support Republican politics and policies and be a practicing Christian.

Ergo, if you are Right Wing you are a bad Christian. And you are not going to convince me otherwise. You may be confused, mentally ill, or quite stupid (and therefore not purely evil) if you try to follow both philosophies, but you can't be a good Christian--they are mutually exclusive. Even if one gives to the poor and volunteers at homeless shelter or whatever, that does not make up for supporting a semi-fascist regime that is responsible for 1000's of deaths.

I thin you analysis is pretty much spot on accurate.

Most RWs find their Biblical Justification in the OT as opposed to the NT.

The problem I have with them is that I think they are Biblically Heretical with regards to their objectives and tactics. THey tend to ignore the fact that the OT was generally about How a community of faith was going to deal with the issues of tribal purity in a world that was hostile to it, It was not about exporting those rules and regs to others. It was about how to hold the israelite nation together The OT is about that and that alone.

The RW would seek to impose those regs on the greater society. It does not work like that and God opposes that type of arrogance (Deut 28)

From an NT perspective, their approach fails the "acid test" of always pointing to the person of Jesus CHrist, In fact, they have succeed in pushing more away form the faith then they have in evangelizing the lost. I could except it more easily if it were in the name of orthodoxy...but it is wholly about political power and political relevance rather then Jesus.

That is not to say that all Christian should be liberals. Some strains of liberalism I think go too far into a level of moral and cultural relativism that I can't as a Christian subscribe to. Its always a tough call as to whether engage politically on that front. On abortion for example, I think largely it is morally bankrupt. But I do not have the right to to impose a Christian standard on those not in my "community". Within my "community" my first responsibility is to be merciful and compassionate to those who might have personally endured such a trial. I might have to pick a fight with someone within the community who thinks abortion on demand is fine for Christians. But that battle is theological and more about internal debate about advocacy then about a fundamental rights issue.

But certainly on issues of peace and hunger and poverty and human dignity, most Christians should be Democrats.

I'm a Christian too and none I know follow the Old Testament. We all think it's a history book for the faith and everything. We follow the NT and my preacher does reference back to the OT but it's to make a point about something or another. And I've never heard any of these religious right folks quote the NT either unless it's about gay people than that's Paul and not Jesus.

These people deem themselves Right Wing, partly because it is popular, partly because of being confused with myriads of information of varyingly questionable quality. I blame the media for this.

So, the only clear issue is one of the CON list: abortion, values, and gays, guns, and God. They revert to the bumper sticker. It's a "who do you believe," your president or some Senator? Well, the whatever-issue is clear: Dems say X, Cons say Z, easier for the rediculously informed.

Only now is the president's veracity being questioned. The result is an angry confused and loud religious group inside each church.

We do not need to browbeat them now, nor alienate them now. We need to hug them.

Seems to me it's still squarely pointed at liberals.

I don't see how I can further "alienate" people who think I'm worthless dirt because I don't follow their irrational, hate-filled and sex-obsessed agenda. Can we say Dominionists? I don't think they're particularly interested in hugs from me--or anyone on this board.

If they deem themselves Right Wing, and support RW policies, they are not practicing the precepts of Christianity. Everything the RW is doing in this country is antithetical to what Jesus Christ would practice.

If they're starting to see the light or are starting to doubt whether their agenda of hate and intolerance is really "The Way," then by all means help them in their journey from the dark side. But that still doesn't change the fact that what they are currently practicing isn't Christianity. If I called myself a teetotaler but drank heavily every night, you might feel sorry for me and want to help me stop getting soused every night, but you would have to admit that, however much you wanted to help me, you could not in all honesty call me a teetotaler.

Your analogy assumes ALL Christians/teetotals are as one. If you need some non-drinkers from a group of non-drinkers, and then you find that some of that group do drink, then NOT ALL OF THEM ARE USEFUL TO YOU, BUT, YES, SOME ARE USEFUL FOR YOU. Don't alienate them ALL.

To extetnd your analogy, suppose that some of the non-drinker group foolishly does not know that vanilla has alcohol and they are drinking it. They do think they are non-drinkers, just like these misguided Christians think they are acting like Christians.

Excuse me, but your anger seems to overwhelm you so that your last post English is poor, analogy false, and meaning obtuse.

//Where within groups is anger and confusion// Some in the group, in their minds, in their homes: what matter is the where?

//IT points at liberals// Anger and confusion? No, you seem to mean some unspoken diatribes -- I guess. (Are they all speaking in a chorus in unison? I doubt it.)

And, the hyperboles of //you're thought of as DIRT// and //EVERYTHING their doing// does not help bridge our gap of understanding.

Excuse me, but your anger seems to overwhelm you so that your last post English is poor, analogy false, and meaning obtuse.

Seriously--read your post. Sorry if you can't understand complex sentences, but they're not poor English.

Your sentences, however, are full of grammatical errors and are, frankly, incomprehensible.

If I were drinking enough vanilla to get drunk every night, I would still not be a teetotaler. Quite incredibly stupid--perhaps willfully so, to fail to recognize that I was getting plastered--but not a teetotaler. And if I railed against drunks, but refused to pay attention when others pointed out the warning on the label of the vanilla bottle, then I'm not innocent.

These people have access to and claim to follow the New Testament. They violate it, repeatedly and willfully. They are not true followers of the New Testament. When they recognize what they are doing and stop violating the teaching of Jesus, they may become Christians. But, until they do that, they are not Christians.

The analogy is not about innocence, it is about fooled people who can become useful. (Whether foolish or "incredibly stupid" is irrelevant.)

RW pundits took the warning label off the bottle. We can gain those people back. I'll suggest that we NEED to gain them back.

You want to decide who is Christian and who is not. I'll say making that decision IS NOT GOOD. You play with fire, you may get us all burned.

BTW: English is foremost conveyance, good grammar only helps sometimes.

If my words to you, you a well-meaning, good, involved citizen, invoke a reaction, please, imagine what reaction might come of your words to a Christian. As much as you would not want to listen to me, meaninglessly assessing my grammar, they might not want to listen to you. And Democrats lose a voting block.

Be careful.

You'll never sleep soundly again.

...running that little scam at their christian amusement park.
Several yrs ago one of our N.Florida republican politicians, a self-proclaimed christian, was busted with a prostitute. I know, nothing unusual there, but the story noted that the amount paid for services was "$18.40". To this day I wonder what the hell was the .40 cents all about? Was he just a cheap bastard and haggled her down .60 cents? I mean, I was in the navy so I know you negotiate in increments of $5 or in weaker economies overseas in dollar increments...but no self-respecting sex industry consumer will quibble over fractionals. Sheesh, $18.40? Was it coupon night? Or maybe he asked "How much?" and she said "How much you got?" and he just turned his pocket inside out? Did he get her down to $19 and then make the condition that she had to go to church at the next opportunity and set aside .60 cents for the poor box?
"Father forgive me it has been 11 years since my last confession....here's .60 cents from a cheap-ass republican christian that made me agree to give it to you...OK, let's see...I have fornicated outside of wedlock, stolen mini-shampoos from motel rooms, used the lords name in vain........."
Questions abound.

with the Rev. Moon and his Unification Church?

This is a four part series from early 2002, the ties and all involved are rather frightening to say the least. It is well worth the read and appeared to be well documented. I know rense is not exactly well respected around here, but there are exceptions. To me this is one.


The Unholy Alliance -
Christianity & The NWO
Part I
EXCLUSIVE TO RENSE.COM
By Eric Jewell
sum14hizwrd@tcworks.net
2-25-2


snip:

Rev. Sun Myung Moon (The Moonies), and
the Unification Church
For those few of you who are not familiar with the Rev. Moon, in the 60s both he and his Unification Church were universally regarded as a dangerous cult. The abuse his followers suffered at the hands of their mind manipulating master is indeed very well established.

His claims include stating that Christ failed His mission, and that Moon himself is the "new messiah" who is come to fulfill the mission of God. He also claims that it is his mission to 'unite the world through uniting religious forces'. But would it shock you to know that nearly all the big name Christian evangelicals have extremely strong ties to him?

One such Church leader and internationally recognized evangelical Christian, Jerry Falwell, readily admits that he accepted 2.5 million dollars from Moon in 1994 in order to bail out his Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. This was funneled through a Moon organization known as the 'Womens Federation for World Peace' which has been chaired by Beverly LaHaye, Wife of Timothy LaHaye, who is the popular co-author of the "Left Behind" Christian fictional book series and a well known evangelical Christian.

snip:

The Council Of National Policy (CNP)
Another Moon sponsored organization is the Council of National Policy founded in 1981 by Tim LaHaye, the aforementioned co-author of the "Left Behind" book series.

http://www.rense.com/general20/unholy.htm

Seriously, I've seen a lot of shit. PM me and I'll give you some info.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2278905

I was thinking of your request about fundies and graft etc., so in case you hadn't seen this I googled Randy Cunningham and this site came up in wikipedia. There's more. ;)

http://heartlandvalues.blogspot.com/

Regularly updated, worth a look-see for sure.

that there was some guy working for Focus on the Family going around claiming to be an ex-gay and someone saw him at a gay bar in DC. I heard that one here.

The Yurica Report: www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/DirectoryRiseOfDominionismInAmerica.html

And Theocracy Watch: www.theocracywatch.org/

Here's a Catholic discussion of the Tim LaHaye's "Left Behind" books. Aside from the history & theology, we learn that Rev LaHaye is anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic, a pal of Sun Myung Moon & possibly a plagiarist.

www.catholic.com/library/false_profit.asp

Check all these sources & follow the links to other information. The same names keep coming up.

I'd like to emphasize that we're talking about the Religious Right, Dominionists, etc. Your Fundamentalist and/or Evangelical neighbors might take a dim view of these folks--if they knew the facts.

these megachurches are able to come up with huge, well-equipped "campuses" right off, when mainstream churches start out small and usually don't get their own building for several years, when they have enough members to finance it.

Could the Coors Foundation or some other right-wing funding source be financing them?

Surely this is Pulitzer Prize material for some reporter with the right connections.

All the ammunition you need.

They're fuckin assholes.

adulterers and closet druggers and drinkers around here, you just find a chest-beatin' born-again fundie.

Also, they tend to be a great source for pot. And the names of great divorce attorneys.