Americans Are Leaving Religion Behind...

[josephpalazzo]

and It Scares the Hell Out of the Christian Right.

Take Fox News host Gretchen Carlson in an interview with WorldNetDaily, where she explained why she felt the need to participate in a Christian right movie called “Persecuted” that laughably posits that there’s some kind of attack on the right of American Christians to practice their faith. Carlson argued that Christians are being persecuted by not being able to foist their faith on others, complaining about “petitions at state governors’ offices during the Christmas season to put up a ‘Festivus pole’ â€" from the made-up holiday of ‘Festivus’ from the ‘Seinfeld’ TV show â€" next to a Christian crèche on public lands.” She also bemoaned the disappearance of crèches around town during Christmas, implying that her neighbors have an obligation to decorate for Christmas so that she and her kids feel satisfied that their beliefs are still dominant.

That’s the idea that’s animating the Christian right: They really do believe everyone else owes them, that we are obligated to tithe to their churches and pray to their God and if we don’t want to do that, we should somehow be treated as less than fully American. You may think you’re just exercising personal choice when you get married in a park or choose not to hang Christmas decorations, but as Carlson’s interview demonstrates, conservative Christians see this as an attack on their “right” to live in a society that flatters their beliefs everywhere they go.

And since the rest of us heathens aren’t cooperating, they’re going to force it on the rest of us through government means, such Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad throwing the finger to the First Amendment to declare a special Christian repentance day for the whole state or, of course, by trying to make us live by their beliefs by restricting abortion or gay rights. And now, with Hobby Lobby v Burwell, there’s a new means to try to force you to pay fealty to their beliefs, by giving employers the ability to manipulate your workplace conditions or compensation package to punish you for doing things their faith forbids.

In her dissent in Hobby Lobby, Justice Ginsburg argued that the decision “invites for-profit entities to seek religion-based exemptions from regulations they deem offensive to their faith,” suggesting there might be a wide expansion in businesses demanding the religious right to control and punish employees for not following their religious dictates. Sure, the government may not be able to make you please Gretchen Carlson by putting a nativity scene in your front yard, but we may be looking at a future where your boss forces you to in order to protect his “religious freedom”.

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/americans-are-leaving-religion-behind-and-it-scares-hell-out-christian-right?page=0%2C2&paging=off&current_page=1#bookmark

[Hijiri Byakuren]

I like how she accuses Festivus of being a "made-up holiday from Seinfeld." First of all, Festivus has been around since 1966. Secondly, Festivus isn't anymore made up than Christmas is, and at least has the balls to admit it.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Poor bigots aren't happy with the way things are going?

[Solitary]

But! But! This is a Christian Nation.  Solitary

[stromboli]

Can't happen fast enough or soon enough.

[josephpalazzo]

Can't happen fast enough or soon enough.

We all wish that. Problem is that these motherfuckers are getting desperate and they are pushing the politicians to reverse the clock back to the 19th century, and in some parts of the States, it is saddly happening.

[Hydra009]

Can't happen fast enough or soon enough.

But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater! /liberalChristianmantra

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Don't be in to big of hurry to celebrate. They still outnumber us by huge margins and enough money to pound their message of bs on nearly all of the airwaves 24/7 if they so choose.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Don't be in to big of hurry to celebrate. They still outnumber us by huge margins and enough money to pound their message of bs on nearly all of the airwaves 24/7 if they so choose.

DISH has at least 17 channels devoted to religious programming.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Wait till they try to make the claim every program has to mention god and if not it's discriminating against their beliefs and SCOTUS agrees and demand that the FCC take action to 'rectify the problem'.

[Minimalist]

This is why I love stories like this....

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/07/05/louisiana-republican-when-i-voted-for-state-funds-to-go-to-religious-schools-i-didnt-mean-muslim-ones/

Louisiana Republican: When I Voted for State Funds to go to Religious Schools, I Didn’t Mean Muslim Ones

Nothing better than watching these xtian shitwits get bit on the ass by their own little illegal schemes!

Allah ahkbar, motherfuckers!

[SGOS]

Louisiana Republican: When I Voted for State Funds to go to Religious Schools, I Didn’t Mean Muslim Ones

This is absolutely precious.   

[josephpalazzo]

This is why I love stories like this....

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/07/05/louisiana-republican-when-i-voted-for-state-funds-to-go-to-religious-schools-i-didnt-mean-muslim-ones/

Nothing better than watching these xtian shitwits get bit on the ass by their own little illegal schemes!

Allah ahkbar, motherfuckers!

It's hilarious that republicans consider themselves to be conservatives, yet they find no issue at all with using state funds for religious schools.

[stromboli]

Unless and until we can remove those politicians from power who enable the Christian Right from perpetrating their ultra conservative idiocy, progress will be stymied and fought against. We need a solidly liberal government to overcome both SCOTUS and the advocacy of religious interference in our government and our society.

[Solitary]

When the School District I worked for wanted voucher programs I knew it was so the Christians can teach their dogma. They even let Christians use the school during summer vacation to teach their dogma. What else, in Arizona? Solitary