Excerpt:
Our mission here is to serve you well, to restore the people’s faith in this House, in this great and essential institution. My dad... was a firefighter. He was an assistant chief in the Fire Department in my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana, a little town in northwest Louisiana. On September 17th, 1984, when I was 12 years old, he was critically burned and permanently disabled in the line of duty. All I ever wanted to be when I grew up was the Chief of the Fire Department in Shreveport, but after the explosion on that fateful day, he nearly died and it was a long road back and it’s changed all of our life trajectories. I’m the oldest of four kids and my dad, he lived with pain all the rest of his life for decades more and I lost my dad to cancer three days before I got elected to Congress, three days, and he wanted to be there at my election night so badly. I’m the first college graduate in my family. This was a big deal to him. So several weeks after that, it was early 2017, it was my freshman term and it fell to me to be in the rostrum one night to serve here as Speaker Pro-Tem. I thought that was a big deal until I figured out that’s what you do for freshmen late at night and I think, if my memory serves, Ms. Jackson Lee was winding down one of her long, eloquent speeches, and not that I was not enraptured by her speech, but I looked up at the top of the chamber there and I saw the face of Moses staring down and I just felt in that moment the weight of this place, the history that is revered here and the future that we are called to forge, and I really was just kind of almost overwhelmed with emotion. It occurred to me in that moment it had been several weeks and I had not had an opportunity yet to grieve my dad’s passing and I just had this sense that somehow he knew and I had tears come to my eyes and I was standing here and I’m wiping them away and then it suddenly occurs to me the late night C-SPAN viewers are going to think something’s very wrong with the new young congressman from Louisiana. It wasn’t....
He saw Moses staring down... and later he expressed the idea that God has more or less chosen him:
We are the beacon of freedom and we must preserve this grand experiment in self-governance.... We’re only 247 years into this grand experiment. We don’t know how long it will last, but we do know that the founders told us to take good care of it. I want to tell all my colleagues here what I told the Republicans in that room last night. I don’t believe there are any coincidences in a manner like this. I believe that scripture, the Bible is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority. He raised up each of you, all of us, and I believe that God has ordained and allowed each one of us to be brought here for this specific moment in this time. This is my belief. I believe that each one of us has a huge responsibility today to use the gifts that God has given us to serve the extraordinary people of this great country and they deserve it and to ensure that our republic remains standing as the great beacon of light and hope and freedom in a world that desperately needs it....
It's one thing to recognize the role of Moses and God, but Johnson also cited G. K. Chesterson:
G. K. Chesterson was the famous British philosopher and statesman and he said one time, “America is the only nation in the world that is founded upon a creed” and he said, “It’s listed with almost theological lucidity in the Declaration of Independence.” What is our creed? We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, not born equal, created equal, and they’re endowed by the same unalienable rights, with the same unalienable rights, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. That is the creed that has animated our nation since its founding, that has made us the great nation that we are and we’re in a time of extraordinary crisis right now and the world needs us to be strong. They need us to remember our creed and our admonition....
And Ronald Reagan:
In his farewell address, President Reagan explained the secret of his rapport with people and I like to paraphrase his explanation all the time. He said, “You know, they call me the great communicator, but I really wasn’t that.” He said, “I was just communicating great things and that the same great things have guided our nation since its founding.”
As for those great things, Johnson made a list — a list of "the seven core principles of American conservatism" and "quintessentially the core principles of our nation."
Here's the list:
- individual freedom
- limited government
- the rule of law
- peace through strength
- fiscal responsibility
- free markets
- human dignity
It's a good list. Does anyone — conservative or not — have a problem with anything on the list?
I note that belief in God did not make the final cut into the 7 principles. I presume that if asked, Johnson would answer that for a religious person, religion lies behind the understanding of and the commitment to these principles, but that those who do not believe in God can and should find their way to these same principles. These are great principles — the argument should go — and you can find them through reason alone.
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145 comments:
It's a good list. Does anyone — conservative or not — have a problem with anything on the list?
Every swamp rat and grifter in Washington, DC.
These are great principles — the argument should go — and you can find them through reason alone.
Can, and must if you want to do more than appeal to those who already agree with you.
Well, although I like that he clearly recognizes the 2020 voter fraud...and I do like that he's a Christian...let's take it easy by the ordained by God stuff ok dude? It's never a good look. Even to other Christians. You were elected Speaker of the House. Doesn't mean you're canonized. You're not Saint Johnson.
The list is good. But let's see if he can really find "peace through strength". Meaning...be strong enough to cut off Zelensky's US Taxpayer ATM card. And although I side with, and am sympathetic to Israel, let's be careful not to start WWIII in the middle east.
Just because Hamas uses children as human shields, doesn't mean it's ok to arbitrarily bomb and kill them just like it's not ok to kidnap and kill Israeli children. Sad times indeed.
Virtue that goes public turns into the worst sort of evil.
"Does anyone — conservative or not — have a problem with anything on the list?"
It is a good list, but you can't seriously believe that the left side of the aisle supports limited government or free markets. They don't believe in anything else on that list either, but I'll be generous and grant them human dignity.
When he governs for all citizens using these rules, let's talk about them.
He hasn't shown these principles in his past work, so your point is moot.
I have a wait and see attitude regarding Johnson. His religion will make him less likely to sell out to the left, which most Republican Speakers do. He's the first speaker since Gingrich who's not from the left of the party, which should make him more effective in achieving GOP goals. Democrats don't do this — Pelosi and Jeffries are both solid liberals, and more effective for it.
Let’s hope GOP exhaustion finally results in actual legislative deliverables along with a balanced budget. Culture war silliness, to entertain the MAGA-impaired, does not resolve the security and structural issues that America faces.
The Bible does say that. It's why many Christian congregations routinely pray for the President and all our leaders. I can't know why God raised Joe Biden up to be the President for a time, but he would be in the Oval unless He allowed it. I believe it applies to all leaders with power. One can ponder why Saddam Hussein or Trudeau or Trump are blessed by God in their time, but really I cannot understand His ways. I can only acknowledge He is in ultimate control of whom rules over whom.
This is textbook traditional protestant Christian USA thinking. He's a carbon copy of this viewpoint from the founding of the country until the 1960s or so. It'll run into two issues today: (1) the will of God was historically used for Manifest Destiny aka "imperialism" and will run straight into the teeth of lefties worldwide, and (2) will of God thinking leads Republicans into a passivity and fatalism versus strategic, aggressive, and predatory opponents.
Nice and smiley "do unto others as you'd have them do unto you" USA was the norm...but it's certainly not the thinking of BLM, pro-Gaza, transgender, or race/colonialism retribution politics. It may find support among compassionate females driven out of the left for being TERFs.
It'll be interesting to see how this goes. It's surely comforting to some with all the uncertainty and chaos today. Security lies in tradition, and in trusting the ever-loving direction of the will of God.
It's a good list. Does anyone — conservative or not — have a problem with anything on the list?
Nice- that's just about my list- I have property rights and access to capital where he has strength whatever I think is wrapped up in some of the others...but no matter. It IS universal- presence of those things and humans thrive, absence of those things and humans suffer...
I'm ready to like the new Speaker. I will be surprised if I am...
It's a good list. Does anyone — conservative or not — have a problem with anything on the list?
From their current actions, the political left has problems with:
individual freedom
limited government
the rule of law
peace through strength
fiscal responsibility
free markets
They want government to control and fear actual freedom
They want an expansive government
They want to prosecute their enemies and let their friends avoid prosecution
They do not want military strength
They want to spend like drunken sailors to buy votes.
They are communists and hate the free market system.
He looks so young! And that's such a great thing. I'm so used to seeing the feeble gerontocracy when people talk of Congressional leadership.
I got no problems with the man or his belief he was guided - or selected for - the position, as long as he fulfills that position admirably and impartially.
"He saw Moses staring down... and later he expressed the idea that God has more or less chosen him..."
Just for clarity, I don't think that AA thought he actually had a vision of Moses:
https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/moses-relief-portrait
He can divine right himself all he wants until the voters have their say.
If God has ordained it then no one could possibly go against it. That's in the constitution, right?
For those that do not know, there is a relief portrait of Moses in the House Chamber, one of 23 carved in marble over the gallery doors.
re: the list:
Leftists/democrats accuse republicans of the opposite, while doing the opposite.
I'm sure the leftists will start the 'whataboutism', but will lie to support their argument.
Well thats all very nice. I find it odd that a Christian would imagine Moses, and not Jesus, beaming down on him. But whatever.
The devils in the details. Does border security make the cut - or included in those broad principles? What about not going to war in Ukraine or iran? what about stopping outsourcing or getting better trade deals? what about illegal immigration and enforcing the immigration law? Is he going to release the J6 tapes and help Trump? Or stopping the Omnibus madness?
We have an elite inspired cultural jihad against average white people and christians. Is our speaker against that? Will he fight the Left and the D's or is he into "reaching accross the aisle"?
In any case, he can't be any worse then McCarthy. Maybe the new speaker will be interested in winning elections and doing what the Republican voters want, instead of the opposite.
I've long liked Mike Johnson and think he's a great choice for Speaker because he's smart, decent, and liked by all on the R caucus. But his bible-thumping and his draconian anti-abortion position (wants a federal law outlawing *all* abortion for any reason) make me queasy.
He should tuck his religion in his sleeve, not on it. And the word "abortion" should never, ever cross his lips (or any Republican's lips) until after November 5, 2024. But he won't and it will - these guys can't help themselves. And that is the best way I know of for Republicans to massively lose the votes of women and independents in the next election. Alas.
Mitt Romney is unhappy with the new Speaker. Which is always a positive sign.
I thought it was a strong and humble speech. It was home-spun and very respectful to all sides. And, while I’m not fatalistic myself, I don’t care if others are, so long as their purpose is positive, sincere and not coercive.
On being chosen or selected for this moment, remember this?:
“When you stop and think about it it’s pretty extraordinary that we select group of human being, because of whatever touched us at some point in our lives are able to sit in a room and come together and actually talk about saving the planet,” Kerry said.
beautiful speech
I love that he talks about his emotion and speaks from the heart
I believe that scripture, the Bible is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority.
He's giving a rah-rah speech to rally the authorities. So I'd cut him a little slack on this. But Jesus and his relationship with authorities is very interesting.
Obviously sometimes God crashes those in authority. God is the one that upsets our authorities, shakes our authorities, makes authority look like a dummy, etc.
Ann:
The Dems are opposed to all seven things on that list and act accordingly every single day. Rule of law? The Dems opened the border. The Dems have two systems of justice.
The Dems want unlimited government.
The Dems want rigged markets for their friends in business.
The Dems don't want to fund the military.
If it’s good, worthy of praise and leads to good results you can bet Democrats and their far-left shock troops will denounce it and run in the opposite direction.
it was early 2017, it was my freshman term and it fell to me to be in the rostrum one night to serve here as Speaker Pro-Tem. I thought that was a big deal until I figured out that’s what you do for freshmen late at night and I think, if my memory serves, Ms. Jackson Lee was winding down one of her long, eloquent speeches, and not that I was not enraptured by her speech, but I looked up at the top of the chamber there and I saw the face of Moses staring down and I just felt in that moment the weight of this place, the history that is revered here and the future that we are called to forge, and I really was just kind of almost overwhelmed with emotion.
That's a remarkable thing to say!
A lot of worldly, secular people would mock him for having a vision or seeing things or whatever.
His vision was Moses, the leader of the Jews. And the vision happened while he was listening to Sheila Jackson Lee.
Very interesting. Sounds kinda like the holy spirit to me, but you never know. I hope he does well, we could use some unity in this country.
These are great principles — the argument should go — and you can find them through reason alone.
Althouse, you know we're dumber than God, right?
"It's a good list. Does anyone — conservative or not — have a problem with anything on the list?"
Umm, yeah. I guess progs could claim to support the last one, minus the dignity of unborn human life. But the others they have explicitly repudiated for over a century. For the early Progressives, individual freedom was the problem, and limitless government unshackled from the Constitution was the solution. They preferred the rule of experts over the rule of law. For a while, anti-pinko lefties supported strength, but many progs were commie fellow travelers from the outset, advocating weakness. Fiscal responsibility and free markets? LOL.
Had almost that same speech been given by a newly elected Democratic Speaker, I feel fairly sure it would be described in straight news stories as eloquent, reaching out to find common ground, etc.
rhhardin @ 11:05: "...virtue that goes public turns into the worst sort of evil."
Well said. But how do we safely distinguish such self-interested preening and posturing for political effect, from the conduct of those who are "living their truth" and, incidentally, are observed by the public to be doing so?
$33 trillion in debt and we get more bullshit about Charleston Heston and Ronald Reagan.
Instead of avoiding responsibility by evoking Moses & The Gipper, start accepting some of the blame.
The GOP, like the Dems, raised the debt more than $30 trillion over the past 40 years.
Spare us your Principles and your Childhood Illusions. Do the fucking job or get lost.
I can only assume Althouse is stirring the pot. She is an astute observer, and can not possibly believe progressives (or whatever they are calling themselves today) believe it's a good list.
To clarify for those who might ne unfamiliar with the Bible or Christian doctrine, there is repeated counsel from God and the Prophets throughout the Bible that we should obey the government with the exception of when our government or leaders ask us to go against the Word of God. That was the "trap" Pharisees tried to laid for Jesus by asking about paying taxes in a period when Rome was taxing the hell out of Israel and the tax collectors were hated and corrupt members of the community. Jesus's famous answer started with a question, who's portrait is on this coin? The reply was "Caesar's." So Jesus's answer was "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's," that is, obey the laws of man, with the corollary of rendering unto God what is His.
The relevance to today's topic is that through our government due processes we have selected a Speaker, and like all leaders vested with power he (and Nancy before him) was ordained by God for that position for this time. So my earlier statements about President Biden also fall into that traditional understanding of God's Word. Through the electoral process, imperfect as it was in 2020, Biden is the elected leader and therefore ordained by God to serve us for a time. I'm hoping it is only a short time longer but defer to Him ultimately of course.
He may be referring to Romans 13:1-2 (English Standard Version)
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment."
There's an actual relief portrait of Moses in the House Chamber!
Well, that will have to go.
A little perspective.
He did not single himself out as anointed by God. He said WE the Congresscritters, were raised up by God.
Doomsday mom snatches 16-year-old son and vanishes in rural Idaho because she believes he is 'key' to the SECOND COMING: Spent thousands on survival gear before cutting off communication with estranged husband
Boy, am I glad all the religious fanatics are Muslim and overseas,....
Rcocean wrote: “We have an elite inspired cultural jihad against average white people and christians.”
The far right MAGA-impaired wing of the GOP wants only two things — Trump as President for life and an authoritarian regime in the US, where they are among the very few elite.
"Here's the list:
individual freedom
limited government
the rule of law
peace through strength
fiscal responsibility
free markets
human dignity
It's a good list. Does anyone — conservative or not — have a problem with anything on the list?"
Does anyone who is progressive (honestly) NOT have a problem with that list?
This clown's first order of business was to drive us further in debt so he could give more money to Israel to fund their border war.
We're so screwed.
Howard said...
If God has ordained it then no one could possibly go against it. That's in the constitution, right?
Amen to that, Howard.
Mr Johnson has a little too high of an opinion of his institution and his trajectory, or should I say ascendance, into that position of authority.
rcocean said...
“Well thats all very nice. I find it odd that a Christian would imagine Moses, and not Jesus, beaming down on him.”
He wasn’t imagining:
The Moses marble bas-relief is one of 23 reliefs of great historical lawgivers in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives in the United States Capitol.
When I think about Congress, the last scenes of the movie "Mars Attacks" pop into my mind. The few survivors are scuffling around in front of the destroyed Capitol. A young girl whom I believe was the new President was handing her boyfriend a Medal of Honor for his efforts to destroy the Martians by playing the Slim Whitman yodeling song on mobile loudspeakers. I got the impression that no-one would survive the next winter. The next few months may show that life follows art!
)I will listen to the rest later.)
I Listened to the first 4-5 minutes.
He is extremely gracious and humble.
something lacking for the smug democratic elites.
Blogger Rich said...
Rcocean wrote: “We have an elite inspired cultural jihad against average white people and christians.”
The far right MAGA-impaired wing of the GOP wants only two things — Trump as President for life and an authoritarian regime in the US, where they are among the very few elite.
"Rich" does not know who the "Elite" think they are. They are the credentialed but not educated. Bill Gates' one year at Harvard was enough to help him get Paul Allen to start Microsoft but his knowledge of the world and history is poor. "Rich" like his cohort, "Chuck" seems to get a lot wrong. In a world where conspiracy theories keep coming true, they do not have a very good record.
He should tuck his religion in his sleeve, not on it. And the word "abortion" should never, ever cross his lips (or any Republican's lips) until after November 5, 2024. But he won't and it will - these guys can't help themselves. And that is the best way I know of for Republicans to massively lose the votes of women and independents in the next election. Alas.
I agree but there should be some recognition of the trend for early abortions, which are increasing while later are decreasing.
Original Mike said...
I can only assume Althouse is stirring the pot.
That's what you do with beans and nuts, right?
Blogger The Crack Emcee said...
This clown's first order of business was to drive us further in debt so he could give more money to Israel to fund their border war.
Crack is having a little trouble identifying "border wars." France in 1940 did not have a "border war." Gaza lunatics invading and massacring Jews is not a "border war." Ukraine, which has billions of our tax dollars is a "border war."
Get back non your meds, Crack
"Boy, am I glad all the religious fanatics are Muslim and overseas,...."
So am I : )
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuwaubian_Nation
Let's look at what Lincoln had to say in his second inaugural address:
"If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which in the providence of God must needs come but which having continued through His appointed time He now wills to remove and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him. Fondly do we hope ~ fervently do we pray ~ that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword as was said three thousand years ago so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'"
Gosh, it seems Lincoln saw the hand of God in everything, no different from what Johnson is saying. And Martin Luther King also did. For example:
"Like any man, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain."
But I guess conservative Republicans aren't supposed to say things like that.
“Virtue that goes public turns into the worst sort of evil.”
I agree that pols who talk about virtue are suspect, but good leadership has always been about being a fair and principled person, and being inspirational. So we need leaders who can inspire without mentioning anything about virtue?
I think the above statement really means that pols who think they should force others to be virtuous, as defined by that pol, are the dangerous ones.
Clarity is something I favor. It's not like politics needs some new blood, or anything like that.
The deranged idiot libs here are very upset because the new Speaker believes in God and Jesus Christ. They all wanted Hakeem Jeffries, one of the many, many Democrat Party members who applauded and rewarded a nazi last month, and celebrated the slaughter of Jews last week. Democrat Party members and their supporters are absolutely despicable.
Speaker Johnson supports $14B for Israel, but says America 'cannot be dropping money out of helicopters'
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the money will come in exchange for "pay-for's" in the budget, rather than simply printing the money.
Novel. A new season after Spring.
Black former Miss Israel tears into BLM for backing Palestinians: 'How could you support this evil?'
So much for color... diversity blocs.
Boy, am I glad all the religious fanatics are Muslim and overseas,....
Oh, look. A Hasty Generalization. How precious.
Get back to me when Christians in America are being funded by a foreign government to cross into Mexico and and behead babies.
The world is full of unstable people. You demonstrate that you lack intellectual rigor when you can't distinguish between a systematic indoctrination of genocide vs localized aberrant behavior.
I grew up in a Baptist Church in Harry Truman’s Independence. All of the deacons sounded just like Mike Johnson. They were mostly Harry Truman Democrat Veterans of WWII. I used to love standing around and listening to them talk while they smoked cigs outside between Sunday School and the Sunday Service.
Why wouldn't a legislator be inspired by Moses who was a lawgiver? And while I'm a lapsed Christian I have to say I prefer my leaders to be inspired by the Judeo/Christian god than by the Marxist/Leninist ones.
And for those of you who think the Republican Party electorate wants an authoritarian regime, I think that's projection. A large part of the Republican base just wants to be left alone. We'd reserve authority for dealing with crime not suppressing free speech.
Last night where I play euchre one of our resident progressives showed in a polo shirt that was from the Australian Paragliding association. To give him his due he is always for those he perceives to be the underdogs, but he never seems to ask any they are downtrodden and if they bear any responsibility for it. I also don't know if he was indulging in dark humor or making a sly political statement. Somehow it didn't seem worth the encounter. I did consider asking if he would be interested in wearing a swastika if I bring a yarmulke next week. Perhaps I should have confronted him. Despite his impeccable, in his own mind, political credentials, doesn't he really represent just the way these things get led to the slippery slope, and am I not accountable for at least querying him about it. I'm not proud of myself that I didn't say something. But I'm convinced he's very proud of his "stance."
Anti-Semitism is perhaps the oldest and most persistent and so far most lethal of bigotries and twisting yourself into a pretzel to justify your attitudes as being pro-palestinian or anti zionism still puts you on the side of the barbarians versus civilization. I'm glad they are out in the open and I do hope they have to pay for it at the ballot box, but I suspect our servile chattering class will find a cause du jour to enable the Democrat party to carry their loathsome leadership and their incipient "Red Guard" across the finish line one more time.
Amazing the number of people here who want to limit Speaker Johnson’s religious speech.
I can't know why God raised Joe Biden up to be the President for a time, but he would (not) be in the Oval unless He allowed it. I believe it applies to all leaders with power.
Mike, I love your stuff but I would gently push back on this.
God gives us free will.
As far as I can tell, it's a fundamental rule of God.
He allows all kinds of atrocities to happen.
And God hides as well, preferring to woo us rather than force us.
As you know, worldly authorities do all kinds of evil shit. (Obviously). God allowed slavery to happen, and infanticide, and the Holocaust, and the Holodomor. He allowed the decapitation of babies and the rape of women in Israel, just the other day.
He didn't ordain that these atrocities happened. His will was not being followed. I intuit this because Jesus (famously) reduced all our rules to two.
Love God.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
And we violate those rules all the time. Our authorities violate these rules all the time.
(I'm sure you know this stuff already, but I just wanted to clarify the point).
If God has ordained it then no one could possibly go against it.
Howard,
Can you point out where Speaker Johnson said "God ordained it"?
I may have missed something in his speech or you are (once again) lying to smear conservatives.
Rich @12:46 pm,
You know, just as a friendly pointer in the area of argumentation, I believe you will convince more people, or at least get a more generously-disposed audience, if you show that you can understand the points or positions that you are arguing against. Good debaters will "steel-man" the contrary arguments, finding the strongest and most convincing forms of the positions that they are arguing against. It's a good practice. It keeps us humble and reminds us that other people are (usually) not unthinking demons.
So with that in mind, you might consider how to rethink, "The far right MAGA-impaired wing of the GOP wants only two things — Trump as President for life and an authoritarian regime in the US". I suspect you could find a handful of people somewhere who want Trump as an authoritarian dictator for life. Fine. But a more generous and honest assessment would be, "Trump supporters want him to serve a second term as President." Not so inflammatory, but much more accurate.
And can you find enough well-meaning insight into the perspective of a Trump supporter to see that they do not see Trump as authoritarian? That they see things like reduction of regulations, lowering of tax rates, and not starting wars as, just maybe, the opposite of authoritarianism?
I'm not saying you have to agree, of course. I'm sure I disagree with you on a great number of things. And for the sake of fairness, what I've written above could apply verbatim to a lot of the conservative commenters here
Rich said...
The far right MAGA-impaired wing of the GOP wants only two things — Trump as President for life and an authoritarian regime in the US, where they are among the very few elite.
Now, I don't care who you are, that right there is funny!
Preamble to the Declaration of Independence ,"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Johnson, in his speech, very carefully eliminates the "their Creator. He does that simply because he does not believe in their creator, he believes only in "His creator".
And, by the way, he is a creationist, not an evolutionist. He belonged to and still belongs to a Christian right group that actually believes the earth is 6000 years old and the dinosaurs were ACTUALLY on the Ark.
Bad, bad, bad for all of us. Dangerous
Vicki from Pasadena
Vicki from Pasadena.
This is why the Democrats voted to remove McCarthy as speaker. They gambled that the GOP would be forced to install a MAGA speaker. Mission accomplished. The far right got what they want and so did the DNC. We'll find out how this works out in November.
What the hell is Moses doing in the National Capitol? Never mind the Supreme Court, Moses himself would have disapproved:
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above..." Exodus 20:4-5
What the hell is Moses doing in the National Capitol? Never mind the Supreme Court, Moses himself would have disapproved:
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above..." Exodus 20:4-5
Let the MSM character assassination begin!
Wait, what? Oh.
In that case, let the MSM character assassination continue!
This clown's first order of business was to drive us further in debt so he could give more money to Israel to fund their border war.
You write as if one person can unilaterally and immediately change the course of government.
I might wait for a couple weeks before throwing in the proverbial towel.
This is quite touching. He believes God has raised up all of them, Democrats and Republicans. He gives me a sliver of trust in politics again.
The Seven are great principles. I doubt that reason alone gets us to all of them. Not to #7, and probably not to #1.
If you don't believe in the scripture at all, why take the oath of Office with your hand on a Bible? If you do believe, then what is wrong with admitting it?
Culture war silliness, to entertain the MAGA-impaired, does not resolve the security and structural issues that America faces.
Apparently, it doesn't occur to you we're responding to your non-stop, culture-war bullshit.
Maybe, just maybe, your side could stop shoving it into our faces 24/7, and let's see what happens.
"All authority comes from God."
Yowsah, massa, it sho do.
Cue the bigots who hate and mock religion.
It's not the Third Rail any more.
Hateful baby murderers, racists who hate white people, and those who support stealing elections and punishing those who fight against that.
Fear your Maker.
MarcusB. THEOLDMAN
Ilhan Omar thinks the list is incomplete:
8. Kill all the Jews!
"He should tuck his religion in his sleeve"
Ever since the Target transexual clothing display debacle, the word "tuck" has been forever altered in my mind. Very similar to what Ann Althouse did to me with the word "garner".
"It's why many Christian congregations routinely pray for the President and all our leaders."
Jewish congregations do this as well.
I remember also when Sarah Palin got ridiculed for talking about "God's plan," with her words taken out of context to suggest that she knew what that plan was, whereas she was only saying that she hoped and prayed that we were furthering that plan. It may have been this quote, or something similar:
“Pray for our military men and women who are, striving to do what is right also for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God. That is what we have to make sure we are praying for: that there is a plan, and that that plan is God's plan.. So bless them with your prayers.”
As I recall, the line "our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God" as though she was asserting it, rather than praying for it.
We've got Islamists all over the world, from Palestine to Paris, slaughtering people with impunity in the most brutal ways imaginable, all for the glory of Allah and his prophet (PBUM), and the anti-Semite Americans who are marching in the streets in lock-step support of that (and posting here) get all bent out of shape because the guy mentions God. The hypocrisy is breathtaking!
Full disclosure: I am not even remotely religious (every few years or so I end up in a church for a wedding or memorial service. And that's it).
The lefties/dems/LLR-lefties are so happy to have a change of subject away from their now undeniable democratical/left-islamic supremacist alliance its amusing.
They get to pretend they are some sort of "good guys".
"Boy, am I glad all the religious fanatics are Muslim and overseas"...
Oh look, another spittle-flecked rant, whereby a single-person exception-to-the-rule example is held up against an entire jihadi culture of millions of violence-prone stone-age cretins, ready to stone their wives, ready for honor killings, ready for genital mutilation, ready for suicide bombings, ready to commit a coordinated planned massacre against the unarmed innocents, out to enjoy a music festival. Bravo ! Bravo ! So compelling.
The seven Item list is the reason I am a conservative.
Limited Government
To me that should read Constitutionally limited Federal Government.
nuff said
Does anyone — conservative or not — have a problem with anything on the list?
seriously? i assume we're supposed to pretend that Althouse is trolling us; and that she's NOT senile;
but seriously?
can ANYONE on the left pretend that they DON'T have a problem with these four?
limited government
peace through strength
fiscal responsibility
free markets
That's four out of seven that are anathema to the left.. Then there's the KILLER:
individual freedom
I guess there MIGHT be Some on the left that Think they don't have a problem with that..
But What about my individual freedom to use pronouns *I* want to use (instead of the ones YOU want)?
how about free speech in general?
Opinion | America Has a Free Speech Problem - The New York Times
How about my right to control what i HAVE to do to MY body?
(Vaccines, face masks, 10 days to halt the spread)
Please (someone), name me ONE individual freedom the left thinks i should have?
The right to raise my kids?
The right to buy a gas stove? or electric lights?
OH! that's right! i have THE FREEDOM to be FORCED to pay for a woman's abortion.. That's IT
What the hell is Moses doing in the National Capitol? Never mind the Supreme Court, Moses himself would have disapproved:
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above..." Exodus 20:4-5
As I'm sure you're aware, that commandment is usually interpreted as a prohibition of idol worship, and therefore of images or sculptures that might be used as objects of worship, though at times (and by some religions like Islam) it's been taken more literally.
Johnson, in his speech, very carefully eliminates the "their Creator. He does that simply because he does not believe in their creator, he believes only in "His creator".
Your mind-reading skills are second to none.
Those that have found their God, understand whatever is happening at this moment is Gods plan. It is not controversial. When those people pray, they prey for the knowledge of Gods will, and courage to carry it out. They don't pray to cure Aunt Julie's cancer, they prey for the courage to accept what ever is Gods plan for Aunt Julie.
Again, this is not radical in anyway.
Michael K, if you want to make sense of this you really need to define what you mean by such terms as "the governing class" or "elites"; which "elites" are you referring to. Without such definitions you cannot avoid degenerating into meaningless waffle.
There is a misconception that everyone who rails against the "elite" is against hierarchy in general, when in practice they just hate the current rulers. Particularly on the right the problem is generally who is in charge, not that someone is.
>Jersey Fled said...
Amazing the number of people here who want to limit Speaker Johnson’s religious speech.<
As if anyone had the power to do so. And it's not amazing at all nor is it something that needs to be apologized for or shamed by. I indeed want him to limit his religious speech for the next year. Which is actually to say that I simply want him to be wise and judicious and think about what it will take for his party to win the next (existential) election. And that most definitely includes dummying the hell up about his god and most especially, abortion. Abortion - the Republican Killer.
Independents fear the Religious right and women and independents *don't want abortion outlawed*. And we will lose if Religious Righties, particularly those with power, don't get a clue about blabbing about their particular god and about abortion. You can like that or not but anyone who reads the polls knows that it is simply a fact.
I did not know there was a sculpture or relief of Moses in the House.
But I inferred that there was from his speech. When someone talks about the "...face of Moses looking down..." it never would occur to me that he was having a vision.
I presumed, correctly, that there must be an image or likeness of Moses, that he was able to see, that was visible to his listeners, there in the Capital. Because, even though I knew absolutely nothing about the new Speaker, I was 100% certain that he wasn't delusional.
If you listened to his speech, and thought he was describing an actual vision of the benevolent face of Moses gazing down at him, then it makes me wonder a bit about you.
It makes me specifically wonder how you process the words you hear, and how your prejudices influence your interpretation of reality.
Moses: The Original Zionist.
And with that, I claim the Intertoob today.
OMG! He said something like what a nineteenth century politician would have said!
Burn the witch!
While belief in an Almighty may call or spur some to authority, a belief in God isn't necessary to be a conservative, nor does one need religion to understand and commit to conservative principles. One just needs a bit of common sense. If one lacks common sense, then one becomes a liberal....
"Here's the list:
individual freedom
limited government
the rule of law
peace through strength
fiscal responsibility
free markets
human dignity
It's a good list. Does anyone — conservative or not — have a problem with anything on the list?"
IDK, let's ask Vicki.
Hey, Vicki! Got a problem with anything on the list?
The left's fake Christians and Catholics are superior.
Actual practicing Christians are so icky! burn the witch!
Good start.
rcocean:
I find it odd that a Christian would imagine Moses, and not Jesus, beaming down on him. But whatever.
Didn't strike me odd at all. I'm atheist and I know he's called a Law Giver.
Saint Croix:
Althouse, you know I believe we're dumber than my God, right?
Fixed.
The Crack Emcee:
Boy, am I glad all the religious fanatics are Muslim and overseas,....
Says the man who believes in "sins of the father".
No wonder he and Trump like each other’s style. They are both Calvinist believers. That means both of them are men of principles that sustain them. The Providence of God belief opens men to accepting that reality is God’s will. Then they can start to deal with truth and that means they can try to make things better.
It will be interesting to see how a modern holy roller will fill the roll of public apologist for Trumpism.
James K:
As I'm sure you're aware, that commandment is usually interpreted as a prohibition of idol worship, and therefore of images or sculptures that might be used as objects of worship, though at times (and by some religions like Islam) it's been taken more literally.
Not the religion, only some adherents. There are plenty of depictions of Muhammad and other religious concepts like angels and demons done through the centuries by Islamists.
Some recent ones even entered in on the draw Muhammad thing that bothered Althouse.
Blogger Rich said...
Michael K, if you want to make sense of this you really need to define what you mean by such terms as "the governing class" or "elites"; which "elites" are you referring to. Without such definitions you cannot avoid degenerating into meaningless waffle.
OK How about the residents of DC ? I could add those of Sacramento. The "Ruling Class" as defined by Angelo Codevilla. n People who think they have the right to govern. There are loots of ways to define them.
If God pushed Joementia to the top, I gots questions.
To be fair, being forced to listen to SJ Lee could make a Satanist pray for divine intervention.
So God raised up Joe Biden? Putin?! Hitler?!!
Keep in mind that for him individual freedom means the freedom of certain individuals to overrule the freedom of other individuals that God doesn't like.
Somehow Althouse missed this detail when she didn't comprehend that this list does require loyalty to God.
P.S. Does this guy seem like a potential repressed homo to anyone other than me? There's some sorta vibe I'm getting from him. Maybe I'm just noticing that he seems Santos-ish. But he could just be a Santos phony, not a Santos homo. Or, who knows, maybe both.
IDK
He probably even believes men can’t get pregnant.
I normally don't listen to these types of speeches, but your prompting lead me to. He sounds level headed and sane. I sense there is some objection to his religious leanings. All I can say is, some of the BEST people I know are very religious. I am not.
"People who think they have the right to govern. There are loots of ways to define them."
"Loots"? It works, though.
"Somehow Althouse missed this detail when she didn't comprehend that this list does require loyalty to God."
Bullshit.
Original M,
You can believe whatever you want. But you may want to seek psychiatric help if you don't think Mike J believes that the big guy upstairs is the key re sussing out the bounds of "acceptable" individual freedom.
BTW, I noticed that you didn't pushback re me noticing that he may be a repressed homo. Presumably you agree w/ me re that.
I find it odd that a Christian would imagine Moses, and not Jesus
========
I have heard Moses is law-giver so for a legislator could be good reference
also heard tell Jesus suspend law etc!!??
I can't get past the name! How many guys named Mike Johnson do YOU know? I know at least three. Is there a more common name in existence?
Why are black preachers -- like the slumlord from Georgia -- fine but a white one is not? As a non-Christian, I was inspired by his speech.
“IDK, let's ask Vicki.
Hey, Vicki! Got a problem with anything on the list?”
I guess you forgot that “there’s nobody meaner than the little old lady from Pasadena”, original Mike!
Better than Marx.
Anyone who asserts their belief in Scripture has opened himself to being portrayed as a numbskull.
Good luck with that. Naive.
It's why many Christian congregations routinely pray for the President and all our leaders.
My church (Episcopal church) routinely does that.
We're sort of an pro-government church because we were formed by the King of England, more or less. We're the 3rd biggest church in the world (behind Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox).
Anyway, it's fascinating how we routinely prayed for "Donald" for four years, 2016-2020. (We always use the first name).
My church, in Charlotte, is filled with many people who hate the Donald. Sweet, powerful Christians, but sometimes the anger pops up in conversations.
At a dinner tonight, a man I consider one of the most powerful Christians I know went on a quiet little 10-second rant tonight about the Donald and I went "wow" because I hadn't heard a negative opinion from him about anyone in over a decade.
One of the dangers of the Episcopal church is that we are very repetitive in our services and you can simply repeat prayers without thinking about them. They are beautiful prayers but sometimes humans can just repeat things without taking them to heart.
If you take prayer seriously, it causes you to think about your enemies (if you hate the Donald, and many of my Christian brothers and sisters loathe the man), praying for him is a great exercise because it causes stress and you have to reflect. Our prayers make us pray for people we don't want to help.
I find it a little annoying praying for Biden every Sunday. But it's also humbling and important, too, I think.
“This is why the Democrats voted to remove McCarthy as speaker. They gambled that the GOP would be forced to install a MAGA speaker. Mission accomplished. The far right got what they want and so did the DNC. We'll find out how this works out in November.”
Well, you may come to regret what you asked for. Blacks and Hispanics tend to be notably more devout in their Christianity than mainstream Whites. Here, when my partner was having health issues, the Black women she knew all seemed to tell me that tey were praying for her. Trump probably actually won the last election despite both those groups voting against him. What happens if he gets significant defections from either group? Maybe even 5%, though I expect much higher from both demographics.
“ As I'm sure you're aware, that commandment is usually interpreted as a prohibition of idol worship, and therefore of images or sculptures that might be used as objects of worship, though at times (and by some religions like Islam) it's been taken more literally.”
Jews, Calvinist Protestants, and moderate Sunni Muslims, all seem to have a similar take on this. Photos and the like are fine. Just no depictions of any human in the sanctuary (or equivalent). Not even of Jesus. Our crosses are empty. We have photos of retired ministers next door in the coffee room. A Jewish friend said that they had the same. Wahhabi Muslims apparently go further, some even eschewing human photographs. Esp of their leaders. Shiite Muslims appear more like Roman Catholics, allowing, and even almost worshipping, human depictions. I was a a Roman Catholic funeral mass in January, and was uncomfortable with all of the human depictions in their sanctuary. I counted 13 displays near the center, with another 5 around the outside. As a Calvinist, I was uncomfortable with the display. Sure seemed like idolatry to me. I was also uncomfortable with the priest praying for the health of their bishop and archbishop.
I am not the least bit bothered by the depiction of Moses in the House Chamber. He was the Great Law Giver. I would have been bothered by depiction of Jesus, Mohammed, etc there.
Althouse, you know I believe we're dumber than my God, right?
Fixed.
Oligonicelia,
If you note the first word in my sentence, you will see that I am talking to Althouse, not you. So what you did would be quite rude.
If you knew anything about Christianity, or Islam, or Judaism, you would realize there is only one God to the people of these faiths, the God of Abraham. (Hence, "the Abraham accords," which the media completely ignored as to deny Donald Trump any credit for anything).
By suggesting that everybody who believes in God has their own different God, you are suggesting we are all pagans, running around with our own gods.
That's a stupid thing to suggest. Many people have martyred themselves for God. The reason the multi-god narrative of the pagans (Greeks, than Romans) was supplanted by a tiny group of Jews following the way of a humble man named Jesus, are varied. We would suggest it was the miracles that people witnessed, and the willingness of the followers to die for their God, and to die without fear.
Also you might reflect the corruption in the idea that everybody has their own god, which is how ordinary Greeks and Romans viewed their many gods. Use the god you need and disregard the rest. The effect of the many god paradigm was that people were acting as if there was no God at all.
They had no faith.
It's quite dumb for an atheist to go around telling every single Christian, Muslim, and Jew in the world that theism is wrong and we are all polytheists. It's spectacularly dumb. It's impossible, there are too many of us.
That's why you're not doing that. That's why you're not even attempting that. You just thought you would tell one Christian on one blog that my theism is wrong. Every theist is really a polytheist, you suggest, glibly, and you have "fixed" my faith.
You don't know me, and you really don't know God. There is no reason for me to attempt any communication with the terrorists of Hamas, if Allah and God are two different gods. Allah means God. We have the same God. The secular ninnies who do not know how to translate "Allah" into English have badly educated you, apparently.
All the followers of God are different, and we all have different ideas about God. God made us that way! And gave us free will. There is only one God. Ask any Christian, or Jew, or Muslim, and we will all tell you that. Anybody who does not know that, is seriously confused.
Ann is stirring the pot
========
more like attempt pond/swamp turnover
Lots of projection going on.
It seems to me that he is quite simply reminding all of the legislators that he, and they, have a huge responsibility. And should conduct themselves accordingly. With appropriate humility.
If Sheila Jackson Lee said the same thing she would be praised unstintingly. Perhaps even by her political opponents.
Saint Croix:
Open forum, Sparky, too bad.
Althouse, you know we're dumber than God, right?
That condescending attitude given to you from on high in your attempt to rebuke her statement "great principles ... and you can find them through reason alone" in an open forum where anyone who doesn't hold your beliefs are exposed to them is what's rude.
Note that you used an all inclusive "we're" which unfortunately for your offense includes me.
You want to communicate privately with Althouse? DM.
victoria said...
"...And, by the way, he is a creationist, not an evolutionist. He belonged to and still belongs to a Christian right group that actually believes the earth is 6000 years old and the dinosaurs were ACTUALLY on the Ark.
Bad, bad, bad for all of us. Dangerous
Vicki from Pasadena"
Muslims are often Creationists. Let's ask Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib about it. Are they dangerous? Maybe, but not for the reason you cite regarding Mike Johnson. My guess is that you see him as a threat to the sacrament/holy obligation of abortion.
Thank you for the reply Saint Croix. First I really appreciate you inserting the missing “not” where I left it out. Second, it might not have been clear that I as a mere created being cannot understand the mind of the Creator and therefore it is still a mystery to me how free will, which God obviously gave us, can be reconciled with the clear statement that authorities are only there by His grace. The only hints we have are in studying how the (same) God of the Old Testament would use brutal rulers to punish His people when their behavior needed correction. So no to the others who asked, I can’t explain Hitler or Biden. My reaction to contemplating God’s ways is to say “thank God for the New Covenant that Jesus represents.”
Saint Croix:
By suggesting that everybody who believes in God has their own different God, you are suggesting we are all pagans, running around with our own gods.
Deut 21:18
If a man has a wayward and defiant son, who does not heed his father or mother and does not obey them even after they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the public place of his community. They shall say to the elders of his town, “This son of ours is disloyal and defiant; he does not heed us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” Thereupon the men of his town shall stone him to death. Thus you will sweep out evil from your midst: all Israel will hear and be afraid.
Do you believe this? Yes or no.
"The Bible does say that. It's why many Christian congregations routinely pray for the President and all our leaders. I can't know why God raised Joe Biden up to be the President for a time, but he would be in the Oval unless He allowed it. I believe it applies to all leaders with power. One can ponder why Saddam Hussein or Trudeau or Trump are blessed by God in their time, but really I cannot understand His ways. I can only acknowledge He is in ultimate control of whom rules over whom."
It doesn't make sense because there is(are) no god(s). "He" (sic) is not "in ultimate control of whom rules over whom" as there is no "he," "she," or "it" out there.
It is every person's right to hold whatever religious beliefs they wish, but no elected representative of the people should talk about their religious beliefs in the context of their elected positions or duties.
If they could, the Republicans would make America a Christian Theocracy. As much as many of the Republicans in Congress probably abhor Trump, they're willing to allow him to run for President to help them further the next best thing to a Christian Theocracy, (as, to be sure, Trump is no Christian).
"'I looked up at the top of the chamber there and I saw the face of Moses staring down and I just felt in that moment the weight of this place, the history that is revered here and the future that we are called to forge, and I really was just kind of almost overwhelmed with emotion.'
"That's a remarkable thing to say!"
Unless there's a bust or statue of Moses at the top of the chamber, it's a disturbing and troubling thing to say!
"Please (someone), name me ONE individual freedom the left thinks i should have?"
The freedom to have a legal and safe abortion, (among many others, of course, but you asked for ONE).
So The Speaker believes he was ordained by God to be Speaker. I wonder if he believes that Biden was ordained by God to be President.
Religious belief is deeply personal. I’m sure evangelicals would agree.
Then why do they want to impose their religion on me? Because it’s not about religion. It’s about using religion to impose political beliefs.
The first words of the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,", guarantees all Americans the freedom from religion. I think most folks would prefer to not live in a theocracy.
Cookie: " Unless there's a bust or statue of Moses at the top of the chamber, it's a disturbing and troubling thing to say!"
Try to keep up, Dude.
https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/moses-relief-portrait
how is Mike Johnson 'ordain by god' different from Pelosi 'spark of divinity'
Deut 21:18
If a man has a wayward and defiant son, who does not heed his father or mother and does not obey them even after they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the public place of his community. They shall say to the elders of his town, “This son of ours is disloyal and defiant; he does not heed us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” Thereupon the men of his town shall stone him to death. Thus you will sweep out evil from your midst: all Israel will hear and be afraid.
Do you believe this? Yes or no.
Wow!
I'm not sure you know how Bible study works. It's more gentle and less control freaky. I would suggest that my rabbi has answered your question.
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
Rich said...
"...The first words of the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,", guarantees all Americans the freedom from religion. I think most folks would prefer to not live in a theocracy."
Nice bit of eisegesis. It's free exercise of religion, which includes no exercise if someone is so inclined, but not freedom "from" religion. "Theocracy" is a strawman. Progressive overreach is a proven fact, as is socialist totalitarianism. Fascist totalitarianism is a thing, too, but I don't see any daylight between either type of dictatorship.
O at 8:50 am
"Sparky" is an outstanding insult!
I don't why, but when you called me "Sparky," I was like...
grrrrrrrrrrrr
"bitch called me Sparky"
I got to call her something
I got nothing
big O
not my day on the Althouse blog
"If they could, the Republicans would make America a Christian Theocracy."
That's pretty moronic, even for you, Bob.
Tour grasp of christianity is about as deep as your understanding of economics.
O,
You're killing me on this thread!
Sparky, ahhhhhhhhhhh, so mean
Then you got me ranting just by using a pronoun
a pronoun!
I thought I was immune to pronoun shit
and it wasn't even a "he" or a "she" or a "they"
you used a "my" at 7:14 p.m.
It was a fucking "my" that sent me over the cliff
And I'm up at 4:57 a.m. for some damn reason
maybe because the blog clock is off by an hour
or maybe my subconscious ESP power of spirituality ghost whispering in my dreams woke my ass up
"someone inserted a pronoun into my beautiful one sentence last night"
got to fix the fixing
And I'm writing a 1000 word thesis
which is a lesson
watch out for pronoun shit!
Saint Croix:
I'm not sure you know how Bible study works. It's more gentle and less control freaky.
Aaaand... you move the goalposts to another football field. No mention of Bible study by you until now. Obfuscation.
How is that edict about killing your son taught?
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
Said the man who hucked a rock at Althouse's head.
Robert Cook:
The freedom to have a legal and safe abortion, (among many others, of course, but you asked for ONE).
If that was supposed to be a positive for the left, it's less so than you thought. That's an if 'cause I don't really recall your full stance on the issue.
LLR-democratical Rich/C****: "...The first words of the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,", guarantees all Americans the freedom from religion. I think most folks would prefer to not live in a theocracy."
MadTownGuy: "Nice bit of eisegesis. It's free exercise of religion, which includes no exercise if someone is so inclined, but not freedom "from" religion."
This is typical of the LLR-democratical Brigade at Althouse blog.
@Drago
"The founding fathers were a mixture of deists, Christians, and possibly one atheist."
Source.
They chose "of" for a reason. It can be interpreted both ways. It can mean "of enforced" religion - the right to choose. Or it can mean "from religion" - to not have one imposed.
LLR-democratical Brigade <- That one's new on me. What does it mean?
Just for reference - I'm atheist, lean center-right, am Independent and am anything but a member of an Althouseian brigade.
Said the man who hucked a rock at Althouse's head.
O would be an example of a highly educated person who gets really upset or angry, and starts losing her ability to think. The whole point of education -- higher or otherwise -- is to get people thinking. Emotion is very important to humanity. But dark emotions -- hate, anger, fear -- can keep us from thinking.
I sometimes give my "demons" a name and I call them hate and anger and fear. People also have "angels" that pop up from time to time. We might call one of these angels "love." If you don't believe in angels or demons, do you believe in love? (And if you do, can you prove it exists?)
Christians and other theists are constantly trying to get atheists to think, and to recognize that there are powerful forces that we cannot see. Wake up and see the truth, you secular, worldly ninnies. Love is a thing. Hate is a thing. Anger and fear are real. Emotions are a fine thing to feel. But they are also dangerous, because they can keep us from thinking.
On this thread, at 3:54 in the afternoon yesterday, O accused me of throwing a rock at Althouse's head. I have not thrown a rock at Althouse's head. I love Althouse, and her blog, why would I throw a rock at her head, for fuck's sake.
Some highly educated people might point out that O is obviously using a metaphor, meaning that it is an "idea rock" and not a real rock.
Now we might wonder, okay, why is O accusing me of throwing "idea rocks" at Althouse's head? Althouse, after all, is a highly educated law professor, and her IQ is probably higher than mine. Surely she can handle any idea rocks that are thrown her way by hillbillies like me.
Meanwhile O is so mad, she has forgotten that she challenged me to a theological test at 12:52. Why are you putting me to the test, O? ("Oh shit! A pop quiz! I didn't study for this! Fuck, a pop quiz!")
Luckily for me, I have been studying with this rabbi, Jesus, for many years, and an answer popped into my brain to O's theological challenge.
"Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone."
No mention of Bible study by you until now. Obfuscation.
O, you gave me a theological test! You quoted a passage from the Old Testament, and wanted my response. I quoted my rabbi. And this is what you say to me?
Saint Croix:
You're dodging with me just like you're dodging with Althouse. And still haven't answered my question. Meh.
On this thread, at 3:54 in the afternoon yesterday, O accused me of throwing a rock at Althouse's head.
Pedantry is the last resort of the lost argument. I'm not mad, Sparky, I'm amused.
I have no problem with Speaker Johnson’s religious beliefs. But his religious views — and his constricted reading of the New Testament — should not define what freedom means for an America as diverse as ours.
No one has ever coherently explained to me why Christians of the New Testament are always quoting the Old Testament.... especially when Jesus says the opposite of Mosaic Law.
"MadTownGuy: 'Nice bit of eisegesis. It's free exercise of religion, which includes no exercise if someone is so inclined, but not freedom "from" religion.'
It certainly includes freedom from state-disseminated or state-imposed religion.
"If that was supposed to be a positive for the left, it's less so than you thought. That's an if 'cause I don't really recall your full stance on the issue."
My full stance is that legal abortions should be legally available to all women who need them. I think this would be a "positive" to those who need them. Period. Of course it would be preferable if all or most women were able to avert becoming pregnant through one or another of several available contraceptive methods, but real life (and human behavior) is not so tidy or simple.
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