Sorry, not a Goodbye Cruel World Front-Page Post.
It’s a quote from Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN), in a floor debate today, dKos diarist Tirge Caps reports.
A press release from the National Jewish Democratic Council gives the basic details:
Washington, DC: During a debate today surrounding an amendment by Rep. David Obey (D-WI) to fully examine allegations of proselytizing and religious intolerance at the United States Air Force Academy, six-term Republican Rep. John Hostettler (IN) rose to assert that “Democrats can’t help denigrating and demonizing Christians.” [Rush transcript.] Rep. Obey, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, interrupted Hostettler’s deeply disturbing remarks and demanded that they be formally retracted; Hostettler ultimately agreed to retract one sentence from his diatribe.
Earlier in his remarks, Hostettler discussed the drive by Democrats to erase every “vestige” of Christianity from America; he also prefaced his remarks by noting that “The long war on Christianity today continues on the floor of the House of Representatives.” During a meeting of the House Armed Services Committee on May 18th, while debating a similar amendment by Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), Hostettler referred to “the mythical wall separation (sic) between church and state that’s been erected by the courts.”
More.
You know, this won’t be today’s biggest story, not with the cloture motion on John Bolton’s confirmation being shot down.
But what the hey. Show some outrage.
Or show some denigration and demonization. It’s all good.
How come only Democrats are demonized as Anti-Semites if they only so much as mention Israel in a less than flattering context–what was the name of that guy at the Conyers hearing, I forget. This guy Hostettler can rant on and on and I bet it will not even make a dent.
the denigrating and demonizin. Am I supposed to direct this at you Dan? I’m a democrat, so I guess I have to say something snide before I wipe every vestige of Christianity from this site.
Or maybe, I’ll just start fitting Hostettler for his handcuffs.
I survived several thousand sweaty Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson last night. I can take you.
You wanna piece of this?
I’m ready for you.
Hmn… you have to admit.. if someone was atheistically bent Hosty did nothing to make Christianity look good.
No.. I’m not saying that he makes a good case to attack christianity.. I’m just saying all of those Christians out there woudl be better served by getting rid of people like him. ASAP!
(his comeback should have been “I’m not anti-Christian, I’m anti-extremist)
I’m a Democrat! I’m a Christian! I must be at war with myself. head explodes
I think the only possible response to the evil Mr. Hostettler is this “I Drew This” comic.
Though the filibuster of Darth Vader is also somewhat relevant.
I’m swiping that first one for my other blog…
I loved that one – it summarized the attitude of so much of Christianity’s loony fringe (even here in Canada) so perfectly that it made me laugh out loud.
I recommend giving the I Drew This archives a read-through sometime. It’s only been running for two years, at most three strips a week. Teaching Gravity‘s another good one.
We couldn’t do more to denigrate or demonize Christianity than the neocons and their christofascist friends do every day as a matter of course.
If you don’t want to be demonized, don’t act demonic. If you don’t want to be denigrated, don’t be a bigoted a$$hole. Seems simple enough to me…
We’ve got a situation here in Indiana that has some resonance with this. Our House speaker, Brian Bosma, recently brought in a full-scale revival-meeting-style production to lead the opening prayer of the session, complete (of course) with references to “our lord Jesus Christ” and ending with “in the name of our lord, Jesus Christ.” A number of Christian pastors have joined the ACLU in suing to have this practice stopped (it’s not the first time) and, of course, the pious Republicans are crying how the ACLU is “anti-Christian” citing “freedom of religion.”
Meanwhile, the ACLU is suing to prevent a judge’s order from being enforced. The order the judge rendered? Only that the parents of a child may not practice or refer to their religion (Wicca) in front of their child, or, in fact, any religion that is not “mainstream” (the judge’s word in the order).
And, of course, Bosma hasn’t said “boo” about the judge.
Christians — persecuted in America?
There’s only a church on every f—ing street corner…
… is being advanced by the wingnuts who claim to speak for God and advocate war, greed and hate in the name of Jesus. That is the real war on Christianity, because they corrupt the Bible into Mein Kampf and turn the cross into a gang sign.
Too strong? Listen to the vile corruption their spouting, and ask yourself how much of it the Jesus you read about would say, and how much of it he (or He) would oppose.
from Iraq… they have no exit from their own rhetoric.
My only real question is, “Where do these people come from?”