David Barton claims Christians are under attack in America, but he doesn’t seem to have a problem with fellow extremists who promote religious bigotry. A Twitter post from Barton pointed us today to a Washington Times column from Matt Barber of the right-wing, virulently anti-gay group Liberty Counsel. Liberty Counsel is based in Florida but also has offices in Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C. In a column that drips with bigotry and hatred, Barber argues that Christians must vote for Mitt Romney in the November presidential election:
“President Obama is a wolf. Though he purports to be Christian, his policies are decidedly un-Christian. This man eagerly advances a culture of death. He is the most radically pro-abortion president in American history. He has dutifully signed off on – and implemented at each opportunity – every extremist demand of the radical pro-abortion and homosexual activist lobbies…. Scripture says that Christians are known by their fruit. Mr. Obama’s fruit is rotten to the core. He talks like a Christian while his actions scream secular-socialist. I intend to work with every fiber of my being to see that Mr. Obama is not re-elected. To the extent this benefits Mr. Romney, so be it.”
Barber continues by quoting a radical former member of the Texas State Board of Education:
“My friend and colleague Cynthia Dunbar, a law professor at Liberty University School of Law, recently wrote: ‘In this election year, we find ourselves with only three realistic courses of action: 1) Don’t vote; 2) vote for Obama; or 3) vote for Romney.’
It’s simple: A Christian nonvote is a vote for Mr. Obama in that it fails to affirmatively cancel out an Obama vote. Furthermore, any Christian who votes for Mr. Obama will get to take that up with God.
This leaves us with our third and final choice: Christians must vote for Mitt Romney. A second Obama term is simply unacceptable. We won’t survive it.”
Barber’s vile screed is a classic example of the religious right at its hate-filled core. But it clearly appeals to Barton, a former vice chairman of the Texas Republican Party who has been a master at using religion as a political weapon to divide Americans. Indeed, Barber and Barton see no problem questioning the religious faith of anyone who doesn’t share their divisive and extremist political views.
American Christians have diverse political views and include independents as well as supporters of all political parties. They should reject the religious bigotry of extremists like Barton and Barber.
One of the eastern religions (Hindu?)teaches that a person will be reincarnated according to the quality of individual they were the first time around. If that is true then Barton will return as a foot-wash in a Muslim mosque.
Oh, good grief.
Dunbar teaches law at Liberty U which is,
not in the top 150 law schools in America and may be unaccreditted. Barton , wow.
Give ’em a cowboy hat, a church and a few extra dollars and they become Nazis pretty fast. I wrote a ltr to the Conroe News chiding them for endorsing Cargill and explaining to them the realities of creationism and ID. A Jim Doyle wrote to the news and claimed he was tired of anti SBOE “propaganda”. No content as usual from the creationists but lots of name calling. The man is clearly and obviously a deep thinker.
Scary stuff going on out there.
Will
Read a recent article concerning a new study about “near psychopaths.” Not extreme enough to become a serial murderer or child molester, but fully capable of lying, devoid of any social ability to express empathy for anyone or anything outside their worldview. Describes Barton and his comrades clearly. Will give a link if I can find the article. Incidentally, Louisiana College – the Baptist school that fully embraces the right wing rhetoric – is founding a new law school. The first dean is, you guessed it, a former employee of the Liberty law school. Just what we need – more religious nuts attempting to impose a theocracy in America.
Fruit….well…you know.
These folks are beside themselves because the United States will not allow them to impose their religion on others and deny birth control to women employed by their religious businesses. They see this as a war on religion.
Well, here’s some advice for them: If you want my government out of your religion, then keep your religion out of my government. The alternative is for your religious organization to pony up for taxes. That’s right, no representation without taxation. Don’t want to lose your tax exempt status? Fine. Then shut up and stop trying to influence the elections.
Barton and Barber may profess to be Christian, but their behavior is decidedly not Christ-like. Christ’s teaching was the Gospel of Love.