Wow. East Texas Congressman Louis Gohmert is on a roll. Just a day after his outrageous rant against Muslims at a congressional hearing, today he linked the horrific shootings at a movie theater in Colorado to “ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs”:
“You know what really gets me, as a Christian, is to see the ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs, and then some senseless crazy act of a derelict takes place,” Gohmert said.
“Some of us happen to believe that when our founders talked about guarding our virtue and freedom, that that was important,” he said. “Whether it’s John Adams saying our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people … Ben Franklin, only a virtuous people are capable of freedom, as nations become corrupt and vicious they have more need of masters. We have been at war with the very pillars, the very foundation of this country.”
Ernest Istook, the host of the show and a former Oklahoma congressman, jumped in to clarify that nobody knows the motivation of the alleged Aurora gunman. Gohmert said that may be true, but suggested the shootings were still “a terrorist act” that could have been avoided if the country placed a higher value on God.
“People say … where was God in all of this?” Gohmert said. “We’ve threatened high school graduation participations, if they use God’s name, they’re going to be jailed … I mean that kind of stuff. Where was God? What have we done with God? We don’t want him around. I kind of like his protective hand being present.”
Those weren’t the only bizarre comments from Gohmert on the show. He also suggested that most of the cases of the military personnel who have committed suicide in recent years were “the most atheistic members of the military”:
“I might mention something else that hadn’t been public yet. Most of us that follow the military, love the military know that we have had an extraordinary increase in suicide rates in the military and it’s just heartbreaking … There was a study commissioned, 6,000 personal of index profiles and what they found, and I don’t know if they’ll make it public…but all of the people who have committed suicide within their two percent studied, were part of their 2 percent most atheistic members of the military. We’ve lost our faith.”
let me know when he’s committed to a psychiatric ward
Jesus said, “lay down your sword” and “love thy neighbor”. How do these people claim to be anything but hate-mongering tools of the Devil?
I don’t think Gomer was referring to the military per se. He was really saying that we should all honor organizations devoted to shooting people and blowing things up.
But seriously, the shootings in Colorado were a real tragedy. Some would say it was senseless and meaningless. I am not so sure. This whole lemon could be turned into lemonade if the police can get into his apartment without blowing it up. Here are the headlines I would like to see coming out of that apartment:
“Boulder Shooter Rabid Tea Party Member”
“Boulder Shooter Campaigning for Romney”
“Shooter Devoted Follower of David Barton”
“Shooter Library Swelled with Rush, Coulter, and O’Reilly”
“Shooter Devoted 700 Club Fan”
“Shooter Hates Obama”
“Suicide Note: Batman Fans Are Liberal Scum”
“Shooter Did it to Make World Moral”
I would bet you my last dime far right Republicans will be sweating drops of blood in anticipation (more like abject fear) of what might be in that apartment. And where did he get all of those guns and bomb materials? You have to have connections to get things like that. Christmas could come in July.
Colorado Springs, home of James Dobson and Focus on Family, is just a short drive down the interstate from Aurora. My working theory is that Dobson told the shooter the Aurora Batman premire was a special viewing just for gay people.
Well, I have my first clue now. My local newspaper is reporting that Holmes parents are Presbyterians. The central core of the Religious Right is basically Calvinist in nature. Now, I need to find out whether they are PCA/Kuyper Presbyterians, the ones who worship at the feet of Rousas Rushdoony and exist on the lunatic fringe of the Christian faith. Growing up in a home where people are active in that kind of religious ideology could screw a person up good, particularly a highly intelligent and sensitive sort of person. Just sayin’.
In San Diego he apparently went to an Evangelical Lutheran church. I don’t know if that’s like a Missouri Synod Lutheran, or some other species…..but it sort of sounds, y’know, evangelical.
I say schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. But then I’m not a psychiatrist.
How can voters elect such a nut?
if God is so almighty and omnipotent, why does a crummy little statute prohibiting religious expression in public schools totally disarm God’s love for his creation (the Earth all creatures on it) to cause the Aurora shooting? If folks pray to thank God for averting tragedy, who do they blame for causing it? It doesn’t add up. I know “the good Lord giveth and taketh away” is a saying…is that why the good Lord giveth me a wicked summer cold last week and just hasn’t gotten around to taketh it away from me yet?
@ Coragyps
The “Evangelical Lutherans” are the mainline Lutherans (OK with evolution, women pastors, gay pastors); Missouri Synod is more what we’d call evangelical (against all 3 of those things). And I know, I was raised entirely in the Missouri Synod but have since moved on.