People in Kentucky are just now hearing about one of the state’s priorities in fighting terrorism, as stated in the 2006 anti-terrorism law. The Kentucky Office of Homeland Security’s list of core duties includes “stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth.” This includes the duty to post a plaque at the Emergency Operations Center praising the Almighty. It is the work of State Rep. Tom Riner, a Southern Baptist minister, who not only does not appear to accept the separation of church and state but believes that he has every right to use homeland security to advance his religious views.
The legislatively required plaque contains a 88-word statement that begins: “The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God.”
This duty to advance belief of God now takes precedence over other homeland security duties. Riner, however, sees nothing wrong with his use of the homeland security law: “This is recognition that government alone cannot guarantee the perfect safety of the people of Kentucky. Government itself, apart from God, cannot close the security gap. The job is too big for government.”
I get it now. God allowed those thousands of people to die in New York on September 11th because New York did not properly praise the Almighty. Of course, there are those godless people in Oklahoma, who would still be alive if they praise the Almighty as an official requirement. Then there is the massacre in Mecca and the stampedes in India: faithless people killed for their lack of praise.
It was not until this week that many learned of the plaque from coverage by the Herald-Leader.
Thomas Preston, Gov. Beshear’s Homeland Security chief, has decided to ignore the obvious abuse of both the constitution and homeland security legislation with a shrug: “I will not try to supplant almighty God. All I do is try to obey the dictates of the Kentucky General Assembly. I really don’t know what their motivation was for this. They obviously felt strongly about it.” That is what we need in a homeland security chief: passivity in the face of extremism.
For the full story, here.
mespo,
My hero-I was hoping you would show up singing your song this AM.
How ya been?
—
‘Thomas Jefferson’s reply on Jan. 1, 1802, to an address from the Danbury (Conn.) Baptist Association, congratulating him upon his election as president, contains a phrase that is as familiar in today’s political and judicial circles as the lyrics of a hit tune: “a wall of separation between church and state.” This phrase has become well known because it is considered to explain (many would say, distort) the “religion clause” of the First Amendment to the Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion …,” a clause whose meaning has been the subject of passionate dispute for the past 50 years.’
Jeff:
“For the life of me I have never been able to find the word “church” in the US Constitution.”
************
That is likely because the founders considered it an anathema to the system of ordered liberties they enshrined in that document. Since you are quite the literalist with no sense of history or context, please find for me the notion of innocence until proven guilty stated in the document you cite, or is that not “good law” to you either.
As an aside, is willful ignorance or stupidity a prerequisite to membership in the neo-con coven?
It never ceases to amaze me that evangelicals seem to think they speak for the entire christian population in the US. There are a large amount of catholics and non-fundamentalist christians in this country that find the business of government propping up (a certain)religion alarming.
There are many disturbing things about this but one of them is the complete conflation of a militaristic society and the diety. Erik Prince who runs Blackwater and Paul Bremmer for two, consider themselves two of god’s most powerful “prayer warriors”. That this conflation is not considered bizarre is both striking and frightening.
P.S. Note to god–pull your shit together. There is violence all over the place. Stop it now, right now.
Kentucky is certainly keeping their people stirred up about God. That way, maybe they won’t notice that their governor is seizing domain names of websites not based in Kentucky, and the Kentucky courts are allowing it. This is being followed by a site techdirt.com. The article I’m referring to is “Judge Allows Kentucky to Seize Domain Names.”
If the religious fervor dies down a little, they can used guns and gays and then how liberals aren’t patriotic and Obama’s Hawaiian birth certificate isn’t American. Anything to get their good citizens to look the other way.
Buddha,
You are correct about McConnell. I was hoping he would not get re-elected, but he was able to make it back, thanks to the farsightedness of the people of Kentucky.
raff,
As far as Kentucky goes, keep in mind they elected Mitch McConnell, one of Bush’s chief enablers. That about sums it up.
Malo,
I see you are spreading your “facts” around again. What Obama should do on January 20th, is to have Bush and Cheney investigated for war crimes and for violating United States law in ordering the torture of prisoners. I believe that Jesus might take a dim look at the physical and mental torture of prisoners. Of course, I am not the religious expert that you are, but I would guess that torturing people is not what Jesus would do.
Did I mention (4) violation of the Separation of Powers Doctrine, (5) ignoring judicial writ and Congressional authority, (6) violation of international treaties, (7) war profiteering . . . I can go on and on you ill armed half-wit. You better step up your game.
Wow! Remind me to stay out of Kentucky! Malo and Jeff, If you believe the nonsense that you promulgate about religious laws,then Saudi Arabia might be a good place for you. One more thing Jeff, your math is a little off. I guess you are suggesting that 80% of Americans believe that we should have laws based on a specific religion and yet at least 53% of America thought a heathen like Barack Obama should be President. Those of us who are the “losers” that you refer to, must have a little more clout than our 2% of the population would suggest.
No, malo. Obama didn’t (1) start the war, (2) authorize torture or (3) suspend habeas corpus.
That was your boy, the war criminal, Bush.
I guess then on January 22, 2009 Barack Obama has well earned the title “war criminal” if he doesn’t order our troops in Iraq, Afganistan, and everywhere else America is protecting Democracy to drop their guns and run for the border.
What oh what will the left do when Barack the Messiah becomes Barack the Bomber ala Bill Clinton and all the countries HE bombed.
Did I also mention Bush is a war criminal?
Not what Jesus would do.
Malo,
To paraphrase George Carlin (speaking originally about Watergate conspirator Ehrlichman), “The only reason George Bush found Jesus is that Jesus didn’t see that bastard coming.”
Be clear on this, because every major religion will tell you the same thing:
God does not endorse war for personal profit let alone war against a country that didn’t attack us (Iraq) while kissing up to the ones who did attack us (Saudi Arabia).
That’s all your boy Bush’s doing. God has nothing to do with it. And I suspect that if Jesus returned today that there aren’t two people on Earth who should be more terrified than Bush and Cheney. He’s coming back as a lion according to you zany End of Days zealots. How do you think He will feel about what’s been done in His name? Please frame any responses as rational and in the form of a response, not a polemic. Also keep in mind that God isn’t American.
These religious lunatics simply hate what America stands for. They’d be so much happier in Iran or Saudi Arabia where religious doctrines are more important than laws.
GOD BLESS YOU PRESIDENT BUSH, one of the GREAT ONES:
Now, THAT’S funny!! Thanks for the Joke of the Day, malo. After all the daily bad news highlighting the huge number of Bush’s failures (Iraq/Afghanistan, Constitutional questions, broken economy, domestic and foreign policies, etc.), it’s good to see you’ve been able to maintain your sense of humor.
‘…The 2008 Homeland Security report, issued a month ago, did not credit God, but it did complain about a decline in federal funding from Washington.’
***Sacrilege!
GOD BLESS YOU PRESIDENT BUSH, one of the GREAT ONES:
“I would like to be a person remembered as a person who, first and foremost, did not sell his soul in order to accommodate the political process,” Bush said in the interview. “I came to Washington with a set of values, and I’m leaving with the same set of values. And I darn sure wasn’t going to sacrifice those values.”
“I’d like to be a known as a president who liberated 50 million people and helped achieve peace; that focused on individuals rather than process; that rallied people to serve their neighbor,” the president added.
He mentions his roundly successful HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives in Africa, and the Medicare prescription drug benefit as two programs he is proud of.
Asked about his “No Child Left Behind” education law, Bush called it one of the “significant achievements of my administration.
“We said loud and clear to educators, parents, and children that we expect the best for every child, that we believe every child can learn, and that in return for federal money we expect there to be an accountability system in place to determine whether every child is learning to read, write and add and subtract,” Bush said.
GOD BLESS YOU PRESIDENT BUSH, one of the GREAT ONES:
“who not only does not appear to accept the separation of church and state”
For the life of me I have never been able to find the word “church” in the US Constitution. Maybe I have an old version……or just maybe separation of church and state doesn’t appear in the US Constitution….eh turley?
Sounds right to 80% of America, just not right to you 2 percenter losers.