-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Bryan Fischer is the director of analysis for government and policy for the American Family Association (designated a hate group by the SPLC), which claims 2 million online supporters and 180,000 subscribers to its AFA Journal. Fischer recently said that the First Amendment doesn’t apply to Muslims, writing: “Islam has no fundamental First Amendment claims, for the simple reason that it was not written to protect the religion of Islam.”
Republican Presidential hopefuls Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Rep. Michele Bachmann, and Haley Barbour have all been guests on Fischer’s radio show which broadcasts on nearly 200 stations.
Past appearances have included Republican notables such as Sen. Jim Inhofe, Sen. Jim DeMint, Sen. Roger Wicker, Rep. Lamar Smith, Rep. Alan Nunnelee, and Rep. Raul Labrador.
While Fischer’s constitutional views are complete lunacy, Eugene Volokh took the time to post a serious rebuttal. Not surprisingly, Volokh doesn’t mention the Republican Presidential hopefuls who support this nonsense through their appearances. Therein lies the rub. Until the sane wing of the Republican party starts calling out these clowns, the hopefuls will feel safe seeking their favor.
Barry Goldwater once said: “Every good Christian should line up and kick Jerry Falwell’s ass.” Today, Republicans are lining up to kiss Bryan Fischer’s ass.
Fischer has also tried to defeat evolution, using common creationist misconceptions. Biologist PZ Myers points out Fischer’s complete ignorance of science.
H/T: Steve Benen, Right Wing Watch.
I think the difficulty may be found within the Demican-Republocrat political party.
This party has many sub-parties, including but not limited to:
Libertarian
Republican
Democratic
Progressive
Regressive
Conservative
Labor
Ku Klux Klan
Christian
Anti-Christian
Islamic
Anti-Islamic
Atheist
Anti–Atheist
Agnostic
Anti-Agnostic
And every other word in any and every dictionary which could ever be used to form the name of any and every divisive political party of any sort whatsoever.
People sufficiently divided against self project self-division onto all that comes into their awareness.
“Islam has no fundamental First Amendment claims, for the simple reason that it was not written to protect the religion of Islam.”
Really.
I think Mr. Jefferson would disagree.
“Every religion consists of moral precepts, and of dogmas. In the first they all agree. All forbid us to murder, steal, plunder, bear false witness &ca. and these are the articles necessary for the preservation of order, justice, and happiness in society. In their particular dogmas all differ; no two professing the same. These respect vestments, ceremonies, physical opinions, and metaphysical speculations, totally unconnected with morality, and unimportant to the legitimate objects of society. Yet these are the questions on which have hung the bitter schisms of Nazarenes, Socinians, Arians, Athanasians in former times, and now of Trinitarians, Unitarians, Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists, Methodists, Baptists, Quakers &c. Among the Mahometans we are told that thousands fell victims to the dispute whether the first or second toe of Mahomet was longest; and what blood, how many human lives have the words ‘this do in remembrance of me’ cost the Christian world! We all agree in the obligation of the moral precepts of Jesus; but we schismatize and lose ourselves in subtleties about his nature, his conception maculate or immaculate, whether he was a god or not a god, whether his votaries are to be initiated by simple aspersion, by immersion, or without water; whether his priests must be robed in white, in black, or not robed at all; whether we are to use our own reason, or the reason of others, in the opinions we form, or as to the evidence we are to believe. It is on questions of this, and still less importance, that such oceans of human blood have been spilt, and whole regions of the earth have been desolated by wars and persecutions, in which human ingenuity has been exhausted in inventing new tortures for their brethren. It is time then to become sensible how insoluble these questions are by minds like ours, how unimportant, and how mischievous; and to consign them to the sleep of death, never to be awakened from it. … We see good men in all religions, and as many in one as another. It is then a matter of principle with me to avoid disturbing the tranquility of others by the expression of any opinion on the [unimportant points] innocent questions on which we schismatize, and think it enough to hold fast to those moral precepts which are of the essence of Christianity, and of all other religions.” – Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Fishback dated September 27, 1809 [emphasis added]
It is important to note that this letter was written after the conflict with the Barbary Pirates who were Muslim so that it is taken in the context that Jefferson had practical experience in dealing with Muslims and Islam.
James in LA,
I have never quite put it all in the light that you have cast on the republicans since Reagan but there is much in your observations that rings true.
I have always considered Reagan through Bush Jr to be Bush senior’s work but it may indeed be as you suggest.
Swarthmore mom,
Good, there are several things I wish to discuss with you … enjoy Austin.
AY … you left me standing at the altar but I forgive you as I have left you there once or twice 🙂 … check your email
“With all of the lunatics in the current GOP line-up, I really wonder what happened to the moderates of the party.”
SL,
Saw David Brooks on Bill Maher last night. He describes himself as a moderate conservative. He actually is to the right of where Goldwater was, but he has pretended charm to take the edge off of his Feudal predilections. The problem is what was moderate 40 years ago, is considered left wing today.
“Which is the whole point. Unable to win the actual argument over real policy, my conservative friends have degenerated into increasingly transparent attempts to game the system at the expense of those with whom not only they disagree, but have named their blood enemy in the most vile theocratic language.’
James,
You sum them up with eloquence and brevity. This is also known as elegance.
I have a serious question. Are any of the current crop of GOP potential presidential candidates demonstrably better (for the country) than Dubya ?
With all of the lunatics in the current GOP line-up, I really wonder what happened to the moderates of the party. I know they have been pushed out in favor of rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth knuckle-draggers … but where the hell are they?
I will not say the entire GOP is made up of people like Huckleberry, Mittens, Bat-Sh*t Bachmann but I cannot imagine how moderates will sit idly by as these fruitcakes throw their hats in the ring. I cannot imagine how they could be comfortable voting for any of the current hopefuls, particularly if they seek the guidance of a mouth-breather like Fischer.
No matter who wins the GOP nomination, the cycle will get nasty (moreso than past election cycles, IMHO), but I sincerely doubt that any of them have a real shot at beating Obama in 2012.
Mike, I recall my mom’s reaction to Reagan winning the nomination, and how dreadful she thought he would be. And then the selection of Bush Sr. as veep signaled the actor was not serious about governing. That act repeated with the selection of Quayle, who set the new bar for “out of his depth.” But all this would pale in comparison to the Bohemian Grove’s selection of W, and his subsequent appointment by the SCOTUS. All the while, no Republican plans have emerged to actually govern the country in a way that does not leave us fuming at each other.
Which is the whole point. Unable to win the actual argument over real policy, my conservative friends have degenerated into increasingly transparent attempts to game the system at the expense of those with whom not only they disagree, but have named their blood enemy in the most vile theocratic language.
It’s about what we can get away with rather than what we agree, by majority, is best for us. WI is the latest example. The SCOTUS is the most profane instance of it, followed closely by Congress, which STILL retains the power to bring all this to a halt TODAY.
My only plea can be to sit civilian grand juries immediately.
We watch the Republican Party confirm again the Peter Principle and why not considering Reagan, the two Bushes and John McCain.
However, when GW Bush seems to be moderately sane in comparison to the current field, we can only hypothesize the despair running through our behind the scenes Plutocracy. If anyone has seen the great 60’s movie by Luchino Visconti. “The Damned,” they would understand how many of the German industrialists who supported Hitler, wound up caught by his net of insanity. A frightening tale, that unfortunately resonates with possibilities for today’s
America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Damned_%281969_film%29
AY:
To answer your question,you get a 3fer,+1
Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Sharron Angle, Joe the Plumber, Joe Miller Unite for Anti-Obama Event.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/03/sheriff-joe-arpaio-sharron-angle-joe-the-plumber-joe-miller-unite-for-anti-obama-event/72973/
rcampbell,
What is Arapio up to these days….
I’m not sure which is the correct sequence. Does one have to be a raving idiot to be a Republican these days or does simply being a Republican cause these mental derangements?
This impotent ghost of Pastors Past is itself haunted by two words it cannot now prevent: electoral landslide.
They intend to go down throwing an epic temper tantrum, but down they will go.
2012 will the Nutcracker Year for my conservative friends. Your crop of “candidates” says it all. Not a looker in the bunch. And beware Trump and the new Wig Party!
In a Gallup poll released yesterday, Huckabee is the leading contender although he hasn’t announced.
Hes reminds me of someone else also:
“I don’t call myself a white supremacist. I’m a civil rights activist concerned about European-American rights.
David Duke”
Well maybe they are looking for true love…..maybe they will find it after have had unconsenting sexual relations with the rest of the US….
Michele Bachmann’s first campaign hire is reportedly a “birther”.
And another one enters into the realm of the deviants world….
Looks like Bachmann is running. She is on a divine mission. She has a lot of support in her neighboring state of Iowa. Will email you when I get back from Austin, Blouise.