In the whacky world of weird religious news I think I’m loosing track of which chapter of 1984 we are currently on, does anybody know?
When it comes to doublethink then clearly the religious right have that well and truly nailed. Unfortunately they appear to be treating Orwell’s book as an instruction manual and not as a warning.
Is this hyperbole?
OK, let’s test that. Here is a direct quote from the novel. As you read, does it remind you of them? ..
To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just as long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies—all this is indispensably necessary. Even in using the word doublethink it is necessary to exercise doublethink. For by using the word one admits that one is tampering with reality; by a fresh act of doublethink one erases this knowledge; and so on indefinitely, with the lie always one leap ahead of the truth.
– Nineteen Eighty-Four. Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd, London, part 2, chapter 9, pp 220
Now let’s move on to illustrate this with examples of the actual sayings and behaviour of the religious right-wing from just the past week. It really is a rather stark incarnation of 1984.
What happened during the last 7 days?
Criticism of Mr T apparently means you have demons …
Meanwhile Mr T’s fan club are as delusional as ever …
- Right-wing radio host Bill Deagle actually said this sentence on his radio program this past week: ..
“I’m sure in the spirit realm, Jesus Christ is patting [Trump] on the head and so is Moses.”
- Lance Wallnau: People Afraid To Support Trump Are ‘Exactly Like’ Jews Afraid To Admit Jesus Was The Messiah
- ‘Touch Not My Anointed’: Chris McDonald & Leigh Valentine Say God Will Destroy Omarosa For Betraying Trump
- ‘Prophet’ Says Trump Needs Prayer To Protect Him From Witchcraft, Jezebel, Deep State
Next we have one of the folks supporting the guy who will bring about US economic collapse via his trade war promising economic collapse if the US does not go mega-religious …
Conspiracy claims are very popular …
- Religious Right activist Gordon Klingenschmitt is now sharing, on his Facebook page, lists of people who have supposedly been killed by the Clintons.
- Right-wing “journalist” and conspiracy theorist Liz Crokin says that members of the media who are covering up the supposedly rampant satanic pedophilia that is happening in America should be jailed and then “rot in hell.”
I’m guessing Rick Wiles had a bad trip …
- End Times broadcaster Rick Wiles compares the Transportation Security Administration to Nazi Germany, saying both conditioned people “to be humiliated.”
The Catholic League attempts to defend Child Abuse …
- Finally, the Catholic League released an 11-page paper purporting to “debunk” the grand jury report that documented rampant child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania.
- Bill Donohue who represents the Catholic League claims this: The PA Priests Molested Teens, Not Toddlers, So It’s Not That Bad
Jim Bakker managed to get a few folks on his show that are even crazier then he is …
- Jesus Told Billye Brim’s Ex-Muslim Friend That Trump Would Become President
- Lance Wallnau: ‘There Never Was A White Supremacist Movement In The United States’
Gender Neutral Bathrooms are apparently abusive …
Michele Bachmann pops up to demonstrate that she does not actually grasp what #MeToo is about, and also confirms that she is as crazy as she always was …
- Michele Bachmann: Christian Radio Is ‘The Me Too Movement’ For Conservatives ‘Victimized’ By The Media
- Michele Bachmann: Obama And Clinton ‘Should Be In Jail Right Now’
Why does the utter daftness of these next items about religious nutter Mark Taylor not surprise me …
- “firefighter prophet” Mark Taylor wants to “bring back” the House Un-American Activities Committee.
- Mark Taylor Says Mobs Will Murder Hillary Clinton If Trump Doesn’t Begin Mass Arrests Soon
- Mark Taylor: Trump Hired Omarosa As Part Of A Brilliant ‘Reverse Op’
Pastor equates social security to slavery …
- right-wing pastor Rodney Howard-Browne says that “we are no longer a free nation, we’re a nation of slaves and your slave number is your Social Security number.
In a religious university, a place where “truth” is not true, it is no surprise to learn that Journalism is also not Journalism …
- Liberty U. to Student Newspaper Staffers: You’re Not Here “To Do Journalism”
Fake claims …
- Gay Conversion Therapy Works, Says Christian Group Relying on Fake “Research”
- Pastor Claims in Documentary That Jesus Healed Her Son’s Autism
Snakes …
- Son of Pastor Who Died from Snake Bite Nearly Dies from Snake Bite (Again)
Sexual abuse …
- So-called “Prophet” Arrested for Sexually Assaulting 13-Year-Old Girl at School
Racism shocks those unaware of the history of it all …
- Christian Reviewer Shocked by Links to Religious Conservatism in BlacKkKlansman
This guy is claiming that he believes in a God that will happily dispense disaster and death to millions …
- Bryan Fischer: “Every Natural Disaster is a Purposeful Act of God”
Apparently this Pastor decided he actually did believe in Abortions …
- Toronto Pastor Told Mistress God Would Kill Her If She Didn’t Have an Abortion
Good News Items
Most don’t perceive 1984 to be a handbook for guidance, hence stuff like this happens.
Literally nobody shows up for a prayer rally in Texas
- Texas Back-to-School Prayer Rally Draws Literally 0 Participants
As for Catholic abuse, well here are some who have found a great way to deal with it all …
- In Argentina, There’s a Movement to Help People Quit the Catholic Church
One Last caution
I feel a need to also add one last note, a rather important caution. This posting is not intended to imply that anybody and everybody holding a religious belief is a nut. Most humans, regardless of their belief or lack of any belief, are generally decent and honourable and don’t behave contrary to that. However, when it comes to the religious right-wing, it appears to be a rather different saga. They have happily tossed all their values under the bus in order to support a grossly dishonest narcissistic self-confessed sexual predator, hence all bets are off when it comes to that general observation.
One addition
Is that Orwell quote really him?
It is quoted in many places and yet nobody, not even WikiQuote, cites a source reference.
I’m inclined to think it is correct, this book “The Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell: As I Please, 1943-1945″ attributes it to him.