- … so says the guy who has no scruples at all about making an entire career out of manufacturing historical fiction and then claiming his lies to be facts.
Let’s do a quick fact check. Beyond being a well-established liar with the lest credible history book ever published, via the link to the above article we learn that … he played a key role in promoting Trump’s 2016 campaign to evangelicals, declaring that Christians had a biblical obligation to vote for Trump because he was “God’s guy.” Barton continued to praise Trump throughout his term in office, even predicting that Trump could go down as one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history. So yes, his “god fearing” candidate turns out now to has been indicted in multiple cases, including two related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
As a quick reminder, least you missed it, beyond the corrupt orange muffin the 18 others who have been charged with trying to overturn the election in Georgia are nearly all “god fearing” professing Christians, many of them vocally so, including one who is literally a pastor.
Mr Barton’s latest claim is quite frankly jaw dropping hypocrisy when you also appreciate that Barton also (quote) … proclaimed in 2019 that Christian candidates would never illegally harvest ballots shortly after North Carolina had to schedule a new election because the Republican candidate—who Barton had endorsed—had engaged in illegal ballot harvesting.
If Mr Barton is indeed sincerely seeking a good example of people with no “moral restraint”, then he need look no further than the nearest mirror to find one.
Moving on, below you will once again find my usual selection of some of the other truly bizarre and extreme claims that have popped up during the last 7 days. Each is laced with my snarky commentary.
With my usual hat tip to my various sources, let’s once again dive into this very murky pool of absurdity and stupidity.
Christian Nationalism
Speaking at a “Pastors For Trump” event, Marty Grisham of “Loudmouth Prayer” rants that his “God is not in control” of this nation and blames “pastors that refuse to talk about politics and putting Christians in a place to be able to move government and the laws of the land and implement the laws of God.”
- You know when guys like this talk about wanting “the laws of God” to be imposed on everybody, they don’t mean not eating shellfish nor wearing garments of two different threads. As for anything that Jesus ever said, nope, that will also all be off his “laws of god” agenda.
Jarrin Jackson asserts that “the Founders didn’t mean ‘principled pluralism’ when they gave us the [Firest Amendment]”: “America is a Christian nation & must repent to the God of Scripture.”
- What is true is that the US is a nation that has some people that are Christians, but it also has literally tens of millions of people who are not. Nor was it ever established with any religious foundation – anybody saying otherwise is lying to you.
GOP congressional candidate Jeff Zink promises that if he is elected to Congress, he and Trump “will march through for God and bring this country back to where it’s supposed to be.”
- In his mind that will no doubt be The Republic of Gilead. I can only suspect that he thinks the book is a handbook and not a warning.
There there is “Christian” Nationalist Vivek Ramaswamy …
- Molly Olmstead @ Slate: How Vivek Ramaswamy, a Hindu, Is Aligning Himself With Christian Nationalists.
Right-wing pastor Allen Mashburn is close friends with North Carolina’s Christian nationalist Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and with Robinson now running for governor, Mashburn is running for lieutenant governor because Robinson is going to need someone to “stand with [him] and stand strong”: “We have to formulate a show of force.”
- Why have the opportunity to vote for just one clown when you can in fact have an opportunity to pick an entire circus.
The lie that the Founding Fathers quoted the Bible, specifically the book of Deuteronomy, more than any other book has been debunked multiple times, but that isn’t going to stop Charlie Kirk from repeating it.
- Here is a factual quote: “I beg you be persuaded that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny and every species of religious persecution” ~ George Washington, to united baptists churches of Virginia, 1789 from The Washington papers. Unlike Charlie, I can establish that as a factual quote: Via the National Archives, half way into the 3rd paragraph – here.
- How about this from James Madison (National Archives here) – “During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both superstition, bigotry and persecution.“
- “Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise.” ~ James Madison (see here)
- There is plenty more of the same.
The Cult of Trump
Laura Loomer proclaims that “if Donald Trump doesn’t win in 2024, there is no point of anyone getting married and having kids because why would you subject an innocent child to living in a communist country?”
- Her vigorous licking of the orange one’s arse is her attempt to be rewarded with a position within his administration. I suspect the only position he will actually consider her for is the Missionary Position.
In other Trump cult news …
- Lisa Mascaro @ The Associated Press: Conservative groups draw up plan to dismantle the US government and replace it with Trump’s vision.
Guns … again!
As usual, The Onion nails it …
Fascists-R-Us
Glenn Beck reveals that Sen. Mike Lee has repeatedly encouraged him to run for president because “somebody needs to articulate where we are and what we face and who we have always been.”
- The Onion more or less nailed Glenn Beck over a decade ago with this – “Victim In Fatal Car Accident Tragically Not Glenn Beck”
Reason number 1,00234,789 for why DeSantis will get nowhere near the White House in 2024
Ben is right, the story he links to is truly jaw dropping stuff.
Death Sentence for Using Twitter via Twitter owner
The second-biggest owner of Twitter is executing a man for his tweets. Silence from the owner of Twitter, who is a self-styled ‘free speech absolutist.’ Not even a “concerning”….
Homophobia on Steroids
Lauren Witzke declares that … “the Devil is on assignment to wipe out Generation Z. They will be gay. They will be castrated. They will be unable to have children of their own. Those who enable and promote homosexuality are doing Satan’s work for him.”
- Some people really do have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that some people are gay and some people are trans.
- My own personal blind spot is coming to terms with the observation that there are people like Lauren Witzke who are stupid enough to think the world is flat.
The fundamentalist preachers are still manifesting their Christian “Love” …
Then there was also this …
Also in the news this past week is a member of the “Leopards Eating People’s Faces Party” …
- Alex Bollinger @ LGBTQ Nation: Gay former Trump official shocked by Republican Party’s latest anti-LGBTQ+ move.
Whacky Weirdness
- Translation: Larry managed to find as many as 12 of his buddies that don’t like Biden and did a bit of cosplay with them. I’m honestly surprised that he could count that high.
- This is not new, he did the same to Obama.
- He does stuff like this to simply make money off gullible people. This latest stunt is an attempt to raise money for a group he founded and calls “Freedom Watch”. He was previously doing this for a group he founded and called “Judicial Watch”, but when that attracted some actual members, they booted him out.
Stew Peters defends his bloodthirsty desire to see his political enemies executed: “If you don’t want the rope, don’t commit treason.”
- Ah yes, Mr Peters … if there is a weird whacky conspiracy theory doing the rounds, then you can more or less guarantee that Stew will be promoting it.
Nick Fuentes openly declares that he hates those in poverty: “I do fucking hate the poor and I hate poor people and I hate poverty and I’m sick of lying about it. I’m not gonna pretend that I don’t.”
- This is a very understandable stance for him to take. When your primary source of income consists of conning gullible stupid people into contributing to you, then yes, people who are not in a position to be scammed will not be your target demographic.
Apparently fact based reporting is now “Satan’s Publication“…
- David Badash @ The New Civil Rights Movement: News CPAC’s Matt and Mercedes Schlapp Attack ‘Satan’s Publication’ After Report Adds More Details on Sexual Battery Lawsuit.
The False Profit$
MAGA Pastor Shane Vaughn warns his followers not to be fooled by Vivek Ramaswamy: “Why did VIVEK pay to scrub his Wikipedia the day before he announced his candidacy? Scrubbed of what? The HINDU FALSE GOD that he worships – His connection to mRNA vaccine technology – His association with SOROS —- IT WILL NOT WORK – we see THROUGH IT for WHAT IT IS.”
- For Shane, anybody and anything that is not carved in the “perfect” image of his one true lord and saviour, Trump, is apparently unrighteousness incarnate.
Self-Appointed whacky prophet Robin Bullock still insists that Joe Biden is not actually president because “Heaven did not anoint him to be president.”
- Apparently Robin appears to think that gods get to arrange US elections and so your actual votes don’t count.
- I’m sure his failed prophecy regarding a Trump win in 2020 does not in any way influence his complete lack of thinking on this matter.
Johnny Enlow claims that evangelical pioneer Billy Graham was actually a 32nd Degree Freemason who sold his soul to the devil.
- 32nd degree? …. Nah, he was 21st at best.
More Book Bans – Romeo & Juliet
There’s something deeply absurd and laughably funny about them banning a 400 year old text, one of the most famous books in the whole world, because they need to go check what is in it.
Actions really do have consequences
Emine Yücel @ Talking Point Memo: Judge Rules Giuliani Is Liable For Defaming Georgia Election Workers.
Meanwhile …
Katie Phang interviewed Jason about his trips to Trump rallies and the types of people he meets there …