Quote of the Day

The point is to stop pretending that religion (and in the US we mean good Christian religion) necessarily steers people away from horrible moral and political beliefs, because all that does it give people a magical cloak to hide how horrible they are. Religion might be wonderful for individuals but it doesn't elevate the morals of one group over another. I think this should be somewhat obvious by now.

—Duncan "Atrios" Black

The point that Black is trying to make is that the religious right is right first, and religious second, and that the suggestions by some that appealing to God/Jesus/Allah/Vishnu/The Flying Spaghetti Monster/Etc. is a lost cause.

The religious right's answer to "What would God/Jesus/Allah/Vishnu/The Flying Spaghetti Monster/Etc. do?" is that he/they/his noodley goodness would kick the crap out of those hippies who want to keep lazy black and brown children from starving.

This is how they worship, and it is what it is.

To suggest, as the liberal religious pundits suggest, that we can dictate how they worship is patronizing and wrong.

More particularly, I need to go back to the noted theologian The Right Reverend Shelby Spong, who asked, "Has religion in general and Christianity in particular degenerated to the level that it has become little more than a veil under which anger can be legitimatized?"

I would add bigotry and hatred to the retired Bishop's list.