So anyone who expresses a wish that others agree with him is an asshole and should be condemned.
I look forward to all the threads in which you condemn pretty much every politician in America.
Regards,
Shodan
You and **Kolga **really don’t understand about fundamentalist Christian dogma. What he said is no more controversial than a Catholic saying that the wine and the wafer are the blood and body of Christ. Fundamentalists truly believe that it is their job to convert everyone to their religion; to make everyone their “brothers and sisters” as it were. That’s what he was saying. Not that everyone else is a second class citizen, or that everyone else would be treated differently by him in his role as governor.
Ya’ll are conveniently forgetting the " I want to be your brother" quote.
Addressing church groups is not a duty of the governor, as far as I know.
Again, could you please provide a cite where this governor admitted that he considered anyone to be a second-class citizen?
Regards,
Shodan
Again, where did he say that?
Alabama. Sweet home of the 10th lowest GDP per capita of any state in the union.
Birds of a feather…
LOL. I grew up in South Carolina. I understand fundamentalist Christian dogma quite well. And I’m saying I don’t, and neither should we as a country, care whether or not this is a core belief. When elected officials begin to express in public situations core beliefs that basically call people with differing belief systems names, or assign them to a lesser status, we as a secular society should say “um, no, that’s unacceptable.”
He wants to be “our brother” when and only when we agree with him. That’s not acceptable coming from a public official in a secular society.
Have you ever done that? On this board for example? Have you ever called any other politician out the way you are calling the Governor out simply for invoking God?
Why even bother saying it if he didn’t intend to stratify? The words have absolutely no meaning otherwise. They sure as shit aren’t to be construed literall… well, then again it is Alabama, so perhaps?
I thoroughly agree. My only caveat would be to wait until it actually begins.
Regards,
Shodan
You keep saying this. We keep asking for a cite. Why are you unable to provide one?
My Jewish relatives living in Alabama took it pretty much that way. It’s not clear that this would influence any legislative moves or appointments he makes, but it would certainly put me on edge. None of my relatives will ever support him again, nor, it seems, will many of the people who attend their synagogue.
It’s not clear exactly what it means when your governor tells you that he won’t consider you a brother or a sister unless you convert to Christianity, but it’s not a good sign no matter what.
See my explanation of fundamentalist dogma above.
oh, great. so he’s not a prejudiced bigot. he’s just a fucking run-of-the-mill crackpot.
makes me feel all warm n’ fuzzy inside now that I know everything’s a-ok in 'bama.
by-the-by: in this dogma, what happens to those who haven’t been converted into the siblinghood of the righteous when the Rapture comes?
I think everyone wants people to agree with them. If he had said I want everyone to know God like I do and receive his grace and forgiveness, it would be one thing, but to say that people whose religious beliefs are different than your own are not your brothers and sisters goes well beyond that.
Bearing false witness is a sin, so I am sure you just made a mistake when you say that I called him out just for invoking God, and not for saying that those who do not accept his religion are not his brothers and sisters.
You have to eat at the little kids table.
Yes. On this message board, and on emails to politicians’ offices when it hits my radar.
Obviously (as you know), the governor did not say the words “I believe that Christians are better than non-Christians.” However, there really isn’t any other way to take his statement, even if, or perhaps ESPECIALLY if, it’s part of his core belief. Fundamentalist dogma does indeed require conversion of non-believers, and that requirement is based on the assumption that fundamentalists are BETTER than non-believers.
This wasn’t an innocent statement. It was meant to send a clear, if unspoken, message about the worth of Christians and non-Christians.
Is this brother/sister stuff really part of fundamentalist canon? I know there is an obligation to convert, but did Jesus or the NT really say that people who do not accept him are not brothers and sisters of the converted?
well, let’s be fair now. they don’t assume that they’re better per se - they just assume that you’re going to spend your eternity with a rather severe suntan while they each get 40 virgins to themselves or something.
i mean, you know, that’s not them thinking they’re better than you. just different.
In a better way. 