Cal Thomas gets one right
Don't look now, but right-wing columnist Cal Thomas appears to have gotten one right, proving once again that even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Thomas, an evangelical Christian who helped create the Moral Majority, urged the public to stop evaluating presidential candidates on the basis of faith.
“This election,” he said, “should be more about competence and less about ideology, or even faith. It shouldn’t matter where — or if — a candidate goes to church, but whether he (or she) can run the country well, according to the principles in which the voter believes. And, if those principles include a person of faith, so much the better. God can be the ultimate check and balance on earthly power.
“If a car hits me,” he concluded, “I care more about whether the ambulance driver knows the way to the nearest hospital and the skills of the emergency room doctor than where they stand with God. That’s the attitude we should have toward those who desire to be president of the United States in a fallen world.”
As my friend Joe Conn put it, "Given the source, that’s not a bad sermon. I won’t start setting my watch by Thomas’ warped clock, but today he’s pretty much on time."
Duh
Oh, Oh. I'm losing my mind. I thought I heard a CrazyChristianFundamentalistEvangelicalBornAgainBooZionistRapturist say something that made an iota of sense.
He must have been drugged.
Doh!
i can't stand to read this guy. he lives in an alternative universe 99.99 percent of the time.
He's wrong about 99.9% of the time, but this time he is fu*king exactly right. We elect a president not a freakin' preacher. Here that Huckabee-ites?
you mean someone actually said something that makes sense? wtf has he been smoking
I think he's only saying it NOW becuz people hate the fundie's pet Dubya and they obviously have no clear shot at getting their candidate in, due to the damage Dubya has wrought.
So yeah, I think he's a hypocrite. Why didn't he say this seven years ago?
We knew a lot of good would come from Jerry Falwell's death. It sure took a long time to show up, but maybe it was worth the wait.
And just think, the Devil must be salivating to get his hands on Robertson, he can have Jerry and Pat do the Hot Coal Tango in tandem, spurred by deft pitchfork applications, which is NOT torture under Hell's DHS program.
Get ready to hold a massive ByeBye celebration for Robertson, his time is coming, do not fall for his final ''God' told me if you sent in $20B in the next 24 hours, I would be granted immortality, if you don't, you'll be going to hell' campaign speech.
He's as full of sh*t as always, but impending demise sharpens the senses, in his case the dominant sense is GREED.
Sounds like a plea to ignore whether someone is, say, Mormon - or funds their extramarital affairs with taxpayer funds.
Ultimately, though, it's self-contradictory given their political agenda: "Let's not consider a candidate's religion when selecting which politician can best push the right-wing agenda of hatred for folks whose religious beliefs don't precisely match our own" requires the base to be cynical rather than sheep-like.
The Huckster says that Jesus is the reason he's doing well in the polls and he slams Willard for his brand of Jes-iosity and we're the ones making this about religion?
Once again, factsdon't matter with the Republican'ts...not to mention Huckster's attitude about science. Science - Schmience Facts matter, reverend.
I say we ask everyone in the country this question: Would you vote for an incompetent person who professes to share your faith over a competent person who does not?
Everyone who says yes is deported to live in a country with Sharia law.
I'll never trust them.....not when it comes to politics.
redford @ 9:
And to think that some people are questioning if the world is round?????? This one blows my mind.
Don't give him too much credit, I mean look at the offerings of the leading repubs. A Mormon, a thrice divorced catholic and a racist preacherman. We got them beat on the religion thing and the evangelical pundits don't want to lose to us via their "strength" over us!
So is he supporting Romney? He's obviously setting the stage to endorse someone who doesn't share his religious views.
Even though I wouldn't vote for these fundie whackjobs, I would have more respect for them if they were honest. If they are so sure that God is on their side, why do they have to lie and conceal their beliefs?
Isn't Satan the "Father of all Liars?"
ok, i can support that.
He just wants permission to vote for the mormon guy. Just greasing the skids...so to speak
He must be pulling for Romney against Huckabee, and his head is spinning. If he doesn't reconcile the inconsistency, his head will explode like one of Harry Mudd's Alice-class androids.
he's saying that now......but you know that they'll try again....
Thomas: "God can be the ultimate check and balance on earthly power."
Tell it to the European Jews and other groups throughout history.
Fuck Cal Thomas. Forever and ever. Amen.
No, no, a thousand times no.
If someone believes that evolution does not and has not occured, I want to know. If someone believes that man had dinosaurs as pets, I want to know. If someone believes, or used to believe, that people of other races are inferior to themselves, I want to know. If someone believes that Intelligent Design is science, I want to know. If someone believes that this is a "Christian Nation," I want to know. If someone believes that mythical characters actively talk to them and help them makes decisions or simply tell them what to do, then I ABSOLUTELY want to know.
Faith is belief without (or regardless of) evidence. If you are a leader and you make decisions based on it, then you MUST be revaluated and questioned. If we ignore this, then we are allowing the possibility of having another president that thinks that a bronze age myth is telling him/her what to do (like start a WAR).
Poor Cal doesn't have a choice, now does he?
The next headline from the delusional segment, will be
PAT ROBERTSON REPENTS!
'Holding an Irish lace hank to his lightly-rouged cheeks, Pat Robertson gently wiped a tear, proclaiming 'I have sinned. Yes. I say it, I HAVE SINNED! I have lead a life of deception, debauchery, and, dare I say it, BLASPHEMY! I have taken the Lord's name in vain, I have lied about conversing with 'Him'. I have used 'Him' for my own GREEDY purposes, for self-aggrandizement, for the accumulation of personal wealth, and I have LIED, for there is no 'Him'. Yes, I dare say it now, THERE IS NO GOD!'
HAS ROBERTSON SEEN THE TUNNEL AT THE END OF THE LIGHT ??
The tunnel that leads from his splendiferous sick bed directly to HELL? But if there is no 'god', how can there be a 'Hell'? They are not mutually self-exclusive, both exist only in the minds of men, and for one such as Robertson, the Devil is much more real than any 'god'. So that's his final destination, to breathe his last earthly breath, and drop down the chute to purgatory, then to the silent screaming agony of eternal torment and torture, for that is what he now believes he deserves, and who can argue?
He has lived a life of deceit, deception, debilitating debauchery; scamming, stealing, sinning, sodomy; lying, licentiousness, lascivious lewdness; he was never as he posed, he was never truthful, he lived a life of lies.
And his death will bring a blessing to the rest of use, and hopefully teach a lesson to those who follow in his path,
REPENT, REPENT, REPENT,
or know eternal sorrow. Use the reason that has been given you, do not ignore it for a farce of faked fidelity to a non-existent deity, rejoice in what is, for life is beautiful, do not debase it with illusionary, imbecilic imaginings of a 'Higher Being', we are the only being, make yourself the max, and rejoice in your ability to do so.
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/republicans_debate_in_des_moines... Off topic ....fact check of the debates
I don't get it. If a car hits him, isn't that God's will? Wouldn't a capable doctor or abulance driver be interfering?
He's just back-peddling to keep his market-share in the political arena.
It reminds me of the situation in Alaska years ago, when a religious conservative was threatening to split the republican gubernatorial vote with a business conservative.
Alaska's mini-Pat-Robertson, "Dr." Jerry Prevo, had a sermon explaining that his flock had to vote *not* for the one who best represented their Christian values, but the one who closest represented them and could win -- meaning of course, the business Republican.
It's never been about religion for these mouthpieces. It's always been about investments.
Well, he almost gets it right. If he had said:
"
ThisElections should be more about competence and less about ideology, or even faith. It shouldn't matter where — or if — a candidate goes to church, but whether he (or she) can run the country well, according to the principles in which the voter believes. And, if those principles include a person of faith, somuch the betterbe it.God can be the ultimate check and balance on earthly power."I would say he got it right.
matthew @ 20:
ooops...sorry 'bout dat...
Isn't it amazing now that a Republican's religious beliefs might actually be damaging to their chance of getting elected that the likes of Cal Thomas say it shouldn't matter. Give me a break. The likes of Cal Thomas and Rove were happy to inject religion into this process to get the likes of Bush elected. Screw em if they have a problem with it now.
myiq2xu @ 14:
"God can be the ultimate check and balance on earthly power."
So, what's he been doin' these past 8 years???
As has already been said by others here and elsewhere, I DO care about a candidate's religious beliefs, especially when they say publicly that those beliefs will inform their decision making once in office (perhaps I should fear even more those candidates whose religion will impact their decisions, but who WON'T admit it publicly!!)
Matthew said it already above: Huckabee et al. don't believe in evolution??? Huckabee believes that dinosaurs walked the earth with humans??? And yet, our society will expect them to make important decisions regarding funding of education, scientific research, etc.? What if a member of the Church of Christ, Scientist was running, would it not be fair to ask them about the impact upon our society of their belief that medical treatment is sin and should not be performed?
Just as my secular, non-religious beliefs would impact my decision making process and would need to be open to scrutiny, when a candidate declares that their religion impacts how they make decisions, then their beliefs most certainly must be open for discussion,
So, he's a Romney Christian then. He's wrong on the competence part in that case.
rapture based communitarians get the bozack
Yes, but did this m-f write anything like this when Obama's religious upbringing was being lied about? No?
What? If Cal were hit by a car his omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, deity wouldn't come to his rescue, or better, prevent the accident? Cal would depend on the skills of medical personnel who are , gasp, scientists? Cal, my man, if your deity exists, she/he is useless or just doesn't care. Perhaps you should give some consideration to the possibility she/he is a figment of your imagination.
This just shows he supports Romney.
Joshua James @ 6:
Thank you. Too little, too late. When we were suggesting that faith shouldn't be placed ahead of other ideals, like competency or ideas, in 2000 and 2004, we were mocked and implied to be secularlists, athiests, whatever, just not in touch with God and ordinary people with religious beliefs.
I also think this is code for "Vote for Romney or Guiliani, because Hillary or Obama will beat the Huckster like a rented goalie."
He's gonna get a pink slip for that one, soon.
This is like the thing with Chris Wallace from the other day. Wallace's attacks on Huckabee didn't represent a bout of journalistic integrity. He was tearing down a candidate that his party's leaders don't want. Cal Thomas is doing the opposite here.
Cal Thomas is pushing his party establishment's chosen candidate (Mitt Romney). The Christian talk is just to stir up their slack-jawed minions. The party's elite, from Cal Thomas to James Dobson-- only worships one thing-- money. And Mitt is their money man here.
Yeah, now that the mighty religious sword is up against their own necks, isn't it funny how suddenly holy sancitmony litmus tests our now untenable to Cal?
sorry - I meant "are" now untenable....
I'd just like to add that I hope the GOP elite gets their way on this and Romney takes the nomination. They can wave good-bye to their right-wing Christian fundamentalist base if that happens, because those people do not compromise. Their ideals were handed down from god himself and they will not negotiate.
A Mormon might as well be a Satan worshipper as far as they're concerned. And if Romney's the nominee, the Democratic candidate had better be ready to bring up Romney's religion at every opportunity.
matthew @ 20:
Acually there is proof that man had dinosaurs for pets. Just watch "The Flintstones" and you can see the living proof - in living color. You can see Bam-Bam playing with Dino (the dinosaur).
I'm a christian, and I believe that.
It shouldn’t matter where — or if — a candidate goes to church, but whether he (or she) can run the country well, according to the principles in which the voter believes
The invisible ending of that being "as long as he's a white Republican"
So who told him to write it? The people who are unhappy about huckleberry's rise in the polls? Or the folks who want ritt momney's religion to be an issue?
right? you mean by right, correct? Are you mentally ill? A test for religion should be mandatory so that we know which candidates are sane or not. religion is fantasy, a candidate that ties themselves to some kind of religion means they rely on out of body bullshit to make decisions. it has no basis in fact and having a president like the one we have that pretends to follow one, shows you how stupid and dangerous it is. The very idea of having someone that believes in nonsense books as their guiding light, how stupid is that?
honestly, think about it for a minute. Are we going to ritualize the kingdom ever more for these tweakers? Or start another race war based on the various insane religious institutions?
I for one am tired of watching the people in power constantly go back to spouting some fantasy that should put them under watch by qualified medical professionals, not get them elected to a position that deals with people. Now watch the defenders of such crap feed the comment tray as fast as they lose their own identity. It embarrasses me when someone even talks about their faith, but when they apply it as science to a problem, what can you say?
what crap thinking Cal Thomas has something right to say twice a day when this statement is nuts. He is trying to downplay the fact that the only acceptable candidates to him are religious freakouts?
let's try to wake the hell up and smell the planet burning
how stupid do we have to get to satisfy religion?
All he's doing is giving himself some wiggle-room when he ultimately endorses the guy with the 'goof-ball' religion based on a con-man's 'wet dream'...or the agnostic from NY. These guys don't do 'reasonable' without an ulterior motive.
When voting I certainly do consider people's religious convictions.
Bill Mahr spoke of this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tVwiGzJq2k
Be Silent Cal.
How about quashing the tax exempt status enjoyed by the fundies' political pulpits and throwing that dough at the crippling Bush debt? Money where your mouth is, righteous mouth breathers.
That was a veiled call to vote for Romney.
He's just saying that in case Romney gets the nomination. He wants all his sheeple to vote for the Con no matter who it is. If Romney gets bashed too much about his religion, it may come back to haunt them later if he's the nominee.
Of course, that just my take on it. I could be wrong.
Hey, shave off that stupid phucking mustache.
and then he's back to normal with "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition"
his latest opinion piece...
Everything changes when the flawed candidate is a Republican. Look when it became acceptable for a divorced politician to be president: Reagan. I remember chuckleheads on newsgroups actually berating Clinton for STAYING MARRIED to Hillary and fooling around, instead of doing the right thing and divorcing her. Morality turns into Looking-Glass time when the person who needs excuses made is a Republican.
Note how he rhapsodizes that it's impossible to know someone's heart -- and then slaps Clinton as a hypocrite for quoting scripture and getting impeached for lying. Once again Cal Thomas isn't writing - he's just typing. What a putz!
This isn't an issue of "right" or "wrong." It's an example of hypocrissy. My guess is the man just came into a good chunk of Rudy money.
DirtyDawg @ 48:
Amen, DirtyDawg...these repugs always have to move the goalposts for their embarrassing candidates...
I'd be very wary. He's setting up an indorsement for the ethically, faithfully, and morally challenged Rudy Guilliani.
So, he would vote for a Satanist? Really? I call BS!
Don't know Cal Thomas from his writings but he does a 10-15min slot on a radio show here in Ireland every week talking about what's happening in the States. He's balanced by a left leaning Irish journo based in NY.
He comes across on that show at least as quite a sensible righty IMO. I'm about as left as you can go BTW. The statement in the story is the kind of thing he says quite a bit on this show. Maybe when not talking to a home audience he's not as bad as he seems to be looking at the comments above.
How, exactly, does this make sense? Of course their faith should be evaluated.
Misdirection. Of course he'd like some of us to ignore the wackier of the GOP candidates' religious views. Might sucker a few more of us into voting Republican.
Thomas is not attempting to be fair. He's spinning. We knew the Right was getting desperate; things must be awful if a religious spokesmodel is telling us to ignore religion.
leftminded @ 54:
Or at least trim the edges.
http://blogacine.blogacine.net/bm/thumbnails/385f9f2c89e1a8f8201ffc379d5...
"Thomas, an evangelical Christian who helped create the Moral Majority, urged the public to stop evaluating presidential candidates on the basis of faith."
Let's stop evaluating them on their fucking hair-dos and don'ts, style and manner of dress, and WTF they LOOK like too. Or whether they're 'great speakers'.
Let's just evaluate them on their deeds, their accomplishments, what they've done that has enhanced this country for all of its residents, rich and poor, mighty and small, hungry and well-fed. Evaluate them on their tireless efforts to bring the corporate robber barons to heel and make us all a little better off for doing so.
I guess that means I'm voting for Nader again.
So faith isn't important to Cal Thomas this time around? Does anyone else suspect that Thomas backs Giuliani, and that this is a convenient way to do so?
.... those who link this type of chatter to support for rudy could not be more correct.
...... many such suprising statements have cropped up over the last few months.
Remember Thomas's motive here: he is trying to persuade his fellow religious kooks to vote for someone like Giuliani or Romney.
In other words, he is being a plug for the Republican Bourbons.
Who's dye job is worse? Cal's or Chris Wallace's?
So is Cal Thomas rooting here for the "DEVIL"?
Or maybe Mitt's trear jerking speech got to him?
Or is he making his case for the absolute non christian Rudy?
Apparently Cal is having a hard time supporting his faith candidate Huckabee, Why?
When right winger started saying Barak Hussien Obama and that he attended a 'madrassah' simple minded voters have already concluded that;
1) Barak is a Muslim not that there's anything wrong with being a Muslim, I am one myself.
2) That if mere mentioning of the word Madrassah scares the heck out of them even though Madrassah simply means school.
How convenient that he chooses to employ common sense when there is no Christian evangelical, fundie in a clear lead and also, when almost everyone except those who drool all over themselves all day has realized that being president requires more than just (supposedly) loving Jesus.
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