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TechnoratiThe Anti-Muslim Smear Machine Strikes Again?
In the midst of remarkably cynical election-time mud-slinging, the Obsession campaign is truly in a class of its own.
Over the past weeks, 28 million copies of the anti-Muslim propaganda film Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West have been delivered to the doors of newspaper subscribers in swing states. The 2006 documentary, which has been a mainstay of David Horowitz's "Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week," describes "radical Islam" as a menace comparable to Adolf Hitler that, according to the film's website, "is threatening, with all the means at its disposal, to bow Western civilization under the yoke of its values."
For the groups behind the film's distribution, the goal seems pretty clear: Scare the holy hell out of millions of voters in swing states about a possible Muslim takeover of the U.S. It's hard to see the targeting of electoral battlegrounds as anything other than an attempt to help John McCain get elected--perhaps by capitalizing on the widespread whispering campaign that Obama is a "secret Muslim."
And one has to admit that the Obsession campaign's marketing plan has been quite slick. After all, what better way to disseminate hate propaganda than under the unassuming guise of a documentary film delivered in Americans' daily newspapers? A plan that, sadly, many newspapers were all too happy to go along with for the sake of corporate profits. While a handful of newspapers--the Greensboro, N.C., News & Record, the Detroit Free Press, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch--have taken the ethical stance of refusing to carry the DVD (the News & Record called it "fear-mongering and divisive"), some 70 papers, including the New York Times, have delivered it to their subscribers as a paid advertising supplement.
There has really just been one small glitch in the plan: The public doesn't seem to be buying it. Newspapers that carried the DVD have faced floods of complaints from readers, and the past week has seen protests and press conferences denouncing the film.
The problem, it would appear, is that many readers simply do not accept the notion their newspaper should provide a cover for hate propaganda. As one Durham, N.C., News & Observer reader put it, "I cannot believe that I was sent the hate-inflaming, fear-mongering video disk Obsession in my newspaper! What will you enclose next? KKK robes?"
The public, it turns out, is a much a tougher sell than the corporate media. Major corporate media outlets have for years been citing the anti-Muslim pundits featured in Obsession as "experts."
For example: Steve Emerson has been invited regularly on NBC and described as an "anti-terror expert," despite the fact his research has been repudiated many times over. This is an "expert" who initially blamed the Oklahoma City bombing on Middle Eastern terrorists, and who is now going around claiming that the Bush State Department is collaborating with extremists.
And then there's Daniel Pipes. While he's repeatedly been cited by the media as an "expert" on Islam and the Middle East, he has warned that "the presence, and increased stature, and affluence, and enfranchisement of American Muslims" entail "true dangers" for American Jews, and led a witch hunt against a public school official who was slated to run an Arabic-language charter school in New York City.
Just a month before a critical election, there are no signs that the anti-Muslim mud-slinging campaign is going away. In fact, the secretive nonprofit called the Clarion Fund behind the Obsession campaign just came out with a brand new DVD, The Third Jihad, featuring Mark Steyn--who, as FAIR's new report documents, has warned of the "demographic decline" posed by Europe's emerging Muslim population, and suggests there are lessons for Europeans in the Balkan example of ethnic cleansing.
You can read all about Emerson, Pipes and Steyn in a new report that's just been released called "Smearcasting: How Islamophobes Spread Fear, Bigotry and Misinformation" . The report profiles 12 top anti-Muslim pundits, including prominent talkshow hosts Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck.
The media's long record of failing to challenge (and often enabling) anti-Muslim smears should leave us quite worried about how this final leg of election '08 will play out: Will the media continue to provide a platform to the anti-Muslim smear machine, or will they uphold standards of responsible journalism?
67 Comments so far
Show AllI cannot speak for anyone else, but this Christian American stands with his Muslim brothers and sisters. I have Muslim friends both here in the United States and abroad, and recognize any generalizing attack on Islam as an attack on good men and women everywhere.
It has been particularly distressing to see the label of "Muslim", which has been incorrectly applied to Barack Obama, used as an allegation, as though there were something inherently "wrong" with being a Muslim. To my fellow Americans who follow Islam: I am glad that you are here in America to share the bounty of this land with myself and my children. Hang in there!
Actually the only hope for humanity--and the other living creatures on the planet--
Would be to wipe the Muslims from the face of the Earth--
while at the same time wiping the Christians from the face of the Earth.-, then the Jews who would not exist without the Christians would have to go out and find land of their own instead of stealing it from someone else.........
This need not be done with violence---no matter how much they deserve it.
But simply isolate them----they will eventually die off----like putting them on reservations---hey, now that's a novel idea. Let them live out their miserable lives waiting to be rescued by their deity or prophet or "angle" or------some other mean vindictive jealous weak concept -----
This will allow intelligent thinking to dominate---while at the same time proving that "Jesus or Mohammad ain't coming back to save no body"-----cause they never existed in the first place.......................
"And the World will be a better place for you and me---just wait and see"
Fisk 'shocked' by US failure to debate conflict in Israel
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/fisk-shocked-by-us-failure-to-debate-confli...
He said the US and its allies had "built a new Iron Curtain from the ice cap to the equator", and added that the result of the elections on 4 November "would not make the slightest bit of difference in the Middle East".
"America's uncritical support for Israel is going to continue," he said.
There is more hatred and violence in just a FEW pages of the Bible than there is in the ENTIRE Qu'ran.
Could you cite some, please?
Here are 3 examples from the Book of Isaiah alone plus one verse from Hosea.
Isaiah 13:15-16 "Everyone who is found shall be stabbed, and anyone who takes refuge shall fall by the sword.
16. And their babes shall be dashed before their eyes; their houses pillaged, and their wives ravished."
Isaiah 14:21 "Prepare a slaughter for his sons because of the iniquity of their forefathers, lest they rise and inherit the land, and fill the surface of the earth with enemies."
Isaiah 15:9 " For the waters of Dimon are full of blood, for I will place upon Dimon additions; for the survivors of Moab is the lion, and for the remnant is the land."
Hosea 14:1 "...they shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed, and their pregnant women shall be ripped up."
Taken from the "Complete Tanach" from Judaica Press.
Well, TruthForward beat me to it, but here are a few more. Mustn't forget the Bible's allowance of slavery (Exodus 21:1-11), child abuse (Judges 11:29-40), murder (1 Chronicles 21), and rape and forcible marriage (Judges 21).
Sorry 'bout that.
Oh, not at all! Thanks for covering my back! : )
Christians base their faith on the NEW testament. Could you cite examples from the New Testament?
TruthTeller,
I can't tell if you are speaking as a Christian or not (I am not). But my understanding is that Jesus as quoted in the New Testament never repudiated the Old Testament (which for me is a pretty darn good reason for me to dismiss the man entirely - assuming he existed and is quoted correctly). E.g.
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. -- Matthew 5:17-18"
But as you are wondering about the violence in the New Testament, you might want to look at the Skeptics Annotated Bible list (http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/cruelty/nt_list.html). I don't have End of Faith in front of me, but I think Sam Harris discusses New Testament sections explicitly since so many people just associate the New Testament with "turn the other cheek", and ignore the nasty stuff.
Here is a pro-christian site - http://thirdmill.org/answers/answer.asp/file/99949.qna/category/ot/page/questions/site/iiim that says:
"Moreover, the Bible teaches that in the future God will take vengeance on his adversaries in such a horrific way that the violence of the Old Testament pales by comparison (Matt. 23:33; Mark 9:43-49; Col. 3:6; Heb. 10:26-31; 2 Pet. 3:7,10-12; Rev. 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10-11,19-20; 15:1-8; 16:1-21; 19:15). The God of the New Testament is the God who will punish sinners in the fiery pit of hell for eternity."
Nice.
I've not read the book "Violence In The New Testament", but there is some preview text on Google Books - might be worth checking out: http://books.google.com/books?id=HpO_LK75nXYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22+violence+in+the+new+Testament...
It's too bad the three main mono-theistic religions are so worthless in terms of giving us a framework for humankind getting along. I don't think much of Hinduism or Buddhism either. If people really need to follow a religion (and I'm not sure why), I wish they would come up with something brand new that throws out all the garbage that's been accumulated over the years.
Dara Parsavand
Christians? Love your enemy? Not from what I have seen in my lifetime.
Or read from a thousand years ago.
Wow! This is even bad for Foxy News. Have you heard the latest? The people at the McCain dog and pony shows that call Obama a terrorist, ect. are plants from the Obama campaign???
WTF? Is that what they're saying now?
Sioux Rose
LIMITED-TRUTHTELLER: How about utilizing your favorite Holy book's advice and getting the board away from your own eyes before castigating another... culture in this case.
FREDERICK: Great post (10:12 AM)
GIKADY: Hilarious posting. I lived in Gainesville, Florida with a Baptist church on every corner, and couldn't believe the AGGRESSION felt just driving on the roads. During their football fiesta season, they turn their homage of the home team into something very much LIKE idol worship. Once I had to return a rental car near the campus and walked through it to catch a bus, there were these ENORMOUS effigies that looked like alligators, tributes to their favorite football heros. The reptilian "gods" were such totems of their primitive beliefs, as if their practices REMOTELY resemble ANYTHING that Christ, as spiritual MASTER taught!
Preachers, bankers, movers, shakers, and commanders want you to see this movie, to make you into a more motivated foot soldier/slave. Will you please leave the thinking/deciding to them and do your part by carrying their water? You need them to organize you to protect you from their imperial blowback.
About a year ago I saw a considerable crowd at the local Cedar Park Christian Church and they were showing this film. It was an amazing film and equally shocking were the people watching it and nodding their heads in agreement with its message. Here we have a pastor that views the world as good and evil, goes to occasional 'prayer breakfasts' with GW Bush, and teaches the 'good' hate of the Christian right.
What is frightening are the number of people who buy into the line of the church. And there are many of them. They have even built their own school to teach their young the same goodness that their favorite book shows them.
But we do what we can against them; There is a gay newspaper that I periodically put in their parking lot, especially under the windshield wipers of the kids cars when they are in school; I have not yet taken my pellet gun to shoot out the neon lights of their Jesus sign but there is hope that someone will take this initiative. The kids must be shown, and corrupted, as best we can. The older people are too far gone for any aid. I am not sure if they are Rapture people but the sooner they go the better.
One has to remember that they built their church on the grounds of an old dairy farm. What is most striking is the school is built on the very spot where the cow manure was the sweetest. I suppose this is their idea of the perfect foundation. It does not surprise me as they have banners that seek those who are downtrodden, financially in trouble, divorced, inebriated, and generally mentally disabled to come into their fold. So I suppose it is no wonder that if you build your church on feces, attract the dregs of humanity, and teach fearful things you would like movies of this nature.
gikady
The sad part of this story! There is an element in this country that can't function without a heavy dose of this kind of hate daily. They seem to thrive on it and would go into withdrawal if they didn't have it there at their fingertips. Any sordid story about Obama that comes down the pike they will believe without question. They don't ever check the source or consider the most outrageous story is a lie. When one tries to set them straight with FactCheck.org. Well, that's a left wing group they are biased! These people don't want to hear what the truth really is. I don't know why they don't but they don't. You can tell the same group until you are blue in the face that Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11 and they refuse to believe it. So about 40% of the country is ignorant and doesn't mind being that ignorant.
The Zionist ( dare not use the "J" word ) have infiltrated the and taken over the Amerikan Government to dominate the Middle East and are using the blood of our youth to conquer the muslim as another step in world domination.
Notice not one single American politician has the courage to stand up to the lsrael Lobby and say it is time to recognize the rights of the Palestinian People and return to the Pre-1947 borders.
The only reason the anti-Muslim smear machine has been used is simple. Distract people from the economic and foreign policy failures by bringing up yet another culture war fear. It's just another culture war "wedge" issue just like guns, "abortion", flag-burning, patriotism, terrorism, school prayer, ten commandments statue, and the rest of the social "conservative" hot button shit issues. And the Christian Taliban in this country are no better than the Muslim extremists no matter how rightwing lunatics try to spin it. Government and religion do not mix, Christian, Muslim, or whatever religion.
Actually, the "smear machine" does not have to work very hard. What with "honor killings", female genital mutilation, Fatwas against producers of Arab soap operas, "beheading videos", suicide bombers, the Danish Cartoons, and 9-11, the Muslims are doing all the hard work for the "smear machine".
Sh!t, all anyone wanting to smear Muslims has to do is reprint the day's news out of the Muslim world.
Take a walk in the Gaza Strip, have your home demolished in the West Bank, look through tears at Palestine Stolen and get back to me.
How many children have the Israeli Death Forces killed this week?
How many Palestinians have been imprisoned for no reason today where they will be TORTURED?
Israel is NaziLand: You'll find your atrocities there.
Zig Heil
Hmmmmm Israel, Rwanda, Ethiopa, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Belarus, Russia in Chechyna and Georgia....
And you think Israel is the worst????? You are delusional.
But, is is SO MUCH FUN to hate on those money grubbing Jews, isn't it?
You slandered Islam.
But now nash your teeth over attention directed at that human rights violations and death-pit Israel.
Watch your mouth. About Jews as much as anyone.
Good Jews are disgusted by NaziIsrael.
TruthFUCKER would much rather complain about Hugo Chavez and beg for more wars for oil just to fill up his gas guzzler than he would actually take the time to visit the Gaza Strip. Besides, he never shows up on topics such as Wall $treet bailout mess or on most foreign policy topics covering the plight of the civilians thanks to reckless wars. He's a typical foam-at-the-mouth Rethug.
Did your mother bring you up in a whorehouse or something? Is that where you learned the bad language? What's with the profanity,anyway, out of arguments????
bligh4
Just when I think that discussion on this board can't possibly sink to a lower level- some of you prove me wrong.
Well, you apparently don't mind conservative trolls as you've shown yourself to be one. If you don't like it here, don't post.
Jason Jordan
Sandpoint, Idaho
Bless your heart for your incisive analysis.
I like excorsing jackasses but have been endeavoring to be polite and courteous.
I'll get over it!
Three years ago George The Pig used the fearmongering oxymoron Islamofascism for most American's first exposure.
And Hagee and Kristol and Fox News and Hollywood nurture the rascism and hatred and spew the ugly word and imagery into 100 million American homes every day.
BUT STOP, the article makes a mistake. It excuses the "terrorism expert" dilletantes as IslamaPHOBES.
Phobes/phobia is fear. And while they try to instill it en masse, they suffer from it NAUGHT; their agenda is the purely Zionist manipulation of American's thoughts and feelings re Arabs and the ME.
And how well it has worked; most American's revile Arabs and think the Palestinians are a lost cause "that's been going on forever."
Osama '08
The film's producers:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/873843.html
And more research here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarion_Fund
A woman told Sen. McCain: "I don't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's an Arab." That's when McCain got quite substantially booed, for begging to differ.
One woman isn't the problem. Her "I have read about him" statement implies rotten-hearted gatekeepers who wrote a racist statement again and again until people believed it.
At least as bad was the Republican mob. No, not the racketeers at the top, I'm talking about the crowd who booed McCain's denial that Sen. Obama was an Arab.
Sorry to repeat this from another thread, but it more directly belongs here.
But Obama giving talks to AIPAC crowds how
he's all for the Jewish apartheid, genocide, land stealing, butchering of women & children that the US has endorsed and funded since 1968
That's all cool as long as the correct public face is put on it
The Republicans just need to be more polite with their hatred ? Like Obama is when he comes out for murdering woman & children, nice suit, fancy words, the kind of friendly smile that just makes you want to use a tank to mow down some Palestinian children for throwing dirt clods at you for crushing their house. Politically correct hatred, racism and murder. Then maybe, if the Republicans learn to hate politely like Obama does, then maybe you'll like Republicans as much as Obama ?
Sioux Rose
SHADOW DANCER: Interesting interpretation of another's prophecies.
Where I live I actually saw a sign that said, "Prey with me." Doesn't that say it all? And there's a McCain/Palin poster within eyeshot of a sherrif's poster, and his name is SLAUGHTER. I want to take a photo of the word SLAUGHTER so close to the darlings McCain & Palin, both gun lovers who think VIOLENCE is holy.
Sioux Rose
NATE W: Scary, but true post. The elites learned a strategy long ago, that to maintain power they had to invent an "enemy among the people." That always leads to so much hatred and divisiveness within "the flock" as to make real change impossible. So long as individuals fall for this "scape goat" strategy, there's no telling who will be next. I don't buy it. This DVD which came in my local newspaper, too, reminds me of a skit Eddie Murphy did on SNL where a make-up artist makes him look white, so he "can pass," and he goes for a bank loan. The Black clerk recognizes his "color," and pretty much tells him to take a walk; but a manager higher up comes over and takes him for white and gives him anything he wants.
It would be interesting if HS students had to spend a day of their lives (with the help of their hopeful theater department's make-up artists) "as" another race to get a sense of what takes place through something as ridiculous as an external "color" change. Maybe this would bring some enlightenment, Goddess knows conventional attempts at education have hardly brought the results we would hope.
I totally remember that SNL skit! My favorite line from it that I have always remembered was when one of the interviewers was making some racist remark about how Murphy's character almost acted like a black guy, and Murphy laughs and says, "What a silly negro!" Murphy played the part of a white guy perfectly.
Regarding your other comments . . . have you ever seen or read the interview from 1970 or 71 with Werner von Braun (German scientist and designer of the V2 rocket who, after WWII, became a NASA scientist under Project Paperclip and Operation Overcast)? He stated the leaders of the countries have always created outside enemies to control the people, and the US is no different. He cites "International Communism" as one of the first "enemies" and predicted Muslims would eventually head the list, followed eventually by "space aliens". I can't remember where I read it, but it is quite illuminating.
The distribution of "Obsession" is this era's version of Henry Ford's promulgation of "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion." That descendants of those whom were grossly damaged by Ford's distribution of that era's "Great Lie" are part of today's smear of the "despised minority du jour" is truly sad and a reflection of their historical amnesia. It will also give more ammunition to the anti-semitic wing nuts of the Left who all too often habituate on this site.
Terms like "Islamo-Fascism" and "Islamist" make me laugh so hard because not only are they not real words, they have no basis in what Islam is. But in the end it doesn't matter what right wing wackos or atheists say about Islam or religion in general, because at the heart of all this religion-being-evil BS are a group of people with the idea that they can convert the sheeple to THEIR religion, the religion of paranoia, bigotry and Western Colonialism. What people like Maher want is for you to say, "God sucks, I'd much rather follow the religion of money and power." And O'Reilly and his cadre want to you think is "These headscarfed barbarians are killing people in the name while we humble, God fearing. gun-slingin' (cuz that's a constitutional right, y'know) Christians are totally not." That is ALL that is comes down to.
Money & Power. Kneel before your Gods, beyotches.
These same people claiming that Islam is out to get the West are conveniently blind to who's terrorizing the Palestinians in their own land; Who's been bombing the crap out of Iraq, Afghanistan for no real reason besides, apparently, being evil, and is now threatening to turn Iran into a similar crater in the Middle East; Who is pushing mild-mannered Muslim women to stop being so damn ethnic and dress like a civilized and respectable white lady already; Who is demanding that everyone follow their askewed vision of Fascio-Democracy (see, I can make up words too); Who are stepping all over the poor worldwide and exploiting them for their own profit without giving a damn who dies or who winds up hating them because of their carelessness and greed.
The only fascists I can see killing "in the name of..." in this picture are the western capitalists hell-bent on colonizing the world.
Never mind that the LAST Crusade failed, but good luck with the new one in any case. *eyeroll*
- Insurgent
Organized religion causes problems even when practiced "tolerantly".
It invariably creates an "Us vs Them" paradigm, where the believers are somehow chosen or better than everyone else. This makes it easier for believers to go to war, kill, and demonize others.
It requires a belief in some miracle, supernatural, otherworldly, superstitious, or otherwise unprovable tenet, deity, or dogma. This undermines reality, truth, and science by its very nature.
Organized religion was designed to sustain a few rich and powerful and keep the rest of us dumbed down and compliant. It has only changed for the worse over time. It is authoritarian and requires unblinking assent from its followers, just the thing governments and leaders desire.
yes it was the Muslims who caused the economy melt down in the stock market. It was them that caused the banking failures. It was them who forced Bush to spend 700 BILLION on nothing but a rich bail out. It was them who caused Global warming. It was them who caused the greatest jobs loss in American history. It was then that cause forest fires, volcanoes and tsunami. Yes they have been busy that's for sure, what AMERICAN racist crap and yet nothing is done to stop these racist.
It is so easy to blame others for American mistakes. what a cop out coward
100% agreed.............and you can take that to the bank.......lol.
Obama's going to defeat the rightwing nazis come November regardless of his middle name. The bible thumping "Christians" out here in Omaha are no better than the Muslims they keep railing against. I don't mind religious people and in fact I beg the anti-religious zealots to show some tolerance and sympathy for the non-violent kinder versions of religious people. However, maniacs who spout their religious fervor do not speak for all religious people or even most. Religious mania is a disease and often times leads to serious mental illnesses. How much more damage does this country need to take before it can finally back off their hatred of all Muslims or for that matter just grow up and show tolerance and respect for people regardless of their associated religion(s) ?
The bible thumpers are no better? How many have died in bible thumper riots over art offensive to Christians? How many heads have bible thumpers cut of in America?
Etc etc etc....
You do know the bible thumpers have sort of taken over the U.S. military don't you? Why would they need to kidnap people and cut off their heads when they can have the U.S. Air Force drop 2000 lbs. bombs on cities instead?
I am assuming that you serve, or have served, and can verify this personally? The nutbags I served with in the Army National Guard for 20 years were called many things, but never "bible thumpers".
Nope, just kept track of several news articles about it over the years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/26/us/26atheist.html
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/03/airforce.religion/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/us/07muslim.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/10/AR2006121000883.html
Not to mention the "Commander in Chief" thinks God approves everything he does (especially militarily).
Although I am Jewish, I am a member of my campus's Freethinkers organization and I am quite disdainful of fundamentalists, of any religion. As I stated before, Muslim fundamentalists have little actual power and commit brutal crimes such as beheadings to get attention. Christian fundamentalists have little need to, since the U.S. government is currently supporting its goals through the military (and this includes the unconditional and unlimited support of Israel, which I am very much opposed to). Oh, and if Palin gets in there, this will make the last 8 years seem like we were more secular than Europe.
Sit back and wait a while. The bible thumpers will get total control and institute "biblically based" laws such as executing homosexuals and women who have had abortions, jailing athiests and forcing conversions on Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus.
My firm belief is that if someone were to publish a book including EXACTLY the same murder, deprivation,degridation, rape, torture,and incest as the Bible, Christians would picket the stores that carry it.
Maybe I should write just such a book. The picketing alone would send sales through the roof and make me rich. Then I could afford to live in our 100% Jesus approved free market economy.
Don't even think about writing a book. If you do, the "bible thumper police" will come for you and take you away to a camp, for re-education.
I used to think the militia-men right wingers were the kings of wacky conspiracy theories. I appear to have been mistaken.
You, sir, are nuts.
Better to be a braveheart than a chickenshit sir. Besides, not all Christians are bible thumping rightwing Limbaugh dittoheads ready to let Wall $treet and the Military Industry Complex fuck them.
Your mother did not do a good job of raising you....Such anger, such vulgarity. What was the name of the whorehouse you were born in???
You miss the point. The bible thumpers in this country, most of whom gleefully vote against their own economic interests, have lost their sanity thanks to taking the bait on the rightwing propagandists. The Christian fundies might not have reached the head cutting part yet but they're already getting there. Right now, the only difference is the Muslim extremists would stab you in the front while the Christian extremists stab you in the back. If you want to tell me that denying working class Americans affordable healthcare, sending young men and women to die in wars based on lies such as Iraq, threatening doctors who assist women on terminating unexpected pregnancies because her life is at stake thanks to incest or rape, shooting non-conservative people in churches after listening to Mike Savage, etc ... is "pro-life" just like most bible thumpers who don't even follow what's in the bible, be my guest. You're the one who's giving good Christians a bad name. Go talk to the peace loving Christians who are real Christians, not fake shit like James Dobson and Pat Robertson.
Actually, right now, the only difference is that the Muslim nuts will KILL you, while the Christian nuts will picket your store.
A minor, little difference, to be sure....
"When fascism comes to America, it will be draped in a flag and carrying a cross."
- Sinclair Lewis
That goes to show that both extremes suck.
Religion is superstition embellished.
Hey, preying on the ignorant has been going on for millennia: ORGANIZED RELIGION.
This is no worse than newspapers distributing religious propaganda through "Religion" sections or through articles which presume any gods exist or which contain some religious CEO's spewage.
Not everyone who is religious abuses religion. The propagandists don't speak for all religious people. Please learn to understand religious people and show some tolerance. You never seem to live in peace and harmony as an atheist from what I can tell from your posts.
To all those who try or have tried (as I have for many years) to strain out the violently reactionary elements of religion, Bill Maher poses the question, at the end of "Religioulous", whether or not we're acting as enablers, as Mafia wives, as he says, by deceiving ourselves that somehow the violence is alien to or outside our beliefs. Unfortunately in "Religioulous" the Muslims come across as the most violent, while Judaism is represented by two eccentric rabbis and Joe Lieberman; while he ridicules Catholicism, nonetheless three anti-fundamentalist Catholics, one the head of the Vatican Observatory and two eccentric priests, get screen time.
In no other democratic country could a religious nutcase tell his supporters & have his supporters believe that God wanted him to be president AND BE PRESIDENT for eight years; nor could there be a mere spread of a dozen points between a liberal Christian like Obama and someone like McCain whose career was launched by gonzo right-wing Catholic savings thief Charles Keating & who made a woman whose political career was blessed by a real-live witch-hunter his running mate.
Those who believe that the secular state is the best protection for all have to do a much better job, become much more vocal and active, in re-claiming their church, their religion, for decency, honesty & sanity.
Thanks to the Clarion Fund for providing me with free drink coasters.
Aren't you tempted to get high/drunk and watch it just once, for some laughs ? :-)
Yeah
I received the Clarion Fund's DVD last week and was totally shocked that such hateful and disgusting fearmongering got to me through the mail. The "Clarion Fund" obviously is mass mailing this DVD to anyone and everyone. Of course, there's no way to speak with a live person at the phone number provided on the DVD, but I was able to leave a message -- if only to satisfy myself. I realize that I, personally, will not be able to effect these people alone, but if everyone who receives the DVD tries to contact them, well...
I still have plenty of "friends" who will believe this kind of hateful propaganda though. Even people who I consider very intelligent and thoughtful -- most of the time. However, it seems there should be some kind of law against what the Clarion Fund is doing. I actually felt that in some way my privacy had been violated, and that the subject matter of this DVD is far, far worse than "pornography" and it's against the law to send pornography through the mail. This anti-Muslim campaign is truly filthy.
Yes, one of my MySpace friends sent out a mass email bulletin of the trailer for this piece of trash film. I love her to tears but she is a "Christian" who thinks Islam is the source of the anti-christ.
I sent her a reply: "Oceania is at war with Eastasia. Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia." (Orwell). She never replied back.
Same here. I purposely DID NOT pick up a Sunday paper in order NOT to get this crap. Then, lo and behold, it comes in the mail.
I sent an email asking who they were, since they're tax exempt... I THOUGHT I had a right to know, but I've not gotten a reply in over two weeks.
I think at this point in time, we really start to take notice of who these people are. We need names, addresses of financiers, media MIC and other "elites" so we can start protesting them at home on Their own streets, in Their neighborhoods and where They work, and don't forget, newspapers and broadcast stations as well.
Weasels.
Men in love with their own evil worldly ambitions upon the earth must create external & internal enemies. This way the now New World Order consolidates power by selling people lies & fear even though all these things are planned out years in advance. Just as Bankers have already been talking about a New World Order banking system that all the Nations would have to live under their rules.
Even though they don't seem to follow their own rules.
In the deeper of prophecy the Muslims use a term called the One Eye or Signs Dajhal about the evil one they consider Christ will overthrown when he returns. From what I know they consider this one to be literal where I look as that as being a possibility but I also consider this to be a symbolic term as the One Eye appears on the capstone above the pyramid on the back of the U.S's dollar & is a Freemason symbol of Idolatary.
The One Eye may be the globalist system of the New World Order that is being ushered in through the manipulations of what appears to be a crisis. This globalist system may be what the Book of Revelation refers to as the Beast & that they will be worshipping this Beast & the image of this Beast.
Those are just possible thoughts on what is really happening & I do not consider anyone has to accept or agree with my personal thoughts on any subject.