310 Comments
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Old Man Shadow's avatar

[every American should be free to live according to their faith and conscience.]

You don't really believe that.

Because my faith and my conscience are very different than yours. My faith and conscience says that we should welcome immigrants and refugees. My conscience says that I should respect the rights of others to make their own medical decisions. My faith and conscience demand that we should take care of the poor, eliminate injustices in our institutions that favor one person over another because of skin color, my faith and conscience says that I should love my LGBTQ neighbor as myself. My faith and conscience says that religion is not something to be forced upon others by the State's monopoly on violence. My faith and conscience say that it is profoundly and deeply immoral to allow a handful of men to horde and control the vast majority of the world's resources. My faith and conscience say it's immoral for a rich nation to allow people to sleep on the street. My faith and conscience say it's immoral to support genocide, that it's immoral to go to war unless it is actual self-defense, that it's wrong for the police to gun down unarmed people posing no threat.

My faith and conscience say that the government has no role in promoting religion.

So how would I be free to live accordingly when you use the State's monopoly on violence to ensure that my conscience is violated repeatedly in your state's borders?

Troublesh00ter's avatar

My only regret is that I can only upvote this solid slice of prose ONCE! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

Straw's avatar

I upvoted it too. 44 likes by now.

Lise B's avatar

Thank you! Well said. I wonder why so many people do not understand the perfect logic of your rebuttal? I guess they must be FUBAR.

NOGODZ20's avatar

"Our rights come from God..."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Have you even read your bible, Sanders? When was that ogre you worship (not Trump. The imaginary one) ever a champion of human rights and liberty? Show us book, chapter and verse.

Joe King's avatar

If her rights come from her god, why isn't her husband the governor while she stays in the kitchen? (1 Timothy 2:12)

larry parker's avatar

He doesn't have any Huckabee blood .... although I wouldn't be surprised if there was a little.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

And throw in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, while you're at it!

Matri's avatar

You think she might be following Ezekiel 23:20 on the side?

Troublesh00ter's avatar

I wouldn't assume ... either way. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Bensnewlogin's avatar

Because she canโ€™t cook.

Charles Newman's avatar

Also, why isn't she covered? ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ˜†๐Ÿคช

https://garazastyle.com/hijab-vs-burka/

Mary jo ghost's avatar

Growing up in the South, I had considered Arkansas as the most backward uneducated redneck state in the region. People like Huckabee and the Duggars have gone a long way to validate my childhood opinion.

Matri's avatar

These days, most of the southern states are competing for that โ€œprestigiousโ€ title.

Paul Prothero's avatar

Youโ€™re not wrong, though please donโ€™t lump my strongly blue dot of Fayetteville in with the rest of this shithole state. We canโ€™t stand Side-eye Sarah and her stupid religious BS up here.

Mary jo ghost's avatar

I know there are good, intelligent people in Arkansas.

Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz's avatar

The ones who made it out of second grade?

Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Hey! I'll have you know that some of them have graduated from 6th grade.

Mark Carpenter's avatar

Try portions of northern Louisiana, whole chunks of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and the Florida Panhandle.

Not white? Not a Republican? Not straight? Nor a Baptist? โ€œMister, you donโ€™t belong here.โ€ (I was actually told that in Homer, Louisiana.)

Straw's avatar

I live in Norway, but have visited Arkansas three times. (My husband's siblings live/lived there). I connect that state to the Little Rock Nine. Braver kids is hard to find.

Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

โ€œโ€Religious liberty is Americaโ€™s First Freedom, and Arkansas is leading the nation in protecting it,โ€ said Governor Sanders. โ€œOur rights come from God, not government, and every American should be free to live according to their faith and conscience.โ€

Iโ€™m sorry. How can you possibly say, with a straight face, that you are the champion of religious liberty in the same breath that rights come from god? You do not understand religious liberty at all, therefore you cannot possibly be the best at protecting it. Itโ€™s just impossible.

Which god, Sara? Which god? I know you know itโ€™s your god, so that means everyone else is wrong and even if you let them be wrong in their religious views, you still want them to change to yours. Thereโ€™s no liberty in that, despite your droopy eyed speeches. You donโ€™t mean any of it, we know this by your actions.

oraxx's avatar

I would like to know what religious freedom Arkansas enjoys that is not present in every other state. Iโ€™ve driven through Arkansas and there are Baptist churchโ€™s everywhere you look. Given the stateโ€™s social metrics they do not appear to be especially effective. Huckabe-Sanders is a very dim bulb governing a poorly educated state. Her first act as governor was to ban the teaching of critical race theory in the public schools . . . where it had never been taught in the first place.

ericc's avatar

Well let's face it, political theater is a whole lot easier than fixing state poverty, unemployment, and lack of education. Particularly since most of her voters are absolutely opposed to paying for such fixes or having state resources go to help others.

Maltnothops's avatar

โ€œ Our rights come from God, not government,โ€

This false dichotomy is really, really popular amongst the Christian right. Our rights come from neither a deity nor government.

larry parker's avatar

We the people. I heard that somewhere.

Joe King's avatar

โ€œ๐‘…๐‘’๐‘™๐‘–๐‘”๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘  ๐‘™๐‘–๐‘๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘ก๐‘ฆ ๐‘–๐‘  ๐ด๐‘š๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘๐‘Žโ€™๐‘  ๐น๐‘–๐‘Ÿ๐‘ ๐‘ก ๐น๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘’๐‘‘๐‘œ๐‘š, ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐ด๐‘Ÿ๐‘˜๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘ ๐‘Ž๐‘  ๐‘–๐‘  ๐‘™๐‘’๐‘Ž๐‘‘๐‘–๐‘›๐‘” ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘›๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘› ๐‘–๐‘› ๐‘๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘ก๐‘’๐‘๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘›๐‘” ๐‘–๐‘ก,โ€ ๐‘ ๐‘Ž๐‘–๐‘‘ ๐บ๐‘œ๐‘ฃ๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘›๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ ๐‘†๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘ .

She's half right. Hey Huckster! Religious liberty applies to everyone, not just Christians. And it doesn't mean oppressing vulnerable people in the name of your religion.

I would bet that she knows this, and is lying.

oraxx's avatar

And rights are not matters of majority rule.

tomhr's avatar

is her dad still selling sleeping pills on late night tv ? She needs to get back in the milking line....stupid COW......

E.A. Blair's avatar

I wonder how Sanders would react to this conversation:

Bakery Owner: Good Morning. How can I help you?

Bride to Be: I'd like to order a wedding cake.

BO: Congratulations on taking that big step!

BtB: Oh, it's not the first time. This is my second wedding.

BO: How unfortunate that you're a widow, but I'm glad you're finding happiness again.

BtB: Oh, I'm not widowed; I'm divorced.

BO: Cheating husband?

BtB: No, we just didn't get along.

BO: I'm sorry, then. I can't make you a wedding cake.

BtB: WHAT? Why not?

BO: You see, in Mark, chapter 1, Our Lord says that remarrying after divorce is the same as adultery. In Matthew chapter 19, He says that remarriage after divorce is only permissible in cases of sexual infidelity. I cannot be a party to an adulterous marriage. You'll have to go somewhere else.

It would be perfectly within the rights of a strictly bible-believing Christian baker to take this stance.

larry parker's avatar

"Cheating husband?" - It only counts if the wife is the cheater.

Septuagenarian Contrarian's avatar

Yeah! They do kind of gloss over that point!

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Sauce for the goose...

Melanie Cline's avatar

I believe the baker in the famous case actually refused to make cakes for both gay and second-marriage weddings. The latter refusal, however did not, would not violate any stateโ€™s anti-discrimination laws because โ€œdivorcedโ€ is not a protected class. ๐Ÿ˜•

NOGODZ20's avatar

Religious liberty? Where in the Old Testament does YHVH allow that?

Rather the exact opposite. It's a tyrant who demands unquestioning obedience to it and it alone. Doesn't sound like religious liberty at all.

XJC's avatar
Jul 15Edited

Arkansas just recently finished among Americaโ€™s top 10 worst states to live in for 2026. Correlation, causation or just one of God's mysteries ways?

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/11/worst-states-to-live-in-america-2026.html

Maltnothops's avatar

Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Missouri, Utah, Indiana, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Louisiana.

Gosh, any commonalities? MAGA states, every single one (maybe not GA).

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Hard to believe that Georgia has TWO DEMOCRATIC SENATORS! And Ossoff sounds as though he wants to sit behind the Resolute Desk!

Kay-El's avatar

I remember when Missouri was blue. Yep, Iโ€™m old.

tomhr's avatar

Pls include SC (sigh)

Kay-El's avatar

Iโ€™ve been to a few of those states but for work or a conference. Not interested in living in any of them.

Paul Prothero's avatar

Iโ€™m stuck here, but my blue dot of Fayetteville is a pretty good town to live in. We hate the fact that our votes essentially donโ€™t count except for local elections. If I could move to Pittsburgh where my sister lives, Iโ€™d do it in a heartbeat.

Kay-El's avatar

Truth be told, I went from a blue state to another blue state and my city is blue but my county often votes red. Weโ€™re surrounded by these little red pilled pockets.

XJC's avatar

Jesus hates you educated city folks.

Kay-El's avatar

Lol. I thought Jesus loved us no matter what.

XJC's avatar

No matter what sect of Protestant or Catholic.

Mark Carpenter's avatar

Excuse me: the word is โ€œedumacatedโ€.

Charles Newman's avatar

Also the MAGA cult is strong with so many not knowning what America is. Until more people understand, the MAGAs will continue to rule.

God Bless Murica!

XJC's avatar

Idiocracy. It's here.

Dictator for a Day. Make America Guffaw Again!

Charles Newman's avatar

Got to love the Crocs. ๐Ÿ‘Ÿ๐Ÿ˜†

NOGODZ20's avatar

Schmuckabee Sanders likes to make claims about her Jesus, but she fails to provide any evidence for that Jesus.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Worse, she treats Matthew 6:5-6 as though it were a suggestion she can dismiss or ignore, never mind Matthew 25:40. If there is ANY generosity in her, I don't see it.

Maltnothops's avatar

โ€œ Schmuckabee Sandersโ€

Good one!

NOGODZ20's avatar

Thanx. Been using it so long I can't remember if I coined it or someone else did, to be honest.

larry parker's avatar

But she feels it in her heart ..... or maybe her kidney.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7RGzNB9GTgQ

NOGODZ20's avatar

Can you believe he actually said that?

Stupid question. Of course we can.

Claudia's avatar

I haven't finished reading the article but this has jumped out at me:

"we will always stand up for the rights of Arkansans who believe the same.โ€

She should be asked about the rights of Arkansans who believe something else: Dear Governor, what are you going to do about the rights of those people?

Troublesh00ter's avatar

I have to believe that there is a Jewish contingent currently living in Arkansas, as well as a fair number of Muslims, perhaps a smattering of Hindus and Buddhists, never mind those who don't sign up for ANY god. All of them would likely listen to Sanders' statement and wonder why they aren't included in her rhetoric.

The reason is simple: Sanders has no interest in anyone who doesn't agree with her.

Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

I doubt any of them are actually wondering why they werenโ€™t included. They all know good and well why.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Yeah, true enough ... and all the more reason to make some noise at that bilious bitch!

Claudia's avatar

Shall we translate that? It is basically a prime example of creating an 'in-crowd' and 'the others'.

Othering is always the first step to all kinds of violence and atrocities. It's not a necessary sequence of steps, but it's always the first one.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

One of THE FIRST THINGS religion does is create and "US vs THEM" paradigm, then play it for everything it's worth.

This is NOT HEALTHY!!! Nor is it conducive to a diverse society.

Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Call ICE and have them deported after a lengthy stay in the concentration camps.

Boreal's avatar

The conservative group says the rankings were calculated by evaluating ฬถ ฬถโ€œฬถ5ฬถ0ฬถ ฬถlฬถeฬถgฬถaฬถlฬถ ฬถpฬถrฬถoฬถtฬถeฬถcฬถtฬถiฬถoฬถnฬถsฬถ religiously based bigotry against others.

Troublesh00ter's avatar

They spelled "Religious PRIVILEGE" wrong.

Joe King's avatar

Is it privilege they spelled wrong, or mandatory or compulsory?

Troublesh00ter's avatar

Ummm ... YES. ๐Ÿ˜

Donrox's avatar

I am a former Progressive Christian, current non-theist who is licensed to sign marriage licenses in Arkansas, as long as you come to my house.

It takes three different highways to get to Little Rock, most of us around here look to Memphis. And we are the one place in the state where that wretched wild pig is not predominant. Sarah was booed recently when she visited the Arkansas State University campus.

I live a few blocks from Temple Beth El and the local mosque. Wicca clans a mile of highway in town.

We are not all Southern Baptists in this easily forgotten state!

larry parker's avatar

1st one - Now that's Mar a Lago face.

NOGODZ20's avatar

2nd one - That bench is certainly getting a workout in supporting her weight.