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π΄π‘šπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘Ž π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž πΆβ„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘› π‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›β€”π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘β€™π‘  π‘Ž β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘™ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› 𝑏𝑦 π‘‘π‘œπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘¦β€™π‘  π‘™π‘–π‘”β„Žπ‘‘π‘ .

Of course it is ... because this nation was NOT founded on Christianity, Josh. Do us all a favor and be bothered to actually READ the document it WAS founded on. You won't find so much as one mention of God, Jesus, or Christianity ANYWHERE within it. What you WILL find are the first three words of the Preamble: WE THE PEOPLE. Human beings established this country and its constitution, and neither deity nor carpenter-turned-rabbi had so much as Thing One to do with that process.

If you want to believe by yourself that this is a Christian nation, I can't stop you. If you insist on spreading that lie, I and a whole lot of others are going to call you on it ... EVERY LAST TIME.

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How very Nat-C of him.

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Jan 19Β·edited Jan 19

There is one reference to God in the Constitution β€” in the date at the end, β€œin the Year of Our Lord.” They make a big deal out of that, even though it was just the formal dating system at the time for dates in years A.D. (Anno Domini, literally β€œthe year of our Lord”). These days we use C.E. (Common Era) and B.C.E. (Before Common Era).

They of course claim that those two letters, and the version for years before A.D. 1 being B.C. (Before Christ), show how Christian society was at the time. But let’s look at the rest of the calendar system, starting with all seven of the days of the week:

β€’ Sunday: generic Sun god’s Day

β€’ Monday: generic Moon god(dess)’s Day

β€’ Tuesday: Norse/Teutonic war god Tiu’s Day

β€’ Wednesday: Norse/Teutonic king god Odin (aka Wotan or Woden)’s Day

β€’ Thursday: Norse thunder god Thor’s Day

β€’ Friday: Norse queen goddess Frigga (aka Frigg)’s Day

β€’ Saturday: Roman sky god Saturn’s Day.

And the first β…” of the months of the year:

β€’ January: Roman literally two-faced god Janus

β€’ February: Roman goddess Februa

β€’ March: Roman war god Mars (Greek version: Ares)

β€’ April: Probably from a nature goddess Avril

β€’ May: Roman Earth goddess Maia (Greek version: Gaia)

β€’ June: Roman queen goddess Juno (Greek version: Hera)

‒ July: Roman emperor Julius Cæsar, according to myth became a demigod

‒ August: Roman emperor Cæsar Augustus, likewise became a demigod

The remaining months are just the Latin ordinals 7ᡗʰ–10α΅—Κ° and the Latin word for β€œmonth” (the Julian calendar year originally began in March, not January 1).

But yeah, those two-letter abbreviations, especially when spelled out, that are hardly used unless talking about historical dates, show that none of that matters and that our civilization is very heavily Christian.

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β€œChristian democracy”-- that’s an oxymoron if there ever was one. Josh Hawley and his ilk are the very people that are trying to destroy our country under the guise of saving it. They’re all fucking nuts.

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No theocracy was ever a bastion of human rights and intellectual freedom.

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I've said it multiple times: most religions in general and Christianity in particular are NOT ABOUT RIGHTS. They're about the obligations we are supposed to have to the Guy in the Front Office, how we are supposed to act to cootchie-coo him into not messing with us, though he does it anyway.

Freedom and personal autonomy are utterly anathema to Christianity, and Hawley is kidding himself if the thinks otherwise.

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Love β€œGuy in the Front Office” but having worked for attorneys, I’d amend that to guy with the biggest office. :D

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Upper penthouse.

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No matter how many times we explain it, they continue to push the narrative that secularism is mandatory atheism instead of religious neutrality. They are so afraid of losing power that they want to do what they accuse us of: forcing their beliefs on everyone.

I, for one, don't give a shit what anyone else believes, as long as they don't try to force anyone to follow that belief.

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The religious right is fighting a rear-guard action in the attempt to accomplish through the courts and legislation what they have failed to accomplish from the pulpits. The churches are ceding ground year-by-year they will never recover. .

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My theory is that christianity in the US is in a death throes. It's dying out and lashing out in an attempt to survive.

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They are, but they're still capable of doing a lot of damage on their way to irrelevancy.

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The same with white straight kristian privilege.

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Their sales pitch can't captivate an audience like it used to, so they'll just have to 𝘩𝘰𝘭π˜₯ their audience captive, instead.

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Indeed. I think the churches are being distilled down to the true believers, and the people imperevious to facts and reason. I think they can be very dangerous.

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A nicely turned phrase!

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I'm a writer. What can I say. lol

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In ancient Greece (I think), there were two types of matters of state to deal with, things involving the temples, and the profane, matters of state not involving the temples. It was christianity that vilified ordinary words.

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Someone should remind these Christian nationalists of Jesus's words: Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. And by the way, anyone, child or not, can pray silently anywhere and at anytime. No need for virtue signallling.

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It's not the words that count. It's how they rationalize them. They view Caesar as beneath god, therefor Caesar can be ignored if they wish.

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Without virtue signaling, they've got nothing. Well, except hate.

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First of all, Hawley is a performance artist who deluded himself into believing he could surf a wave of right wing lunacy into the White House. This Biblical heritage of which he speaks, is the shared delusion of the religious right who see their religion as the answer to every question. The founders never mention the Bible in their foundational document. David Barton lacks the educational credentials to teach American history at the grade school level. The religious right survives on being told what they want to hear. Facts and reason need not apply.

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β€œThe quintessential image of Hawley is him raising a fist while cheering on the insurrectionists on January 6.β€œ

Wasn’t he also captured on video running away from the mob? The quintessential image of him is to put those two images side by side. Show him as the corrupt* coward he is.

*in every sense of the word.

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Jan 16Β·edited Jan 16

Josh "The Flash" Hawley?

The "pro-life" advocate who abhors abortion and said that Roe V Wade was "one of the most unjust decisions" (his words) in American judicial history? The guy who pushed for the deregulation of environmental protections put in place under Obama? The gung-ho pro-war chickenhawk who cheered on the Iraq War while avoiding putting on the uniform of his country? The same guy who voted against advancing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act? Who criticized the ACA and was proud to have participated in a lawsuit to overturn the ACA as unconstitutional? Who voted against a measure to investigate anti-Asian hate crimes (the SOLE "nay" vote)? The Josh Hawley who supported Trump's family separation policy and supported a wall between the US and Mexico DESPITE what his god said about how to treat foreigners? The Hawley who claims to love his god yet hates LGBTQs (making him a liar)? The very same ammosexual who got a 93% approval rating from the NRA? THAT Josh Hawley?

The problem isn't that "there's not enough Christianity in this country" (despite being the dominant religion here). The problem is is that there are too many Christians like Josh Hawley.

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Yes, that Josh Hawley.

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Josh_Hawley

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I knew I should've also posted RationalWiki's take.

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Maybe someday he'll get honored in the Encyclopedia of American Loons. Ted Cruz recently got his:

http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2024/01/2733-ted-cruz.html

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Jan 16Β·edited Jan 16

I looked for Hawley's entry # in the EoAL and was surprised he had none. Soon, I hope.

Ted Cruz. The man whose own family doesn't like him.

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Jan 16Β·edited Jan 16

Josh "The Flash" Hawley?

Just a man, without any courage

You know he's hardly a man

But he will always fail

No one but the black of heart worships the orangish hair.

Trump, Trump, I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to steal the election!

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Wrong Flash. :)

I'd have said Quicksilver, but only Marvelites would get the reference.

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Not sure if it was him but I remember a Marvel comic I had where several characters tried to stop a man running as fast as him. He was finally caught by a giant dog. With my taste then (and what little was available) it was probably the 4 fantastics or the X-Men.

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Did the dog have a tuning fork on its forehead?

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I remember he was brown with a helmet maybe, I don't remember a tuning fork on it but it was nearly 30 years ago.

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I was away from the keyboard so I didn't the chance to chip in. Looks like Zorgin had my answer.

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Wrong Quicksilver. :D

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I'll get something right eventually.

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What about Spitfire, or Whizzer?

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If it were about Trump, whizzer would be apropos. The big diaper baby, whizzing in his pants.

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Or Russian hookers.

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Maybe, but I prefer to remind folks of his immaturity. Diaper baby is more equal to his stature than anyone who participates in adult activities with porn stars. He’s proud of being able to pull them, so it isn’t so insulting to him. Not so much with his diaper filling.

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Even less well-known by the general public.

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Aurora? Northstar?

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Still not well-known to the general public. Alpha Flight needs a movie, big-time.

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Which one? X-Men, or Avengers?

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He sure bounced around. Started as a villain, then became an Avenger along with Wanda. He's also been in in the X-Men, X-Factor and the Inhumans.

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I meant Evan Peters or Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

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Or Ralph Bohner.

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Oops. Thought your were talking about the comics.

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BRAVISSIMO!!!

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Jan 16Β·edited Jan 16

The Josh Hawley that Missery overwhelmingly re-elected because all of these acts are a feature of exactly what the very fine Christian people of that great state want?

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Brave Senator Josh ran away,

Bravely ran away, away.

When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled.

Yes, brave Senator Josh turned about

And gallantly, he chickened out. Bravely taking to his feet,

He beat a very brave retreat,

Bravest of the brave, Senator Josh.

Duck and cover, Josh, and wish a wish with a story your mother told you then showed you in a building where her father showed her and before him was showed by his father and he by his mother and her by hers etc etc etc.

But you still ran away and unlike the story you love so much, there are pictures...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/07/22/josh-hawley-running-video-capitol/

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Guy who ran away from his own leopards says what?

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My only memories of anything Josh Hawley has done since he’s been in Congress is raise a first in solidarity with rioters and then running away in fear from the same rioters. What a putz.

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He fucked around and found out.

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They shouold have hung him instead of going for fakepenny.

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So true. We are not and never intended to be a Christian nation. The Christian Nationalist and Dominionism movements have to be stopped. We are free to be any religion we want or no religion at all, but we cannot allow any one religion to be forced on everyone.

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They believe that a one-religion world means that Satan wins over their all-powerful god, and they’re going to prevent that by making sure that Christianity is the ONLY religion in the world.

You can’t make up this stupid.

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Their goal is to take over all major governmental positions (Dominionism), forcibly declaring this a Christian nation (Christian Nationalism) and thereby making way for the return of Christ. It is a power grab to force all to follow their beliefs.

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"...no moral order to bind us together..."

Would this be the same moral order that raped, butchered, betrayed, and murdered Native Americans?

The same moral order that enslaved, raped, tortured, killed, and separated Black people and their families for hundreds of years?

The same moral order that created an apartheid regime complete with terrorism, lynchings, and pogroms?

The same moral order that blasted people demanding equality and human rights with fire hoses, sicced dogs on them, beat them, imprisoned them, threw bombs into their homes, and shot a prophet on a balcony in Memphis?

The same moral order that fought constantly to preserve the legacy and message of statues honoring the butchers, traitors, and murderers who fought to preserve slavery?

The same moral order that laughed while tens of thousands of men suffered, wasted away, and died often separated from their loved ones of AIDS?

The same moral order that callously demands that women die carrying a non-viable fetus?

The same moral order that told a boat of Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust to go fuck themselves and sent them back to die?

The same moral order that rounded up innocent Americans because of Japanese ancestry and put them into concentration camps under shitty conditions while most of their white neighbors robbed them of their property?

Did that moral order prevent Christians from kidnapping the children of refugees and immigrants fleeing violence?

Because all of that happened while America was a predominantly Christian nation. Jesus didn't stop any of it. The Holy Spirit supposedly dwelling in the hearts of American believers didn't keep them from hanging a Black woman, slitting open her belly, and killing the fetus and her. Didn't stop folks from fire bombing Black churches.

That omnibenevolent morally good spirit supposedly dwelling within Christians didn't stop Governor Abbott from killing a woman and her children by preventing the Border Patrol from doing its job.

Woe unto you, you whitewashed sepulcher, you hypocrite, you piece of rancid shit masquerading as a pious and devout man. Woe unto you murderers of the prophets and the innocent. The very notion of your blood stained hands raised in prayer sickens me and any morally good deity that exists. No halfway decent god would answer your cries and no god you would follow is worthy of worship from any morally good person.

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In Norway we used almost 200 years to get rid of the forced xianity in our constitution from 1814. The exception is for the "ruling" king or queen, and that is kept because the king wanted it kept and he can actually veto any change to the constitution. It is almost all power he got left.

Why do so many USAians want forced xianity by law or something like that? Don't they believe they have a winning case? Are they weak in their faith?

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They believe they have a winning case, but are losing anyway. If they truly believed in their faith wouldn't feel the need to force it on people. Reality keeps proving their beliefs are wrong and they hate it.

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For me, the quintessential image of Hawley is the video of him running away from the insurrectionists. Like most of those who espouse a return to a religious nation, they run when its principles are imposed on them.

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"Even in our most bitter conflicts, Christian culture has been America’s common ground."

By which Howler monkey means White kkkristian Male Culture.

"The rights we cherish, the freedoms we enjoy, the ideals we love togetherβ€”all are rooted in and sustained by the tradition of the Bible…"

Oh no, they are not. No where does the babel mention democracy, freedom of speech, let alone freedom of religion. Slavery was okay. Women/girls were their husbands/fathers property. Murdering your children was okey-dokey.

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But but ... you can't read that and say it was literally meant like that.

You understand that? Yes?

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So, when the 1861-1865 war happened, christians were fighting who ? Taoists ? Animists ?

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They were fighting the godless heathens of the north to preserve their God given right to own people.

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Christians on one side were fighting for the right to own people like livestock.

They said it was about states rights. It was about slavery and nothing else.

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It was about states' rights, their states saying they had the right to keep slaves. They just don't like to admit the second part because it makes them look bad.

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They do the same thing with the 2nd amendment. They don't like to be reminded the part about a "well organised militia" who was only there to replace military battalions.

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Little wonder the ammosexuals hate the "well-regulated militia" part. That means the government. That makes these camo-wearing Shambos' skin crawl.

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Each other mostly, such is the power of Christian love.

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Fun fact: the Civil War is when the odious motto "in god we trust" started popping up on US currency... and similar sentiments appeared on the traitors' currency, too. Evidently, Jesus was going through one of his indecisive phases again.

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He should have tossed a coin, it would have been faster.

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He tried, the coin kept falling through his hand.

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https://www.huffpost.com/entry/green-day-mike-dirnt-american-idiot-lyric-change_n_65a64dd2e4b07bd6950e043e

Jesus! My son put me on to Green Day – I still regard them as whippersnappers. They must be in their 40s by now dammit.

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The co-founders are both 51 years old. πŸ™‚

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Jan 16Β·edited Jan 16

They still look like young punk whippersnappers to me. Which I guess suggests I'm getting old.😁

God knows how old Ian Drury and the Blockheads are.

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Ian Dury died in 2000 at age 57 of blunt-force trauma...Apparently he was hit repeatedly (at his own request) with a "rhythm stick". Sex & drugs & rock & roll also played a factor.

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Finally, someone who actually is capable to understand history "They’re pissed off and he’s preyed on their anger,” Armstrong went on. β€œHe just said, β€˜You have no options and I’m the only one, and I’m going to take care of it myself.’ I mean, that’s fucking Hitler, man!"

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The band is 37 years old.

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Are they called Dennis?

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I didn’t know you were caked Dennis. Look, I did say sorry about the old woman.

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"I didn’t know you were caked"

From Dairy Queen?

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Of course.

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Their new one ("Saviors") drops on Friday.

The biggest middle finger you can give Trump and the MAGAts is to snag a copy.

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