Limbaugh and Robertson on Haiti

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 3:25 pm

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/31502

It is a scary thing that so many follow the likes of Limbaugh and his vitriolic rhetoric. Only Dick Cheney makes me shudder worse.

And I accidently posted this in the News section. Could somebody move it to General please?

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:29 pm

I know we're supposed to be tolerant and that, but I do wish we could just dump all the hardcore religious conservatives on another planet. See, they won't be happy until all sensible and humane thought is suppressed anyway, so surely they won't be any less happy living on a desolate ball of rock?

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 8:53 pm

Jack Cade wrote:I know we're supposed to be tolerant and that, but I do wish we could just dump all the hardcore religious conservatives on another planet. See, they won't be happy until all sensible and humane thought is suppressed anyway, so surely they won't be any less happy living on a desolate ball of rock?

What I don't get is that it's the ultrareligious ones that you would expect would be the first to call for help and mercy. I don't believe that Pat Robertson is driven by his religion. He is driven by money, and his guise is holy man. Yet he persists, despite him being so transparent a poser.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:33 pm

Yaya wrote:What I don't get is that it's the ultrareligious ones that you would expect would be the first to call for help and mercy.

Really? I don't really see the connection between religion and compassion these days. Christianity in particular seems to be very self-centered. Evangelists prosper because they implicitly promise rewards for 'good' behaviour. Religion seems to be anchored by cultural conservatism - fear of uncertainty and the need to be told that your fear is legitimate.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:00 am

Jack Cade wrote:
Yaya wrote:What I don't get is that it's the ultrareligious ones that you would expect would be the first to call for help and mercy.
Really? I don't really see the connection between religion and compassion these days. Christianity in particular seems to be very self-centered. Evangelists prosper because they implicitly promise rewards for 'good' behaviour.

Very true. In the end, it's about the dollar for some of the more prominent evangelist.

What was surprising to me is the level of bigotry expressed by Robertson. Aren't the Haitians Christian? Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that their being black would incite him to make statements so void of compassion, despite their sharing his religious belief.

Anyone who looks at what happened in Haiti and doesn't feel compassion and sorrow over it has no business preaching about God, in my book. Calamities such as these should stir up emotions that transcend racial or religious differences and call to the inner mercy that all human beings are capable of showing.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 1:52 am

According to Pat Robertson, the Haitians all got together and made a deal with the devil. "True story."

Sometimes I wonder if it would be worth it to outlaw organized religion. We could all practice faith in our own way, but any organization based on religion would be banned. Eh, it would just foment all sorts of craziness. Good fodder for a science fiction story. I'll go write it.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 3:41 am

Yaya wrote:
Jack Cade wrote:I know we're supposed to be tolerant and that, but I do wish we could just dump all the hardcore religious conservatives on another planet. See, they won't be happy until all sensible and humane thought is suppressed anyway, so surely they won't be any less happy living on a desolate ball of rock?
What I don't get is that it's the ultrareligious ones that you would expect would be the first to call for help and mercy. I don't believe that Pat Robertson is driven by his religion. He is driven by money, and his guise is holy man. Yet he persists, despite him being so transparent a poser.

I believe Pat Robertson is driven by his religion. It's his religiosity that allows him to be so blindly righteous. He's only continuing a "they got it because they deserved it" or "god is vengeful upon the sinners" theology that's been going on since the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. I mean, I still think it's pretty ridiculous, (SIDE JOKE - I'm no Frenchman, but if the Devil came to me and asked if I'd like to have the French rule over me, or if I'd like 200 years of abject poverty and suffering topped off with an earthquake, I say Viva France!) but I think Rush Limbaugh is a more calculated asshole, whereas Robertson is a religious bigot.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:23 pm

Yaya says he's driven by money. Shanti says he's driven by his religion.

I don't think he's conscious of a difference between the two. His religion is his cash cow and the remuneration is justification for his extremism. When something like this happens, he doesn't look around and see other human beings suffering - he sees a job opportunity. Slam black magic and get paid - all in a day's work.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:17 pm

Jack Cade wrote:I don't think he's conscious of a difference between the two. His religion is his cash cow and the remuneration is justification for his extremism. When something like this happens, he doesn't look around and see other human beings suffering - he sees a job opportunity. Slam black magic and get paid - all in a day's work.

Yeah, that's what I meant, though I do agree with Shanti that his self righteousness spurns him on, gives him the courage, to actually make such statements.

Are we supposed to trust that the money we send to him for aid to the Haitians is actually going to the Haitians? Riiiiiight. Actually, that's the problem with a lot of organizations. You just don't know if the money they ask for is actually going to the cause for which they are asking. I'm sending money to Haiti through the Islamic Society of North America, but to be honest, I don't know any of them personally, so I just take a chance, I suppose, that some greedy grub isn't going to pocket it.

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:09 pm

This was beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPoWOw8Jm5w

And- It may not all go to Haiti, but the majority of it will go to somewhere useful:

http://www.redcross.org/en/
http://www.redcross.org.uk/
http://www.redcross.ca/

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 1:04 am

saysadie wrote:This was beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPoWOw8Jm5w

That was awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you for that link.

I have never heard such a beautiful summation of those two.

To Obermann. I apologize. You are more than just some sports guy.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:19 am

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-j ... -reactions

Post by **Best First** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:25 am

What a pair of ****s

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 5:30 pm

Seeing as this is the Haiti topic, I thought I'd pop this in here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8481047.stm wrote:Actor John Travolta landed his personal jet in Haiti carrying relief supplies and a team of doctors.

Although on the tv news article, they said "relief supplies and a team of doctors and Scientologists."

Now, it don't take a psychiatrist to work out what the Haitians needed most, and it ain't supplies or doctors. Right, John?