Ah, But Is It the Shortcut Into the Desert Full of Mutants?

Honestly, is Catholicism a religion or a tourism board?

Source: Raw Story

Mitt Romney Hates America

Also, he's a member of a lunatic cult. But that applies to most Americans, so it's hardly a specific criticism.

Facing the continued 'ick' factor that so many in his party feel about Mormons, Mitt Romney felt a need to make a JFK-style speech on religion.

In case you weren't clear that this was his intent, he gave the speech in Texas, not far from where JFK assured the nation that he was not, in fact, a papist spy.

Which was a good thing to know, I suppose.

Romney, on the other hand, wants to assure you that he'll be a double agent for ANY religious cause. So long as it's a Christian one.. well, at least if you consider Mormons Christian. Which many don't, which is, in fact, the crux of his problem with the 'Values Voters'.

Some highlights:

America is a Christian Nation, The Constitution is Quaint

"There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they are at odds with the nation's founders, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator. And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom. In John Adams' words: 'We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion... Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people.'

This is true, in the same way that our prisons are made for immoral and dangerous people; to CONTROL them. Remember, students of history, the Founders feared and to some degree despised the common American of that period, who was, admittedly, prone to anarchy, rabble rousing and militant insurrection. After all, that was how *they* got into power in the first place, exploiting those traits.

But I digress.

You Can't Be Free Without Church. Also, Freedom is Slavery

Try not to drink anything when you read this lest it come out your nose:

"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.

See, this assumes that the only purpose of Freedom is to go churchin'. Me, I think freedom is great for reading books, seeing movies, and hating jackasses like Mitt Romney. So we clearly have a difference of opinion here.

Also, since when has religion perished in the absence of freedom? Anyone remember the Dark Ages? How about the Wahabbists today? I don't recall a lot of civil rights amongst the Aztec either, but they did all right for centuries, human sacrifice and all notwithstanding.

Everything Good in History Ever Came from God

Another choice Romney quote:
"It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course. Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.

Because all churches were in favor of abolition. Or civil rights. And none of them support the death penalty.

Firedoglake calls bullshit on this:

For all Romney says about history in this speech, this paragraph is proof that his knowledge is shallow indeed. Abolition of slavery, for instance, divided families, congregations, and entire denominations. The Presbyterians split in 1861, and didn't reunite until 1983, for crying out loud.

It's also proof of a subtle religious bigotry. Despite his claim of a "common course" based on "great moral principles," there continues to be great division among religious people over all kinds of issues. Committed Roman Catholics, for instance, interpret "right to life" to mean opposition to the death penalty; evangelical fundamentalists see the death penalty as a completely separate issue. Some religious groups embrace GLBTs, while others do not. Yet Romney, trying to reach the evangelicals who are moving toward Huckabee, blithely says in essence, "all religious folks have the same moral beliefs." Sorry, Governor, but your moral beliefs are much different than mine, and also much different from a lot of evangelicals.

Shove It, Unbelieving Scum

Romney the Conspiracy Nut:

But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong.

That is most easily countered with a quote from Atrios:

This kind of intolerant horseshit is basically gibberish, but since words mean things let's try to figure out the implications of what Mitt's saying.


It's as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America - the religion of secularism. They are wrong.



Really it would just be crazy if anyone tried to start a new religion in America... oh, wait.

Heh... teh funny.

But what about individual secularists?

Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me.

The rest of you pagans can go fornicate with an iron stick.

Europe Looks So Good When He Describes It

I have visited many of the magnificent cathedrals in Europe. They are so inspired ... so grand ... so empty. Raised up over generations, long ago, so many of the cathedrals now stand as the postcard backdrop to societies just too busy or too 'enlightened' to venture inside and kneel in prayer. The establishment of state religions in Europe did no favor to Europe's churches. And though you will find many people of strong faith there, the churches themselves seem to be withering away.

Woo! Party time in Europe! I'll bring the beads, you bring the sinning!

Seriously, what a horrible world, a place where people spend their lives outside the imposing, ossified edifice of ancient, organized religion. Oh, the calamity!

Don't Worry, Mitt Hasn't Forgotten the Scary Brown People

"Infinitely worse is the other extreme, the creed of conversion by conquest: violent Jihad, murder as martyrdom... killing Christians, Jews, and Muslims with equal indifference. These radical Islamists do their preaching not by reason or example, but in the coercion of minds and the shedding of blood. We face no greater danger today than theocratic tyranny, and the boundless suffering these states and groups could inflict if given the chance.

INFINITELY worse. BOUNDLESS suffering. Mathematicians in the audience have probably felt their heads explode at this abuse of quantification.

Also, note: theocratic tyranny only comes in one flavor: Muslim. Nice to know that the Mormons don't, you know, oppress and control people or anything.

Argh. Stuff like this makes me want to drink. Drink a lot.

Afterword/Go Ahead and Try Us, Mitt

Just a bit of a positive note from Digby to help wash down this swill.

Update II: Here are some very interesting takes on Mitt's speech at BeliefNet.

Steve Waldman:


About three percent of the population are atheists or agnostics, according to a study by the Pew Religious Forum. Another 7.5% are “secularists” who have no religious affiliation and few or no religious beliefs or practices.

That means there are four or five times as many non-believers as there are Mormons.

Yeah. Bring it, God-boy.

Sources:
Eschaton
Firedoglake
The New York Times
Wikipedia (Wahabbism)
Hullabaloo

FUD Alert

If only stupidity came with obvious warning signs like rabies.

From the Department of Whoring for Blockbuster

Well, this astounded even me. The single most biased, least informative article I've ever seen on a technology issue. Ever.

And I've read RIAA shills rave about mp3s for a long, long time.

Still, this one takes the cake. Basically, an analyst at some investment firm notes that the Post Office is miffed about hand-sorted envelopes. That led the guy to rate Netflix's stock down, since their current envelope design often gets jammed in the machines and has to be hand sorted.

This in turn led a 'journalist' named Joanne L. Kaufman to write an anti-Netflix screed claiming that they're doomed, dooomed to lose to Blockbuster in the dvd rental wars because the Post Office might charge them more for shipping. Someone out there must not have been asleep at the switch because a Netflix spokesman did get to speak in the article, and notes that a: they've already changed their envelopes about five times since the company started and b: they'd be happy to do it again if it was necessary.

Despite this, err, making the whole thing a non-story, she then appends a paragraph right out of the Blockbuster media kit about how much more convenient Blockbuster is than Netflix:

Mr. Wible said in an interview that Blockbuster was edging in on Netflix: “They’ve got their store content, delivery by mail and downloaded delivery.”

Blockbuster, which has 3.1 million online subscribers and 60 million customers over all, is “offering more convenient access to media than Netflix,” Mr. Wible said. “Netflix either has to spend more on marketing or lower pricing to increase growth,” he added. “So they have these rising costs — including postage increases.”

You know what's missing from this discussion about convenience and trends vis a vis Blockbuster and Netflix?

A discussion perhaps of how well the two companies are actually DOING?

Or what about Netflix's Instant Viewer service, which requires no postage and is so convenient you never leave your couch? Take that, driving to the store.

Let's see what that sort of actual, informative journalism would look like:

According to web analytics firm Compete, by the end of October, Netflix was attracting four times as many unique visitors a month as Blockbuster. Since January of 2005 Netflix web traffic has steadily climbed, while Blockbuster's has dropped off.

Netflix's instant watch feature alone has attracted 450,000 users in the month of November, while Blockbuster struggles to get its direct-download service from Movielink off the ground. Adding to Blockbuster's troubles, Apple is expected to launch a movie rental service via iTunes any day now.

So, err, yeah. Blockbuster sure is winning that war you've got going in your head, Ms. Kaufman. Riiight.

Sources: The Washington Post
Switched.com

(I suppose for absolute full disclosure I should note that I am a Netflix customer, and have in the past been a Blockbuster customer as well. Though I stopped going to Blockbuster when they stopped catering to my needs in any way, instead choosing to fill their stores with ten thousand copies of the latest action movies and romance 'comedies', it wasn't a particularly bitter divorce. My sister on the other hand got forty dollars worth of false late fees stolen from her, twice, so hey, I guess that's a bias too.

My personal impression of the Netflix Instant Viewer feature is that it's whizzy but not really for me. Still, it's there and it works, once you get past the setup aches and pains, so that's something. Perfectly watchable if not nearly DVD quality. I saw the entirety of Jinki: Extend that way and it didn't make my eyes bleed.)