Friday, November 20, 2009

Are American Taliban Traitors Trolling for an Assassin?

I was known for attacks on GW Bush and his GOP Regime.  I pulled no punches.  But I never implied support of violence against them and when someone did in a comment, I spoke up to oppose them.  The Theocratic Wing of the GOP, with full support from the leadership, knows no such restraint.

prayobamamerch2 The newest far-right craze is an anti-Obama slogan that is making its way onto t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, and even teddy bears: “Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8,” which reads, “Let his days be few; and let another take his office.” The meme is also taking off on Twitter, with conservatives calling it “hilarious.” Commentators have noted that it’s unclear whether the intent is to hope for an end to Obama’s time in office — or an end to his life. But a look at the lines in the rest of the psalm hint at the latter:

Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labor.

Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Diana Butler Bass at Beliefnet explains that Psalm 109 is one of the “imprecatory” prayers, “a lament in the form of petition to destroy one’s enemies.” While perhaps intended to be a joke, she notes that the psalm actually “entreats God to destroy the president”:

It is the personal prayer of an individual, someone who has been dealt an injustice by another–and usually more powerful–person. The words of Psalm 109 are those of deep agony, the longings of a victim for retribution and justice. This psalm is considered one of the most difficult of all the psalms–full of violent images of vengeance and death...

[emphasis original]

Inserted from <Think Progress>

This disgusts me.  Although I am a Christian, albeit a most unconventional one, I respect and honor the beliefs of those with a different belief in God or no belief in God.  I believe that God transcends religion.  There is only one form of belief that I do not respect and honor and that is belief that preaches intolerance to others.  For my example in this is Jesus.  He had no problem associating with people with human failings.  But he continually rebuked the religious right of his day.  Like today’s religious right, they used their belief structure to gain control of others and to enforce their piety codes while enriching themselves in the process.  They are hypocrites.  Diana Butler Bass defined the crux of this by saying that the these hate mongers are using the psalm to entreat God to destroy the President.  Consider that there is an abundant supply of wing-nuts who believe that God talks to them.  Crawford Caligula said that God told him to invade Iraq.  If enough of these wing nuts believe that God wants Obama’s children to be fatherless and his wife to be a widow, isn’t one of them sure to believe that God has told him to carry out his will?  This is so obvious that the perpetrators of this outrage must realize it too.  Therefore at least some of them are trolling for an assassin.  That is treason.

A blogging friend, fellow Oregonian, and excellent writer, Marva Dasef, dug out the beginning of the psalm and posted it.

…2: For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3: They encompassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

4: For my love they are my adversaries: and I give myself unto prayer.

5: And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love…

Inserted from <Dasef Central>

Is this not what Obama could say about these Republicans?

15 comments:

Sue said...

It's a scary time in our country and also a sad time. President Obama is a good man trying his damndest to help this country get back on her feet and all he gets is kicked in the face time after time. It's hurtful to see our citizens laugh at such hate and evilness. These morons are killing our country and they don't fuckin care one bit!
Yes Bush was ridiculed but for things like unfounded wars and billions wasted on those wars. I think that was reasonable ridicule.

One Fly said...

It was reasonable and without question the underlying message from these people is they want to see violence. Killer Bush got hammered continually and every bit deserved. Never called for him to be hurt in any way only to meet the sky being that talked to him after due process. My offer to pull the trip rope on all these treasonous bastards is still a big go!

ivan said...

Nasty.
To Quote Joan Rivers, "God'll get you for that!"

TomCat said...

Sue, Bush was ridiculed because he was the most ridiculous excuse for a president in US history. The worst of the worst. It was reasonable.

Fly, I'm pleased I'm not the only one that sees this.

Amen, Ivan.

Holte Ender said...

Just another example of how these, so-called Christians, cling to the Old Testament as a way of expressing themselves, they couldn't use the New Testament because it tends to lean towards love your enemies, turn the other cheek. The vile hatred that spews from them has more in common with Taliban teachings than true Christian beliefs.

the walking man said...

It is odd that the Christians have come full circle to stand in the shoes of the hypocrite scribes and Pharisees condemning with the wrong interpretation of the text they say they worship from.

I wonder if they really read Genesis chapter 3 and see how Eve actually changed/rearranged the words God spoke to Adam and her when conversing with the serpent. It was her lack of understanding the truth of the words that led to mans downfall.

It is interesting to watch them as they condemn themselves in their bigoted cant as they pray in church on Sunday to a divine God that sent their leader as an act of love for all mankind.

Now you know why I am not anything when it comes to naming my religion. Better to walk by your own moral compass then to run with a frightened herd.

Kentucky Rain said...

This fucking infuriates me. What has happened to this country? Or perhaps these nut jobs have always been here, lurking just below the surface, like voracious piranha ready to devour the innocent. I am all for free speech, but TC don't you think there needs to be a limit; a line that cannot be crossed? Unlike free speech I am not all for organized religion, as it is too easily interpreted to serve the needs of the cruel. This is an example. Sigh. I need a drink.

Infidel753 said...

Of course they are trolling for an assassin. There's no need to be coy about it. The people spreading this meme know perfectly well what they're about.

Watch this video of Frank Schaeffer at Sue's blog. The man knows the Christian Right movement and mentality inside and out.

It has been said that a religious fanatic is a person who does what he is sure God would be doing if God knew the facts of the situation. The guy who shot Dr. George Tiller didn't wait for God to act on his own either.

Lisa G. said...

Disgusting. These people have no moral compass other than what their hateful interpretation of their God's message is. And for the Republicans not to speak out against it is abhorrent. At least Huckabee is saying that this spite against every little thing that Obama does needs to stop. Gotta give him kudos for that.

TomCat said...

Holte, I completely agree.

Mark,it is ironic, isn't it. I respect your restraint. When I talk about mine, I'm not trying to convert anyone. I just want folks to know that there is such a thing as an authentic Christian.

Mike, I think that what these folks are doing is the equivalent of screaming fire in a crowded theater with the intent to cause injury, so it does cross a line that cannot be crossed. Furthermore, trolling for assassins to kill the President is conspiracy to commit treason. You'll be pleased that I share your discomfort with organized religion. My faith is quite solitary. I do not attend a church. I believe that Jesus would not be welcome in today's churches, because they would not tolerate the people with whom he would associate.

Infidel, I've seen it. The guy who killed Tiller believes that he was acting on God's instructions when he did so.

Lisa, I fully agree. I just learned about Huckabee this morning. That is a start, but he didn't go far enough.

Tao Dao Man said...

The persecuted have become the persecutors. This is agenda driven. Their idea of a Theocracy in this country is always in the back of their mind. And at the edge of their sword. Their pen is mightier than their sword at this time. This is an example of their mental crusade, in order to recruit new knights for their xtian fantasies, and escapades.

Pauline said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pauline said...

So - how do we deal with this? How do you reach people who don't want to change their minds, who are just dying for you to "take them on" so they can prove they are right with their might, who like the drama of righteous indignation and righteous killing? If these people are taking their cues from the Bible, it's obvious not much progress has been made in the past 2000+ years where civility is concerned.

TomCat said...

OK, Randal. For that hyou have to attend three Tea Parties! ;-)

TomCat said...

RZ, their desire for religious control precedes their shouts of "Give us Barabbas!"

Pauline, the only real way to deal with them is to keep all who encourage them out of power. May I respectfully suggest that they are taking their cues from misinterpretation of the Bible. I don't believe the Bible is perfect. But even so, these fiends create their pretexts by taking text out of context.