As presidential candidate Michele Bachmann chews up scenery in the GOP primaries, the mainstream media is finally digging into her extremist beliefs in a serious way. In a profile published earlier this week, the New Yorker's Ryan Lizza talked about Bachmann's radical right-wing influences, which include the most extremist figures in the history of the religious right movement.
One of these was my evangelical leader father, Francis Schaeffer. Bachmann says in the New Yorker article that she got into politics because she watched a film series I directed called “How Should We Then Live,” written by and featuring my dad.
What the New Yorker article doesn’t do is explain why people like Bachmann, Sarah Palin, et al. turned to the hard reactionary anti-government right. I explain this in my book Sex, Mom and God. I think it’s important to understand this. So let me add what the New Yorker left out.
Frank Schaeffer then proceeds to take his readers on an out of control carnival ride with frights that include Theocratic beliefs, abject hatred toward homosexuals, and a complete distrust for government.
I urge you to read it with a hot comforting beverage to sip and all of the lights on to chase away the darkness.
I can't recommend enough that your readers listen to the podcast of an interview of Lizza on NPR's Fresh Air, available on www.NPR.org. It was riveting and laid out very clearly why Michelle Bachmann's religious beliefs matter to the American public. (Better than even than Lizza's article IMHO.)
ReplyDeleteThe Immoral Minority introduced me to Leah Burton and God's Own Party nearly 3 years ago, and I've been an occasional reader since. I've always felt a bit lost reading Ms. Burton's posts, like there was a connection I was missing. The Fresh Air interview finally allowed me to make that connection.
Not clear. Is son of Bachmann hero, the Schaeffer who is sitting under lock and key in Alaska for planning to assassinate troopers and Ralph Beistline?
ReplyDeleteOutrageous how blind people are to this sort of stuff coming from this WH
ReplyDeleteFirst he exploited the AZ "massacre"
now this tragedy
http://nation.foxnews.com/white-house/2011/08/10/photo-outrage-white-house-violates-wishes-seals-families
bahahaha I just watched that douches interview about PB and Sadie. He speaks with no conviction. His darting eyes, evading answers and uncomfortable poster tell me he hates that he was given Sadies interview.
ReplyDeleteI too am glad he liked Wasilla and Alaska supposedly. Its a great place where its nearly impossible to have a negative experience, you know, unless you get mauled by a bear.
Read "Republican Gomorrah" and "American Taliban"
ReplyDeleteMichele is terrifying JUST for her belief that a huge segment of society can be cured of who they were born to be re:gay
ReplyDeleteAt LEAST Sarah accepts people as people. She just has diarrhea of the mouth.
Ok. When people say they are anti-gov today, most don't mean, abandon all government, live in chaos.
ReplyDeleteThey are using common sense to realize:
-Raising taxes doesn't mean squat, esp for a congress with a spending problem and no priotities.
-Look at Gore and his selfish tirades and grifting. GLOBAL WARMING cannot be proven to be caused by humans. FACT. Even Sarah has admitted to the global warming, she just refuses to accept the inane hypothesis that WE cause it. IF we could know with todays technology what EXACTLY causes arctic ice to melt, we'd probably have a better handle on alternative sources of energy on a global scale AND we'd probably know JUST HOW the earth was formed from the beginning.
On energy indep:
It is crazy to NOT approve drilling in our lands when we literally are funding terrorist countries who themselves use COAL as energy. Think about it. Whoare the biggest coal users (inexpensive)? Who is the ONLY country who actually is actively working on alternative forms of energy (US)?
I am not saying we should cease all research on alternative energy but it is unrealistic to think that by the USA going completely green and the rest of the world continuing to use cheap ass coal that anything will change. Yes, we wouldn't need foreign oil, unless there's no other way to make petroleum based products.
My point: We need to drill here to cut ties with terrorists.
My other point: Progressives don't use common sense.
They want to bring the Bible into our Constitution? Let the crucifixion begin! They complain about the LSM? Left leaning press using their own words against them? It has not even begun.
ReplyDeleteAnd they can add Rick Perry to the vetting too. We normal American's aren't going to stand for this.
Michelle, you don't belong in Congress, much less the White House (God forbid!)- you are a scary, deranged, programmed, hypocritical hater. So you were foster mother to 25 or so young girls- great- but, remember, you were nicely compensated and got to hone your brainwashing for Jesus skills on them. What else have you done? Graduate of a joke law school (is it still open?), slacker at the IRS, frequent no-show in the House, happy recipient of government money (how come the rest of us can't benefit from stimulus funds, Michelle?)- and then there's Marcus, your Lord and Master. Go away!
ReplyDeleteThe only consolation here is that the difference between Bachmann and Palin is that Sarah Palin doesn't read books, so she probably hasn't read Schaeffer. Nor does she have the attention span to watch the whole film series.
ReplyDeleteWhat is really terrifying about the Dominionist attack on America is that it is so difficult to identify. Mainline Christians have no idea what you're talking about - and sort of vaguely suspect that YOU must be some sort of socialistic atheist because you appear to be attacking their (more-or-less) co-religionists.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Dominionists themselves, like Bachmann, deny, deny, deny (i.e., lie) when directly challenged. "Nothing to see here, folks. Move it along. Just like you; just another soul accepting Jesus as her personal Savior!"
Hmmm... didn't I hear a Bachmann quote about how she is a Christian first and a politician second. Now I read that she is a disciple of a guy who claims Christianity and Democracy can't co-exist - thus
ReplyDeleteMichelle Bachmann is out to destroy democracy - spread the word.
This is why I like Frank Schaeffer because I was a fundie once and it scares me that I could be that stupid. Its not that I don't bleieve in God or Jesus, but the people in the religious right have NO business in politics. The people I knew and still know go so far afield, its scary. They confront me about my beliefs and my poltics whenever it comes up. They scare me and I am appalled at the things they believe. Taking "their" country back? What the hell is that? I thought this was "our" country and it was big enough to allow diversity! Their world view is extremely limited. They don't even realize I think what they are doing half the time. Palin and Bachmann are both off their religous rockers. Its just scary how they have totally perverted the message of Christ, which was all about loving and giving and helping others. They've lost all that in their unbelievable greed and selfishness. I always like to say its an upside down world in the fundamentalist churches because they have truly lost the message and purpose of Christ.I am currently reading Sex, Mom and God and I would suggest reading it to those who would like to understand the religious right. What goes on in many of these churches is really a form of brainwashing. Its very difficult to come out of and I graduated from a university. In the end, I think it was that education that I had gotten in the past that helped me overcome some of this stuff. I think a lot of people, not all by any means, that are in these churches are uneducated and easily led. Many of these churches are being led by people without much education too that feel "called" by God to start a church without much doctrine. Its just a haphazard patchwork of what they believe God is "showing" them that they convey to their followers. People can get off on some very weird tracks that way. I've seen it time and time again.
ReplyDeleteAnon @3:55
ReplyDeleteYou're an ass.
Keep letting Fox fill your head with crap. Seriously, don't question anything or seek out other sources, just be dumb and mute. It's so much easier than using critical thinking, you being so lazy and all. Plus it makes your hatred of a black man legitimate. Newsflash for you buddy: YOU are what's wrong with this country.
"My point: We need to drill here to cut ties with terrorists.
ReplyDeleteMy other point: Progressives don't use common sense."
Common sense would tell you that when we drill for oil HERE, it doesn't stay HERE. We don't get to say, 'this is for us only". We do not have enough oil in the US to enable us to cut ties with oil rich countries.
"Common sense" doesn't mean "over-simplified cock-eyed solutions."
So WHO is it who doesn't use common sense now?
PS In addition to common sense we Progressives like to use a little thing called "education". You might try it out.
Last night Rachel Maddow did a powerful piece on Rick Perry and his religious beliefs/connections. It is enough to scare anyone with a brain.
ReplyDeletePat Padrnos
Did you folks see Rachel Maddow last night?! She did 2 segments on this topic, in the context of Perry's big prayer event. It was inspired by an article in the Texas Observer (great indie pub, btw) about Perry's affiliation with New Apostolic Reformation, including a review of the 7 mountains.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, just maybe, real understanding of dominionists is starting to break through! I posted a comment over at Leah Burton's (GodsOwnParty) about this, suggesting this might be a good time to reach out to Maddow's show. And the Maddow coverage got a mention on HuffPo.
As a Christian, I am horrified by what's being done to our country by the dominionists, and it's critical that they be unmasked and marginalized for their completely unAmerican beliefs and agenda!!!!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Frank Schaeffer a couple of years ago while hosting my own radio show in Florida,a couple of years ago,after having read his book "Crazy for God".
ReplyDeleteI heartily recommend this book.
It is an excellent read. Entertaining as well as highly informative. It will definitely educate you as to what we are up against in the guise of these whacked out Evangelicals.
@3:55, @4:05 & @4:20 - why not start your own rightwing blog? Most of us skip over your incoherent daily ramblings. It's obvious you are the same lone RWNJ posting over and over: hilarious, actually, as your "efforts" are so wasted. That's the good part for us. The more you waste your time here, the less effort you spend in support of Rick Perry. Oh yeah. Eventually, he will be your Teabagger candidate. Count on it.
ReplyDeleteChenagrrl said...
ReplyDelete"Not clear. Is son of Bachmann hero, the Schaeffer who is sitting under lock and key in Alaska for planning to assassinate troopers and Ralph Beistline?"
The answer is no. The guy in jail for planning to kill cops and judges is Francis Schaffer Cox. His folks were/are followers of Francis Schaffer, hence his name.
Ricky Perry/Liz Cheney: I Love Lizzie 2012!
ReplyDeleteAmerica Wants Its Mommy And Daddy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3P8JSvxVmc
Dominionism crept into America unseen and unreported. The 7 Mountains takeover is nearly complete. If We The People don't wake up, we will have worse than the Taliban ruling us with an iron fist.
ReplyDelete4:20 am. Watched two programs last evening about scientific investigation of Mars. Lots for us to learn: we need to protect our water, and we need to protect our atmosphere. Those of us with children and grandchildren want to give them a livable planet; that's why it's important to address climate change. And I'm proud to be a Democrat "also, too."
ReplyDeleteI admire Francis Schaeffer junior for speaking out. His experience with the radical religious extremist fringe of the evangelical hatriots and his use of reason and facts in dismantling it systematically while exposing it for what it is makes him pretty hard to argue with.
ReplyDelete---------------------------------
To the bottom feeders who contributed their regurgitated talking points via Fox News and their own stupidity, we get it, honest we do, but we just don't buy any of it, because we like things known as "facts"
Gore had every right to his tirade against climate change deniers. We are on the brink of destroying years of hard work to keep our environment as clean as possible with the Republican agenda to dismantle the EPA.
Newsflash, all fossil fuels damage the atmosphere. Want proof? Go to Europe, India, or China. Experience for yourself what real air pollution does to people's health. They still burn leaded gas, they still use coal without catalytic converters, and it's effect is palpable, especially in the densely populated regions. Everything is effected negatively water and food are contaminated and the rates of respiratory disease are much higher than the States.
All of Gore's hard work is being attacked and threatened, I'll give him the right to rant and curse, if it gets his point across.
I read Frank Schaeffer's son's book where he reveals some pretty shocking stuff about his dad's work in building the religious right. "Crazy for God" details his parent's rise in the evangelical movement. Frank is horrified by its present power and he dishes on Graham, Dobson and Robertson. It is a heartfelt book that details his life disengaging from the crazy.
ReplyDeleteI too think a lot of people ought to go to other countries and get a dose of the air pollution in countries with relaxed standards and regulation. It is quite shocking. And, the reality is we too are experiencing the effects of coal burning in China, it is global and especially in the middle latitudes. Note the next time you go south the air changes after you leave the Arctic and sub Arctic. It is unmistakable. Pollution doesn't go away, it circles the globe. It gets really, really bad after Vancouver, B.C. There have been times visiting my family in Seattle and Portland where Rainier is entirely not visible in the summer smog. When you live in it you don't see the problem.
ReplyDeletePLEASE, please read this book NOW. I'm talking about Frank Schaeffer's, "Sex, Mom, and God: How the Bible's Strange Take on Sex Led to Crazy Politics--and How I Learned to Love Women (and Jesus) Anyway." The concerted effort to merge the evangelical belief in "biblical law" with the inner workings of American politics began in the 1970's and Frank was a full participant. The ultimate goal being to replace our civil law with biblical law - sometimes referred to as "natural law" to obfuscate its religious origins. It is "mandated" in their bible for "real" christians to carry this out in preparation the "coming" or the "end times" or whatever else they call it. None of the usual rules apply when you believe your orders are coming from the highest level boss in existence. PLEASE, inform yourself of this reality. PLEASE read this book NOW.
ReplyDelete