Commentary Tidbits

The Washingtonian: The Sex Scandal That Devastated a Suburban Megachurch: Inside the rise and fall of Sovereign Grace Ministries

Raw Story: Christian conservatives push child marriage with creepy meme comparing girls to apples

Godless in Dixie: How One Religion Normalizes Crazy Talk

The New Civil Rights Movement: Jeb Boasts He Helped 80,000 Kids Go To Christian Schools So They Could Be Told 'Jesus Loves You'

The Prime GOP Presidential Debate: Be Afraid Some More!

After the December 15th "undercard" debate in Las Vegas came the main event: the prime Republican presidential debate featuring Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Ohio Governor John Kasich, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

Fear has been a recurring theme in the presidential race -- fear of ISIS, fear of extremists, fear of Muslims, fear of refugees -- and the main debate was no exception. Some candidates used fear-based rhetoric in the prime debate, just as Huckabee and Santorum did during the undercard debate.

A Washington Post transcript of the debate made for depressing reading. For example, Jeb Bush warned listeners that freedom is supposedly in peril, the economy is floundering, ISIS wants to destroy America, and "Washington" is partially to blame.

BUSH: Our freedom is under attack. Our economy is under water. The leading democrat is under investigation. And America is under the gun to lead the free world to protect our civilized way of life. Serious times require strong leadership, that's what at stake right now. Regarding national security, we need to restore the defense cuts of Barack Obama to rebuild our military, to destroy ISIS before it destroys us. Regarding economic security, we need to take power and money away from Washington D.C. and empower American families so that they can rise up again.

Ted Cruz told the audience that "America is at war" with Islamic terrorism and claimed that President Obama is unwilling to call extremism what it is. He offered himself as a solution to these problems, claiming that the U.S. would "utterly destroy ISIS" under his leadership if elected president.

CRUZ: America is at war. Our enemy is not violent extremism. It is not some unnamed malevolent force. It is radical Islamic terrorist. We have a president who is unwilling to utter its name. The men and women on this stage, every one of us, is better prepared to keep this nation safe than is Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. We need a president who understands the first obligation of the commander-in-chief is to keep America safe. If I am elected president, we will hunt down and kill the terrorists. We will utterly destroy ISIS. We will stop the terrorist attacks before they occur because we will not be prisoners to political correctness. Rather, we will speak the truth. Border security is national security and we will not be admitting jihadists as refugees. We will keep America safe.

Trump, who has his own history of fear-mongering and fear-based cruelty, reminds us that irrational fear can result in disturbing decisions. Trump advocated for shutting down Internet access to regions that are engaged in war with the U.S.

BLITZER: So, are you open to closing parts of the Internet?

TRUMP: I would certainly be open to closing areas where we are at war with somebody. I sure as hell don't want to let people that want to kill us and kill our nation use our Internet. Yes, sir, I am.

Rand Paul criticized Trump for his unconstitutional ideas about shutting down the Internet and killing ISIS members' families, reminding him that the U.S. is bound by laws.

PAUL: ... Is Donald Trump a serious candidate? The reason I ask this is, if you're going to close the Internet, realize, America, what that entails. That entails getting rid of the First amendment, OK? It's no small feat.

If you are going to kill the families of terrorists, realize that there's something called the Geneva Convention we're going to have to pull out of. It would defy every norm that is America. So when you ask yourself, whoever you are, that think you're going to support Donald Trump, think, do you believe in the Constitution? Are you going to change the Constitution?

Ben Carson also made disturbing statements amid the atmosphere of fear. When asked if he could authorize air strikes that would kill thousands of innocent civilians, Carson replied that he could.

HEWITT: We're talking about ruthless things tonight -- carpet bombing, toughness, war. And people wonder, could you do that? Could you order air strikes that would kill innocent children by not the scores, but the hundreds and the thousands? Could you wage war as a commander-in-chief?

CARSON: Well, interestingly enough, you should see the eyes of some of those children when I say to them we're going to have to open your head up and take out this tumor. They're not happy about it, believe me. And they don't like me very much at that point. But later on, they love me ... Later on, you know, they really realize what's going on. And by the same token, you have to be able to look at the big picture and understand that it's actually merciful if you go ahead and finish the job, rather than death by 1,000 pricks.

HEWITT: So you are OK with the deaths of thousands of innocent children and civilian? It's like--

CARSON: You got it. You got it.

The campaign strategy of some Republicans is chilling but simple: cultivate fear among voters, then cast oneself as a strong leader by promising to vanquish the source of the fear. Fear is not only a crude tool for drumming up political support, but it can breed ruthlessness and dehumanization. Unfortunately, some of the Republican candidates were only too happy to appeal to those voter impulses during the debate.

Islamic extremism is a very real threat. However, irrational fear, unconstitutional policies, savagery, and ham-fisted war plans will not help the U.S. stop Islamic extremism. Republican candidates need to stop cultivating irrational fear among voters and start approaching these issues in a mature manner.

Outrage After Trump's Anti-Muslim Statements

On December 7th, Donald Trump called for banning Muslims from entering the U.S. during a speech in South Carolina. His statement has triggered outrage at home and abroad, and rightfully so. Republicans, Democrats, world leaders, and aid providers have rejected Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric as bigoted, divisive, and dangerous.

First, many presidential candidates, including Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Marco Rubio, and Jeb Bush, took to social media to denounce Trump's plan.

Demagogues throughout our history have attempted to divide us based on race, gender, sexual orientation or country of origin.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 7, 2015

Now, @realDonaldTrump and others want us to hate all Muslims.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 7, 2015

Nearly 3 million Americans are Muslims. They deserve better than Republicans’ hateful, dangerous attacks. https://t.co/oT0UHz9Tor

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 9, 2015

I disagree with Donald Trump's latest proposal. His habit of making offensive and outlandish statements will not bring Americans together.

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 8, 2015

Donald Trump is unhinged. His "policy" proposals are not serious.

— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) December 7, 2015

Republican presidential candidate and Texas Senator Ted Cruz was lukewarm in his response. According to the Washington Post, Cruz admitted during a press conference that he disagreed with Trump's proposal, but stopped short of criticizing Trump. Cruz instead offered his own proposals for stemming the flow of refugees into the U.S., including the option for governors to decline admission to refugees and a three-tear moratorium on refugees fleeing countries where ISIS is active.

According to the New York Times, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was swift in his condemnation. During a news conference on December 8th, Ryan denounced Trump, arguing that his anti-Muslim statements do not represent conservatism or America.

"Freedom of religion is a fundamental Constitutional principle. It's a founding principle of this country. Normally, I do not comment on what's going on in the presidential election. I will take an exception today. This is not conservatism. What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for, and more importantly, it's not what this country stand for."

High ranking U.S. officials quickly blasted Trump's anti-Muslim comments. Vice President Joe Biden warned that "what he’s preaching is a very, very dangerous brew for America," according to Bloomberg. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told MSNBC that Trump's proposal was "irresponsible", "probably illegal", and "contrary to our national security efforts", according to Reuters.

During the New York Times Energy for Tomorrow Event in Paris, Secretary of State John Kerry criticized Trump for conflating Islamic extremists and upright Muslims. Trump's comments run counter to the spirit of the Constitution, Kerry asserted. (Hat tip to Bloomberg.)

"...ISIL/Daesh is not Islam, and there are courageous Muslims around the world, in the Middle East, elsewhere, standing up to it. There are people fighting ISIL. And we cannot succumb to plunking everybody in the world into one pot. I mean, that is not America. That is not our Constitution. And we, in our policies, have a policy of nondiscrimination and a policy of religious tolerance.

And frankly, what Mr. Trump has said runs contrary to all of that and makes our job of reaching out to people and sharing the real America just that much more complicated and that much more difficult. And that’s about as diplomatic as I can put it."

During a December 8th White House press briefing, press secretary Josh Earnest argued that Trump's statement "disqualifies him from serving as president". Earnest also blasted other Republican candidates for not ostracizing Trump. (Hat tip to Al Jazeera America.)

"Now, I know that each of the Republican candidates has already taken an oath pledging to support Donald Trump for president of the United States if he wins the nomination.  But the fact is the first thing a president does when he or she takes the oath of office is to swear an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.  And the fact is that what Donald Trump said yesterday disqualifies him from serving as president.  And for Republican candidates for president to stand by their pledge to support Mr. Trump, that in and of itself is disqualifying."

Trump's alarming proposal has not rattled his supporters, judging from polling numbers. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, Trump remains ahead of other Republican candidates as of December 11th, with 35% of Republican respondents supporting him. Even more disturbing is the fact that almost two-thirds of Republican respondents did not find his remarks offensive. (More here and here.) If Trump's blatantly unconstitutional and unethical proposal wasn't enough to alienate most Republican voters, what does that say about our electorate?

Hateful rhetoric shouldn't be part of American politics. If Trump stays in the presidential race, however, we can expect more xenophobic language as the 2016 election draws closer. We must also condemn such language at every opportunity.

To read additional commentary, visit the following links.

Politico: Trump plan pushes Muslim Republicans toward exit

Think Progress: Republican Muslim Leader Asks Donald Trump To Attend Worship Service With Her 

Huffington Post: Prominent Muslims React To Trump's Islamophobic Border Plan

Commentary Tidbits

Unfundamentalist Christians: Bible Test for Syrian Refugees

American Prospect: Campaign Against Planned Parenthood Decades in the Making

Cincinnati*com: Will Ark Encounter float?

Rhymes with Religion: Spotlight: It’s not just a Catholic problem

The New Civil Rights Movement: Jeb Bush: 'There Are No Radical Christians'

Huffington Post: My Emancipation From American Christianity

Commentary Tidbits

Tell Me Why the World Is Weird: Church is Supposed to Hurt

The Nation: Bush and Cruz Want to Use Religious Tests to Bar Refugees From the US

In These Times: Trapped in the Prison of Right-Wing Pundit Dinesh D’Souza’s Paranoid Mind 

Religion News Service: Why evangelicals are torn about admitting refugees to the US

Love, Joy, Feminism: The “Real Men” of Evangelical Christianity

Right Wing Watch: Shoebat: Those Killed At Paris Rock Concert Were Devil Worshipers Who Got What They Deserved

News Tidbits

NBC News: Kasich Proposes New Government Agency To Promote Judeo-Christian Values

Washington Post: Jeb Bush: U.S. assistance for refugees should focus on Christians

Religion News Service: Obama denounces religious test for refugees: ‘That’s not who we are’

Gay Star News: Indiana Senate pledges bill to balance LGBTI protections, 'religious freedom' 

Associated Press: Opponents of LGBTQ rights descend on Indianapolis Statehouse

Commentary Tidbits

Utah Public Radio: An Anthropologist's Response To A World Congress Of Families

Ward Gossip: Time to Leave the Table

Dad's Primal Scream: Children of Gays and Mormon Credibility

Washington Blade: Shame on the Mormon Church

Leftcheek Deuce: Violence in the House of Hell

Mother Jones: Jeb Bush Hired a Spanking Proponent to Run His Troubled Child Welfare Agency

Houston Press: The Struggles of Being Young, Homeless and LGBT

The Guardian: How cardinal disgraced in Boston child abuse scandal found a Vatican haven

Think Progress: Experts Believe Hobby Lobby Stole Biblical Antiquities From Iraq. Here’s Why.

News Tidbits

Pew Research Center: What’s a sin? Catholics don’t always agree with their church

Columbus Dispatch: Gay-marriage debate facing Pope Francis at Philadelphia event

Buzzfeed: LGBT Catholics Alarmed With Pope’s Remarks About “Unjust Discrimination”

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Jindal: Boehner resignation isn't enough; 'It's time to fire everybody'

Reuters: Evangelicals’ event to hear Trump and Carson — no Jeb Bush

CNN: Conservatives boo Trump after Rubio 'clown' insult

Associated Press: Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Blames Governor for Legal Woes

Topeka Capital-Journal: Ken Ham's book looks at millennials and the church

New York Times: Refugee Crisis in Syria Raises Fears in South Carolina   (Hat tip to Infidel753) 

Pope Francis Warns World About Climate Change; Right-Wingers Disgusted

Pope Francis is in the midst of a week-long visit to the United States, which has included stops in Washington D.C., New York, and Philadelphia. In recent speeches to U.S. and world leaders, Pope Francis has emphasized the importance of protecting the environment, citing his environmental encyclical, Laudato Si. Passionately, he has urged audiences to safeguard the natural world because of its intrinsic value and because humanity's future depends on a healthy environmental. Predictably, some right-wing commentators are unhappy with the Pope's environmentalism.

During his September 23rd address at the White House, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of addressing climate change and caring for our "common home".

"Mr. President, I find it encouraging that you are proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution. Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation. When it comes to the care of our “common home”, we are living at a critical moment of history. We still have time to make the changes needed to bring about “a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change” (Laudato Si’, 13). Such change demands on our part a serious and responsible recognition not only of the kind of world we may be leaving to our children, but also to the millions of people living under a system which has overlooked them. Our common home has been part of this group of the excluded which cries out to heaven and which today powerfully strikes our homes, our cities and our societies ... [W]e wish to commit ourselves to the conscious and responsible care of our common home."  

In a September 24th speech before a joint meeting of Congress, Pope Francis noted that safeguarding the environment serves the common good. The Pope called on listeners to avert the worst effects of environmental harm, adding, "I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States – and this Congress – have an important role to play."

During his September 25th address at the United Nations, Pope Francis listed the natural world as one of the "victims of power badly exercised" by humans. He spoke optimistically about the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the World Summit, as well as the upcoming Paris Conference on Climatic Change.

During his United Nations speech, Pope Francis reminded his audience that human life if intimately connected to the environment, and thus humans must respect the natural world.

"First, it must be stated that a true “right of the environment” does exist, for two reasons. First, because we human beings are part of the environment. We live in communion with it, since the environment itself entails ethical limits which human activity must acknowledge and respect. Man, for all his remarkable gifts, which “are signs of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of physics and biology” (Laudato Si’, 81), is at the same time a part of these spheres. He possesses a body shaped by physical, chemical and biological elements, and can only survive and develop if the ecological environment is favourable. Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity."

Pope Francis argued that all living beings possess intrinsic value, having been created by a loving deity.

"Second, because every creature, particularly a living creature, has an intrinsic value, in its existence, its life, its beauty and its interdependence with other creatures. We Christians, together with the other monotheistic religions, believe that the universe is the fruit of a loving decision by the Creator, who permits man respectfully to use creation for the good of his fellow men and for the glory of the Creator; he is not authorized to abuse it, much less to destroy it. In all religions, the environment is a fundamental good (cf. ibid.)."

Many Americans were receptive to Pope Francis' calls for environmental consciousness. On September 24th, as the Pope spoke before Congress, the Moral Action on Climate Justice Rally was under way at the National Mall. According to Religion News Service, speakers from Pax Christi International, Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists addressed the crowd, while Eric Paslay and Moby provided musical entertainment. At the climax of the rally, attendees watched Pope Francis' speech to Congress live on jumbotrons.

Unfortunately, some right-wing figures refused to take Pope Francis' environmental message seriously. Despite ample evidence demonstrating the role of human activity in climate change, and despite the moral imperative to preserve the environment, several right-wing voices criticized the Pope for discussing climate change.

Even before the papal visit to the U.S., one political figure made his displeasure known. In a September 17th commentary piece at Town Hall, Congressman Paul Gosar took offense at the environmental content of Pope Francis' upcoming speeches, livid over their supposed "socialist talking points" and "false science".

"Media reports indicate His Holiness instead intends to focus the brunt of his speech on climate change--a climate that has been changing since first created in Genesis. More troubling is the fact that this climate change talk has adopted all of the socialist talking points, wrapped false science and ideology into “climate justice” and is being presented to guilt people into leftist policies. If the Pope stuck to standard Christian theology, I would be the first in line. If the Pope spoke out with moral authority against violent Islam, I would be there cheering him on. If the Pope urged the Western nations to rescue persecuted Christians in the Middle East, I would back him wholeheartedly. But when the Pope chooses to act and talk like a leftist politician, then he can expect to be treated like one ...

The earth’s climate has been changing since God created it, with or without man. On that, we should all agree. In Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment (written with the consultation of that great seminary the EPA and its embattled head Gina McCarthy), he condemned anyone skeptical of the link between human activity and climate change and adopted the false science being propagated by the Left. If the Pope wants to devote his life to fighting climate change then he can do so in his personal time. But to promote questionable science as Catholic dogma is ridiculous."

The Heartland Institute dismissed Pope Francis' environmental concerns in a series of statements posted on September 23rd. For example, external relations vice president James Taylor was disappointed that the Pope promoted "poorly supported global warming theories".

"We all share Pope Francis’s desire for responsible environmental stewardship. Unfortunately, Pope Francis appears to believe poorly supported global warming theories that have been strongly and repeatedly contradicted by real-world observations. His decision to spend so much time and effort venturing outside the realm of religion and into the realm of science and public policy is unlikely to advance his Christian mission."

After Pope Francis' speech at the White House on September 23rd, Fox Business commentator Stuart Varney was incredulous. Varney suggested that environmental issues belong in the realm of politics, ignoring the fact that climate change is also a pressing moral, economic, and public health-related issue. (Hat tip to Raw Story.)

"I was shocked at how much time the Pope spent on climate change, and how he walked right into the politics of climate change ... We have just sat through the president of the United States greeting Pope Francis to the White House, and the Pope then launched into a fifteen minute speech in which it was largely about climate change, and how we've all got to get on board with efforts to combat climate change. I think he stepped right into policy."

Some conservatives were not so much hostile to the Pope's environmentalism as lukewarm. Jeb Bush greeted Pope Francis' visit with enthusiasm, but his feelings toward the Pope's environmentalist message were chilly. Vanity Fair reports that during a presser on September 24th, Bush spoke warmly of the Pope but reminded journalists that Pope Francis is "not a scientist" with regard to climate issues. (According to the National Catholic Reporter, the Pope does have scientific training, having earned a título in chemistry from the Escuela Técnica Industrial in his native Argentina.)

"The Pope is not wrong. The Pope is a religious leader that I admire greatly, and I'm excited that he's coming for the first time to our country to have a dialogue with us. I think it's extraordinary.

Carbon emissions have dropped by 10 percent in the last decade. The United States has played a pretty constructive role if you're talking about climate change being an issue. And the way you create a focus on protecting the natural environment and the creatures that are divinely inspired, which is the Pope's view -- he's not a scientist; he's a religious leader -- is to create economic growth, to generate revenues to be able to help people."

Whether right-wing figures want to admit it or not, environmental harm is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Pollution threatens the public health and economic viability of countless communities, while climate change threatens to drastically reshape the planet. As a religious leader, Pope Francis has a moral imperative to discuss environmental issues, and thus his words on climate change were appropriate and important. While I disagree with Pope Francis on many issues, I respect his environmental awareness.

Too many right-wingers live in an ideological bubble that neither facts nor moral imperatives can penetrate. Neither the science corroborating claims of climate change nor the concrete dangers of pollution will persuade them to rethink their assumptions. Accepting climate change would force them to acknowledge that unregulated industry is not without negative environmental consequences, that unbridled consumption and waste are not sustainable, and that God is not going to rescue humanity from the planet it has sullied. Pope Francis reminded them of uncomfortable facts, and they would do well to listen.


To read additional commentary, visit the following links.

Politico: Trump: Pope is wrong on climate change

Think Progress: Catholic Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio Explains Why He Won’t Listen To Pope Francis

Huffington Post: Conservatives Dismiss Pope On Climate Change, Warn Of Immigrant 'Anarchy'

News Tidbits

NPR: Ted Cruz Rallies Evangelicals In Campaign To Defund Planned Parenthood

Christian Science Monitor: To counter Trump, Ted Cruz aims to lead religious right rebellion

The Guardian: Jeb Bush joins conservatives in call to defund Planned Parenthood

Forward: Pew Study Finds Orthodox Similar to Evangelical Christians, Not Other Jews

Good4Utah: Accused child molester claims religion as defense

Washington Post: LGBT memoir on Duke University reading list protested as insensitive to ‘Christian moral beliefs’ 

Washington Post: Abortion foes find new ways to get details about patients, doctors

Associated Press: Mormons Keep Affiliation With Boy Scouts Despite Gay Leaders

Pink News: Anti-gay marriage group NOM funded by Catholic donors it fought to keep secret

On Top Magazine: Scott Lively Claims LGBT Protections Bill Will 'Punish Christians'

Southern Baptist Leader Russell Moore Interviews Jeb Bush

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention, interviewed Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio. Jeb Bush was interviewed in person at the Send North America Conference in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, while Marco Rubio was interviewed via video.

In an article at the ERLC website, Moore expressed his eagerness to interview the candidates while throwing out buzzwords such as "religious liberty" and "family stability".

"Evangelicals realize they can no longer consider themselves part of some silent majority, where our First Amendment freedoms are assumed and guaranteed. Instead, evangelicals want to know which candidates offer a clear, coherent vision of religious liberty and have a plan to defend it when the very idea is contested in American politics. Evangelicals are looking for leaders who not only understand their convictions about human dignity and family stability but have plans to address them, and this event will provide the opportunity for precisely this kind of discussion with some of the leading presidential candidates, and I am greatly looking forward to it."

ERLC posted a video of the Bush interview on YouTube, from which I've harvested several quotes from Jeb Bush on "religious freedom", reproductive rights, Planned Parenthood, and poverty.

At the 1:17 mark, Bush answered a question from Moore regarding "religious freedom" -- that is, the right for business owners to veil discriminatory practices with religious belief. Bush depicted such business owners as beleaguered Americans being pressured to keep their convictions out of the public square, rather than people who discriminate against the LGBTQ community.

"This is perhaps the most important discussion we need to have as a country going forward. The recent ruling as it relates to marriage puts into doubt now religious conscience, acting on your faith, not just faith. In fact, people will say it's okay to be religious. Just do it in your church and do it at home, but don't act on your faith in the public square, because that's discriminatory against others that may not agree with it. It's the other way around. This is the first freedom. This is a foundational freedom in this country ... You take this one away, it's very easy to imagine other freedoms being taken away as well."

For Bush, "religious freedom" also extends to employers' denial of contraception coverage to employees. At the 4:32 mark, he applauded the Little Sisters of the Poor for their resistance to the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate (calling them the Little Sisters of Charity by mistake).

"The best example is the Little Sisters of Charity, [a] group of nuns that are compelled to have contraceptives in their health care plan, and the courts are ruling against them for this. I mean, this is the insistence of HHS, Big Brother telling the Little Sisters that they have to have contraceptives, going totally against their own faith as devout Catholics? It gets absurd pretty quick, and if you persuade people with these kind of facts and stories, I think you can win people over."

At the 11:01 mark, Moore and Bush discussed the controversial Planned Parenthood videos that have seized the media spotlight. Bush made his disdain for Planned Parenthood clear and vowed to defund the organization if elected president. He assured listeners that if elected president, budgets will be passed smoothly, "and in that budget, I can promise you, there will not be five hundred million dollars going to Planned Parenthood."

MOORE: Now I'm sure you've seen--if you've not see the videos, you've seen reports of these Planned Parenthood undercover videos--

BUSH: Oh Lord.

MOORE: --that have really shocked the conscience of the nation right now. There was a vote that failed in the United States Senate yesterday to defund Planned Parenthood. Would you think that we have a continuing resolution coming up to fund the government? Given the atrocity of these children being destroyed with such callous disregard for their lives, shouldn't we make that an issue and say 'not one more red cent to Planned Parenthood'?

BUSH: We should, and the next president should defund Planned Parenthood. [Applause] I have the benefit of having been governor, and we did defund Planned Parenthood when I was governor. We tried to create a culture of life across the board. The argument against this is, well, women's health issues are going to be-- you're attacking, it's a war on women and you're attacking women's health issues. You could take dollar for dollar--although I'm not sure we need a half a billion dollars for women's health issues--but if you took dollar for dollar, there are many extraordinarily fine organizations, community health organizations that exist, federally sponsored community health organizations to provide quality care for women on a wide variety of health issues, but abortion should not be funded by the government, any government in my mind. [Applause]

First, Bush conveniently forgot that the federal government cannot fund abortion anyway due to the Hyde Amendment. Second, his comment about women's health issues not needing $500 million in funding shows how little importance he assigns to women's health, something enlightened voters will remember on Election Day. Finally, many communities have a dearth of community health organizations, meaning that many women would be left without accessible reproductive health care if Planned Parenthood were defunded. To boot, not all community health organizations provide abortion services, so if Planned Parenthood were defunded, many women would be left without access to abortions. Does Jeb Bush really want more unwanted pregnancies (and all the problems that come with them) in America?

Observers were quick to condemn the insensitive comment, according to the Associated Press. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called Bush "absolutely, unequivocally wrong" on Twitter. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders chided Bush as well, tweeting that "We actually need a heck of a lot more than $3 per person for women's health care". Bush later issued a statement insisting that he "misspoke", according to Talking Points Memo.

Moore played devil's advocate at the 13:25 mark, asking Bush how he would react to claims that his policies would harm vulnerable citizens.

MOORE: What would you say to people who would say, well yes, but if you're repealing Obamacare, you're dealing with entitlement reform and so forth, we have vulnerable single mothers in our communities, including in many of the urban areas that these pastors are serving, aren't we turning them over to Planned Parenthood when we don't have a robust support system economically around them?

BUSH: Look, this is a place where my personally belief is that life should be cherished. It's a gift from God from beginning to end, and if people are in vulnerable circumstances, government has a duty to help. Maybe more effectively than creating a culture of dependency around people, maybe we help people that are acting on their heart, like many of you do, which I applaud. There's many better ways to do what government does today in isolation of the big and caring hearts of our community, but certainly we as a just and loving and generous society should have a government that puts the most vulnerable in our society in the front of the line.

In reality, the federal government does not act in isolation of community organizations. Federal funds allow many social service organizations to exist. For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the organization Bush criticized earlier in the interview, provides countless grants to service providers. Bush's response to Moore's question did not provide a coherent blueprint for protecting America's most vulnerable citizens.

In conclusion, the Moore-Bush interview left me unimpressed. While Bush has better manners than a certain other presidential contender hogging the limelight, he brings no fresh ideas to the presidential race. His stance on "religious freedom" and reproductive rights will appeal to the Religious Right, but will also alienate women, religious minorities, and LGBTQ voters. In short, I doubt that Bush can win the 2016 election by disregarding so many important constituencies and espousing a platform at odds with 21st century America.


To read additional commentary, visit the following links.

The New Civil Rights Movement: Jeb Bush Says 'Not Sure We Need A Half-Billion Dollars For Women's Health' Then Says He Misspoke?

Think Progress: With Declining Evangelical Power, Only 2 Candidates Attend Southern Baptist Forum 

Politico: Jeb Bush’s ad-lib offers Dems another gift

Commentary Tidbits

Internet Monk: The little brothers of Saint Archie Bunker 

Religion Dispatches: How a Fringe Theocratic Movement Helped Shape the Religious Right As We Know It

Right Wing Watch: Religious Right Teams Up With Anti-Gay Governments at United Nations

Think Progress: GOP Candidates Reveal Their Terrifying Fantasies About Abortion At First Debate

The Guardian: There’s a silver lining in the religious right’s onslaught of discrimination

The Advocate: Think NOM Is Dead? Think Again

Politico: Jeb Bush’s ad-lib offers Dems another gift

Raw Story: Here are 5 frightening ways radical right-wingers are trying to control the way we teach U.S. history

News Tidbits

Daily Journal: Oath Keepers and militia 'guarding' local Armed Forces Career Center

Religion News Service: Pharmacists can’t claim religion to deny emergency contraception, appeals court rules 

Religion News Service: Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore to interview Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio at evangelical rally

USA Today: Baked in the cake: Legal battles follow gay marriage ruling 

Pink News: Clerk ‘fasted and prayed’ before refusing to marry gays

Gay Star News: Louisiana: Married gay man says he was denied communion at his mother’s funeral Mass

WMAZ 13: Dodge judge won't perform weddings, to protest same-sex ruling 

The Advocate: POLL: Thousands of U.K. Health Workers Believe in Gay 'Cure' 

Politico: Code Pink protesters disrupt Ted Cruz at rally

Commentary Tidbits

The Root: Why Won't the GOP Candidates Speak Honestly About Racism?

New York Times: White Supremacists Without Borders

Godless in Dixie: I Drew the Line at Canaan

Think Progress: Jeb Bush And Chris Christie Spout Anti-Women Rhetoric At Conservative Conference

Huffington Post: What Are Anti-Marriage-Equality Forces Really Demanding? Hint: It's Not a 'Live and Let Live' World

LGBTQ Nation: Christian Right issues anti-LGBT manuals teaching legal discrimination

Right-Wingers Look Askance at Pope Francis' Environmentalism

On June 18th, the Vatican officially released Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si, which called for heightened environmental consciousness. Before the release of the encyclical, several right-leaning voices in politics and entertainment criticized Pope Francis, accusing him of Marxism and of meddling in matters beyond his authority.

Republican presidential contender and Catholic convert Jeb Bush looked askance at the Pope's environmentalist sympathies at a town hall gathering in New Hampshire. "I hope I’m not going to get castigated for saying this by my priest back home, but I don’t get economic policy from my bishops or my cardinal or my pope,” Bush said, according to the Guardian. “I think religion ought to be about making us better as people and less about things that end up getting in the political realm.”

Presidential candidate Rick Santorum told WPHT-AM 1210 that the Catholic Church is jeopardizing its credibility by talking about science. “The Church has gotten it wrong a few times on science, and I think we’re probably better off leaving science to the scientists and focus on what we’re really good on, which is theology and morality. When we get involved with political and controversial scientific theories, then I think the Church is probably not as forceful and credible," Santorum told WPHT radio host Dom Giordano.

At a recent Heartland Institute conference on climate change, Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) delivered a talk on "the myth of global warming", according to the Guardian. During the conference, he sneered at the Pope's call for environmental consciousness. The pope ought to stay with his job, and we’ll stay with ours," Inhofe said.

Fox News commentator Greg Gutfeld was far harsher. "He is a Malthusian. He is in bed with Malthusians ... He believes that the earth is overpopulated," Gutfeld said during the June 16th edition of The Five. Gutfeld mocked the pope as a hippie seeking respect from liberals. (Hat tip to Media Matters.)

"The most dangerous person on the planet is somebody who's seeking strange new respect from their adversaries, and that is what the Pope is doing. He doesn't want to be your grandfather's pope. He wants to be a modern pope. All he needs is dreadlocks and a dog with a bandanna, and he could be on Occupy Wall Street."

Rush Limbaugh was unkind as well, calling the pontiff a "Marxist". During the June 16th edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show, he had this to say. (Hat tip to Media Matters.)

"Early on, he started attacking capitalism using Democrat Party language like "unfettered capitalism." I said this guy sounds like a Marxist, and remember the ruckus that that caused? ... But he doesn't even disguise it, folks, in this encyclical. Doesn't even disguise it. Every other word seems to be about how unfettered capitalism is destroying the world, and how the rich countries have to give more money to the poor countries to make amends."

Right-wing commentators seem to be stunned that Pope Francis, the head of a rigidly conservative religious institution, would adopt a sane position on the environment. Could it be that all this global attention to environmental issues is making them uncomfortable and challenging their assumptions? The realities of climate change have grown too big to ignore, forcing some right-wingers out of their comfort zone.


To read additional commentary, visit the following links.

What Would JT Do? Catholic Channel at Patheos: Pope is infallible when speaking ex cathedra ... but not on global warming!

Media Matters: How Fox News Covered Pope Francis' Action On Climate Change

Mother Jones: The Pope Says Climate Change Is Real. Catholic GOP Candidates Disagree.

New York Times: Pope’s Views on Climate Change Add Pressure to Catholic Candidates

News Tidbits

Pew Research Center: America’s Changing Religious Landscape 

Deseret News: World Congress of Families heading to Salt Lake City in the fall

Washington Post: Obama tackles poverty on a panel in front of Catholic and evangelical leaders

Religion News Service: At Liberty University, Jeb Bush seeks support from evangelicals

Raw Story: Duggar family member: ‘All science’ points to creationism being true

Lincoln Times-News: No non-Christian prayers at county meetings, says Lincoln County chairman

Click Orlando: Florida church sign says homosexuals must repent or go to hell

Huffington Post: California Judge Rules Against Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Program

Gay News Network: Australian Department of Education bans Teen Sex: By the Book for anti-gay sentiments and slut shaming

Metro Weekly: 9 Anti-Gay Billboards from across the U.S.

Commentary Tidbits

The Church of the Fridge: Because I Said So: The Dangers of Unquestioning Obedience 

Stuff Fundies Like: Empathy?

Huffington Post: "Bible Believing" Pastors and the Enabling of Domestic Violence

Danthropology: Catholics blame everyone but themselves for the recent church exodus

Just One Train Wreck After Another: Biblical Femininity Is A Lie

Political Research Associates: How the Right is Co-Opting #BlackLivesMatter to Roll Back Reproductive Rights

Christian Science Monitor: Jeb Bush at Liberty University: Why presidential hopefuls court Evangelicals

The Advocate: Could New Jersey Pay Damages for Conversion Therapy Victims?

Edge Media Network: Watch Out Obama! The Ex-Gays are Coming for You (Again)