ISIS and “Christian” Extremists: Both of them are terrorist organizations.

Both groups want to murder millions of infidels so as to bring about the end of the world. Both groups cherry-pick their respective Scriptures to justify the evil acts they perpetrate upon others. Both are run by malevolent geniuses who are followed by  hateful, gullible, violent f***wits with room-temperature IQs. And both have useful idiots in the media who try to paint them as something other than what they are.

Let’s start with ISIS, (and let’s call them “Daesh”, because it is accurate, and because they hate being called by that name).
Here is an excellent article on them, worth the click. Pretty long piece, so here are a very few snippets:

The Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), follows a distinctive variety of Islam whose beliefs about the path to the Day of Judgment matter to its strategy, and can help the West know its enemy and predict its behavior. Its rise to power is less like the triumph of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt (a group whose leaders the Islamic State considers apostates) than like the realization of a dystopian alternate reality in which David Koresh or Jim Jones survived to wield absolute power over not just a few hundred people, but some 8 million.
Following takfiri doctrine, the Islamic State is committed to purifying the world by killing vast numbers of people. The lack of objective reporting from its territory makes the true extent of the slaughter unknowable, but social-media posts from the region suggest that individual executions happen more or less continually, and mass executions every few weeks.

Pretty gruesome, you’ll agree. But not all that different from various “Christian” Millenialist groups (we’ll call them “Teavangelicals”, because it is likewise accurate, and they also hate being called by that name).

Teavangelicals think they should rule the world as a theocracy. Just as Daesh does:

Kingdom Now theology states that althoughSatan has been in control of the world since the Fall, God is looking for people who will help him take back dominion. Those who yield themselves to the authority of God’s apostles and prophets will take control of the kingdoms of this world, being defined as all social institutions, the “kingdom” of education, the “kingdom” of science, the “kingdom” of the arts, etc.

Teavangelicals want to re-enslave people (Women, people of color, etc). Again, Daesh also believes in slavery. Check out this quote from a Fundie:

I’m not going to sugarcoat this article in an attempt not to offend anyone. Feminism is rebellion against God’s AUTHORITY! I don’t know where the term “feminazi” originated, but it accurately describes the Feminist Movement. So many pastors today are afraid to preach against the evils of feminism. The truth needs to be told!
America’s churches, marriages and homes are being destroyed by the vile feminist agenda. Women are now filing for divorce atTWICE the rate of men because of feminism. A godly man is a threat to the feminist’s agenda, because he believes that a woman’s place is still in the home—baking cookies, knitting, and caring for the children (1st Timothy 5:14). Of course, hen pecked husbands and sissies are exempt.

That’s what Teavangelicals say about women. As to POC? Here you go, straight from the horse’s ass mouth:

Collier also said that he and his followers believe that whites are “God’s chosen people.” While he denies that racism is at the heart of the event, he admits that some members and attendees are Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members (but membership in the Klan isn’t a requirement).

And this little bon mot:

WE BELIEVE the White, Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and kindred people to be God’s true, literal Children of Israel. Only this race fulfills every detail of Biblical Prophecy and World History concerning Israel and continues in these latter days to be heirs and possessors of the Covenants, Prophecies, Promises and Blessings YHVH God made to Israel. This chosen seedline making up the “Christian Nations” (Gen. 35:11; Isa. 62:2; Acts 11:26) of the earth stands far superior to all other peoples in their call as God’s servant race (Isa. 41:8, 44:21; Luke 1:54). Only these descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel scattered abroad (James 1:1; Deut. 4:27; Jer. 31:10; John 11:52) have carried God’s Word, the Bible, throughout the world (Gen. 28:14; Isa. 43:10-12, 59:21), have used His Laws in the establishment of their civil governments and are the “Christians” opposed by the Satanic Anti-Christ forces of this world who do not recognize the true and living God (John 5:23, 8:19, 16:2-3).

And are Teavangelicals violent like Daesh? Yep. Click here to get acquainted with the many “Christians” who behead, rape, bomb, torture and assassinate anyone their diseased “brains” tell them to. Here and abroad.

This writer certainly has no love for Daesh. They are lunatic mass-murderers, among other disgusting characteristics. We cannot, however, pretend that they are any different than the Teavangelicals. We have at least as big a problem with the supposed “followers” of Rebbe Yeshua bar Joseph as we do with those who pervert the teachings of Mohammed (peace be on him).

Any Christian who wants to pretend otherwise should remember this little quote from their professed Lord and Savior in Matthew 7:

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

All terrorists are evil. All of them, regardless of motivation or religion. Look at them with clear eyes, and you’ll see it.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

“War on Christmas?” Gimme a Friggin’ Break, OK?

The “Christian Right” is starting into its annual festive tizzy about how Baby Jesus is being dissed due to people uttering words other than “Merry Christmas” during the period of time between Halloween and New Year’s Eve. In reality, of course, there is no such “war on Christmas”, and has never been. You want the real story on the annual celebration? Here ya go:

When the weather gets cold and the days get short, people like to have a party, to lift their spirits. It’s been going on for, literally, thousands of years, all over the planet. Vis. and to wit:

In ancient Rome, it was called Saturnalia (or Dies Natalis Solis Invicti).
Modern American Hindus celebrate Pancha Ganapati.
Vainakhs celebrated Malkh.
Saxons celebrated Mōdraniht.
European-descended Pagans have a Yule holiday.
Persian-descended Pagans celebrate Shabe Yaldā.
Christians, of course, have Christmas.
The jewish people celebrate Hanukkah.
Slavic folk have been known to observe Malanka.

To name but a few. Get the idea? When all around is dark and dreary, we humans like to have some light and merriment.

So just because Christian missionairies in the British Isles decided to adapt some Celtic Pagan observances by inventing a birthday celebration for Rebbe Yeshuah Bar Joseph (AKA Jesus), and just because we Christian types happen to be in the majority in contemporary America, doesn’t mean other people in and from other cultures don’t have a right to party in the manner of their own choosing. We all need a bit of a pick-me-up when nature has us feeling down.

It’s gotten worse since Fundagelicals have decided to repurpose the celebratory holiday of Christmas into yet another evangelical outlet; because when religious people are looking for converts, they can get pretty militant. (See the Albigensian Crusade for another example besides the current ones.) Songs like “Mary, Did You Know” are perfect examples of this phenomenon. It’s no longer enough to wish the Savior a happy birthday and give gifts and charity to others: no, these proselytizeing latter-day Puritans are after your very souls. Damn your fun, they are on a mission!

Everybody, just take a breath and smile. Drive away the chill and dark with warmth and light. It’s what humans do. All of us. For all of our history. This writer loves the opportunity to liven up the blah days of a blah season, and doesn’t care what you call your party.

Call it “Bob”, if you want. It might prevent a few wars, or a few Fox News editorials at the very least. The reason for the season is: to help ourselves and those around us to be a wee bit happier.

So Happy Bob to one and all.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Matthew 25 Updated: If Jesus were here today…

“When I was hungry, you cut my food stamps; when thirsty, you allowed my water to be polluted for corporate profit; when I was a stranger, you detained and deported me. When I was naked and vulnerable, without a job or income, you denied me extended unemployment compensation, holding it hostage to a political agenda. When I was ill, you refused to extend Medicaid; when I was in prison, you denied me justice in favor of revenge, and executed me.”

And the righteous replied,”When was it that we saw You hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, ill or in prison?” And He said, “Anything you did to one of these–however humble, poor and powerless–you did to me.”

This was submitted to the Cleveland Plain Dealer by Chester E. Ramey, and was published in their LTTE section on 1/19/14. And a better case against the Republicans cannot be made, in this blogger’s humble opinion.

What would Jesus do and say, if he were here today? Probably something a lot like this.

Give this a think, oh “Conservative Christians”. Give it a really good think.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Even though the Bible does not say December 25th is Jesus’ birthday…

Even though we were never told to celebrate His birthday,

Even though there is scant evidence to prove that Rebbe Yeshua Bar Joseph even existed,

Even though the Christmas holiday was created to help wipe out the pagan religions that competed with the new faith of Christianity,

And even though it has become a crass, obnoxious, commercialized and manipulative season that starts months before and exhausts us all by the time it is done with,

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas because for a while, people pay attention to their families, and friends.

Merry Christmas because for a while, people give a bit more to those who need help.

Merry Christmas because in today’s America, we really need something positive to celebrate.

Merry Christmas, because even the crankiest among us needs to lighten up for a day or so.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

“Popular” Does Not Always Mean “Good” or “Right”

Back in the Y-Zero-K Days, a whole raft of people told Pontius Pilate to crucify a rabble-rousing Rabbi from Nazareth. Whipped into a frenzy by the pundits and politicians and preachers of the day, the popular opinion was to kill a man who had never done a lick of harm to anyone. Today, of course, we know that they were wrong to do so.

Back in the last century, a skinny little Austrian with a good speaking voice managed to whip millions of people into a frenzy of hatred and embark upon a mission to rule the world. Millions upon millions of people died in the ensuing war, and we can see the horrible aftereffects to this day. Today, of course, we know that the German people and their allies were wrong to do so.

Today, we have lots and lots of people doing as the Pharisees and the Nazis did, and millions of people following along, whipped up into a frenzy against gays, our big-eared Prexy, immigrants, Moslems, women, and other folks. It is “popular”, and the “will of the people” to persecute these folks. We are told, for example,  that as a “Christian Nation”, the majority may impose its will upon the minority and do as we wish to them.

It would do us all well to remember the countless times in history when large groups of people have been conned into doing unspeakable things to their fellow man. In the future, people will regard us as unkindly as we today regard the gullible fools that enabled the Romans, the Nazis, the Klan, and other like-minded slimeballs.

Mr. B & C