Pat Robertson Discusses Getting the Wrong Election Call from God

He had believed that God told him it would be Romney:



What I think probably happened is that he got the answer "Obama" when he polled God, but then decided the sample wasn't representative enough.

VA Del. Bob Marshall Compares ACA law to Rape--but favors invasive unwanted ultrasound procedure for pregnant women.

The House of the Commonwealth of Virginia passed a really stupid "personhood" bill regarding fetuses that makes the as-yet-unborn (even zygotes) the equivalent of born people, even though this is completely wrong. One of the main sponsors of this wrongness, Del. Bob Marshall,  has compared the economic issues of the federal Affordable Care Act to rape. Because he thinks he might be compelled to pay more for insurance.  Even though he probably won't, if the CBO is right, and you know.  Stands to reason, preventative care being more accessable and all.  So--um, on one hand, ACA is not like rape because only rape is like rape--M'kay?  Rape analogies are wrong because rape is a really bad crime using people's bodies against their will--regulations that are part of a social contract lack the physical intimacy, threat of bodily harm, and usurpation of individual agency--this was a damn tacky wrong-ass thing for the Delegate to say.  On the other hand--no other hand is needed--that's just wrong fucking shit.

The ironic bit is this: the bill mandates a vaginal ultrasound probe being inserted in female-bodied persons who want an abortion--that's right.  The bill Del. Bob Marshall is for mandates that the government insert a probe into the body of a person against hir will.  Which would pretty much be---?

Yes, much nearer the definition of rape than his pathetic economic analogy. And the reason for this vaginal terrorism--this rape of a pregnant woman?

To coerce her to comply with the political view that the newly-christened "person": as broadly defined by this personhood amendment, be born. Against her will. Beyond her control. They have granted personhood to a being without the synaptic density to create memories or thoughts, nor the experience to verbalize or anticipate pain, and given that person equal footing with the thinking, feeling rational person in whose body it has by chance begun.

This is asinine. This is punishing women for just having a female reproductive system. It is grossly misogynist. In other words--nothing is right about it. And yet this legislative body could not see the absolute wrong--this makes me terribly sad.

I theoretically posit a God that doesn't like "tacky".

This is a collection of hit'n'run stories I couldn't help but notice:

Six-Story "Butter Jesus" goes down In Flames--Church will Rebuild

That isn't the actual title of this story from WKRC in Cincinnati, but it sums up the tale of a veritible icon of the Internets--the "Butter Jesus" or "Touchdown Jesus", a rough-hewn, six-story, upper-torso of the Redeemer with arms out-stretched, tacky roadside attraction, that to many, summed up the ostentatious "badness" of much religious "art"--which was struck by lightning and burned, as if smitten (smote?) from above. I'm kind of hoping they change the design a little, to something a tiny bit more tasteful. Maybe they could go with "glow in the dark"?

In other news, the Painter Of Light was apparently "Lit" in this story from Gawker, which is where I honestly get a lot of my news, anymore.
I hate ripping on an artist just trying to make a buck, but, damn, he paints some funky "twee"-looking nonsense. You just expect a pixie to come sparkling out of his ultra-flourescent flower bushes. And why are the windows of all his buildings lit up like that? In Kincade-ville, folks are simple and spiritual, but their electric bills are ridiculous. For the record, DUI, bad. But for me, inspirational prayer-garden, solitary chapel, snowy Christmas big-ass cottage schlock is like Chicken Soup for the Taste-Impaired and Religiously Bent.

Although this story has nothing to do with "art", it has a bunch to do with "tacky"--

Mormons Found Guilty on 13 Counts of Prop 8 Malfeasance, Fined by FPPC

To my way of thinking, a whole group of religious busybodies prying their way financially and politically into the personal lives of hundreds of couples in California strikes me as awfully tacky. Not just illegal--tacky. They could have minded their own business, saved their money, and tithed to something good like malaria nets for people in Africa or something. But instead, they had to propagandize about who grown people chose to make their official life-partners, and that is sad. But really? Tacky. Tacky. Tacky.

Sally Shills Xtian Shari'a, says sodomy spoils economy.

Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern has been featured here before. She hasn't changed much since then. She's got a Proclamation for Morality thing she seems to believe might address our hard economic times. For the full impact, read the whole thing, here.

It goes something like:

WHEREAS I am from a district with its share of Bible-believing Christians, and

WHEREAS many people legitimately have been hit hard by the recession,and

WHEREAS I could address the economic forces regarding Wall Street excesses and banking fraud and so on, if I understood any of that, and

WHEREAS what I really can do is suppose it must have been God's doing, since He does everything, and is probably smiting us for some stuff, and

WHEREAS I like to blame stuff on teh sex, especially teh ghey sex, and

WHEREAS I also need to get a dig in at the current president, who hasn't sucked up enough to prayer-based people, and wants to honor the gheys by noticing they exist for a whole month, and

WHEREAS my aides have gone online and done a thorough search for anything a Founding Father might have said mentioning "God" even if we aren't sure they really said those things, like it matters, since it's a Christian nation, amirite? and,

WHEREAS bloggers haven't jumped on my behind for, like, a minute, I think we could really ask God to go smite somebody else with Economic Fail, and we'll really do better at disapproving of other people's personal business in God's name in the future!

Well, no. That wasn't exactly how it reads....but....

WHEREAS, the people of Oklahoma have a strong tradition of reliance upon the Creator of the Universe; and

WHEREAS, we believe our economic woes are consequences of our greater national moral crisis; and

WHEREAS, this nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, and many other forms of debauchery; and

WHEREAS, alarmed that the Government of the United States of America is forsaking the rich Christian heritage upon which this nation was built; and

WHEREAS, grieved that the Office of the president of these United States has refused to uphold the long held tradition of past presidents in giving recognition to our National Day of Prayer; and

WHEREAS, deeply disturbed that the Office of the president of these United States disregards the biblical admonitions to live clean and pure lives by proclaiming an entire month to an immoral behavior;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we the undersigned elected officials of the people of Oklahoma, religious leaders and citizens of the State of Oklahoma, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world, solemnly declare that the HOPE of the great State of Oklahoma and of these United States, rests upon the Principles of Religion and Morality as put forth in the HOLY BIBLE

It's not that far off, no?