Author Archives: John Wallenfeldt

Editorials & Opinion | Don’t confuse them with facts | Seattle Times Newspaper

One of the impediments to dealing with Rethug loonies is that they have decided that making shit up is equal to researching and using facts.

It isn’t entirely their fault. Our media’s obsession with sound bites that distort the truth is an early part of this trend. Our inability – or plan for some – to not teach our kid’s history, science, well, anything doesn’t help. So now, people with bullshit conspiracy theories, lies, and misinformed half-truths can make categorically wrongheaded assumptions and not feel compelled to back down from them even when confronted with the truth.

I mean, seriously, when the facts are not on your side, you need to admit that there is at least another side of the story. At the most, you need to be able to admit you are wrong.

This is something I did note see modelled by the GOP yesterday. When confronted with facts that proved them wrong, they just spouted their lies louder and with more voices. Pathetic.

(h/t to Ned for the link)

Tax Status Of Lawmakers’ Religious Refuge Disputed : NPR

Some sensible men of faith find it repulsive that the C Street House O’ Cheating Politicians has tax exempt status and want it revoked.

I agree with that of course. That said, what I really agree with is revoking the tax exempt status from every church that has given out conservative biased “voting guides” in recent elections. What I really would like to see is every church that has had a sermon on praying for Obama’s death, or an illness to take him or another Democrat out, or to hope for a “miraculous” violent overthrow/theocracy/reset the time continuum/etc. to ALSO lose their tax exempt status.

Basically, I have never heard any violence, death, or harm wished a Republican from a pulpit, but apparently the reverse is all the rage. I have heard calls for prayers for Bush, curses on Catholics, and the point that my dog is going to Hell for having a microchip in my mom’s Baptist church – which is why I’m never stepping foot back in that building, but no, I don’t see liberal religious types being so damned mean.

So, in short, OF COURSE the C Street Commitment-Breakers should lose any privilege they have to violate federal law. But for every church that has screeched their congregations to vote GOP (or otherwise if you’ve seen any proof of that) I would argue that they should pay taxes for the next 20 years. If they keep their noses clean – if they can truly be pious – then they can get it back (if society still buys their argument).

Otherwise, there should be a price for preaching politics from the pulpit. There should also be a price for preaching hate, fear, bigotry, and racism from the pulpit, but I believe that God can handle that one better than man.