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While we were in Denver, Pam and I discussed the idea of me taking on the occasional persona of Jane Hartline — You know, a parody of the disturbed, San Diego ex-gay man who stated that he lives in Sodom, Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition just isn’t insane conservative enough, and that God caused the San Diego Fires because San Diego is such a sinful place.
My first piece in the Jane Hartline mode was going to be a mocking look at how Stuart Sheppard famously became a Worst Person In The World for praying that God cause rain to fall on Sen. Barrack Obama’s speech at Mile High Stadium.
As we know, not only did it not rain in Denver, Hurricane Gustav is going to likely hit New Orleans during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota — just a few days after the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Perhaps if this were a relatively weak Cat 1 storm hitting any other coastal city but New Orleans, this might be a funny subject for a tongue-in-cheek post. However, what happened to New Orleans in the wake of Katrina isn’t funny; there is no humor in a Cat 3 or 4 storm hitting New Orleans during the week of Republican National Convention. In fact, it’s so humorless, it really highlights exactly how malevolent and unrighteous Stuart Sheppard’s prayer turned out to be.
Should Sheppard’s God exist and have paid attention to his iniquitous prayer — well, if I were Sheppard I’d hope my God’s response to my wrongheaded prayer wasn’t Hurricane Gustav. Sheppard should hope this hurricane is coincidence rather than the vengeful hand of his God manifesting itself against him and his prayer.
And if I were Stuart Sheppard, even weighing the small possibility that my God may have caused this storm in response to my prayer, I’d literally be putting on some sackcloth and ashes this coming week, and staying as far out of the spotlight as is humanly possible.
The painful irony of real people being hurt by a hurricane striking New Orleans — during the week of the Republican National Convention, and after this Focus On The Family operative called for rain to strike an outdoor Democratic National Convention event — should be lost on no one.
Here’s a lesson For Sheppard that’s right out of The Bible: love people you perceive to be your enemies, and do good to them. Whatever you do, don’t ever pray for even minor disasters to strike those who you perceive as your enemies — Ostensible karma can be excruciatingly ugly.
13 Comments
Amen.
You ask for prayers of rainnot to help a drought condition, but to stop Obama from continuing the DNC.
The RNC is now threatened by Gustav and will probably end short of the four day schedule.
Gustav is powerful and could harm many people and their homes. Their very lives are at stake.
Funny if it happened at the DNC, how about the RNC? Is it funny, Mr Sheppard? By your own philosophies, you would have to conclude that God hates Republicans….at least McCain. So, how can you go against your God?? I guess you are voting for Obama, right?
I’m sick of thefundies and their insane translation of religion.
You suggest bad weather during a Democratic convention as a joke. Not only does it not happen, but is now in the forcast to affect the Republican convention. The typical Sheppard fan response?? I’ll take a guess….
God said it’s wrong to pray to hurt others, so Mr Sheppard, this is your punishment. The prayer goes awry. It backfires, but it is God teaching you a lesson. Typical fundie logic. But what about the thousands of people this will devastate? They had nothing to do with Mr. Sheppards stupidity, nor Focus on the Family’s ignorance. Can’t God direct his anger upon the individuals responsible for pissing Him off? Not too powerful, or effective of a God, is He?
Maybe God does exist, and hates Republicans!!!! Mr Sheppard, if you want to get into heaven, you best vote Democrat!
By the way AutumnI had this discussion with a friend a few hours before I read your post. Thanks for posting it. I feel it is important because these groups(FOF, et al) continuously try to monopolize on the “God wants this” theory without substantial proof. No one, NO ONE knows what God wants. Religion is not about everyone else. It is about one’s private relationship with what they believe. To even assume what God want’s for others is an abomination itself. How dare anyone tell me what God’s plan is for me! How dare you. It is NOT ANYONE’S RIGHT TO TELL ME WHAT GOD EXPECTS OF ME BUT GOD HERSELF!
But to ask, in humor no less, for God to hurt others, well, more proof for all of us that we should never, NEVER take the words of others about God’s plan, but rather look into our own hearts, our own souls. Is God hateful? I don’t see it that way. Why would God tell someone else how I should live? Why can’t he come and tell me personally????? Am I not important enough for His time? Am I a nobody in His eyes? No way.
Mr Sheppard, et al, you should be ashamed. I imagine your coffers are what motivates you, not God. Because if it were truly God you listened to, HE would have taught you better by now.
To McCain’s advantageI pray that Gustav diminishes in strength by tomorrow. The Gulf Coast and it’s citizens cannot take anymore destruction. I just hope this time people area able to leave the area and that FEMA has set up transportation out for those that have none.
That being said, the RNC’s theme is ‘America First’ and Gustav is lending help to McCain’s campaign allowing him to look as if he is taking a leadership role in readying the area against the storm. It makes the rethuglicans look like they care…………of which we all know they really don’t as seen during and after the Katrina disaster. What should be pointed out by media is what has been left undone; levies not up to this storm, any large storm for that matter, people still living in poisonous FEMA trailers, people still homeless,sleeping under bridges………..
Michael Moore on the subjecthttp://au.youtube.com/watch?v=…
Arseholery is equal-opportunity, and should be condemned by the sane, no matter which side of politics it emanates from.
boehner goes BONKERs with blitzBLITZER: Nancy, we heard from Senator Chris Dodd just a little while ago really saying that this decision by John McCain, your boss, to ask the Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, to be his running mate was — you know, I’m paraphrasing now — really bad, because he’s suggesting that there were so many other Republican women, Kay Bailey Hutchison, a senator from Texas. He had a whole bunch of names who were clearly more qualified, God forbid, to become commander-in-chief than Sarah Palin.
Go ahead. Make the case why this woman, with no real national security or foreign policy experience, is ready on day one, as John McCain had said earlier, ready to become commander-in-chief.
PFOTENHAUER: I think that Governor Palin has — she’s just had a remarkable journey. She has actually challenged the status quo. She’s a reformer with a record of reform, and Senator McCain respects that.
You know, it’s one of those things where — to get points on the board with John McCain, you have to prove that you’re willing to do something when it’s difficult and unpopular. And — and if it’s the right thing to do when it’s difficult to do, then he has respect for you.
She earned his respect. And she’s earned it with the people of Alaska. She’s the most popular governor in the country. She’s already gotten through things like a pipeline that they tried to get through for 30 years, and she’s gotten it through.
BLITZER: But on a basis of one meeting he had with her earlier this year in February, she’s a finalist to become his running mate?
PFOTENHAUER: Wolf, she won it on the merits. He wasn’t selecting who he was going to want as a drinking buddy or a pal. He was selecting someone who has the — who has the proven reform record to come in and help him shake up this town.
And, frankly, that’s not somebody like a Joe Biden, who has spent more time in government than out.
PFOTENHAUER: I mean, Senator — our number two on the ticket is more qualified than Barack Obama is, the number one on the Democratic ticket. And Senator Biden, I mean, they threw over change right off the side of the bathtub, if you will, with Senator Biden, because he is, if not a creature of Washington, he has spent more time in government than out.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: But in fairness — hold on, hold on. In fairness, Senator McCain has spent, what, 26 years in Washington, so you’re implicitly criticizing your boss?
PFOTENHAUER: No. What I’m — but Senator McCain has during that period of time challenged his own party when they were wrong. He has taken on the status quo. He has worked across party lines to do things that were difficult. And we all know that, because this is our town.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: … answers that commander-in-chief question, and maybe the congressman would want to take that.
BOEHNER: I just find this conversation that has gone the last two days almost appalling. And it comes from liberal Democrats who want to criticize the selection of Governor Palin. And it’s almost like, if you’re not a Washington insider, you don’t count. You can’t possibly know what it’s like.
Listen, she has got more executive experience than Barack Obama and Joe Biden put together.
BORGER: Or John McCain?
BOEHNER: And when you look at the job, the job of being president or vice president, it’s an administrative job. She actually has made decisions. When you’re a senator, you get to decide yes or no. You get to go out and make some statements. But when you’re the governor, you actually have to make decisions that have consequences.
Now — and for them to belittle this very accomplished woman, I think is — they’re doing so at their own peril. PFOTENHAUER: I agree. I think they’ve been dangerously dismissive of this woman’s accomplishments and I think that’s going to come back to bite them.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRA…
Michael Moore kindly go visit John Edwards on another continent for 3 months
Watched Moore say this liveand was utterly slack-jawed… probably one of the stupidest things he could have said and irreverseable, no matter how he stumbled through his “explanation”. It was shocking and embarrassing to watch.
::shakes head:;If I were Stuart Sheppard I’d be sick with fear that this was the answer to my prayer.
Then again, I was always taught that it was evil to pray for another person’s harm, no matter who they were or what they’d done to me.
I have friends who live in New Orleans who have evacuated ahead of Gustav’s landfall. Over on DailyKos, a few posters remarked on how “ironic” it was that a hurricane would strike the Gulf Coast during the RNC. Yeah, sure. Ironic. When you’re facing the loss of your home, friends or loved ones, the irony sort of escapes one completely. By which I mean, Michael Moore really should have thought before he decided to join Stuart Sheppard on the Asshole Stoop.
I’m with you, Zoe.Vengeful gods of any faith aren’t my cup of tea.
And, it’s as equally wrongheaded for both conservatives and progressives when they attribute natural disasters to God where folk have died, been seriously injured, experienced personal tragedy, or lost their homes due to natural disasters.
Micheal Moore too should apologize for his unfunny, insensitive comment.
Former DNC Chair Don Fowlerhttp://au.youtube.com/watch?v=…
I’m sure he was joking, it’s just in questionable taste and insensitive too. Yes, I know I’m on the right, but I’ll give him a pass on this one. It was a private joke, gallows humour if you like.
A sharp rebuke is in order, but hold the peasants with pitchforks and torches.
He apologised later. Case closed. Even Jove nods.
Well said, Autumn, very well said. n/t