Justice Sunday III is Coming
This weekend the religious right is planning to hold "Justice Sunday III." We pretty much ignored Justice Sundays I and II, and will ignore this one, too, I imagine. But I guess millions of people watch this stuff, right?
In case you haven't noticed, here's how they describe this event:
Featured speakers that are listed include:
Generally, my opinion about this sort of thing would be the same as it's always been: a big ol' ho-hum. A certain number of people are going to believe this stuff, and I can respect that. I remember Oral Roberts and A. A. Allen and some of the TV guys that healed people way back in the days of black and white television. This is America, there's plenty of room for that, even if I don't buy it. Somewhere in Tennessee they can pass around rattlesnakes, somewhere else they can set up a tent and shout hallellulia, that's fine, in fact it's kind of cool. As long as I don't have to go.
And that's the problem here.
Justice Sunday isn't about God and sin and healing sick people and fearing Satan's evil ways, no, this is about changing the United States government in a radical and fundamental and permanent way.
This is about the judiciary. That's why it's called "Justice Sunday."
The role of the judiciary is one of the cornerstones of American government, and one of the strokes of genius of the founding fathers. The judiciary keeps the legislative and executive branches of government in line, it forces them to obey the law, especially the Constitution. But that old scrap o' paper seems to make it just a little too hard for certain people to do some things they want to do. So they want to weaken the courts' ability to interpret law -- this isn't a conspiracy theory, this is what "Justice Sunday" is all about. It's about undermining American government, American liberty, and the American way of life.
Max Blumenthal's column yesterday is something you should look at, especially if, like me, you don't know who some of these people are. Here's a little bit of it:
Blumenthal then goes on to give some biographical information about the various players in this event.
Here in Montgomery County, our local anti-gay, anti-safe-sex extremists have tried this, too, they love acting like they are being discriminated against. The rest of us accept their right to believe what they do, and that's what we mean by freedom in America. But the other side of freedom has to do with those who might feel or look or behave differently from the majority -- freedom means protecting their right to be different. Nobody said it was going to be easy.
In case you haven't noticed, here's how they describe this event:
What: Justice Sunday III - Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land
Why: To educate people of faith on how the judiciary impacts their lives and to show how activist judges seek to end all mention of God in the public square.
Where: Greater Exodus Baptist Church, Philadelphia
When: Jan. 8, 2006 - 7-8:30PM ET and 9-10:30PM ET, Angel Two (#9702) on the Sky Angel Nationwide Satellite Television System
Jan. 8, 2006 - 7-8:30PM PST and 10-11:30PM ET, Trinity Broadcasting Network
JusticeSunday.com
Featured speakers that are listed include:
- Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family)
- Tony Perkins (Family Research Council)
- Rev. Herbert Lusk (Greater Exodus Baptist Church)
- Bishop Wellington Boone (The Father's House)
- Senator Rick Santorum (U.S. Senate (R-PA))
- Dr. Jerry Falwell (Liberty University)
- Dr. Alveda C. King (King for America, Inc.)
Also featuring television packages that include:
- Dr. D. James Kennedy
- Edwin Meese III
- David Barton
- Bill Donohue
- Alan Sears
- Don Feder
Generally, my opinion about this sort of thing would be the same as it's always been: a big ol' ho-hum. A certain number of people are going to believe this stuff, and I can respect that. I remember Oral Roberts and A. A. Allen and some of the TV guys that healed people way back in the days of black and white television. This is America, there's plenty of room for that, even if I don't buy it. Somewhere in Tennessee they can pass around rattlesnakes, somewhere else they can set up a tent and shout hallellulia, that's fine, in fact it's kind of cool. As long as I don't have to go.
And that's the problem here.
Justice Sunday isn't about God and sin and healing sick people and fearing Satan's evil ways, no, this is about changing the United States government in a radical and fundamental and permanent way.
This is about the judiciary. That's why it's called "Justice Sunday."
The role of the judiciary is one of the cornerstones of American government, and one of the strokes of genius of the founding fathers. The judiciary keeps the legislative and executive branches of government in line, it forces them to obey the law, especially the Constitution. But that old scrap o' paper seems to make it just a little too hard for certain people to do some things they want to do. So they want to weaken the courts' ability to interpret law -- this isn't a conspiracy theory, this is what "Justice Sunday" is all about. It's about undermining American government, American liberty, and the American way of life.
Max Blumenthal's column yesterday is something you should look at, especially if, like me, you don't know who some of these people are. Here's a little bit of it:
"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mr. James Farmer, and others... are known to have left-wing associations. It is very obvious that the Communists, as they do in all parts of the world, are taking advantage of a tense situation in our land, and are exploiting every incident to bring about violence and bloodshed."
--Scheduled Justice Sunday III speaker Rev. Jerry Falwell
"I want to boldly affirm Uncle Tom. The black community must stop criticizing Uncle Tom. He is a role model."
--Scheduled Justice Sunday III speaker Rev. Wellington Boone
Christian right leaders love to invoke the legacy of the civil rights movement in their struggle to undo it. During Justice Sunday II, born-again Watergate felon Chuck Colson declared that the Christian right was doing nothing but "giving voice" to Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophy. Later in the evening, the Catholic League's Bill Donohue told the nearly all-white, Southern Baptist audience, "Now we're in the back of the bus."
For Perkins, who is today perhaps the Christian right's most influential operative, linking his agenda to the civil rights movement serves a purpose almost as important as indulging the persecution fantasies of his followers. The image of Perkins and his allies as the logical heirs to Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy helps obscure his past involvement with racist groups and figures as he advances an anti-civil rights agenda.
In 1996, while working as campaign manager for the failed US Senate candidacy of his mentor, Woody Jenkins, Perkins signed a check for nearly $90,000 to David Duke for the purchase of his phone bank list. Then, even after a steady stream of bad press doomed his own Senate campaign, Perkins spoke at a 2001 fundraiser for the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a white nationalist group which has called blacks "a retrograde species of humanity" on its website. And this Sunday, Perkins will be joined by the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who incited opposition to the civil rights movement from the pulpit in 1950's and 1960's Virginia.
Seeking to continue his image makeover while advancing the case for the confirmation of Samuel Alito, who would, by all accounts, severely limit civil rights, Tony Perkins has staged Justice Sunday III at a black church in inner-city Philadelphia. And he has assembled three black speakers to sermonize by his side, including Martin Luther King's Jr.'s niece, Alveda King. Judging from their past statements and activities, it looks like these figures been providing cover for racial reactionaries for the entire span of their careers. This Sunday will be no exception. Who Are Justice Sunday's Ministers of Minstrelsy?
Blumenthal then goes on to give some biographical information about the various players in this event.
Here in Montgomery County, our local anti-gay, anti-safe-sex extremists have tried this, too, they love acting like they are being discriminated against. The rest of us accept their right to believe what they do, and that's what we mean by freedom in America. But the other side of freedom has to do with those who might feel or look or behave differently from the majority -- freedom means protecting their right to be different. Nobody said it was going to be easy.
posted by JimK at 11:25 AM
17 Comments:
"The role of the judiciary is one of the cornerstones of American government, and one of the strokes of genius of the founding fathers. The judiciary keeps the legislative and executive branches of government in line, it forces them to obey the law, especially the Constitution. But that old scrap o' paper seems to make it just a little too hard for certain people to do some things they want to do. So they want to weaken the courts' ability to interpret law -- this isn't a conspiracy theory, this is what "Justice Sunday" is all about. It's about undermining American government, American liberty, and the American way of life."
The constitution doesn't confer on the judiciary the duty to invent the constitution. It's meaning is clear. Conservatives, like Alito, want to stick to its meaning rather rewrite it every generation. Your view is misguided and not historical. It began with the Warren court in the second half of the 20th century. It'll end this year. Conservatives are fans of the Constitution that exists. Liberals are fans of the Constitution they've concocted.
"It is very obvious that the Communists, as they do in all parts of the world, are taking advantage of a tense situation in our land, and are exploiting every incident to bring about violence and bloodshed."
Communists? No, they'd never do anything mean like that.
"the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who incited opposition to the civil rights movement from the pulpit in 1950's and 1960's Virginia."
I'm not a big fan of Jerry Falwell but opposing civil rights legislation isn't the equivalent of racism.
"Seeking to continue his image makeover while advancing the case for the confirmation of Samuel Alito, who would, by all accounts, severely limit civil rights, Tony Perkins has staged Justice Sunday III at a black church in inner-city Philadelphia. And he has assembled three black speakers to sermonize by his side, including Martin Luther King's Jr.'s niece, Alveda King. Judging from their past statements and activities, it looks like these figures been providing cover for racial reactionaries for the entire span of their careers."
It's so sad how liberals attack any blacks that don't go along with the movement. Nationwide, blacks are beginning to wake up to the liberal lie. The first black President will be a Republican.
"Here in Montgomery County, our local anti-gay, anti-safe-sex extremists have tried this, too, they love acting like they are being discriminated against. The rest of us accept their right to believe what they do, and that's what we mean by freedom in America. But the other side of freedom has to do with those who might feel or look or behave differently from the majority -- freedom means protecting their right to be different."
Can you name one instance where someone has been denied the right to be different?
Jim
Just when we were starting to have fun, you've got the blogger screwed up again (wink-wink). All the comments for "AquestionImeanreally" have disappeared!
Oh well, it's getting close to kick-off. Catch up with you guys next week sometime.
And what is "wink-wink" supposed to mean? That I screwed it up on purpose? What, because your arguments were so solidly logical and so devastatingly grounded in facts that I was in fear of letting you continue?
Man, that's dumb. But oddly indicative of how you seem to think this all works.
JimK
Fantasies are wonderful things for some anons even to surmising that people are worried about their blog postings enough to shut it down. Oh wait that would be the CRC one.
I find it very annoying that the Christian fundamentalists would attempt to usurp a classic Hebrew phrase for their hatefest -- "to proclaim liberty thorughtout the land." It's disgraceful. They can sully any quotation from their own scriptures, but should leave those of others alone.
"And what is "wink-wink" supposed to mean? That I screwed it up on purpose? What, because your arguments were so solidly logical and so devastatingly grounded in facts that I was in fear of letting you continue?"
No, I didn't mean that (wink-wink).
"I find it very annoying that the Christian fundamentalists would attempt to usurp a classic Hebrew phrase for their hatefest -- "to proclaim liberty thorughtout the land." It's disgraceful. They can sully any quotation from their own scriptures, but should leave those of others alone."
Dana, Dana. Christians believe in the same scriptures as Jews.
By the way, there was a Jewish organization, Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation, participating at the rally.
Jim:
I just looked. "AquestionImeanreally" has crashed again. You just can't count on these dang computers. (wink-wink)
Ah, Anon, no they don't. You'd like us to believe so, and you're certainly pretty free at quoting from Leviticus when you choose to do so, but you really don't believe in it. I seem to remember that a major contribution of Paul was to abrogate all the laws -- that's most of the Torah. And since you consider Jesus to actually be God, that negates the rest of it, for all intents and purposes. And on top of that you rearranged the Tanakh to support your own beliefs, rather than accepting them as they were at the time Christianity was developing.
Now it's really nice that you consider liberty to be a great thing, and if you would give credit where it's due, I wouldn't have a problem.
As for that group you mentioned, I'm aware of them. As I've said, we have our fundamentalist extremists just like you. Just not nearly as many.
Anon said, "I'm not a big fan of Jerry Falwell but opposing civil rights legislation isn't the equivalent of racism."
Maybe "opposing civil rights legislation isn't the equivalent of racism" to a person who has never been the target of discrimination, Anon. For those of us who are members of a group of people who are routinely discriminated against based on our gender, race, class, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, and cultural and religious backgrounds, the "name-it-ism" (sexism, racism, etc.) heaped on us by those who seek to deny us our full civil rights as American citizens is plainly evident.
"For those of us who are members of a group of people who are routinely discriminated against based on our gender, race, class, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, and cultural and religious backgrounds, the "name-it-ism" (sexism, racism, etc.) heaped on us by those who seek to deny us our full civil rights as American citizens is plainly evident."
Confused anon,
Virtually all of us are victims of some type of irrational judgments by others, since most of us are part of some -ism. The point is whether government is the answer to all our problems. If you look at the history of groups that have been discriminated against, you can make a case that the ones that didn't have government intervention on their behalf have actually eventually fared better than those that did. There are minorities that find government intervention in this area condescending.
"Ah, Anon, no they don't. You'd like us to believe so, and you're certainly pretty free at quoting from Leviticus when you choose to do so, but you really don't believe in it. I seem to remember that a major contribution of Paul was to abrogate all the laws -- that's most of the Torah. And since you consider Jesus to actually be God, that negates the rest of it, for all intents and purposes. And on top of that you rearranged the Tanakh to support your own beliefs, rather than accepting them as they were at the time Christianity was developing."
Jesus said he didn't come to eliminate the law but to fulfill it. He said the law would "never pass away". As you know, he was Jewish. His interpretation was different from yours. I'd suggest you might not want to take the side of the Pharisees. History hasn't been kind to them.
"Now it's really nice that you consider liberty to be a great thing, and if you would give credit where it's due, I wouldn't have a problem."
Christian groups are well aware and acknowledge their roots.
"As for that group you mentioned, I'm aware of them. As I've said, we have our fundamentalist extremists just like you. Just not nearly as many."
What's extreme about the group? Can we have an example?
Selective quoting of Jesus is meaningless. American Christianity doesn't believe it nor does it follow it.
We Pharisees are still around, thank you, and no thanks to your forbears.
As for the JAACD, these are right-wing extremist Jews who support the likes of Falwell and Dobson. You can look them up on Google.
"Selective quoting of Jesus is meaningless. American Christianity doesn't believe it nor does it follow it."
It's not selective. He consistently supported the law. He revealed its true meaning beyond a bunch of legalistic rules.
"We Pharisees are still around, thank you, and no thanks to your forbears."
I had gotten the impression you weren't a believer. Am I wrong?
"As for the JAACD, these are right-wing extremist Jews who support the likes of Falwell and Dobson. You can look them up on Google."
Dobson and Falwell aren't extremists. Again, if you've got a specific accusation against the Jewish group, let's hear it.
Anonymous said:
"Dobson and Falwell aren't extremists."
Oh my anon...who is in denial?
The purpose of this rally at an inner-city church in Philadelphia was to rally support for the confirmation of the esteemed intellect, Samuel Alito, to the Super Court.
Seems to have gone well, doesn't it?
"Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation was organized because we recognize that Christians are the last remaining obstacle to the moral deconstruction of America, because attacks on Christians are motivated by hatred for the values they espouse."
Don Feder, President, Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation
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