Bill Maher vs. Rush Limbaugh

[Annie]

The religous right would throw a fit if Muslims wanted to have a publicly-funded display. The fact is, only Christians consistently ask for and are granted the use of public space for the purpose of religious display. That I know of, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, or other religious groups rarely if ever ask for this.

I'd love to see an example of a religion outside of Christianity (in which I include Catholicism) asking for use of a public space for the purpose of a religious display.

acludem

Wow, how liberal of you, including Catholocism in Christianity umbrella!

 

[sitarro]

The ACLU would argue that individuals have the right to put a nativity scene in front of their homes and that the government shouldn't interfere with such displays, it's only when the government wants to display a nativity scene or allow one to be placed on public property that we have a problem - this would violate the separation of church and state because it would mean that the government is endorsing the story of Jesus' birth and divinity - something I'm sure most Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, and even some Christians etc. might have a problem with.

acludem

I suggest reading this article ACLUdem, maybe you will learn a little about the first amendment and how organizations like the one you are a member have purposely misinterpreted what the founding fathers meant to further assinine arguements.

http://www.noapathy.org/tracts/mythofseparation.html

The Myth of
the Separation of Church and State

Anytime religion is mentioned within the confines of government today people cry, "Separation of Church and State". Many people think this statement appears in the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution and therefore must be strictly enforced. However, the words: "separation", "church", and "state" do not even appear in the first amendment. The first amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." The statement about a wall of separation between church and state was made in a letter on January 1, 1802, by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut. The congregation heard a widespread rumor that the Congregationalists, another denomination, were to become the national religion. This was very alarming to people who knew about religious persecution in England by the state established church. Jefferson made it clear in his letter to the Danbury Congregation that the separation was to be that government would not establish a national religion or dictate to men how to worship God. Jefferson's letter from which the phrase "separation of church and state" was taken affirmed first amendment rights. Jefferson wrote:

I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. (1)
The reason Jefferson choose the expression "separation of church and state" was because he was addressing a Baptist congregation; a denomination of which he was not a member. Jefferson wanted to remove all fears that the state would make dictates to the church. He was establishing common ground with the Baptists by borrowing the words of Roger Williams, one of the Baptist's own prominent preachers. Williams had said:
When they have opened a gap in the hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the Church and the wilderness of the world, God hath ever broke down the wall itself, removed the candlestick, and made his garden a wilderness, as at this day. And that there fore if He will eer please to restore His garden and paradise again, it must of necessity be walled in peculiarly unto Himself from the world...(2)

The "wall" was understood as one-directional; its purpose was to protect the church from the state. The world was not to corrupt the church, yet the church was free to teach the people Biblical values.

The American people knew what would happen if the State established the Church like in England. Even though it was not recent history to them, they knew that England went so far as forbidding worship in private homes and sponsoring all church activities and keeping people under strict dictates. They were forced to go to the state established church and do things that were contrary to their conscience. No other churches were allowed, and mandatory attendance of the established church was compelled under the Conventicle Act of 1665. Failure to comply would result in imprisonment and torture. The people did not want freedom from religion, but freedom of religion. The only real reason to separate the church from the state would be to instill a new morality and establish a new system of beliefs. Our founding fathers were God-fearing men who understood that for a country to stand it must have a solid foundation; the Bible was the source of this foundation. They believed that God's ways were much higher than Man's ways and held firmly that the Bible was the absolute standard of truth and used the Bible as a source to form our government.

 

[sitarro]

Yeah, against his listeners (followers). They're parrots.

You know Nuc,
I have disagreed with you often and happily agreed with some of your posts but this is not only a ignorant generalization, it is an insult.

About 12 years ago my father told me about this guy on the radio that was verbalizing what he had felt for years. My father, a fighter pilot at 19 in WW2 and a 29 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force was never a parrot! He wasn't a religious man but he really didn't need it, he was easily the most honest and generous person I have ever known. His wife of 57 years, my mother(a saint by any standard)loves Rush and isn't a parrot either. My dad loved Rush, he would listen to his show twice a day when it was available to him. He understood the humor that those that know Rush recognize. My 3 airline Captain brothers, musician brother and accountant sister are also not parrots, they are all very successful, intelligent, responsible people. I may just be a screwball artist by I don't consider myself a parrot either.

I listen to Rush almost everday, I'm lucky enough to work at a job that allows me that privilege. I will be out on a golf course waiting for the right light to take a photograph and I will start laughing at something he does or says, this happens everytime I listen to him. No matter where I am, when his show comes on there is a familiarity that makes me feel at home. Even in Puerto Rico I was able to catch him for an hour each day on the armed forces network.

The other plus, is the callers. He allows a lot of calls and although there is too much gushing over him(not his fault) many are not just well spoken, they have a diversity of opinions from around the country. . . I enjoy them almost as much(I guess it's comforting to know that others are thinking the same way as I do). He also has interviews with interesting people that are involved with current events that explain first hand what we read about in the papers. It is very interesting to hear the other side of what is often some dimwitted journalist's ignorant opinion, the listener is free to determine who they believe.

I notice that you refer to white losers in at least 2 of your posts referring to Rush's listeners. Something that I would guess that you don't know and probably won't care about is that there are 2 men that are favorite substitute hosts for Rush's show(favorites of both Rush and his listeners). Both are extremely intelligent and well spoken and write editorial columns along with numerous books, they also happen to be black. Dr.Walter E. Williams is a Distinguished Professor of Economics and a syndicated columnist and author. The other is Dr. Thomas Sowell, formerly a professor at numerous Universities after graduating magna cum laude from Harvard then going on to receive his master's in economics from Columbia and doctorate in economics from the Univ. of Chicago. He is now a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute in Stanford, California. Maybe you would call these to gentlemen parrots also, I wouldn't.

You cannot have any idea of what Rush or his show is like by listening to a few bites now and then. I had to start listening numerous times because my initial reaction was that he was a blowhard and didn't know what he was talking about(I was much more of a close minded liberal back then) but my dad kept telling me to give him a chance, I did and have enjoyed the show ever since. What most don't seem to get is that listeners become more interested in politics in general and start paying closer attention to what they say, this is the biggest threat to Democrat bullshitters like Hlllary Clinton or Teddy Kennedy. A truely informed, intelligent person will think twice before voting for transparent political hacks like these.

Yes, I know, there are Republican political hacks also . . . they don't get my vote either.

 

[Nuc]

You know Nuc,
I have disagreed with you often and happily agreed with some of your posts but this is not only a ignorant generalization, it is an insult.

About 12 years ago my father told me about this guy on the radio that was verbalizing what he had felt for years. My father, a fighter pilot at 19 in WW2 and a 29 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force was never a parrot! He wasn't a religious man but he really didn't need it, he was easily the most honest and generous person I have ever known. His wife of 57 years, my mother(a saint by any standard)loves Rush and isn't a parrot either. My dad loved Rush, he would listen to his show twice a day when it was available to him. He understood the humor that those that know Rush recognize. My 3 airline Captain brothers, musician brother and accountant sister are also not parrots, they are all very successful, intelligent, responsible people. I may just be a screwball artist by I don't consider myself a parrot either.
QUOTE]

OK Sitarro,

I'll withdraw the generalization. It's just that my experience has been the opposite. My mother has become paranoid and embraced a victim mentality she never had before she started listening to this guy. It's not even possible to have an intelligent political/social discussion with her anymore, and that's part of my problem with Limbaugh, because her responses have become sloganeering in response to whatever button is pressed. I assume that's due to the amount of repetition Rush engages in. It's sad. She got into this because of my stepdad.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

You know Nuc,
I have disagreed with you often and happily agreed with some of your posts but this is not only a ignorant generalization, it is an insult.

About 12 years ago my father told me about this guy on the radio that was verbalizing what he had felt for years. My father, a fighter pilot at 19 in WW2 and a 29 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force was never a parrot! He wasn't a religious man but he really didn't need it, he was easily the most honest and generous person I have ever known. His wife of 57 years, my mother(a saint by any standard)loves Rush and isn't a parrot either. My dad loved Rush, he would listen to his show twice a day when it was available to him. He understood the humor that those that know Rush recognize. My 3 airline Captain brothers, musician brother and accountant sister are also not parrots, they are all very successful, intelligent, responsible people. I may just be a screwball artist by I don't consider myself a parrot either.
QUOTE]

OK Sitarro,

I'll withdraw the generalization. It's just that my experience has been the opposite. My mother has become paranoid and embraced a victim mentality she never had before she started listening to this guy. It's not even possible to have an intelligent political/social discussion with her anymore, and that's part of my problem with Limbaugh, because her responses have become sloganeering in response to whatever button is pressed. I assume that's due to the amount of repetition Rush engages in. It's sad. She got into this because of my stepdad.

Give us one of her "irrational slogans" she got from Rush. I'll explain it to you. As for the victim mentality, white christians are the only people it's ok to discriminate against in the pc world. To me that's a victim status.