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Brent Abrahamson's avatar

From Wikipedia:

Political philosophy

Drollinger is a conservative evangelical Christian who describes his belief that there should indeed be an "institutional" separation of Church and State, but that the Church should still "influence" the State. Drollinger is also on record as being anti-LGBTQ, anti-women's rights, anti-immigration (he supports family separation at the border), a climate change denier, and declaring Catholicism as "one of the primary false religions of the world." In March 2020, Drollinger generated controversy when he appeared to link the COVID-19 pandemic with God's wrath and homosexuality.He later stated that he was misinterpreted and that he did not "believe that homosexuality played any role whatsoever in the coronavirus."

Is this God’s vessel? It’s a litany of hate. Guess he’s the Fox News of preachers. No wonder MAGAts praise him. He sings their song. Shouldn’t he also advocate that the churches pay their own way? Tax their holdings. One last thing: Charlatans and their flock love to throw around the word “entitlement.” They use a definition that suggests that entitlement means welfare. If someone pays in to social security they have entered into a bargain with the government. When they reach retirement age, you fucking well better believe they are entitled to social security. STFU

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Charles Bastille's avatar

You would think that congressional pastors would do a better job of Bible research. Compare their lame efforts to my deeply researched article, "The Laws of Waffle House Fighting According to Moses."

https://www.ruminato.com/p/the-laws-of-waffle-house-fighting

They should be ashamed of themselves.

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Lois Henry's avatar

It’s been a while since I read a bible, but I think I need to have another look at the book of Deuteronomy. I draw the line at Leviticus though.

You have a new subscriber, although I’m freeloading at first.

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Charles Bastille's avatar

Lol, thanks! It's not freeloading when you're giving your time to my various rants and raves. It's all appreciated. :-)

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Lydia Boles's avatar

Just upgraded based on this content. I lived the first 2/3 of my life (so far) steeped in various shades of Christianity and I know this idiot has so many things wrong. I’m most definitely not a christian any longer (proudly, thankfully). The weaponization of these historic texts to direct peoples efforts to “do good” in ways that are in fact so NOT good….it’s infuriating and incredibly dangerous. Thank you for your work to help uncover/expose it.

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Jonathan Larsen's avatar

Wow. Thank you, Lydia! Your support makes the work possible. Thank you. (And I’m happy you got yourself to a good place…)

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Jacob Kloess's avatar

This motherfu…

Drollinger knows absolutely nothing about Roman history (as well as Ancient Greek, and by extension very little about the New Testament.)

By the time of the Roman Empire’s foundation, the Cura Annonae (literally “Care of Annona”) had been a thing for centuries… this was essentially a “grain dole” that provided heavily subsidized (and eventually free) grain or bread to impoverished Roman citizens. Tiberius, the Emperor for most of Jesus’ life and into the account of Acts, even said that it was the Emperor’s personal responsibility, and if he didn’t do it, the Empire would suffer.

Now, did that mean that impoverished Judeans were entitled to this bread allowance? No, it was solely for citizens of the Empire. But to say outright that “governments didn’t have social welfare programs in the New Testament era” is completely wrong. (Especially since the emperor Constantine kept it in place.)

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Rebel Nun's avatar

New information for me. Thank you!

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Jason Randles's avatar

I swear I could feel TFN wanting to chime in throughout the article. Great reporting... I love that you've made it a mission to expose these religious fanatics and remind us why it was such a good fucking idea to separate church and state.

The shameless hypocrisy and weaponization of the Bible for political and financial gain is absolutely disgusting. The entire GOP has hijacked Christianity as a vehicle for power. I can't figure out why so many people have turned away from religion🙄.

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Jonathan Larsen's avatar

Oh the TFN vibe was strong that night, for sure.

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Erisian's avatar
8dEdited

Every time I hear a RINO talk about (their) G-d, as soon as I'm fully through emesis two profound concepts pop into my head, both written by people whose eloquence is always sublime (and someday I hope to be a quarter as good as they were at expressing deep thoughts and opinions):

> "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." Blaise Pascal {Let me add, what makes these fine folk's deeds even more evil -- if that's possible -- is it is from a false religion; one based on a perversion of the Christ's teachings to fit their needs.]

> "It is from the Bible that man has learned cruelty, rapine, and murder; for the belief of a cruel God makes a cruel man." Thomas Paine

-----

On a side note: I wonder if the good preacher (bless his heart) every read the Thomas Jefferson Bible? If so, and no one told him who "wrote" it and where it came from, I'll bet he would blame it on The Great Deceiver.)

I'll leave the last word to Thom Hartmann: "A nation without empathy is just a crime syndicate with a flag."

fnord

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Rebel Nun's avatar

Brilliant article, Jonathan! You win the pissing contest hands down! (sorry)

Thune is free to reject representative democracy if he wants to; what he has no right whatsoever to do is to then fraudulently run for office as a representative of the people, and accept our tax money in his bloated salary and perks, what he seemingly calls “working”, like God wants.

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Jonathan Larsen's avatar

Thank you, Sister.

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Matt Gately's avatar

Wtf was Jesus thinking with that loaves and fishes bs? Miracles should be performed for the benefit of only the deserving few not to feed the multitudes. Need to work on the optics of that one.

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Ellen In NC's avatar

This is sick. There’s something wrong with this “Bible Study”

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Randall Livingston's avatar

This would be concerning if any of these clown thought their piety affected their behavior.

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Nancy Kanzenbach's avatar

Thank you Jonathan Larsen, at the risk of raising your ire, you sound a whole lot more like a Christian than Mr. Drollinger ever has. He obviously hand picks his bible versus to sanction his outrageous interpretations of Jesus’s words. I think I’ll go with what the Bible actually says!

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Jonathan Larsen's avatar

Thanks, Nancy! I understand you mean it as a compliment (though my persistent fear is that this implies something bad about non-Christians) so of course I take it in the intended spirit. My own preference is to rely on reason, but I’d certainly prefer your outcome to theirs. Thanks for the kind words, for reading, and for sharing your thoughts.

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Teresa Baustian's avatar

Greed is demonic.

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counterlife's avatar

Greed is the only deadly sin. The other six are mere derivatives of greed.

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Teresa Baustian's avatar

I actually hold patriarchy as the source of all sin. The need to have a hierarchy and put yourself at the top is the source of racism, wars of conquest, enslavement of those in your way, greed for the wealth that bestows your rank, and on and on. Notice that the Church didn’t even name patriarchy as a sin….

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counterlife's avatar

"Is this God’s vessel? It’s a litany of hate."

This racist, misogynist and white male supremacist "god" is the vessel of the the human white male asshole who created his "god" is his very own human white male asshole image. Not the other way around. This is why white male Republican Jesus and his white male Republican god the father, who, BTW, arranged for his virgin born only son's torture murder to "save" other ignorant, white male, cruel, bigoted motherandchild fuckers (aka "youth pastors"), is such a godly motherfucker. These people are too nasty and stupid and mean to be saved. I used to think only way to stop them is to laugh at them and ignore them. I no longer think that, and am hoping I will land on other ways of fighting the evil of white male supremacist "christians". Suggested alternatives are welcome. Meanwhile, let's see if the Big Blow Jobs for Billionaires Bill manages to scare up a tiny bit of residual decency from Lisa Murkowski or Susan Collins or maybe some balls having Republican (the latter excludes Josh Hawley, among others). Not betting on that. I bought several lottery tickets instead.

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Jeri in Tx's avatar

All this BS under the guise of the bible. I saw Thune up there saying how wonderful this bill of doom will be for all Americans, especially the working class. No tax on tips and overtime pay. Great.

It won't matter when prices go up and you lose your job. Because to your employer it's all about the bottom line. So sayeth the Lord. Hey! What happened to no taxes on Social Security? Why would the olds need that, we're gonna kill them off anyway. Medicaid, Medicare, who gives a fuck anyway? If the Church won't have you, the Devil will.

Anything to quiet the conscience. Any port in the storm...

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James Flanagan's avatar

He's clear enough to understand at face, a raging religious sociopath, but for an outside view, meaning from the perspective of a sane, caring, non-bigot, Lakoff is the guy ...

https://www.berkeleyside.org/2017/05/02/berkeley-author-george-lakoff-says-dont-underestimate-trump

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LeslieN's avatar

Fascinating. And I see the need for the change in how we frame the good that has been done. This would really have made a difference during the Biden administration where so much good was done, yet not seen as such.

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James Flanagan's avatar

Not based on biblical anything of course but this is Lee Atwater's brand of politics at a level that might give even that piece of shit pause ...

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