This really is so perfect in its irony that it's like Aaron Sorkin is scripting the whole thing. What would Jed Bartlet say about Kavanaugh? Theatrically striking down the hypocrisy of Evangelical Christians was one of the high recurrent themes in "The West Wing" with Jed Bartlet, the pro-choice Catholic prodigy always ready to quote scripture to the bigots.
Evangelicals are determined that an alleged sex offender be pushed through a nomination process on an evenly divided Senate vote to ensure that the "right" to abortion is overturned through a Supreme Court ruling. Surely you have to make the first question of any such person whether they believe Jesus Christ was the Son of God.
The script is, I hope, about to take a deeply dramatic turn when Dr Blasey files an official complaint with the Maryland State Police to ensure there is an official investigation of her complaint. She could not be reasonably compelled to testify before the Judiciary Committee until that investigation has been completed. This possible course of action was recently reported on in 'The Intercept'.
The potential for this course of events was dismissed by this newspaper on the basis of one lawyer's very questionable characterisation of the nature of the assault alleged as a "misdemeanour" and therefore subject to a statute of limitations. I, and others, deeply disagree and, if you read the Maryland statutes, you'll see that "suffocating" a victim is specifically listed as part of a sexual felony.
1
I was an Evangelical minister. We talked a lot about the requirement of character in leadership: humility, honesty, fidelity, listening to others, moderation. Bill Bennett wrote the Book of Virtues which was praised by Evangelicals in the 90's. But this is all deception. They don't care about virtues. They vote for and support the most immoral, lying, arrogant, and dishonest man we have ever had in the White House. Evangelicals put him there.
Evangelicals have lost all credibility. Like Judas, they have sold Jesus to the lowest bidder.
Evangelicals care about three things, namely anti-abortion, anti-homosexuality, and self-pity (so-called religious freedom). Evangelicals are "swallowing camels while straining at gnats."
What did Jesus teach? Care for the poor, peacemaking, truthfulness, not pandering to the rich, stewardship of the earth's resources, putting others first, etc.
What do Evangelicals do? Vote against health care, give tax breaks to the rich, deny climate science, misinform, punish refugees, and vote for sexual predators.
This is truly the case of "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions." Evangelicals aren't bad people, they simply talk about doing The Lord's work, but ignore The Lord's words. Evangelical leaders such as Reed, Graham, and Jeffress, are damaging their own movement because we can see right through them. In another generation, Evangelicalism in America will be dying off.
135
Most people of this nation are not interested in Anti-Christian Evangelicals that foster extreme ignorance, blind obedience, the devaluation of girls and women and the loss of Christian values and right action. Anti-Christians do not speak for the majority of American Christians. And we are painfully aware of the disinterest in media for our perspective. Conflict and extremism is what media features.
The real concern is Media is not participating in saving or in serving the real interests of the people or the saving of a nation with positive solutions. Instead media selfishly only fights for their right to exist. This is shameful. Media needs to stop feeding the wrong wolf with excessive coverage. That wolf is hell bent on the destruction of compassionate progress of our nation. It would really be helpful if Media started feeding the right wolf that is actively engaged in saving this nation and all its people.
6
The added bonus of having these tax-exempt alleged "Christians" (far too slowly) lose their ethnic and political stranglehold on these United States is that we can finally begin to move on from the bizarre entertainment morality imposed on us by the Parents Television Council and their ilk, where guns are the order and savior of the day but God help all if a bare breast terrorizes a kid.
These men (because of course it's men) wouldn't know Turn the Other Cheek if it slapped them in either one. Glad as ever to see them frantic and scared.
"Yea, he who disgusts and defames his Neighbor with callous Hate, or exploits the Word of GOD and Christ for their own vile gain, shall meet the Will and Fury of the People; and yea, he shall lose and leave the respected Office he sullies, that he may Spend More Time With The Family." —Elections 11:6
11
Isn’t it amazing that Evangelicals, of all people, are pushing for the appointment of someone who may be guilty of attempted rape.
6
How shocking that these so-called Evangelicals are comfortable having a serial perjurer and potential racist on the Supreme Court! Have they no shame?
10
Oh yeah. Attempted rape is irrelevant to my Christian commitment to “pro birth,” “keep brown and black people down (voting rights),” “guns for all,” and “no healthcare for people who are already sick.”
7
No offense to folks of faith, but what a bunch of hypocrites. I believe they sold their soul for conservative judges up and down the judiciary, in exchange for holding their tongue on the transgressions and failings of Trump.
Try living up to your principles for once! Christ!
8
Hypocrites! Their religious values only count toward anti-abortion. They don't care about possible sexual assault, or much else. In fact their pro-life stance is only good until birth. How they can check their moral compass only as it suits them for one issue will get them a stop order at the pearly gates.
5
Evangelicals won't support Trump, the most blatantly immoral President in history, who they supported, unless an accused sexual attacker gets on the Supreme Court. When I hear someone say they are an Evangelical. I hear "backward, hypocritical crackpot."
8
The hypocrisy of evangelicals continues to astound. Rape and sexual harassment are just fine in their book (which is not any Bible that I have read). Just shut up, you women - Anita Hill, Christine Ford, and stay in your place, get out of the way of fine Christian men like Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Donald Trump. I’m sure upstanding Catholics like Kavanaugh could care less about the rampant abuses in the Church. I would pray for them but they are beyond prayers.
5
The evangelicals support an occupier of the WH who has led the complete antithesis of a Christian life.
Proof again that some Christians are Christianity's worst enemy.
9
Apparently, evangelicals have decided the answer to the question of "what would Jesus do" is that he would endorse a sexual predator.
11
Do they care if he is a rapist? My God, these people are frightening.
6
The Evangelical support of Trump reminds of when I was in Afghanistan and I saw the corruption of the Muslim religion by mullahs and Taliban leaders who used selective passages from the Koran to justify jihads. Same hypocrisy...
9
Robert Jeffress...one of Mr. Trump’s most vocal evangelical supporters, said he did not know who was telling the truth, Judge Kavanaugh or Dr. Blasey. “But I can say with absolute certainty...that the Democrats don’t care who is telling the truth. Their only interest is in delaying and derailing this confirmation.”
Astounding. A god story marketer (sells mythology as reality) claims Dems don't care about the truth. More fake news calling real news fake news and getting away with it--as though it's the most normal thing.
That's THE most dangerous of all Trumpie corruptions.
Calling them "social conservatives" is itself a whitewash. They are con man of the lowest form. Their followers are among the suckers born every minute. As some comments note--this is a far cry from accepting Jesus as a personal ideal.
Jesus (real or ideal) has nothing to with it. It's all about the political power of church leaders/marketers in total violation of Jesus injunction to separate church/religion/god from politics/state/Caesar.
"Freedom of religion" is really "freedom of religionS. But each takes it to mean they are free (from government) to sell myth, oppress their competition and control the government.
But if each is equally free, then none will be discriminated For or Against by/in government.
Equal freedom of religionS requires a secular government. Totally in keeping with Jesus; totally at odds with Evangelicals.
3
I have come to view all evangelical Christians as big, flaming hypocrites. Stay out of politics, stay out of MY home, and stay out of my personal business.
So, again, WHY do they still have tax-exempt status??
7
"Evangelical" has become a political, not religious, label. If people like Franklin Graham and Ralph Reed want him so badly, Brett Kavanaugh is clearly not going to be good for America.
11
Looks like the evangelicals have one track morality. They don't care if the President and the justices are immoral.
2
Since when does any religious group have a say in political affairs? I happen to be a lifelong Christian and I'm pretty sick of hearing how much these people have such a voice. Most of their "leaders" are money grubbing manipulative phonies who are selfish ....like Joel O'Steen who would not open the doors of his large extravagant church to shelter the people who were displaced because of hurricane and flooding. That's not the Christian I was raised to be. What kind of Christian would support a thug like Trump? Not sure if they come any more corrupt than DJT who sails through the Ten Commandments like ordering from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Where is the separation of church and state? It almost sounds silly to state it but that's where are we in this land of the free and the brave? Nauseating state of affairs!
5
Such an incredible diversity of opinions in the comments section! I really see why the New York Times and its readership is just a wellspring of reasoned journalism. And I wonder why Christians of all types are afraid of the Left and its "Cultural Revolution." There's such tolerance here. Such understanding. Such a detailed grasp of the facts.
1
Catholic Church and Republican failures: How can someone who supports sexual molestation and assault be acceptable today? Look at Catholics and Republicans. The Catholic priests and bishops have been shown to be criminals related to child sexual assaults while at the same time they, like the majority of Republicans obviously support a sexual molester lawyer, Kavanaugh. Maybe it does not matter when the abused are young, the way I was one a long time ago, but I learned what that church really was, and I hate to tell you that I no longer believe in devils that are not part of that group today.
4
“'If Chuck Schumer is majority leader and Dianne Feinstein is chairman of the Judiciary Committee,' said Mr. Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, 'it will be open season on any Trump nominee to the federal bench at any level of the judiciary.'”
... just as it was with Mitch McConnell as Majority Leader, with regard to nominations by President Obama.
But, of course, that was "different".
12
Don't believe it. We should expect just the opposite: if Kavanaugh is confirmed, white evangelicals will have little reason to vote in November, but if his nomination is rejected, they will flock to the polls again.
Kavanaugh's confirmation would promise to give white evangelicals everything on their agenda: erosion of Roe v Wade, further erosion of voting rights legislation, control over women's health care by employers exercising their "religious freedom," loss of LGBTQ rights, further loss of labor's collective bargaining power, Scalia's ridiculous interpretation of the second amendment, commercial exploitation of natural resources, and more. We are already living with the Hobby Lobby decision, which conferred the protection of "religious belief" on a demonstrably false claim--that contraceptives are abortifacients.
How many more idiocies and travesties would a Justice Kavanaugh help SCOTUS conservatives read into our constitution?
The Senate must reject Kavanaugh's appointment. Let white evangelicals flock to the polls because there are now enough of us suffering their oppression to send back the message that we will tolerate no more authoritarian curtailing of our God-given rights and liberties.
6
Ok, I am shocked and sick about the disregard and disrespect of women by these evangelical men and the republican party. They claim to be Christian, come on!! What a joke!! Each time they are in trouble they play the "left card." I'm tired of it!! This is not about left or right in politics. This is about morals and honesty. Women should go and vote as a block in November against the republican party, which is allowing this violation their rights. The only card that has to be played in November is the "female card." I cannot wait to vote!!
9
The lack of decency in church leaders today is astonishing. Glad I'm an atheist. What I want is freedom from these people who pretend to be upstanding and take every opportunity to be horrible to those who do not agree with them. I hope what we're seeing is the death throes of organized religion and it's cult-like influence. Fewer people turn to religion in each generation because we know more and understand more of the universe around us. With religion becoming so hateful they've driven many away from the church. I wish them success is burying themselves and their religions. Any religious person who would defend and support a man who may have sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl without asking for a thorough investigation is anything but holy in nature. If all they are worried about is politics they should be paying taxes.
10
An FBI investigation may reveal things we would otherwise never know, bring people who were there forward. Maybe other young girls at the time would speak out who experienced what may have been a culture of drinking and sexual aggression and disrespect at that elite school. The Senate committee investigation is a sham as Grassley, Hatch and Graham have already shown their hand. They pretend to be fair to the accuser, rush this hearing through so they can be rid of this nuisance and quickly confirm Kavanaugh. If Kavanaugh is lying about the incident happening, that is a big disqualifyer. And as a woman I certainly picked up on the patronizing/condescending attitudes of the above mentioned Senators, and others, towards Dr. Ford. It is disgraceful, as is so much of this Republican majority.
58
If Dr. Ford isn't telling the truth, I (and others) can't help but wonder why she wants the FBI to investigate.
7
" ... not protecting Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh more forcefully from a sexual assault allegation ..."
I suppose it does not occur to these people that Judge Kavanaugh should not need this protection?
3
Once Kavanaugh is confirmed, Republicans may deservedly feel they have largely finished their tasks: the Treasury looted for tax cuts to the wealthy (also imperiling the social safety net), the federal as well as SCOTUS bench packed for a generation, unions busted, Congressional minority protections erased, Justice Department and FBI politicized, prisons enshrined as profit centers, environmental protections gutted, public schools weakened as their funding is funneled to DeVos friends even as “the truth” becomes an evanescent unknowable and vulgarity and hate speech supplant discourse, and informed opinion and even science are recast as “bias;” with dictators emboldened and allies dispirited, the world economy tariffed to disarray, the elevation of corporate rights over human rights sanctified (while corporate responsibility has been redefined to stop at pleasing shareholders), and The Church —presumably to end abortion and gay rights—show their true nature as lickspittle supporters of the rich not the downtrodden, well, what more can Republicans dream of achieving? Between gerrymandering, voter suppression, Diebolt voting machines and the elevation of dirty electioneering to an art form, Republicans could probably continue to “win,” but what would be the point? Has ANWAR been opened to drilling? Is it illegal to protest yet? Can you still cooperate with prosecutors to reduce your sentence? Maybe there is more to be done. Is this what GREAT looks like to Americans now?
6
Okay, let me get this straight. A religious group that preaches family values is threatening to urge its millions of followers, the vast majority of them political conservatives, not to vote in November if the GOP does not confirm to the highest court in the land a man accused of attempted rape.
This is the same group that supports almost unconditionally a U.S. president whom at least 19 women credibly accuse of sexual assault or groping, who is taped acknowledging sexually assaulting women, and who has had multiple extramarital affairs, including with porn stars -- and in at least one case while his wife was pregnant with their child.
What's wrong with this picture?
10
I am a retired pastor and Regional minister in a "mainline" Protestant denomination.
By employing dishonest and unethical methods and tolerating perhaps the most repulsive conduct, as defined by the words attributed and life lived by Jesus Christ, my Evangelical brothers and sisters have forgotten that Jesus Christ did not teach that the ends justify the means., instead, Jesus said,
"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul." - Mark 8:36. (NIV)
Evangelical brothers and sisters, this is what you are doing. I hope the New York Times publishes this and that you think about this long and hard.
there was a time when no Pastor would countenance the lack of compassion, the amoral and immoral behavior of the president and others in the administration, his comments to Access Hollywood would have been enough.
Shame on you!
113
But I thought Republicans wanted to drain the swamp of “special interest” players....
Hypocrisy is their true religion.
3
Please don’t call them Evangelicals. They are hypocrites seeking power to reform America in their own conservative views. Would anyone who really believes in Jesus and his teachings ignore this accusation without a thorough investigation? Would anyone who really believes in Jesus and his teachings support a misogynistic, and lying president?
What would Jesus REALLY do?
9
@Peg Rubley: I don't have any idea what Jesus would do. I don't receive messages from the dead. Perhaps this fake originalist Kavanaugh thinks he knows.
2
Simple solution: Lie detector for Kavanaugh before his accuser testifies.
3
So. Is the truth comes out. These bunch of do gooders only care about their agenda and nothing else. Religion ought to be ashamed of itself.
4
I am a Republican and will not vote for Dean Heller there are many more like me. Evangelicals are not the majority of Republicans they are loud mouth small minded minority
11
"...decent nominee..." Seriously??? Wow. A drunken, entitled frat boy even recently bragging of his "boys will be boys" escapades in high school ("what happens" - there - "stays" -there) is not my idea of a decent person, let alone a decent nominee.
The hypocrisy of the evangelicals these days is beyond astounding. If Jesus does actually come a second time, I don't think he would recognize any of these evangelical "leaders" as being his followers. They're pharisees, the whole lot of them, just the kind of people who condemned him to death the first time.
10
Plato and Benjamin Franklin, among others, believed that political ambition was dangerous because it was corrosive and corrupting. In their view, persons "really" desirous of a public office should be looked at skeptically and eliminated from consideration.
Kavanaugh wants "badly" to be a Supreme Court justice, So much so that he appears willing to short circuit a process that could conceivably clear his name. He'd rather be confirmed than do the right thing. He should be calling for as complete an investigation as possible. But no, he wants a seat on the Court too much. He is exceedingly dangerous for this very reason.
As for Reed and the Christian Right, they are without shame.
12
Sure, so they can control their wives and daughter again. Wait until they discover God is female.
10
What is a Christian if not to the attempt in this life to be Christ-like? What would Jesus do?
4
not this.
1
"Religious Right To GOP: Throw Victims Under Bus Or We Stay Home"
There. I fixed the headline.
11
Whatever the these "Christians" are for....think, believe and advocate for the exact opposite. If you do that, you'll be on the correct side of logic and history.
4
The American people can no longer harbor any doubt about those in the Christian Right is and what they stand for.
5
The followers of the evangelical leaders referenced in this article are like the mythological frogs who don't realize they're boiling to death as the water they're in gets hotter and hotter. They are being led and played by cynical, hypocritical hacks and they don't realize how far from the values of Christianity they have strayed. For their leaders, it's not about values, it's about power and it always has been.
15
Typical of the "Christian" response to sexual assaults; even those occurring within their own organizations: denial, victim-blaming, and a pathological need to protect the perpetrator.
The late Rev. Billy Graham's grandson, Boz Tchividjian, calls sexual abuse in the Protestant church, "an epidemic". Boz founded an organization called "GRACE", or "Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment" to assist religious organizations (AND their victims!) to investigate outcries of sexual abuse and harassment, and putting a process in place for their response to outcries of sexual assault.
Which religious organizations, specifically? Bob Jones University. Independent Fundamental Baptist Organization, New Tribes Mission, children’s ministry One Hope, The Christian and Missionary Alliance, Wycliffe Global Alliance, The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE), relief organization "Samaritan's Purse", to name a few.
But the next steps taken were to fire Boz and investigators, issue public statements denying or minimizing the problems, and muzzle the victims.
And what does Boz Tchividjian have to say about this Ford/Kavanaugh situation?
"In my experience prosecuting and supervising thousands of sexual crimes, I never encountered a victim who misidentified a perpetrator she knew. The misidentification argument is a red herring attempt to discredit Ms. Ford." - Boz Tchividjian
14
@Sophie Katt: These people treat sex as a torment invented by God to lead them unto sin and thus seek salvation.
4
They're all just bad people. There's no other way to say it. Every one of them.
And I was raised (and still am) a white Christian.
3
Ralph Reed and his ilk speak only their interests ...ie a small minority of over zealous Americans.
Enough already. Send them back to a Sunday school, to re learn their religious lessons.
4
These are the religious leaders that have been saying that America has lost its "moral compass." I would say THEY have lost their moral compass. I have believed the same for decades about other people and the moral needs of our country, but these are the same people that said that Bill Clinton needed to resign because of his character and actions. Now they support Trump, Kavanaugh, and others with questionable moral actions so that they can get the laws they want. Do the ends really justify the means? Or are they just moral hypocrites?
7
You were tight to refer to "evangelicals" and not to "Christian evangelicals". It becomes clearer by the day that the "religious right" are not very Christian. Not only do they find sexual assault by presidents and judges acceptable, they fawn on publicans and tax-collectors while despising the poor, they seek, not to feed and clothe the stranger at the gate, but to expel him, while confiscating his children, and they seek to execute sinners without giving any chance for repentance. In a more traditionally Christian country, they would be burned at the stake for heresy.
9
@Peter Hulse: Christianity looks bad to me either way.
I like the idea of paying taxes to keep money flowing through a mixed economy that establishes a civilized floor under the human condition, because everybody contributes according to their means.
4
Jesus was for peace not assault rifles and huge military weapons.
Jesus was for helping the poor, not cuts to medicaid and food stamps and tax breaks for the rich.
These Christians are hypocrites and they will know fire and brimstone for their actions.
6
After reading that headline, I say Win, Win on both counts.
2
This is a serious question. Can evangelicals get any less Christian? Do they realize they are the greatest threat in the world to Christianity?
9
GOP, POTUS, and EVANGELICALS is
a Machiavellian partnership, there is no other way to interpret it.
6
For evangelicals to accuse Democrats of “...playing by a different set of rules...” beggars belief. By exactly what set of rules were “Republics” playing when they denied President Obama’s Supreme Court nomination the courtesy of even a hearing?
6
The gall of these so-called Christian leaders is astounding. They want to deny the rights of a possibly abused woman so that they can have a judge appointed that would possibly deny the rights of all women. From the responses I have read so far, it seems that the Evangelical base is finally catching on to this cynical cherry picking of moral principles. I’m also getting signals that Trump’s base is finally getting tired of his blathering incompetence. Of course, we all felt that way in October 2016, didn’t we?
9
We need to stop calling these evangelicals "Christians", because in truth, they are members of the secret societies that have taken over "Christian" churches and transformed them into the "synagogues of satan" about which Jesus Christ warned us. The evangelicals primary purpose is to make Christianity look bad.
As a Holy Spirit-filled, born-again Christian, I can say with all certainty that these people are not Christian (and that the Bible is not anti-choice).
7
‘...he added, noting that Republicans have been slow to understand that Democrats are “playing by different rules.”’
Really? McConnell prevents a nominee from a confirmation for a year until the next president is seated and GOP claims Democrats are playing by different rules because they call out the egregious faults of your candidate?
Republicans always project what they do on to Democrats and call it out as foul. Trump does this all the time and is a master at it.
Republicans rule by fear.
Democrats rule in fear.
12
I suggest that the real reason evangelicals are angry is that they apparently *support* sexual harassment and assault, just as they *supported* Bush's invasion of Iraq. Some so-called "evangelicals" are sheep who are being led not by the "Good Shepherd," but rather by rich corporate interests; others are simply sex- and money-crazed hypocrites. No wonder the younger generation are leaving the churches in droves....
9
Why aren't these churches paying taxes, their political involvement being what it clearly is?! Grotesque
9
To paraphrase a slogan from the 1992 presidential campaign, "It's the COURTS, stupid!"
Only a very small fraction of appeals to the SCOTUS are granted certiorari; the overwhelming majority are decided by federal appeals courts. The Federalist Society and Heritage Foundation (with the imprimatur of such so-called "Christian" organizations as The Family Research Council and Focus on the Family — all formally listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center) refined their wish-list of federal court nominees (in particular the SCOTUS) during the 2016 campaign.
In the final years of the Obama Administration, McConnell created an historic number of vacancies on the federal bench, most on the courts of appeals (including one on the SCOTUS that should have been filled by Merrick Garland more than two years ago), which the Republicans have been filling at a record pace with young hard-right theocratic zealots — nominated by the president who lost the popular vote by THE largest margin in the nation's history, "winning" the Electoral College by a relative handful of votes scattered across three states by, it is becoming increasingly clear, intervention by foreign adversaries of the United States.
The aim of these unchristian evangelicals is to transform the secular democratic republic bequeathed to us by the Founders into an essential theocracy, and we are already well on our way to becoming a theocratic fascist kleptocracy. Packing the SCOTUS is the coup de grâce.
16
"...conservative voters may stay home in November if his nomination falls apart."
Another reason to sink Judge Kavanaugh's nomination...
8
The unabashed hypocrisy of these evangelicals goes way beyond irony. The juxtaposition of the view that abortion is murder and their low regard of the severity of sexual assault is just breathtaking. In both instances, it is not a controversial statement that women, being human beings, have the fundamental right to control their bodies. There is no way that people with these disparate views should be deciding on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.
16
What a useless temper tantrum.
"Give us our SCOTUS confirmation now, or we'll hold our breath, stomp our feet and forego voting as protest right through elections. Giving away our current Senate control this November will sure show those heathen Democrats who is boss."
Are they serious??? Wouldn't the wiser plan be to promise even more evangelical turnout to oust any oppositional or centrist Ds and Rs left in the Senate??? How does abstaining from this election get them any of what they want???
This logic and strategy of theirs seem so prepubescent to me. I would guess from this revelation that evangelical "leaders" don't play much chess and have no mind for seeing three moves ahead in strategy.
I say let them stay home and eat cake.
5
the crooks seem to be afraid of a public hearing on some serious moral and criminal allegations.
5
Senator Collins has stated the Gofundme program against her voting for Kavanaugh is political blackmail.
Isn't that what this is? When the leaders of bigotry and prejudice like Frank Graham, Robert Jeffress and Ralph Reed
threaten religious war against the will of the people?
The complete separation of Church and State should be the goal of our political leaders, not the opposite.
These bible thumping hypocrits are Charlatans that Jesus would kick out of the temples.
7
Lemme see if I've got this right. 'Men of God' want to overlook any moral weakness on the part of a SCOTUS nominee so that they can overturn a woman's right to choose to give birth or have an abortion whether or not she was raped, is underage, has life ending medical complications, or just does not want to give birth. They follow that with a desire to make birth control of any kind illegal. For this, it is worth sullying what used to be one of the finest examples of democracy in the world. I think I've got it.
And we've seen that when many of these men have gotten themselves into the position of impregnating someone they shouldn't have, they opt for or force the woman to abort.
So, the issue for them has nothing to do with the righteousness of being 'pro Life', at least as far as it concerns fetuses, but not young black men, immigrant children, Americans without health care, etc.
Therefore, what they are really willing to sell out American women and democracy for is power. That's it, a transitory status of relative importance that will fade quicker than a fake tan. That's all this is, and all the patriarchy has ever been about. It has nothing to do with The Divine; and She will strike back.
11
Hypocrisy --should we finally make it a diagnosis? I find it to be a mental and emotional illness at this point. I guess I would be more comfortable accepting it as a treatable condition that can be overcome with counseling. For the past year and a half I have been sickened and stunned by the level of this "illness" in my country.
3
The irony in this opening paragraph is almost jaw-dropping: Evangelicals (that is, those who profess to espouse the Christian religion) are wondering why a person accused of sexual assault is not being more forcefully "protected"...?
Apparently this isn't your parents' Evangelical church...
10
Hypocrisy is as hypocrisy does and it always shows. People see it. This Evangelical leadership tale is telling us not to believe what we see; that preaching God’s word and acting the opposite is not hypocrisy - it is blessed. In order to do this, Ralph Reed and company imaginatively constructed a politically useful Christian God, one with two faces. A God which miraculously looks approvingly and blessedly at Evangelicals who are also two faced. How great is that for Evangelical hypocrites?
1
After the way republicans obstructed the Garland nomination, followed by the way they have manipulated the current process to delay the release of documents, etc, to rush through a very partisan candidate with real questions about his background and motives, I really can't understand their ire over democrats using any tactic available to sink this nomination, especially now that this rather serious matter has surfaced. Such hypocrisy reminds me why I can no longer support republicans.
4
Ralph Reed's characterization of Brett Kavanaugh as an "obviously and eminently qualified and decent nominee” is no longer accurate.
The evangelicals just want him on the court to vote down Roe v. Wade. This is a political maneuver, and, in an ideal world, the Supreme Court should be unbiased.
If Kavanaugh is nominated, the Supreme Court will not be neutral--a place where justice is blind--but more as if Fox News talking heads were on the bench, ruling without regard to law or the Constitution.
It's clear that Kavanaugh was an epic binge drinker in high school and college, and liked to gamble. As an adult, his far right rulings against abortion jeopardize women's rights. Clearly, a man who wants to control women's reproductive rights so much probably has no problem with the idea of controlling women--period.
Which brings us to his alleged attack on Dr. Blasey. The drunk, muscular teen, Brett, mashed his hand to her face to prevent her screams as he ripped her clothes off. His friend, the now forgetful Judge, watched.
Disdain for women then, disdain for women now.
Trump likes him because of his belief that Presidents shouldn't be bothered with the trifles of prosecution for election meddling and obstruction of justice.
8
I am 80 years old and I clearly remember the attacks on Ms Hill and Judge Bork. The charge that this is a long standing Democratic practice are total out of sync with reality. The Democrats of the those periods are the Republicans of today. Look at the video of the Hill hearings. Storm Thurman, today, would be a vociferous Republican as would every other white male Democrat on that committee. Same for the Bork episode. I say that as a southern white male. One who is shamed by what the Dixiecrat/Democrat party of that day did and what the GOP has turned into. There’s not a southern Republican in Congress today who, if transported back to the 50 - 60’s, would not have been in office as a Democrat.
6
It's ironic that these bible-toting people don't care about man's law. Shifting the court to the right means less rights for workers and consumers. We just about lost our rights to sue in civil court and are forced into arbitration. The judge just about made class action lawsuits unavailable for many issues. We now see a lot of right-to-work states where unions lost their ability to organize. Studies show that when there were more unions wages were higher across the board. Now wages are stagnated. If you're forced into arbitration good luck. Arbitrators know they won't be chosen if the record shows they tend to rule in the little guy's favor.
5
@Wayne, Judges will deny a civil defendant's motion to dismiss because the plaintiff didn't go to arbitration as specified by the contract, when they just want to diddle somebody. These people are not even supervised.
1
The parody of Ralph Reed in “Contact,” is looking better and better.
1
You Know, this guy looks very old for someone 57. Looks like he has some or maybe a lot of bad habits. And this is really one man's opinion not some great force that is demonstrating in the offices of DC officials.
2
This position seems consistent with the longstanding defense and protection of sexual abusers by the Roman Catholic. Now if only the evangelicals can get the government's judiciary branch (they already have the executive behind them) to get an abuser in power, all abusers can rest assured that the government (as well as the religious institutions) will protect them.
3
Unbelievable. This has to be a new low in Trumpland and for some reason I do not think we have hit the nadir.
7
My eternal hope is that I will be alive to see the day that this sickness is eradicated from the Earth.
7
@X: Claiming to know what God thinks loses all credibility with me. Nobody should take this kind of presumption from anyone.
2
Being more concerned about political gain than issues of sexual justice is the opposite of the definition of Christian. To quote the Bible these 'leaders' love to thump, "Jesus wept."
2
America's ayatollahs are trying to impose their will. They forget that power corrupts and that for that reason religious leaders should stay far from politics.
Just as Iran's ayatollahs turned their country into one of the least religious in the Middle East, so their American counterparts are now destroying the reputation of religion in the US.
8
@Wim Roffel, The total evasion of a frank discussion of the meaning of "establishment of religion" leaves no doubt that honesty and integrity have been completely purged from the public political debate in the US.
1
The hypocrisy of people who can impart the word God with three syllables and the word Jesus with four, the impiety of a Ralph Reed and a Robert Jeffres, the influence of a Franklin Graham would not be terribly concerning if these professed Christians actually followed the teachings of Jesus. But no. They have to stick their unwelcome noses into the affairs of others and make the machinations of Caesar theirs to guide. To the detriment of those who do not share their passion for authoritarianism. The sooner they are set in their place -- that is, running their churches while remaining (becoming!) humble, the better off our nation will be.
3
@Stephen Beard: Christianity as we know it was negotiated by the Nicene Council 300 years after the life of Jesus to transform the Roman imperial religion from polytheism to monotheism in keeping with the singularity of emperors.
4
not that we needed any further proof that "evangelicals" and "god" or "christianity" are totally, completely, exclusive terms. ostensibly, these charlatans blabber on about morality and the bible and jesus and god, but all that proves to be is a very thin veneer of wallpaper for their corrupt, hypocritical lives as lived and breathed. their "god" is useless. and whatever "transcendence" they presumably will gain from believing in him/her, is evidenced in the gutter depravity of their daily lives. the only thing they are evangelical about is their partisan political dogma. that is their god -- also, ultimately, meaningless. to add insult to injury, these lunatics get tax breaks to spout their radical political ideology.
2
It's not bad enough these charlatans daily beg for money from the poor to finance their millionaire lifestyles but must they also use those same rubes to push their backward political agenda?
6
Thank you for this article. Amazing. The religious right does not follow Christian ethics. The Republican party seems to have morphed into a racketeering operation.
It is so good to have these immoral leaders on the record. My fear is we have lost our country and that is why they are so bold with their words and actions.
4
When it comes to women's rights, once again the evangelical right proves that it's closer to the Taliban and the very religious extremists that we fight abroad than to the democratic ideals espoused by modern societies.
5
come on.... these guys have always been hypocrites. obvious hypocrites. it's been obvious for many many decades. as the old song i first heard sung by son house goes? "some people say that the preacher don't steal but i caught one on my corn field". the difference now is the amount of money involved.
5
Jesus made a very clear point of never dismissing women. As a Christian myself, I can see these dudes are simply hiding behind some "Christian" language and customs to trick people. I am losing patience for those who refuse to see that they are following a false idol (Trump) who has a golden toilet. Jesus would be furious at their lack of concern for the poor and casual misinterpretation of the Bible.
3
Another fine example of how morally bankrupt these people are. The hypocrisy is astonishing. If the accuser is lying, why is she the one calling for a full investigation?
5
I am a retired Presbyterian minister. Where did these Christians learn their values, principles, ethics, and morals? In what way is support of Kavenaugh following the teachings of Jesus? I am utterly mystified at the disconnect between Christian traditions and current right-wing politics. Oh, I forgot. They must be following the traditions of corrupt Popes and bishops and Protestant clergy who for years ran their churches as if they were about power and control rather than about responsibility, life, and freedom.
9
So these folks wand “judges who have ‘a record of applying the Constitution just as it was written,’” I suppose that means the Constution narrowly defined, except for the amendments they like (the 2nd) but not the 16th, and definitely not the 14th or 15th, so we can go back to a whites-only citizenship and voting base.
2
@Ockham9 "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" bothers them most of all. The Constitution requires that faith-based beliefs be ignored in legislation.
3
The idea of “Christian” values is a repugnant thought one mentioned to another. This is naked partisan politics at its finest. Our overarching goal is to advance those ideas we hold dear and trample anyone who crosses our path. Brother Leviticus would be proud of our path to glory and the almighty.
2
I even served as a Parish Nurse because I thought I was a woman of faith.
The likes of these guys and their love for the likes of Donald Trump are why I won’t even set foot in a church anymore.
8
The term evangelicals has been corrupted. The people you are highlighting are not believers in Jesus Christ who proclaim his principles. If they were, they would have serious doubts about this nominee. Sexual predation and alcohol abuse are not part of true Christian faith.
4
As a young Christian, I was taught "get behind me, Satan." Now, the Fundamentalist Elite seems to be saying, "Hey, Satan, get out in front of us and run interference, so we can WIN, WIN, WIN!" I'm pretty sure that wasn't what Christ had in mind, at least not given what it says in my Bible. So, with regard to the word "Christian," maybe the rest of us need to point out to them, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
6
The evangelical moral fiber is no different than the Catholics. Implicitly affirming sexual assault of women and children.
4
Are these people's churches tax exempt?
7
None of them should be allowed tax exemption. There is no separation between politics and churches. I’m relatively certain there never has been.
2
Headline; "Evangelicals Vow to Shoot Themselves in Foot"
Democrats now have yet another rather excellent reason to stall judicial appointments until after the election.
The unmitigated gall of conservatives to chastise Democrats for slowing the process "for political purposes" is par for the course at this point; as if the Merrick Garland affair never happened.
11
Seems to me evangelical leaders and thereby their flock would install the devil on the SCOTUS if they were sure he would vote to prohibit abortions and contraception.
10
Please note that all of these "leaders" are men.
4
Conservatives "see a sophisticated and ruthless Democratic machine. . . " Where? I see a naive and nearly feckless bunch of Congressional Democrats who nearly blew the opportunity to try and derail the nomination of a liar and political hack, who threatens the civil rights and liberties of every disadvantaged person in the country.
"Sophisticated and ruthless Democratic machine?" I wish that were so; we could then fight the Republicans on even ground.
7
Surely there is a conservative judge out there who does not have all this baggage who can appease this group? (I’ll not even delve into how this stance on behalf of evangelicals exposes an inherent strain of misogyny. They, like their Catholic compatriots, are showing for all the world to see exactly what they’re willing to sweep under the rug in the pursuit of power.)
5
Having just read the most-excellent NYTimes companion article today on the small rural N.C. Town of Ivanhoe, with its many churches underwater, I looked at the headline of this article and wondered....where are all the good Christians when Ivanhoe needs you? More concerned about getting your political ‘gimmies ‘ I guess.
3
All that the Republicans had to do was research their candidates more carefully and avoid liars and possible attempted rapists like Kavanaugh. What the Republicans want is a reliable foot soldier on the Supreme Court who will overrule Roe v. Wade, Griswold v. Connecticut, and protect the Head of the Trump Crime Family from justice.
7
GOP Evangelists, if not stopped,will destroy law,order and the democracy of this country. It is imperative that we push back on these religious right fanatics. Democrats need to get out and vote in November.
4
So much for the separation between church and state. Tax them. That might shut them up.
8
@Mary: The tax preferences accorded these fakes defies "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion". Paying people to propagate delusions is the most stupid public policy imaginable, but par for the course in a psychopathological society.
If it is God’s will for abortion to be illegal according to state or federal law in America in 2018, then why is it still legal? Are Christians not working or praying hard enough? Is God wringing his hands, fretting about the possible delay of the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings?
1
So Reed and his crew think maintaining male dominance is being conservative?
5
If ever there was an unconstitutional intrusion by any group into the affairs of the US Government, this is it. But it is also nonsense. A democratic Senate would threaten the theocracy the religious right is trying to implant. Religious intolerance was one of the reasons for the founding of America. The insistence that their views be cemented in the Supreme Court is the very thing people came here to escape. Freedom is not a right wing religious dictatorship.
10
What happened to separation of church and state?
4
As an evangelical, maybe in the minority, I would rather see that both people's rights are respected and they are afforded due process.
At this point, it would be terrible if Kavanaugh is guilty and has now lied under oath, yet it would also be terrible if Kavanaugh is innocent and has been run through the ringer on false accusations. What little is left of either parties rights to fair and impartial due process, that should be respected.
It doesn't seem either side is concerned about that anymore.
3
The Supreme Court is no longer the keeper of our Constiution and above the political fray. No longer a body of men and woman who make decisions based on facts and logic, they have become tools of politicians and, in some cases, religious zealots. I watched some of the Kavanaugh hearing and thought his "good old boy" banter with the senators off putting. I could envision him in the country club bar drinking and laughing at dirty jokes, kind of an extension of his high school and college fraternity behavior. After Dr Blasey came forward with her story and judge Kavanaugh's denial, I thought back to his demeanor in the hearings. I believe Dr Blasey and it is judge Kavanaugh is doing what he learned from an early age-treat women as unequal, never apologize and deny if confronted or challenged.
9
They are people of no character. It has nothing to do with religion - they hide behind religion, but they have no religion except the religion of greed.
7
What would Jesus do?
Doubtful that his answer would be to place Kavanaugh on the Court without a thorough investigation...
5
The ends justify the means. Get on with confirmation.
@George: The end is imposition of theocracy by psychopathy. There is nothing that isn't despicable about the Trump administration and the dregs of the Republican Party backing it.
2
These Evangelical Leaders have lost there way. They aren't teaching the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. They are practicing religion. Get back into the bible and stop being lured into politics.
1
How are these the "moral leaders" of a group? I guess it is telling that they have continuously support an amoral , philandering, lying so-call president with such blindness.
9
I’m an evangelical pastor. To those professing evangelicals who are clamoring to bypass the woman who claims to have been assaulted, I say: your behavior is disgusting. Yes, the timing is questionable, giving the appearance of a political stunt. But the people of Jesus should certainly never be known for refusing to listen to victims! (Jesus has compassion for victims, and so should we.) That’s awful, and much worse than losing your preferred nominee. You may get your nominee, but only after sullying the name of Jesus.
5
@Cuernavaca Andalusia The timing is not questionable. There was no public notice, news or announcement of this man being appointed to his previous positions. One of my favorite quotes from "Kingdom of Heaven", (which is a period piece during the crusades) the movie is: "Godfrey of Ibelin: Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath."
3
This confirms that the evangelical movement is anti-American and purely self serving.
Ditto Republicans that court them (thank you Ronald Wilson Regan). Like with FOX news, the tail is waging the dog.
9
This just shows, that the Evangelicals with a political bend are not just evil, but also lack basic cognitive thought.
If the GOP wanted to make sure it got the Evangelical vote it would stretch the confirmation of Kavanagh. For it is certain a DEM majority will not vote him in.
3
Given much of the American church is the same reality TV as Trump I would suggest you might sort them out too when you drain the swamp.
Neither have a place in decent society.
6
Not only is SCOTUS a lifetime appointment, but it's supposed to be an appointment to the court that above all else protects the Constitution and Americans whose lives are defined in large by it. The religious Americans who threaten fire and brimstone if Kavanaugh is not confirmed are neither in the mainstream of religion in America nor particularly concerned with protecting either the Constitution or rights of Americans. They have a clear and clearly unconstitutional mandate they want to force on the nation. This alone should mean Kavanaugh's defeat and the prosecution of the religious ideologues who back him. As Thomas Jefferson made clear on many occasions religion and government must be separate in America. Otherwise we risk our Republic and our democracy. Republicans have given up the goal of protecting American for money and power. Religious ideologues backing Kavanaugh have given up protecting for "religious purity." Or, more bluntly for religious dictatorship. This is treason. Proper response is arrest, trial, and execution or imprisonment.
7
@Ken Zimmerman Their objective is outright nullification of "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion". Their proper handling is revocation of all tax preferences for preaching religion.
2
Once again, Evangelical leaders show unwavering concern about human life, but only for people in the womb. Once you are born, you're on your own - especially if you are a woman.
We can only hope that their congregations are more attuned to the actual teachings in scripture.
4
So, let's see - confirmation of Kavanaugh now will energize conservatives and resistance to confirmation will energize conservatives? I'm not sure I get the former since his confirmation would make the SCOTUS solidly conservative for decades to come removing any real prod for the unmotivated conservative to rush to the poll. That said, it seems that the Evang leaders think that no matter what happens their folks will be motivated.
As to the Dems 'using' this and the suggestion that it is a Dem ploy, well the woman reluctantly came forward, did not want to use her name, and certainly did (does?) not want to testify. Given GOP behavior with Merrick Garland I find it laughable that these "Christian" leaders are acting as if all of the historical politicizing of SCOTUS nominees came from the Dems.
Sure, the Dems asked tough questions - Bork was ultimately rejected; Thomas ultimately confirmed (unfortunately IMO), but to deny Garland a hearing, then try to ram through a nominee with sexual misconduct accusations pending - that's unprincipled and, yes, political.
10
I really have no idea why the Trumpublicans didn't nominate Amy Coney Barrett. They're rather obviously shooting themselves in the foot here. Not that I mind, but she's so obviously a better choice.
1
It will be a good thing if this particular brand of Evangelical does not vote. Maybe we can then get their warped version of religion out of government.
16
Looks like the true Christian Evangelicals support threats on a woman's life when she is apparently doing the right thing. Seems like they have forgotten the Ten Commandments.
14
I just happened to read an article in the Wall Street Journal from just over a year ago that said that if the GOP failed to repeal Obamacare, conservatives would stay home in 2018. The subject changes but the threats stay the same. Would this also qualify as "blackmail," as Senator Susan Collins called efforts to raise money and votes against her if she fails to vote against Kavanaugh?
7
Unelected, no mandate, it is nothing to do with them. Their imaginary friend has no bearing on this decision.
11
What? Religious leaders want to rush to confirm someone as a supreme court justice who has been accused of sexual assault? What sort of religion is that? What sort of message does it send? Even if the accusations turn out to be spurious, they should be investigated without any time constraints.
16
@P Grey: These people preach that taking Jesus as one's savior absolves them of sin. It is abject hogwash.
1
The Evangelicals have the right to express their opinions because they are Americans, not Evangelicals.
Darn, there’s that “freedom of religion/separation of church and state” thing, rearing it’s ugly head thing again.
We are a nation founded to an extent on Christian principles, not a nation governed under Christian law. I know that just peeves the Religious Right no end, but in my mind “freedom of religion” also has the corollary “freedom from religion.” I believe in God but I’m not going to force any political or religious belief on someone else, unlike Franklin Graham, Jr. Falwell or a host of other Evangelical leaders.
16
@The Nattering Nabob: These Kavanaugh-backers in the Senate are in open defiance of "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion". They are all Constitutional scofflaws.
The origin of the Golden Rule - …www.innovateus.net/content/golden-rule-and-ethics-reciprocity
The Golden Rule finds its origins in Christianity, based on a maxim from the Bible (Matthew 7:12)-“Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you”. Besides Christianity, the Golden Rule can be attributed to a number of cultures existing in the world which uses it as a basis to solve problems.
Evangelicals, why not try this part of the Bible? I try to even though I do not belong to any church or recognized religious group. Always seemed like a humane, sensible way to solve problems and interact with other people to me.
13
We can't be any luckier that our tax free church's choose not to come out a vote. Just pray for salvation.
9
Well, this clearly shows how hypocritical these evangelical leaders’ and other conservatives really are - not that this was in doubt! They put their political interests ahead of God’s work, words, and deeds.
Where is their morality! Really disgusting!
18
..., lo and behold; one would think that ordinary Americans are frustrated at the disproportional influence Evangelicals are wielding in terms of “directing” G.O.P. on matters, where religion should have no say at all.
14
Ralph Read and Franklin Graham are in this for their personal scorecards. They are increasing their unpopularity with each press release. Whether they get Kavanaugh confirmed, they are
Undermining the legitimacy of yhe Supreme Court , and also of Christianity. Could be a Balthazar moment for them, but at the moment all they get is free publicity.
11
I can only wonder about how Jesus would view these supposed Christians, and the congregations which support them, who do not display an iota of concern or empathy for a women who has made a very difficult and emotional decision to expose herself to the taunting, smearing and bullying she was bound to encounter by revealing such a traumatic event in her life. Maybe she's mistaken about Kavanaugh -- an independent investigation may reveal the truth, which doesn't seem to be a factor in their thinking -- but a true Christian would at least show a little heart. Typical for evangelicals, they only think of their own political interests without regard for the well-being of anyone else.
14
Once power enters into the picture, God exits. Pretty sure the bible is fairly clear on this matter. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. That may not be in the bible, but it doesn't make it any less true. If this is how the evangelicals achieve their ends, well, that says a lot about their means. It says everything about what they are. God has left the building.
11
One of the principal tenets of evangelical faith is that one is to be a living example of the faith and do as much as possible to draw people to it. But today's evangelicals--modern-day equivalents of the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees of Jesus' time, who were among the few that Jesus condemned during his ministry--seem to be, instead, driving people (like me) out of their churches and repelling nonmembers so that they will never consider joining. Jesus wept over Jerusalem; I'm sure he's weeping over America today.
9
If anyone needed more evidence that religious groups in this country have become politically partisan, this is it. Being Christian today means ignoring sexual assault, approving of the destruction of families, ignoring foreign political meddling, and stripping rights from the more moderate majority of their fellow citizens. “Moral Majority”? More like the tyranny of the self-righteous.
23
@Robb Aley Allan: Nothing infuriates them more than what Brett Kavanaugh promises to nullify from the Supreme Court bench: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion", the Establishment Clause separating church and state in the Bill of Rights appended to the US Constitution.
6
Evangelicals have been the driving force behind the GOP for years. They are watering at the mouth with this opportunity to overturn Roe v Wade and more. This is why church and state need to be separate.
28
@SJBinMD: Only "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" separates church and state in the US. We haven't even extracted from this fake judge Kavanaugh what he thinks an "establishment of religion" is.
1
The evangelicals that take this view are nakedly advocating not only that the ends justify the means, but that one may legitimately engage in evil acts along the way.
11
@Mark Keller: Jesus died for their sins. They can do no wrong.
Franklin Graham says it’s smart to place what Franklin usually calls a sinner on the Supreme Court, a sinner with no sense of contrition nor aim to reform. Apparently “smart” has an odd definition for Franklin. Maybe for him “expedient” is a synonym.
14
How sad that the headline could not have been: "Evangelical Leaders urge G.O.P. to investigate accusations before voting on Kavanaugh".
10
These people are neither conservative nor Christian. Conservatives would not sit by and allow the debt to skyrocket. Christians would not sit by and allow the cruelty and bullying that is being passed off as leadership. These are self-interested people who think little of anybody not pledging loyalty to their team/tribe/side/faction/whatever they are.
19
They have my thoughts and prayers.
8
Boy or boy! Literally.
I do not understand how any religious group feels it knows God's will to the extent that they follow a political leader like Donald Trump, a serial transgressor of the Ten Commandments, down that dark road.
It is all about stopping a woman's right to control her body which is pretty old Testament. They are so preoccupied with unborn babies that they spend very little time, energy or resources with the health and welfare of actual little human beings who are already born.
So they will pray for Kavanaugh like they pray for Trump even though it may turn out that these two men have treated women as "prey". They would be better off praying for the preyed upon.
46
These corrupted leaders of the corrupt Conservative movement couldn’t find a single honest person among themselves to represent them in the White House. Imagine that, among almost 200 millions Americans, not a single qualified person.
That fully reflects on the degree of moral degeneration of American Conservatism.
14
@CarolinaJoe: These people are not conservative. They are religious revanchists preaching divine right feudalism.
1
Evangelical Christians have damaged the 'Christian' name with their unwavering support for Trump. Evangelicals can talk all they want about 'Christian' values, but when they support someone as amoral as Trump, the talk is nothing more than lip service. Talk is cheap, and it is obvious who walks the walk and who is just blowing hot air.
25
Note to Evangelical leaders:
Enjoy your frustration about the delay in Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing, because it's going to get really painful for you when his confirmation fails.
Know this, E leaders: Even if "miraculously" Kavanaugh does get confirmed, as soon as the Democrats win back a majority in the House and increase their Senate seats in November, they'll impeach this flawed judge -- this flawed man.
Kavanaugh will be history before year's end.
For that, the rest of us praise goodness!
10
While these folks may call themselves Christians, Christianity really has nothing to do with their politics. They are in the end just white southerners feeling maligned and marginalized. They are maligned, and they are marginalized, because the rest of us understand that their politics and their passion for the status quo (or a return to the 1950s) is fueled by racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. How do you explain this to a group of people who are both supremely arrogant, and incredibly ignorant at the same time?
34
Christianity really has nothing to do with christians.
The morality of it all! It is baffling that in 2018 men still find sexual misconduct allegations as something unimportant. Oh, I forgot Al Franken.
5
@Helene: So you agree Kavanaugh should withdraw and Trump step down, just like Al Franken, after prominent Republicans urge them to do so, right?
2
Please do not call them "Evangelical" leaders. There is nothing Christian about them. They are not the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Rather, they are espousing a socially conservative ideology. Further they have made a Faustian bargain with the Republican Party and Donald Trump in order to simply get an anti-abortion majority on the U.S. Supreme Court. Please just call them right wing speakers. There is not Christian among them.
18
So what they’re really saying is they can’t wait to get the 5th vote to overturn Roe which is supposedly ”settled law” according to Kav. If you want to see the true face of evangelical leaders watch the video of Copeland and Duplantis discussing private jets. Apparently us average commercial airline passengers are “demons” for them to avoid.
10
I find the intent amongst the Christian Evangelicals repulsively mean spirited and hypocritical. They've doggedly insisted on turning the clock back 40+ years demanding all babies be born.
Yet they've thrown their hat in with the GOP, who do little to nothing to provide the degree of social support services a single mother requires to parent, house and feed, complete/advance her own education or provide adequate child care/public schooling.
Reading about their hand-wringing over Kavanaugh's nomination being delayed or deterred, and their political threats to sit out the mid term elections only confirms they're a bullying, narrow minded special interest.
21
@Steve: The entire Republican Party is a grab-bag of single-issue obsessives in a mutual back-scratching coalition.
2
it's not much of a surprise that Evangelicals are not bothered by sex scandals, considering the history of their own leadership.
20
This is a lifetime appointment on the highest court in the land. In my opinion, whoever holds this position should have a stellar and unblemished history... which most do not possess. Why is this being rushed? There is a question and it needs to be investigated.
The disgusting part in this article is the hypocrisy of these Evangelical and anti-abortion advocates. Had Dr. Blasey actually been raped in this action by Mr. Kavanaugh and a pregnancy occurred, they would be the first ones disregarding Dr. Blasey and protecting the foetus.
Let due process occur and let us pray that the right person for this position is chosen.
201
@JBR Unfortunately the Republicans, at least, seem to be more focused on blaming the Democrats for the delay rather than taking seriously the magnitude of this appointment. Let's forget party politics for a minute and look to the good of the country.
35
@JBR — In addition, as Charles Blow recently pointed out on CNN, the (attempted) rape was of a *minor*.
Evangelicals are political, what happen to the separation between church and state?
The government needs support the separation. Tax them.
12
Evangelical is the equivalent of the devil in this scenario. We should emphasize the separation of church and State in the country not welcome right wing religious groups demanding a seat in the Supreme Court. This is another indication of GOP warping of the politics and religion equivalency they have been pushing the last 25 years as part of a ‘family’ first orientation that they have foisted on a nation that is more secular than ever in outlook.
8
Abortion is actually sanctioned in the Bible and performed by Priests at the Temple. Book of Numbers Chapter 5, verses 11-31. The Southern Baptist Church our out a press release at the time it was decided in 1973 that the Roe v Wade decision advanced religious liberty, human equality, and justice. Too bad Christians don’t read or abide by the book they purport to be the Word of the Divine.
Abortion was the issue the leadership of the Protestant denominations switched to when race was no longer viable to whip up their followers and continue to fill their coffers with money. They should also go read Matthew Chapter 21, verses 12-17.
5
One wonders how many of these so called, self-professed Christian evangelicals have actually ever read, studied and embraced the teachings of the Bible? Sometimes I wonder if they can even read or exhibit independent or critical thinking?
Why is it that no other country in the world with a substantive Christian population has an evangelical arm, such as the U.S.? It is because there is very little Christian in the American Christian evangelical population. Perhaps we need to call out Evangelicals for what they are.
5
Is Mr Reed arguing that Republicans have to protect Judge Kavanaugh, even if there might be truth in Dr. Ford's allegation?
5
When I hear tell of "religious conservatives," I always wonder what religion it is. When I hear the term "Christian conservatives," I think of what an oxymoron that is, an utter contradiction in terms.
Listen up, conservatives: Jesus really wasn't in your club. He was determined to change the status quo. The closest semblance of him I see these days is the Rev. William Barber, a North Carolina preacher who emphasizes empathy with the downtrodden and a simpatico relationship among all people of whatever origin. He leads the Poor People's Campaign, and he does it quite ably.
Conservatives focus on how to preserve the status quo and their own position within in. Such a focus is extremely self-interested, quite the opposite of everything Jesus taught. That's not surprising in some ways; Christianity is, after all, an Eastern religion, and Westerners have a problem reading it accurately. But if folks would TRY to read the New Testament rather than take their Granny's word for what it says, they might discover a whole world of information about how to live humanly.
If Jesus came just to reinforce the status quo, why the devil did he bother? Reinforcing the status quo and one's prejudices may be some kind of religion, but it is offensive to see this passed off as Christian belief.
Read, please, then try to list Jesus' "conservative" qualities. You won't need a piece of paper unless you like looking at a blank sheet.
This is not Christianity.
8
Mr. Reed says, "it will be open season on any Trump nominee..." Well, Mr. Reed, you have the Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell to thank for poisoning this well.
13
If Kavanaugh really wanted to clear his name, he should have supported full FBI investigation as well. Delay of 2-3 weeks wouldn’t matter at all. Next week hearings will be just the unnecessary theater and won’t solve anything.
We all know why he is not going to do that.
6
Why does this article keep referring to reactionaries, radicals and people who want a theocracy for U.S. as "conservatives"? They are not conservatives. They are cult members.
9
The daylight between them that you claim is there isn't. Hate, greed, oppression and death is the definition of American conservatism.
1
Its been many years since I last attended church, but for the life of me I cannot remember anything in the teachings or stories about Jesus Christ saying anything positive about these preachers who insist on "playing kingmaker" in secular politics.
My understanding of the teachings of Christian faith based on New Testament Bible were focused on helping those less well-off, sick, hungry, in need of shelter, etc without regard to how or even if one's help was acknowledged.
How have these so-called evangelicals strayed so far from the basis of Christianity?
4
And we care what they think why again? They voted for Trump and stand by silently as he violates nearly every moral precept they espouse, on the condition that he nominate those who will legislate for the establishment of these precepts nationally, and who appears to embody these precepts amidst accusations of assault and a public demonstration of a general tendency to dissemble? Not a group that should have any sway.
5
Shame on the Evangelicals who are Trump supporters and want Kavanaugh confirmed. What about the women of this country who are 'equal' citizens as the men? What about our rights for justice? Kavanaugh should not be confirmed! I believe Dr. Ford. There is a sincerity in her story that I can relate to. I hope Americans stand up for their daughters, wives, moms, nieces, aunts for once, instead of their political party! and the people who talk up God need to rethink what their values truly are!
7
These "evangelicals" are nothing but a religious shell for a PAC . Their tax exempt status should be revoked immediately and reviewed for as long as they have been acting in this capacity. All church donors should be provided the opportunity to correct their income taxes, penalties and interest due for a period before Federal charges are filed.
6
Gorsuch likes to add to his comments on a case that legislators can do legislation to change his interpretation of the law. I say to evangelicals and anti-abortion activists - have legislation introduced and voted on to make abortion illegal. Stop focusing on perverting our democracy through the Supreme Court.
1
@Donna. Constitutional rights cannot be abolished through legislation. You would need to overrule Roe v Wade for there to no longer be a constitutional right to abortion. Roe is based on the principle that the 14th Amendment grants all of us a right that the government cannot take away our liberty without due process of law. Liberty includes our right to make our own decisions about our bodies and medical procedures, and about whether and when to procreate. Do you really want the winding back of a decision that protects us from government interference in such basic decisions about our own bodies?
6
I can say with absolute certainty, that the Republicans don’t care who is telling the truth. Their only interest is in pushing through this confirmation of a wholly unpopular and illegitimate candidate.
9
Who cares what they think? Evangelicals represent a tiny portion of the US population.There's no reason on earth why they should be able to exert outsized power and influence over what our representatives do or do not do, and their absolute belief that they are right and the rest of us are wrong is reason enough to question their commitment to democracy.
8
I'm confused -- wouldn't evangelical voters have more incentive to get out and vote in November if their holy grail of attaining a radical conservative majority on the SC is still unfulfilled?
4
The evangelicals support a man who has a quarter-of-a-million dollars in credit card debt, may have a serious sports gambling problem, may be a sexual predator, had a serious alcohol problem, and lied during his confirmation hearing. Great values you got going there, Evangelicals. Of course, they also supported serial adulterer Trump.
131
As a self identifying evangelical Christian for most of my adult life, I want to say that I am deeply offended and disgusted by these so called evangelical leaders. They really do seem to have sold out their concern for truth and justice. I am having difficulty figuring out how I remain in this community of faith when it has been stolen by these hypocrites like Franklin Graham. I would just like to remind the readers of this article that Jesus was not like this and He is worthy of our trust and love. Please do not paint us all as hypocrites. There are many of His followers who feel as I do and who care about social justice and truth.
447
@Dale
Thank you for your courage. Unfortunately, you are only one man. Yours is the only voice I have heard disavowing these hypocrites.
2
@Dale- Thank you for writing
2
American evangelical Christians carry guns and promote gun ownership. They support a political party that promotes guns.
You think Jesus would be packing a gun?
Christians are hypocrites. Nothing more be said.
The symbiosis going on with the GOP and Evangelicals is a cancer in our political system. Sadly, Trump is playing them all. He has never been religious, nor pro-life, nor conservative, nor honest. Character? He scorns using character as a measure of a man. To him all that matters are ratings, bank balances and crowd size.
Evangelicals' SCOTUS goals are bringing about the tarnishing of the highest court in the land. Public opinion of the Supreme Court is taking such a hit. When one religion conspires to stack a court we are no longer on the precipice of a theocracy.
We have fallen in.
411
@Joanna Stasia NYC. Respectfully, that is far from where we are. We are some of the most morally unconstrained people on the planet. Evangelicals (like seculars) raise their voices, but there is no danger of theocracy, which implies institutional rule. The fact that the church continues to exist after to millennia, despite so much catastrophic mismanagement, will attested in this article, proves that institutional rule is no danger to anybody here.
Because it exists after so long there is no danger of institutional rule? I don't follow.
When the court is stacked with religious extremists who seek to control a woman's body, prevent certain people from marrying and beat back requirements that healthcare includes birth control I dare say that is institutional rule.
1
@Joanna Stasia NYC Then again, look on the possible bright side. Brett may be the first Supreme to be impeached for lying to, well, just about everyone. It is possible. Do republicans really want to go that route? Probably. Cover ups are always the order of the day. Or change the subject. Or blame the other side of the aisle. Or ... you know the list.
1
The faux christians (their hypocrisy denies them capitalization) have no problem with attempted rape. Heck, some of their most prominent televangelists are sexual deviates anyway. Let's stop pretending these charlatans are true Christians -- or even of good moral character.
127
The religious right will oppose Kavanaugh's accuser by expressing extreme skepticism about her ability to accurately remember an alleged assault which occurred 38 years ago. Yet they have no difficulty believing the stories about Jesus and his miracles, described in the four gospels, which occurred 60-100 years before they were ever written down -- and none of the authors were eye witnesses.
46
You are so right. Thanks for this.
3
"Democrats don't care about the guilt or innocence of Brett Kavanaugh. They only want to delay action on his nomination to the Supreme Court."
Evangelicals care only about getting this nominee seated on the Bench in order to advance the constructs of their religious world views. His guilt or innocence are irrelevant. He has been groomed and vetted by the Federalist Society to reform the current legal system in accordance with an Originalist view of the Constitution. That is sufficient for them.
59
I could stay up all night and still not think of a group whose opinions and concerns matter less than the religious extremists. It's time we treat them that way.
35
These are not churches. They don't recognize the separation between church and state because they don't have a church. It is all state politics all the time.
Some may be genuine atheists who do not recognize any power greater than themselves. Some may be idolaters, worshipping political power instead of god. Definitely they are lost in illusions.
Having the illusion of power burst right before they can grab it would be the best thing to happen to them and the rest of us. Maybe in their despair they will genuinely turn to God.
18
The Christian spirit in today's Evangelical conservatives is absolutely heart-warming, or perhaps breath-taking is a more apt description.
These alleged leaders must decide if saving fallen souls remains their true mission, in which case their first step would be to take a penetrating look into the mirror. Or are they actually as they now appear -- political zealots who falsely claim a moral perch -- in which case they must trade in their robes, collars and proselytizing in order to more purely and joyously partake of the Trump-Pence spoils.
34
@Peggy Rogers
So true, and I’m a Christian!
1
Serve the GOP right if Kavanaugh's confirmed and turns out to be another Roberts who at this point looks to have become the real swing vote anyway.. Supposedly he's well to the right but he's just as surely bound to the sense of the actual Bill of Rights as any other justice on any bench in the USA.
Has it escaped the so called evangelicals --hoping for a court that sees even entirely secular things their way -- that in any iteration of SCOTUS over the years, there have been some number of unanimous verdicts?
That said, I am tired of "evangelicals" polluting the sense of what is Christian by preaching right wing politics from American pulpits as they've done now for the past 25 years. Let them stay home in November and check into their bibles for a refresher course on the words of Jesus Christ. Let them seek absolution for having following the wrong gods home in 2016. It's said that Christ is merciful. One may well hope so.
38
@Liz R
" Supposedly he's well to the right but he's just as surely bound to the sense of the actual Bill of Rights as any other justice on any bench in the USA."
Ah, Liz R, I fear you give Justice Roberts far too much credit. When the dust settles, it will be clear just how extreme he is. Not being as extreme as Thomas, Gorsuch, or Alito does not make Roberts anything remotely resembling moderate. Former Justice Scalia considered Thomas pretty much crazy and Alito and Gorsuch are just as extreme, though not quite as nutty.
3
@Liz R
Great comment! These “Christians” would do well to remember Jesus’ Word to “Give unto Cesar what is Cesar’s and unto God what is God’s!
They need to focus on preaching the truth of the Bible instead of trying to stop stuff like abortion aka child sacrifices that has been around for thousand of years!
These so called evangelicals have traded God’s Truth for political ambitions. SAD!
And I’m a Christian!
I have never hid my pro-life views from anybody, but I think this is something of an empty threat. I despise this whole spectacle and I have little respect for the feminist left who sprang this business at the last moment. Even so, I just do not believe that most voters on either side of this issue are going to peg their votes for House or Senate to the success or failure of the Kavanaugh nomination. This is Beltway Politics, big time, hands down.
1
When will establishment Republicans look at their calendars and figure things out? It's 2018 and "faith-based" voters are in the minority and their numbers are shrinking. The new gospel is the old gospel and that means the economy.
11
And they call themselves Christians? Churches should not be tax exempt if they get into politics.
44
@John
You'd better fasten your seat belt to get ready for the Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh (or any other religious zealot that Trump chooses) Court.
And the wall came tumbling down. Only this wall will be the one between Church and State.
I see it as a win win for team woman. If they seat Kavanaugh, the Dems will take back Congress and Impeach him. If they don't the Dems will come out in droves to make sure this never happens again.
The religious are indeed correct. America can't stand them. They need to look to themselves to understand why this is.
65
@mj
I wish I could be half as optimistic as you are.
“Unless the woman...agrees to share her story with the Senate Judiciary Committee...” the Evangelicals demand Kavanaugh be confirmed. Interesting to see what stance the Evangelicals will take if Dr. Ford does indeed testify. Will they call for Kavanaugh to step aside? Will they insist Dr. Ford’s allegations be thoroughly investigated? Or will they (as seems the most likely) demean Dr. Fords allegations and question her truthfulness in order to maintain their support for a nominee whose position is that the Federal government does not guarantee a woman’s right to reproductive self control.
10
I am sincerely dismayed by the writer's conflation of Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas and Judge Kavanugh.
Bork may have been a excellent legal scholar but his views that upholding the Civil Rights laws and the decision underlying a woman's right to contraception were "wrongly decided" put him way outside the mainstream, and that was the basis for refusing to confirm him.
Justice Thomas was being accused by multiple and apparently credible women with lewd workplace behavior. Whether or not they were to be believed was at the heart of that decision. Not at all the same as in Bork's case.
The current situation is more like the Thomas case but it is still widely divergent, with the #metoo movement in the background and questions of whether 36-year-old accusations of juvenile behavior should be disqualifying. (The last is not a hard question for me to answer affirmatively, but it is being raised.)
13
@Manny Frishberg. The so-called juvenile behavior alleged by Dr. Ford meets legal criteria for a felony in my state: second degree sexual assault.
3
Sexual assault isn't "juvenile behavior"! What Dr Blasey describes is a rare degree of cruelty and criminality. Thankfully, most young men get through adolescence without covering a girls mouth with a hand to keep her screams from being heard while they attempt rape. It's likely only one boy in a hundred. Or less!
I worked in prison with men who've done the exact thing . A 17 year-old is only a year short of lock up in an adult correctional facility.
The euphemisms for this act of violence need to stop as they minimize the warped & cruel nature of the act (and what it says about the character of perpetrator) AND minimizes the damage done. Pease take time to read some women's accounts in the comments. Even 5 decades later, so many neither forget nor are totally free of the trauma. Thanks. kfm
2
They seem hostile to cases allowing contraception and other cases or laws that help allow women to have a shot at economic or social independence. And they’re not too keen on civil rights for people who aren’t far end of the bell curve heterosexuals. Or on supporting and ensuring the religious freedom of non-christens.
23
I think of myself as a someone raised in the Christian tradition that values community, tolerance, compassion and kindness. My heart tells me that human life must be cherished and it also tells me that women, who give us life, must be the masters of their own healthcare. I don't, for one minute, think that the decision to have an abortion is taken lightly. I suspect that it becomes a life long burden for most women. I also understand and respect people’s opposition to abortion. It’s heartbreaking.
What I can’t understand is the inability of both sides to come together and talk to each other. We need to get past politics. Women understand both sides of this painful conundrum; they have the insight to find a roadmap to tolerance. We men should get out of the way.
32
@Timothy
One side is willing to let people decide for themselves.
The other side demands that everyone conform to their side's beliefs and the laws made to enforce those beliefs.
What is there to talk about?
5
These 'christians' are defending a man, accused of attempted rape, who was nominated by a man who is an admitted sexual abuser.
I must have missed Sunday School the day that part of the Bible was covered.
87
@David Reid
Great comment! These “Christians” would do well to remember Jesus’ Word to “Give unto Cesar what is Cesar’s and unto God what is God’s!
They need to focus on preaching the truth of the Bible instead of trying to stop stuff like abortion aka child sacrifices that has been around for thousand of years!
These so called evangelicals have traded God’s Truth for political ambitions. SAD!
And I’m a Christian!
1
“If Chuck Schumer is majority leader and Dianne Feinstein is chairman of the Judiciary Committee,” said Mr. Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, “it will be open season on any Trump nominee to the federal bench at any level of the judiciary.”
I suspect that, unlike Merrick Garland, any future Trump nomination would still get a hearing.
31
Why should anyone's Faith be allowed to suppress choice of other American's freedom? Of course, every woman must have a fundamental right to exercise her reproductive rights,
It seems that this group seems to believe that they have Freedom to force others to toe their line.
3
Evangelical Scoreboard:
Devil 1, Souls 0
President's Greatest Hits
Public: Mr. Pres, This is a real Controversy and legitimate Criticism.
Trump: Blah, blah, blah... I'm building that WALL
Public: But what about...
Trump: Blah, blah, blah... Clintons
Public: Yes, but...
Trump: Blah, blah... Rigged investigation... Trade War With China... Blah, blah... NFL... Blah, blah... Fake Science...
15
Can we PLEASE take away these organizations tax exempt status? Pretty please?
34
In an attempt to give the far right wing position in this matter, the reporter involved overplayed the case if Kavanaugh goes down in flames, stating, "...a Trump-nominated Supreme Court justice would never be confirmed again" as what conservatives will claim throughout the fall and into the election.
This would be a lie but one that Republicans would certainly use. Trump would have to go for candidates who represent more of a consensus choice, people who have a greater sense of balance than Kavanaugh who obviously positions himself as a defender of the needs of the wealthy and powerful over everyone else.
The evangelicals made a deal with the devil (DJT) to try to get the Court to stop abortions. If the U.S. were to get into a war under Trump killing tens of millions of human beings outside the womb, no problem, as long as abortion was ended. Wars, in fact, are condoned and supported by most evangelicals, regardless of the moral necessity of the conflict.
At this moment, there is a smell of death around the Kavanaugh nomination. It is very difficult for a sitting judge to defend himself against a charge of sexual assault and attempted rape without digging himself deeper. He's in quicksand not because the Democrats are piling on, but because it is a serious accusation of misconduct and, all these years later, many people still remember the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill mess on Capitol Hill and now want to take all charges made by women against men much more seriously.
17
If Mr. Kavanaugh is confirmed to a seat on the supreme court, that will not be the end of the matter. Just some of the problems-- One: democrats with a new majority in the house voting to investigate this charge, now on a sitting justice-- and pending the results may decide to impeach him. Is that how you want to spend the next two years? Two: Mr. Kavanaugh, should he be seated, will always have an asterisk after his name, an invisible on that everyone knows is there, and the invisible footnote will read, "Alleged Attempted Rapist". Three: "not technically illegal" does not make a good campaign slogan, or convince anyone that the party's moral standing is even adequate -- unless they are already morally challenged. Four: Merrick Garland. You better believe this is still a problem for the left, and will remain so. A big red problem.
14
Not all Evangelicals support the current administration. Many of us are dismayed and wish our more vocal members would stop supporting an immoral President and his administration at any cost.
Yes, I hope we get a justice who will overturn Roe, but I don't want a potential sexual assault perpetrator to be that justice. It's ungodly that some evangelical leaders would sell their soul.
It's also unfair that those of us who are resisting the worst of this administration are largely unseen. The word evangelical has been co-opted by the extreme conservatives amongst us and the media that wants to portray us in a simplified way.
11
@Matt Hall
You wouldn't be unseen if you spoke out. Be as loud as, but less obnoxious than, Ralph Reed.
Most people listen to reasoned arguments, even if they don't agree with them.
3
It is pretty simple for such people to come out and disown these, so called, leaders publicly. Their silence is deafening.
2
Thank you for rejecting amoral and immoral behavior.
" ... Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ... "
Appears their demand for Kavanaugh to be on the Supreme Court is a violation of the First Amendment. They want someone on the inside to force the government to respect their religious ideology and allow them more room to make their moral ethics equal to the law for everyone regardless of faith.
15
It is remarkable that none of the evangelicals mentioned the most important question regarding Kavanaugh and Ford and how to think about things: is her story true?
12
Reed and others are cutting off their noses to spite their faces. The implied threat is that conservatives will stay home on Election Day. Really? So they are willing to lose the majority in both houses of congress if they don't get their way? Sounds like a childish tantrum, and more importantly, an abdication of their duty as citizens.
10
Isn't it the other way around, meaning if he's not confirmed, the so called evangelicals would flock to vote to ensure the Republicans will keep control of the Senate.
3
"Conservatives are likely to use protests and other forms of resistance to Judge Kavanaugh as a way to clarify for unmotivated Republican voters what Democratic control of the Senate means: a Trump-nominated Supreme Court justice would never be confirmed again."
What is objectionable is not so much that a sociopath like Trump is doing the nominating. Rather it's that the nominees he putting forth base their belief systems in religion rather than in observable facts.
A Trump-nominated justice could be easily confirmed if he/she were a non-partisan rational person with a fact based philosophy of jurisprudence and a clear respect for the strict separation of church and state.
8
The Right Wing can never take what it dishes out. The nomination of Judge Garland was blocked for months so he could not be confirmed, Kavanaugh deserves exactly the same treatment. Eat it.
41
what a world - so religious conservatives now think the sort of behavior at issue is acceptable/tolerable. in service of what -- they are willing to swap that for what perceived consideration? they think they got with Kavanaugh a fix in on Roe? very troubling for those of us who believe (as conservatives sometimes said) that issues of mores have no place in the courts; the tell-tale is that back in the day (except for the sex scandals of the religious leaders and flocks) religious conservatives would soundly condemn behavior of the sort at issue (subject of course to the powers of grace and redemption rehabilitating bad character and innate evil). what a deal the devil is driving.......
3
Most people who oppose abortion are looking for a reasonable compromise where abortions after a certain number of weeks and other measures which make it more reasonable.
So trying to demonize everyone is not fruitful.
Although i am not christian and yes there are some evangelicals who are to rigid in their christian beliefs..i think largely most conservatives want reasonable restrictions on imposition of liberal social values.
1
@Swami
Abortions after a certain number of weeks ARE illegal. Nobody with "liberal social values" is advocating infanticide on demand. To the religious right - NO abortions are reasonable. Not in case of rape. Not in case of incest. Not in case of genetic abnormalities. Not in case of potentially lethal consequences to the mother. And, if you look even closer - they oppose birth control under incorrect belief that birth control is equivalent to abortion. There is no compromise with religious extremists.
3
New polls indicate that Kavanaugh has negative support from Americans. It's extraordinary that Grassley and his cronies will not let him go.
15
This is what America has become - we are driven by snake dancers.
13
Gotta love those principled evangelicals.
18
@collinzes: I was thinking the same thing.
I have two words for Republicans who "decry the process as tainted and unfair" - Merrick Garland.
59
This is all much ado about nothing. If Kavanaugh is not confirmed, the President will simply nominate another judge in the same mold.
3
Reed and others are cutting off their noses to spite their faces. The implied threat is that conservatives will stay home on Election Day. Really? So they are willing to lose the majority in both houses of congress if they don't get their way? Sounds like a childish tantrum, and more importantly, an abdication of their duty as citizens.
How utterly cynical of Reed et al.
5
There is no real, practical reason to hurry to confirm the judge. But there is a real practical reason to sort out this woman’s story. You can’t do that in a quick ginned-up pro formal public slap down exercise.
Let the FBI do the background just like they always have. (Yes, they always have and the idea currently making the rounds that they haven’t investigated such things is wrong historically)
If the Republicans are so sure she is lying or is deluded or that no corroboration could ever be found then that will become a result rather than a mere prejudice. And we are no worse off for the time it takes.
It hurts nothing and possibly reveals the liar that one of them is. It’s a needed attempt for our country. Worth the effort.
16
@CB
It's not wrong or deluded.
Why were McConnell et al able to miraculously produce a list of 65 women who would attest to Judge Kavanaugh's personal integrity?
Because they knew they might have to.
Nobody produces a list like that that fast.
They had it ready.
5
How is it possible that so-called evangelicals justify their opinions on religious grounds related to the health of a fetus but ignore all other issues as a criteria to determine who they want as a supreme court justice? What about honesty? What about sexual assault? What about treating others with respect?
10
Is mixing a religious/church social goal reflect the traditional manner of US politics, is that what the Constitution promotes ?
5
These are not Christians. And they are certainly traitors to our Republic.
16
I guess we have always known how principled these people really are. That is the evangelical leaders are absolutely unprincipled, except for the Machiavellian principle that is.
17
Kavanaugh, like these evangelicals, is a self-righteous male who has been indoctrinated in a philosophy that women are not equal to men, thank you Jesuit-thinking.
I believe he has may have unacknowledged addictions, both in alcohol and gambling.
If I were a betting person, I put a wager on it.
17
@Jeanne M
Both my husband and I are Jesuit educated (Him - Fairfield Prep and Loyola New Orleans, Me - Fordham). This is not the Jesuits' fault.
There are thousands of young men and women who have graduated from Jesuit prep schools or universities whose takeaway from that experience was a high level of decency, a relatively progressive and intellectual spiritual worldview, and a commitment to the well being of others.
9
@Jeanne M
The Jesuits were / are, if anything, the enlightened ones.
Other orders ... well I'm not so sure.
I am a Christian, a woman, and the married mother of three daughters. I lean towards the fiscally conservative side; in college I was a College Republican.
I did not vote for Trump. At this point I will never vote for a Republican again, not even for selectmen in my moderate little New England town. The GOP needs to die. I don't care if in the process I end up paying a little more in taxes.
The "Religious" Right is a cancer on our society, it is a cancer on Christianity, and every member of the GOP, even the so called "moderates" and "adults in the room," are guilty of aiding and abetting the hostile takeover of our society by this tiny minority of the ideologically rabid and power hungry. I will never vote for any politician, no matter how "moderate", who enables these people and gives them the political oxygen to survive and leech off our democracy.
I have a graduate degree in theology; I know something about the Bible. The Religious Right protects and even encourages "sins that cry out to heaven" - rape, defrauding workers, turning away the refugee - in order to obsess over banning abortion, something the Bible DOESN'T EVEN CONDEMN. The only biblical mention of fetal life is to point out that its loss is NOT the equivalent of murder.
Yet the Bible goes on...and on...and on about the evils of inhospitality to refugees, defrauding workers and the poor, and even sexual violence.
This is the Religious Right's last gasp.
I hope the GOP dies with them.
131
@A F I couldn't have said it better myself. My upbringing and spiritual journey sounds very similar to yours. Even in Canada, the adoring Christian masses support Trump as if he's the Pied Piper and they have been entranced. I have been watching the blind following with increasing dismay, and can't understand what has happened to my Church. I don't feel so alone now reading some of the other Christian women's (and men's) opinions on here. I hope that there will come a day soon when Trump followers finally see the Truth.
"Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped"
@A F
As a Christian, I agree with most of your points, except for this part “in order to obsess over banning abortion, something the Bible DOESN'T EVEN CONDEMN. The only biblical mention of fetal life is to point out that its loss is NOT the equivalent of murder.”
I’m not sure where you got that idea from the Bible.
I don’t agree with abortion because it is the taking away of a life no matter the lies the feminist movement would have us believe; but I don’t think these so called Christians zealots should be pushing their agendas on those who believe differently on abortion, going as far as getting in bed with the devil to get what they want!
@A F
Thank you. I am not even remotely conservative, but I appreciate your comments more than I can say.
3
"Truth? Who cares about truth? Possible assault and perjury? Who cares about that? What matters is that we get more POWER for the next 30 years!"
14
So the death threats etc are not meant to frighten this good woman from testifying.
It's to inhibit any other woman from coming forward.
The crowds of women accusing Cosby, Weinstein etc. had no such threat.
And so it goes.
14
Kavanaugh needs to be disposed of, now.
9
I wish Walt Kelly were here to provide us drawings to accompany this article.
An invasion and over-running if America by creatures resurrected from the graveyards of the Dark Ages.
Just what we need to be voting for leaders driving the climate change that will devastate our human civilization and species.
8
Any jurist endorsed by evangelicals is to viewed with deep suspicion. Any group that would countenance the corrupt Trump with all his moral failings is not about to raise its standards when it comes to SCOTUS.
20
The pro-life evangelical right are so frustrated over any opposition to Judge Kavanaugh that threatens their agenda, some of their members are threatening to harm and/or kill Dr. Ford (and her family) in some of the most vile ways imaginable.
Judge Kavanaugh should have been the first and loudest voice to condemn any overt or covert threats against this woman. He should have been followed closely by the president and every other leading political figure, male or female, Democrat or Republican.
The total lack of Republican response in defense of this woman's right to speak truth to power just proves what most of us long ago realized, they just don't get it, never have, never will.
41
It appears some days that it is only President Trump who is still supportive of Judge Kavsnaugh. The Republicans could stand behind him a little bit more forcefully. He still is innocent until proven guilty. These allegations sound as though they have been trumped up. Dr. Ford should have come forward sooner if they were as horrendous as she claims them to be.
2
One of the few services President Trump has rendered the country, albeit unintentionally, is to provide an occasion to expose the so-called "Evangelical community" and their leaders as the grotesque frauds they are. Christians? Hardly. "Apostates" is more like it.
20
@Philip Johnson:
Religion has no place on the earth.
4
The laughable hypocrisy of the Evangelical Trump supporters never ceases to amaze me. A group of people that were apoplectic over Bill Clinton’s supposed immorality back in the 90s now fully embrace a president, who by his own admission, has sexually assaulted countless women and is implementing policies that are antithetical to the teachings of Jesus.
And then there’s the complete immorality of the Trump border policies of separating young kids from their parents, the immorality of doing nothing about the threat of global warming and the heartless roll back of the refugee programs where the United States would admit tens of thousands of vulnerable people each year.
And all for what? A 5th vote on the Supreme Court that will overturn a woman’s right to choose? Scientific studies of countries where abortion is illegal shows higher rates of abortion than countries where it’s legal. The Netherlands and Switzerland have legal abortion but have abortion rates close to one third of those in the US. Women in many states where abortion is illegal will simply turn to illegal abortion pills. Then watch the witch hunts and wasted investigations of many of these women. Is this the situation that women want in the United States in 2018.
Hard to believe that we’re on the verge of a fanatical cabal of people on the verge of rolling back worker’s rights, women’s rights, gay rights and environmental stewardship back decades. Make no mistake, this is what’s in store for the American people
32
If not for Eve, we'd all be living in the Garden of Eden.
Women are the root of all evil according to the "Religious Right."
When Republican and Independent women wake up to this fact is hard to tell.
7
I buy a car I'm protected by warranties and lemon laws. There is no lemon law for supreme court justices. If I buy a house I have a house inspection; and make decisions based on that. There are no such protections for us when choosing someone to uphold the law and be supported by taxpayer money in a lifetime position. Do an FBI investigation. "We the people" deserve to know what happened--it isn't like we can get rid of him later if and when it emerges that he did this.
This hypocrisy in evangelicals is simply disgusting. What are they afraid of?
12
Let's start referring to these people as ”right-wing evangelicals.” Their political agenda is transparent. There are progressive evangelicals who are adamantly opposed to the thinly veiled biases of Robert Jeffries, Jerry Falwell Jr. and their ilk.
7
@Richard Silkes
I'm happy to refer to them as 'right-wing evangelicals.' Now let's start hearing from the progressive evangelicals.
You are right! While the more progressive evangelicals are out there (e.g.. Sojourners), their collective voice doesn't seem to rise above a whisper.
Funny that "social conservative" seems to mean only anti-abortion and not anti-sexual assault. Perhaps "pro-pregnancy" would be a more accurate descriptor for such voters.
14
@Mark Gardiner
Right. Keep them barefoot and in the kitchen.
1
Just a guess, but I imagine that the same evangelicals that are frustrated with having to slow down and address sexual assault allegations against KavaNOT, are the same evangelicals who are hugely in favor of overturning Roe asso and limiting women's health care choices re contraceotion as well.
I respect that not everyone is pro-choice, but for heaven's sake let's not brush this moment under the rug.
6
Please, keep your warped religious beliefs out of my government.
If evangelicals want change, then let them teach their flocks. Opposing their values on the rest of us is wrong, absolutely wrong.
10
@wihiker I meant, "imposing their values..."
Sorry.
6
Faith based? Really? These people are hypocrites!
12
Oh, boo WOO.
Pardon me as I shed my tiny tears against a tinier violin because religious conservatives won't be able to legally hold me responsible to the contradictory whims of their weird mythology, even as they literally worship a philandering womanizer who throws rolls of paper towels at people who are grieving the deaths of their family members, and who refers to himself as the greatest person who ever lived.
So the question remains...how loudly shall I laugh, conservatives, and for how long?
16
If these snake oil salesmen want to play politics, tax them. End their free ride on my dime.
21
The Republican Party is historically buoyed and consistently supported by Christian Evangelicals intent upon conveying and transporting their conservative ilk and narrow agenda focused upon promoting WASP America's interests and beliefs. So, why, now, are the leaders of this segment of the political right inexplicably voicing frustration at the pace of Republican effort to preserve, protect, and defend one of their own? Surely they can register their disagreement (and possibly contempt) on November 6th. No rational justification exists, in strict political theory, for the Senate Judiciary Committee to simply engage in scorched earth tactics to ram through the nominee's confirmation. Numerically superior in votes, it is a virtual 'cake walk' and no GOP Senator should even flinch. Just do it. Be done with it. Over. End of debate. But apparently the beleaguered chief executive, hunkered down in the dark West Wing barking incompetent orders to the Senate and House GOP leadership lacking spine and independent strength, is walking a tightrope not to offend the accuser's supporters. After decades of directly attacking and maligning women accusers, suddenly 45 slams on the brakes. Why? Changing horses in mid stream is an abrupt distraction and blunt change. And what does religion have to do with this sordid ghastly tale of sexual deviance? The religious right has an inquiring mind. These religious sycophants overlook the obvious. Race, not religion, and white male privilege, matters.
6
As Jagger/Richards: You can’t always get what you want.
2
“If Chuck Schumer is majority leader and Dianne Feinstein is chairman of the Judiciary Committee,” said Mr. Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, “it will be open season on any Trump nominee to the federal bench at any level of the judiciary.”
From your lips to god's ears Mr. Reed!!! (Though, between us, we both know he's not listening.)
13
So the evangelicals are willing to overlook a possible sexual assault as long as they get their vote to overturn abortion. And they're threatening extortion by withholding their votes if they don't get their way. How many commandments does that break, exactly?
14
@JB, I like what Richard Silkes suggested above, that we start calling these people "right-wing evangelicals" so as to distinguish them from other evangelicals who adamantly disagree with the hateful messages of Falwell et al.
>>
“The White House is walking a tightrope,” Mr. Jeffress said. “They cannot summarily dismiss these allegations and alienate G.O.P. and independent female voters in the midterms. Neither can they abandon a nominee they and their base strongly support.”
>>
It's not a tightrope at all. Follow due process and don't worry if it takes 2-3 weeks longer to confirm. It's not that difficult.
8
They should stick to religion and not going involved in politics.
No religion should be a factor in any elections.
Take away their tax exemption right away.
This is party financing.
12
Ironically, if this President wasn't so greedy and corrupt, and wasn't recklessly enabled by a shameless Republican Congress, they would be well on their way to having a Supreme Court Justice Candidate confirmed. It just wouldn't have been Kavanaugh, who was not even on Candidate Trump's SCOTUS Docket list in 2016.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/19/us/politics/trump-scotus-justices.htm...
2
The Religious Right conducts itself like a political party in a theocracy. They believe they have the duty to force their views on the rest of society and have hijacked the Republican Party which acts like a dependency for their interests. They definitely don't believe in the separation of church and state and I feel they are a threat to the future of our democracy as fair and equitable to all Americans!
11
What did these Christians think of Merrick Garland?
13
What an absurd line of reasoning. If you Republican Senators don’t confirm the current nominee, we will stay home in November causing you to lose the Senate so that we won’t have the opportunity to confirm another conservative judge. Is there anyone who actually believes this hogwash? It is good, however, to see that evangelical leaders have retained their moral bearings through this process.
7
Tax them all. Tax them heavy.
17
So conservative leaders see an untruthful womanizing abuser as eminently qualified. That says it all about conservatives. Drop the moral from authority, and you just have authoritarians. Yep, that sounds right.
13
I see that these evangelical spokespeople are pro-life, from conception until birth.
9
I'd Roe v. Wade is overturned, there will be a revolution which, as frightening as that is, needs to happen.
10
Nobody is forcing them to have abortions or have gay sex.
We ask them to stop imposing their religious views on when life begins to people who aren’t in their religion. They don’t. Who is the oppressor in this story?
Democracy is about making compromises and agreeing to disagree so that we can live together in peace.
Societies that can’t do this end up being broken countries at the very least and rife in bloody civil war far too often as well.
16
"Evangelicals" do not "own" the Supreme Court. What about the rest of us.
Why do they get to call the shots. I don't care about abortion one way or another I don't care. But I do care that someone who might have committed a sexual assault on a woman will be sitting on OUR (all Americans) Supreme Court!
Bring on the FBI investigation.
13
A so called, "religious sect" wants quick approval for Mr Kavanaugh? Isn't religion suppose to keep their noses out of government to maintain their 503-C status? I hear a definite request for a taxation if you want representation here.
The hypocrisy here is they ignore potential sexual assault of a human being by their "candidate". Of course the "religious right' has never been either.
9
A faith founded almost 200 years ago, in the support of slavery, is my go to authority on morality.
5
This is a moral matter. When the fix is in - Trump in the White House conspiring with the Russians to rig the election, Kavanaugh in the Supreme Court appointed by Trump and anointed by Franklin Graham and Ralph Reed - you want it to come off as planned. Like you rigged it. You want what you paid for, for god's sake!
If you can't trust a fixed race, what can you trust?
8
Conservative Evangelical Christian’s support of Trump goes to the heart of the hypocrisy that damages all Christians…all religions.
What we have clearly witnessed the last 3 years is…so long as evangelicals get judges onto the Supreme Court, it doesn’t matter how the President behaves: his affairs, taxes and business interests, view of women; his fomenting of anger, fear and violence, nor how he may have colluded with Russia to open up our electoral process, our very democracy, to foreign interference….none of it matters.
Neither does it matter that our children are being shot in their own schools, environmental protections removed, income disparity expanding exponentially…that racism, sexism, misogyny, and white supremacy is on the rise, as is poverty, partisanship, tribalism, and hate.
Day-by-day Trump and his administration are deconstructing the very foundation of our democracy and stomping on the true spirit of the people of this great nation.
So long as Trump gets conservatives on the high court, nothing else matters to conservative Evangelical Christians.
This is not now, nor was it ever…the “way” of Jesus Christ. And to pursue these ends, via these means, in Jesus' name, to use an old school word…is an abomination.
21
Evangelicals can not possibly be Christians. Jesus asks us to help those in need. A woman who was assaulted needs support now. Where is all the evangelical help for the poor.? As far as I can see the only thing we hear about evangelical leaders is they keep getting richer while their followers get nothing.
18
Let’s face it - Evangelism has nothing to do with Christ and everything to do with ensuring a fundamentalist brand of white southern patriarchy stays on top and grows more powerful.
19
when the republican party joined hands with the religious right they lost many voters
11
I endorse the opinions of all those who excoriate the Evangelicals for the bottom dwelling hypocrites that they appear to be. I look at Judge Kavenaugh's adorable daughters, who now have to live with the knowledge that their dad is sort of...skeevy. I'd guess that the parents of their friends won't allow them to visit Chez Kavenaugh anytime soon.
Consider that if we get this morally questionable guy of the Supreme Court, he'll join Mr. Justice Thomas as the court's resident Justices with really questionable histories with women. I have to think that Mr. Trump's next nominee for the nation's highest court will be the reptilian Judge Roy Moore. The Pervo Caucus...
9
So Ralph Reed and gang are so concerned about getting Roe v Wade overturned that they want to whitewash what amounts to an alleged attempted rape by this selectee? How hypocritical is that? If that's the criteria for selecting judges by the evangelical right, then those people have irretrivably lost their way, and compromised their values to such a degree that they are no longer what anybody should consider as "religious" or principled or even Christian for that matter. For this reason alone, this nomination needs to be blocked.
9
Reed and Jefress are shameless hucksters, and hav b come enormously wealthy from the donations of the faithful, the gullible, and the misled.
Still, until there are counterbalance organizations, they have political weight to throw around. We need the counterbalance.
3
What happened to separation of church and state?
Why are we letting corporations -- and make no mistake, religious organizations are corporations -- run our country?
I'm disgusted by these billionaire pathological CEOs and prissy-pious evangelicals and their kool-aid-drinking followers.
15
‘We have to move quickly before anything else is discovered.’
9
Come on, they're being silly. There are plenty of more conservative judges in the sea.
2
@Robert David South
Yeah, but they would rather attack Doctor Ford and blame the Democrats than just admit they did a rotten job of vetting this one. The party of personal responsibility isn't about to admit they screwed up.
8
The Civil War has never been over.
8
These are the same Evangelicals who promoted the "Purity" movement of the 1980s, which claimed that women and girls are responsible for the sexual desires of men. "It was all about how [a woman] needed to be a good Christian by protecting [men] from the threat that is you--the threat that is your body...your sexuality." Linda Kay Klein has much to say about it in her book "Pure", recently published and so very on point.
6
This is disgraceful, even given their anti-abortion stance. The Federalist Society has 20 other judges on their"list" who would be just as much anti-Roe without the baggage of lying to Congress, running up 200 000 dollars in credit card debt mysteriously taken care of at the last moment, without a self acknowledged tendency to drink to excess (not only in prep school but at Yale Law as well-- "maybe it was at Toad") as well as a credible charge of having been sexually violent when intoxicated. "Evangelicals"?
What are they so worried about? Can't they give up on one bad actor when they have so many others waiting in line?
9
The notion of these faux Christian so called evangelical "leaders" that today's Democratic politicians are ruthless while Republican ones are not, or less so, is a lie so huge it dwarfs even the worst of Trump.
These hypocrites and authoritarians are among the most despicable people in our country.
Unfortunately, today's Democrats are incapable of collectively "plotting" much of anything, not to speak of a last minute ambush of a Supreme Court nominee. And this is particularly true of Senator Feinstein, who has more ethics in her little finger than all 51 Republican Senators combined.
7
“Democrats are “playing by different rules.” At least they have rules. Why would a Christian vote for a man who ran around on his wife (wives), used salacious language describing women, and who lies on a daily basis? It is because these “Christians” want the power. Power over women and their lives. They know that the pious looks Trump gives them are fake. But the power to control the Supreme Court has given them the itch to ignore all falsehoods.
8
Evangelicals. If I were you, I don't think I'd be looking forward to the Rapture anymore.
You will be judged. And not by your hypocritical, wealthy, politically active, rationalizing pastors. If only it was that easy.
13
The Graham family business and Ralph Reed of stealth candidate fame: There’s a stinking part of the swamp if ever there was one.
11
Evangelicals want to push this appointment through quickly in order to control women, by ensuring that Roe vs. Wade will be overturned, and by making it known that attempted rape is no big deal. Women are meant to be controlled, after all. These are among the least Christ like people on earth.
11
Can we please stop calling these people 'Christian evangelicals'? There's nothing Christian about any one of them.
16
Is Sen Collins going to comment on this — this feels more like extortion than the bribe she accused ant-Kavanaugh forces of.
7
Come on Senate, give the Evangelicals what they have paid for- punishment for sinful daughters of Eve, who tempt men, mere men governed by uncontrollable passions, into creating an unwanted pregnancy.
4
Oh, my. These evangelical leaders need to get a new God. This one seems to have an agenda that flies in the face of their own. Why, he even seems to be nudging their man right out of the White House and may even be understanding the plight of women! What next? Will this God start raging about those children in cages?
Really, he has become quite uncontrollable.
6
@Rose
No, not a new God, pleeease. We need an old time Neolithic Goddess.
5
These so called "evangelical leaders" are not Christian in any sense of the faith. When will the press start calling them what they are: Phony Christians?
5
Evangelical leaders should thank their lucky stars that they have an ally in Vladimir Putin otherwise they would not be in a position to get their guy on the Court. Putin's goal is to destroy America. What's their goal?
5
Well I suppose Evangelicals leaders realized prayers can only go so far...
4
Does Reed actually do anything meaningful for a living or is he just on evangelical welfare.
23
He makes money off of people who have little to spare. Gospel of prosperity. His pockets are big.
13
@Steve....Remember when he got caught up in some scam several years ago?? He's a has-been and is not relevant anyway!!
5
How can anyone call themselves Christian when they won’t pause confirmation long enough to check if Kavanaugh is an alcoholic and/or guilty of sexual assault? I do not think Christ would have thought the ends justify the means!
5
@Alexandra Hamilton
No, you don't understand. The new revised King James Bible has it a little different. It's "the means justifies the end"
1
Jesus signed stories of seven woes exposing the hypocrisy of those Pharasees and Scribes who embellish their garments, misguide and mislead the people. Today we recognize their descendants all too well.
At the root of white evangelist fundamentalism is a basic disrespect for all things Christ wanted of and for his following. They reach the epitome of their ignominy in identifying with Donald Trump and his politics.
19
You have to hand it to those Evangelicals. No taxation but representation. Good scam if you can pull it off.
13
This white male Christian wants to know where in the Bible Jesus says “ hurry up and don’t talk to witnesses.” The Senate refused to have hearings for almost a full year on Merrick Garland. It is only been something like 71 days for Kavanaugh. Today’s news reports that a Republican Yale Law school professor told women students who were thinking of working as a law clerk that Kavanaugh hired only women who looked like models. Yeah, that’s certainly Biblical.
8
The people who perpetrated the Holocaust and the Inquisition called themselves Christian.
The only Christmas Carole I wouldn't sing was " Onward Christian Soldiers".
And then there were the religious wars in Europe.
5
Why, Why do they care? The abortion issue is just a fake issue to them - always has been. Just something to rally the crazes. All they care about is power and money. God and Christ have nothing to do with it. They are so non-Christ like that if you are a believer they can only be direct from the devil himself (or herself).
11
Nice to know the evangelicals are right up there with the Catholic Church. One covers up child molestation. The other doesn't seem to have a problem with attempted rape.
We say it is our politicians on both sides who have failed us. Looks like our religious leaders are doing a pretty good job of failing us when it comes to modeling and teaching moral clarity.
5
Any amount of indecency is tolerable to advance their agenda. To the devil with them.
4
Why or how these so-called "men of god" think they can dare to intervene in civil affairs is unbelievable. And totally inappropriate. We all know this crowd - the Elmer Gantry Group - too well. And they are NOT doing the business of "the lord." They ARE intent on grabbing and holding onto temporal power and control and want to subjugate women and minorities. How is this "Christian"? In any way? Yes, white men, change is hard. And I am sure that your Jesus would not at all approve of what you are doing. In fact, he would throw you out of the temple in a heart beat.
5
Kavanaughty is his true name
3
Where was it Jesus said, "Be as political as you want, as long as the end result is good?' Oh that's right He didn't.
3
Your flag decal won’t get you into heaven anymore.
7
Evangelical hypocrisy is doing more to destroy christianity then pedophile priests...
8
Some "men of God" these evangelical leaders are. They do not care whether there was abuse, rape, adultery... NOTHING seems to dampen their enthusiasm for religious totalitarism.
9
So we have Ralph Reed openly threatening the White House to get moving and do the bidding of the white evangelical community or they will boycott undertaking their civic duty to vote in the November elections. Like I needed more confirmation that these hypocrites are only interested in turning the US into a fundamentalist Christian theocracy for their fun and profit.
18
Why are Evangelicals Republicans?
Both are consumed by Money, Power and controlling those too weak minded/poorly educated to question them.
18
The "Evangelicals" again demonstrate there is nothing to unethical, too immoral or too contemptible for them to do in pursuit of their goals. Turns out their goals are also unethical, immoral and contemptible as well.
6
This once again confirms the hypocrisy and immorality of these so-called "religious leaders". They could care less whether the alleged attempted rape actually occurred. They only want to make sure they can impose their own beliefs on all Americans, no matter who is doing the imposing. These evangelicals are showing their true colors. They have no morals, no integrity and no shame.
10
Well said. Could not agree more.
2
So these “Christian” leaders have fully embraced “the end justifies the means” philosophy of Lenin. President Grab ‘em, Senator Pedophile, and now Supreme Court Justice Sexual Assault are all okay as long as they can tell poor women what to do with their bodies.
They need to understand that unless this country becomes like Russia, abortion won’t be illegal over the whole country. Women of means including the mistresses of GOP members will just go to a blue state. Poor women will be forced to carry unwanted children. Then the GOP will starve the children or deny them health care.
November can’t come fast enough.
13
When you have such rigid doctrinaires like Ralph Reed and Robert Jeffress in your corner, you know you have problems. Both men perfectly demonstrate that evangelicalism is nothing more than pseudo religion; a confusion of entertainment for worship. To simply excuse their words as religious hypocrisy which it is, just masks the more darker tones of evangelicalism, its materialistic nature, its lack of true compassion, its money grubbing and the politicizing of faith.
13
They not only want to bring our world back decades but centuries. This is all on the republicans. Old white men grasping for more power, more control. Men are afraid that the truth will come out. When you demean and try to belittle women your true nature is apparent. A man making jokes about a woman being abused has no right to represent us in Congress.
10
These folks make Tartuffe look like Sir Thomas More.
3
Do these folks have any shame at all?
9
Wow, do these people really call themselves Christians,and preach the word of GOD as a calling. All I can say is GOD is all and knows all. Even these so called Christians have to face our Lord one day and will have to explain themselves for supporting a sinner, to gain very little at the end of the day. Damnation waits for no one.
8
Ironically, the evangelicals had better pray that there is no God.
14
So great that Merrick Garland was not mentioned once in this article.
5
The headline and front page encapsulation are everything I need to know to confirm I don't ever want to see Kav confirmed. Delay Delay Delay. End.
7
I have a mantra which works for me:The Christian Right is neither CHRISTIAN nor RIGHT!
11
I am a German Protestant Pastor. I was working in prisons and psychiatrics and in Slums in Columbia and in church communities in southern Germany. Thank you all, who criticize the evangelicans. They are no christians. They are hypocritical hypocrites and pharisees. They read the bible only for their own Benefit. They are no christians. They are criminals. I wish you my very best. KHSigel
15
We haven't heard much from the cadaverous Mr. Ralph Reed since his support of Josh Duggar of the Family Research Council who was last seen on TV confessing about "researching" his own sisters in their own beds, cheating on his wife and crying about his porn addiction.
Mike Huckabee was a fan of the Duggar bunch as well. Mr. Reed also hooked up with Jack Abramoff with their Indian casino scheme in which Jack went to jail. What a pious bunch who want to run our SC and want the guys they bought - our Senators- to pony up. I hope the deal they made with Trump for Kavanaugh goes back to the devil.
13
Americans who love the Constitution are beyond frustrated with extreme right-wing religious fanatics who would never have seen the light of day a decade ago now dictating policy for a majority of people who despise their hypocrisy and craven amorality. All because Trump needs sycophants to lick his boots. When are people going to wake up and realize our country has been sold to a pack of gangsters?
7
They are hypocrites, they think the Church is a cage to keep God in, so he will stay locked up there and not go wandering about the earth during the week, poking his nose into their business, and looking in the depths and darkness and doubleness of their hearts, and their lack of true charity; and they believed they need only be bothered about him on Sundays when they have their best clothes on and their faces straight, and their hands washed and their gloves on, and their stories all prepared.”
― Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace
6
I'm not certain how true this story is but the head man of a tribe in the Amazon jungle called his son to him as he lay dying and whispered his last words of advice. " Never trust a Christian wearing a suit "
Whether this is a true story or not it seems to bear relevance in todays world.
4
For men like Ralph Reed, rape and sexual molestation are just another way to put women in the place they belong. On their backs and pregnant.
Ralph Reed and Christian Conservatives are secretly smiling that when women's rights are final taken down by 5 men, 2 of them will have been seated after being accused of sexual misconduct and assault.
6
Who really cares what the religious right thinks or does anymore? They are so irrelevant.
10
As long as kitty grabbing is done to make sure women know their place and are prevented from controlling their own bodies, it's all for the glory of God--is that what evangelicals believe? It seems so. Women should keep their mouths shut.
Take a hike, fake Christian soldiers and leave us alone. Whatever happened to free will? I will take my chances and stand before God to be judged, but I won't let you do the judging.
10
Faith-based voters are totally fine with sexual assault as long as the victim doesn’t get an abortion.
19
I totally disagree with your clumping all people of faith who vote into one mold.
People of faith practice many different religions and streams within a single religion. Some of them are even pro-choice BECAUSE of what their religious faith teaches about the precious value of already fully born and grown pregnant women or about when human life begins or any number of other matters.
1
Churches influencing politics shall pay taxes
~ Hypocrites 16.00
7
These people are not Christians
8
Let them stay home!
7
I don't mean to cast no aspersions on anyone, but guys like Ralph Reed and Robert Jeffress are charlatans. These men are opportunistic sociopaths and hypocrites of the highest order. They disrespect the very religion they claim to represent. These are greedy, mean, nasty, political and dishonorable people who are more interested i donations, large homes, vacation homes, flying on private jets and lavish lifestyles than their Christian values. They are out to fleece the flock and nothing more.
15
When was the last time Ralph Reed got his hands dirty helping anyone, other than himself stuffing money in his pockets.
9
The sickening, cynical hypocrisy of fake "Christian Leaders" like Ralph Reed have besmirched Christianity. Reed in particular is a faux-Christian. He has bamboozled a large segment of the evangelical community into thinking that voting for Trump is somehow their religious duty. He is slick as a snake, capitalizing on his choir-boy looks.
Evangelicals are never going to recover from this debacle. Reed, Franklin Graham and their ilk have thrown Christian morality out the window. Their lack of ethics is reprehensible.
Jesus wept. Jesus weeps.
9
Sure, let's hurry this up. Who care if there's a little felonious sexual assault around the edges? What we really need is to make sure these creatures pump out as many Bible-believin' babies as we can coerce the 15-year-old-and-up crowd into having, and as fast as we can manage.
9
Reminds me of the bumpersticker: Dear Jesus please protect me from your followers.
12
It seems from NYT reporting this year that Christian leadership is no friend to women or children, and this rush to confirm an alleged Failed attempt rapist due to too drunk and silence a female victim is the latest example.
1) see the case of Paige Patterson, who was head of 15 million southern baptists from early 2000s who counseled battered women to go home and “be subservient to their husbands in every way”, this year baptist women got him removed from office although only retired with pension and living privileges on their campus.
2) see the Illinois willow church ( I could be wrong on the name) where the popular pastor had been molesting the women church staff for years
3). See the Catholic Church with new pedophile investigations every other week in a new city
4) let’s not forget Jim Baker, jimmy swaggert and the Mormon who is now in jail (Jeffries?)
I believe in the 10 commandments but Almost no church leaders.
5
If Evangelicals take over the politics and get control of the republican party and if that is the only party is going to win, these people will become another American equivalent of Talibans by holding guns and trying to force Christian Sharia law on everybody.
Let us properly vote on Nov 6th and stay as a secular nation.
16
These false evangelical Christian multi-million dollar “church” leaders care nothing about truth or honesty. Their simple goal is killing Roe v Wade. If Kavanaugh is actually a sexual attack predator? They can look past that. Win the vote they say.
As long as these mega-church evangelicals can continue their millions revenue stream, they could care less. They lead sheeple, who will never have the horsepower to understand.
7
@Peter Henry Peter, I hear ya, but Roe v Wade is just the obvious by product. It is people who follow these con men because these con people make them feel good or right, but it does not change who the people really are. If they will follow a mega church pastor and a bad businessman as President, they will walk through fire and burn because they were told to. Many people do not employ critical thinking skills and just send money and follow these clown. My grandmother, who made very little in rural Alabama, gave to one of those old time preachers on tv for 40+ years. And as long as these mega churches get tax exemptions, they will thrive.
1
These guys want to put another fascist theocrat on the Supreme Court so badly they will look past any flaw and ignore any past indiscretion. For the X-Rites and the GOP, power trumps morality every time.
6
Another recruitment ad for atheists and a black eye for religion.
9
I’m just fine with my religion, thank you, and I think you unwarrantedly sully all religion and people of faith while at the same time conveniently ignoring the numbers of atheist or non-religious tyrants and areligious but no less oppressive or authoritarian forms of government or social organization.
I’m not a fan of the so-called Christian Coalition or imMoral Majority, but I have lots of reasons to respect other people who actually hunger for Spirit, as opposed to hungering for power.
1
Apparently, Jesus is not happy with the behaviour of people using his name, especially people like Reed, a known felon, Graham who preys on honest individuals and all of the evangelical leaders who are there for the almighty dollar. A Kavanaugh on the Court will assure a flourishing future for these Temple vendors.
7
Shouldn’t these people be helping the poor like Jesus said? Oh wait, these are Evangelicals. To them the Bible is just a vehicle to express the racism, misogyny and homophobia that their religion is built on.
7
Franklin Graham needs to shut his mouth.
8
Poor Jesus is spinning in his tomb
1
This is so despicable!! The evangelicals hate a Christian who is gay or lesbian but have no problem with a womanizer or one who sexually assaults a woman. Go figure!!
5
Can the evangelical community please go and establish a home in another country? I for one want to live under the US Constitution and be free of all this hypocritical demagoguery. The same people who are rabid about saving embryos and fetuses are just fine with pulling children away from their mothers at the border. It’s sickening. Enough!!
9
And are perfectly ok with sending teenagers to kill and die in needless wars or, rather, in wars that make or keep their leaders rich.
There was a saying about (most) Republicans, which applies to these disingenuous men to whom life and human rights may begin at conception, but end at birth.
1
When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross. These fake Christians want power handed back to them because the congregations with a half a brain have been running away in droves. Fascism guarantees power, money, and unlimited wealth.
8
Few things say "Man of God"!!!! like an accusation of attempted rape, in which the pious then blame the woman.
13
So the evangelicals would back an attempted rapist, should this prove to be true?
And also apparently back (or are) the folks who send death threats to the accuser?
How very sad and scary for our country.
And how very Christian.
3
I wasn't aware that blackmail was a Christian value.
6
The evangelicals are a ruthless evil group of politicians hiding behind the bible.
4
Hypocrite based is more like it. The least Christians of Christians.
3
That’s it!
These self-righteous bigots are calling the shots for Republicans. They know how Kavanaugh will vote and he LIED every time he professed he would be an impartial judge.
Judge Kavanaugh is a proven liar and these bigots applaud his ability to lie. Jesus would cry.
7
Just give the "faith-based" voters a "faith based" MAGA hat.
1
Evangelical Christians leaders would pull out a gun and shoot someone on Fifth Ave. if it could guarantee them a judge to overturn Roe v. Wade.
7
I suspect they are after a whole lot more than just overturning Roe v. Wade. Take note.
3
So apparently the evangelicals have learned nothing from their own recent sexual harassment and abuse snafus at Christian colleges and Willow Creek in Barrington IL.
They are absolutely tone deaf on sexual assault. If they bothered to ask their sweet submissive and obedient wives about this, they may find that they would not want their sweet young daughters subjected to 'boys who will be boys'. They think their daughters would never attend a party with drunken sexually assaulting boys. But they should talk to the preacher's kids, reknowned for the adoption of the wild side, without parental knowledge.
Approving Brett Kavanaugh will send a huge 'Go ahead!' to all teens who love to drink, party, and assault young girls. These men are telling all teens that these behaviors are just fine because you can always repent and be forgiven by attending church when you grow up.
This blind eye to immorality to protect their own political power is a perfect imitation of the San Hedrin and Pharisees who were mocked by Jesus as ' whited sepulchres'-- a home for the spiritually dead covered with whitewash to appear pure and holy.
Evangelicals have signed a Mephistophelean deal with the Devil
3
How can any religious leader be so anxious to put an alleged attempted rapist and obvious perjurer on the Supreme Court?
Why are our elected officials pandering to religion? This is really an ugly, unAmerican situation.
4
This article is disturbing. The height of hypocrisy playing out and either they are too dumb to understand or simply just don’t care.
3
Unfortunately, it’s nothing new.
What is new was Mitch M’s GOP refusing to allow a duly-elected President (who, unlike the current one, was elected by a sizable majority of BOTH the actual voting public AND the electoral college) to get even a shot at filling a SCOTUS vacancy because the next election was an enormous 300 days in the future. By fiat the Republicans sacrificed all of our ability to receive the wisdom and input of a full SCOTUS bench, sometimes causing delays while they kept that seat I filled for more than an entire year (400-plus day’s)!
They don’t care about justice. They care about having a rubber stamp for Citizens United, Hobby Lobby, and for absolving them and trumPutin of any timely meaningful consequences for their wrongdoing.
4
Well, we now know their agenda is set, the bunch of "god believin' heathens!
What ever happened to the separation of church and state? Just curious.
2
The New York Times continues to be in the forefront bashing Christians. Anyone who thinks that abortion is a bad thing is stupid. I doubt that this comment will be published.
2
Is abortion the only issue you’re concerned about? Do you want your nominee, whoever it is, to be your one-trick pony?
4
Thought you folks don’t like government interference in people’s lives?
3
@freddy 16:
I hope it is published for all to see... it’s good to see how weak the opposition is.
Quick.
Before everyone finds out what an immoral, unrighteous, misogynistic pig he is.
12
=== > WOULD THE NYT ***PLEASE*** STOP CALLING THESE PEOPLE "EVANGELICALS"?
ALL Christians are, by definition, evangelical, stemming from the etymology of the word: "Late Greek euangelikós". I have been an evangelical Christian since my infant baptism.
These people are FUNDAMENTALISTS. (And "foodcourt-menu" fundamentalists at that: a little of this, a little of that, and smother it in sauce; the Republican pantheon of serial adulterers (Donald Trump, Bob Dole, Newt Gingrich, Mitch McConnell, John McCain, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Sanford, Rudy Giuliani and Bob Barr, to name a few; and then there is Dennis Hastert) make for comfortable bedfellows.
"Fundamentalist" doesn't sound as nice, but it is what they are.
14
Democracy be damned.
Whatever happened to separation between church and state? Seems like Evangelicals have way too much sway in our government. Maybe it’s time to revisit their tax exempt status.
Can’t have it both ways.
13
If they don't vote that would be a blessing. The Evangelicals already have tax exempt status but for some reason are allowed to campaign for their favored GOP candidates. That used to be illegal. We need to bring back separation of church and state lest we end up as a quasi-theocracy.
51
Hi
As an outside observer I can assure you that America is viewed as a theocracy.
France has true separation of Church and State. No politician is allowed to make any reference to religion in their campaign. They are not allowed to have a church in the background of photos or videos. No wearing of religious symbols such as crosses.
Try that in the USA
2
So much for Christian values. As Christ himself said:
"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."
59
So they want to be tax exempt and have political power. I thought it was no taxation without representation, not representation without taxation.
85
Our system that allows for "religious" institutions to be exempt from taxation has got to be shelved. The loosey goosey 503-C regs that allow for all sort of quasi-educational tax exempt entities - constantly used for political propaganda - are also in desperate need of reform or repeal.
Religious exemptions at all levels fund political activity, and enable these folks to fight to restrict rights of many who do not share their beliefs. More than ever I resent seeing some version of Ralph Reed actively seek to control government.
If people want to support their religious institution, let them pay for it in entirety.
I cannot deduct political contributions; but the laws under which "churches" are protected enable religious advocates to do just that indirectly.
It is a twisted system, mocking the separation of church and state that the founding fathers wisely viewed as dangerous.
220
Well said.
2
Maybe the FBI can look into influence peddling of these evangelical leaders. They seem to be saying out loud that they have made deals with these senators to deliver political goods via our Supreme Court.
Let's get ALL the rot out of the way.
52
@Kay Johnson
Ralph Reed, Robert Jeffress and Franklin Graham all dressed in prison stripes, now that's the kind of miraculous vision I could believe in. Smarmy purveyors of mendacious falsehoods, each and every one of these hypocritical grifters ought to be ashamed of how they deny Christ's Sermon on the Mount with every lie that issues from their forked tongues. They and their ilk disgust me.
1
Since 45 has been residing in the White House, I've aged about 10 years over the past two.
As a secret assault survivor who watched Anita Hill testify and now Dr. Blasey being torn to pieces in the media, I am considering tucking a self portrait away in the attic.
More women than anyone can imagine have been assaulted or had close calls and suffered quietly.
We live in a sick society. Vote November 6.
114
@lechrist
The telling thing is that Republicans are actually saying they don't really care if that woman's allegations are true. To them, women are second-class citizens who exist to serve men. I don't agree with that. My hope is that a lot of Republican women also disagree and will take this blatant episode to the ballot boxes with them in November.
1
@lechrist
I'm sorry you had to suffer assault and trauma. In my own life an unscientific survey makes me believe at least 1/3 of all women I know had at some time either be assaulted, abused or harassed.
1
What am I missing here? If there is a delay for a quick investigation, it is still not October yet.
Is next week the last chance to confirm Kavanaugh before the midterms?
16
'a growing number of evangelical and anti-abortion leaders are ... warning that conservative voters may stay home in November.'
I'm confused: they say that like it's a bad thing ...
72
Merrick Garland.
100
Remember
4
@Steven We remember.......
The evangelicals are being true to themselves. They believe that women are inferior to men and should obey their husbands in all things. Women are vessels to be filled by babies while spending all their time and energy making men's lives easy. Their desire to have Kavanaugh seated has nothing to do with his character and everything to do with controlling women and their ability to determine their own course in life.
For the billionaires funding the Kavanaugh appointment, the goal is a very corporate friendly court that extends their rights while curtailing all restraints on their ability to rape the earth's resources with abandon and take no responsibility for the outcome. Same goals, different victims.
There is no interest in serving the public good.
108
Evangelicals are Koch pawns.
4
Anything that keeps conservative voters home in November is OK by me.
88
@EA
Right you are, let them all go to Church instead!
3
That's divinely inspired.
A few days ago I got into a knock-down-drag-out with a very conservative acquaintance of mine who got on her highest dudgeon when I claimed she only watched Fox News for her information; she said she "doesn't even have cable!". But then I inadvertently opened her laptop and right there was an email from some "Christian" group, and I was shocked to read exhortations to "take action!" for Kavanaugh that practically sounded like inciting a riot. Wow, how did religion in America ever end up like this?!
78
@Raul Campos
Why do Evangelicals try to protect the unborn but not protect the already born. This makes no sense of any kind, but it's definitely not Biblical.
Since when is rape not a sin?
@TritonPSH Almost no conservatives admit to watching FoxNews. From speaking to them you'd think that the network would have a zero rating.
@TritonPSH there is a certain brand of religion in America that has always been like this. Remember the Salem witch hunts?
Does anyone still think that Roe, civil rights & voter rights won’t be overturned?
29
@Marion No one on either side- its a done deal!
Pity the poor Republican senators. Confirm him and lose a large share of the woman vote. Decline to confirm and lose a large share of the evangelical vote.
18
Women will be around a lot longer than these fanatical charlatans!
4
They deliberately got into bed with these God-awful men. I don’t feel sorry for them at all.
2
But aren’t Christians supposed to turn the other cheek and forgive???
1
By urging the GOP to move faster, regardless of the consequences to the Public at large and to the woman, these Evangelical leaders are only proving they are holding hands with the devil.
102
I can't imagine how any self-respecting, intelligent woman would be either a Roman Catholic or an Evangelical. These denominations demean and dis-empower women every chance they can.
76
I am a Catholic woman and I do not recognize my religion as you describe. I have never been demeaned but have always been treated with the utmost respect by the clergy and those who are in religious life. You should attend Mass to see for yourself.
@Paul
Let me explain how. First, I am a seamless pro-life Catholic which means I not only oppose abortion but favor gun control and healthcare for all. I didn't vote for Trump and I don't want Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. There is no point in overturning Roe v Wade if America is not prepared to help women and their children after they give birth. I think there are many more Christians/Catholics who think the way I do. But I'm not Catholic because of the hierarchy. I'm Catholic because of Christ who was so misunderstood by the hierarchy of His time that He was put to death. I pity those who throw the "magic man in the sky" and " religion as superstition" theories around. Christ chose the weak things of the world to shame the learned and wise. There are lots of people who call themselves Christian but whose conscience is formed by politics and not vice versa. I'm not one of them. But I do boast in Christ and make no apology for it.
Peace
@WPLMMT
And how many of those clergy are women? Alter girls anyone?
The Republicans rushed the entire process of Judge Kavanaugh. They couldn't wait for the National Archives to release his papers. Now, they can't wait for an FBI investigation and President will not ask for one. Every woman in this country who has been molested know that Dr, Ford is telling the truth. The two witnesses have refused to testify. The FBI could compel the witnesses to talk to them. But Republicans are afraid of what? The truth?
They will pay at the ballot box. May be that is why they continue to rush, they know no matter what they will lose control in November.
55
Completely agree - any woman who has been molested, humiliated, violated (which is probably most women, sadly) knows she is telling the truth.
No to Kavanaugh (or any other pasty, alcoholic frat boys with “issues” and for that matter, to any Stepford-Wifey “gals” that Republicans might choose). Only qualified impartial candidates with integrity please!
3
@jb367
Remember that, as Henchman Giuliani tells us, "Truth isn't truth."
It's way past time that these churches start paying taxes.
85
Why are none of these so-called evangelical leaders women? I wonder what their wives are saying?
54
@McDiddle: Nothing. Their wives are obedient and submissive to their husbands, who according to their beliefs, represent God to them.
3
@McDiddle
Their wives aren’t allowed to have opinions on women’s issues. Their menfolk know best.
3
Maybe their wives think Godly women should defer to their menfolk?
3
This nation is not an altar. It's especially not a sacrificial altar for Xtians to use, in order to please (if only they could prove that)their God.
The citizenry - even those they preach too - are not theirs to decide their lives. We citizens are not beholden to a few ambitious, ultra rich, and morally questionable men, and select few women. We do not elect these people to decide the hows and whats of our moral or spiritual lives.
That they look the other way regarding this lying cheating, profiteering president, by excusing him as a selected instrument of their God (they need to prove that!) shows how their beliefs, about character and a life lived, the last several dozens of years, about their candidates - shows how little it all meant to them.
Its gone well past hypocrisy. Past blasphemy, and shoddy scriptural interpretations. But has strayed well into the dark, where Ideologues are striving to use all of us, as sacrifices on their stolen altar to win with their perverted notion of a God.
Their lusts (mostly for control over woman's bodies) have nothing to do with the US of A and protecting the Republic. Rather, its all about these males trying to win with their God. By using our Govt, all of our elected employees, and all of our courts to win with their God.
54
@Boregard if Satan were nominated for the supreme court and promised to outlaw abortion, they would set their hair on fire to support him.
6
"open season" - and long past time, imho.
10
The US is at war with itself. And no institution, be it the government, legislature or the judiciary seems spared.
From an admirer of the values of freedom and democracy that this country has always stood for...please save yourselves.
The world needs you back.
25
The US has always been at war with itself. From the days of slavery to the present, nothing much has changed. The leaders love it, too. As we fight among ourselves, distracted by our petty hatred. they can wreak havoc on democracy and steal the country from those who created it. Same old story. Class warfare disguised as a culture war. Americans never learn from history, from our astounding mistakes. Hubris will do that to a people. Exceptional, indeed. Exceptionally stupid.
2
@Shreekant
Thank you. I, too, hope we aren't witnessing the last chapter of the enlightened American experiment in democracy.
@Shreekant we are fighting mightily for those values. You will see a resurgent America in the next years newly rededicated and reconfirmed in those values. Watch what happens in November. #bluewave
You'll never convince a man who thinks of women as lesser beings or property to listen to one. He may hear the words she says, but he won't listen. He just doesn't care.
The bible has been parsed and reinterpreted to become the weapon of choice against over half of our population.
34
The one silver lining in all this is that now we see the true priorities of the “family values” Christian Right. And it’s perfectly ok with the GOP and a sizable number of Trump supporters as well, as long as their interests are served.
If they had their way, we would all be living in the Middle Ages again - especially women.
18
Well said...
Of course, Evangelical leaders want Kavanaugh confirmed quickly. They are more interested in controlling women's bodies and pushing their political views on to the rest of us, than they are with the truth and justice. Evangelical's have dropped their faux cloak of religion to become one of the biggest right wing political organizations in the country.
35
If I step aside from the political rage around taking the time to ensure a person of integrity, moral grounding and the ability to maintain an even and unbiased position to all the demands of those around them, I have found ways to step out of all the extreme emotional responses. I have wanted to stay focused on local and state candidates where I felt I would have power to make a difference and until this very moment when I read this article I could find balance.
The rage I feel about the Evangelical Church and the Pastors quoted in this article struck a smoldering flame in my heart. Where is the compassion and understanding for Dr. Ford, for all the women abused by clergy, elected officials, men in power. men not in power, male students who were simply being "Boys."
As a Christian and a clergy person I am sickened and angry and I feel frozen wondering what can I do? Where can I raise my voice. I will raise my voice on November 6th and people to vote against every elected person who is complicite in this confirmation.
Clearly as much as things change, nothing changes. I am heart broken. This is shameful, simply shameful, no wonder people are leaving the church and moving towards other ways to manifest faith and community - Whats' Next?
68
@Lou Ness You can pray about this situation and ask God to help you. The evangelicals do not have a monopoly on speaking to God.
Life is easy, when you're up on the mountain
And you've got peace of mind, like you've never known
But things change, when you're down in the valley
Don't lose faith, for you're never alone
For the God on the mountain, is the God in the valley
When things go wrong, He'll make them right
And the God of the good times
Is still God in the bad times
The God of the day is still God in the night
"Republicans have been slow to understand that Democrats are 'playing by different rules.'”
Given how the GOP handled the nomination of Mr. Garland, I certainly hope so.
Harriet in San Francisco
45
Reading this it seems the evangelists have Trump and the GOP in their pocket. So much for the separation of church and state. This should really help make the rest of American who does not want a state religion turn out and vote.
29
I always hold anyone's claim in situations like this up to the mirror and reflect them back on to the speaker. When the conservatives claim that the Dems are playing by a new set of rules, and especially the final claim that Dems will never approve another Trump nomination to any court if they take control of the senate, this works perfectly: Was it not 2 years ago that a Republican controlled body refused to even meet with a Democrat's nominee? And was it not a Republican controlled body that then removed the filibuster rule so that a simple majority could confirm a nominee?
Yes, some one is playing by new rules, but I think it is the ones making the noise now.
21
Faust should be required reading in every evangelical church. Then each church member should look him/herself in the mirror and ask: "Have I become Faust?"
17
@bellboy
Excellent observation.
The simplest explanation of these evangelicals position is this: the only thing of importance is reversing Roe vs. Wade so that they can work to outlaw abortion in those states where they are a majority. All else is of no consequence.
26
@ John Not just Roe v Wade, but all the cases grounded on Griswald v. CT (contraceptives case) and Loving v. VA (ínter-racial marriage) as well.
2
Mr. Reed, I think we should let the American people decide who the next Supreme Court justice is after the election. What do you think about that?
50
Reed, Graham, Jeffres and their ilk may call themselves evangelicals and even be accepted as such, but they are in fact just playing politics and power games. And many either are or associate closely with dominionists. What they are doing is not Christianity in any form that most adherents to that faith outside their small slice of American society would recognize. It has nothing to do with following Jesus and just about everything to do with following Caesar.
30
@John they all owe their allegiance not to God but to power and $. Pure and simple, just like their followers, really really simple.
Based on my upbringing in rural West Virginia, I would not expect the evangelical leaders to judge Kavanaugh harshly for behavior that is not that unusual among their own ranks.
40
Believe me, Evangelicals will go out to vote, as they have one of the higher percentages of voting, besides seniors, of any group, at least in Minnesota.
5
Is that because God, or rather their power-gorging leaders command it? Do they even know the difference?
1
Christianity's last big power grab.
It's gonna backfire.
43
@Eric Blare I hope you're right, about the backfire and about it being the last. I'm getting so tired of this toxic sludge masquerading as religion, put out by power-hungry self-proclaimed "men of God." Like She would trust Her house and Her people to any of them!
Current events regarding sexual assault are deeply rooted in the christian dogma of women submitting to men, and any comments made by Ralph Reed, Franklin Graham, and others reinforce this belief. Being raised in a Southern Baptist family cemented this gross inequality. From advising an abused wife to return to her husband, and advising a sexual assault victim that "men are just like that" I realized that it was so inherently wrong that I could no longer participate in any way.
538
I left evangelicalism for similar reasons, plus others. I was even in a college ministry for five years. My rejection ultimately got to the point of what I call agnosto-atheism. That is, while I can’t say that there is no god, period, end-of-story, I can say I sure don’t see any evidence that one exists. I therefore live my life on a day-to-day basis without reference to a deity.
15
@Donna Stafford. Not very Christian to look the other way. I believe these “Christian” leaders have selective and situational moral values.
@Donna Stafford:
Plus all this has to be separated from governing. Secular state means everybody can believe in whatever they want to believe al long as those beliefs don’t hurt anyone in society because their beliefs are different.
We criticize Iran and Afghanistan, we laugh at medieval Europe and look at where we are: a man in a tacky suit and ugly face trying to influence government in selecting a Justice to the Supreme Court!
At least in Iran the mullahs don’t pretend to live in the 21st Century.
What a pity, We used to have a country (despite what they did to Native Americans and Blacks) that looked like it was in the right track.
Many people have said that everything Mr. Trump touches rots. In this case, the Evangelicals and Mr. Trump are simply peas-in-a-pod. Both disparage and control women. Both could care less about the rule of law in this country. And, both are the worst kind of bullies; they whine and complain incessantly when they do not get their way.
This is a outrageous attempt to gloss over very serious allegations of sexual assault, all in the name of their religion. A religion that appears uglier and uglier by the day.
This may be a moment in time, that if Senator Grassley is not very careful and assures a thorough investigation, the GOP will forever be associated with this perverted form of religion.
167
@Bryan
Charles Grassley should be put out to pasture.
2
@Bryan
I agree with you completely. I grew up in a Protestant church where I took the moral implication of being religious seriously. And have continued to do so all my life, though no longer a church goer. The hypocrisy of Ralph Reed, Chuck Grassley, Mitch McConnell (and our president)and all those who follow their lead like lemmings are unbelievable except they are true. Hard-right Republicans are currently about 30% of our population, but they keep their followers in step through fear,greed, racial intolerance,big money. Their push for a vote on an unvetted nominee is the latest assault on our hope that America can be a worthy country. Voters should realize that their participation has never been more crucial. We must save ourselves; no one else can do it.
The GOP leadership have tried to rush this nomination and avoid having a fair and complete hearing for this nominee. They have only themselves to blame for the chaotic outcome. If Trump’s evangelistic base are concerned about truth and fairness, they should demand a full and fair hearing, which so far has not happened.
57
What is most disturbing is the inclination of those who want Kavanaugh confirmed to rush the confirmation process. A justice of the Supreme Court is not supposed to be a political position, however clearly that isn't the case here. Supreme Court justices serve for life; nominees should always go through a careful and thorough vetting process before and during confirmation. With the refusal to give Garland a hearing and the hurry to confirm Kavanaugh, the integrity of our highest court is demeaned.
121
As soon as I read the word "evangelical" I read "extremist." They are no different than the people they criticize. They are terrorists without bombs and guns. They are terrorists in that they only see their own extremist views as righteous. There's no room for dialog with them, the same as people who we call terrorists.
114
It is difficult to ascertain who Evangelicals care about besides people like themselves. They want a return to the time when men were in charge of everything and women were trapped by pregnancies that made them powerless and dependent on men. This is why they are anti-choice. No wonder they want Kavanaugh. They are concerned about murder? Really? They are not raising their voices against the killing of black people and they have never protested against military intervention. However, they are concerned about a tiny fetus with an undeveloped brain, who just happens to be the ticket back to power and control, or so they think. This period in history ought to be named the Age of Hypocrisy, which seems to know no bounds.
50
@Judith Stern
Pro-lifers aren't. They are, as you imply, pro-birth. What happens after birth doesn't concern them. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many single mothers and their children living in poverty.
@Judith Stern
Some people are opposed to abortion because they recognize the inherent worth of every human being. The constitution guarantees the right to life. With that said there are also those who are opposed to abortion for one reason: they worry that America won't be white enough. Many of the so-called evangelical leaders cited in this article fit that description. And they are hypocrites because they oppose everything that will protect life once a child is born such as guaranteed and affordable healthcare and the right to attend school without getting shot by an AR-15.
My wife and I are Methodist.
Are there actually churches in America where sexual abuse is not a sin, or are these evangelical leaders really political activists with a tax-exempt status?
I'm having a hard time understanding why someone claiming to be a Christian is either not willing to provide an alleged victim, who is prepared to testify, a fair hearing; or to simply ignore that sexua abuse may have occurred.
The people quoted in this article seem like fake Christians.
189
@Henry Wilburn Carroll I grew up Methodist as well and I have been sickened by the Evangelicals' never-ending support and enabling of Trump and everything he does, no matter how completely un-Christian it all is. Denying victims their rights, ripping children from their parents, supporting neo-Nazis (living in Charlottesville, that one is personally painful to me). This is all the anthesis of my beliefs as a Christian and student of the Gospel. All I can say is "Jesus wept."
26
Becky. I so agree you. Thanks for that comment.
1
@Henry Wilburn Carroll
I grew up Lutheran (ELCA) in the Midwest and currently attend an Episcopal parish. When my Swedish Lutheran grandparents would spend winters in the south they would always attend a Methodist Church; I have very fond memories attending with them for Easter a few times. What a warm and welcoming church is was.
The mainline Protestant tradition is a treasure. I am happy to be raising my daughters in it.
I hope when my daughters think of Christianity, they think of the same warmth I do, of a place that welcomes all, that serves the community, that loves God. I hope they think of a religion that challenges them to be brave, honest, and devoted to the truth.
I hope they don't think of this reactionary, politicized garbage. It's not Christianity. Christians need to be louder in our objection to it.
Good!
What a wonderful thing to have happened!
The evangelical christians, honestly, can we really trust people who call themselves evangelical? What does that mean? Really? Think about it for a second and you will have to agree. Think about the word evangelical. There are hundreds of variations and each variation becomes a religious belief. That ought to be enough to tell you that human beings don't need another variation. All variations become a religion. Each accepted with all of the accordingly presumptuous definitions afforded each religion. The best is that you cannot be taxed! Like Mr Trum...!!
11
Evangelicals who support Trump have no moral credibility whatsoever, certainly not on matters of sexual assault and women’s self-determination. And what happened to the separation of Church and State? If the want to engage in politics, they should form a political party, e.g., the Anti-abortion party, not a tax exempt church.
46
I thought SCOTUS was supposed to represent the impartial law, not the special interests of one group.
45
The hypocrisy of religious conservative leaders is shameful. For Jeffress, Reed, and others, the sordid means justifies their desired end — most pronounced when they threw their lot in with a serial adulterer in the last presidential election. Never mind that they ardently supported impeaching a serial adulterer almost twenty years ago. And now before anyone can give testimony regarding the Blasey assault allegation, they wish to rush through a Kavanaugh vote lest the midterm election results prove unfavorable.
Why does that latter point bring to mind the Merrick Garland situation?
If the world were just, hypocrisy like this would be punishable: pastors of mega churches would have to give up their Rolexes, fancy cars, and couture wardrobe, and the movement as a whole would lose the right to use the adjective “religious” as any sort of descriptor.
47
Whited Sepulchers, All.
Ralph Reed has long been a politician first and a religious leader second. Pastor Jeffress, noted along with Pastor Hagee, for anti-Catholic sentiments worthy of the Thirty Years War, talks like the kind of Machiavelli a politician would like to hire for a campaign manager. And Franklin Graham is not at all surprising, inasmuch as he made a graven image of Donald Trump before it was fashionable among the religious right.
In an earlier time, politically conservative Catholic bishops might have joined the Republican strategy of blame the woman , notwithstanding the respect Catholic theology gives to Mary, the mother of Christ. Not any more, apparently.
Presumably, the bishops have refrained from imitating the evangelical rush to smear Dr. Blasey Ford because they have learned from their mistakes in covering up the epidemic of pedophilia which disgraced the Catholic clergy.
I don't understand Judge Kavanaugh. By not doing the right thing, asking for an FBI investigation to clear his name, he is enabling a political rush to judgement which will cast long shadows on his every opinion as a Supreme Court Justice. Is making President Trump happy worth the stain on Kavanaugh's reputation from collaborating in denying his accuser a proper hearing?
At any rate the sight of 11 mostly archaic white males ganging up on Dr. Blasey Ford should give American women an incentive to vote like no other.
38
Surely these 'leaders' must know the Bible:
"...But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
-Romans 8:25
5
Kavanaugh's character is necessarily under scrutiny and his behavior is telling. I do not think I have read any comments from him that hint at being supportive of the victim. As a jurist, if he is innocent, he displays a distinct lack of compassion in the treatment of Christine Blasey Ford. He did not say she was mistaken perhaps we can clear this up, instead he has been evasive stating he wasn't there (in a place that wasn't identified so how can he know?).
This article speaks of losing Christian voters and fails to mention the donations that have grabbed Trump's attention for their causes. I surmise this is not spoken of because it would be equated with bribery, or more correctly legal blackmail (like the NRA and others employ,) Susan Collins has complained about. Trump has no personal stake in theology. He is interested in the cash. In return, church going masses will ignore his unchristian behavior. He can take children away from parents leaving them with a long-term trauma, as long as he takes away woman's right to choose how to live with herself when pregnancy becomes a crisis situation.
Trump is callous. He doesn't share your values, he cares about your money period. These groups have clearly made a bargain with the devil.
97
A forgotten founding principle of our country is the separation of
church and state. If ever a circumstance called for silence from
the evangelical industry, it is the selection of a justice to a
lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court.
84
Whited Sepulchers, All.
Ralph Reed has long been a politician first and a religious leader second. Pastor Jeffress, noted along with Pastor Hagee, for anti-Catholic sentiments worthy of the Thirty Years War, talks like the kind of Machiavelli a politician would like to hire for a campaign manager. And Franklin Graham is not at all surprising, inasmuch as he made a graven image of Donald Trump before it was fashionable among the religious right.
In an earlier time, politically conservative Catholic bishops might have joined the Republican strategy of blame the woman , notwithstanding the respect Catholic theology gives to Mary, the mother of Christ. Not any more, apparently.
Presumably the bishops have refrained from imitating the evangelical rush to smear Dr. Blasey Ford because they have learned from their mistakes in covering up the epidemic of pedophilia which disgraced Catholic clergy.
I don't understand Judge Kavanaugh. By not doing the right thing, asking for an FBI investigation to clear his name, he is enabling a political rush to judgement which will cast long shadows on his opinions as a Supreme Court Justice. Is making President Trump happy worth the stain on Kavanaugh's reputation from collaborating in denying his accuser a proper hearing?
Whatever happens to Judge Kavanaugh, the sight of 11 mostly archaic white males stacking the deck against Dr. Blasey Ford should give American women an incentive to vote.
12
"What happens at Georgetown Prep, stays at Georgetown Prep." Kavanaugh's Code of silence. Placing a pledge to his buddies BEFORE the truth and the rule of law. What kind of a judge is that?
99
@smits
A rubber stamp for The Federalist Society, which is exactly what these evangelicals want.
1
The claims that Democrats don't want the truth is baseless. A Senate process vetting potential Justices, including home state senators ascent to allow, support, or stop a nominee, a reasonable time to review a candidate's entire record, including in other branches, to look at apparent inconsistencies in law or style, thorough background checks, and deliberations agreed by all committee members are the normal procedures until this push to slam-dunk Kavanagh. Bork, like me, gave opinions on anything freely and many of his were considered "out of the norm" of legal thought. I was present when he gave a talk at Stanford and I can say he was an articulate advocate for the Federalist Society's positions, although popular in the 1980's to the present, are founded in "original intent" a vague unknowable fiction where the published record Federalist Papers and other sources are debated as if scripture cannon, then argued. The net result is no action, the deadly conservatism of legal impotence and obstruction, now morphed into "activist" decisions used to stop or subvert decided political decisions properly made. I don't have to believe the woman who says she was attacked to support her and honor her. Should she testify at a public hearing run by Sen Grassley who with McConnell is subverting every norm and rule to push Kavanaug? Try empathy. Factually, there is serious and clear evidence that his testimony was perjured. Will the Judiciary Committee ignore that? Ask your senator
17
@mark
Originalist intent is contrary to the framers' wish that the Constitution be a living document and should not be used as a primary guide in deciding cases. Otherwise, we would still be counting slave owners' property as fractions of human beings. Debating is all fine and good, but applying these issues to current cases,is troubling in the extreme, especially if they have undue influence. Just like Christains should not cherry pick the parts of the Bible they will follow, originalists cannot pick and choose what part of historic documents, aside from the Constitution, they wish support.
Why exactly aren’t these so called Christians more concerned with the sexual assault charge?
19
I don't particularly care what the religious right wants.
They are tax-exempt because they must keep their noses out of politics.
Yes, I know that trump told them that the "Johnson Amendment" is gone - but he lied.
Only Congress can end that barrier between religion and state.
It is still in effect.
Now, what makes me curious is that the right-wing religious are so frantic to get such a flawed man on the Supreme Court.
Why is that?
Why is trump practically pulling out his hair?
And, why is it that sexual assault means absolutely NOTHING to the religious right?
This is about the tenth candidate for some position or other that has been accused of rape, molestation, sexual assault, gropings, refusing to investigate charges of rape, incest or just being all-around weird and waaayyyy too palsy.
None of that bothers the religious right in any way, shape or form.
It's okay for them that Clarence Thomas sits on the Court.
It's okay for them that Orrin Hatch is all bent out of shape here, when Orrin is a Senator for the most patriarchal system in this country.
Okay: It is time for all religions to lose their tax-exempt status on every business, school, rental property or car/truck fleet.
Tax them.
Tax them all.
And I don't want to hear any whining.... Oh, but we don't do that! Because I have never heard even one church demand that women be made equal within the Constitution.
Politics and state?
Yeah, they're all pretty selective on what "politics" they want.
Tax 'em all.
132
When can we start taxing these overtly political organizations masquerading as churches?
86
@Allison Never. Remember how apoplectic the Republicans got when the IRS zeroed in on their "charitable" supporters? Their faux outrage over the IRS had nothing to do with freedom, as they claimed, and everything to do with keeping the money flowing.
15
@FreddieR
That's why we need to vote this current crop of hypocrites out of Congress. I'm looking for honesty and good moral standing, which I am not confusing with religion, especially with Evangelicalism.
@FreddieR
We should start expecting organizations to contribute taxes if their only interest is political, never mind the label church. Government prosecutors must decide to do their job. We should not be a country where so many take advantage of their "freedom" to abuse the rest of us. Separation of church and state is currently a farce. No wonder we have chaos.
So these "evangelical leaders" are threatening to withhold mid-term votes, unless the Judiciary Committee acts as these "leaders" demand?
O.K. Works for me!
27
Truly a group to look toward for moral leadership. Imagine what they'd be saying if this were an Obama appointee.
42
Today's evangelical leaders are a power base that the GOP caters to; no longer faith leaders. No wonder young people are fleeing the faith of their parents.
81
@Steven Carter
And thus they should be paying taxes. No exemptions for political operatives.
33
@Steven Carter If those kids are real Christians they are fleeing to save their souls.
1
"a growing number of evangelical and anti-abortion leaders are expressing frustration that Senate Republicans and the White House are not protecting Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh more forcefully from a sexual assault allegation and warning that conservative voters may stay home in November if his nomination falls apart."
How proud the the Lord must be of these faith-based men and women.
17
Ralph Reed is just so 1980's.
How can he afford a $6,000 suit?
17
@rosa Jesus wants him to have it? Maybe Ralph ought to go back and reread the Bible, focusing on Jesus´s words on the difficulty of a rich man getting into heaven.
2
@rosa Easy- No one has put it better than Mark Twain
“Religion was invented when the first con man met the first fool.”
2
@rosa tax exemption!
2
As already mentioned, the United States is a secular nation, not a church, especially one of a singular religious belief. The First Amendment guarantees citizens may practice religion in their own lives, not in other citizen's lives. And in as much as it is the government's job to provide for the GENERAL Welfare of citizens, there is no path through the constitution that leads to secular law based on an article of religious doctrine or faith. We need a Supreme Court to address the breaches that have already occurred.
33
Actually I think these leaders are willing to risk losing the Senate and House to get a long-lasting conservative majority on the court.
24
This would be hilarious if the consequences were not so serious. Allegations of attempted rape are not as important to these people as running their political and religious agendas down America's throat. Once and for all, people like Ralph Reed are being exposed for the epic religious bigots and hypocrites they are.
17
Of corse they do. Evangelicals don’t care about anyone’s character, they are driven mostly by hate. These people are not Christians.
19
So they will stay home and not vote? They are not only not Christians but they are not good citizens.
17
@Chidi By all means, let evangelicals, sulk, stay at home, and not vote. They are not good citizens: they are not even adults.
“If Republicans were to fail to defend and confirm such an obviously and eminently qualified and decent nominee,” Mr. Reed added, “then it will be very difficult to motivate and energize faith-based and conservative voters in November.”
A complete and utter degenerate occupies the WH and Congress is too weak-willed to provide a meaningful check to his abuses of government power for his own personal desires. Is that not enough to "energize faith-based and conservative voters in November?"
Like a smoker who simply doesn't understand how the smell clings to their clothing, people like Reed just can't comprehend how their hypocrisy clings to them. Perhaps, through some incredible self-deception, the kind of evangelical voters Reed represents believe that once they have their SCOTUS picks, tax cuts, anti-LGBTQ laws, etc., etc., that their actual "evangelism" will not be negatively affected. To whom, I wonder, do they think they will be speaking?
I would still defy a missionary to where a "Make America Great Again" ball cap and then go preach the Gospel to non-believers (the only target audience). The notion is an absolute absurdity; rationalizing support for one of the most obviously immoral and malicious presidents in U.S. history while simultaneously purporting to be some kind of divine moral authority. Intentionally or not, Reed is making great strides towards making that image a reality.
25
Not surprising, evangelicals have no concern about Trump's lies, role of Russia in Trump's financing & election or Trump's perverted sexual acts and assault/abuse of women. Evangelicals, as Saint Pence, seek to establish a fascist Theocracy of ignorance and intolerance. Sinclair Lewis said: "Fascism will come to America wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross!"
109
There should be billboards everywhere of that quote from Sinclair Lewis.
The High Holy Churches of Evangelical Hypocrisy once again demonstrate that they are primarily political organizations and rather than churches. Their behavior is just as shameful and just as disgraceful as that of the Republican Party and the White house. People who claim that they are Christian should examine what these "preachers" are telling them and then examine their conscience.
20
@Impedimentus
Amen!
1
Of course they are frustrated, the Evangelicals would have snuffed this weeks ago ... this is their area of excellence.
6
I cannot overstate my complete loathing and disgust for evangelicals and churches that clearly do not believe in the teachings of their professed gods and their professed religions. In the history of the world, religious fanatics have created most of the truly appalling events of our shared history. It is clear to me that if god existed he/she would have long ago stood up and banished religious “leaders” from our civilized society
20
Yes, we believe in the Bible. We believe that people shouldn't commit crimes. We believe that men should treat women with the utmost respect because that's what Jesus tells us. They belong on a pedestal! But...but...hey, it's different when it comes to the presidency or the Supreme Court. We're willing to overlook all manner of crimes, insults, racism, and boorish behavior just to get that political advantage, because Jesus tells us to do that. Signed, all the evangelical hypocrites in America.
10
If there is one thing you can say about "evangelical" leaders, it is that they make a grotesque mockery of the values and practices their savior supposedly preached. They would support Roy Moore, Donald Trump, and now Bret Kavanaugh as long as they can get their agenda into law and the courts. Read Jesus's Sermon on the Mount & tell me where he calls for persecution of the LGBTQI community and against all abortion and contraception. Leviticus only denounced a specific act between men, not the question of men loving other men. And nothing was said about women. Leviticus also called for a father to stone to death any son who talks back to him). Besides, as every chapter of Leviticus makes clear in its first sentence, its rules apply ONLY to the Children of Israel, not the entire world. Evangelicals care nothing for "virtue" in the people they support as long as there is something in it for them. Hypocrites of the first water.
15
I think these creeps who parade around as holier than thou, should stay out it and keep their two cents to themselves along with their gold Rolex watches and luxury limos.
These Charlton's are the lowest of the low, and are antithetical of everything Jesus preached and died for on the cross.
18
Stop calling them Christians, because they're not. They're devilish hustlers for the GOP.
44
@Dennis Quick
I agree
Here we go again. Not only does a woman have to risk her safety to tell her truth she has to tell it on arbitrary timelines that benefit the aged and hypocritical patriarchy.
72
How about I don’t care what these wealthy religious scam artists think and am not in the least worried about what happens at the ballot box, who’s energized and who isn’t energized for the mid-terms. If the guy committed sexual assault and is now lying about it, no lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court!
If he’s innocent, he should stand his ground and sue for defamation.
9
These evangelical “leaders” should refer to Matthew 16:26 “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, but lose their soul?” Whatever Ralph Reed, Franklin Graham, etc. are afraid of losing is not something they had in the first place.
14
So much for practicing what you preach!
11
It would seem that pseudo-Christian fundamentalists and their Republican water carriers are so busy vying for the title of "Biggest Hypocrites in America" that they can't see the forest for the trees. They may have their Supreme Court majority (and packed lower Federal courts), but in the long term their days of wielding power over the rest of us are limited. The pendulum always keeps swinging - it never just stays in one position. That arc is about to reverse itself and these two groups are so greedily obsessed with their own vanity that they refuse to see it coming.
7
According to a Reuter's poll, only 30% Americans support Kavanaugh....
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-kavanaugh-poll/opposition-t...
15
Because nothing is more important than having a lackey on the court. Nothing. Jesus seemed like the kind of guy who would rush through this eh? Sure he washed the feet of a prostitute and cared about the meek but mostly he just wanted political power and to get "his guy" in amiright? What Would Jesus Do? Ignore a woman and ram it right on through.
8
What kind of clergy can defend failing to thoroughly investigate allegations of attempted rape of someone's fifteen year old daughter?
What kind of clergy prefers liars?
Revelation 22:15. If you're an Evangelical 'leader' in the U.S.A. you had best take those promises very, very seriously.
Innocent people are not endangered by any investigation.
There are thousands of other possible nominees for the Supreme Court, better qualified than Kavanaugh and with no such allegations to address!
What would Jesus say? He would say: "Repent, go and sin no more." But not "You are now free to sit on the Supreme Court." And not "You are now free to attack your accuser."
Lying is not an option, not for any credible minister of the Lord, of any denomination or faith.
13
It seems some evangelicals in power have lost all credibility when it comes to their belief in Jesus Christ. They place their quest for political power over the teaching of Christ. Mr. Trump can do and say anything as long as he gives these evangelicals the political power they seem to treasure; sexual predators (Trump, Roy Moore and now maybe Supreme Court Justice nominee Kavanaugh), no problem. When looking up the word “hypocrisy”, you will find a picture of Ralph Reed.
27
As someone who was raised in a Christian family, I can tell you I have turned my back completely on the farce Christianity has become.
In today's world, if Jesus was posing as a citizen under an alias, it is likely he would be skewered on a daily basis by so-called 'christians' on social media for espousing his beliefs. He'd be called a "liberal lefty". He believed in caring for immigrants, for caring for those less fortunate. He was so far from what current christians have become.
Current day christians support funneling money from the poor to the rich (although in the defense of some, they haven't 2+2 together to realize it). They support politicians who slash programs designed to help children. They support politicians who are cruel to people in need of assistance. They support politicians who get money from organizations whose sole purpose is to make money off of killing machines.
Do I still believe Jesus existed? Sure. But that is the extent of my relationship with him. And yet, as an atheist, I can tell you I live my day-to-day life in a manner which Jesus would approve, far more than he would approve of the current evangelical lot, who are filled with hatred and fear.
91
The way the Senate approves nominees for judicial and other high federal appointments made by presidents is deplorable whichever party is in power.
But its hard to have any sympathy for this group of Senate Republicans led by the duplicitous Mitch McConnell--they made their bed when they refused to hold a hearing on Merrick Garland with nearly a full year left in Obama's two term popular Presidency. Even aside from their unwillingness to check Trump's excesses, they long ago lost the high ground on fairness, process, qualifications and decency when they played that outrageous game. They deserve whatever political fate awaits them at the polls or otherwise.
25
The hypocrisy of the Evangelical leaders would be unbelievable if we had not seen so much of it in the last 3 yrs in particular. Not one of these Pharisees mentioned Merrick Garland ‘s name and the total sabotage Mitch McConnell did on his nomination.
Go ahead. Have your vote and see what happens. The Evangelicals and the GOP
say Blasey ‘s allegations are a stunt of the Democrats. But! They’re pretending to be respectful of her for the next few days. Go ahead, boys will be boys will be Evangelicals will be Republicans.
You’re doing yourself proud you Scribes and Pharisees. American women will not
forget this.
25
Oh, the loathsome Ralph Reed in his $6,000 Brioni suit.
Who falls for this nonsense?
23
@Will.
Loathsome is the perfect adjective to describe the disgustingly smarmy hypocritical Ralph Reed. Ptooey!
They embraced Trump as "a flawed messenger," so what's the big deal about a little attempted rape among friends, and anyway it was such a lo-o-ong time ago.
19
The hypocrisy of evangelical leaders is breathtaking as it is with their flock.
120
The agenda is reversing Roe v. Wade. Nothing will stand in these peoples' way to achieve that goal.
Not even designating a chair on the Supreme Court for a child molester.
Our current politics are beyond morality and democratic values.
32
So wait: Republicans are trying to jam through the nomination as fast as possible, and evangelicals think the Senate isn't moving fast enough?
And where is their moral high ground? Trump is the antithesis of the values they claim to support, yet evangelicals give him a 90% approval rating no matter what he does. Judge Kavanaugh is accused of attempted rape, yet evangelicals are shrugging it off. I'd wager that if a Democratic president's nominee was accused of attempted rape, evangelicals would want him hung, drawn and quartered. But in the era of Trump, there's no depth they can't sink to in the name of getting temporal power and imposing their "values" on America. Wonder if they'll remember it next time a Democrat is in the White House?
27
For anyone who cares about the rule of law, Judge Bork most certainly was a "monster." He was the DOJ apparatchik who fired Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox on orders from Richard Nixon after two more principled lawyers refused to do so. Rewarding such a man with Supreme Court nomination was indefensible, and our country is better for because the Senate withheld its consent to his nomination.
23
@Sandra Scott, exactly. Bork disqualified himself from the Supreme Court when he willingly carried out the Saturday Night Massacre to protect Nixon--and he should have known it. I was shocked when Reagan nominated him, but I expected his nomination to fail.
Btw, Nixon promised Bork the next Supreme Court seat if he would carry out the Saturday Night Massacre. He was a man whose ambition trumped any moral compass.
11
Any illusion that Kavanaugh was picked for his skills as a jurist, and not as a partisan, political hack for regressive agendas is now gone. The American Taliban are anti-democratic and harmful to the very foundations of our secular government and its rule of law. Anyone who values individual freedoms, and freedom from their religious dogma, must vote and get out the vote for straight Democratic tickets.
37
The Oh So Religious Right. What a bunch of hypocrites ! It's ok to appoint a supreme court member who is accused of attempted rape for your evil cause. My god, where has the republican party gone?
35
‘Evangelicals’ is a polite term for what the rest of the world simply calls ‘crazies.’ They rightly see this judicial fight as a last gasp of their dying cult to cling to power in the US, and the unfortunate ramifications that has globally.
They would rather take a chance at confirming a rapist to the scotus than risk losing the ability to dictate their cult regulations onto a population that (according to polls) largely does not support them. This should say all that needs to be said about the reality of their beliefs.
Good luck to the Dems.
19
“And the first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”
Go the back of the line, Judge Kavenaugh.
Please come here to the head of it, Dr. Ford.
4
The founders had it right when they tried to keep religion in check. This stance is truly deplorable.
42
I am sickened by this conflagration of church and state. This is a democracy not a theocracy, although many would like us to forget that. Kavanaugh is a right-wing religious fundamentalist. He and his supporters do what fox news does on a daily basis, they accuse Democrats for what republicans are guilty of on a disproportionate scale. Republicans refuse to even meet with Merrick Garland, President Obama's MODERATE SCOTUS pick. If Hillary had won the election, McConnell mandated that republicans refuse to countenance any SCOTUS nominee she might appoint during her entire term of office. And, now, to appease their most extreme and monied supporters, they want to cram this tainted nominee of theirs down our throats.
Enough! I'm sick of the unbridled partisan politics republicans excel in. If kavanaugh is seated, we will, we must -- increase the number of justices who sit on the court.
17
The Protestant evangelicals are no better than the Catholic church in their repulsive attempts to ignore not only a sexual assault, but a sexual assault on a minor.
20
Those guies are running a business; nice suit, necktie and a watch whorting 5-10K$! They are like the catholic cardinals with their mercedes, paying NO TAXES and getting involved in politic up to their necks...sad
6
These evangelicals are gonna have a lot to answer for at the Pearly Gates...
13
Calling these people Christians is like calling Daesh the Islamic State, but what’s new?
36
They should be more worried about their eternal souls if they push through the confirmation of a sexual abuser.
4
Clearly, a little thing like attempted rape is not for a moment going to deter our radical, militant, evangelical Christian fundamentalists from their goal of imposing a theocracy on America.
10
Reading about these fake Christians makes my blood boil. I'm not a religious person, but if I remember correctly the essence of Christianity is 'love thy neighbor' not bash the Democratic Party.
5
Let us stop the Newspeak. American Conservatism and Christianity have nothing in common. American Conservatism an the ideology of self above all is what Jesus of the New Testament sought to eradicate.
17
Faith-based voters tend to ignore fact and reason. Instead, they rely on mythology and superstition along with an unhealthy dose of Trump propaganda. Frankly, the fewer of them the better for America.
32
If Ralph Reed endorses anyone for public office, you can be sure that the guy is a liar and a crook. It's amazing that the evangelical community could rehabilitate this slimeball after working with Jack Abramoff to participate in money laundering, gambling, and influence peddling.
8
So much is missing from the humanity of the people discussed in this article.
The first is any feeling of compassion, care or respect for Dr. Blasey. It is clear from all accounts that she experienced some kind of a sexual assault and trauma as a teenager. Whether or not Kavanaugh was part of that, basic decency requires that Reed and his kind treat Dr. Blasey's experience with compassion, understanding and respect.
Second is any interest in finding the truth before passing judgment (either way).
And third, really, is any remaining claim they may have had to morality or being Christian.
Reed and his ilk care not one wit about truth, goodness or morality. If they did, the only position they could take would be to discover the truth first, and then decide how to move forward.
19
Evangelical leaders should change their name. By definition, Evangelicals are supposed to believe in the authority of the Bible. But here they are palling around with a President who revels in sexual immorality, brags about his disdain for the poor and sick, and bears false witness constantly, ignoring the lies and the alleged sexual immorality of his nominee, and trying to stack a court with conservatives so that it can take more and more from the poor whom Jesus loved. Why? To take away a form of women's healthcare that was never once mentioned by Jesus?
What you do for the least of people, you do for Him. If they want to keep calling themselves Evangelicals and Christians, maybe they should stop preaching from the street corners and get back to basics. Do not pass by on the other side. Treat the foreigner as yourself. Sell what you have, give it to the poor, and follow Him.
34
I quail and cring at the thought that many extremist and aggressive Christian sects want to get control of the courts and Congress in their continuing attempts to shove their odious and divisive idiot theologies and drivels down my throat and those of their fellow citizens!
Zealots of all religions are dangerous, smarmy, and duplicitous. This self righteous army of poltroons is no different from many others around the world.
All attempt to use religion as a blunt weapon and juggernaut.
10
You can turn even the most psychotic axe murdering serial killer into an evangelical idol. Just get him to say “I oppose abortion” and the White House and scotus are within his reach.
10
The so-called “Christian” right worships a serial liar, a greedy and narcissistic racist, a slovenly and lustful hypocrite- all for nomination of a SOTUS Judge who could have drunkenly attempted to rape a cute 15 year old but might now help overturn Roe V Wade. How about them rotten apples?
13
Robert Jeffress : “But I can say with absolute certainty,” ... “that the Democrats don’t care who is telling the truth. Their only interest is in delaying and derailing this confirmation.” So what? Can someone make the case that Mr. Jeffress/Repubs/ECs care who is telling the truth and are interested more in justice rather than pushing the confirmation through? Me thinks not ... hypocrites.
13
These fundamentalists DO NOT represent the majority of Americans -- or even the majority of Christians. They want to impose a reactionary evangelical caliphate on the country. They are more dangerous that the Taliban. Enough kowtowing to them.
8
And the evangelicals are now big supporters of Putin who now their Christian Knight. How times have changed!
8
This is not much of a surprise. First, evangelicals are not known for having a pro-woman point of view, e.g. support for submission of women to the 'Promise Keeper' husband. Second, with their support of Trump evangelicals have clearly rejected any claim to having a higher morality. They are just another group looking for power.
16
Of course they do. All they care about is reversing Roe v Wade. As a Christian, Evangelicals have disgusted me in their support of 45 and now trying to down play Dr. Blasey Fords testimony so Kavenaugh can be approved. Such hypocrites. This IS NOT Jesus or the gospel I know.
11
If Americans are not angered by the Right Wing Christian conspiracy to drive the Republican Party then at least be afraid. Their "family values" agenda will remove the vestiges of our democracy and make the USA a Christian nation. For Christians who consider that a likely improvement, those of us with European heritages take a look at what happens in countries when religion subverts the rule of law: Cromwell, Heugenots, forced conversion of non-believers in Eastern Europe, American Conquistadors, the Inquisition. While churches have taken pride in the "number of souls saved" those souls were liberated from their bodies, so painful humiliating needless cruel murder at 1:1 ratio is a lousy deal. Anyone who thinks "Can't happen here" might consider Trump, Russia, years of fundamentalist Christian influence in government, many Cabinet members and influencers fundamentalist in Trump administration. It's obvious they will support him even when he's arguably unfit, based on many reports from White House and cabinet. These are bad guys, some research from real source material.
6
Frank Cannon says Dems are “playing by different rules.”. Mr. Cannon, ask Merrick Garland about the Supreme Court Confirmation rules. Hypocrite.
55
It's time to put the Christ back in Christianity.
22
Jesus would seat an abused woman, even a fallen woman.
His hypocritical “followers” want to elevate an accused sexual predator.
Hmmmm.....
5
Evangelical Christians, with their selective interpretation of the Bible, seek to impose their values upon us all. There unique brand of situational ethics is inconsistent yet politically powerful within the GOP. Kavanaugh would fulfill their situational ethics needs as he all but lobbied for the role of Evangelical darling in his dissenting opinion in Garza. What we need is freedom from religion more than freedom of religion.
9
Lobbyists to imprison women who are poor and to forgive those who have a passport and a plane ticket, I'm sooo impressed. Ralph Reed admits “One of the political costs of failing to confirm Brett Kavanaugh is likely the loss of the United States Senate”.
Eight, count them, 8 Republican Senators are up for re-election out of 33 seats. The math for Democrats retaking the Senate is practically non-existent, and DEFINITELY NOT "likely", so Ralph Reed is straight-up lying.
Quit trying to put women in jail. They won't submit, so find a better way. Boys need educated and young men need re-educated; and beyond that, expecting mothers need meaningful options and NOT the empty helping hands with condemning, behind-your-back 'love'.
I don't discount real evangelical leadership nor the potential to bring healing solutions, but mostly I see political operatives to subvert the democratic tenet of majority rule. The Right-to-Life and 2nd Amendment dogma fuels the Republican Party; and some in the congregation not only accept it - it's THE PARTY that they proselytize.
4
How unfortunate that so soon after Jesus came the Christians.
In summary: After a credible accusation of attempted rape slows down the confirmation process for potential Supreme Court judge Kavanaugh, Christian Evangelical leaders "Worried their chance to cement a conservative majority on the Supreme Court could slip away" urge a quick confirmation.
I'm looking for it in my Biblical Concordance but I can't find the verse "the ends justify the means.'
The rank hypocrisy of this entire crew is as cynical as it is disappointingly popular.
17
This is why, more than ever, we need the second coming These so-called Christians and the GOP are a mockery. They care nothing about social justice. Unfortunately, with the GOP in power, we may be subject to their demands for years to come.
11
Republicans face the potential - perhaps inevitable - prospect of being hoisted by their own petard. Hope that slim base is enough for these guys. That is what they now have, nothing more.
11
So-called moral majority: Let us Prey!
19
Ralph Reed. Isn’t he the same ‘christian’ leader who preached against gambling in one state because he was being paid to promote it in another state? Do people actually listen to the Reeds and Grahams of the world?
15
@Liberty Apples. Measured by Reed's and Graham's wealth. The sad answer to your question is yes.
4
All thinking women should be concerned about a person (s) that want "sink" Roe V Wade. Was Judge Kavanaugh the first choice of President Trump or was under pressure to name him.
This is a serious situation and should not be rushed. To all voters and interested parties please be careful.
Remember our Republic first.
5
RR is full of hot air. His power is based on delivering votes. If he fails to deliver votes he becomes a nobody ... at least he will be a well dressed nobody.
10
God may work in mysterious ways, but I would bet my bottom dollar these evangelical leaders have nothing to do with God.
15
What a sad state of affairs with Christians are more interested in their agenda than the truth. As a Christian I am appalled.
19
Remember when Evangelical leaders used to be religious? Now, they're brazen philistines. I pray theirs is a forgiving God.
17
@Occupy Government
I don't......
5
“At the same time, we’ve seen anything and everything thrown at Republican Supreme Court nominees for decades,”
And you have had a least a 5 to 4 majority (and at one time it was 8 to 1) for the past 50 years. Yes Bork was defeated but he had a hearing and a vote. Quit acting like you are some suffering minority.
16
Evangelical leaders are as gutless, cowardly, corrupt, and sociopathic as their party and, I suspect, entire swathes of their flocks.
If Kavanaugh were a Democrat...
What a sickening joke the leaders of those in power have become. I can barely read about any of this, it is so abhorrent. Kavanaugh should never be confirmed; his candidacy is tainted forever by his own actions and words from before Dr. Ford's revelations, and most certainly since. He is unworthy to serve.
20
“If Chuck Schumer is majority leader and Dianne Feinstein is chairman of the Judiciary Committee,” said Mr. Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, “it will be open season on any Trump nominee to the federal bench at any level of the judiciary.” But it was quite alright for Mitch McConnell and the GOP to do this to Obama and Merrick Garland. Lets wait until the voters speak in November. We know who killed democracy and the idea of a impartial, fair judicial system...they want to do the rest of the Constitution in too.
35
Evangelical leaders are like Isis no compromise on anything and they want to impose their will on all of us. I hope Dr Ford goes to the hearing regardless on Monday as she is probably the only one who can stop this nomination and if she does not well then they win. Bernie or bust, how is that working out for you?
9
@Francis What these "evangelical leaders" want is for their glassy-eyed flock to write checks and their bought-and-paid-for politicians to let them party with the cool kids.
2
Have these "Christian" invented a different version of the Bible and Christianity? This is not the religion of the followers of Jesus Christ that I was raised in. They should be ashamed, but won't, having put their preference and greed above the teaching of the man they profess to believe in and follow.
26
Jesus said quite plainly "My kingdom is not of this world." He had nothing to do with the secular government of his day but he had quite a bit to say about and to his fellow Jews and temple politics. Earthly power was not his mission and he refused to be made a king. Politicizing Christianity, left or right, is simply deplorable. They should be ashamed, but like every Republican in Congress and their master in the Oval Office, they have no shame.
12
Messrs. R Reed and F. Graham- self-proclaimed followers of Christ - are in truth mouth pieces for just another special interest group, and so craven as to whitewash a credible allegation of sexual assault for the purpose of achieving their ends.
Tell us, Messrs. Reed and Graham, is this really God's plan? Is it God's plan to elevate a crook, cheat and sexual predator to the most powerful office in the world? To place a sexual harasser (C. Thomas) and another predator (Kavanaugh) on the highest court in the land to serve as "vessels" of His providence? If so, God is definitely an underachiever, as Woody Allen once quipped.
If there was such a thing as Providence, S/He would grant justice to Dr. Ford, and relegate Trump, Kavanaugh, Reed, et al, to the most forsaken corners of history's dustbin. But Providence being as factual and real as Donald Trump's Christian bona fides, it is left to us to take on the task.
6
Shameful part of my life was when I was a born again Christian for 15 years or so yikes!
10