Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Is there any kind of bigotry Glenn Beck doesn't excel at?

Taking a minor pause from attempting to "refound" America in order to save it from evil, nefarious Marxist "liberal fascists," aka "progressives," Beck took a moment to demonize secularists, atheists, and in general people who believe in the separation of church and state, blaming them for the murder of a Chicago teen who was beat to death by a gang.

After rolling footage of the incident, with numerous people standing around and watching as the teen is killed, Beck asks

How have we arrived at this place? What has caused this?

Is it capitalism that has failed here? Is it the evil greedy corporations? Is it because there's no cap-and-trade or universal health care? Or not enough social justice? Is it because of Republicans or Democrats? Or is it the fact that, just like some our new money, God is no longer imprinted on America.

Instead of being held up, God is being taken down.

The 10 Commandments at a courthouse? That's horrible — take it down! "Thou shall not kill" — too controversial! Can't pray in school; can't sing Christmas carols — that's all offensive.
Then he moves on to blame atheists in particular

According to a survey, a group now being called "religious nones" (as opposed to atheist?) are on the rise. They project that one quarter of Americans could claim "no religion" in the next 20 years. Right now those who claim "no religion" make up 15 percent of the country and are the fastest growing religious group.

So if those who don't believe in God are growing, what do they fill the void with? Stuff; things; power; careers; celebrities; politicians... government.

Government will solve all of your problems. Put your faith in them, not God.

Barack Obama — remember the Hope poster? — put your hope in him; he'll save you.
Right, got it. Atheists worship the Dear Leader, bowing at the alter of Government. Atheists are to blame for teens getting murdered; if only we ignore the First Amendment and its guarantee of freedom of conscience and used the government to impose religion on citizens via schools, the courts, and all of our money then this wouldn't have happened.

Beck, constitutional authority that he is, goes on to assert that what made America unique among countries was that "we recognized God's authority and said so in our Constitution." At which point he quotes the Declaration of Independence; there is no mention of God in the Constitution.

I've covered this before, but no one tops the oratory skills of Robert Green Ingersoll, who can explain to Beck that both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were revolutionary in the fact that they took "God" out of the government.

As to atheists and secularism causing violence, this is simply scapegoating that has no basis in any kind of actual study of reality. (Beck might want to ponder why European nations that are notably more "godless" than the United States have lower rates of violence.)

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