Charles Pierce: A Few Words About 'Prayer-Shaming' (cross-post from GD)

[mr blur]

There's a new thing that progressives should not do, because it will scare the horses and frighten the children, and harsh the holy mellows of the various tent-show evangelicals currently at work in Republican politics. It is called "prayer-shaming." It became a thing in the wake of the San Bernardino massacre, when Republican candidates immediately leaped onto Twitter to send "thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families." This time, however, a great number of people, most notably Senator Chris Murphy and the editors of the New York Daily News, decided that up with this pious swill was something that they no longer would put.

Oh, the whining that has ensued. The Malkin Monkeyhouse is in high earth orbit and probably won't splash down until June. Even some nominal liberals are clutching the pearls. But nobody's dudgeon has gone higher than that of Our Lady of the Magic Dolphins. The cartoon canaries circling her ears are screaming like scalded vultures. Why are the canaries screaming, Clarice?

-snip-

It's long past the time to break the power and influence held over our politics by a splinter faction of one form of American Christianity. It's long past time to make refashioning the Gospel into talking-points—​and, worse, a vehicle for ratfcking—​a political liability rather than a political asset. It's long past time to ignore the bleating of self-professed Christians who specialize in marinating in their victimology, who build their own Golgothas, and who drive the nails into their own palms. If so-called "prayer-shaming" is the first step in that direction, then Chris Murphy's entire career in politics has been worthwhile.

I am heartily fed up with this nonsense. I am heartily fed up with people whose personal relationships with their personal Lords And Saviors lead them to knuckle the poor, subjugate women, brag about their gunmanship, and topple inconvenient regimes that happen to be sitting on an ocean of oil. I am heartily fed up with people whose support for Israel is based on a couple of misunderstood passages from the craziest book in the Bible in which Jesus comes back to Earth as an X Man and gets into some enthusiastic disemboweling.

-snip-

So, no, I decline to be outraged that this tinpot piety is becoming something of a drag for these people. It's about damn time.

-snip-

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a40201/gun-violence-prayer-shaming/

[ck4829]

1. Pray away... but then be willing to do something

[skepticscott]

2. Of course, one wonders how many of these god-lovers

Actually even PRAY about these things in a way that they would consider sincere and devout. It seems that just the empty mouthing "thoughts and prayers, blah blah blah" in front of a camera or in a press release or tweet is enough these days. Not that either one does a bloody bit of good..

[mr blur]

3. Bit of a cliche even, isn't it?

sort of "I'm expected to pray so I'll mention it so as not to upset the voters but . . . what? No, of course we don't want refugees in our country, Jesus didn't mean that...they're not Christians . . ."

[nruthie]

4. AMEN!!!

[onager]

5. Thanks and bump!

"Our Lady of the Magic Dolphins."



Peggy Noonan is batshit-crazy and always has been. Still remember picking up her memoir in a used book store and idly flipping thru it. The first thing I hit was some weird fantasy about a bunch of very well-dressed people in the Reagan White House having some sort of orgy. At least I THINK that's what it was. Anyway, Peggy seemed more turned on by nice expensive clothes than the people inside them.

I replaced the book and backed away, in case it concealed some mutating virus that might infect me.