I-35, Purity Sieges, Pat Robertson.....these people are just plain scary.

[madfloridian]

Run time: 05:09 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5S38LpMgu0   Posted on YouTube: November 28, 2007 By YouTube Member: RightWingWatchdotorg Views on YouTube: 114462   Posted on DU: November 28, 2007 By DU Member: madfloridian Views on DU: 3524

 
From Right Wing Watch about the so-called NAFTA Superhighway and Pat Robertson's interpretation of God's purpose for it.

I find this totally offensive, and I am thankful for a site like this that keeps us with such things.

I am offended, and as a recovering Southern Baptist, one who was raised as a Christian.....I never stop being amazed at what has been done to the teachings of Jesus in this country.

Shame on them, and thanks to PFAW for keeping up with them.

Right Wing Watch

The concept of a behind-the-scenes “North American Union”—persistently advanced by Farah’s WorldNetDaily, the John Birch Society, CNN’s Lou Dobbs, presidential candidates Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo, and others—is closely tied to the anti-immigrant sentiment that has struck right-wing politics over the last few years. But it has taken on a life of its own, thanks to vivid imagery like “the plan to build a huge NAFTA Super Highway, four football-fields-wide, through the heart of the U.S.” that was alleged in detail by Jerome Corsi last year. Corsi even provided a now-iconic picture, taken from a transportation-industry lobbying group.

In the picture, it appears as if almost all of middle America has been blanketed by some kind of yellow dust originating from south of the border and traveling up Interstate 35 like a swarm of killer bees. The “NAFTA Superhighway” and the “North American Union” may be “the quintessential conspiracy theory for our time,” as the Boston Globe recently discussed.

But what if Corsi and friends are wrong? What if the yellow cloud surrounding I-35 isn’t an “invasion” from Mexico but an “invasion” of God? That, apparently, is the theory of the youth-oriented church activists profiled on yesterday’s “700 Club,” who are running “purity sieges” at clinics and porn shops, where they claim to be “moving angels and demons” by, for example, “setting free” an inebriated young man from “the desires to be with men” through the laying of hands at a gay bar.

This is just plain nuts. It is just plain offensive.

[dflprincess]

1. Laying of hands at a gay bar?

Did they really say that?

Maybe it was the "God invasion" that made the I-35 bridge collapse.

[trusty elf]

19. That reminds me of something I heard on Censored News Network

a few years ago during one the many pedophile priest scandals. CNN announced that the Vatican was adopting a "hands-on approach" to the problem. Indeed.

[Lint Head]

2. Pat Robertson has a speed pass to hell.

[NoGodsNoMasters]

11. Here, here!

[Clintonista2]

3. OMG!

Wackos.

[madfloridian]

4. How dare they set themselves up as judges of others??

The whole thing is nuts. I had hubby watch it, he did not believe me....I had to play it twice for him.

How dare they judge others so.

This is shameful.

[Clintonista2]

5. They truly are mentally ill

It's sad, really. They are a dying breed though. I hope Robertson lives just long enough to watch as full marriage equality is granted to gay couples in America.

[ekwhite]

6. I love the interview with the 'converted' gay...

... it was like I was tripping on acid...
Classic!

By the way, despite being 'converted,' he had to have set off gaydar two states away.

[951-Riverside]

32. He completely threw me when he mentioned his "fiance"

What could he possibly mean by that?

[Bicoastal]

7. You have GOT to be kidding me.

Did the Onion do this? Whoever's playing Robertson is a dead ringer...

AAACK! It's real!

[Crunchy Frog]

8. These people are fuckin' nuts!

People should start holding "gay sieges" at their churches. Wonder how they'd react to that?

[madfloridian]

9. It's truly crazy to watch them.

I would have thought satire, but Right Wing Watch is deadly serious about these guys.

It's sad to watch.

[NoGodsNoMasters]

12. Great idea!

I bet they'd get a lot of converts,.....especially from the clergy.

[NoGodsNoMasters]

10. These people...

..SCARE THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF ME!!! 24/7 prayer rooms? NAFTA given support from on high? Faith-healing? There is something very wrong with this country. I would have hoped this bizarre ignorant shit had died out over a century ago. However, it almost makes me proud to be an atheist to be on the opposite side of the fence from these freaks. This is why I stay in the northwest.

[madfloridian]

14. Agreed, something IS very wrong with this country.

I can not believe this is real.

[Sam Ervin jret]

13. No offence to Pat or anything but i think the country could use a break from all his "pure", -

right wing religious "leaders" and their zelous helpers. In Washington, in our towns and cities and along our highways. Even our Airports could use a break.

Don't these people believe in silent meditation? Humility? Do they remember how Jesus rebuked the loud temple priests who were praying and carrying on in public in the name of God not for the Glory but for their own egos and self gratification? Whenever I see Pat and any like him I am reminded of these teachings.

[bjobotts]

18. No offence to Pat? Pat is the offence.

[madfloridian]

15. Here is a schedule of times and places of the "purity sieges"

on I-35 and other highways.

City Sieges
1.1 Austin, TX
1.2 Dallas, TX
1.3 Des Moines, IA
1.4 Laredo, TX
1.5 Oklahoma City, OK
1.6 Tulsa, OK
1.7 Waco, TX
2 Purity Siege Advancements and Testimony
2.1 Breaking News

1 Other Highways
1.1 I-5 aka The 5
1.2 E35
1.3 A7
1.4 I-10
1.5 I-42
1.6 Route 66
1.7 Trans Canada Highway

http://www.lightthehighway.org/en/index.php/Purity_Sieg...

[karlrschneider]

39. That's odd, I35 doesn't go through Tulsa...

[McCamy Taylor]

16. Are they doing any truck stops? Lots of sex goes on in those places.

[bjobotts]

17. These people are delusional. They are so sick that not even God can change the bible now

Without it they are hollow. They use religion like opium. Reality check...homosexuals are born that way they are not "sinning". How come only really 'fruit' people get this way...delusional emotional fanatics. Dangerous and offensive, ignorant and uneducated to the real truth. God himself could not change what these fanatics have come to believe. They are insults to the human race and certainly to intelligent and rational people.

Robertson's god has told him a lot of things that did not come true. He is the phoniest of them all and the richest but these buy your way into heaven idiots can't see how badly they are being fleeced.

If I prayed to Zeus for rain and it rained they would not believe Zeus had anything to do with it.
But if I pray to their God and it rains then oh yeah their God did it. Just pathetic.

[Art_from_Ark]

31. Ironically, words for "God" in romance languages

like French ("dieu") and Spanish ("dios") come from the Latin "deus", which in turn comes from the Greek "Zeus"

[Lithos]

33. Not from the Greek

Deus comes from the same Indo-European cognate as Zeus. In fact Jupiter is related to Deus Pater (or God Father).

Other Indo-European words include deva and div (Persian). I believe the proto-word Indo-European Word for God was, appropriately enough, DU.

L-

[chelaque liberal]

36. Homosexuals aren't born that way; it's the soy in the formula....

Soy Makes You Gay

Sometimes you just have to marvel at the things published by WorldNetDaily ? things such as this column by James Rutz of Megashift Ministries:


There's a slow poison out there that's severely damaging our children and threatening to tear apart our culture ?.

The dangerous food I'm speaking of is soy. Soybean products are feminizing, and they're all over the place. You can hardly escape them anymore.

?

Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality. That's why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today's rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products. (Most babies are bottle-fed during some part of their infancy, and one-fourth of them are getting soy milk!) Homosexuals often argue that their homosexuality is inborn because "I can't remember a time when I wasn't homosexual." No, homosexuality is always deviant. But now many of them can truthfully say that they can't remember a time when excess estrogen wasn't influencing them.

It is difficult to imagine just what WorldNetDaily?s standard is for rejecting a column or article ? but whatever it is, it is apparently set so low that ?soy makes you gay? manages to exceed the criteria.


Subject: Miscellaneous, Group: Megashift Ministries, Person: James Rutz

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2006/12/soy_makes_you_g_1...

[subsuelo]

20. Twisted form of Christianity

For me, these people aren't Christian, I don't know what they are but they certainly don't follow Jesus.

[Harmonicaman]

21. "on-fire christians"

I wish



Ooops I'm going to hell

Allegedly

See you there, at least we'll get to keep the good music

[bdamomma]

22. oh geez, these people are the American Taliban.

I wish for the days when Religion was a private matter, excuse me, I don't need anyone to pray for me either, I do that privately. Sick.

[balantz]

23. How rude and dangerous for these people to believe that

they have a mandate from their god to force their interpretation of "holiness and purity" on others. People are tased for protesting the killing of innocent people at the hands of our government, yet these christian crusaders are allowed to push their judgement on others who aren't like them. They are uncomfortable living in a world of diversity. Their "truth" is the only truth that must be obeyed by all. I shudder at the ignorance of these people and the support of these groups by our government.

[madfloridian]

24. Well said. They think they have a mandate to enforce their views on everyone.

One of the dangers of fundamentalist Christianity. Sadly.

[mlevans]

25. The Crusades and the witch trials

are not ancient history. They're really just a heartbeat away. I'm far less frightened of shadowy theoretical terrorists than I am of these folks.

[FatDave]

26. Is it wrong for me to hope...

...that a bunch of these people take a serious beating at the hands of a mob of angry homosexuals? Because I'd buy a ticket for that shit.

[iamahaingttta]

27. Sweetie and I have stopped referring to them as Christians...

...in casual conversation. We call them either "Old Testamentites" or "The Upside-Down People." Everything they do and think and say is upside down to reality.

Jesus surely weeps at the things being done in His name.

Oh, wait... no he doesn't. Because HE'S DEAD!

[balantz]

28. No, he has arisen!

And lives in some big church here in the states.

[LSK]

29. these people are insane!

[madfloridian]

30. Metroplex churches join I-35 Highway of Holiness initiative

http://www.star-telegram.com/religion/story/321840.html

"Highway of Holiness -- a 35-day, spiritual reform initiative for cities along Interstate 35 from Laredo to Duluth, Minn. -- is under way, with at least two Metroplex churches taking part. The event, which runs through Dec. 1, is part of the Light the Highway movement for nations. The Highway of Holiness includes 24-hour prayer rooms in at least 12 cities, initiative officials said.

Young people will hold "purity sieges," praying at such places as pornography stores, and teams will perform street evangelism, said Herman Martir, executive coordinator of the I-35 initiative.

The effort was inspired by Isaiah 35:8, which speaks of a holy highway where the spiritually unclean will not walk, said Cindy Jacobs of Red Oak, founder of Light the Highway, in a news release. "There's been an awesome response," Martir said. "Hundreds of churches all over Texas want to be involved."

The event will end with Five Nights of Miracles: 7 p.m. Nov. 27 to 30 at Trinity Church, 1231 E. Pleasant Run Road, in Cedar Hill; and 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at Christ for the Nations Institute, 3404 Conway St., Dallas."

[RainDog]

34. Whoa. That's amazing propaganda

Am I the only total cynic here and do not think the leaders of these folks are crazy at all? Crazy like a fox, maybe? Nafta superhwy is a gift from god for christians to save the... americas, I suppose. And of course there has been opposition to the Superhwy in some places, like one of the points on that map. And of course, Bush et al want this cheap labor corridor because they don't already have enough fucking money, I suppose... how much money do you need until you are surely not going to go hungry or ever want for shelter, or two, or be able to feel safe in your old age. How much profit do you need? Are people really another expense, like glue, in the calculation of successful economic policy for a democracy?

For anyone who needs a guide for the perplexed: The words they're talking about.. slain in the spirit and receiving the holy spirit refer to the Pentecostals (like Robertson) who believe in speaking in tongues as a sign of god's presence in someone and who also believe that god can knock people to the floor when you pray for them and then grab them on the forehead and sort of push them, and then convulse on the floor, or maybe they'll get that demon exorcised from that back left molar for ya.

These are the people who oppose the teaching of evolution in schools.

John Ashcroft, for all that I dislike him, is a smart man. How can he still believe and practice these things? Is he unable to give up his beliefs because it would be a betrayal of his minister father? eek.

[balantz]

40. In my opinion great numbers of these people are worshipping

the great idol, the king of egos....what's his name? It's easy to fall into worshipping King Ego, we all do it to some extent. Put any name to him, just don't shove him down my throat.

Oops! Sorry, I did it again. I meant to respond to the Original Post.

[dantyrant]

35. NAU

Whether you want to call it a North American Union or something else, there's an agenda being pursued without Congressional consultation, to form broad agreements with Canada and Mexico to harmonize policies regarding security, environmental standards, insecticide standards, etc... There have been meetings for this so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership, the last of which was held up in Montebello, Québec. Here's a video of fascist 'agents provocateurs' being caught trying to instigate violence among a peaceful protest.

And I think that we have reason to be suspicious about this administration and its fast-track free trade and 'harmonization'.

This doesn't mean God is invading Texas and Oklahoma of course. That's nuts.

[WV_Biker]

37. Turn the tables and protest them.

On the next Sunday morning when they're all gathered at church....have a "mind your own damn business siege". Fight fire with fire.


Jeff

[L0oniX]

38. Only a moron would listen to and believe what Pat Robertson says.

Pat Robertson has seriously gone astray from how a real Christian should behave. It's a shame and a disgrace that he is in such a position of influence on the sheep.

[madfloridian]

41. James Stabile Apologizes for His Part in Perpetuating "Ex-Gay" Myth

http://technorati.com/posts/ssLDhqrYP1zwgAlSDIQUvM5L4u5...

"James Stabile, the Dallas man who was basically kidnapped and brainwashed by Evangelicals organizing the "purity sieges" that have been going on in America's heartland (more on that here), talked to the Dallas Voice and apologized for his appearance on the 700 Club video that circulated on the internet and for perpetuating the idea that "ex-gay" therapy can work. Said Stabile: "If I could, I would take back everything I've said. I've hurt a lot of people in the gay community, and I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart. I'm not here to get any attention."

Glad he apologized. Yes, a lot of people have been hurt by stuff like that.

I see Rachel Maddow covered this today.

[knitter4democracy]

42. It's always something to keep their emotional energy up.

To keep people coming in and to keep those there still working, these churches constantly need new projects, new memes, new outlets for their members' energy. So, they have planned revivals (which, if you're familiar with the theology make no sense at all), crap like this, prayer vigils, and whatever else they can cook up.

I think most laypeople involved are sincere. They really think ours is a sinful, evil nation that needs God to get cleaned up. They think that going to a gay bar and laying hands on someone and praying for him will make him not be gay anymore. They are so desperate to believe that they can't see the forest for the trees.

I blame the leadership. They deliberately manipulate emotions in their services, and this is the kind of crap that happens as a result.

Isaiah 35:8 refers to I-35? That sounds like a preacher getting desperate for a sermon topic, not prophecy.

[pepperbear]

43. so how much money do you think this scam will raise? n/t

[PDJane]

44. I have this feeling

That if there is such a thing as evil incarnate, it is sitting in the rafters of a mega church on Sunday, laughing itself sick at the antics of people like Pat Robertson and his sheep.

Am I the only one who has an absolutely visceral reaction to these folks? I have to admit that Robertson actually makes me queasy....

[scholarsOrAcademics]

45. mystical spiritualism

was suggested as a factor in the later phase spiral of ethnic violence in Yugoslovia. (Veneration of ancient Orthodox Christians as iconic symbols.)

[better tomorrow]

46. Guiliani and I 35

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDGLd2Nvs-I

Watch this video on Rudy Guiliani's involvement in I-35. Republican Convention there, too....

[scholarsOrAcademics]

48. Go To Canada young man

oops, its not the 60's.

[better tomorrow]

49. 60's?

No, but then again I was in Junior High School in the 60's.....and, sorry, I'm a woman......

[scholarsOrAcademics]

50. old slogan -

was go West Young man.
No offense, no need to appoligize for being woman.
Have you recognized the closing of the border to exiting from an intolerable situation? It used to be that you could expect to be free by going to Canada, which of course had many caveats. Another place to go, and there are many exiles,was to go to France. Britain (England) is heavily panoptic, and I at least have never heard of going there to escape oppresssion.
It helps being a sociologist by background; panoptic society (is?) was a part of what you learned (60's). Also, the most primitive of social organization was that of heroes, valor. Now the news is of the proliferation of gangs and avoidance of effort in settling disputes by resorting to guns. This was the news last week in Snohomish county, but I just skimmed the article.
I respect a lot of women, just as I respect a lot of Catholics, Jews,Hindus,Blacks,some Academics.
You need to respect more leading lights. Edward Said, Hannah Arendt.

[NMMNG]

47. Sadly there are people here in the Dem party

who think we should "embrace" these SOBs.