I still have a hard time understanding how so much of the spiritual fervor of a large segment of American Christians has gotten channeled into such idiocy -- here are some snips from the CBS news coverage of the Schiavo affair:
Outside the hospice - where scores of demonstrators supporting Schiavo's parents have maintained a steady vigil - there was a shout of joy when news of the House bill's passage came. Among those cheering was David Bayly, 45, of Toledo, Ohio: "I'm overjoyed to see the vote and see Terri's life extended by whatever amount God gives her."
snip
A crowd of about 50 people prayed and sang outside the hospice. One man played "Amazing Grace" on a trumpet, as a pickup truck pulled a trailer bearing 10-foot-high replicas of the stone Ten Commandments tablets and a huge working version of the Liberty Bell.
The most interesting part, however, is the advertising that appeared with this story on the CBS web site:
Free Bible Software 10 commandments study
This nonprofit ministry gives away free Bible software with multiple Christ-centered study tools. Recomended by R. C. Sproul, J. I. Packer, Jerry Bridges, D. James Kennedy and others.
www.freebiblesoftware.com Ten Commandments Car Magnet
Magnet mania sale. Buy one get one free. Made in the USA. Free shipping. New pricing. Buy Ten Commandments car magnets and more. Pray for our president magnet now available.
www.usamagnetsandmore.com Buy "Ten Commandments" Throne Chair
I am selling the actual Egyptian revival throne chair used in "The Ten Commandments." This one-of-a-kind item was used in the Cecile B. DeMille epic starring Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston.
pages.antiquesbylisebohm.com
These people actually paid CBS to make sure their ads would appear with the story. Now I'm starting to remember something very important about the Christian right: it's big business. Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and innumerable of their buddies are fabulously wealthy. The Left Behind books are the biggest thing in publishing. Mel Gibson made a fortune off of his sadistic snuff film. Throughout the country, "Christian" cable television stations consist of nothing but fundraisers, 24/7, and the cash flows in like rivers, and the lucre like a mighty stream. The preachers drive Cadillacs and wear thousand dollar shoes, while the poor saps who pay for it all are darning their socks and eating hamburger helper.
The alliance of the Republican Party with the Christian right is just part of its alliance with big business. It's all the same. Sell 'em sugar water and fat fried in trans-fat for food, sell 'em fear and sleaze for entertainment, sell 'em empty spectacle and lies for news, sell 'em superstition and hatred for religion. The profits are what matters, so long as a tithe goes to the Party.
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