Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Sauron · 07-30-2003, 11:55 AM

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...16_bama30.html

Quote:

Alabama governor invokes religion as he tries to sell big tax package

By Phillip Rawls
The Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. � Alabama's new governor is trying to persuade voters to approve the biggest tax increase in state history by telling them it is their Christian duty. And for a state in the Bible Belt, that might seem like a winning strategy.

Instead, Republican Gov. Bob Riley's $1.2 billion tax package is alienating even the Christian Coalition and other supporters, who see Riley as a Judas. Riley had consistently opposed new taxes while in Congress.

Riley says the tax increase is needed to erase Alabama's biggest budget deficit since the Depression and improve education. The plan also seeks to help the poor by raising the income level at which people have to begin paying taxes.

jman0904 · 07-30-2003, 11:59 AM

I swear, Christianity should be ruled unconstitutional.

Autonemesis · 07-30-2003, 12:04 PM

How very interesting. Riley was mentioned recently in a link from another thread here about voting machine fraud.

Quote:

November 2002, Baldwin County, Alabama - No one at the voting machine company can explain the mystery votes that changed after polling places had closed, flipping the election from the Democratic winner to a Republican in the Alabama governor�s race. �Something happened. I don�t have enough intelligence to say exactly what,� said Mark Kelley of ES&S. Baldwin County results showed that Democrat Don Siegelman earned enough votes to win the state of Alabama. All the observers went home. The next morning, however, 6,300 of Siegelman�s votes inexplicably had disappeared, and the election was handed to Republican Bob Riley. A recount was requested, but denied.

See: http://truthout.org/docs_03/voting.shtml
Especially pay attention to the connections between ES&S and the Christian Right.

Jimmy Higgins · 07-30-2003, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Autonemesis
How very interesting. Riley was mentioned recently in a link from another thread here about voting machine fraud.

See: http://truthout.org/docs_03/voting.shtml
Especially pay attention to the connections between ES&S and the Christian Right.

Well, duh. God did it!

The SwampThing · 07-30-2003, 12:40 PM

So...
What else is new?
The US is the biggest theocracy in the world, bigger even than Iran ever was or hopes to be.
And that�s a fact!
The only diference is that the US president wears a suit instead of a priest�s cloth.
But, he is thinking of changing that too:

Ain�t he cute and fuzzy? Uuuuh, i just love those beedy eyes, and that "i be more holly than thou" look!
He makes me all warm and tingling inside...

...just like diarrea!!!

Leviathan · 07-30-2003, 12:50 PM

My goodness, the amount of vitriolic political crap tossed around this place, its suffocating.

The US is no more a theocracy than Hitler supported democratic rule. Calling on voters in Alabama to embrace their "Christian duty" makes at least expedient political sense, when examining one critical fact...

A majority of citizens in Alabama probably go to church, or are religious in some way. Just look at the language of the news article: Alabama is the "Bible Belt."

xorbie · 07-30-2003, 02:14 PM

Heh, Leviation you and I seem to agree on many issues. I am shocked at the way many liberals jump to comparing Bush to Saddam, Hitler and who knows whom else. To do so is to do a diservice to the speaker by displaying themselves for the obvious caustic fool they are, but also to the millions of people who suffered under Hitler and other vicious dictators.

Bush's new anti gay marriage policy is deplorable in my opinion. But why trivialize Nazi Germany by comparing him to Hitler. How is there even a minute comparison to be made between living in a ghetto and being thrown in a gas chamger and being denied marriage? It's not funny, it's not true, it makes me sick.

Leviathan · 07-30-2003, 02:25 PM

Exactly, its as if politicians and the millions of Christians in America are to absolutely 100% sever any and all religious beliefs they hold to be true, when dealing with politics. The proposition is absolutely preposterous.

RufusAtticus · 07-30-2003, 04:01 PM

The problem is that Alabama politics is dominated by religious language. Politicians are getting elected by campaigning as "more Chrisitian" than the other guy. So basically now the only way to get the Alabama voters to agree on something is to cast it as a "Christian law." Alabama needs a lot of help. And if it takes the Governor pulling the religion card to pass modern tax reform, I'm fine by it.

Leviathan · 07-30-2003, 04:09 PM

Again...

If a majority of Alabama identify themselves as religious people, why is it "problematic" for the politicians to reference a belief system that many individuals ascribe to?

It is no different than northern politicians catering to labor unions. People unify themselves around many belief systems, and politicians must cater to those belief systems, in order to win the vote.

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07-30-2003, 11:59 AM	#2
jman0904 Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Oregon, the new Least Religious State in America Posts: 453	I swear, Christianity should be ruled unconstitutional.

07-30-2003, 12:40 PM	#5
The SwampThing Banned Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Portugal Posts: 249	So... What else is new? The US is the biggest theocracy in the world, bigger even than Iran ever was or hopes to be. And that�s a fact! The only diference is that the US president wears a suit instead of a priest�s cloth. But, he is thinking of changing that too: Ain�t he cute and fuzzy? Uuuuh, i just love those beedy eyes, and that "i be more holly than thou" look! He makes me all warm and tingling inside... ...just like diarrea!!!

07-30-2003, 12:50 PM	#6
Leviathan Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Georgia, United States of America Posts: 115	My goodness, the amount of vitriolic political crap tossed around this place, its suffocating. The US is no more a theocracy than Hitler supported democratic rule. Calling on voters in Alabama to embrace their "Christian duty" makes at least expedient political sense, when examining one critical fact... A majority of citizens in Alabama probably go to church, or are religious in some way. Just look at the language of the news article: Alabama is the "Bible Belt."

07-30-2003, 02:14 PM	#7
xorbie Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Champaign, IL or Boston, MA Posts: 6,360	Heh, Leviation you and I seem to agree on many issues. I am shocked at the way many liberals jump to comparing Bush to Saddam, Hitler and who knows whom else. To do so is to do a diservice to the speaker by displaying themselves for the obvious caustic fool they are, but also to the millions of people who suffered under Hitler and other vicious dictators. Bush's new anti gay marriage policy is deplorable in my opinion. But why trivialize Nazi Germany by comparing him to Hitler. How is there even a minute comparison to be made between living in a ghetto and being thrown in a gas chamger and being denied marriage? It's not funny, it's not true, it makes me sick.

07-30-2003, 02:25 PM	#8
Leviathan Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Georgia, United States of America Posts: 115	Exactly, its as if politicians and the millions of Christians in America are to absolutely 100% sever any and all religious beliefs they hold to be true, when dealing with politics. The proposition is absolutely preposterous.

07-30-2003, 04:01 PM	#9
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	The problem is that Alabama politics is dominated by religious language. Politicians are getting elected by campaigning as "more Chrisitian" than the other guy. So basically now the only way to get the Alabama voters to agree on something is to cast it as a "Christian law." Alabama needs a lot of help. And if it takes the Governor pulling the religion card to pass modern tax reform, I'm fine by it.

07-30-2003, 04:09 PM	#10
Leviathan Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Georgia, United States of America Posts: 115	Again... If a majority of Alabama identify themselves as religious people, why is it "problematic" for the politicians to reference a belief system that many individuals ascribe to? It is no different than northern politicians catering to labor unions. People unify themselves around many belief systems, and politicians must cater to those belief systems, in order to win the vote.

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