Trump's attorney general wants god's moral order enforced by government

[Kablooie]

As the nation lurches closer towards being ruled by a tyrannical dictator with unwavering support from the Republican Party, the American people are ignoring an even greater threat to their waning secular democracy – rule by tyrannical theocrats.
The rise of theocrats in powerful positions of authority is particularly disconcerting because not only was America created as a secular nation with a secular Constitution, but because the theocrats running the federal government represent a very small minority of the population. And now Trump has given that vicious minority what they elected him to do in the first place; another radical Christian extremist, William Barr, in a powerful federal government position.

In a 1995 essay, Barr expressed the extremist Christian view that “American government should not be secular;” secularism is an abomination in Barr’s theocratic mind despite the law of the land is unmistakably secular. Furthermore, Barr contends America’s government is supposed to be imposing “a transcendent moral order with objective standards of right and wrong that flows from God’s eternal law;” eternal law best dictated by the Vatican and taught in public schools at taxpayer’s expense.

It is true that as attorney general William Barr will defend Trump’s criminality and corruption; it is one of the only reasons Trump nominated him. However, the real danger to the nation is Barr’s belief that the government’s primary function should be defending and enforcing his god’s moral edicts while ardently opposing any legislative branch effort to make secular laws according to the secular Constitution.

Barr also penned an article in The Catholic Lawyer where he complained vehemently about what he asserted was “the rise of secularism;” something he claims is anathema to a nation he believes should be ruled by theocrats. Barr attempted to give an answer to “the challenge of representing Catholic institutions as authorities” on what is considered right and wrong, or morally acceptable in a secular nation. In discussing what Barr termed was “The Breakdown of Traditional Morality,” the new attorney general complained thus:

“We live in an increasingly militant, secular age… As part of this philosophy, we see a growing hostility toward religion, particularly Catholicism. This form of bigotry has always been fashionable in the United States. There are, today, even greater efforts to marginalize or ‘ghettoize’ orthodox religion…”

http://churchandstate.org.uk/2019/03/trumps-attorney-general-wants-gods-moral-order-enforced-by-government/?fbclid=IwAR1C7iy8jLouzkx2MIOZX3vN9KlnU-ANedrg3denfmPD-oyCK7Qlv7m3dvc

[FirstLight]

1. ...

There's a LOT of cleaning House here..the corruption in the Executive branch is the tip of the iceberg..

INDICT all of them...

[Captain Zero]

2. Sounds like Barr won't be happy until

we are all signed on to Catholicism. Good Luck with that.

[Wednesdays]

16. Whether the Spanish Inquisition succeeded is open to debate

But the effort certainly hurt a lot of people along the way.

[NanceGreggs]

3. Okay. Try starting with ...

… enforcing ‘god’s moral order’ in government – and specifically within this administration.

Here are some handy guidelines, penned by the Big Guy himself:

Thou shalt not lie, steal, bear false witness, or commit adultery.

Try enforcing that ‘moral order’ in the Trump administration for starters – and then get back to us on how that works out.

[Python boot]

4. Pauline theology

All this religiousity is of course a smoke screen they use bible quotes selectively to bolster their arguement. The one source they always quote are the letters of Paul in which you will find bible quotes like obey the civil authorities, women should be quiet in church, and gays should be executed. None of these evil sentiments are found in the gospels of Jesus but are prevelant in the letters of Paul.

[Mc Mike]

14. Harry Dean Stanton did a good job playing Paul in Scorsese's movie Last Temptation.

[Corgigal]

5. Gluttony

May I suggest he begin first.

[lindysalsagal]

6. So, obviously, he's never read the old testament.....

[woodsprite]

7. Or The Constitution. nt

[chowder66]

8. This. nt

[gratuitous]

9. Yeah, I'm interested in the constitutional basis for a sectarian government

On the other hand, will Barr be enforcing the practices of the early disciples as recounted in the Book of Acts, chapter 4, verses 32 through 37?

In case your Bible isn't handy: "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet."

Are we going to fashion a society without possessions, sharing everything we have, so that there are no needy persons among us? Or isn't that a part of God's eternal law that Barr recognizes?

[Leith]

10. Outside the Sermon on the Mount, there is no morality in the bible

Starting with the "gotcha" the deity pulled on Adam & Eve, continuing into genocide, incest, slavery, pedophilia, and all sorts of practices that would land the miscreants in prison in today's world.

They're not going to cram their authoritarian religion down my throat or anybody else's while I'm around.

[KentuckyWoman]

11. Barr's version of "traditional morality"

Rich white men doing whatever the fuck they want and everyone else left holding a bag of turds.

[The_jackalope]

12. As part of this philosophy...

... we see a growing hostility toward religion...

Which is completely OK if the religion in question is Islam. "This form of bigotry has always been fashionable in the United States." There are, today, even greater efforts to marginalize the Islamic faith. Ghettos coming soon.

Guy's a fucking Dominionist. Why am I not surprised? Steve Bannon with a suit and a shave.

[DFW]

13. The trouble with the God Squad having the last word in a country's laws

Theocrats always say they are implementing "God's" law. By strange coincidence, it's always a god of THEIR choosing, and their god invariably wants what they want, which is always them controlling everyone else's lives, and appropriating their money.

How ironic that Republicans always diss the fanatic Muslims, when their views on theocracy so closely resemble those of the "towel heads" they claim to hate.

[Mc Mike]

15. Great. This asshole's a catholic, too.

Comes from the Santorum Gingrich end of things. A catholic dominionist.

Pope Francis has gotta start tossin some of those babies off the sled.

Look at Barr's holy leader. Represents every good holy and moral value Barr has.