Prescient quote of the day...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
Robert A. Heinlein

[empedocles]

1. Hmm

“Leonard Leo can take credit for installing four Supreme Court justices” – John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. “As executive vice president of the Federalist Society, Leo has been the quiet architect of a pivotal shift to the right throughout the federal judiciary” including “dozens of lower court federal judges across the country.”

It was Leo who prepared Trump’s “list of judges and the people that he’s put on the bench.”

Leo is on the board of directors of Opus Dei’s Catholic Information Center located at 15th and K Street, two blocks from the White House. The Center is “a rallying point for ultra-conservative Catholics eager for a voice in the secular halls of government power” and “advances a hard-right political agenda,” according to Church and State, Americans United for Separation of Church and State’s magazine. . . ''

http://churchandstate.org.uk/2019/03/opus-deis-influence-on-the-u-s-judiciary/

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. +100

[IronLionZion]

3. Our constitution bans a state religion

I wish it were more explicit in keeping religion out of laws

[erronis]

4. It hasn't done a particularly good job. "In God We Trust", the masonic symbol on currency

The exemption of taxes for cultists, blue laws limiting shopping so people will fill the pews, taxpayer support of religious schools, etc.

And now the packing of the SC by fundamentalist catholics. bejesus and beelzebub!

Gimme some old time pasta-based religion!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6. Seems as most of the God things like in the pledge and cash happened waaay after the constitution

was written. As to masonic symbol, most of the FF were masons. Go figure.

[Mr.Bill]

5. When it comes to the SCOTUS,

welcome to the Catholic States of America.

[Native]

7. I totally grok.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

9. Missing Michael Valentine.

[Native]

11. It was almost another lifetime ago when I read that.

I wonder if I'd still think it's fabulous today.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

12. For me as well. I went back once in my late thirties and read a bunch of his earlier works though

and enjoyed them thoroughly.

But Stranger and Time Enough for Love became ingrained to become a part of me forever (along with several Vonnegut tales).

[Native]

13. Another of my favorite authors! Glad to know Stranger was still good in your 30s

I was in my late teens when I read it. And it's taken me decades and countless books to get to a point where I can reread an old book without remembering it in its entirety. But I'm now dealing with having read so much over the years that everything feels like I've read it before, and I rarely get excited about a book. I miss the good old days when everything seemed so fresh.

[summer_in_TX]

14. I revisited Stranger in a Strange Land annually for years and years

Grokked the story and the characters. I'd guess I read it more than 15 times.

But the last time was the Author's cut. I learned to appreciate the work of editors then. Tightened the story up and made it excellent. The author's cut was much longer and rambled. By that time I was probably in my mid-thirties.

Also loved Time Enough for Love.

Good memories. I tried to write Heinlein a letter once at his publisher about what a fan I was of Stranger. As I recall, it was sort of a religious experience for me to write it. After a number of months it came back.

By that time, life had turned and new interests had come.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

15. +!

[Missn-Hitch]

8. They can't be PART of something, they have to be THEE something.

[Boomerproud]

10. Run for office Leonard Leo and have the harsh spotlight shine

upon you instead of lurking in the cowardly shadows.