Where do I begin with discussing what is ALL kinds of wrong with this?!
Senator Durbin is correct to be appalled and concerned by this blatant display of hate in the name of God. For Coburn to appeal that Amurikans clasp their hands together in prayer as a group effort calling for “a member” not make it to the [senate] floor to vote is nothing short of shameful Bible thumping as a weapon.
It is common knowledge that Senator Robert Byrd is 92 years old and in ailing health. One doesn’t have to make a giant mental leap to grasp the inference here.
For all the emphasis these religious zealots place on the power of prayer…it is routinely letting them down! This brings me to the most frightening aspect of this practice and behavior…
At what point will their “warriors for God” imbibe enough kool aid before they hear these cries as callings to go forth and do harm in the name of god? Coburn is well aware of the extremism in this sect of Christianity that he holds so dear, and therein lies the danger of imprecatory prayer. Imprecatory prayers distort the Book of Psalms in the minds of these ‘c’hristian jihadists, justifying Scriptural verse as weapons to cause harm to others who dare disagree with them.
This is my concern. DO I worry that they have a direct line to God Almighty? Absolutely NOT! Do I think THEY believe they do? Without a doubt! Do I think that they are so arrogant and haughty that they believe God has given them authority to invoke His word as a weapon against others? Sadly, yes.
Their sense of invincibility and sanctimonious superiority as God’s chosen – mixed with a healthy ignorance and intolerance makes a toxic mixture that will wreak havoc. Coburn’s irresponsible imprecatory prayer should be taken as seriously as if he had stood on the floor and called for the ‘c’hristian dominionist community to pick up a weapon.
To give you an example of the seriousness with which their indoctrinated Sheeples take these prayers…let’s take a quick look at the shenanigans of the recently deceased Oral Roberts. Remember this?
January 1987: Roberts said God had told him . . . he had to raise $8 million by March 1 or God would take him home. Roberts said the money would be used to provide full scholarships for medical missionaries who would be sent to Third World countries. . . He said $3.5 million had been raised and all he needed was $4.5 million before March 1 that year.April 1, 1987: Roberts announced that he had raised $9.1 million — $1.1 million more than needed. Of the money raised, $1.3 million was given by a dog track owner, Jerry Collins.
January 1987: Roberts said God had told him . . . he had to raise $8 million by March 1 or God would take him home. Roberts said the money would be used to provide full scholarships for medical missionaries who would be sent to Third World countries. . . He said $3.5 million had been raised and all he needed was $4.5 million before March 1 that year.
April 1, 1987: Roberts announced that he had raised $9.1 million — $1.1 million more than needed. Of the money raised, $1.3 million was given by a dog track owner, Jerry Collins.
If they did not take these prayers seriously…he would not have raised millions of dollars from his devout Sheeples. Their gullibility makes them dangerous.
So…they cannot have it BOTH ways! Either they believe in their use of the power of prayer – or they don’t. Which is it?
They DO believe. Therefore, they are not innocent recitations from the Bible as they coyly claim when confronted. Of course, just like so many bullies and domestic violence batterers, they are the first ones to run and hide when questioned. Coburn refused to return Senator Durbin’s request that he come back to the Senate Floor and retract this imprecatory prayer.
“god’s warriors” can be such cowards…
EXCELLENT! Great post, Leah. These people are quite honestly disgusting. I listened to their prayers and felt sick to my stomach from the hate and cult-like mentality.
Here is a CLEAR example of how the followers of Coburn responded to his request that they pray. It was recorded on C-Span this morning. LISTEN FOR YOURSELF. It's so unbelievable!!!
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Think Progress makes a great catch on C-SPAN this morning: Someone calls in while Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) is answering the lines, practically in tears because Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) missed this morning's procedural vote on health care.
He was apparently concerned that — after following Sen. Tom Coburn's (R-OK) instructions to pray that someone couldn't make a manager's amendment vote Sunday night — his prayers for Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) to die struck the wrong senator.
"Our small tea bag group here in Waycross, we got our vigil together and took Dr. Coburn's instructions and prayed real hard that Sen. Byrd would either die or couldn't show up at the vote the other night," the caller said.
"How hard did you pray because I see one of our members was missing this morning. Did it backfire on us? One of our members died? How hard did you pray senator? Did you pray hard enough?" he continued, his voice breaking
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/…
They are more than confirming what Sen. Whitehouse of Rhode Island spoke about on the Senate floor, in a speech last Sunday.
TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS: http://www.dailykostv.com/w/002442/ After Inhofe skips health care vote, tearful teabagger calls into C-SPAN, worried he prayed Inhofe to death ….
Somebody ACTUALLY PRAYED for Byrd's DEATH .. then is worried it backfired, that God took a Repubican instead!!! THESE PEOPLE ARE STUPID AND DANGEROUS
That link is rather disturbing as well, I'm glad it's out there so that they can't deny what it truly meant originally.
OOPS somebody put that up as I was doing it!
Sorry …
This type of faith is beyond belief. Why would anyone pray to a loving God for another person's demise or misfortune? Of course the justification would be that this is what the insanity defense is for, but it's not. This is exactly why we must fight for seperation of church and state.
Oh but they CAN have it both ways. They pray for God to do their will, and then they believe that God uses them as an instrument to accomplish that will. They also seem to have no problem committing crimes for 'the greater good.' Witness Randall Terry, et al.
Love the story about the C-Span caller. Did he think God had bad aim and missed his target?
There is a God and I pray to him. But I'm here to tell you their God and mine are not the same. I believe we are our brothers keepers.
I'm totally ashamed of these people. If they truly believed in prayer, they would get the big picture that my God beats their God and is telling them no.
I wish Sen Byrd would retire though … his vote may be crucial at some point and his seat shouldn't be 'vacant' ….
Country First, Sen Byrd.
Amen to that! It's time for a few others to step down as well.
That caller was from Waycross, GA. I live in GA, and I can say without a doubt that there are millions here who follow every word that the GOPers, teabaggers, and Fuchs Noose entertainers vomit from their mouths. I think the teabaggers have a rally to defeat HCR in Atlanta today and to take their country back from the liberal heathens. Ralph Reed from the Faith & Freedom Coalition is coming here to establish a new chapter in GA. Just what we need, another bigoted fundamentalist pushing his personal agenda under the guise of Christianity.
Isn't it remarkable how blatant these theocrats are in their organizing and political activism? As though we can't see through the transparent veil they "technically" use to preach politics through their congregations. The IRS laws must change. This is the primary way they successfully organize large numbers of voters and we must sharpen the line between church and state. Thank you for telling us about what is going on in your area…I would love everyone who comes here to share the latest of what is going on around them.
Sen Durban did not take this person to task over these comments. Therefore Sen Durban is responsible for the out come of escalating violence. How does Sen Coburn call for death and the rest of the senate is silent?
I think Durban did ok considering Coburn's choice of words. He didn't actually call for death, even though many of us took that as his meaning. Durban clearly expressed that he was disturbed by Coburn's prayer request and called for him to come onto the floor and explain himself. Not much more he could do without getting accused of putting words into Coburn's mouth. And as far as I know, Coburn never showed. But you are right AKjah – I haven't heard of any other Senator expressing any outrage or even concern.