Fundamentalists Fight Evils Like Terrorism, Drug Abuse, Hitler, and Glee

The religious right is continuing to warn of the dangers of pop culture because, as we all know, behind every popular TV show, book series, or music sensation, Satan and his minions lurk. When I was a kid, the Devil was using Pokémon to teach kids the evil doctrine of (gasp!) evolution. Once I got over my Pokémon faze and started reading the Harry Potter books around age 11, they decided to warn me that I was going to become a witch (warlock?) if I kept reading them.

Thank God for Truth in Action Ministries, a fundamentalist Christian organization that recognizes the true dangers to America. They even use The Hunger Games book trilogy to illustrate this without claiming that Satan possessed Suzanne Collins when she wrote the fictional story of a dystopian future America. In a recent video, they discussed whether or not America is heading towards a “Hunger Games” style future. To illustrate their fear of what the future may hold, they pointed to the September 11 attacks, the wars in the Middle East, drug abuse, Apartheid, Hitler and… Glee.

Well, nevermind. Apparently, a kiss between two gay male characters, Kurt and Blaine, on the television series is on par with the Holocaust and Islamic terrorism. 

Dave Daubenmire of Pass the Salt Ministries was incensed. In his article, which included the censored image of the kiss seen below (“blocked for decency’s sake”), he declared thus:

“Oh, how the pigs will squeal. The sodomites will cry ‘hate’ as if the truth of a picture can be hateful. The Christians in pretty suits will cry ‘mean’ as if being nice ever won a war.
It is God who first called them sodomites. If it is good enough for him then it should be good enough for us. It is time to take off the gloves. It is time to get down and dirty. It is time we fought like we wanted to win.” [Daubenmire then requests a non-tax deductible gift to fund the war with the gays].

Glenn Beck announced this past week that he's on board with the Glee-is-produced-by-Satan train, describing how he and his wife watched an episode in "horror."

Meanwhile, another pop culture icon drew the ire of staunch fundamentalists this past week. Charisma magazine published an articledenouncing X-Men for an issue that had…gay people in it. One Million Moms expressed fears that gay characters in X-Men would lead little boys who want to be super heroes also wanting to have boyfriends.

But really, they shouldn't worry that Glee or X-Men will turn their kids gay if precedent means anything. The Harry Potter film series surpassed Star Wars as the biggest film series of all time and the sales of the book series are also unprecedented. Somehow, the generation that grew up with Harry Potter still hasn’t exchanged their cars for flying brooms… yet.

John Hagee to Atheists: 'Get Out of America. We Don't Want You.'

In a sermon this past Sunday, mega church televangelist John Hagee made clear that he has no interest in bringing atheists and non-believers into the Christian fold; he wants atheists to get out:

“Let me be very clear. This country was not built for atheists or by atheists. It was built by Christian people who believe in the word of God. To the atheists watching this telecast: If our belief in God offends you, move. There are planes leaving every hour on the hour going every place on planet earth. Get on one. We don’t want you. And we won’t miss you, I promise. Our coins say in God we trust, President Obama recently told the foreign media that America not a Christian nation. You are absolutely wrong. We were, we are, and always shall be a Bible reading, praying Christian people.”

 Hagee's understanding of American history is, of course, incorrect if not insincere. The people who built this nation had varied and mixed views of religion and its role in public life. Certainly, there were few who saw it the way Hagee sees it. Thomas Jefferson said that the "superstition" of Christianity had not "one redeeming feature." Thomas Paine said that he "would not dare to so dishonor my Creator God by attaching his name to that book (the Bible)." James Madison said that religion and government "will both exist in greater purity the less they are mixed together."

Are these the Bible reading, Christian people that Hagee says built this nation? No, they are not. And the documents they gave us, including the Constitution, make clear that religion is not a litmus test for citizenship in the United States and it is not the method by which we guide our laws or governance.

But having abandoned the precepts of the articles of his own religion, we can't be shocked that Hagee would so choose to ignore the words of our founders and our founding documents in pursuit of his own vision. The New Testament of the Bible stresses the importance of charity and of searching for souls that need to be saved from eternal damnation. Since Hagee believes that non-Christians will burn in hell, one might think that he would relish the opportunity to preach to and convert the atheists in America. But no, given the chance to speak to them, if they are listening, he doesn't welcome them to the message of the Christian Gospel, but tells them to get out of America because, "We don't want you."

That's because Hagee, like many on the religious right, isn't interested in building the spiritual kingdom of God that the Bible speaks of. He isn't interested in searching for lost Americans souls and bringing them a message of salvation. He's interested in purging the land of those who prevent him and his fellow theofascists from establishing a theocracy ruled solely by his vision of Christianity wherein everyone worships the same God as him, not by faith, but by compulsion. Why else would he want those who believe differently to leave the country?

Man Says Hospital Denied Him HIV Treatment Because of "God's Will"

This past week, an HIV-positive man brought forth a case alleging that the Trinitas Medical Center admitted him last August, but denied his sister visitation rights and denied him lifesaving medical treatment because of his HIV status. According to Joe Simoes, the plaintiff, alleged that Dr. Susan V. Borga was "unfazed" when another patient explained that he had just gotten out of prison after serving time for murder. But her response to Simoes was different. CourtHouseNews.com reports:

"Simoes said that he did not work because he planned to go back to school and because of his HIV status. Borga then allegedly asked Simoes how he got HIV, to which he responded, 'I got it from unprotected sex.' The complaint then says that 'Dr. Borga closed the plaintiff's file, put it down and looked at the plaintiff with disgust on her face and asked coldly, "Is that from sex with men?" Simoes says he responded affirmatively and that, immediately after hearing this, Dr. Borga proceeded to exit the room.'" 

After that incident, no nurse or doctor came to see Simoes and he was not given his needed HIV medication. He later learned that Borga had spoken to his personal doctor and allegedly said, "You must be gay, too, if you're his doctor." Then, after asking the doctor if he needed a translator due to his accent, according to the complaint, she said "This is what he gets for going against God's will" and hung up the phone. In all, Simoes missed five days of his medication because of the incident.

This kind of language and activity is, unfortunately, expected from the religious right. Speaking at Calvary Assembly's Awakening 2012 on Friday, Liberty Counsel Vice President Matt Barber said that his cousin, whom he claims to love, was "seduced" by homosexual recruiters and that he is now dying of AIDS because "the wages of sin is death." Last June, Alabama evangelist Damon Thompson preached from Proverbs 10:27, which says that "The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened." After reading the latter half of the verse, he quipped, "It's called AIDS."

Yet while this kind of attitude is something we can, unfortunately, expect from fundamentalists on the religious right, it's not something we should ever expect — or accept — from a medical professional. Are Simoes' allegations about Dr. Borgas true? I certainly hope not.