Apocalypse Without Rapture

It’s been a long time since I trusted politicians of any stripe, but I did not trust Republicans way before that.  As a political entity the GOP is one of the slipperiest, sleaziest, mean-spirited, elitist, me-first, anti-American party to have ever come down the pike.  Therefore, I can’t help but wonder what their angle is on dissing one of the most popular government programs ever. Threatening to end Medicare seems at least counterinutitive. So (my fearful heart asks) what are they really up to?

Digby at Hullaballoo is wondering and fearing along these lines as well:

“Perhaps the Republicans had to go completely over the cliff before they could
realize they have become too extreme even for a nation that has developed a
tremendous appetite for right wing fantasy and corporate advertising. It’s a
good thing for the country if they shoot the moon and lose very big. But it’s
dangerous too. You never know what might happen and if they get validated again
in 2012 as they did in 2010, we have a major, major problem on our hands.”

If Republicans, despite all they’ve revealed about their intentions for the nation, regain control of the United States government in 2012 it’ll mean the calculations made by Harold Campling predicting an apocalypse for yesterday were just off by 18 months or so. One thing you can be fairly certain of if that happens is that  congress will out itself as the Upper and Lower House of Lords, and the USA will become the FSA —the Feudal States of America.

No, really, I’ve done the calculations …apocalypse without rapture.
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by Jim Culleny, 5/22/11

Sex and the Bible

What does the Bible have to say about the sex-related issues that tie many American Christians up in knots and make it nearly impossible for government these day to govern? Enough —and ambiguous enough— to make wide consensus a tough thing to achieve.

In Nicholas Kristof’s NYT column this morning he goes over a few. Take his test to see how savvy you are on Biblical sexuality.

From The Old Testament’s Song of Songs:

Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins
which feed upon the lilies

Until the day break and the shadows flee away
I will get me to the mountain of myrrh
and to the hill of frankincence
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Having thankfully gotten to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense a few times myself, that’s a bit of the bible that is refreshingly rich and earthy.

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