False Prophet Michele Bachmann
The Bible says so.
According to The Minnesota Independent Bachmann took the opportunity at an event last week in Los Angeles to tell the Republican Jewish Coalition:
“I am convinced in my heart and in my mind that if the United States fails to stand with Israel, that is the end of the United States . . . [W]e have to show that we are inextricably entwined, that as a nation we have been blessed because of our relationship with Israel, and if we reject Israel, then there is a curse that comes into play. And my husband and I are both Christians, and we believe very strongly the verse from Genesis [Genesis 12:3], we believe very strongly that nations also receive blessings as they bless Israel. It is a strong and beautiful principle.”
That’s nice that her and her husband are both Christians and that they’re convinced. They have a right to be convinced. We have (for now) freedom of religion in this country. I fail to see what this has to do with national policy. Oh, that’s right, nothing! The Constitution forbids state-sponsored religion. But you know that, don’t you, Michele, being the constitutional expert here? So you’re welcome to your beliefs, but they really cannot form the basis of our foreign relations.
It might also be instructive to look at the entire passage, since as we all know, people like Michele tend to cherry pick and take out of context some rather important items. Here is Genesis 12:1-3:
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
She should also know that God is talking to Abraham. Abraham is dead. Abraham is no longer here to be blessed or cursed. It might also be observed that God’s word is suspect; he inarguably failed to make of Abraham a great nation. If he had, Israel would not need our help. Israel would be helping us.
Right now in my own private Bible time, I am working through Isaiah . . . and there is continually a coming back to what God gave to Israel initially, which was the Torah and the Ten Commandments, and I have a wonderful quote from John Adams that if you will indulge me [while I find it] . . . [from his February 16, 1809 letter to François Adriaan van der Kemp]:
I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations. If I were an atheist of the other sect, who believe or pretend to believe that all is ordered by chance, I should believe that chance had ordered the Jews to preserve and propagate to all mankind the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, almighty sovereign of the universe, which I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.
. . . So that is a very long way to answer your question, but I believe that an explicit statement from us about our support for Israel as tied to American security, we would do well to do that.
This nice, the words of John Adams about Israel, but again, this is Michele Bachmann cherry-picking.She fails to mention what Adams told van der Kemp in a letter of December 27, 1816:
As I understand the Christian religion, it was, and is, a revelation. But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends, have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed?
Let’s mention the Treaty of Tripoli, submitted to the Senate by President John Adams, ratified unanimously from the U.S. Senate on June 7, 1797 and signed by John Adams, took effect as the law of the land on June 10, 1797 and asserted the following about the United States:
As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen,—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
Having been ratified by Congress without objection to the language used, this document has far more relevance than any biblical passage taken in or out of context. This is the official “law” of the land, as opposed to the Bible, which can only remain (by writ of the Constitution) “unofficial” and, well…beside the point. There is no other way to say it.
So John Adams thought the Jews had done a lot for civilization, but he also thought America was not a Christian nation. Can’t have it both ways, Michele. Going to start quoting people like John Adams be prepared to take into account everything they said. If Michele is under any doubt as to whether the Treaty of Tripoli truly expresses Adams’ feelings about the United States government, she might peruse the following from John Adams’ “A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America” (1787-88). Emphasis added:
The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. Although the detail of the formation of the American governments is at present little known or regarded either in Europe or in America, it may hereafter become an object of curiosity. It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses.
Finally, while Michele was quoting from Adams’ letter she might have thought to share this with her Jewish audience, revelation of Adams’ ultimate goal with regard to Israel, as stated in a letter to Mordechai Manuel Noah, a Jewish activist and journalist in 1819:
I really wish the Jews again in Judea, an independent nation, for, as I believe, the most enlightened men of it have participated in the amelioration of the philosophy of the age; once restored to an independent government, and no longer persecuted, they would soon wear away some of the asperities and peculiarities of their character, possibly in time become liberal Unitarian Christians…
So what Adams was really saying was that the Jews had done a bunch of good stuff for civilization, hurray for them, and now they should get their country back and become liberal Unitarian Christians. Why didn’t you tell your Jewish audience that, Michele?
LIBERAL Unitarian Christians. Oh dear, Michele. You can’t mention that, can you? He didn’t want them to become fundamentalist zealots like you, did he?
So much for Israel, Michele. So much for truth.
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Israel does one thing for us. It makes some of the most advanced military weapons in the world. I am sure god is looking down from his mountain retreat on Mt Olympus and is just pleased as punch.
If god was upset about country’s not blessing Israel we wouldnt have a muslim religion about now.
Lots of politicians jumped on the tea party train only to find it was derailed. The same thing will happen with the religious fervor train.
W’s administration through folks like Monica Godling, and others, with the help of that so called “faith based initiative” has made sure, that we shall forever be shackeled with religious toadies..
i still cant figure out how that legislation is not unconstitutional under the first amendment..not only is the faith industry not taxed, they are are subsidised with tax money.. but the irony is wasted on the right wing jesus folks.. and we wonder why there is resistance to evryting from climate change to education..
speaking of education, whats the difference between charter schools and madrases..maybe Jesus?
(ps i am dyslexic, so please dont think me a fool, because of typos, with no spell check)
Charter schools are still under government regulations I believe because they get government moneys. I could be wrong here. But private schools can do as they wish.
The only proof of success with them is college testing to get in.
Great comment Shiva!! (as usual)
That bitch is crazy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_2LpLhOsc4
@Naomi-AMEN TO THAT! REALLY,REALLY LOONTUNES!
Shiva, that derailment can’t happen soon enough. The Tea Partiers and Christian zealots are making this country a laughingstock, while doing incredible damage to civility in political discourse and to states in which they are governors. MB misquotes both John Adams and the Bible in order to bolster her ignorant and erroneous beliefs about the founding of this country, as well as her support of Israel.
So, she has turned her polluted empty brain to foreign policy, which she is not versed on either!
The appeal of illiterate republican women says something most unflattering about some in America!
Even worse consider the impact upon native Americans who Michelle Bachman obviously considers non-person. America has been blessed, so God killed all those native Americans so that Christians could take over and now with America declared a Christian nation native Americans are now non-persons within their own land.
Perhaps Michelle Bachman would care to speak to native Americans in her constituency and how they feel about the Israel Palestine conflict, does she believe they don’t exist because God cursed them all to bless the Christians that ‘hmm’ killed them.
Well, proof is all around us here about this issue. It’s May 22nd and the man with no Plan B is still here with his followers. The man who was ABSOLUTELY positive that Jebus was gonna take him home.
Here’s the corollary. ANYONE who uses politics as a vehicle to further their personal delusional viewpoint about religion should not be given a microphone, but rather meds, a straitjacket, and a trip in a van to the farm.
Period.
He already got what he wanted.A few million dollars. He could care less if the world ends or not
Well, he’s not exactly around. I don’t believe he’s been spotted anywhere yet. I’m thinking South America with a happy bank account and some mojitos. He’s 89 after all. Might as well go out on high (as it were).
Ms. Bachman seems to have forgotten that the Arabs were also the children of Abraham, or else she really doesn’t like that part of the prophecy, because she seems to be desperate to contain everything derived from them. Especially subversive features of the Arabic culture are chemistry, physics, and the number zero.
Ms. Bachman does appear to emulate Moammar Ghaddafi in one regard, however. She seems to believe that uppity girls who challenge her leadership should be raped by her followers.
That would be “uppity underage girls”.
I’m sure they don’t exclude women because of age.
You forgot the cradle of civilization, the astrolabe and–damn their eyes!–algebra.
I didn’t forget algebra. I deliberately blunked it out.
Oh, congratulations, Hrafnkell. Mitch Daniels isn’t running.
Well, walking into a door and needing 16 stitches will do that to a confused 62-year-old fiscal conservative who hates women
¿What? ¡Do tell!
Also known as “being raptured” – lol.
ROFL
HH,
Terrific and informative as we have come to expect and enjoy. Thank you.
Surely, the Teabaggers will just fade away this summer, along with the “rock-bottom remainders” of the Rethuggery Obstructionist Party of Teabagging Fascists and Fewls.
I am going to take excerpts of this article and paste them onto the websites that need them. I am sick and tired of all the lies being tossed by the Reichwing Fundies and want to see them exposed for their hate, bigotry, racism and anti-Xtian behavior on every level.
I saw the Snowbilly Grifter last night on Faux Noise yakking and spewing about Israel – in the words of Keith Olberman: “That woman is an idiot”.
The Keith Olbermann statement also applies equally to CrazeeChele – maybe moreso since CrazeeChele actually holds an electe position in the USCongress.
Deluded voters in Minnesota and all over America.
Despite voting against her for every opportunity, this cesspool of crazy keeps getting re-elected. It’s baffling that she’s so well-funded.
It brings me massive amounts of shame that I am part of the state she supposedly represents. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was also behind the Anti-Gay marriage bill.
It’s always nice to see that these politicians are really caring about prevalent issues, instead of trying to deny people basic Constitutional rights.
She is really pushing the religious aspect of politics. But dont feel shame becuase of her, you are only one person
The Keith Olbermann statement also applies equally to CrazeeChele – maybe moreso since CrazeeChele actually holds an elected position in the USCongress.
Deluded voters in Minnesota and all over America.
You’re welcome, Eykis. If Bachmann could and would read, or had a shred of honesty, she’d admit to the many statements by Adams (and others of the era) which denigrate Christianity to one extent or another.
You have to wonder too if wanting to turn the children of Abraham into liberal Unitarian Christians is a blessing or a curse for Israel? Did John Adams buy himself a ticket to Helheim?
Excuse me? God “inarguably failed to make of Abraham a great nation” you say? REALLY? If God “failed” to make of us a great nation, then can you explain, please, how we still exist as a people and a culture (regardless of whether or not we have a geographical “nation”) despite over 3,500 years of persecution at the hands of every nation (but one: the US) we’ve ever come into contact with? And how, according to Toynbee and others, Jews have survived in complete contradiction to well-established theories of the rise and fall of civilizations? News flash: WE’RE STILL HERE. And the only other people who can say they’re still here after thousands of years are the Chinese, the Egyptians and a handful of African tribes. I don’t call that a “failure”
Actually all “cultures” have endured. People were on the British isles thousands of years ago. People were in South America many thousands of years ago and yet they endure. Lets not get carried away with the god thing
CONVENIENTLY forgot Muslims, didn’t you?
No, I didn’t “conveniently forget Muslims” as they’ve only been around since about the 7th century ce.
Actually – most neolithic cultures have persisted, a passing competence in world history and ethnography shows pretty clearly that with some exceptions – most neolithic Eurasian tribes managed to remain relatively distinct and have remained so for thousands of years.
Germanic tribes were culturally distinct from Gaulic tribes as were Celtic tribes based on the pre-literate pottery shards and distinct runes and similar artifacts. Fascinatingly , these artifacts (most in the neighborhood of 7-15 THOUSAND years old, are located in areas that we would roughly identify as the current locations of Germany, France and Irish/English nation states. Interestingly Celtic ruins clearly indicate they once held a far larger cultural influence but were forced out of areas of what we know of as Western Poland and the Baltic shoreline reduced all the way to the western coast of England and of course Ireland.
Beyond that, there are several other groups that have remained stateless or nearly so for easily as long, The Hunai of China were and are a permanent minority with the development of the Chin empire and CONTINUOUSLY since 4000 years ago. Imagine Babylonia still a world power and the Jews still in bondage or in some minority status – just like the Kurdish minorities today.
The less said about what has happened to Armenians or Scythians or Chaldeans or- to your point even the Philistines – aka Palestinians are to this day cultures that have persisted and endured to this day for tens of thousands of years.
Vicky, Israel has never been among the “great nations” – in the Bronze Age Israel was a nothing surrounded by the super powers of its day and victimized by them – Hatti, Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, etc. Simply surviving does not equate with “great nation.”
I would also remind you that the Jews have done a bit of persecuting of their own, first in Post-Exilic Israel when they eradicated the polytheists and again during the Hasmonean kings when they engaged in ethnic cleansing on a grand scale.
I would not use Toynbee in defense of the existence of a Jewish state. In his Study of History, Toynbee had no place for Judaism in his schemata of great civilizations and mere ‘survival’ he was not impressed with; he relegated the culture of Judaism to “fossil” status, a mere remnant of an otherwise extinct Syriac civilization. Several years later, Toynbee lectured on the Jewish treatment of Arabs in 1947 as comparable to the Nazi murder of 6 million Jews (McGill University, January ’61). There is a strong case to be made for Israel, but Toynbee is hardly the one to have made it.
Vicky, it’s the U.S., not gawd, who made Israel a great nation. And it seems to me after that 3,500 years of persecution you mentioned, I’d have gotten the hint that I’m the dog said diety likes to come home and kick after a hard day at the mines and told him to shove it up his divinity. As for the U.S. never persecuting Jews, we sure ignored them during the Halocaust when we knew for two years it was going on, but kept it a secret so we could keep concentrating our troops in Africa and the Orient. But, Jews knew a thing or two about genocide considering that they cut a swath of it throughout the desert in ancient times. Ever read the Old Testament? Ever heard of the people of Jericho? The Medianites? The Amekilites? Gawd ordered them all killed down to the “last suckling babe.” Nice guy. That’s what I hate about religion. It gives people an “us” vs. “them” mentality. Then, it makes it easier to heft that M-4 or push that button on the F-22 Raptor and blow children apart. Because that’s what a loving gawd wants you to do, right?
I’m a Christian, and I believe that God’s promise to Abraham became fulfilled through Jesus, not the state of Israel.
Revelation was the last book included in the Bible, and if the church fathers how greatly it was to be misused, I think they would have buried it under the biggest rock they could find.
LisaB, I’ve seen that view expressed on various blogs as well, that Jesus was the fulfillment of that promise. I chose not to discuss it here both because of space so thank you for bringing it up.
As a right wing conservative myself, I just want to say FUCK ISRAEL!
Oh Thank You so much! That was so freaking helpful. NOT!
Actually, the President is trying to find a solution to the problem that both sides can live with. He’s not against Israel per se, just saying that a solution lies in the ability of both sides to acknowledge each other’s right to exist and that both sides need to make some concessions. The right-wingers in Israel do not want to do so, and they only want American leaders who uncritically side with them.
I stand with all sane people, whether conservative or liberal in saying that this woman is a boil on the ass of American Politics.
Israel exists only by virtue of the taxpayers of the united states.
They own our government and use our money to fund their oppression.
If their access to our money were cut off, they would cease to exist.
Israel is one of the most brutal and oppressive countries in the world, they are responsible for more suffering than just about anyone. They need to be stopped, at any cost.
Michelle was heard screaming- Our founding fathers ended slavery and when they saw the ships in plymouth harbor they shouted ‘The Yiddish are coming, the Yiddish are coming’ and that was the battle of Concord grape juice, which is why it is drank today during passover!
Bayman, thank you for that comic relief. I thoroughly enjoyed it *S*
Hraf, take a bow. Seriously.
She shouldn’t even be in office. Her ability to be in office should be studied by psychologists and social scientists.
Thank you, Sarah. Yeah, she’s a whacko and she should definitely be studied – long term, in a secure facility somewhere. For a long time. A really long time.
The more I see idiots like Bachmann, Palin and Gingrich leading our national discourse, the more I hoped and accepted the idea that yesterday could have been the end of the world. Imagine Michelle’s look of horror when the “Rapturemobile” flies over head and leaves her down here among Satan’s minions. “But I must be holy, it says it right here in the Bible” The same Bible no doubt that mentions a country born in 1948 by name as well as holding that wonderful commandment, “Love thy neighbor, but don’t give him healthcare”. Of course her TeaBagger (TM) audience accepts her as an expert on all things constitutional. They only flip back to FOX news when “Real Housewives of High Colonic” is in commercial. I’ve lost friends over how stupid the discourse has become since Senorita Polar Bear showed up on the national scene. When I mention something I saw on Bill Mahr they crucify me with viscous witty retorts like “Bill Mahr am bad, Jesus am good”. Being a Christian myself I am not prepared to answer whether “Jesus am Good” but as far as critical thinking goes I’m pretty sure that “Michelle am Bad”.
Does the word “liberal” as used when discussing US politics today mean the same as it did in John Adam’s day? My guess is that it probably meant what we currently call “classical liberalism”.
Yes, undoubtedly so, and classical liberalism is about liberty, something Bachmann is a stranger to.
The notion of God does not come from philosophy, it comes from the occult, mysticism. Go crack open a book randomly after talking at God for a while. QED.
What is a spirit? You haven’t a clue about spirituality if you don’t know what a spirit is and what it does. It is a being without a body that puppets people. The Holy Spirit can puppet you.
God says…
C:\TEXT\BIBLE.TXT
ich were made eunuchs of
men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the
kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him
receive it.
19:13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should
put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to
come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
19:15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
19:16
Huh?
[...] we have been blessed because of our relationship with Israel, and if we reject Israel, More → Blog this! Bookmark on Delicious Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share via MySpace Share [...]
[...] Michele Bachmann Manages to Misquote Both Scripture and John Adams [...]
While defending Adams, Haraldsson, you might want to observe the dry humor employed by the great President Adams in his comments about liberal Unitarian Christians. Adams was an avowed non-joiner. He was a Unitarian because it was the most liberal form of Christianity. Thus, Abigail could drag him there once a week. Dear John was an agnostic. Great article otherwise. Bachmann quoting John Adams is like Kirk Cameron arguing with Stephen Hawking.
The same God scattered Israelis into the wind and damned them. God is not on their side, satan is. Just look at how they behave and it is plain as day.
Judaism + Christianity + Islam = Axis of Evil against the Soul of Mankind
Quote- Bachmann quoting John Adams is like Kirk Cameron arguing with Stephen Hawking.
That is classic.And true.
So according to Bachmann, we should be using cherry-picked, misinterpreted passages from the Bible as the basis for our foreign policy decisions?
Yet another reason why politics and religion make poor bedfellows.
I am not so sure that Abraham is dead. I am on the contrary believing Jesus who suggests that Abraham is not dead, same goes for Moses. I am convinced that the covenant with God brings blessing and requires those who have been blessed to bless others. It would be nice is the Israel created in 1948 could bless those who share their time and space rather than tormenting, killing and harming them. I am glad our President has suggested that is time for Israel to grow up. I thank God for the recent comments of President Obama and urge all Americans to pray that His leadership will bring peace. As for the lady from MN, I don’t understand her.