I remember when I was on WKY and interviewed the daughter of the now deceased Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist. She was just as tenacious as her father, except I thought her to be a bit louder than he. Her arguments had been well planned and structured in such a way that they sounded as though she had gone through them countless times before and they were just something she had drilled into her head. She was angry when I confronted some of her interpretations of Scripture to the point where she eventually hung up and ended the interview.
She expressed their belief that God pretty much hated everyone except themselves and they just weren't going to be shy about it. This morning, I was remembering that interview while reading an announcement from an elected official who is going to be doing some work with a Presidential candidate, and I have to say that it didn't surprise me at all. It's the way of politics in Oklahoma. In which the Legislature is looking more and more like "Oklaboro Baptist Church."
Think about it:
1. Westboro Baptist hates alternative lifestyles and the legislature tried their hardest to show their true colors in opposition.
2. The Oklahoma legislature wants to force the conventional religious preference down everyone's throat and will do so by any means necessary - including wasting taxpayer funds to defend having that 10 Commandments monument. Westboro Baptist communicates their message to proselytize, though they are just about as successful as the legislature in gaining converts.
3. Both the Oklahoma legislature as well as Westboro have either an outspoken (Westboro) or clandestine (Oklaboro) legislative-church-of-we're-better-than-you dominion theological twist to them. Oh sure, they'll argue that they want a theocratic government, but if it looks like a duck, acts like a duck, and sounds like a duck, it's probably a duck. .
Now, tell me - what does it look like to you? What does it sound like to you? What does it act like to you?
I am a believer as well, and the doctrinal constructs of these people eludes me. When I write a blog such as this one, there is always blow back from Doctrinal Delberts who have IQs barely above room temperature and think that since they watch John Hagee (who has been hyping up and raking in the cash from his "the sky is falling," convoluted douchebaggery), they are Biblical scholars. My faith is called into question by these folks and it only serves to prove my point about them.
They are mean-spirited, haters.
I am a Calvinist with a Lutheran view of the sacraments, I affirm the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, I am a preterist, I abhor televangelists, and I am the Chief of all sinners. Period. So, if you want to argue doctrinal validity, we can do so.
For some reason, we in Oklaboro continue to elect zealot Pharisees who wouldn't know the Constitution (or Scripture) if it jumped up and bit them on the rear-end. Do I sound like a hater? I hope not, but I can understand why one may think that.
Those were just my opinions and I could be wrong - but I seriously doubt it.
Your Fuzzy Ape