Can I get an Amen!

A self-ascribed Ayn Rand devotee as well as an allegedly devout Catholic. The cognitive dissonance is deafening.

Even the Catholic church doesn't like Ryan's so called budget.

A Mormon and a Catholic walk into a bar.

Wait, I don't get it. What's wrong with this photo?

As opposed to just printing money and giving it to Solyndra, et al?

This is interesting take on Ryan:

Paul Ryan's Dissembling On Medicare

Lyin' Ryan is at it again...

http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=210091

"Hard earned"
There's a term that would seem to put the brakes on tax cuts for the super rich. Or maybe that's just my Jesuit education kicking in.

Footnote: Ryan says he rejects anything Ayn Rand said that stems from her atheism. But he doesn't seem to be much moved by the sermon on the mount.

OK, help me here. How are high tax rates on the "rich" consistent with Christian theology? Do you really think the federal government is using its resources to do God's work? If a man gives his money on his own free will to help the poor, that is consistent with Christian theology. And if Caeser takes less of the man's money in taxes so he has more to give, that certainly isn't a bad thing is it? High tax rates seems a lot closer to Pontius Pilate's theology than Christ's.

Christian conservatives are funny.

How are high tax rates on the "rich" consistent with Christian theology?

Come on, Bob. I believe somewhere in there the Son of Man says, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Look into it.

One of the 10 Commandments should be, "Thou shalt not be drawn into a religious discussion."

However....(as I see Jack just mentioned)

If the point is to go to heaven, then just being rich is inconsistent with Christian theology based on the "eye of a needle/camel" story.

Of course, there's always a load of BS to get past anything in the Bible that's not appealing, allowing these Christian phonies to cherry pick what they want to follow and ignore the rest. For example, one religious guy told me the eye of the needle actually was a gate in the old city of Jerusalem that was a little small for a camel, but not that bad.

Consistent with Christian theology? Is that even a question anymore?

For example, the Doctrine of Preemptive Strikes was in direct conflict with the "Thou shalt not kill" section, but this is of no matter to these self-righteous, smug losers who use religion to wield power and then go on an ego-trip about it.

Paul Ryan gushes about being pro-life and the rights of the unborn, but he voted for the War in Iraq and the depleted uranium we used over there will go on killing babies for eons.

What about their rights?

Or you could just Google "Ryan budget and Catholic bishops" Bob. Not only are they against the "immoral" Ryan budget plan, but you'll find numerous results that show leaders of other denominations are too.

Being deliberately obtuse is becoming refined to a near art form in this election cycle.

"A Mormon and a Catholic walk into a bar"...BEST post of the day!

As far as letting people keep more of their money, I guess I'd counter that for each $1 we send to DC we probably get less than $0.80 back. Maybe letting people keep more of their money isn't so bad, heck in Portland, schools are bottom priority for spending taxes on anyways (employee benefits are top-line) and about the only way to kill that beast is to starve it.

If you really think Obama is going to go hard on guys like Immelt, Jamie Dimon or Buffet, you're dreaming.

No one answered my question: what's so moral about giving more money (on threat of prison if you don't) to a government that spends it on crony capitalism, wars, and "benefits" that keep the recipients in line and voting "correctly"? And it isn't the government's job (or yours) to help rich guys get less rich so they can get into heaven. That's up to them.

Come on, Bob. I believe somewhere in there the Son of Man says, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Look into it.

Be careful what you wish for.

Anyone who will believe the Beattitudes are a call for higher taxes, could just as easily believe that it is a call for theocracy.

I have always hoped that I could (at least) count on liberals to help police the wall separating church and state.

It sure is funny to watch people who would vehenemtly decry Christians pushing their view of morality blog here about how it's the "Christian thing to do" to support opressive taxes..

Democrats (House)
Gary Ackerman, Rob Andrews, Jim Barcia, Ken Bentsen, Shelley Berkley, Howard Berman, Marion Berry, Sanford Bishop, Rod Blagojevich, Bob Borski, Leonard Boswell, Rick Boucher, Allen Boyd, Brad Carson, Bob Clement, Bud Cramer, Joseph Crowley, Jim Davis, Peter Deutsch, Norm Dicks, Cal Dooley, Chet Edwards, Eliot Engel, Bob Etheridge, Harold Ford, Martin Frost, Dick Gephardt, Bart Gordon, Gene Green, Ralph Hall, Jane Harman, Baron Hill, Joe Hoeffel, Tim Holden, Steny Hoyer, Steve Israel, William Jefferson, Chris John, Paul Kanjorski, Patrick Kennedy, Ron Kind, Nicholas Lampson, Tom Lantos, Nita Lowey, Ken Lucas, Bill Luther, Stephen Lynch, Carolyn Maloney, Edward Markey, Frank Mascara, Jim Matheson, Carolyn McCarthy, Mike McIntyre, Michael McNulty, Martin Meehan, Dennis Moore, John Murtha, Bill Pascrell, Collin Peterson, David Phelps, Earl Pomeroy, Tim Roemer, Mike Ross, Steven Rothman, Max Sandlin, Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Ronnie Shows, Ike Skelton, Adam Smith, John Spratt, Charles Stenholm, John Tanner, Ellen Tauscher, Gene Taylor, Karen Thurman, Jim Turner, Henry Waxman, Anthony Weiner, Robert Wexler, Al Wynn

Democrats (Senate)
Baucus (MT) Bayh (IN) Biden (DE) Breaux (LA)Cantwell (WA) Carnahan (MO) Carper (DE) Cleland (GA) Clinton (NY) Daschle (SD) Dodd (CT) Dorgan (ND) Edwards (NC) Feinstein (CA) Harkin (IA) Hollings (SC) Johnson (SD) Kerry (MA) Kohl (WI) Landrieu (LA) Lieberman (CT) Lincoln (AR) Miller (GA) Nelson (FL) Nelson (NE) Reid (NV) Rockefeller (WV) Schumer (NY) Torricelli (NJ)

Paul Ryan gushes about being pro-life and the rights of the unborn, but he voted for the War in Iraq and the depleted uranium we used over there will go on killing babies for eons.

Just setting the record straight, here, Bill - I know, I know; Clinton, "Swiftboat" Kerry, and the best bud of some of the folks here, John Edwards, are above reproach. Same with Chuckie Schumer, Dick Gephart, and of course a Kennedy.

That's a whole lot of irreproachable Democrats who voted for the Iraq war. How many voted for Obama's drone wars?

Oh, that's right - he doesn't bother to ask Congress for permission.

Just for the record, Max, I despise them all. When I'm bashing the right it is no defense to say, "Oh yeah well the left did such and such!"

They are all the same to me.

Sadly, that picture is probably how Willard see himself. Some Mormons believe that a Mormon president will bring in a new age where the believers will become like JC.

Say whatever you progressive types want to say about Ryan, but the fact is he's a man that scares the piss out of Obama's handlers. Ryan is not some drooling, over-the-hill toolbag like Biden; and will make him look like a bigger fool than he is in the Vice Presidential debates.
Ryan will also start bringing up uncomfortable fiscal facts to the campaign - something Obama has conveniently sidestepped for most of the past year.

So Jesus was for compulsary charity? He taught that Caesar should use the power of the sword to make people give to charity?

BTW the federal gov't funds a lot more than help for the poor. It funds all sorts of wasteful things such as the 2 million the dept of Ag pd to fund ONE intern. Yeah, Jesus is for that.

Well, I was not enthused about voting for Obama again and was seriously considering Romney.

However, Romney picked the one VP candidate who will likely change my mind. Come to think of it, so did McCain in 2008.

My guess is a lot of us centrists (I call us realists with common sense who aren't wed to party doctrines) were wavering, because Obama has not gotten much done. Not that I consider that to be all his fault, just like it won't be all Romney's fault if he gets elected.

My main concern these days lies in the House and the Senate. That is just mostly gridlock, caused by people from extremist positions who refuse to be part of a common-sense solution. And I have seen dozens of examples from both sides of the aisle.

As a result, smart solutions don't bubble up.

"They are all the same to me."

Yeah, right! We heard you bash those liberal losers! In your wisper...

"However, Romney picked the one VP candidate blah blah blah, so did McCain..."

Yeah, right again! All you centrist liberals were just foaming at the mouth to vote for a Repuglican. Yep, yep, for sure!

Well, now you have your "moderate Republican, former Gov of a liberal state"! Go for it!

Anyone who will believe the Beattitudes are a call for higher taxes, could just as easily believe that it is a call for theocracy.

Gimme a farookin' break. You guys put up a Mormon and a Papist for the White House, and you're worried that your opponents are going to institute a theocracy?

Respectfully Jack, I think you missed my point.

One of the best things the Democrat Party has going for it is that it isn't filled with people who believe they are fulfilling a divine mission with their votes.

I am not excited about voting for the 'Mormon and the Papist' (although Ryan may help me to stomach it better). I generally favor Obama's foreign policy over Romney, but just cannot vote for someone whose general outlook to domestic problems defaults to 'add more government'. I suppose if Oregon isn't in play that I'll consider voting for a third party candidate.

Sorry to stir up so much religious concern about the Sermon on the Mount leading to a theocracy. It was more a comment on the hard earned money reference, suggesting, I thought, that there is something wrong with a system that favors financial voodoo and three-card monte tax laws over rewarding back-breaking labor.
If I believed there is a heaven I would certainly believe in letting rich people in. As for Hell, I don't think it is there, either, but if it is, I suspect there is a disproportionate representation of rich people who never got the love your neighbor message.
Please don't worry about theocracy in America. and certainly not in Oregon. Aint gonna happen.

Referring to the Republicans as "the Mormon and the Papist" is awfully similar to referring to Obama as "that black guy." I get it, you don't like them, but criticizing their religious beliefs doesn't bolster your arguments about their policies.

I was responding to a commenter who accused me of opening the door to theocracy. If anyone is doing that, it's the Republican Party. If.

Unlike the color of one's skin, religions are freely adopted and tell us something about the beliefs of the followers. For example, anyone who staunchly supports the sad leadership of the Roman Catholic Church does not represent me, and I don't want them governing me.

Me, I kinda like the idea of being governed by a Morman and a Papist.
So much better than being governed by a dufus ideologue who vetoes prosecuting health care providers who play along with sex selective abortions, thinks an appropriate response to the Trayvon Martin shooting is a comment on his genetic resemblance to the victim,
and can't make a toast to the Queen of England without using flash cards.

With Mormons and Papists you also won't hear the endless mouthing of platitudes on the subject of Islam, coupled with a mind-numbing, and deafening denial. Just the other day he was gushing about Huma Abedin at the White House Iftar dinner, holding her up as the model Muslim. Umm, Mr President, did you ever hear about that movie, "death of a princess"? Remember, the beheading of a Saudi princess and her westerner boyfriend? Oh, right, that was a long time ago. They don't kill people for formication, homosexuality, adultery, sorcery, or apostasy in those countries any more, do they? Just a nice little religion like all the other religions, right? Of course, Mr President. Carry on.

I have yet to figure out why it's greedy for people to want to keep their own money, but not greedy to want to take and spend other people's money...

Jack, if one is a Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran or whatever, for one generation or many like Ryan, does that make the person a staunch supporter of the hierarchy?

Obama was excused from the some of the beliefs of Wright by just claiming he wasn't in church a particular Sunday.

Jo:

Just for the record, Max, I despise them all. When I'm bashing the right it is no defense to say, "Oh yeah well the left did such and such!"

That's my position as well. It's irksome to me to have Lefties rush in and say silly stuff like"this right-to-lifer voted for Iraq! What about the depleted uranium?" It's just plain stupid.

Hillary and "great hair" Edwards voted for it too. I don't think that any of the folks who did so got a say in the type of armaments used. And as noted, at least they were given the option to approve or decline - something that Barky has never done while conducting his drone wars.

In my view, both sides are full of rot, but there are a few good people in there.

One of the things that I find unpalatable is the tendency to demonize. Ads are out claiming that Romney caused some lady's cancer. That's stupid. Apple slices have been recalled from fast food restaurants due to listeria. Should we run ads blaming Mrs. Obama for pushing "healthy alternatives" and accuse her of poisoning children?

As it happens, that is precisely the tenor adopted by so many on the Left, whether it be Palin, Ryan, Romney, Reagan, Walden, Lieberman, or any other non-Democrat who happens to wander along.

I wish Romney would run on his record as Massachusetts' Governor. By all accounts he did alright. The religion gives me pause, as I do not trust true believers, but I'd say he's tied with Obama on that front.

The real issue I have is the issues he's running on. Some of the bologna he's spouting would be downright destructive. At least when Obama spouts his bull crap I know for a fact he's never going to do any of it. His one big move, health care, seems alright but I'm skeptical. Constantly skeptical.

Oregon is all locked up anyway, especially with Paul Ryan on the ticket, so I am free to vote for a 3rd party. I probably would anyway. Obama was the only major party candidate I ever voted for. I thought he was different. He spoke different. He was black, so of course he's different, right? I was fooled.

Never again.

Forget Paul Ryan, here is a true hero:

https://bojack.org/2012/08/god_bless_sister_megan_rice.html#comments