Republicans have at long last elected a House speaker: Representative Mike Johnson, a fundamentalist Christian who was also once called a key “architect” in Congress’s efforts to overthrow the 2020 election.
Johnson finally secured the speaker’s gavel after Republican infighting left the House without a speaker for 22 days. He secured 220 votes.
Johnson is a four-term congressman representing Louisiana. His win also represents the rise of the MAGA front in the Republican Party. Earlier Wednesday morning, Donald Trump endorsed Johnson as House speaker—after quickly killing Mike Emmer’s nomination the day before.
His opening statement as Speaker explicitly denigrates atheists.
Edit: So glad to see that the Speaker of the “People’s House” as he so much likes to call it decided it would be a good idea to use his first speech as that Speaker to shit on some of those People.
Fucking fascists.
What did he say? I can’t find it.
https://youtu.be/GCTScJ5twWI
~9:00 in he starts talking about the national motto, in opposition to Marxism and Communism, “which begins with the premise that there is no god.”
I think that was way worse than denigrating atheism. Sounds like he’s on the warpath to define the US as a Christian nation with Christian laws.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so generous. I’ve been dying on a couple of stupid hills today, and I don’t have the energy left to do it again, so I was choosing my words in order to be less likely to be challenged.
When I heard that, I thought, “Well, atheists are going to be the next boogeyman.”
I’m sure he’ll demonize anyone who doesn’t worship “the right god.” (The right god, of course, being the exact one he worships.) Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, etc will all be seen as second class citizens as well.
We could be. There really is no way to prove or disprove the claim. Much like the barbaric virgin and homosexual “tests” practiced in some places you get whatever results you want. Man X says he is a theist, the state says he is not, there is no way to tell if he is lying or not.
The enemy has to be everywhere. The enemy has to be weak and strong. The enemy has to win by deceit defeated by virtue and strength. The enemy has to prey on the innocent. The enemy must blend in so no one can be trusted, no one is above scrutiny, except of course the demagogue who is yelling about them as a threat.
The conspiracy is everywhere but the conspirators can only be found on occasion. No one thinks about sex as much as a Purtain who “sees” plots of it every where.
So new laws will be written. Freedom of religion means freedom from “forced conversion”. Teachers will be silenced from mentioning anything that can even be construed as advocating for non-belief. Religious leaders will inform their congregation solemnly that 40% of them are atheists. The census will start asking about religious data and enforcing non-compliance. The FCC will be pushed to act on those “oppressing religion”. The big Internet companies will be hit with suits for defamation for hosting atheist programs. Freedom of religion will be viewed by the courts as freedom to choose from options not freedom from the options.
There are no atheists countries there is not much of an atheist community. Much like the LGBT there will just be big government crushing individuals.
You, sir, are demonstrably wrong! Let me post a long response citing multiple sources to correct you!
…Nah, you’re good. Ain’t nobody got time for that (or so you’d think).
FFS I only saw the first part in notifications, and I was about to have a conniption.
Dear Diary. Today I learnt a new word. I will probably forget it in 5mins but what I know for sure is I will have many conniptions when I quit vaping nicotine and I’ll probably wish I’d remembered the word so I could satisfyingly label them as such when I do.
“Gives me conniptions”
Interestingly enough, you might remember it better. One of the effects of nicotine is enhanced memory.
Sorry about that! XD
I’ve run in largely Christian circles for most of my life, and that’s how the conservative Christians I know have been talking about communism as long as I can remember, that its most important feature is that it’s atheistic. I don’t think it’s actually indicative of any change or advancement of their position. Also, I’m pretty sure the GOP is technically less Christian now than it’s ever been.
That’s not what he’s focused on imo. I think he emphasized the religiousness of the US.
That damn motto is so annoying, It just gives Christofascists something to point at and say, “See? This is a Christian nation!”
“Which one?”
The Flying Spaghetti Monster. Ramen!
Not to sound like a 14 year old, but gross. I bet he was a youth pastor.
Funny how I manage to be a communist with more gods than him.
And you’re a lezbian to boot.
Well these things are tied together. Their god didn’t want me the way I was made to be. I tried living his way and it was misery to me. I tried atheism and while there were no major objections I felt something was missing and when I found my gods that went away. My gods respect how I am. They see beauty in the variety of humanity.
This is America. Here my religion is just as good as anyone else’s or their lack of one. And if he doesn’t like it he can go to Iran and see how much he likes theocracy.
I’m glad you found a way to live with greater inner peace than you had before.
deleted by creator
Exactly. There’s a story I really like in which the gods Enki and Ninmah have a contest where one attempted to create a person too disabled to be useful to the gods and the other found a use. It wasn’t the same use that others got, but their own. We all carry our value, we all have something to contribute. You can’t make a mute person into a great orator, but give them a pen and they may amaze you with their words nonetheless.
And yeah I’ve always thought their attitude on the world burning while they wait for Jesus to come back is kinda stupid. Like beyond the “you’ve been stood up for quite a few centuries and he was supposed to only be a few years” aspect. If my house catches fire, I call the fire department, and manage to quench the flames before they arrive thanks to me and some neighbors going to town with extinguishers they’re not going to be mad at me. You can just stop global warming and bring about peace and if he shows up what’s he going to do chide you for making peace without its prince present, file a grievance?
Fuck that. I’m going to try to make a world we can live in happily.
Thanks.
I caught that too, but I can’t recall if it was before or after he talked about his absent wife on her knees (you know, because she was praying for her husband to receive a mandate from God so he could ascend to the speakership).
I heard him talking about his wife on her knees, “Really? You’re going there, dude?”