dickwhitman

So you do agree that she is a religious lunatic, it just also happens to make for good politics in your view?

REMOVED

I agree with your first sentence. I might rephrase the second one, "This idea ought to transcend American political partisanship, insofar as all politicians ought to be criticized for things like Farrakhan-supporting and apologizing to wrathful anti-American gods irrespective of their political affiliations. However, no law should ever demand that they refrain from speaking their mind when it comes to religious matters; that is to say, politicians enjoy protection from the first amendment." In other words, when running for election, their religious views aren't immune from scrutiny, but the law permits them to hold whatever view they like before and after their election to the legislature. In the final sentence, are you meaning to say that you don't think her belief in her nutbaggery is sincere? I don't doubt that some politicians present themselves as more religious than they really are for the purposes of getting elected or reelected more easily, but you don't have to be "Michele Bachmann-religious" to get elected.

I agree on all of these points, except that I'd rather say Mrs. Bachmann shows that both freedom of speech and exercise of religion are allowed. Am I correct in saying that we don't disagree with each other on anything either of us has said in this thread?

REMOVED

I'm still confused why that would be a reason to be uncritical of her views or any comment she might make.

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/demo30b-eng.htm Unless I put a number into my calculator incorrectly, that's about 83% of Quebecers calling themselves Catholic. The number are just a bit old, but I doubt much has changed in the space of eight years or so. On the Quiet Revolution, I thought that that ought to mean they only want separation of church and state. Instead they support the PQ secular charter, which goes too far with respect to non-Catholic religions in my view (that is to say, it would impede civil liberties of some folks unjustly). It also doesn't explain how they don't believe in creationism. Surely both of those things just aren't something religious people ought to support or believe?

Well then to hell with Rep. Ellison as well. I certainly haven't heard much about Mr. Ellison's support for the nutbag Farrakhan, as I live in far away Texas and Ellison seems to stay out of the national spotlight, unlike Mrs. Bachmann, who even with national attention frequently paid to her, apparently didn't make the news when she made that outrageous statement. I'm not sure Mr. Ellison's support for Farrakhan has made any practical impact on policy either. That is to say that I don't disagree with you about Mr. Ellison if what you say is true, but how should that change one's opinion of Mrs. Bachmann?

Thank you, but how so? The Catholic Church is no fan of the gays, abortion, separation of church and state, or low church attendance as far as I know, and yet many Quebecers are keen on all of those things. In what sense are they Catholic, and how do the disown the label of Catholic?

As ridiculous as Ellison's quote might be, I'm not sure it carries the same weight with me as someone prostrating themselves before a god that would see American innocents punished with death, and then apologizing as if some wrong had actually been committed. The men on the plane that day would have loved to see Americans beg for forgiveness from the God of Abraham. Mrs. Bachmann seems to have the same mentality as they did I'm afraid.

REMOVED

As an American, my heart sank when I saw her saying that 9/11 and the attacks on the US Benghazi consulate were God's judgment: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/bachmann-911-and-benghazi-were-gods-judgment Then proceeding to apologize to said God on someone's behalf. It better not be on my behalf. As long as her crazy beliefs are the topic of the discussion, I thought someone might find that interesting. What is most disappointing is that I didn't see anyone making a hubbub about it in the news. No doubt Fox News would've said something if it had been Keith Ellison saying something absurd like that.