Tom Debunks Mass Email: Example of How the Right Wing Slants Things

Today's Blog is written by Tom about an email and right-wing slanted Photo gallery page that his mom received from right-wingers at her church. The way that right-winger slant things to serve their "religious" purposes is sickening. Read Tom's posting and his Email following to his mother, and see how he debunks their propaganda.  - Rob 
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From time to time, my Mom sends me things that she receives from her church's listserve. Usually, I just respond by telling her that she shouldn't believe everything that her conservative, hate-filled church tells her, but this one was just too much to let pass with such a casual response.
     I find it truly disingenuous when people clip the President's speeches without allowing him the opportunity to finish making his point. In this video clip, you can even hear the inflection in his voice letting the viewer know that he wasn't finished making his point.
    Then they carefully frame the camera angle so that it clips the rest of the quotation from the Jefferson Memorial, because God forbid the reader were allowed to read the ENTIRE inscription, because then their point would lose its validity.
Anyway, I could go on and on about what's wrong with this: http://hawthornephoto.com/walk.htm

BTW, if you're interested, here's what the full quotation from Panel 2 of the memorial ACTUALLY SAYS (the stress is mine):  "Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion. NO MAN SHALL BE COMPELLED TO FREQUENT OR SUPPORT ANY RELIGIOUS WORSHIP or ministry OR OTHERWISE SUFFER ON ACCOUNT OF HIS RELIGIOUS OPINIONS OR BELIEF, but ALL MEN SHALL BE FREE TO PROFESS, and by argument to maintain, THEIR OPINIONS IN MATTERS OF RELIGION. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively."
   This is exactly the same point that the President was trying to get across in his speech which was so maliciously clipped.
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Here's Tom's  reply to his mother about the email and video gallery: 

Focus on the Family is a right wing wacko organization filled with hate, and filled with a bunch of crazy people.  Did you catch the misspelled words along the bottom of the video? 

More importantly, note how they selectively clipped not only the president's words, but also the words on the Jefferson Memorial to frame their argument. 

In reality, Jefferson was a deist, who actually bordered very close to being an atheist.  As individual age, mature, and read more - their belief structure changes.  I suspect this happened to Jefferson over time.  His writings during the time he was president are different from when he was not in elected office.  Note how in the video, they carefully cropped a quotation from one of the panels in the memorial.  Here is what the full quote actually says: 

"Almighty God hath created the mind free.  All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion.  No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion.  I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively."

How come the video didn't want you to read that part?  Because the Founding Fathers believed that NOT EVERYONE was going to see things the same way, that not everyone was going to be a Christian, and that we must be careful in preserving the freedom for ALL PEOPLE to worship (or not worship) as they choose in their pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. 

The people behind this video don't want this.  They want everyone to be Christian, and to worship the way they do.  President Obama believes as Jefferson - that we must be careful to not infringe on, or restrict the rights of others.  Even atheism is a religion. 

The fact that "In God We Trust" is over the dais in the Capitol reflects the thinking of the country in the 1950s when it was installed - the same time that it was put on our money, and added to the pledge of allegiance.  I don't believe that the Founding Fathers would have approved of these inscriptions.  We may actually see movements in the not so distant future to have these inscriptions removed because they are in direct conflict with the U.S. Constitution. 

Mom, I encourage you to not believe these things that are sent to you.  They are meant to persuade you to a line of thinking that is very dangerous.