Former evangelist: Religious right is ‘trawling for assassins’

By David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 -- 12:04 pm
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frankschaeffer101209 Former evangelist: Religious right is trawling for assassinsMSNBC's Rachel Maddow is concerned that President Obama's trip abroad has served to bring out "the unhinged among the president's critics."

Not only have the Wall Street Journal and the hosts of Fox News been issuing their usual dark mutterings, but a new slogan has began appearing on bumper stickers, tshirts, and even teddy bears: "Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8."

Verses 8 and 9 of that psalm read, “Let his days be few; and let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow."

Maddow seemed mainly amused by the teddy bears, but when she turned for comment to former right-wing evangelical leader Frank Schaeffer, he emphasized that in a religious context "it means something more threatening."

"The situation that I find genuinely frightening right now," Schaeffer explained, "is that you have a ramping up of biblical language ... and what it's coalescing into is branding Obama ... as 'not us.' ... Now he joins the ranks of the unjust kings of ancient Israel ... who should be slaughtered, if not by God then by just men."

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"Really, this is trawling for assassins," continued Schaeffer, "and this is serious business. It's un-American, it's unpatriotic, and it goes to show that the religious right, the Republican far right, have coalesced into a group that truly want American revolution. ... They cannot be dismissed as just crazies on the fringe. ... This bumper sticker simply says to them, 'It's open season.'"

Appearing increasingly agitated, Schaeffer went on to say, "This is the American version of the Taliban. The Taliban quotes the Koran, and Al Qaeda quotes certain verses in the Koran, in or out of context, calling for jihad and bloody war and the curse of Allah on infidels. This is the Old Testament biblical equivalent of calling for holy war. ... And what surprises me is that responsible -- if you can put it that way -- Republican leadership, and the editors at some of these Christian magazines .... do not stand up in holy horror and denounce this."

"I would just say to them, 'Where the hell are you?'" Schaeffer concluded. "'This is not funny any more, and be it on your head if something happens to our president.' ... There are not many steps left on this insane path."

This video is from MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, broadcast Nov. 17, 2009.



Download video via RawReplay.com

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Story comments are below...

  • pakaal
    Yeah, I was wondering how long it would take before people started seeing the fringe-right Christians for what they are; an American version of the Taliban.

    Want to force religion into political governance system? Check.
    Want to force all people in the country to submit to their belief system? Check.
    Believe their faith is the only religious truth? Check.
    Want to violently suppress opposing views? Check.

    Scary stuff.
  • adam98835467
    Psalm 109:8 says: May his days be few;
    may another take his place of leadership.

    The part about his "children being fatherless" is the next verse. If someone comes out with a bumper sticker that says Psalm 109:9 then you have a case. Otherwise, you are simply practicing demagoguery.
  • pakaal
    As to my demagoguery, I'm not the one using selected Biblical quotes on t-shirts and bumper stickers to get these people all worked up. And as for your comment about the "next verse," if the best you can come up with is a variation on "you're taking it out of context" don't bother, it's a ridiculous argument - if you think people aren't well aware of the whole Psalm and its meaning and using it intentionally, you're deluding yourself.
  • coatesa
    Exactly. 109:9 makes abundantly clear what 109:8's "may his days be few" means.
  • Scuby
    Anyone in posession of one of these t-shirts, bumper stickers, or teddy bears should arrested as a potential terrorist and threat to national security. Threatening the POTUS life is not a game. Its a very very serious crime, and should handled as such. Who makes these products? Where are they made? Why aren't these people arrested, or at the very least detained for questioning?
  • kucinich2012
    The cops are too busy busting pot smokers and tasering old people and children. Priorities, y'know?
  • sergesret
    Yeah, these bumper stickers pretty much say "Someone should kill the President". At the very least that should precipitate a concerned inquiry by the FBI or the CIA every time one of these is spotted. Is it Speech or a thinly veiled threat? I would want it checked out.
  • Ez4moi
    The reason people are not being arrested is that it is not happening. Christians pray in church for our leaders. They pray our elected leaders have wisdom. Anyone who goes to church knows this is so. Conversely, my nightmare is that someone may assassinate Obama. This would complete the deification of the most radical progressive leftist to ever administer the USA. No, it is far better to let the 60% of Americans who call themselves conservatives and the few true classic liberals see precisely what progressives do when wielding absolute power. Their agenda is radically extreme. We the People are awake, scared, and going to the polls in droves. Enjoy the fantasy until the next election.
  • dvill
    What a silly comment ! 60% of the people consider themselves conservatives ? You do realize this man was duly elected , don't you ? It wasn't by Martians. Also, the idea that Pres. Obama is the most radical leftist ever is ridiculous. You need to go back to school and learn some basic definitions in political ideology.
  • Ez4moi
    Surveys show time and time again that this is a right of center country. 60% of respondents consistently call themselves conservative. Obama being elected President does not change this. In fact you'll recall that Obama projected himself as conservative during the election. Remember the middle class tax cut he promised. McCain ironically ran as more of a liberal.

    Further, you misquote me. I did not say Obama is the most radical Leftist ever. I suppose one could say Marx was. I said Obama is the most radical progressive leftist to ever be President. Is he not?

    He takes over industry after industry. Much of this is government ownership of stock. This is socialism when the state owns the means of production. He tells private business leaders what their compensation must be. This is fascism.

    My ideological labels are apt. You just do not like me pointing it out.
  • dvill
    Your claims have no basis in fact... cite ONE valid poll that shows Americans identify themselves as 60% conservative. And Obama ran as a conservative and McCain as a liberal ?!? Your labels are apt only if you get to make crap up as you go... must be nice not to have to be restrained by actual facts. That way, you get to believe whatever you want, and you can never lose arguments.
  • carbondate
    He is not. FDR, Truman, Kennedy, and Carter were all significantly to the left of Obama. Obama's policies are more in line with Clinton.

    Also, conservatives accounted for 32% of the U.S. population in 2004, when Bush was re-elected. Moderates accounted for 26% and liberals 23%. "Don't know" was 20% (Yes, I know that adds up to 101%; these are rough estimates.) Conservatives did outnumber liberals, but it was nowhere near 60% unless you lump moderates in with conservatives.
  • carbondate
    Also, as an aside: studies have also shown that taken issue by issue, Americans tend to agree more with the liberal position than the conservative one (e.g., health care, civil rights, environment, etc.) This tells me that people are confused as to what it means to be politically conservative or politically liberal. Or perhaps we need to move the benchmarks such that any position which has 60% or better support is mainstream and that anything with less than majority support in either direction is "liberal" or "conservative". Then maybe people would focus on the real issue and not whether a position fits their pre-determined political persuasion.
  • name2012
    It'll be fun! just like mccarthyism all over again! whoo!
  • adam98835467
    Hey Scuby Doo...this is what that verse reads: May his days be few;
    may another take his place of leadership.

    I am fairly certain the Secret Service is ok with this.

    Just sayin'...
  • rickpetes
    "Please, GOD, save me from your followers."
  • Scuby
    They are selling these t-shirts at cafepress.com. I just scanned through a message board at sean hannity's website, and WOW! The hate is so thick there I was stunned. The FBI could arrest every one of those posters easily! I read the user agreement rules, and it clearly states that threatening the life of innocents is prohibited....but I guess Hannity doesnt mind when his right wing loons are the ones doing the threatening! Amazing. I even saw one baptist ministers website who was bolding posting the phrase! This thing is all over the internet today..Its Google's #1 search today...and ever I think. People are wanting to know who is selling this junk and who is saying it...and those people need to be held accountable to the law!
  • Eyeball_Kid
    Once again, AG Eric Holder looks like a prosecutorial weakling who can't see a federal crime if it bit him in the nose. Of course, if the worst of events takes place, Holder will likely be a pall bearer, complete with tears running down his cheeks.

    Not only is the atmosphere ideal for an "uprising by Bible-thumping nutbags", but it's even more favorable for a false flag operation in which malcontents inside the federal government can stage an assassination and blame it on the usual patsies.

    Please refer to the new edition of "Legacy of Secrecy" by Waldron and Hartmann for all you need to know on how successful assassinations are designed, and by whom.
  • kayttt2000
    Very good Mr.Eyeball,,

    Patsies for false flag operations because the economy is about to implode!

    With rumors that many are already running to Israel to hide...
  • Atilla
    I was just thinking, maybe we should form a similar organization to the Christ Monkeys "Promise Keepers" and inform the Christ Monkey community that if they kill Obama we will not leave one of their charnal houses (churches) standing anywhere in the USA.
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