Family Values and the Rise of the Christian Right

[Stephen Fox]

http://religiondispatches.org/why-famil ... placed-it/

[Chris]

Is the Governor of Alabama a "family values" guy? Just askin'.

[Sandy]

To answer Chris' question, the Governor of Alabama campaigned on a family values platform, however, like many politicians of the same ilk, it appears that there's no substance to back up his lip service.

The article that Stephen linked is actually very much on target on this particular issue. "Family values" is, in right wing politics, a code word for white, prosperous and dominant. There are some broad brush assumptions in it, but the political perceptions are pretty accurate.

[William Thornton]

The Gov got booted from his SBC church as a result. It's really pretty pathetic, a seventysomething caught in this sex scandal...wife of half-century divorces him. Sad and pathetic. Of course, Bill Clinton was pathetic in his own sordid way and gets a pass from fox et al because he has always been a serial adulterer.

[Stephen Fox]

Clinton didn't get a pass from me nor did he get a pass from the Baptist hero of the sermon Four Whores in Honolulu. Sexual ethics matter but Bentley and his former pastor Rick Lance, Ex Dir are more under the judgment of God for their public sin which is complicity and silence on the GOP Handshake which would deport two of the last three valecdictorians of Collinsville HS back to Mexico and concocted state legislative disctricts to weaken the political power of minorities while demagogging poor whites.

Bear Bryant was an adulterer and a Drunk, a fact mostly overlooked by many deacons at several Babdiss churches Thornton pastored over the years, I imagine.

See Teen Sex and the generation of good girls who have mastered the art of fellatio by the age of 16 if you want to get down to the heart of family values these days.

Governing sins and personal sins are different categories and folks like my friend Thornton and others who are not my friend like Paige Patterson and Paul Pressler emphasize one at the expense of the other to the accretional mediocrity of our country.

And then there is this

[Sandy]

I don't recall that Bill Clinton campaigned on a "family values" theme. To cite an oft-quoted favorite of right wingers who are justifying their support for a certain presidential candidate these days, "We elected a President, not a pastor."

Bentley, on the other hand, touted his values and his faith in his run for governor as if he were trying to impress a pastor search committee. And that changes the perspective somewhat.

http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2016 ... is_he.html

Seems there's a question about whether their church dismissed them, or they simply resigned their membership. It doesn't look like the state legislature will avoid having to impeach and remove him, however. It seems that the upcoming election season will get even more interesting, with three ultra right wing extremist conservative governors potentially being impeached along with a Trump candidacy for the Presidency.

[William Thornton]

Can't recall ever pastoring a bear Bryant fan, fox. Would have churched such a miscreant immediately.

[KeithE]

[Stephen Fox]

I haven't read all of the posts but I think Bentley in the end is a distraction, his marital infidelities. I did however call in the fast round of a right wing radio talk show this morn loosely affiliated with Church of the Highland and the SBC IMB to say Tainted Love should be the ringtone for the Governor; was a lightning round. Don't know what Rick and Bubba are doing with it but they were hamfisted in their tribute to Merle Haggard Yesterday.

Bama's focus should be on the Methodist Mike Hubbard of FUMC Auburn and the easily googled New Racism article in the New Republic. Bentley's private sins are small potatoes as compared to the GOP rule in the State connected to the designs of Alec and deporting two of the last three valedictorians of Collinsville High School; and "bleaching" to weaken the voting power of Hispanics.

I think Deal may have good inclindations but I can't speak with authority on that. Would be a good piece for Johnny Pierce to do. And I was impressed with Ga Governor Roy Barnes on Ga NPR couple months ago and his reference to Lee Atwater and the confederate flag. But I think Barnes was North Georgia Methodist.

I do remember one of my Dad's best stories about the 50s when the good Baptists ran the state of NC. SEBTS President Syd Staley had GBC Christian Index Louie D Newton up to speak to Gov's Prayer Breakfast. Staley introduced Newton who gets up and immediately starts kissin up to the Gov. Dad said the story was STaley sittin on the platform starts loud whispering behind him: " Louie, Let the Governor Go, these People came to Hear you Preach, Preach to these People Louie; Let the Governor Go."

My Dad loved that story and loved to tell or remind Randall Lolley and and Stewart Newman.

Baptist separation of church and State at its best!!! LOLOL

More about Bentley and Rick Lance later with story about my first meeting with Bentley, in Ft Payne Bama

[Sandy]

[KeithE]