A lunatic, right-wing Iowa-based Christian group called The Family Leader has concocted a pledge that opposes same-sex marriage, sharia law and pornography – and among the first sign the damn fool thing was Minnesota Republican Michelle Bachmann, who her eyes firmly fixed on the White House.
Michelle Bachman
Among a host of silly things contained in The Marriage Vow – A Declaration of Dependence upon Marriage and Family are these words:
Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an African-American baby born after the election of the USA’s first African-American President.
Cheryl Contee, of Jack & Jill Politics, was outraged by Bachmann’s apparent support of the slave era:
Given that families were broken up regularly for sales during slavery and that rape by masters was pretty common, this could not be more offensive.
She added:
When will Republicans inquire with actual Black people whether or not we’re ok with invoking slavery to score cheap political points? It has to stop. It is the opposite of persuasive  and is another reason Republicans repel us. It’s hard to believe that Michele Bachmann would be foolish enough to sigh this pledge.
By signing the pledge (PDF), Bachmann also vowed to support a constitutional amendment banning same- sex marriage, as well as agreeing that same-sex marriage was akin to polygamy.
The document also implies that homosexuality is a choice:
No peer-reviewed empirical science or rational demonstration has ever definitively proven, nor has even shown an overwhelming probability that homosexual preference or behavior is irresistible as a function of genetic determination or other forms of fatalism.
The Minnesota Republican also agreed that sharia law was:
A form of totalitarian control.
Bachmann aide Alice Stewart that the candidate rushed to the pledge because:
She has been married for over 30 years and has a strong marriage and faith.
Hat tip: Alan
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
July 9th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
Anyone else think several people in that picture are prime candidates for featuring in Up The Arse Corner?
July 9th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
It could be argued the Jesus endorses homosexuality. The Christards of the Westboro Baptist Church don’t like the suggestion
http://www.youtube.com/user/Th.....8QOJUw_XaQ
July 9th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
I’ve been married for over 30 years and we are both atheists- doesn’t mean a thing- just like her marriage based on faith also means nothing- silly cow- the USA will again be the laughing stock of the world if this idiot gets elected into their Presidency.
July 9th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
It knocks me sick this kind of disgusting trash talk. It’s like having to listen to David Haye, but without the cathartic satisfaction of seeing his face punched repeatedly by a large Ukranian afterwards.
These people are utter scum.
Sadly their obnoxious ill informed bigotry is shared by many.
July 9th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
I wonder, is the US going to step back from the brink, or are they going to elect these idiots and then learn about theocracy the hard way?
July 9th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Stonyground, I have a feeling that US will head into theocrazy willingly and still claim to be the nation of freedom and democracy. And learning about it the hard way? I doubt US will ever truly learn.
July 9th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
Incredibly stupid. Really, really scary.
As usual, PZ Myers has a really good take on all this nonsense.
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyn.....invade.php
July 9th, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Michelle Bachman winning the ‘imbicile of the week award’ is actually quite an achievement…………..she is constantly in competition for that title with that other Republican fuckwit Sarah Palin.
Almost makes our mad female politicians (see Ann Widdecombe) look sane. Almost.
July 9th, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Out of curiosity, does anyone have any links to studies concluding the contrary?
July 9th, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Dear Ms Bachman
At what age did you ‘choose’ to be straight?
—Daz
Hey, tony e! Welcome back.
July 9th, 2011 at 10:29 pm
Tony e, dont forget the mad dorries woman. Ashamed of my fellow sisters. No pun intended. And as for.thatcher….,
July 9th, 2011 at 11:41 pm
Well, I don’t see how the two horse race that is the American elections can ever be called a democracy. As for this lot, blimey…
July 10th, 2011 at 12:05 am
Mikespeir – here’s one:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/re.....170741.htm
Before I list a dozen more, might I suggest a quick google search will provide you with all of them.
July 10th, 2011 at 12:28 am
She should go far:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....93358.html
July 10th, 2011 at 12:47 am
Daz,
Many thanks, I was working away from home and had no internet or phone connections, so I missed out on Freethinker for 6 weeks. But, on reading the various posts when I got home, its good to see the religious are just as mad as ever.
Gill,
I had forgotten about Dorries, but the good thing is that, I think, she will hoist herself with her own petard. It would be good if she did some ‘time’ over her expenses claims.
July 10th, 2011 at 2:32 am
Imbecile of the week? Imbecile of the month. But she did get the part right about sharia law.
July 10th, 2011 at 3:58 am
What about her really, really butch husband, Dr. Marcus Bachmann who got his doctorate in clinical psychology from a correspondence school?
This man is gayer than a Disney elephant. He makes Corky St.Clair in “Waiting for Guffman” look like a paragon of masculinity. One commenter said just listening to his voice made his “gaydar” alarm jump to def con lavender.
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2.....de-stance/
Boomer
July 10th, 2011 at 8:28 am
This may be immodest but it makes a point. I have been married for over 40 years, we were atheists when we married in a Registry Office, we are still atheists, our children who are mature and successful (very) professionals are atheists. At the time and later in our marriage we watched others having “big church weddings”, including relatives, who have since been divorced, their children brought up as christians messed up, we watch others bound in christian marriage leading lives of conflict and misery and we have seen nothing to confirm the idea that christian life and christian marriage adds anything to a relationship.
I am much inclined to the view that there is nothing in life that makes good people do bad things which has the potency of religion. That this woman, and the yowling horde supporting her, should be considered as president is sick.
July 10th, 2011 at 8:36 am
Yes, Broga, but they’re going to heaven and you’re going to hell. Have you ever thought about that?
http://youtu.be/OqVLrPMXbaA
July 10th, 2011 at 8:45 am
barriejohn: As you would expect, that hasn’t weighed heavily on me. What I have found is that atheism over the years has provided me with a sense of freedom to think and act that I find satisfying and fulfilling. I have also noticed so many christians trapped in a religious strait jacket. The best they manage is a weekly trip to the church and then act like anyone else for the rest of the week.
July 10th, 2011 at 8:53 am
barriejohn: As you would expect, hat hasn’t weighed heavily on me. What I have found is that atheism over the years has provided me with a sense of freedom to think and act that I find satisfying and fulfilling. I have also noticed so many christians trapped in a religious strait jacket. The best they manage is a weekly trip to the church and then act like anyone else for the rest of the week.
Just watched the Pat Boone clip with Pat about 50 years younger. Saccharine doesn’t begin to describe this. The USA answer to Cliff Richard or vice versa. Really gooey stuff. Seems Pat’s calculations on his version of the Rapture ar a bit delayed.
July 10th, 2011 at 9:24 am
He was very popular amongst evangelicals in my younger day, Broga!
To me there appear to be two major issues here:
(i) In what way does religion give its followers any sort of moral superiority over unbelievers? Do they actually have a better attuned “moral compass” than we do? I see no evidence of that – in fact quite the reverse at times.
(ii) Does this constant reference to “eternity” warp their thinking where the here and now is concerned? Do you remember that old haridan Mother Teresa being asked what our response to the Bhopal disaster should be, and snapping back at the reporter, in her usual graceless manner: “Forgive!!” There may well be a time for forgiveness, but what sort of an answer was that meant to be?
July 10th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Not too surprising when a president takes the oath with their hand on the book that condones slavery, stoning to death for out of marriage sex, and even selling your own daughter. The levels of irony are more compounded if the president is female; the 2nd class citizen of the church and its book of men.
July 10th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
It’s sanity making to see what people outside the U.S. think of the religious fanaticism threatening to devour our politics. To answer some of the questions about how we feel: Many of us are horrified, especially those who want to see women take more and stronger roles in government–only to have Bachmann-Palin Overdrive “Taking Care of Glibness” step onto the stage. Please, don’t hold us all responsible or think we all enjoy this. These people are the lunatic fringe. I would never vote for anyone so daft (and I never voted for Bush either).
July 10th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
Oh, man. She freaks me right out. I’m from the US and I really don’t want her elected. This country is headed towards I don’t know what, something bad for progressive, liberally minded folk. There is so much apathy and ignorance in the general population. I’m living right in the middle of the ‘Bible belt’, a baptist’s heaven on earth. Scary stuff. Lots of these Christian groups like Westboro have taken the bible’s teachings to the extreme. I’m pretty sure Jesus would’ve embraced homosexuality, other races, other cultures. I think modern christianity, or at least my exposure to it, has missed the point. Didn’t Jesus die because of discrimination and persecution? Why do Christians now persecute and discriminate?
July 10th, 2011 at 6:13 pm
I know it doesn’t mean much, but please be reassured that not all U.S. citizens believe this bullshit. Voting Obama into office was a step in the right direction, and hopefully we can keep him there for another four years.
July 10th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
I do not understand why polygamy isn’t legal also. If marriage is a legal contract, there is NO reason why a person cannot enter into that contract with more than one person, any more than there should be a question of the gender of the contract members. Saying that marriage should only be between two people is as misguided as saying that it should only be between a man and a woman. It’s contract law, not a religious or moral issue, and recognizing that is what allows for both gay marriage and should–in my opinion–allow for polygamy as well.
I do realize that fighting one battle at a time is prudent. Polygamy gets even left-wing people’s backs up, though I don’t know why.
July 10th, 2011 at 11:12 pm
@Josefa,
You bring up an interesting point, and actually I would think polygamy would be more readily acceptable to a bible-believer than the rest of us. After all, it is the default position in the bible such that in one of the Timothys, it is stipulated that a church leader should be the husband of only one wife.
Being the woman I am, I would find it very difficult to participate in a relationship where I wasn’t the center of my husband’s romantic attention. I think I am just too jealous.
I am divorced however, so I’m probably not a good judge of the situation in other respects!
July 10th, 2011 at 11:25 pm
“Polygamy gets even left-wing people’s backs up, though I don’t know why.”
Well, because it’s so one-sided in favor of men with multiple wives. Perhaps if you added “and polyandry” you’d get more support from the left wing. (And doubtless more shirt-rendering, hand-wringing, and hair-ripping from the right wing!)
July 11th, 2011 at 1:33 am
Thanks, Jabo. Sorry to get back to you so late (Frankly, I’d forgotten I’d commented here), but I appreciate the info.
July 11th, 2011 at 8:26 am
I am unable to understand why gay people would wish the blessing of the church on their marriage – surely the current state of the church means that the church should be grovelling for customers to buy their “we only deliver when you are dead” goods.
July 11th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
I just stumbled on this site while surfing. I liked Douglas Adams’ interview.
I was amused to see that someone above thought the perception of Americans would be reduced by the election of a rediculous religous nut. Look at the redcent history. Bush * 2 & Reagan all believed that raputure was going to happen. The only reason why GW was re-elected is because of 9/11, but shouldn’t really have been elected in the first place. No one else really understands why you keep electing such idiots (‘take me to your lizard’). Douglas Adams has so much good stuff in his books I could go on….
Belief in God seems to be hard-wired into human behaviour. Some choose to use this superstition as a route to power, and accuse others of breaking the ‘word of God’; ‘I’m right because the book says this’.
I was bought up as a Catholic, and even wanted to become a priest for a while. Morality can exist and does outside religion. Religion has contributed to some beautiful moral views ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself’ is the best of it. But then the beauty turned into the inquisition and so forth.
St. Paul wrote ‘Love is always patient and kind… ‘ in the letter to the Corintians, but almost immediatly afterwards rants on about women must keep their heads covered etc. He was a nutter too of course. He’s the one who called homosexuality an abomination. You won’t find it anywhere in the old testament or from anyone who was associated with Jesus (remeber he wasn’t an appostle). The bible is an interesting collection of writings (who chose the contents anyway? King James?), but it isn’t ‘Bible’ (huh).
I could rant on myself, but I’m not looking to convert anyone.
Maybe once inteligent design has been finally debunked a few more idiots will ‘see the light’ (another reference to St. Paul).
I use the bible as a common reference, and since some of it is inclined to good morality. I don’t believe in God though.
Cheers.
July 11th, 2011 at 11:14 pm
Re polygamy:
http://www.care2.com/causes/ca.....-next.html
You couldn’t make it up!
July 11th, 2011 at 11:22 pm
Daniel: What do you make of this then?
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” (Lev. 18:22)
July 13th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
“Belief in God seems to be hard-wired into human behaviour.”
I don’t buy that. We just have basic appetites–such as a craving for security–that we imagine a god can satisfy for us. Those appetites are what are “hard-wired” into us, not belief in any god.