Dan Savage: 'A big pile of sweet, sweet bigot money out there waiting' for Kentucky clerk

[Newsjock]

Source: The Stranger
By Dan Savage

... I haven't written much about Kim Davis because I knew how this was going to play out after Davis first made the news: Davis would continue to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, she would disobey multiple court orders, she would take it all the way to the Supreme Court, she would disobey the Supreme Court's order, she would be charged with contempt (her contempt hearing is scheduled for Thursday), she would possibly wind up in prison and definitely wind up losing her job. Then she would "write" a book about her traumatic experiences—a book is doubtless already being ghostwritten for her—and finally spend the rest of her life on the rightwing speaking circuit playing the persecuted Christian martyr lady. I saw it coming and I didn't want to help build Davis up—I didn't want to help cash in—but my efforts to ignore her didn't in the end slow her rise to fame. The events this morning in Rowan County have led the news summary on NPR all day and are currently the top story on the homepage of New York Times.

But no one is stating the obvious: this isn't about Kim Davis standing up for her supposed principles—proof in a moment—it's about Kim Davis cashing in. There's a big pile of sweet, sweet bigot money out there waiting for her. If the owners of a pizza parlor could raise a million dollars just by threatening not to cater the gay wedding no one asked them to cater... just imagine how much of that sweet, sweet bigot money Kim Davis is going to rake in. I'm sure Kim Davis is already imagining it.

... I say this with sadness, I say this as the son of a preacher, I say this as a former seminarian: This pathetic bullshit is what passes for Christianity in America today. Thanks to the efforts of hate groups like the American Family Association, the Family Research Council (co-founded by a tortured closet case and lately the employer of a kid-diddling serial adulterer), the 700 Club, the Moral Majority, the National Organization for Marriage, the National Association of Evangelicals, etc., and the mousy, near-complicit silence of left-wing and progressive Christians, "Christian" is now synonymous with "anti-gay bigot."

Read more: http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/09/01/22793219/i-suppose-i-should-say-something-about-kim-davis

[daredtowork]

1. What's the term - "Prosperity Christianity"?nt

[dflprincess]

2. "Prosperity gospel"

The theory being that if you love JaySUS enough he will reward you with earthly wealth. It pretty much runs counter to everything I was taught in Catechism many years ago.

John Oliver did a great bit on this a couple weeks ago on "Last Week Tonight"

His follow up the next week was also funny.

[RKP5637]

5. K&R! n/t

[glinda]

18. I think that rules a lot of the <%1 in that wealth= entry to heaven.

Really no different than the Virgins and the Taliban. One makes quick deaths and the other lets people suffer slowly.

[Petrushka]

19. No different, did you say?

Of course, let's not forget all those men who were tied up, hung and, then, burned alive by Isis, men who would---if they could---appreciate having their "quick deaths" compared to all of those unfortunate people who "suffer slowly" because they can't get a marriage license from a zealous Kentucky county clerk.

[glinda]

26. Referring to how wealth destroys and not licenses.

Just to clarify.

[erronis]

27. Xians have been known to practice all forms of torture and murder.

Many of them are eagerly awaiting the 2nd or 3rd or 4th coming where most of humanity will be destroyed - I'm guessing in non-humane ways.

[nxylas]

41. Here's an article by George Monbiot on the history of the idea

It's 11 years old, but most of the facts are still relevant:

http://www.monbiot.com/2004/11/09/religion-of-the-rich/

[awoke_in_2003]

48. Ah, but historically, we are more a protestant nation...

and quite a few of those denominations have just taken Calvinism and kicked it up a notch or two.

[RKP5637]

3. Religion, Inc. $$$$$'s, that's what we have in America today, $$$$$'s laced with bigotry and

hatred for so many things, and all tax free, tax free hate groups called religion. The Christian Taliban!

[malokvale77]

10. "The Christian Taliban"

Yes, and they get to spew their hate tax free while never contributing a thing to a better society.

[alterfurz]

29. Teahadist Talibangelists

[hifiguy]

34. And given how much this country has been dumbed down

in the last 35 they will never, EVER run out of suckers, marks and rubes to fleece out of their pants.

[Raster]

4. Dear Ms. Davis: married and divorced four times, slept with husband number three...

...while still married to husband number one and had her little bastard kids adopted by husband number two.

Ah yes, the sweet, sweet sanctity of marriage. It's OK for Christian martyr lady, 'cause she found Jeebus.

Out of the park, Dan!

[rusty quoin]

7. I heard the recording of the gay couple trying to get married.

One asked how many times have you been married? We have been together for 15 years...it's not exact quote. I did not know her history while listening, but such hypocrisy. But that matters none to the religious right.

[Raster]

8. The only things that matter to the religious reich are these fundraising opportunities...

...garnered by gay marriage.

[Angry Dragon]

30. very good post

[malokvale77]

6. Good but sad read.

My daughter was once (2 decades ago) married to the son of a preacher. Her FIL preached according to the beliefs of the first 2 hate groups mentioned in the last paragraph. Thankfully she had the strength to pack up herself and her son and escape the nightmare.

This here, though, is what really hit me. Forget the poor punctuation at the end (are there no editors anymore?):

and the mousy, near-complicit silence of left-wing and progressive Christians, "Christian" is now synonymous with "anti-gay bigot."

Just one of the reasons my children and grandchildren have become so turned off by Christianity or any other religion.

Side note: I've been atheist for as long as I can remember.

[rusty quoin]

9. I am glad your daughter escaped

It must have been heartbreaking for you during those times. My wife and I have two grown..in college and one in middle. I always thought the only thing I would not want my child to become was something like a white supremacist though there was little chance of that. But now there are these people.

When little my two youngest were good friends with kids their age from a fundamentalist family. They still are. The parents wanted us to join their church, and my kids attended it weekly for a time. But we never lost them.

My wife and I during that time like many debated whether or not it is better to attend church. I wish I didn't spend that time concerned about that.

[malokvale77]

14. Thank you for such a heart warming reply.

On a side note: Your avatar reminded me that my daughter did a report in grade school on Jimmy Carter.

This was during the Reagan era. She was ostracized by her classmates parroting their parents.

To this day, Jimmy Carter is her favorite President. Like me, she puts a lot of stock into honesty.

Her and her children are working very hard to get Bernie Sanders elected.

I couldn't be more proud.

[rusty quoin]

15. You bet. Two of the most honest politicians in my lifetime.

[malokvale77]

16. An honest politician is a very rare thing. nt

[Yavin4]

11. Do you really want to be husband #4? Really?

Three men before you failed. That's a relative decent sample size.

[LeftyMom]

33. Apparently #4 is #2 again.

It's a damn shame Jerry Springer retired.

[Yavin4]

40. This is becoming an Abbott & Costello routine

Who's 2nd again?

[awoke_in_2003]

49. What's on second-

Hu's is on first

?w=455&h=437

[Yavin4]

50. I don't know who's on 3rd base. n/t

[bluedeer71]

12. EXACTLY!!

Wow!! Did you nail this or what!! I completely agree with you!!

[mnhtnbb]

13. If you wrote a story making this stuff up, some editor would tell you

it wouldn't be plausible: go back and give this woman something to make her likable.

Truth really is stranger than fiction. The woman is really quite a piece of work.

[gordianot]

17. Whatever happens to her let us hope it not one minutes jail time.

Even if fined by the Court and refuses to pay damages for refusal to work just fire her. She so wants to be a martyr. Whomever want Civil Action go for it and have fun.

[bigwillq]

20. K and R (nt)

[asiliveandbreathe]

21. Could a judicial order be made that would prevent this

4 time married woman who is feigning insult to her religion cash in - something judges should start thinking about in this day and age..I wish I could remember the case when a judge did place an order of no cashing in...

[moondust]

22. Bigot Bucks!!!

[hifiguy]

35. Oh, I DO like that.

So true and so funny.

[NBachers]

23. I had to read this a few times and sharpen my reading-comprehension pencil:

"She gave birth to twins five months after divorcing her first husband. They were fathered by her third husband but adopted by her second. "

I had to make a mental diagram to sort it all out.

[hifiguy]

36. The Kallikak types tend to have

rather convoluted family trees. And they may branch or not branch, as it were, very oddly.

[joeybee12]

24. Nailed it...knr

[Raster]

25. KICK!

Oh Dear Lord,
Forgive me my sins and pass the Magic Windex, so that I may cleanse my glass house,
so that I may more perfectly hurl your Sacred Stones at others I deem to be unworthy.
In Jeeezus name, AAh-myen.

#MagicWindex

[backscatter712]

28. Sad but true.

This is why I think the judge holding her contempt hearing needs to take that into account when he decides how much to fine her.

I don't just want it to cost her, I want it to completely drain the wingnut welfare coffers.

[Angry Dragon]

32. I was thinking $100 million/day would be about right

[hifiguy]

37. $10,000/day is the standard in federal court.

And that will, as Molly Ivins used to say, put a hitch in your git-along.

[Angry Dragon]

42. but her god can affod much moe than that

[Elwood P Dowd]

43. Dam, I miss ole' Molly.

Her and Jim Hightower came up with some zingers back in the day.

[hifiguy]

44. Molly could, in rhetorical terms, shoot the wings off a horsefly

at a hundred yards.

[Angry Dragon]

31. When I listen to the rabid right I think of the party of Joe McCarthy

republicans are just the modern day McCarthyists

[cstanleytech]

38. Hopefully the people she did this to will file a civil lawsuit and cause any money she might raise

to be frozen until their lawsuits are settled so she cannot touch a dime.

[Takket]

39. correct me if i'm wrong but...

aren't there laws on the books about criminals not profiting from their crimes? If they find her in contempt and determine that she is doing something illegal, does that mean she can't profit?

I recall hearing stories about laws being passed because murders were writing tell all books that become best sellers and getting rich. does anything like that apply here?

I think she is playing a game with us all and the thought of her become rich over this is unbearable.

[notemason]

45. What if

we organized donations to match any sent to her and gave to BLM.

[libodem]

46. You know it

[img][/img]

[negoldie]

53. It's tough having a rare lymphoma.

Below is a real GFM page. That's me. Going broke with bankruptcy just around the corner. Internet angel (or equivalent for us ungodly folk) paid for my connection this month so I'm very thankful. It's tough living month to month. Even with insurance I'm over 100k in debt. I'm just barely making it so I would be so very appreciative if you could pitch in 20-30 bucks.
Yes that's me sitting at the cabin my daughter rented for our last get together (she pawned her diamond given her by her mother to make it happen). She wanted to do something special, not knowing if it would be our last time together.....enough of that.....
http://www.gofundme.com/y4d8hs

[The Wizard]

47. Playing the professional victim

is in Repubic DNA like lying. They can't help themselves.

[hollysmom]

51. She may think she will be getting a lot of money but

I predict she will fade fast and that 80 K a year missing will put a big hole in what ever she gets and spends quickly, we do not have a genius here, she look barely there, I doubt she can even make the median salary of 20K a year and finding a man interested in her without that guaranteed income, not going to be easy.

[rladdi]

52. This bitch will be running in place of M. McConnell the next election. The incompetent people of

the state will elect her. She is not a real Christian, but a radical using religion as an excuse. Jail her for LIFE/ All the Christian HATE groups are unAmerican. not really christian.