MOVE 2008: Get Religion breaks down last night’s Veepstakes

I’m certain that once Nielsen breaks down the TV ratings from last night’s VP debate, it will rank up there with Super Bowls and the like. It’s insane the amount of coverage and chaos this thing was getting in the news.

So, I was looking high and low for any talk of Christianity, religion and other malapropos references that are usually forced in a political debate to ring scores with the evangelicals. You know, wanting to keep it real on the Wall and all.

Although nothing piegged my VU levels on the HiScriveneRatio, I found a brilliant post that did over on “Another Brick in the Wall”  Get Religion.

DPulliam broke this joker down like a G.I. tract working over a piece of steak – still chunky, but nice and lean going down. Check it out here.

Oh, before you do… did anyone notice the subtext last night between both of them that read, “Well, I’m just going to stick to my talking points because if I drift, I may whiff.” Maybe that’s just me?!

Vatican: “Dems are the ‘Party of Death'”

COUGH… sorry… I just choked on my… COUGH… rosary.

Well, you read it correctly. This just in from the Vatican – the Democrats are evidently agents of extinction. You know, in case you didn’t know that.

Raymond Burke, who was named prefect of the Vatican’s Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature in June, told the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire that the U.S. Democratic Party risked “transforming itself definitively into a party of death for its decisions on bioethical issues.”

Ah, well. Here we go. Republicans were the same silk robe while carrying a sickle with its boney hands because they “sent our boys overseas to Iraq.” Come on. Let’s hear it. I’ll be over here kicking my feet up.

But before you crawl upon your soapbox, keep reading. This affront is about ABORTION, not the war… and you tell me, when would you prefer to kill? In a foreign land or in-utero?! Oh, did I say that out loud? Burke, take it away:

Burke said pro-life Democrats were “rare” and that it saddened him that the party [specifically Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi] that helped “our immigrant parents and grandparents” prosper in America had changed so much over the years.

Anyone see what’s really wrong with this picture? The Vatican is NO DIFFERENT here than the fraudulent pastors who decide they want to stick it to the IRS and tell their congregations in whom they should vote.

MEMO to any Mountebank in this position: In looking through all my theology books, I don’t recall reading anything during the Schisms or any Ecumencial Council that it’s the Vatican’s place to stick its gem-encrusted nose in politics. Maybe I’m wrong? I need to go back to CCD, I guess.

So, uh, I can’t wait to see the IRS enforce its tax-exempt revocations on the Holy See. News at 11.

London plagiarizes the Ten Blogging Commandments

The pen is mighter than the what, again?!

A couple of weeks ago, HiScrivener posted a delightful diatribe from the affectionately dubbed “Grand Puba” of High Calling Blogs, Marcus Goodyear.

The post in question revolved around an ingenious version of the Ten Commandments. Given he runs a blog network, it’s fitting they are the de rigeur of Blogging.

Well, set out not to be outdone, the London-based Evangelical Alliance has posted its own version of – originally entitled – “The Ten Blogging Commandments.”

Three problems for my revered HCB:

1. Their version of stone-laden writ made Reuters. Yours made… well, The Writing on the Wall. Don’t get me wrong, I love what God has allowed this to become, but it’s no international wire service.
2. Brother, you need PR representation. I know this guy… ah, but that’s another story. IJS.
3. Can you break a copyright infringement across the pond? If so, get a kayak and gets to paddling.

Depoliticizing the Pulpit: Finally a pastor keeps it real

Wall Watchers everywhere, allow me to introduce my new media hero, Dr. Voddie Baucham. Please enjoy this clip beginning at 1:01 from CNN (a righteous set-up if there ever was one in media) and HiScrivener’s commentary below:

Oh, I would adore being this guy’s PR rep. Did anyone catch that glorious nugget of wisdom that makes my argument for this entire “Brickhouse Series?:

We are about the Gospel. The culture doesn’t dictate truth, the Gospel dictates truth. My job is not to be a political pundit or a political activist – my job is to be a pastor, and proclaim the truth of the Gospel as clearly as I can.

Voddie, where have you been? This bastion of faith – and a salty amount of apologetics – was put on CNN for a witch hunt. “Sarah Palin is forcing evangelicals who don’t want women in the pulpit are considering her in the White House” or some such… and then they’re off to the modern Salem witch trials… er, the races.

He was called sexist, implied as a fraud and was ganged up on by an uber-liberal feminista preacher and the host herself who even brought up the prophet-ess Deborah from the Book of Judges. I’m sorry?! Who brings that out of her bag of tricks?!

Oh yeah, one that was prepped by an intern with a hankering to exegete and to put a preacher in a corner.

Too bad, if you watched the clip, you’ll see. Dr. Voddie Baucham has a depoliticized pulpit and is proud of it. Why can’t all pastors be like this? You know, takes their call seriously to promote faith and proselytize the Gospel rather than push a candidate and pose as a pundit in lieu of Jesus’ blessing.

And despite my buzz for alliteration, this man personifies what a pastor should do – keep your vote in your back pocket and focus on the issues, the scriptures and the people. Amen, Voddie. Job well done.

[Bricklaying shout out to noted another brick in the wall, I’m Speaking Truth, for finding this gem in the rough.]

Cops get the munchies; Local priest goes to the pokey

Just like this story from the Charleston Daily Mail begins:

South Charleston Patrolman S. W. Miller was on duty with his police drug dog, Vader, when the odor of marijuana filtered into his police cruiser.

Sounds like a typical night in South Charleston, W. Va. right? After all, what else is there to do floating down the Cahulawassee River besides pluck a banjo, smoke reefer and listening to harrowing pigs squealing in the background. (Deliverance, anyone?)

Well, “Vader” here had a nose for that kind of thing, so off he strolls on a quest to the dark side. (Just wait, there’s more). Vader leads his young jedi police officer to a sliver mini-van. And guess who was flaming on the ganga?

The mini van pulled over, and inside were Jim O’Connor, the pastor at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in South Charleston, and one of the parishioners, Michael Joseph Deegan, also well-known in the community as a substance abuse counselor.

Now, that’s rich. A priest of more than 15 years serving the community on ways to be led to eternity began having heavenly experiences smoking the tree of life. Stay classy, Padre.

And now the diocese playing Spin Doctor puts out this simpleton release:

“An internal investigation is being conducted by diocesan officials, as is undertaken in all such incidents. Meanwhile, Father O’Connor is now suspended from his priestly responsibilities and has been removed as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in South Charleston.”

You know, I have thought about this and there is no better way to close this story than to quote a great ministry watchdog, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” (I told you I wasn’t done. Now go back to your basement and play Xbox, young Padawin.)