While some folks in the “Tea Party” movement have tried disavow any links to racism, others certainly seem to be going out of their way to cater to those racist elements within the movement. Organizers of a tea party rally in Wausau next week invited John Eidsmoe, an Alabama author who’s spoken to white supremacists who believe slavery is ordained by God, to appear at the rally next week. Eidsmoe ultimately offered to withdraw from the rally after his background was presented to Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Randy Koschnick, who then complained to the rally’s organizer. As noted by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Eidsmoe holds membership in a group that believes slavery was ordained by God, and only a few months ago he praised Jefferson Davis at the expense of Abraham Lincoln.
What I’d like to know is how the organizer of the rally in Wausau didn’t bother to do any digging into Eidsmoe’s background before inviting him to appear at the event, because it’s pretty clear where John Eidsmoe stands on the issue of slavery.
Per IT:
Eidsmoe may espouse a few wacky Biblical interpretations of his own, but nobody seems to have shown him to be any kind of a racist yet.
http://illusorytenant.blogspot.com/2010/04/was-koschnick-played-in-leftist-plot.html
Please. Most Teabaggers are documented Bible-thumping racists.
I’m more likely to believe IT than Mike Tateor tot.
Of course you can supply that documentation
Wow really? MOST?! That’s pretty rude and untrue of you to say Zach, but just so typical of liberals. Why of course if you detest big government and confiscatory taxation, why, you MUST be a racist or a religous zealot. Come on, you are better than that.
The mother of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, was an advocate of eugenics and forwarded the abortion movement on African-Americans in order to eliminate what she called “socially undesireable people.” Why don’t liberals disavow themselves of that particular organization?
That comment wasn’t made by me….clearly I wouldn’t put a link to gay porn as my url. Unfortunately, this is a comment from the troll that caused me to set all comments to moderation.
However, I’ll add my two cents. Are there elements within the “Tea Party” movement that may have racist tendencies? Yes, but I don’t believe that most folks who are supportive of the Tea Party Movement are racists.
I guess you can’t believe everything you read! Sorry for the misunderstanding, and it didn’t sound like it came from you so I am glad it wasn’t. Too bad some impersonators (imbaciles) have to ruin it for everybody and make it more difficult for open, honest discussion.
Yeah, that’s the reason I had to implement comment moderation, although I think I’ve found a solution that won’t require comment moderation. Sorry for all the confusion!
forgot…do you read this blog? That comment sounds more like something I’d say… 😉
I am certain there is no evidence that Margaret Sanger did what the right wing claims she did.
She braved the crazies of the Comstock Acts to work for spreading information about contraception. (She was against abortions and knew that contraccption helps to prevent them. She died before abortions were legal anyway.)
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/news/this_i_believe.html (Listen to Edward R Murrow)
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/secure/aboutms/index.html
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/publications/volume_i.html
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/publications/volume_ii.html
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/secure/documents/documents_by_others.html
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/secure/newsletter/article_list.html
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/secure/newsletter/articles/bc_or_race_control.html
No place in the bible does it say or imply that slavery is wrong. Many places it prescribes it and gives instructions.
Ruth, just because the Bible condones it doesn’t make it right.
But isn’t the Bible the word of God and therefore is right?
I don’t want to get into a whole Biblical discussion but I’m so glad you took the opportunity once again to make a snarky comment directed at Christianity/religion.
forgot…I wouldn’t consider my comment “snarky”. Why don’t you answer my question instead of telling me I’m “snarky”? Either the Bible is THE word of God and should be followed…or it’s not. You can’t have it both ways.
Why don’t you try comprehending the ovearlly meaning instead of picking out some things out of context. I don’t think the Bible specifically endorsed or forbade it. The verses I recollect are about instructing how to conduct yourself within a particular function of society — the boss should treat his servants well and the servants should dutifully follow the boss’s will. In many cases the term ‘slavery’ is used in the sense of servant or working off a debt.
I wouldn’t use the Bible to justify modern-day slavery, nor would I condemn the Bible for supporting it. You could go down this road on many issues — from a Biblical perspective the American Revolution would not have been just, but a different perspective from a societal point of view.
However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. – Leviticus 25:44-46 NLT
If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may plainly declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.’ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever. – Exodus 21:2-6 NLT (That’s only one chapter away from the Exodus 20 version of the Ten Commandments that so many insist should be followed.)
When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. – Exodus 21:7-11 NLT
When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property. – Exodus 21:20-21 NAB
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. – Ephesians 6:5 NLT
Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. – 1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT
The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it. “But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given.” – Luke 12:47-48 NLT
I don’t think there is a single place in the bible where the morality of slavery is even questioned! People who say the bible is a good book either don’t know what is in it or have a very different idea of what is good than I do.
Ruth, you did exactly what I said — taking out a bunch of passages without recognizing the larger context.
In the verses telling slaves to be obedient, it tells the same thing to non-slaves. Since God does not specifically command slaves to fight to gain their freedom, Christian slaves were instructed to obey their masters. Since God does not command commoners to rule themselves, Christian people are instructed to obey their rulers. The message is consistent, not only to slaves but to all Christians.
In the same way, God does not command those in prison who have been convicted unjustly to break out of prison.
Again, I’m not sure what any of this has to do with the original post. You are misunderstanding the central theme of the Bible of salvation and instead using it as a vehicle for social change. In the same way I would not use O.T. laws governing Israel today. Nor does that fact of socialism practices of the disciples in the early church mean that the Bible is advocating for single-payer today.
What does slavery in the bible have to do with the original post? Just everything. The post was about the Wausau committee that disinvited him because “Eidsmoe’s speech in the rally claimed God ordained slavery…”
http://badgerherald.com/news/2010/04/11/tea_party_drops_spea.php
You like to ignore a good part of the bible. Jesus was clear that he would come back within the lifetimes of the people he was speaking to. Oops! Oh well, he didn’t believe in germ theory either. He cast out demons instead.
So…I guess you do want it both ways. Very interesting.
And BTW…if you go back and reread the comments you will find I didn’t say anything about slavery. My question had nothing to do with slavery.
Just to be clear…my last comment was for forgot.
Ok… so your question was this? “But isn’t the Bible the word of God and therefore is right?”
What is the point of answering that? It has nothing to do with this particular blog post or the blog overall so I don’t think it is an appropriate to get into a huge religious discussion.
Yes, I do believe the Bible is the Word of God. But clearly anything I have to say you are not going to listen to anyway.
I don’t understand how I am trying to have it both ways. Again, you are not really listening or trying to seek my answer.
Whatever forgot. You are always the one that has to put words in people’s mouths. If you don’t like my questions or comments then don’t comment on them…but…if you do comment on them don’t act all put off if I respond back. It’s not my fault you had me saying all that crap about slavery when in fact it wasn’t me at all. Duh.
Anon, I didn’t put words in your mouth nor did I think you were directly saying anything about slavery. And I answered your question. But wasn’t your comment about the Bible being right related to the slavery in the Bible comments, or did your question just pop out of the blue?
Maybe you should direct your question to Zach. He put up a Happy Easter message on this very blog, yet you do not seem to detest him as you do me and my religious beliefs.
forgot…you are really tiresome. My comment was directed at Zach in the first place…and you are the one who had to interject by calling it “snarky”. I have no reason to be “snarky” at Zach.
I do find the fact you are now playing the “religious” victim humorous. I just “detest” you soooo much…(yes my eyes are rolling).
Zach, I didn’t say slavery was right, only that the Bible isn’t right either – put a plug in here for atheists and deists.
The Wausau committee disinvited him because “Eidsmoe’s speech in the rally claimed God ordained slavery…”
http://badgerherald.com/news/2010/04/11/tea_party_drops_spea.php
Most people simply haven’t studied the Bible enough to know what’s in it. Tom Paine (whose “Common Sense” was probably responsible for popular support for the American Revolution) wrote about it: http://www.deism.com/paine.htm
Sorry, I misunderstood what you were trying to say.
What I’d like to know is how the organizer of the rally in Wausau didn’t bother to do any digging into Eidsmoe’s background before inviting him to appear at the event
Probably the same way some people don’t check to see if their nominee for Secretary of the Treasury has paid his taxes….. At least Eidmoe isn’t going to be at the TEA Party event……
You have a point, E.
The Wausau rally organizers were upset because Eidsmoe claims that slavery was ordained by God. But the bible DOES condone slavery. It is an important reason many of us do not believe in it. See http://www.ffrf.org/news/blog/the-bible-does-sanctions-slavery/ for details.
This bit seemed interesting to me. The first part reads like it was a legal matter brought before a judge, while the second sounds like something very different. Was he acting as judge in his role in this? If not, why is a judge getting involved at all?
Not sure he was acting as a judge, but I’m guessing he was going to get involved in order to keep his name “out there” for some reason (perhaps another run at something).
Maybe they were to pay him to speak and he had a contract.