Hillary Clinton is also a member. One of the creepiest groups I've ever heard of.

Very scary group of crazies; politically powerful crazies.

I like open church congregations like Episcopalians. We don't care what kind of sinner you are. You just have to keep up with the pew aerobics.

ninjakirby: Very scary group of crazies; politically powerful crazies.

Is Obama one?

RemyDuron: Hillary Clinton is also a member. One of the creepiest groups I've ever heard of.

I was gonna say that also. DC is just weird as hell.

From TFA:

Founded in 1935 in opposition to FDR's New Deal, the right-wing fundamentalist religious group organizes prayer meetings for Congressmen, as well as the annual National Prayer Breakfast.

Note to Obama: the first President to not go to that bullshiat "prayer breakfast" will have my support forever.

Possible leader

strathcona: Is Obama one?

I seriously doubt it, but I would have said the same thing about HRC. There is another Farker who is actually familiar with The Family beyond tfa; I believe he as read the referenced book as well as his own follow up research. Gonna toss him an email.

strathcona: ninjakirby: Very scary group of crazies; politically powerful crazies.

Is Obama one?

They don't let Mohammedans join.

Is Ron Paul a member?

If the free market is sacred, then why did Jebus throw the moneylenders out of the temple?

It's just the most insane, farked up view ever. It's even more nonsensical than prosperity theology. Well, it basically is prosperity theology, but with the additional bit that capitalism is god.

oldebayer: If the free market is sacred, then why did Jebus throw the moneylenders out of the temple?

You forget, God in the form of the head of US Steel told their founder all this, and that trumps the Bible, because the head of US Steel was rich.

/Religion, because if they called it anything else they'd be committed.

Hey, I have a new way to define a moron.

oldebayer: If the free market is sacred, then why did Jebus throw the moneylenders out of the temple?

I'm pretty sure they'll have some theory that the money lenders in the temple were the equivalent of The Fed. So all he was doing was getting the government out of the way.

GAT_00: Hey, I have a new way to define a moron.

They may be morons, but they are powerful morons.

Trickle down faith, or hwoever it was described. If that's not scary, I don't know what is.
Here I thought people acted like this because they were assholes. I didn't know they claimed to have a religious justification for being assholes.

These guys are considered heretics by most churches.

oldebayer: If the free market is sacred, then why did Jebus throw the moneylenders out of the temple?

Because they refused to raise interest rates on borrowers who paid off their balances each month.

Hmm, I thought 'Family' met something entirely different.

At first I was like 'oh yeah, of course!' and now I'm like 'oh...'

// the more you know

FTA:

Founded in 1935 in opposition to FDR's New Deal, the right-wing fundamentalist religious group organizes prayer meetings for Congressmen, as well as the annual National Prayer Breakfast.

That explains a lot, republicans lost their minds over the new deal. They even tried to organize a military coup to overthrow him.

ghare: These guys are considered heretics by most churches.

Something tells me they are secretive for a reason, because if people knew many high up Republicans and a few Democrats were members of an elitist cult that believe God appeared in the form of the head of US Steel, they might think twice about voting for these people.

RemyDuron: ghare: These guys are considered heretics by most churches.

Something tells me they are secretive for a reason, because if people knew many high up Republicans and a few Democrats were members of an elitist cult that believe God appeared in the form of the head of US Steel, they might think twice about voting for these people.

Sadly, I think this could be the ONLY thing on every news channel and newspaper for the next 5 weeks, and it wouldn't make any difference.

/But HRC????

AirForceVet: I like open church congregations like Episcopalians. We don't care what kind of sinner you are. You just have to keep up with the pew aerobics.

Whew, tell me about it.

Stand up, sit down, stand up, kneel. Sit, kneel, stand...

/And also with you.

SEKRIT CHRISTIAN!!

oldebayer: If the free market is sacred, then why did Jebus throw the moneylenders out of the temple?

Since when has Christianity actually put emphasis on Christ's actions?

ghare: RemyDuron: ghare: These guys are considered heretics by most churches.

Something tells me they are secretive for a reason, because if people knew many high up Republicans and a few Democrats were members of an elitist cult that believe God appeared in the form of the head of US Steel, they might think twice about voting for these people.

Sadly, I think this could be the ONLY thing on every news channel and newspaper for the next 5 weeks, and it wouldn't make any difference.

/But HRC????

I remember this group being mentioned in the election. Of course, all that got mentioned was that they were secretive and had a lot of high profile members. The whole batshiat crazy prosperity doctrine stuff didn't get mentioned.

Instead they showed that clip of Wright saying "God damn America!" 5 more times.

You know, they often lurk here in the threads....

Macinfarker: Hmm, I thought 'Family' met something entirely different.

At first I was like 'oh yeah, of course!' and now I'm like 'oh...'

// the more you know

If you were thinking about that "have sex with Jesus" cult that used to call themselves the Children of God, then yeah, that was the first "Family" I thought of, too...

/Man, that's some farked up shiat.
//So's the Children of God.

RemyDuron: ghare: RemyDuron: ghare: These guys are considered heretics by most churches.

Something tells me they are secretive for a reason, because if people knew many high up Republicans and a few Democrats were members of an elitist cult that believe God appeared in the form of the head of US Steel, they might think twice about voting for these people.

Sadly, I think this could be the ONLY thing on every news channel and newspaper for the next 5 weeks, and it wouldn't make any difference.

/But HRC????

I remember this group being mentioned in the election. Of course, all that got mentioned was that they were secretive and had a lot of high profile members. The whole batshiat crazy prosperity doctrine stuff didn't get mentioned.

Instead they showed that clip of Wright saying "God damn America!" 5 more times.

The guy who wrote the book claims they really believe it and aren't in it for the money.

I think he didn't look hard enough for the money.

oldebayer: If the free market is sacred, then why did Jebus throw the moneylenders out of the temple?

Back in the day, the way that I learned it (from a Southern Baptist professor of Old and New Testament) was that the way that the ancient Hebrews constructed the Second Temple-- there were a few main sections, only one of which was open to non-elite rural Hebrews there to get the priests to perform their important animal sacrifices, as in Luke 2:22-29 (new window). That was where the moneychangers were. The most important aspect of the animals used in the sacrifices was that they be umblemished and essentially perfect. The moneychangers were originally there to exchange cash for stock of specimens used in sacrifices, as most people traveling for days did not end up with animals suitable for sacrifice. The moneychangers essentially had an exclusive contract with a captive audience, and were charging extortionary rates. Moreover, they grew in number so that those coming from non-elite backgrounds had trouble sitting in or being in the temple. Of course, any setup like that is hardly a "free market." I'm not a Biblical scholar, so I'm not up to date on the literature, but it makes sense given what else I know about Hebrew temple culture at that time and place.

RemyDuron: ghare: RemyDuron: ghare: These guys are considered heretics by most churches.

Something tells me they are secretive for a reason, because if people knew many high up Republicans and a few Democrats were members of an elitist cult that believe God appeared in the form of the head of US Steel, they might think twice about voting for these people.

Sadly, I think this could be the ONLY thing on every news channel and newspaper for the next 5 weeks, and it wouldn't make any difference.

/But HRC????

I remember this group being mentioned in the election. Of course, all that got mentioned was that they were secretive and had a lot of high profile members. The whole batshiat crazy prosperity doctrine stuff didn't get mentioned.

Instead they showed that clip of Wright saying "God damn America!" 5 more times.

Hmm... prosperity doctrine vs. "kill whitey." I think I might prefer the "kill whitey", if only because hey, I can understand being put out by slavery. Much preferable to Ayn Randist douchebaggery.

/whitey

Checking out the Wiki (new window), I learned two very interesting things:

(1) The Family was founded in Seattle, at a time when the unions and the anti-union forces were locked in a furious ideological battle (that last part wasn't in the Wiki; I know it from elsewhere).

(2) "While they conduct no fundraising operations, they reported revenues of more than $12 million in 2003 from donations."

soy_bomb: SEKRIT CHRISTIAN!!

sgilman: That explains a lot, republicans lost their minds over the new deal. They even tried to organize a military coup to overthrow him.

Something tells me these guys were deeply involved with that.

Does this mean another one of those Dan Brown books is on the way?

Prospero424: sgilman: That explains a lot, republicans lost their minds over the new deal. They even tried to organize a military coup to overthrow him.

Something tells me these guys were deeply involved with that.

Does the name Presott Bush ring a bell?

ghare: /But HRC????

Why does that surprise you? It doesn't surprise me in the least. When she got elected to the Senate, she worked very hard to gain access to religious echelons of political power, among other things. Having it dominated by the GOP doesn't matter. Its part of what most of the serious go-getters do. And she's definitely a go-getter. Wonder if they accept Mormons-- Harry Reid, Orrin Hatch, Mitt Romney and all that.

PenguinTheRed: Possible leader

Came here for this, left satisfied.

/*shakes fist at Bethesda's QA dept.*

Somacandra: ghare: /But HRC????

Why does that surprise you? It doesn't surprise me in the least. When she got elected to the Senate, she worked very hard to gain access to religious echelons of political power, among other things. Having it dominated by the GOP doesn't matter. Its part of what most of the serious go-getters do. And she's definitely a go-getter. Wonder if they accept Mormons-- Harry Reid, Orrin Hatch, Mitt Romney and all that.

It just does. I mean, I know you have to lie and pretend you care about church and all that crap to get elected in America, but I've never noticed her using as much fake religiosity as others.

soy_bomb: SEKRIT CHRISTIAN!!





I have a feeling Joe Lieberman and Eric Cantor are not part of this group.......

. "Beau, let's say I hear you raped three little girls. And now here you are at Ivanwald. What would I think of you, Beau?"

Beau, given to bellowing Ivanwald's daily call to sports like a bull elephant, shrank into the cushions. "Probably that I'm pretty bad?"

"No, Beau." David's voice was kind. "I wouldn't." He drew Beau back into the circle with a stare that seemed to have its own gravitational pull. Beau nodded, brow furrowed, as if in the presence of something profound. "Because," David continued, "I'm not here to judge you. That's not my job.

WARNING WARNING WARNING

If you ever hear anyone speaking in this manner of hypothetical denigration coupled with absolute forgiveness - Get The F*ck Out. You're being recruited into a cult.

Isn't that great?" David said. "That's the way everything in life happens. If you're a person known to be around Jesus, you can go and do anything. And that's who you guys are.

A scary f*cking cult.

I had no idea liberals were THIS PARANOID!!

/ read the whole thing - who knows if it is true?!? what a complete paranoid bastardization
// wow; kinda freaky even

I'm willing to bet this has something to do with Scientology.

Wow.

Every time I hear about the Family I get some major chills.

I'm creeped out enough by "normal" fundamentalist theology, but a secret elite anti-democratic fundamentalism that reaches to the highest echelons of our government on both sides of the political spectrum freaks me the fark out.

As mentioned above, props to Obama for not attending that National Prayer Breakfast thing.

GratuityIncluded: I had no idea liberals were THIS PARANOID!!

/ read the whole thing - who knows if it is true?!? what a complete paranoid bastardization
// wow; kinda freaky even

What makes you think it's only liberals who don't trust these guys?

GratuityIncluded: I had no idea liberals were THIS PARANOID!!

/ read the whole thing - who knows if it is true?!? what a complete paranoid bastardization
// wow; kinda freaky even

We're not paranoid. We find things like this hilarious. We're the guys who get invited to the secret club meeting and then start making fart sounds. So we usually don't get invited back.

ninjakirby: If you ever hear anyone speaking in this manner of hypothetical denigration coupled with absolute forgiveness - Get The F*ck Out. You're being recruited into a cult.

Seriously. That was my first thought upon reading that.

It sounds almost as if these guys had set this organization up in the 30's as a "counter" organization to freemasonry, only with much more serious religious overtones.

The freemasons, despite the religious trappings, saw themselves as a secular club, and were almost all Christian themselves. These "Fellowship" guys saw themselves as part of an overtly "righteous" religious society.

That's some dangerous, freaky shiat.

...Also, Terry Gross interviewed this author on Fresh Air today. It was really interesting and freaky as hell. Who knows how true it is (I tend to believe Terry does her homework though). These people are apparently fundies that believe they are "chosen" and that the good will of God trickles down through them to poor people. I think it would be pretty easy to get people in power to buy into this kind of bullshiat. Especially people as self centered and self important as Sanford (and I'm not terribly surprised if HRC is one too).