AOC Flips the Religious Freedom Argument on Its Head - brilliant

[malaise]

[Roland99]

1. Wow. Amazing!

[erlewyne]

16. I am speechless ...

and have a new idol.

I always liked her, now, my goal is to have her "love me" (teach me).

[malaise]

17. I'd like someone to ask Graham, Falwell or Fuckabee

for their thoughts on her comments

[Bettie]

2. She is our future

I know there are a lot of people around here who hate her and want her to shut up about, well, everything, but I am consistently impressed by her. She's among the most articulate humans I've ever seen.

[malaise]

4. Not just articulate but personable at the same time

She is a breath of fresh air

[AllaN01Bear]

50. i hope she dosent shut up

shes one of the few adults in that room

[stopdiggin]

76. have never "hated" her

and have always been clear on that score. I do think that she has occasionally engaged in public battle with the wrong people, or the wrong target.

(it's kind of a feature of many here at DU that we don't care for ad hominem attacks against Democratic leaders and party. perhaps that's where you gained the impression that people wanted to "muzzle" her. that would obviously be a mistake, but she could be encouraged at times to be more of a team player?).

At the same time, she is such an enormous figure and political talent .. so obviously articulate, charismatic and brilliant .. such an amazing asset that I am always more than happy to have this young woman on my team! Emphasis, my team. And .. a lot of us are anticipating great things down the road.

[gratuitous]

3. You can see why she discombobulates Fox and conservawhackos

This caricature AOC they've created looks and sounds nothing like the congressperson in this clip.

[malaise]

5. Rest assured

they will not play this clip

[certainot]

117. she has to react to a few hundred blowhards on 1500 radio stations that were used to push

the meme that religious freedom means a religious fanatic cakemaker doesn't have to bake one for a gay wedding

then some wedding photographer, etc., with team limbaugh pushing it to the supreme court while democrats push even more GOTV and guys like michael moore ignore the fact that 18 limbaugh stations pushing "religious freedom" and excusing lead in the water depend on http://www.fakenewsradio.orgmich state 11 and univ of mich 7 continuing to broadcast sports on them
]
that's what this is.

[DFW]

6. That was one very impressive speech

I wish she would give more of them!

[Wounded Bear]

7. Republican Jesus will not be pleased...

[malaise]

8. You mean the Holey Moran Emperor or

mother's boy?

[plimsoll]

94. We joke about Republican Jesus, but that is exactly her point.

They have laid stake to one "faith" and are using it as justification for as an extension of power. It is precisely what the founding fathers tried to avoid. There are three things that bother me here.
1) Can we please say GOP. If I were to look at my beliefs you'd have to say that I'm a republican (note the small r,) continuing to bless this band of authoritarian (if I'm being kind) with a respectable sounding belief system is really galling.
2) Why the "mainline" denominations are not pushing back on this is concerning. If all evil needs to triumph is good men to do nothing, then how do you line the "mainline" groups up.
3) Quoting scripture won't do any good. They'll just go look up the inverse hammer quote and pat themselves on the back.

[Wounded Bear]

97. Understood, was just my snarky way of kicking a thread that needs visibility...

(oh, and neighbor)

[plimsoll]

101. No reason to apologize.

I do it myself, then I grit my teeth at my faux pas.

Yeah here in ground zero for the US on the great Democratic Party coronavirus hoax.
Besides I like GOP Jeezus, it at least has spoken alliteration.

[SWBTATTReg]

9. AOC speaks very true and very wise words. I wonder if any of those who these words are ...

directed to in particular are listening? She's absolutely right in that those w/ nefarious purposes in mind do tend to run to the bible, pick out a particular phrase to twist it to fit their sinister purposes (purposes certainly aren't to help the poor, the meek, etc.).

[malaise]

10. She was speaking at a House Oversight Hearing on religious freedom

last week

[SWBTATTReg]

20. Thanks, M. I love AOC, she's an impressive person and seems to gain in strength and energy...

on a daily basis. I think personally she's going to be a force to reckon w/!

[Traildogbob]

14. The poor and meek

Ezekiel 25:17. Has Pence and Rubio et al ever read it? Pretty straight forward, no interpretation needed. Maybe Samuel L Jackson should quote it to them. He has a way.

[SWBTATTReg]

18. Yes, Mr. Jackson would be an excellent person to requote this passage to pence, rubio, and all...

of those other religious hypocrites. I love his voice. I put the E 25:17 quote below just for information for others who may pass by...

Ezekiel 25:17 New International Version (NIV)

17 I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I take vengeance on them.’”

[calimary]

70. There's also Matthew 25:35-45. The one about "the least of these."

[MrModerate]

11. So, you wanted a Christian nation, eh religious folk?

What AOC says there is at the heart of the Christian tradition.

How does it look to you now?

To me, it looks great, and I'm not even religious.

[malaise]

15. Well I'm an atheist but mom and my paternal grandma

would hug her until she cried

[MrModerate]

19. My wife has a t-shirt she wears when aggravated by some global injustice or the other...

"Love One Another – No Exceptions".

[malaise]

22. I live by one maxim

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

[MrModerate]

27. A classic, that one. n/t

[erronis]

99. I've always thought that was a good maxim. But after the repuglicons polluted religion

I'm more of the opinion that we should make their dogma ($$s and no "others&quot a cause for extermination. That's what they want to do to all the rest of us.

[malaise]

102. They have never shared our maxim

They use religion to further their agenda and the latest prosperity gospel is merely the neo-liberal version of institutional religion. The Anglicans are just apologizing for their role in slavery. Catholicism was the religion of Western Imperialism - and the vast majority of the rest of them are about dominating sheeple while they walk away with power and wealth.
Thankfully I'm just a faithless heathen but I do feed our feral friends twice a day.

[erlewyne]

25. Malaise, you have too much love

to be anything other than a free thinker. and it is pleasing to
hear about your mom and paternal grandma.

Thank you, thank you very much!

[cp]

12. That's wonderful!

She is so eloquent. And righteous. Thank you.

[cate94]

13. Wow!

Thanks for sharing! She is explaining this perfectly.

[Under The Radar]

21. She speaks from her heart.....

....with more substance, passion and eloquence than a person with an entire team of speech writers and days of practicing ever has spoken.

[malaise]

23. +1,000

Which makes her authentic

[Under The Radar]

32. Authentic- notice the paper straw too

[malaise]

34. She walks the talk

[panader0]

39. Doesn't need notes or speech writers.

What she says is authentic and comes from her heart.

[Mr.Bill]

24. As an Atheist,

I feel exactly the same way. It doesn't require faith in any supreme being or savior to see this is the way to treat our fellow human beings.

[malaise]

26. Precisely

Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you

[Ferrets are Cool]

29. Amen nt

[dchill]

120. Yes. That's where I'm coming from, too.

She is great.

[Ferrets are Cool]

28. Bravo!!

[cilla4progress]

30. Powerful

and wise. Thanks for sharing.

[guillaumeb]

31. Recommended.

She is the future. and she gives me hope.

[JudyM]

40. Me too. Proud to have such a fine young Dem in Congress.

[Stuart G]

33. Kick and Recommend. Thank You.. OUTSTANDING.!!!!Just. 3min 55seconds.

[bronxiteforever]

35. Kick and recommend. Thanks for posting!

[MontanaMama]

36. Kick.

Damn. She’s got a way about her...smart and articulate. Look out GOP...she is the future.

[panader0]

37. Recommended.

[Nature Man]

38. Keep a close eye on those who malign AOC

they speak with two faces, they speak with forked tongues. They are instruments of right wing reaction.

[JudyM]

41. She's amazing and will only get stronger if she can keep her House seat. Here's a link to donate...

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/aoc-ads-google-q1-2020?refcode=ads-dd-google-20200103-aockw-ad5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImN6w76n85wIVA6SzCh1LjQQUEAAYAiAAEgII7_D_BwE

[Grokenstein]

42. Evangelists: "Crucify her! Crucify her!"

AOC nails it down, so the likes of Huckabee (and Donald "Damien" Trump) will try to nail her up.

"From the eternal sea he rises, creating armies on either shore,
Turning man against his brother, until man exists no more."

[PurgedVoter]

43. She just got to the heart of it!

Once again, AOC has gone to the heart of the issue.

[Perseus]

44. Brilliant and beautiful

I hope it went through to some GOP brains who love to hide behind religion, as she said, to advance their awful agenda of hate.

Well done AOC.

[Locrian]

45. should be posted on every door of every church in the US (if not the world) - n/t

[Johnny2X2X]

46. Hit the nail on the head

When's the last time you heard someone cry religious freedom in an effort to be compassionate and kind?

[PatrickforO]

47. Thank you for posting this.

As maligned as she is, this courageous young woman is STILL speaking truth to power, still challenging bigotry and hatred.

She is pretty outstanding. Wish this upcoming election produces a bunch more people like this.

[CRK7376]

48. WOW, Awesome!!!!

Powerful statement for those willing to listen.

[in2herbs]

49. Will there be a pres ticket in the future with AOC and Mayor Pete?? I hope so. nt

[patphil]

51. Excellent!

So much of what she said resonates with me.
I particularly liked her statement, "The only time religious freedom is invoked is in the name of bigotry and discrimination".
I've seen that "religious freedom" card played over and over again as a means to attack other people's freedom.

[Baitball Blogger]

52. Too bad her words won't be astroturfed to Sunday preachers.

[BComplex]

53. She knows how to take the truth home to people.

She really has a gift.

[marieo1]

54. Right On

Wow, AOC blew me away. Someone finally had the courage to say what I believe is right. Thank you, AOC.

[Jeebo]

55. I can't wait until she turns 35...

...because then she can run for president!

-- Ron

[Laripu]

56. As Leonard Cohen rightly said ...

... “The real weapons of mass destruction are the hardened hearts of humanity.”

[iluvtennis]

57. Absolutely spot on AOC. nt

[world wide wally]

58. Awesome

[mgardener]

59. She is incredible.

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."
Blaise Pascal

One of my favorite quotes.

[Pepsidog]

60. I will be sending this to all my Jesus loving Lib hating friends and family. AOC is Brilliant'

[Martin Eden]

61. AOC bookmarked; n/t

[Frances]

62. Thanks for posting

I have always known that following Christ’s teaching is difficult
Turn the other cheek, for example
But it angers me that people who are against everything Christ stood for call themselves Christian

[Vinca]

63. That was amazing. I'm an atheist and I was moved by her words.

[Tucker08087]

64. Amen!

Good for her!

[keithbvadu2]

65. Whose religious freedom is more important than yours?

Whose religious freedom is more important than yours?

[TomSlick]

66. Preach!

Open the Word to them, sister.

Preach!

[keithbvadu2]

67. Should a gov't run by another religion control your church?

Should a gov't run by another religion control your church?

http://assets.amuniversal.com/6b3ddda05d46012ee3bd00163e41dd5b

[renate]

68. I'd love to hear how televangelists and Fox commentators argue against this

She's so right. If Jesus appeared in front of any GOP-led committee, on health or housing or budget or medical care or anything else, they would slime him.

[moondust]

69. Of the two major parties,

the Republican Party is clearly the party of exclusion while the Democratic Party is the party of inclusion. It couldn't be more obvious.

K/R

[elleng]

71. WOW!

(SHOULDN'T be a WOW, should be OF COURSE.)

[misanthrope]

72. Well said by AOC but hardly new

Glad she did so, but folks have been pointing this out for a long time. Here's what one downtrodden fellow from the Oklahoma boonies penned nearly a century ago.

Jesus Christ by Woody Guthrie

Jesus Christ was a man who traveled through the land
Hard working man and brave
He said to the rich, "Give your goods to the poor"
So they laid Jesus Christ in His grave

Yes, Jesus was a man, a carpenter by hand
His followers true and brave
One dirty coward called Judas Iscariot
Laid poor Jesus in His grave

He went to the preacher, He went to the sheriff
Told them all the same
"Sell all of your jewelry and give it to the poor"
So they laid Jesus Christ in His grave

When Jesus come to town, all the working folks around
Believed what he did say
The bankers and the preachers, they nailed Him on the cross
And they laid Jesus Christ in his grave

And the working people followed him around
Singing and shouting gay
But the cops and soldiers nailed him in the air
And they laid Jesus Christ in his grave

Well the people held their breath when they heard about his death
Everybody wondered why
It was the landlord and the soldiers that they hired
To nail Jesus Christ in the sky

This song was made in New York City
Of rich man and preachers, and slaves
If Jesus was to preach like He preached in Galilee
They would lay Jesus Christ in His grave

Yes, Jesus was a man and a carpenter by hand
His followers true and brave
One dirty coward called Judas Iscariot
As laid poor Jesus in His grave


Any student of history will nod along with the sentiment. Purely spiritual pursuits aren't what get you in trouble; it's the threat you represent to power. When Jesus threatened the power of Hebrew leaders, they ran to the Romans who didn't care about yet one more cult cropping up. It was only when the Hebrews could paint Jesus' actions as a threat to Roman power that he was executed by the state.

Same thing would happen today. Humans haven't really changed as much as we like to believe.

[malaise]

74. Great post

Love Woodie and you are 100% correct

[keithbvadu2]

96. "The bankers and the preachers, they nailed Him on the cross "

"The bankers and the preachers, they nailed Him on the cross "

Prosperity Gospel

The "prosperity gospel" collectors seem to do much better in the prosperity than the investors/donors.

[misanthrope]

106. Prosperity gospel is a mind-blowing perversion

Operates in direct contradiction to the attributed quotes of their supposed savior.

[lark]

73. This young woman inspires me just about every time I hear her speak.

She is so very smart and thoughtful and caring - damn, we need LOTS more like her in Congress.

[unitedwethrive]

75. This has needed to be said for years!

I wish it could be more widely seen.

[misanthrope]

77. It has been said for years, for centuries actually

You could almost say millennia but literacy and available copies of the religious text weren't as widespread more than a few centuries ago.

It's not hidden. It's plainly available for anyone to see for themselves, if they care to do so.

[Wednesdays]

78. God bless everyone

No exceptions.

[liberalla]

79. WOW. Thank you Representative!

Beautiful!

[rickyhall]

80. Telling it like it ought to be.

[Progressive2020]

81. I Love AOC

She is a star and an outspoken, intelligent, moral Member of Congress. We need a thousand more like her in politics. I hope that she inspires many young Progressives to run for office.

[yuiyoshida]

82. LOVE ME SOME AOC

[canetoad]

83. Kick

Great speech by AOC. Isn't it sad when pointing out the obvious is seen as radical.

[Nature Man]

84. Notice the conspicuous absence of shit mouth

anti-AOC folks in this thread.

They usually like to beat their chests and poop out of their mouths at the mere mention of her name . . .

[FuzzyRabbit]

85. AOC is so intellegent and articulate.

I wish there were more like her.

[BigOleDummy]

86. Damn!

She's good! It gives me hope for the Nations future that we can produce politicians like this. WE could use a few more imo too.

[lunatica]

87. I hope she never grows cynical.

[NeoGreen]

88. Well said, but I have to ask....

...is this really a revelation to anyone?
Hasn't the bigotry, in the name of religion, been self-evident all along?

[Master_Monstruwacan]

90. That's a great speech

But the only thing I could think of while listening to it is that, in order to bring about the world she describes, one in which religious discrimination no longer exists, the best solution is to shitcan religion altogether. No one needs a "god," or belief, or faith to treat other people with respect and dignity. I'd go as far as to say that the propagation of religious doctrines and dogmas more often results in the kind of behavior she is criticizing here. In the history of the human race, no one has ever produced an iota of solid, verifiable evidence that supports the existence of any gods. I can't remember the exact quote or who said it, but it goes something like, "people will never be truly free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest."

[malaise]

92. Great post - I agree 100%

I detest all monarchies and all religions.

[AllaN01Bear]

91. this

i found this print version of aocs speach online . i hope she is a thorn in the side to some of these people including the thing in the white house .



https://www.theblaze.com/news/aoc-invokes-her-faith-and-jesus-christ-in-screed-saying-religious-freedom-is-used-for-discrimination

[malaise]

93. I hope Rachel or Lawrence cover this

Should have received more coverage on the weekend, but the primaries, COVID-19 and the cover-up from the Con and his goons dominated news this weekend.

[bdamomma]

95. She's just telling it

like it is. Love her.

[Oldem]

98. She's right:

Jesus would be rejected in this Congress--and by the majority in this world. That's not surprising. But her eloquence is a revelation. As we say in the south, "Bless her heart." I mean "bless" literally.

[bottomofthehill]

100. Best political speech ever, the Sermon on the Mount

Tip O'Neill said this was the greatest speech ever given.....

Matthew 5:1-12 New International Version (NIV)
Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes
He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

[H2O Man]

103. Recommended.

She is wonderful.

[MerryBlooms]

104. Beaut.

[warmfeet]

105. Fucking brilliant!

It brought tears to my eyes.

When do we get a president such as this? Don't we deserve this?

I love her.

[colsohlibgal]

107. Way To Call Out The Haters AOC

She could not have been more clear and correct. Just beautiful and may we experience a world like that in my lifetime.

[DeminPennswoods]

108. I noticed a LOT of empty seats at this hearing outside of AOC

being present. She gave a great speech, but she also was there listening and learning something it seems most of her colleagues were not.

[malaise]

113. Indeed

I did notice the empty seats

[DeminPennswoods]

114. I give her credit for attending these hearings that

apparently are beneath other elected representatives. I'm guessing perhaps this was a sub-committee meeting with fewer members, yet she showed up to do her job.

[malaise]

115. _+ 1,000

She wants to learn everything

[Aussie105]

109. Got to love the lady!

Wise beyond her years, she is.

But bullying is bullying, no matter the weapon you use. Selective quoting from the Bible is just intimidation, and saying 'I am allowed to, because religious freedom' is just a smoke screen.
Bullying is still bullying, it is still attempted intimidation, quoting from the Bible with evil intent behind it is still evil.
Be careful of it and fight against it, lest you wander too far from the true message from Jesus' life and end up in another Jonestown drinking the Kool-aid.

She has a way with words, our AOC!
(Can we clone her a hundred times over, and replace all world leaders with her, please?)

[spanone]

110. Bravo!

K&R

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

111. K&R

[pecosbob]

112. I like the fact that she gives Republicans and Reagan Democrats alike a real case of red-ass

If the fat and contented bourgeoisie are upset and frightened by her, I am hopeful. I'd probably die laughing if the next Dem president offered her the position of head of DHS and let her reform Customs and Border Protection.

[GeoWilliam750]

116. Well spoken

[bluecollar2]

118. Kick and rec!..n/t

[wendyb-NC]

119. I love her.

She is so right.