If Tony Perkins’ mouth is open, he’s lying.
That’s really all there is to say about this appearance by Tony Perkins on Trinity Broadcasting Network last night.
In the clip below, he defends “traditional mur’ge” by saying that “you can’t go wrong with God and history,” which is exactly what those who supported slavery said, strangely enough. He then, as the headline suggests, tells the elderly crowd in the studio and at home that, because Walker’s ruling found that people’s discriminatory beliefs hurt gays and lesbians, this would necessarily end religious freedom in the United States. Uh. No, Tony.
Theoretically Tony Perkins is not that stupid, so we must assume that he’s lying, and that he holds his followers in such contempt that he considers them stupid enough and easily enough led to believe something so preposterous.
Then the hosts and Tony engage in a mutually satisfying Stupid-Off where they express shock and awe over the existence of the judicial system, as if it’s something unilaterally imposed on the United States in the past four months.
If you want to watch the whole episode, there’s fifteen more minutes of Tony Perkins running his mouth over at Jeremy’s place.
Yes, making marriage equality legal has spelled the end of religious freedoms in all the countries where it is already in existence. Oh wait, no it hasn’t! Seems for TP “religious freedom” = “freedom to preach hate against and demonize all LGBTQ people”.
He also conveniently left out some relevant information. Judge Walker relied on several pieces of evidence in concluding Fact #77, including pretrial depositions from Prop 8 SUPPORTERS (Nathanson, Young) who said religious opinion that homosexuality is a sin contributes to hostility and violence to gays. Why doesn’t TP acknowledge its his own experts that made those conclusions leading to the judge’s decision? Oh right, that would undercut his fear-mongering.
This man is evil, plain and simple.
I wish people would quit confusing religious freedom with people agreeing with you. Besides just being outright stupid, it’s offensive to people who really don’t have religious freedom, people who risk their very lives to go on believing in their gods.
The difference? Westboro baptist believes that soldiers who die in Iraq are going to hell, and even though we all disagree and hate them for it, the government allows them to do it, and the ACLU begrudgingly supports their right to believe so. Most of the situations in the book Jesus Freaks describe not having religious freedom. Yeah, being placed inside a wall and having bricks laid so that you die in the dark and suffocating…THAT’S having your religious freedoms infringed on.
Think of it this way. I’m pagan, and christians allow me to be as pagan as I want to be. They don’t agree with it and get to walk around calling it satanism all they want, but they don’t get to stop me from practicing.
Lofn–you don’t seem to understand–my religion says that everybody has to do what I say, so if people don’t they are infringing on my freedom of religion! :)
Exodus uses the same scare tactics — suggesting that what we really want to do is outlaw Christianity — their brand — overlooking that fact that many church choirs would shut down tonight if all the gays dropped out.
I can’t believe that people like Perkins still put forth such nonsense when it comes to the role of the courts. He complains that the courts invalided Proposition 8 even though “millions” of people voted for it.
I wonder what Perkins would say if we attempted to restrict his religious freedom by putting that up for a vote (Proposition 666, anyone?). Wayne, I think you are correct: Perkins can’t be this stupid. He is indeed speaking down to his audience.