Willard's Big Day

Today is Willard "Mitt" Romney's big day—the day he's giving his much-anticipated "Faith in America" speech zzzzz zzzzz zzzzz zzzzz zzzzz zzzzz…

Oh, sorry. I fell asleep just thinking about it.

Anyway, to give you some idea of what we can expect, here's just one snippet from the extended excerpts he released this morning:

It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course. Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.

How much can be wrong with one stinking paragraph?!

No, Willard—all the churches in America don't share a common creed of moral convictions. Some churches extend the sacrament of marriage to couple of the same sex and recognize women and men as equals with equal ownership of and autonomy over their own bodies. Most churches don't. Also, some churches?—are called synagogues, and some are called mosques. Just FYI.

Or were you not talking about them…? I notice you seem to have ignored that most agnostics and atheists have "great moral principles," too. Well, all of us non-Christians will forgive you for forgetting us, Willard. We're not going to vote for you, anyway.

It's not based on a "religious test," though—it's based on the fact that you're a dunderhead. See, although you're right that religious people were influential in the causes of abolition and civil rights, they were the kind of religious people you now don't like (progressives), being fought every step of the way by religious conservatives, quoting Bible verses they claimed justified slavery and segregation, just like your base does now to justify inequality on the basis of sexual orientation, sex, and gender.

You don't get to claim ownership of social and civil progress. That was achieved by an alliance between religious and non-religious progressives. It's not your history. It's not even your present.