Politicians and intelligence are not always synonymous . . .

Two Republican Congressional candidates have produced clear and unmistakeable evidence this week that neither is fit for elected office or leadership positions of any kind - not even acting deputy assistant honorary unpaid dog-catcher!

First, according to CNN, Georgia Republican Paul Broun proclaimed for all the world to hear:

“All that stuff I was taught about evolution, embryology, the Big Bang theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of hell ... And it’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who were taught that from understanding that they need a savior ... a lot of scientific data that I’ve found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young Earth ... I don’t believe that the Earth’s but about 9,000 years old.  I believe it was created in six days as we know them. That’s what the Bible says."

There's more at the link.

Next, according to the Arkansas Times (courtesy of a link at Comrade Misfit's place), we read that Arkansas Republican Charlie Fuqua has a novel idea to discipline unruly children.

The maintenance of civil order in society rests on the foundation of family discipline. Therefore, a child who disrespects his parents must be permanently removed from society in a way that gives an example to all other children of the importance of respect for parents. The death penalty for rebellious children is not something to be taken lightly. The guidelines for administering the death penalty to rebellious children are given in Deut 21:18-21.

. . .

Even though this procedure would rarely be used, if it were the law of land, it would give parents authority. Children would know that their parents had authority and it would be a tremendous incentive for children to give proper respect to their parents.

Again, more at the link.

I think both of these gentlemen (?) would fit in very well among the Taliban in Afghanistan or the Saudi religious police.  They exhibit precisely the same closed minds and dogmatic blindness of which Muslim fundamentalist extremists are so proud . . . or, for that matter, the Westboro Baptist Church or the Dove World Outreach Center.  In fact, I wish they'd go to one or other of those places, or anywhere else that took their fancy - provided only that it was nowhere near Washington D.C. or any other position of power or authority!  We don't need religious nutjobs passing our laws!

(I might add that I'm a religious person - but I'm not a nutjob.  When the evidence to support a proposition such as the age of the earth is overwhelming, one can't deny it without proving oneself a bone-headed idiot.  If God is truth [which, as a Christian, I of course believe, according to Christ's own claim], then not to believe clearly evident, demonstrable scientific truth is to deny God.  In the same way, to attempt to impose tribal and cultural norms portrayed in the Old Testament onto a New Testament theology is to be on very shaky ground, morally speaking.  I daresay the parable of the Prodigal Son and the Eleventh Commandment are sufficient answer to the legalistic Old Testament views of Mr. Fuqua.)

It's as I've said many times before.  Don't vote for the party - you may end up voting for an idiot.  Vote for the person.  If someone's basically an honest, consistent candidate who can be relied upon to stick to his or her principles, he or she is likely to get my support even if I don't agree with those principles.  That's because I can at least trust such a person to act according to his or her lights, rather than bend with every prevailing wind.

Peter