Speaking of the GOP and Social Issues
As much as I prefer Christine O’Donnell’s stances on, say, economic issues and the role of government; her stances that masturbation is adultery because God says so* and that you can pray the gay away are a bit disturbing.
* what about those times I wasn’t married?
September 21st, 2010 at 1:48 pm
You don’t necessarily need to be married for it to be “adultery” in that sense.
(See Matthew 5:28, specifically, for how it relates to masturbation in American Protestant interpretation.
I don’t know about you, but for the act certainly involves “adultery in the heart” with various women, where “adultery” is “any extra-marital sex”, a very common use of the term in Christian contexts, especially in the US.
Catholics use the more restricted definition of adultery, but also reject masturbation as giving in to lust, and as a “grave disorder” (here).
Her stance is pretty much the normal and traditional one of Christians these past 1500 years or so.
No reason to like it, but it’s not an outlier or weird.
I don’t find it particularly disturbing, because it’s not important – even if she’d ever pushed for making it illegal, which as far as I know she hasn’t, it wouldn’t work.)
September 21st, 2010 at 1:54 pm
I do because it makes her look silly.
September 21st, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Not as silly as a senator (Rangel) who thinks a island will capsize. O’Donnell’s is personal morals, Rangel’s is plain stupidity. I’ll take the weird morals thank you.
September 21st, 2010 at 2:05 pm
I’m not familiar with O’Donnell’s political views except that she is a “conservative”, but her Christian views re: one’s behavior does not necessarily translate into political views.
No one seems to care when so-called liberals say they think abortion is wrong, but that people should have the choice is their political view.
I’m much more concerned when a politician, based on hnis or morality, thinks you should give 35, 40, 50% or more of your wealth away to the “economically disadvantaged”. They don’t personally practise that, but they want to impose on it the rest of us…ultimately enforced by hired guns if you don’t comply.
I’m much more concerned about whether a politician wants to “conserve” the WORDING of the Constitution and Bill of Rights and act according to that view politically.
September 21st, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Nothing odd or strange with her views as far as I can see. Of course, the media says we should think otherwise.
September 21st, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Gee you mean the beloved fiscal conservatives the GOP is running (thanks to the tea party) are also hated social conservatives? Whodathunkit.
September 21st, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Well, I don’t think there will be a law outlawing masturbation or enforcing it. As someone else said, I would vote for a semi-trained monkey if they vote to repeal Obammaocare.
September 21st, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Do you really think that she will be able to legislate anti-masterbation bills or pray the gay away bills?
September 21st, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Uncle, you have been distracted by a Bright Shiny Object and have taken your eyes off the prize.
Suggested reading:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/09/21/grover-norquist-way-forward-conservatives-november-election-newt-gingrich/
September 21st, 2010 at 2:49 pm
It’s weird that a person says giving in to lust is wrong? You can argue that there’s no lust involved (which is probably false) or that it’s okay to give in for whatever reason, but her view is certainly mainstream, even if it’s shocking for its bluntness and logic.
September 21st, 2010 at 2:57 pm
OK so pointing out that masturbation from a Christian viewpoint is sexual sin (which is what “adultery” means in this context) strikes one as loopy but dismembering 40 million children in their mothers’ wombs is so commonplace, commonsense, and acceptable that it merits no notice nor mention.
Yeah, them fundamentalist Christians is CWAZY…
September 21st, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Just because her stance on abortion and masturbation is a distraction tactic doesn’t mean it won’t work. All the media has to do is spin her off as some sort of whackjob and then the chance of winning that seat goes dramatically out the window. Right now she’s polling a massive 15 points behind the incumbent; unless a miracle happens she’s going to get trounced in the actual election.
I’m all for candidates that take principled stands on issues, I think that’s cool. And in Delaware, the establishment republican was pretty squishy, even on the gun issue. But at the same time, Christine O’Donnell is going to lose, and likely lose big because she’s too conservative in a largely moderate/progressive state.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:08 pm
I’m glad that she’s at last thinking about masturbation, that makes her kinda hot. 😉 But it seems pretty obsessive to me how some news outlets, to show how cool they are, keep repeating the statement over and over again – something from the mid 1990’s.
September 21st, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Sex sells, right? One way or the other…
September 21st, 2010 at 3:52 pm
On one side, we have Monty Python singing ‘every sperm is sacred’ and on the other side, we have a garden variety tax & spend libtard of the type destroying the country. Frankly; I’ll take the bible-thumper every time.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:02 pm
I’m much more concerned about where she said she was being sent to Washington to legislate from the Constitution, not the Bible. This is more BS just like conflating Palin’s personal views with how she actually governed.
We’re not going to get An Essay Concerning Human Understanding as every congresscritter’s guiding document. Given that, I would much rather have the Bible be runner up than The Communist Manifesto, which is what her opponent does intend to legislate from.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:03 pm
“And in Delaware, the establishment republican was pretty squishy, even on the gun issue. ”
Squishy? Castle was on the other side. I wrote him a letter once asking him to please stop sponsoring AWB renewals. He told me to pound sand.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:03 pm
And, for the record, this can be done, just like how I think that abortion is a mortal sin, but I’m not willing to throw pregnant women and doctors in jail over it.
September 21st, 2010 at 4:46 pm
To perfectly honest, i dont care what she does or says as long her votes reflect the will of WE THE PEOPLE! I wouldnt care if she had green skin and antennas sticking out of her head…..
September 21st, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Yeah, I understand how horrible it is that a candidate for office has religous beliefs.
So hey. I understand the guy she’s running against- the one who describes himself as a “bearded Marxist”- is very pro-that sort of thing.
Your choice.
September 21st, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Somehow a candidate that pays her every-day bills from her campaign funds doesn’t necessarily win my trust in her ability to act as a fiscal conservative.
September 21st, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Hey, I’ve had to scrounge from time to time; it’s over now, but I know better than to think permanently. I don’t mind the idea of wanking, but if she does, I don’t mind that either. Chill out. I’m keener on what the wankers are doing with our money. Do you really think she’s going to worm some kind of masturbation prohibition through the senate? Give me a break.
September 21st, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Why adopt the media’s intolerance for the expression of Christian belief, SayUncle?
September 21st, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Uncle: Then don’t vote for her.
September 21st, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Actually, a candidate is allowed a salary from campaign funds. Said funds are donated with this knowledge out there.
September 21st, 2010 at 9:41 pm
My understanding is she was raised de facto Catholic but without faith. The got religion in college and went zealot. As converts are wont to do. But now she has moderated her faith and returned to Catholicism. She
She is probably an early example of the future. She was very public in her youthful opinions and as they say, video never dies. The younger set will be hounded by their facebook when they seek office.
September 21st, 2010 at 9:57 pm
September 21st, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Her beliefs on these two subjects are only relevant as they relate to the policies that she intends to implement in law. If I believed the masturbation police are going to come knocking on my door, then I would have to vote for the guy who is just going to take the fruits of my labors instead of the one who is going to impose their beliefs on me.
If she really believes in smaller .gov, then there won’t be masturbation police and I’ll get to keep the fruits of my labors. A much more likely scenario.
September 22nd, 2010 at 2:32 am
The problem w/ O’Donnell is that she can’t win the general election. Sorry, she just puts us one step closer to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
September 22nd, 2010 at 4:16 am
@Ron W: Forgetting about the economically disadvantaged, I believe the wealthy should pay higher taxes because they use government services far more than the rest of us. It doesn’t benefit me at all to have embassies around the world but it benefits the wealthy. I don’t benefit by having a huge civil court system, but the wealthy use civil courts frequently. There are tons of government services that the wealthy use in excess while the rest of us barely use them — and for that, I think the wealthy should pay.
We have a huge military system that primarily protects the interests of the wealthy — so let them pay for that.
This country socializes the “costs of doing business” for the wealthy yet they don’t want to socialize anything else. I say we socialize nothing for nobody. If the wealthy want a military, let them pay for it.
September 22nd, 2010 at 4:19 am
Knock knock…. We are the Masterbation Police and we have come for your teenage son!!
We report to the Dept. of Masterbation Regulation and we have a warrant!
Remember, masterbation without a permit is a crime!
September 22nd, 2010 at 5:03 am
hey Unk …. your worries about what a politician thinks about beating the meat.
You don’t find THAT silly…?
Honest to god …. don’t fall for the liberal sidetracking
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:15 am
ketcom, ask the office workers shot up in Mumbai if they were wealthy, and if they wish they’d had a few troops handy. Then think about all the things you use each day that come from overseas, over sea lanes kept open by the military, and move smoothly because there is a civil court system instead of Guido and Luigi enforcing contracts with a 9 pound sledgehammer.
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:35 am
SDN, or the class action suits that help the little guy, or enforce contract law so that the “wealthy” don’t run roughshod over the “little guy.”
Etc,etc, etc….
Envy is known as a “deadly sin” for a reason…
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:36 am
Ok,
Now I am not a republican by any means, nor am I a democrat, nor a liberal, really you couldn’t group me into a political group at all, unless there was a group called the minimalists. I believe the .gov should frankly stay out of peoples business for the most part.
Anyways, I can see it from the outside and if you guys are interested I’ll tell you the reason democrats or whoever get up in arms about your republicans like this.
Lets face it, religious people are religious, and religion is something that goes beyond affairs of state and the boundaries of mankind. At least in the mind of religious people. And people understand that, and you CAN’T deny that, because if you do deny that then your not religious because your basically saying God isn’t more important than mortal affairs.
So that’s the framework.
Now you know that religious people put God first, you know that behind their actions and stances is their religious belief. So the issue is people KNOW that every single choice and action of this woman is influenced by her beliefs. And putting her into power would mean that she is not going to be making decisions based on what the people want/need but what her God (and thus her) wants.
That is why democrats get upset over things like this, they don’t want other peoples beliefs influencing the .gov.
And frankly in that respect I agree with them, people who can’t keep their religious beliefs to themselves and keep it as a personal thing without having to stand on a soapbox trying to convince others what is right and wrong in the world don’t belong in the government.
I have enough problems with people trying to control my actions, I dont need someone elses God writing tax breaks into law as well.
September 22nd, 2010 at 9:11 am
forget the haters, unc. if masturbation is evil all teenage boys are going to hell. and most grown men. while she’s free to have those views, she should be willing to be given a whole ration of shit for having them.
as far as this being standard christian thought–pshaw. it’s only standard for finger wagging, nannying, self-righteous schmucks.
September 22nd, 2010 at 9:53 am
Geezus Christ.
You people are fucking insane.
She’s a nutbag. Get over it. No amount of fealty to the altar of the holy tax cutting sacrament will undo the simple fact that her view on jerking off is decidedly NOT mainstream (if it were…porn wouldn’t be the gigantic industry it is…it ain’t just heathen liberals watching it).
Uncle’s spot on the money here. And you people need help.
September 22nd, 2010 at 9:55 am
And phuckthecops, you win the absolute booby prize–we goddamn well ought to be concerned about a politician who thinks they should be discussing masturbation policy publicly at all.
I really do weep for the future, and wonder why people in the TP can’t see why the rest of us are pretty sure you’ve lost your shit.
September 22nd, 2010 at 10:05 am
Jason FTW.
September 22nd, 2010 at 10:54 am
Oh hellz, the rats operate from a belief system themselves, only theirs is demonstrably false. I’m irreligious, but I don’t object to them bringing their ideas to the debate. What, the rats don’t have some wackos of their own? How about that guy from Florida? Can’t remember his name. And all the criminals!
September 22nd, 2010 at 11:39 am
Here in Minnesota, I’m still hoping for the return of Jesse Ventura. He didn’t go in for moral legislation, and when the state ran a surplus he gave it back to the taxpayers.
This year for governor, I have to choose between a Republican who wants to make same-sex marriages illegal, a Democrat who wants to take more of my money, and some third party guy I never heard of. I guess I’ll vote for the republican, because I think he’s less likely to get his agenda passed than the democrat is.
September 22nd, 2010 at 1:43 pm
The lame stream media has finally been successful in their divide and conquer strategy. They have been trying to demonize the tea party candidates. So now they bring out things O’Donnell said years ago. Some of you fell for it. Is O’Donnell perfect? NO. But neither is anyone else. Come on guys witches and masturbation are not campaign issues.
If she gets to the Senate, Jim DeMint will take her and the other new conservatives under his wing. Whoever wins this race has to run again in 2012 for a full term.
September 23rd, 2010 at 9:36 am
Don’t be ridiculous Harp. If she’d said in non policy discussions she thought masturbation should be taught to middle schoolers as an OK thing or that she was a lesbian, you know goddamn well it’d be an issue.
A person’s world view informs us about what sort of policies they’ll pursue and what sort of elected official she’ll be.
And her world view is right in line with the Taliban. The problem with the TP is you guys can’t seem to uncouple your Tax Jihad from other forms of jihad.