Perkins, who believes that the First Amendment doesn’t protect Muslim-Americans [ http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/tony-perkins-us-constitution-doesnt-protect-muslims ] because Islam “tears at the fabric of our society” and is really more of an “economic system, a judicial system,” didn’t exactly deliver a full-throated defense of religious freedom. He said Islam “sees itself as a judicial philosophy, an economic philosophy” and wants to “impose” Sharia law “upon the surrounding society.”
Since his own organization promotes religious law, Perkins seems more intent on curtailing the rights of Muslims than preserving a secular government. In fact, later in the very same program, Perkins demanded that judges follow “natural law” on issues like abortion rights and gay marriage, which Perkins of course believes reflects his religious views.
“Natural law, which is what the founders recognized and built upon, that’s why the issue of abortion has not been settled, because it runs counter to natural law,” he said. “Natural law, which as Christians we would make reference to, as Paul said in Romans 2, it’s written on the hearts of men. Natural law says it’s not right for a mother to kill her unborn child. That’s why regardless of what the courts said, nine unelected judges, regardless of what they’ve said, the issue has not been resolved and it won’t be resolved. And the same is true for marriage, I don’t care what a court rules, I don’t care what a judge says, the issue of marriage, because it emanates from natural law, from creation, it’s going to be here and it will be an issue politically from here until as long as I’m alive.”
It’s odd for Perkins to criticize Islam for having “a judicial philosophy, an economic philosophy” at the same time as he is explicitly advocating for public policy to correspond to his own religious views. Perkins also believes that Jesus Christ preached capitalism [ http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/06/my-take-jesus-was-a-free-marketer-not-an-occupier/ ], a claim he outlined in an article for CNN’s Belief blog, and the FRC regularly rails against judges whom they believe defy biblical precepts.
Dr. Ben Carson makes controversial comparison during RNC winter meeting speech
01/16/15
During his [01/15/15] speech at the RNC winter meeting, Dr. Ben Carson said, "we are busily giving away every belief and every value for the sake of political correctness” while ISIS is willing to die for its “wrong philosophy.”
"We've got ISIS. They've got the wrong philosophy, but they're willing to die for what they believe, while we are busily giving away every belief and every value for the sake of political correctness," he said during his speech at the RNC's winter meeting. "We have to change that."
Carson acknowledged his comments were likely to spark controversy and gain headlines, but he preemptively dismissed the press attention.
"They are just so ridiculous," he said, to laughter from the crowd.
The remarks are similar to ones he made previously, likening the United States government to Nazi Germany in that both, he argued, worked to silence their opponents. Carson stood by those comments when pressed in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer [ http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/03/politics/carson-stands-by-nazi-germany-comparsion/ ].
It's that very penchant — for frank and often controversial comments — that has made him so popular with the GOP base, and turned the retired neurosurgeon into a rising conservative star who just last month polled third in a CNN/ORC survey [ http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/28/politics/bush-leads-gop-field-poll/ ] of the potential GOP presidential field.
Many within the establishment wing of the party remain wary of him, however, because of his talent for the very remarks that make him so popular with the far right. He also started a firestorm of criticism over comments he made that Obamacare was the "worst thing" to happen to the U.S. since slavery.
But his appearance at the RNC's winter meeting, alongside the likes of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, suggest that Carson's popularity on the right has earned him some notice from the establishment as the party charts its course heading into 2016.
this is part three of a ten-part, and accordingly more accessible (. . .), repost of http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=110400989 -- the "in addition to ..., see also...:" linkings at the end of which are hereby incorporated and will be included again in the final tenth part of this repost -- part four of this repost follows as a reply to this post
Queen to enter history books as longest reigning British monarch
The Queen will soon make history when she becomes the longest reigning British monarch.
[...]
She is the second-longest serving monarch in the world after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who took to the throne in 1946 but who is now rarely seen in public.