The secular Left is apoplectic about his attack
on the ‘soft despotism of government dependency’

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“We have no Government armed with Power which is capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by … morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” — John Adams 1798.

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It’s a beautiful Indian Summer day in Wisconsin, if that term can be safely used the day after Indigenous Peoples Day. 

Does anyone know whether the Freedom From Religion atheists are picketing the Jesus Lunch kids and their parents at Verona high school again today?

For “Today’s secularists are decidedly not of the live-and-let-live variety,” William McGurn writes in the Wall Street Journal, in something of an understatement. Teenagers saying a prayer over their hot dogs? How … DIVISIVE!

Once upon a time, the political Left preached tolerance. Now they demand conformity. We’ll be watching CNN (sound of fingernails grating on the blackboard) to determine if any of the 12 Democrats at tonight’s (10-15-19) presidential debate utter the word “God” or prayer. Haven’t heard it so far.

The Constitution prohibits establishing an official, favored government religion contra the U.K., where the Queen is the head of the Church of England. But the Freedom From Religion party has largely succeeded in turning that freedom upside down. The day is coming when Capitol guards will demand you deposit your rosary with any firearms you may be carrying.

“Beto” O’Rourke, for instance, demands religious adherence to the Democrat(ic) party platform. Denounce same sex marriage at risk of a knock on the door from the IRS.

Religion? At a Catholic school?

Attorney General William Barr gave a speech at Notre Dame, that Catholic university in Pete Buttigieg’s village that has the Left writhing in conniption fits.

Of Barr’s speech, McGurn writes that the waning of religion’s influence in American life has left more of her citizens vulnerable to what Tocqueville called the “soft despotism” of government dependency.

“The secular project has itself become a religion, pursued with religious fervor,” Barr said. “It is taking on all the trappings of religion, including inquisitions and excommunication. Those who defy the creed risk a figurative burning at the stake — social, educational and professional ostracism and exclusion waged through lawsuits and savage social media campaigns.”

Mr. Barr blamed secularism for social pathologies such as drug addiction, family breakdown and increasing numbers of angry and alienated young males.

 

Subsidizing irresponsibility

“Whereas religion addresses such challenges by stressing personal responsibility, Mr. Barr argued, the state’s answer is merely to try to alleviate “bad consequences.”

“So the reaction to growing illegitimacy is not sexual responsibility, but abortion,” he said. “The reaction to drug addiction is safe injection sites. The solution to the breakdown of the family is for the state to set itself up as an ersatz husband for the single mother and an ersatz father for the children. The call comes for more and more social programs to deal with this wreckage — and while we think we’re solving problems, we are underwriting them.

Barr’s apostasy undermines the entire Bernie/Warren/Pelosi/Satya/Maduro enterprise. (Full text of his speech)

How the heathens do rage!

Bernie fanboy John Nichols’ colleagues at The Nation are livid. Writer Joan Walsh pulls out all the Catholic conspiracy libels. “William Barr Is Neck-Deep in Extremist Catholic Institutions,” The Nation screams. Barr’s “extremist talk body-surf[ed] the fever swamps of Catholic paranoia.” 

Barr is “a paranoid right-wing Catholic ideologue who won’t respect the separation of church and state.” Barr holds “global grudges.” The attorney general didn’t warn, he “intoned darkly.” 

Those “extremist conservative Catholic institutions” include the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty (perhaps best known in recent years as the firm behind the Hobby Lobby case) and (believe it or not!) the Knights of Columbus, a fraternal order of Catholic men. Golly, so was Blaska’s dear departed father! (Newfound respect for the Old Man!)

Blaska’s Bottom Line: Walsh’s most recent book is titled What’s the Matter With White People? Bill Barr provided the answer, if you would but take to heart his speech at Notre Dame.

Pray tell, what do YOU think?