[Vision2020] Postcardgate

Fri Oct 22 08:15:27 PDT 2010

Suprisingly, you seem to have missed the point of my post. You state repeatedly how important it is to you to know "every candidates" religious positons and how they would affect their political positions and yet the questions are only put to a very select few. (one actually) Forgive me but I suspect that having religious convictions of any type is a major disqualifier for you and that the answers to any questions you may pose are simply additional opportunities to poor mouth a believing community member who might have the questionable judgement, in your view, to want to run for elected office.

g
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Art Deco 
  To: Vision 2020 
  Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 9:52 PM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Postcardgate

  For one reason, as far as I know, Schmidt does not attend and occasionally preach in a church which mixes religion and politics as Bouma does (as you can see from the quotes below).  Another reason: Bouma has been asked in a public forum about his religious beliefs and their relations to his political beliefs -- he refused to answer claiming the question out of bounds. 

  Every candidate ought tell us what their political positions are and why they hold those positions including their religious reasons, if any.  So far as I know no one has asked Schmidt these questions.  Perhaps someone should; perhaps you.

  In a previous post, I opined that it is not only important for a candidate to state his positions, but why she/he believes them.  It is important to understand how a candidate arrives at his conclusions in order to judge in part his desirability and/or fitness for office.  
  http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2010-October/072051.html

  W.

  If the quotes below do not show you about mixing religion and politics in a way prohibited by law for non-profit religious organizations, acts of which Bouma is at least an accessory to, then go to www.freezechurch.org and do a Google site search using the single word "Obama"
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Gary Crabtree 
    To: Art Deco ; Vision 2020 
    Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 8:22 PM
    Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Postcardgate

    "What are Bouma's religious beliefs, how do they affect his political opinions, how do they affect his attitude toward certain classes of voters (gays and Mormons, e.g.), and why does he not have the honesty and courage to reveal and to discuss how his religious beliefs determine and affect his political positions?" 

    Why is this question only of interest when it comes to Mr. Bouma? What about Mr. Schmidt's religious beliefs? (should he happen to have any, In my perusal of his campaign material I notice he hasn't "the honesty and courage to reveal and discuss" his religious beliefs or lack there of) Has his Pastor, Priest, Rabbi, or coven oberpriesterin ever made a comment that could have raised the odd eye brow? If he's an atheist, shouldn't he be called upon to answer for or repudiate the lunacy that has poured forth from the likes of Goldman, Chomsky, and Singer? If not, why? Does the fact that there is a D following his name on the ballot excuse him from the level of scrutiny that you seem to believe is appropriate for others?

    g

    From: Art Deco 
    Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 3:28 PM
    To: Vision 2020 
    Subject: [Vision2020] Postcardgate

          Postcardgate

          Before saying some not-well-organized-but-need-to-be-said things below, please let me make three obvious statements.

          1.     I do not know who sent the infamous postcards.  (I did not get one, but that may be due to a post office error combined with another factor if one was sent to my rural address.)  There are many rumors, allegations, and a few facts flying about this incident.  It is too early to label this incident a hoax, or if it is a hoax, what kind.  I believe the local press has been premature and irresponsible in labeling the incident a hoax at first blush.

          2.     I do not approve or condone anonymous/forged campaign material (if this is what it is) even when that material may contain statements, though inflammatory, at least some of which appear to be true.  I hope the perpetrator(s) is/are caught and exposed before the election.

          3.     If Bouma's religious beliefs reflect the way he thinks about political issues (and they appear to do so) then it is not only dishonest but cowardly for him not to reveal his religious beliefs and how they influence his political positions.  Voters ought not be tricked into buying a pig in a poke.  A previous post on this subject:

          http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2010-October/072051.html

          Investigation

          I hope that the sheriff's office is going to an objective, thorough job investigating Postcardgate.  I hope this is not going to be another Sitler style whitewash and cover-up motivated in part by the sheriff's religious values rather than his professional duties.

          There is no reason to except the so-called victim, his associates, and other organizations supporting his candidacy from suspicion.  Bouma appears to be reaping benefit from the incident as it is being used both to raise money and sympathy for him.  Some of the material appearing on the postcard appeared on Vision 2020 and other places before the mailings occurred.  The postcard may have been an attempt to set a backfire.

          This is a case where the investigation could be greatly expedited and reach the correct result if the county prosecutor calls for and uses a Magistrate's Inquiry.  Although some people, especially those belonging to certain churches/cults who believe in Covenantal Dishonesty (it's alright to lie, even under oath, if it appears to promote God's will), there may be some people of good conscience that will tell the truth under oath regardless.

          I don't know what the focus of the investigation is, but I hope that no time is spent on copyright violations given the free use provisions of the copyright laws.

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use

          For one thing it appears that Bouma has not suffered a pecuniary loss, but has actually reaped a pecuniary benefit.  For another, campaign material freely used and distributed by a candidate is part of political expression/debate process and is generally exempt from copyright protection.

          The postcards appeared to be printed on either a home printer or a commercial printer using a mail merge.  If you Google

          "laser printer" identification

          , for example, you will find that for some printers there is a way to not only identify the kind/brand-name of the printer a document was printed on, but also in some cases, the actual individual printer.

          Almost all of us hope that all who have actual evidence (not just fanciful speculation) will communicate it to the LCSD as quickly as possible.

          Real Issue

          Although the stealth postcards, no matter who produced and sent them, may be a underhanded, possibly criminal trick, a much more important issue is at stake.

          The anonymous nature of the postcard and the kneejerk, panic-stricken, overly irrational response to it should not be allowed to act as a clever smokescreen.  The issue here is Bouma's ability, desirability, and fitness to serve as a state senator.

          What are Bouma's religious beliefs, how do they affect his political opinions, how do they affect his attitude toward certain classes of voters (gays and Mormons, e.g.), and why does he not have the honesty and courage to reveal and to discuss how his religious beliefs determine and affect his political positions?

          Here are some direct quotes from Lloyd Knerr, pastor of Freeze Church, which Bouma attends and has given sermons.

          _____________________________________

          The religions that parade under the banner of Christianity are innumerable. I can't help but think of Mitt Romney standing in front of the cameras the other day and saying, "Absolutely LDS are Christians. We're as much Christian as any other main-stream denomination. We believe that salvation is only through Jesus Christ and we worship Him as our Lord."

          After Ron Huckabee's comment this week about Mormons believing that Jesus and Satan were brothers, I had to read through the chapter on Mormonism in Kingdom of the Cults. Not only do they indeed believe that Jesus and Satan were brothers, they deny the Virgin Birth, the sufficiency of Christ's death on the cross to atone for all sins and such things as God was a man once just as we are. He achieved such a state of holiness in his flesh that he was rewarded by becoming the god of this planet. He showed up here as Adam and later impregnated Mary, who conceived and produced Jesus. He also had a few kids with the other Mary and her sister Martha.

          He [Paul] says, 6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth - men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. NIV Did you ever wonder why the J.W.s and the Mormons and their ilk always do their legwork in the middle of the day? It's because the women are normally home alone. Every family that I personally know of who has been indoctrinated by one of these groups has been because the wife was first deceived.

          >> 

          Glenn Beck is a Mormon.

          I want to take a couple of minutes and give you a little information on Mormonism and then decide if you want Beck's god to take back America.

          The Mormon god was once a human being just like you or I.

          He was born of a human man and woman on a distant star called, "Kolon."

          His parents gave him the name, "Elohim."

          He lives, with his thousands of wives, on this star, "Kolon."

          He supposedly lived such a righteous, Mormon life that he was elevated to become the god of his own world, which was to be called "Earth."

          This god and his wives produced millions of spirit children.

          All of the gods of the heavenly realms gathered together to decide which of "Elohim's" children would be chosen to become the savior of Elohim's planet called Earth.

          It boiled down to his two eldest sons, Jesus and Lucifer.

          Yes, that Lucifer.

          Each gave his campaign speech and Jesus was chosen.

          Lucifer was so angry that he took 1/3 of all the spirit population of Kolon to go to earth with him to oppose his brother Jesus.

          These became his demons.

          Those who remained neutral in the battle between Jesus and Satan were cursed to be born with black skin.

          This is the Mormon explanation for the negro race.

          Those good, Mormon spirits who supported Jesus would be born with white skin.

          Elohim and one of his many spirit wives came to earth and begot Adam and Eve.

          Many years later, Elohim came to earth and had sex with the Virgin Mary, who begot Jesus in human form to give his spirit a body.

          The Mormons teach that Jesus took three wives, Mary, Martha and Mary Magdalene and fathered many children with them.

          After Jesus' death and resurrection, He came to the Americas and evangelized the Indians.

          I could go on and on about the blasphemy and the heresy of the Mormon religion, but suffice it to say that when Glenn Beck tells you that you serve the same god that he does, he's a liar.

          I am appalled at the number of Christians who follow this false prophet.

          He believes that the Constitution of the United States was directly inspired by God and elevates it even above scripture.

          He believes that the Mormon church was sent to earth to protect that Constitution.

          He believes that the salvation of America and the preservation of our Constitution will only come from the Mormon church.

          If you think a man's religion doesn't make any difference, the day will come when you will realize that you have been sadly mistaken.

          I would guess that 90% of estimated half a million people who attended that rally in D.C. would call themselves Christian.

          If that's true, the church in America today is in greater danger than I ever believed.

          Solomon was right; there's nothing new in this.

          Satan and his minions have been rebelling against the true God since the very beginning and they will all ultimately fail.

          He has been sending his prophets into the world since day one.

          >> 

          To support homosexual marriage is to call God a liar.  Any church that proclaims different is a church of Satan.  Any person who condones homosexual marriage is anti-God and anti-Christ.

          ______________________________

          The above crackpot quotes are just a few of what you will find at the Freeze Church website.  http://freezechurch.org/home.html

          For more information go to the church website and do a site Google search on "abortion"

          Repeat:  Freeze Church is the Church Bouma attends and has given sermons.

          [Sidebar:  The so-called Reverend Lloyd Knerr said of Vision 2020 in the LMT:

          Knerr said. "And they take them out of context, twist the wording a little bit, and make it sound like we're all a bunch of narrow-minded bigots spewing hate and venom at the Freeze Church."

          I hope the normal, mentally healthy reader can appreciate the extreme irony of Knerr's statement to the sympathetic reporter from the LMT, especially the "bigots spewing hate and venon (sic)" part.  I also hope that the normal, mentally healthy reader can see the disconnection between Knerr's sermons and his statements to the LMT.  I greatly fear that Knerr does not understand what the words "liar" or "give false testimony" means - not a trait one would generally admire in a pastor.]

          Does candidate Bouma believe the religious claims of his pastor, the pastor of a church in which Bouma himself sometimes preaches?

          Does Bouma hold Mormons and gays in the same kind of hateful contempt as his Pastor Knerr does?

          Bouma, like all the rest of us, is free to believe in, act upon, and defend his religious credo.  His First Amendment rights are not in dispute.

          What is in dispute is:

          1.     What exactly are Bouma's religious beliefs, how does justify belief in them, and how will these beliefs influence his actions, stands, and votes as a state senator representing a plurality of Latah County which most likely do not agree with these beliefs, and some of whom would find themselves satanized by Bouma?

          2.     If Bouma is unwilling to answer the above question, then does such dishonesty, stealth, and cowardice render him unfit for public office.

          For a number of obvious reasons I personally do want someone who is dishonest and cowardly to represent me in the state legislature no matter what their views are.

    Wayne A. Fox
    1009 Karen Lane
    PO Box 9421
    Moscow, ID  83843

    waf at moscow.com
    208 882-7975

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