Video Threatening Damnation for Obama Voters Goes Viral
Frank Cocozzelli printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Thu May 31, 2012 at 07:40:27 AM EST
A small group of conservative Catholics has produced an election-year YouTube video that has gone viral. The dark, somber three-minute production recites the Church hierarchy's culture war grievances against the Obama administration - and all but promises that Catholics who vote for Obama will pay in the next life.

But there may be more going on here than using Catholic damnation anxiety as a tool to roll back marriage equality and reproductive rights. The video may also be part of a wider effort to eradicate public education.

 I first saw "Test of Fire: Election 2012" when a family member emailed me the link and said the video was "put out by the Catholic Church."  It is actually issued by an ostensibly independent group, Catholics Called To Witness, it presents itself as distinctly Catholic.

At the outset we see a lordly older blacksmith hammering out election-year issues such as "jobs," "taxes" and "energy."

But some issues, we are told, "are non-negotiable." This list include "life" which is followed by a quote by Pope Benedict defining life as from conception to natural death; then "marriage" - calling for the institution to be "reinforced, not redefined"; and "freedom" which apparently needs no explanation.

The video raises the eternal stakes following a picture of Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, placed over a quote about providing birth control coverage for employees of religious institutions.  Over a slow-tempo, pounding orchestral piece (punctuated by Gregorian-style background vocals), we see the key visual warning: "YOUR VOTE WILL AFFECT THE FUTURE - AND BE RECORDED IN ETERNITY.

The message that Catholic Obama voters will burn in Hell is unsubtly reinforced by a visual showing the blacksmith staring in judgment while flames leap from his forge fire.

"Catholics Called To Witness" is the project of two upper-middle class couples from South Florida. Interestingly, the group's secretary/treasurer serves as the Florida State Coordinator for ParentalRights.org., whose board includes a number of movement conservatives, notably anti-tax advocate Grover Norquist.

But leadership of ParentalRights.org is dominated by leaders of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HDSLA). The board president is Michael Farris - a movement conservative and founder of HSLDA. The board also includes J. Michael Smith, the current HSLDA president. ParentalRights.org's treasurer, Steve Oberlander, is the HLDSA's current CFO -- and has previously served in the same capacity for Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network.  As Oberlander's bio explains: "Steve Oberlander is Chief Financial Officer of ParentalRights.org, Home School Legal Defense Association, and Home School Foundation."  The HSLDA web site (scroll down to the bottom of the page) describes ParentalRights.org as a "related organization."

Indeed, it seems most accurate to call ParentalRights.org either a project of or a front for HSLSDA.

All this suggests that the video may be much much more than the work of a few zealous Catholic conservatives. It is more likely part of a widely coordinated conservative Republican message machine.

The video was produced by Creative Lab, LLC a politically well-connected South Florida company. Its web site reveals that Creative Lab has been deeply active in movement conservatism. Its clients include Tea Party Republican Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) and The Family Research Council-sponsoredValues Voters Summit, USA. Another page on their web site boasts of being "named to the "Republican Dream Team" in the Web Design category."

Beyond that, a theme is emerging in the conservative press that the Obama administration is waging some sort of anti-Catholic campaign that is alienating these voters. To that end, Ross Douthat and Michael Gerson have been pushing this meme. At the same time, conservative online publications such as Powerline and WND have been pushing the CCTW video.

Again we turn our attention to Creative Lab LLC and the parental rights theme that runs through much of their work, and which CCTW defines as "non-negotiable":

"The protection of the right of parents to educate their children" -- is a curious cause for a group of Catholic orthodox types to champion. There is nothing in Church teachings that make this a priority on par with any other social justice teaching. On the CCTW page entitled "Other Issues" there is no content. Furthermore, traditional Catholic approaches to economic issues such as distributive justice are nowhere to be found on the site. It is odd for a Catholic group to place parental rights under the banner of religious freedom. However, it may be a useful way to perpetuate the myth that the current president is hostile to Catholicism.




Display:
I guess for these folks it is.

by Frank Cocozzelli on Thu May 31, 2012 at 07:47:57 AM EST

They saw fit to focus on was that employees of Catholic hospitals and schools would have to have insurance for all their medications? All the Catholic social teaching I know (admittedly not much) goes much more towards the dignity of human life, and the imperative of people having the necessities of life, including not only the care of human life up to birth, but in childhood, freedom from torture, war, and capital punishment in adulthood, and human rights including health care and a dignified death at the end of life. Not just low taxes and whatever you have the gumption to get for yourself.

by arachne646 on Mon Jun 04, 2012 at 11:07:37 AM EST

Catholic approaches to economic issues such as distributive justice are nowhere to be found on the site. It is odd for a Catholic group all you can eat buffet chicago to place parental rights under the banner of religious freedom.

by PatWilber on Wed Jun 06, 2018 at 03:56:10 AM EST

I am grateful for exposing this Video Threatening Damnation for Obama Voters Goes Viral, no matter how.  CBD for Insomnia I am also grateful for the work done by all of the fine people who frequent talk2Action, among others.

by isabelladom on Sat Oct 15, 2022 at 03:06:08 AM EST


WWW Talk To Action


Cognitive Dissonance & Dominionism Denial
There is new research on why people are averse to hearing or learning about the views of ideological opponents. Based on evaluation of five......
By Frederick Clarkson (374 comments)
Will the Air Force Do Anything To Rein In Its Dynamic Duo of Gay-Bashing, Misogynistic Bloggers?
"I always get nervous when I see female pastors/chaplains. Here is why everyone should as well: "First, women are not called to be pastors,......
By Chris Rodda (195 comments)
The Legacy of Big Oil
The media is ablaze with the upcoming publication of David Grann's book, Killers of the Flower Moon. The shocking non fiction account of the......
By wilkyjr (110 comments)
Gimme That Old Time Dominionism Denial
Over the years, I have written a great deal here and in other venues about the explicitly theocratic movement called dominionism -- which has......
By Frederick Clarkson (101 comments)
History Advisor to Members of Congress Completely Twists Jefferson's Words to Support Muslim Ban
Pseudo-historian David Barton, best known for his misquoting of our country's founders to promote the notion that America was founded as a Christian nation,......
By Chris Rodda (113 comments)
"Christian Fighter Pilot" Calls First Lesbian Air Force Academy Commandant a Liar
In a new post on his "Christian Fighter Pilot" blog titled "BGen Kristin Goodwin and the USAFA Honor Code," Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan......
By Chris Rodda (144 comments)
Catholic Right Leader Unapologetic about Call for 'Death to Liberal Professors' -- UPDATED
Today, Donald Trump appointed C-FAM Executive Vice President Lisa Correnti to the US Delegation To UN Commission On Status Of Women. (C-FAM is a......
By Frederick Clarkson (126 comments)
Controlling Information
     Yesterday I listened to Russ Limbaugh.  Rush advised listeners it would be best that they not listen to CNN,MSNBC, ABC, CBS and......
By wilkyjr (118 comments)
Is Bannon Fifth-Columning the Pope?
In December 2016 I wrote about how White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who likes to flash his Catholic credentials when it comes to......
By Frank Cocozzelli (250 comments)
Ross Douthat's Hackery on the Seemingly Incongruous Alliance of Bannon & Burke
Conservative Catholic writer Ross Douthat has dissembled again. This time, in a February 15, 2017 New York Times op-ed titled The Trump Era's Catholic......
By Frank Cocozzelli (64 comments)
`So-Called Patriots' Attack The Rule Of Law
Every so often, right-wing commentator Pat Buchanan lurches out of the far-right fever swamp where he has resided for the past 50 years to......
By Rob Boston (161 comments)
Bad Faith from Focus on the Family
Here is one from the archives, Feb 12, 2011, that serves as a reminder of how deeply disingenuous people can be. Appeals to seek......
By Frederick Clarkson (176 comments)
The Legacy of George Wallace
"One need not accept any of those views to agree that they had appealed to real concerns of real people, not to mindless, unreasoning......
By wilkyjr (70 comments)
Betsy DeVos's Mudsill View of Public Education
My Talk to Action colleague Rachel Tabachnick has been doing yeoman's work in explaining Betsy DeVos's long-term strategy for decimating universal public education. If......
By Frank Cocozzelli (80 comments)
Prince and DeVos Families at Intersection of Radical Free Market Privatizers and Religious Right
This post from 2011 surfaces important information about President-Elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. -- FC Erik Prince, Brother of Betsy......
By Rachel Tabachnick (218 comments)

Respect for Others? or Political Correctness?
The term "political correctness" as used by Conservatives and Republicans has often puzzled me: what exactly do they mean by it? After reading Chip Berlin's piece here-- http://www.talk2action.org/story/2016/7/21/04356/9417 I thought about what he explained......
MTOLincoln (253 comments)
Fear
What I'm feeling now is fear.  I swear that it seems my nightmares are coming true with this new "president".  I'm also frustrated because so many people are not connecting all the dots! I've......
ArchaeoBob (107 comments)
"America - love it or LEAVE!"
I've been hearing that and similar sentiments fairly frequently in the last few days - far FAR more often than ever before.  Hearing about "consequences for burning the flag (actions) from Trump is chilling!......
ArchaeoBob (211 comments)
"Faked!" Meme
Keep your eyes and ears open for a possible move to try to discredit the people openly opposing Trump and the bigots, especially people who have experienced terrorism from the "Right"  (Christian Terrorism is......
ArchaeoBob (165 comments)
More aggressive proselytizing
My wife told me today of an experience she had this last week, where she was proselytized by a McDonald's employee while in the store. ......
ArchaeoBob (163 comments)
See if you recognize names on this list
This comes from the local newspaper, which was conservative before and took a hard right turn after it was sold. Hint: Sarah Palin's name is on it!  (It's also connected to Trump.) ......
ArchaeoBob (169 comments)
Unions: A Labor Day Discussion
This is a revision of an article which I posted on my personal board and also on Dailykos. I had an interesting discussion on a discussion board concerning Unions. I tried to piece it......
Xulon (156 comments)
Extremely obnoxious protesters at WitchsFest NYC: connected to NAR?
In July of this year, some extremely loud, obnoxious Christian-identified protesters showed up at WitchsFest, an annual Pagan street fair here in NYC.  Here's an account of the protest by Pagan writer Heather Greene......
Diane Vera (130 comments)
Capitalism and the Attack on the Imago Dei
I joined this site today, having been linked here by Crooksandliars' Blog Roundup. I thought I'd put up something I put up previously on my Wordpress blog and also at the DailyKos. As will......
Xulon (329 comments)
History of attitudes towards poverty and the churches.
Jesus is said to have stated that "The Poor will always be with you" and some Christians have used that to refuse to try to help the poor, because "they will always be with......
ArchaeoBob (148 comments)
Alternate economy medical treatment
Dogemperor wrote several times about the alternate economy structure that dominionists have built.  Well, it's actually made the news.  Pretty good article, although it doesn't get into how bad people could be (have been)......
ArchaeoBob (90 comments)
Evidence violence is more common than believed
Think I've been making things up about experiencing Christian Terrorism or exaggerating, or that it was an isolated incident?  I suggest you read this article (linked below in body), which is about our great......
ArchaeoBob (214 comments)

More Diaries...




All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Comments, posts, stories, and all other content are owned by the authors. Everything else © 2005 Talk to Action, LLC.