Comments on: The NRA and Alleged Russian Operative Maria Butina

By: David Rahrer

David Rahrer — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 10:52:19 +0000

It takes chutzpah to call this blog an "echo chamber" while making most of your comments where you do. The disagreements between many on key issues here make that idea rather absurd. However, even if your characterization were true, the best you can reasonably say is that you prefer an echo chamber friendly to your own views.

By: Jeff Ryan

Jeff Ryan — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 19:40:46 +0000

Ignorance is indeed bliss, then.

By: Jeff Ryan

Jeff Ryan — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 19:01:31 +0000

As I said, and as you have now proven, you have revealed a lot. About yourself.

By: Jeff Ryan

Jeff Ryan — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 19:01:31 +0000

As I said, and as you have now proven, you have revealed a lot. About yourself.

By: Jeff Ryan

Jeff Ryan — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 12:15:38 +0000

If you knew anything about how Russia works, it should.

That it doesn’t reveals a lot.

By: Martha Anne Underwood

Martha Anne Underwood — Sat, 28 Jul 2018 10:06:17 +0000

Glad to have found your website. It disturbs me that Patheos is now owned by a group that supports the NRA. No wonder that many of the Progressive Christian writers are making less posts than they used to when I started reading Patheos articles.

By: David Rahrer

David Rahrer — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 09:02:20 +0000

In reply to seashell. Interesting app, I've never seen that.

By: seashell

seashell — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 01:58:39 +0000

Why do you doubt the negative NRA column might have led to your ouster? After reading the Butina docs, along with the NYT opinion article that Rustbelt Rick posted, I’m thinking that Joe Gregory probably did not like the cumulative effects of your brand in the Evangelical section. From the NYT article:

At the same time that it has been infiltrating the political system of the United States, the Russian government has sought to cultivate and influence far-right groups in Europe. It turns out that anti-L.G.B.T. politics are an effective tool in mobilizing religious nationalists everywhere, which is in turn an excellent way to destabilize the Western alliance and advance Russia’s geopolitical interests.

Anti-L.G.B.T. politics are in this respect no different from the “gun rights” advocacy that Ms. Butina is accused of using to build a bridge between Russian and American leaders via the National Rifle Association.

You have a habit of debunking all the hokum the Evangelicals put forth regarding gays and lesbians. Other authors stand up for LBGT rights throughout Patheos, but they don’t have your status or credentials and they aren’t writing in the Evangelical section. Through this lens, the suddenness and secrecy involved in the ouster makes more sense. To me, anyway.

ETA: The easier to read Twitter thread from Tim Dickinson for non-Twitter users. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1018984251721543680.html

By: DoctorDJ

DoctorDJ — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 01:14:54 +0000

In reply to RustbeltRick.

Thank you for that. Made me despise the Court Evangelicals even more.

And if your blood pressure (and alcohol intake) has been up since January 20, 2017, consider the poor State Department professionals trying to hold this country’s international relations together. Warning: he/she doesn’t mince words.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/us-officials-at-a-fucking-loss-over-latest-russia-sell-out?via=newsletter&source=DDAfternoon

By: smrnda

smrnda — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 00:04:13 +0000

Glad to see you still blogging.