I can't carry a bottle of hand lotion on a plane because the rubes think my not doing so will keep them safer, and a bunch of yahoos can smear an unknown liquid all over the door the PE will walk through on Tuesday?

Will this have any effect on the Muslim?

I can't carry a bottle of hand lotion on a plane because the rubes think my not doing so will keep them safer, and a bunch of yahoos can smear an unknown liquid all over the door the PE will walk through on Tuesday?

Oh, it's worse than that, if you think about it. These people are doing this because they think it will magically (literally, magically) either change Obama or prevent him from becoming president. In other words, this represents a magical/spiritual attack on the president-elect of the United States.

I'm dying to know what the goal of anointing the door was. And how many other doors have these guys anointed?

Is this a sequel to The Exorcist?

...and these guys represent a group of people that live on this planet?

Teh rapture can not come soon enough.

When these guys are through I could use a hand on some dry-walling work I need to do in my basement.

Michele Bachmann, when a state senator, use to go into the senate floor at night with a small group and "pray" over the desks of those she thought unfit, for them to be gone. Fundamentalist black magic.

Oh, I know why they're doing it, rea. I just want to know why the Very Important For Show Only Security Procedures the asswipe TSA has put in place don't apply to people who flash their Jesus cards.

Screw all these religious freaks.

I've got a toilet seat that needs anointing. What's their phone number?

American Voodoo. They at least recognize things aren't going so good.

The funny thing is, I doubt that Obama will ever actually touch the stupid doorknob himself. Maybe it will save whatever escort who actually does open it.

A couple of knobs annointing another knob.

Magic oils, please work your magic! Wait, where are my magic beads?!! It won't work without the magic beads!

Only the truly insane can equate "Gestapo-like", "Marxist", and "Hitler" as meaning the same thing. It's as if "up" and "down" have now become synonyms of one another. Perhaps "Broun" and his theological cohorts need to be placed on a DHS list. Something about using "an unnamed chemical substance" to effectively control the actions of the WH has an ominous undertone....

The long record of the fundies' kinky sex practices suggests that the rest of the oil was used for anointing each others rectums.

Maybe that other "knob", the one that freed the witch from PALINaroundwithterroerists in that Alaskan ceremony can swing by and place his hands on Obama to make absolutly sure there are no warlocks mingling around his DNA.

While these knuckle-heads are at it, maybe they can anoint Cheney's shotguns so he's less accurate when he's trying to shoot someone in the face.

shortstop nailed it in one. My first thought was airport security as well. My second thought was Republicans are not serious about governing. My third thought was about the movie Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight.

Obama will be sworn in using a Bible from Lincoln's time. He will swear to uphold the US Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.

The current POTUS thinks the US Constitution is just a god-dam piece of paper!

Now, that's cause for concern.

The Bible is just a storybook. To think it should be the law of the land is to ignore the very REASON our country was formed (freedom of religion is a biggy).

It's vaguely creepy and kinda sweet at the same time. The inaugural is a secular ritual but these likely lads are doing their dern-tootin' best to slip in a covert bit of religiosity that has pre-Christian roots.

I'll really worry if these same boys make an attempt to anoint Obama's head with oil....

Oh, dear, now Amy Sullivan will probably come concern-troll us about our lack of respect for evengelical yahoos like these.

I think Obama is using a Ouija board to write the inaugural speech. And he's replaced the ceremonial scepter with a Juju made of a chicken's claw. He'll probably do a rain dance, walk on coals, and throw salt over his shoulder as well.

What on earth is wrong with these people? Are they this afraid of liberals? Or blacks? And what's likely to have a greater effect, their magical incantation or their PR stunt?

Shortstop:

Wow. This board is correct. This tape is personally offensive on so many levels, even to a religion geek like me.

First of all, "consecration" means to "dedicate (or set aside) for a sacred purpose". One could argue that the Capitol Building has already been dedicated for a pretty special purpose, as has the Mall that door looks out on by the people who own it -- the US Taxpayers as a whole. Let me spell it out -- the special purpose is to carry out the business of the United States of America as spelled out in our Constitution. It was not, as these unauthorized interlopers don't understand, set aside as a church or place to worship God. In fact, the Constitution specifically asks future generations to keep the separation between church and state well defined. That responsibility is laid equally on the church and on the state. The state can't encroach and neither should the church ('Render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasars and unto God that which is God's': a direct quote in "red-letters" for those who care)

This tape pretty much blows that idea symbolically out of the water. Actual people wandering around with Bibles who don't acknowledge the boundaries between church and state that keep them free to practice their religion. (Mumbo-jumbo was the first word that came to mind, but I'm trying to be neutral). As an former evangelical, they embarass me. We can pray all we want at home, in our churches on the streets and so forth, but when they start smearing oil ("from the holy land") on doors that they don't own to "consecrate them" without permission and without any way to ensure that they remain dedicated to the stated purpose then they cross the line in so many ways it's not funny.

I've been attended the consecration rites for a building before. Theologically it is a big deal and afterwards that building has one single purpose and legitimate use. It is the building's equivalent of the vows of ordination for priests and nuns.

These yahoos have no say over the purpose of that building, no real permission or invitation (random Congressmen wandering around agreeing with them does *not* constitute permission) and have demonstrated limited understanding of what consecration is supposed to do liturgically.

Now imagine if you had a vacation house that you had set aside for the purpose of relaxing and populated it with the things you find most relaxing -- symbols of past vacations and such. And your neighbors to the right had some teenagers that wanted to re-dedicate to some other special purpose in your absence, without your approval and literally behind your back. In fact, something you specifically would prefer them not to do -- like smoking pot. They might have even been invited in by your own teenager (different problem). When you, the owner, showed up and the evidence of their behaviour was evident you would be outraged and prosecute them to the full extent of the law (or at least call their parents to have them given a time-out). It wouldn't matter that your teenager had invited them in -- he had no authority to allow them to break the law in your home. Same principal applies here.

Morally, this is similar (not the same, but congruent) to the forced conversions and Baptisms of the Catholic Church on indigenous peoples, Jews in Spain, war orphans, et cetera. Liturgical rituals themselves are meaningless, in fact sacreligious, without the invitation and conscious desire of the participants.

Shame on them.

Didn't anyone tell those pastors that simply anointing the door doesn't work if Obama has his fingers crossed when he walks through?

The only way to guarantee effectiveness is to bite the heads off live chickens and smear fresh blood on the threshold, not the door itself.

Sheesh, where did these dopes study ritual anyway? Hogwarts??

Some religious extremists conspired with a Congressman to sneak into a secure area and spread an unknown oily substance on a door the President will use in a few days?

They sure are lucky they aren't Muslims, they'd have been busted and sent to Gitmo.

I'd like to anoint these fairy tale believing morons with about a gallon of whiskey drenched urine.

This is worth writing about?

I can clearly see why one would want to debug a door with disinfectant, but I'm totally in the dark about why anyone would want to anoint the damn thing with oil. On second thought, though, spraying a little WD-40 on the knob and hinges of a door is a surefire way to get the squeaks out of it.;~)

Let's all bless the door Bush and Cheney walk out through. Maybe the majical powers will slam Shrub in the ass.

Hey, remember when these rubes told their flocks to pray for torrential rain at the Democratic convention, so as to ruin Obama's acceptance speech? As you may recall, Obama gave his speech under beautiful, clear skies in balmy temperatures, but a hurricane hit the Gulf coast a few weeks later, just as the Republican convention got underway, and forced them to cancel their first day of Democrat-bashing speeches. Let's hope that this ritual works just as well as their previous efforts have done.

This is worth writing about?

What, you couldn't find a way to tie it to immigrants so you think it's not interesting to the rest of us?

As soon as Obama nominates a liberal to the Supreme Court these pastors will realize anointing doors in government buildings is a silly waste of time.

Check the GSA's contracts database. Did Lurita Doane issue these guys a contract to anoint doors before she resigned? Is their a GSA Anointing Schedule? Perhaps it falls under "Professional Services" along with shredding documents and erasing e-mails.

If they are really concerned about the public's well-being they should anoint Dick Cheney's shotgun.

After some reading and googling, I now get it: they're doing to magically change his stance on abortion. Google "pray for Obama". Scary shit.

Guess now they can't get too pissified when he has the Oval Office feng-shuied?

The people who put this clown in office must be so proud!

If they were really serious...

they'd sacrifice a goat. Or maybe one of their first-born.

If the pastors used a petroleum-based oil then they were guilty of contributing to global warming, exacerbating America's trade deficit,furthering our dependence on foreign oil and supporting al Qaeda.

Did the Rep who allowed these folks in take any steps to ensure that the substance in question was not a biological or chemical weapon that could be used to attack the President? Or has he just shown himself to be the easiest route to assassinating Obama?

When these Republicans and evangelical priests say the are 'anointing a door,' they mean doing it the way the youngest boy in the movie The Squid and the Whale 'anointed' library book shelves.

After reading more about the Congressman involved, I have to think, imagine how bad was the guy who LOST that election in Georgia? If the people of his district chose this guy, I need to make a note never to visit that place. Who voted for this lunatic?

Both Mahoney and Schenck have connections to Operation Rescue and violent members of the anti-abortion movement. I have even heard rumors that Schenck sheltered Barnett Slepian's assassin, James Kopp, from the police, although I do not have confirmation of this. Does anybody have the Eyal Press book on Buffalo that might shed light on this?

Let em anoint all the doors they want, there is a very secret cabal very busy, at this moment, homosexualizing a long list of Mormon ancestors.

Anoint a door with oil? Were no entrails available?

I'm fine with religion and everything but this is pretty weird. They think if they put oil on the door good things will happen. Because if if you don't put oil on the door, God will get pissed??

And, judging by Broun's hateful words, God is fine with lying and bearing false witness.

Poser.

If these people ever learn that "the supreme law of the land" voids the misconception that this is a "christian" nation, but wait anyone devoid of intellectual thought is not capable of learning, would necessarily experience a state of denial.
Hint: see second paragraph, Article. VI. Of the U.S constitution and Treaty of Tripoli (June 7, 1797).

Where's the tamborines? WHere's the blue tent? Omg revival fail...seriously, why is this clownass in the Senate?

Now hold on. Is this the "oogedy-boogedy" wing of the party Kathleen Parker was talking about?

Dead on, ma'am.

I can't carry a bottle of hand lotion on a plane because the rubes think my not doing so will keep them safer, and a bunch of yahoos can smear an unknown liquid all over the door the PE will walk through on Tuesday?

I saw a film with Bruce Willis where a terrorist sprayed a liquid on the door handle of his victim's car. As soon as the guy touched the contaminated door hi fell out and died. I hope the door is thouroughly sterilized before Obama goes anywhere near it.

the seal wrote: Michele Bachmann, when a state senator, use to go into the senate floor at night with a small group and "pray" over the desks of those she thought unfit, for them to be gone. Fundamentalist black magic.

I used to go in the cubical at night of a jerk wing nut germophobic boss I had and fart on his telephone mouthpiece - is that the same thing?

The seal wrote: Michele Bachmann, when a state senator, use to go into the senate floor at night with a small group and "pray" over the desks of those she thought unfit, for them to be gone. Fundamentalist black magic.

I used to sneak into the cubical at night of a jerk wing-nut germophobic boss I had and fart on his telephone mouthpiece. Is that the same thing?

And how many other doors have these guys anointed?Posted by: Danp on January 15, 2009 at 9:38 AM | PERMALINK

I would bet the stall doors in a certain Minneapolis Airport restroom.

I AM NOT GAY!

oops. i mean idaho.

...and these guys represent a group of people that live on this planet?

To borrow their own formulation, they are on this planet but not of it.

So, hopefully the unknown substance really is oil, and not something that will burst into flames when BO walks through.

But I have no problems with people praying for BO or offering up hopes for the new administration in the way that they want. The idea of separation of church and state means that the state isn't telling me how to practice.

Witches are preparing a broom dance to Clean DC of bad vibes from the past administration http://www.paganreligiousrights.org/. They got a permit from the park service.

What's the difference, here, except in degree?

I wouldn't want these guys polishing my knob.

I sure hope they weren't allowed to bring more than 3 ounces of that oily substance into the Capitol Bldg. Where's Homeland Security when you REALLY need it.

BTW, I think they're a little late on this anointing thingy. Where were they 8 years ago when Dim Son walked thru that door and some true divine guidance (rather than the voices inside Dim Son's head, or coming from the box on his back) could have been used?

So, I guess if he walks through the door unharmed, they'll have to concede that he's not the devil or that there's no God? What a neat idea. I'm glad to see people put their ignorant faith to a test!

I can't get upset by this. It's weird and silly but does no harm per se. Having witnessed many baptisms where the person being baptized is anointed, and didn't blow up, I doubt that the oil in question is dangerous, and if it's kosher, so to speak, it would have fragrances which would deter insects.

The fact that these guys just don't get separation of church and state is the problem. And while these guys really liked Billy Graham's prayer, I found it offensive in its chauvinism, both in the sense of "he" throughout its entirety, with no recognition of those of us on the distaff side, and the implicit idea that our country is uniquely blessed by God.

"Oh, it's worse than that, if you think about it. These people are doing this because they think it will magically (literally, magically) either change Obama or prevent him from becoming president. In other words, this represents a magical/spiritual attack on the president-elect of the United States." Posted by: rea

I was kind of wondering if that was what they were intending. Seems we have a Representative who is trying to conduct a religiously based coup against the constitutionally elected next President of the United States.

Nothing that a swab down with carbolic acid won't fix.

Following up on Rea's comment, that use of oil to them means
1. They're "territorially marking" that door to show they own it (and drive out the demons which infest everything not owned by real-true (dominionist) Christians) or
2. They're putting a curse--a hex--on people who go through that door who won't join their religion.

From this article on Rick Warren and Dominionists

" Neopente dominionists (especially within the Assemblies of God...) promote the use of "annointing oil" as a form of "territorial marking" to "name and claim" a targeted area for their dominionist God. Olive oil... is recommended, or--if you're out of extra virgin--plain old Wesson oil is recommended as "your faith will sanctify it"...

"the use of Wesson-oil "territorial pissings" is not just restricted to faith-healing and marking buildings as "Joel's Army turf"; more disturbingly, it's also used to mark possessions of people, specifically people whom are targets for conversion (they will mark their possessions and "pray" for them to follow the dominionists' will or else; infamously, this was actually done by an Assemblies-linked pastor to all the chairs in the Senate chambers during the Alito hearings. Pagans and even mainstream Christians will in fact recognise this as a form of hexing; other forms of "cursing people in the name of Christ" of this sort involve nailing people's names to crosses and "praying" over them (as occurs regularly at See You At The Pole events held in schools and promoted by dominionist groups).

Read up on Joel's Army and Dominionism: they're not just a few small churches. Many of those giant 5,000 person churches fall into this category (Rick Warren, for example). They also have nationwide radio networks (Dobson, for example).

It turns out, Rep. Paul Broun (R) of Georgia escorted the religious right figures, the Revs. Patrick Mahoney and Rob Schenck, and allowed them to put oils on the door. (If Broun's name sounds familiar, it's because he told reporters in November that he fears that Obama may establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist dictatorship, adding that Obama reminds him of Hitler.)

must be the mustache

BTW, are those anoiting oil flammable? Has anyone got plans to set those doors on fire as he walks through?

Domestic terrorism must be prevented!

Didn't Bush listen to God's word from these fanatics. Worked so well for him. I would look on this absurdity as a curse. We won 2 world wars and had a booming economy before we put "Under God" in our pledge and "In God We Trust" on our money.

This "Christian Nation" crap is detrimental to our democracy and if one is incapable of seeing the authoritarian fanaticism of these fanatics and what it leads to...idiots demanding you behave according to how they believe...then you won't even notice freedom's disappearance.

Broun will oppose any "left wing radical ideas" Obama proposes....exactly what any far-right wing crazy will do...but allowing this door blessing is not only embarrassing and shameful...it's unconstitutional. What next...having the AG anointed in oil so he will carry out God's laws instead of the constitution's or the Bill of Rights...oh wait...Ashcroft. This is one time when shooting the people who've come to save you is a matter of self preservation. Screw Broun and these wac jobs and the Jeebus they rode in on. They are mentally ill and justify their fantasies with some fantasy law book of convenience and rationalization. People came here to escape religious persecution not instigate it. Everything these fanatics said and did was an insult to democracy when done in our government buildings.

Hope you do a follow up Benen and find out why this was allowed and hopefully somebody sues.

A little guy with horns was caught trying to pee on that door demanding equal rights.

Is rationality against the law in Georgia?

This from a senator...looks like a lot of repressed rage or an uncle dad.

Do they run for office in the churches in Georgia?

Broun went crazy because he has to refer to a "black" man as commander in chief.

Using God and the little blackbook to do one's bidding is not seen as witchcraft or voodo? God certainly is a socialist:

the modus vivendi of the early Christian church was: "From each according to his ability and to each according to his need."
"Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need." [Acts 2:44,45]
"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common...Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them...and they distributed to each as anyone had need." [Acts 4:32-35]

Isn't this the same very left-wing radical ideas that Broun says he opposes. Cherry picking christo nuts.