There are a number of conservatives who like at act as though they and God have a close personal relationship - they do, after all, seem to chat a great deal and share ideas no how everyone else's life should be run. Unfortunately, if a liberal claims to be talking to God, they are lambasted for "pontificating."

No, I'm serious - read this from Joshua Claybourn at blogs4God.... first he quotes Andy Rooney:

"Andrew, you have the eyes and ears of a lot of people. I wish you'd tell your viewers that both Pat Robertson and Mel Gibson strike me as wackos. I believe that's one of your current words. They're crazy as bedbugs, another earthly expression. I created bedbugs. I'll tell you, they're no crazier than people,” said God. "Let me just say that I think I'd remember if I'd ever talked to Pat Robertson, and I'd remember if I said Bush would get re-elected in a blowout."

And how does Joshua frame the quote?

Andy Rooney trashed God and Mel Gibson on "60 minutes" recently, having this to say ... I could do without Andy Rooney's pontificating.

So, let's look at this closely so that we can be clear as to what is going on. First, by expressing a rather liberal point of view and sharply disagreeing with conservatives, Andy Rooney is "trashing" God. Apparently, when Pat Robertson claims that God will be sending disaster and devastation to places like Florida because of things like "Gay Days" at Disney World, though, he isn't trashing God.

Second, when Andy Rooney expresses his political ideas and expresses those ideas through God, that's "pontificating," but when Pat Robertson claims that he's heard from God that George W. Bush will win the next election or when Mel Gibson claims that his film was the work of the Holy Spirit, that isn't "pontificating." This is, I think, a rather un-subtle attempt to claim that God only speaks to and through conservatives - a complete denial that Christianity and God could be any more liberal than people like Joshua Claybourn and Pat Robertson.

What arrogant, self-righteous pap.

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