On the heels of the hate crimes vote in the House – a vote where the religious right claimed that laws against murder would somehow stop them from verbally criticizing gays – the religious right has just launched a campaign against Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus simply for saying that Jesus loves everyone, including gay people.

Talk about intolerant. Now we’re going to threaten TV shows because their stars aren’t homophobes? Because they believe that Jesus loved everybody? Should we throw her in jail too?

It’s also ironic that the religious right was just all up in arms a week ago when blonde bimbette Miss California lost the Miss USA beauty pageant. They claim she lost because the judges didn’t like her answer to a question on gay marriage (she’s against it, but her answer also showed a decided lack of knowledge of the English language). The religious right has claimed that since Miss California lost, it shows that all of America is now in danger from the gay agenda. I know, it’s all a bit weird, but what’s important is that the religious right just launched a well-funded ad campaign featuring Miss California (paid for by the Mormon bigots?), talking about how intolerant the world is for not picking Miss California over Miss Arizona, and then the next day they launch a campaign against a TV star for simply saying she’s pro-gay.

Here’s what the intolerant homophobes just emailed out to their action-alert list. First here is what Miley Cyrus said that is so offensive:

“Everyone deserves to love and be loved and most importantly smile.”

“Jesus loves you and your partner and wants you to know how much he cares! That’s like a daddy not loving his lil boy cuz he’s gay and that is wrong and very sad!

“Like I said everyone deserves to be happy.”

“God’s greatest commandment is to love. And judging is not loving.”

“I am a Christian and I love you – gay or not – because you are no different than anyone else! We are all God’s children.”

Wow, pretty nasty stuff. Love. God’s commandments. We are all God’s children.

Stone that woman.

And here is how the bigots at the American Family Association reacted:

Such statements will send the wrong message to our children who are influenced by this teenage megastar. Parents need to realize that Cyrus is not the positive role model she was once thought to be…. Clearly she is confused and does not understand the Bible.

Seriously, these people are evil. They clearly don’t worship the same God as you and me. They don’t even think Catholics are Christians. And just as their philosophical forbears would do anything to stop blacks from gaining equal access to the American dream, today’s religious bigots will stop at nothing – even calling Matthew Shepard’s brutal murder “a hoax” – in order to bash the gays one more time.

And the GOP wonders why it’s only at 20% in the polls. With people like these extremists controlling the Republican party, God help the Republicans – 20% may be their high point for a long time coming.