If you want to get a picture of how fundamentally sick and twisted the religious right is at bottom, I offer as an example a video recently released by one of its rising stars, Rick Joyner. For those who don't know, Joyner is one of the leading members of the New Apostolic Reformation, an out-and-out fascist offshoot of the religious right that believes it can actually bring about the Second Coming by taking over the world and cleansing it of all "evildoers" (i. e., those who dare oppose them) so they can hand it over to Jesus when he returns.

Yesterday, Joyner--who is based at Jim Bakker's former complex in Fort Mill, South Carolina; 20 minutes south of me--released a "webinar" with another prominent NAR leader, Bob Jones (no relation to the guy who founded Bob Jones University). Both Joyner and Jones are reckoned as "prophets" in the movement. Jones repeated what is apparently an article of faith on the religious right--that Hurricane Sandy and the nor'easter that came behind it were God's way of punishing the Northeast for legalizing same-sex marriage. He sarcastically characterized Sandy as a "blessing." And he and Joyner actually laughed about it. That's right, LAUGHED. People for the American Way got a clip (they start laughing at about the 45-second mark):



Watch the whole thing (if you can stand it) here, and pile up the dislikes.

I've seen some pretty outrageous stuff from the religious right. But this is the first clip in awhile that literally has me shaking with anger. There are thousands of people still without power. In some parts of New York, the damage is so severe that ConEd won't even turn the power back on unless the house has been certified safe by an electrician. And these bastards have the nerve to laugh about it? Charlotte may be a big city, but I don't think there's anywhere in this town where you can buy cojones that big.

Crash Joyner's Inbox at info at morningstarministries dot org.