According to a recent guest on Fox & Friends, Christians are unfairly accused of being stupid. One has to look no further than Fox News to see why rational people might have this opinion. As part of their advocacy for the religious right, Fox News provides a platform for the discredited theory of "intelligent design" (Bill O'Reilly), revisionist religiously based history curriculums (Fox & Friends) and outright hatred of atheists (Eric Bolling). And while Fox's Mike Huckabee doesn't appear to lack cognitive processes, those processes can result in amazingly, extraordinarily, and stupendously STUPID statements such as those he made regarding the horrific massacre in Aurora, CO. While the motivation for the shooting is not known, it is probable that the shooter was exhibiting ideation related to mental health issues. In linking the behavior to other societal problems (including, he believes, abortion), Mike Huckabee attributes it to - ready for it - sin! Yup, you heard it right.

Last night, Huckabee started off lucidly enough. He reflected on the horror of the event. But within seconds he got all medieval with the comment that "we live in a world where there is evil." He then discussed how the media covers this type of news by bringing in "people who speculate on what happened" and the truth is that "we simply don't know." He vowed to not mention the name of the shooter because he doesn't want to give him more celebrity. (Fair enough) He did admit that the shooter is "mentally deranged." (Accurate) Huckabee actually touched on something that is worthy of public discussion when he noted how shootings in inner cities, war casualties, military suicides do not get the same kind of attention as this type of event is getting. He lost credibility when he worked in the anti-abortion rights meme by decrying that we pay "scant attention" to "unborn babies who die in their mother's wombs." But he saved the best part of his sermon for last when he said this:

"We don't have a crime problem, a gun problem or even a violence problem. What we have is a sin problem. And since we've ordered god out of our schools, and communities, the military and public conversations, you know we really shouldn't act so surprised... when all hell breaks loose."

Okaay. Mass murders are caused by godlessness. Really? Funny, some of the most murderous events in history were caused by those who lived in a culture saturated with God. Those who perpetrated the Inquisition and the Crusades were full of the spirit of their lord. And American society had its fair share of mindless violence before the Supreme Court decision which declared that school prayer is unconstitutional. The violence of the Jim Crow era was done by those who read from the same "good book" as does Huckabee. And given that 77% of the country is Christian and that there are plenty of churches across the land, how has God been "ordered out of" our society? And how is Huckabee's "god" the answer to things like this horrific event? Perhaps the problem lies in the availability of guns in our society - an availability that's pushed, in large part, by followers of Huckabee's god.

Given the complexities of the issue, Huckabee's bogus contention that this mass murder was caused by the removal of God from the public square and "sin" isn't just facile, it's really stupid! Ya think!