"Angry Single Mom" is simply a leftist mirror reflection of those on the right who insult and demonize their political opponents. The site's mission statement was not an encouraging start: "Our purpose is to expose the hypocrisy of the conservative Christian agenda by uncovering their true goal of dominating all aspects of American life and by countering their false interpretations of the scriptures. We fight the coming theocracy."

Can't say I wasn't warned, I guess. This is what the writer has to say about Dr. James Dobson, a man I've criticized in the past:

Dobson's group, Focus on the Family, deserves to be stripped of its tax-exempt status. He's trying to do to politicians what he bragged about doing to a dog in his book "The New Strong-Willed Child: Birth Through Adolescence" - beat it with a belt because he didn't want it to sleep in the bathroom. The gist of his book is to beat a child into submission, and if the child continues to cry, keep up with the beatings. Praise be to God!

What a sick, nazi bastard.

Dobson always maintained that he wanted to stay out of politics. So did Hitler, until he appointed himself as the new messiah for the Aryans.

Well, the "angry" label certainly fits. In her zeal, she seems to have forgotten some verses I should probably have stuck above my computer monitor - Matthew 5:43-45. "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Those are good verses for any Christian involved in politics to memorize.

Having strong political opinions is one thing, though. How about her views on Christian culture? She, like me, is not a fan of the "Left Behind" books, but she takes it a step further, likening George W. Bush to the anti-Christ, then dismissing the thought:

Is it coincidence that George W Bush, who has wreaked world war and has the United States teetering on the edge of economic ruin, could be just the man the fundies have been waiting for? Is he the one who will martyr millions of believers and create a global police state?

Nah. According the Revelations, the Antichrist will be a charismatic man skilled at diplomacy. If he's American, he'll have to be someone who won't piss off the entire world. Too bad, Dubya.

In this thought, she mirrors exactly the viewpoint she claims to hate. During the 1990s, a lot of Christians were guilty of thinking former President Bill Clinton was the coming anti-Christ.

Unfortunately, the writer at ASM is guilty of the thing she seems to hate the most - judging people according to a particular reading of scripture. In a post entitled "Bush's New Budget," she goes after the president once again:

So this is compassionate conservatism? Bush's god is the God of the Old Testament - plays favorites, and doesn't mind kicking the poor when they're down, if they're not part of the "chosen" - rich Texans.

So already we're into some beliefs that run contrary to scriptural truths. ASM is attempting to draw a distinction between the OT God and the NT God, decribing the OT God as one who "plays favorites, doesn't mind kicking the poor." Perhaps it's just a poorly crafted sentence, but as written, it implies that God's character changes.

To that, I answer with James 1:17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." She's simply wrong about God's character in the OT, as evidenced by Deuteronomy 15:7-8 - "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be." Israel was commanded to do this every seventh year, the year of Jubilee, or celebration. Does this sound like a God who hates the poor? ASM goes on:

Hmm. Maybe Bush and I don't read the same Bible. "Blessed is the poor" indeed. They will need divine help. This administration just doesn't give a damn about them.

When Jesus talked of the poor and our need to help them, He was speaking of the church, not the government. After all, whom did He spend most of the time criticizing - the Roman rulers or the leaders of the church? ASM has spoken highly of the United Church of Christ, who has just spent $1.7 million on an advertising campaign to boast of their 'inclusiveness' while portraying other churches as bastions of hatred. How much of that money could have gone to the poor?

Jesus never commanded the government take care of the poor - He told Christians to do it, to give up some of their own comforts to benefit those who have nothing. Government budgets show nothing of a man's heart, and ASM should know better than to use a budget document as a cheap rhetorical club against the president's faith. I know Matthew 7:1-3 is an overused piece of scripture, but it fits well here as an admonishment to the religious left ASM represents: "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"