Revealed! Statue of Liberty an Idol! Is Nothing Sacred?

Undeclared Presidential Wannabe Governor Rick Perry (R, TX) has surrounded himself with religious nut jobs as a part of his up-coming, Christians-only political posturing prayer rally. Among the alleged Christians he has blessed is John Benefiel of the Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network. Reverend Benefiel claims the Statue of Liberty is an idol and should be torn down:

Libertas is also called the Freedom Goddess, Lady Freedom, the Goddess of Liberty. You know there’s a statue in New York harbor called the Statue of Liberty. You know where we got it from? French Free Masons. Listen folks that is an idol, a demonic idol, right there in New York harbor. People say, ‘well no it’s patriotic.’ What makes it patriotic? Why is it? It’s a statue of a false goddess, the Queen of Heaven. We don’t get liberty from a false goddess folks, we get our liberty from Jesus Christ and that Statue of Liberty in no way glorifies Jesus Christ. There is no connection whatsoever. So I’m just telling you we practice idolatry in America in ways that we don’t even recognize.

WC has never actually observed anyone bowing, genuflecting or even worshiping the Statue of Liberty. WC is unaware of a Church of the Goddess Freedom. Or anyone worshipping there. WC strongly recommends Reverend Benefiel – and any followers he may have – read Sir Francis Bacon’s work on Idols of the Mind.

WC does admit he finds the Emma Lazarus poem engraved on a bronze plaque inside the Statue moving:

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

If that’s idolatry, then Reverend Benefiel can make the most of it. But mostly WC is reminded of the great Gahan Wilson cartoon (and cartoon collection title),

Is Nothing Sacred?

WC has a lot of trouble with these religious nut jobs whose sense of righteousness trumps their common sense. It makes them dangerous. And humorless. A presidential candidate who panders to them is beneath contempt.