VIDEO: “Pray for Obama” Psalm 109:8 more like biblical death threat

By GottaLaff

As Frank Schaeffer told Rachel Maddow on Tuesday, the anti-Obama religious rhetoric is “trawling for assassins:”

If you did happen to watch The Rachel Maddow Show the other day, you've been well-informed about the appalling sales pitches, er, threats, um, prayers of some very misguided, very destructive religious extremists:

Diana Butler Bass at Beliefnet explains that Psalm 109 is one of the “imprecatory” prayers, “a lament in the form of petition to destroy one’s enemies.” While perhaps intended to be a joke, she notes that the psalm actually “entreats God to destroy the president”

Zazzle had the good sense and taste to remove the items from their site. However:

CafePress has been carrying the Psalm 109:8 items but pulled the items from their website yesterday, though it appears that as of today they have relisted several items, issuing this statement:

We initially pulled the Psalm 109:8 content from our products today because broader media dialog indicated that these designs potentially suggested violence towards the president. Based on current public discourse and further review of the actual content, we have determined that it is fair political commentary and we are in the process of reinstating this merchandise. As with all of our content, these designs will continue to be reviewed and if at any time their meaning is construed as advocating violence we will revisit our decision.

Based on current public discourse and our determination of what it is fair political commentary, Psalm 109:8 products are still featured on our site. Anti-presidential gear has been a mainstay at CafePress since we were founded in 1999 and has become a key component of political discourse. Our site has become a cultural barometer of public opinion and as such designs often come into question. In managing our content we are trying to protect self-expression, while making sure we are not advocating violence.

Sometimes it's better to consider common decency and the safety of the president than it is to make a quick buck. Sometimes disclaimers just don't cut it. Sometimes the priority should be concern over that one person who could snap after being egged on by your product line.

UPDATE per Xero in Comments, they took them down:

"General consensus has proven that the design does point to a broader interpretation of the Psalm and thus has been deemed inappropriate for sale at CafePress."

H/t: FreeRangeTalk