"God, I thank you that I am a pious GOP blogger. I am not like other bloggers- Democrats; Republicans who don't hire my bosses; homosexuals."

Boy Fogle's all over a country western singer's call for "ordinary Americans" who have the ability to film themselves and upload to YouTube to- well, let him explain it:

Country music star Joe Nichols has come up with an excellent idea for the video to his new song “Believer” — allow every day folks to explain why they are, well… a believer.

“I want people to be encouraged by what you are believing no matter the circumstance,” Nichols wrote on his YouTube page. “I want to accumulate videos from all of you and from all over the world about people telling me why they are a Believer.”

With only two to four seconds per video, the message needs to be powerful but concise.

For example, “I’m a believer even though I was just diagnosed with cancer.” Or, “I’m a believer for my son’s safe return from Iraq.”

Nichols said the songs was “very special” and “it’s about people believing in something bigger than themselves, people finding something worth fighting for and believing in and not giving up.”

So far, the response has been overwhelming according to Nichols.

And with times as tough as they are, we could all use a little inspiration.

For more information, check out JoeNichols.com. You can submit a video on Joe Nichols’official YouTube page.

It's an interesting phenomenon of recent years- when they aren't getting what they want from the secular world, Christianists seem to feel the need to make ostentatious, self-reassuring gestures. It calls to Waldo's mind a parable:

Luke 18:9-14 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood up and prayed about^{a]" [a]} himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.¹²I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

¹³"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

¹⁴"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."