Media tries to shame MTG for calling eclipse a sign from God, stays mum about Dem's belief that moon is 'mostly ... gases'

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Many pundits and mainstream news outlets immediately jeered at Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) for calling Monday's total solar eclipse and other recent phenomena "strong signs" from God, but some of these same pundits and outlets stayed noticeably quiet about strange, eclipse-related comments from one of MTG's Democrat House colleagues.

On Monday, Greene, a professed Christian, wrote on social media that the eclipse many were scrambling to see was a message from God about their sinful behavior. "God is sending America strong signs to tell us to repent. Earthquakes and eclipses and many more things to come. I pray that our country listens," Greene wrote along with a prayer emoji.

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Greene is hardly the only Christian who noticed a spiritual component to the eclipse. "Eclipses flat out PROVE the existence of God," tweeted author and occasional Blaze News contributor Eric Metaxas. "The evidence is absolutely ASTONISHING!"

"If you are worshipping the eclipse as a celebration of 'Mother Nature' or 'science,' you’re missing the point. It’s a God thing," said Red State columnist Buzz Patterson.

In other words, Greene's comments were well in keeping with mainstream Christian conservative discourse. But that fact did not stop many from making fun of her anyway:

  • "Although God was unavailable for comment (probably because he’s focused on picking winners for the NCAA Tournament), folks on social media offered their own takes on Greene’s tweet," joked a HuffPost piece on the story.
  • "Marjorie Taylor Greene's looking to the heavens for an omen ... and, it seems she's finding them in every natural phenomenon," quipped TMZ.
  • "An eclipse is not a surprise natural disaster like an earthquake. Eclipses can be calculated many centuries in advance," tweeted controversial pollster Frank Luntz, even though MTG never stated or implied that eclipses were a "surprise."
  • "Fun fact. There are about 3 solar eclipses worldwide per year, and many earthquakes. Both events were predetermined at the creation of the universe," said Adam Kinzinger. "The solar eclipse is not a sign. It’s just a really cool show, if the clouds cooperate[.]This lady is in congress?"
Greene is indeed in Congress, as is Democrat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who also made remarks about the eclipse that were panned on social media. Lee, a Yale graduate who once sat on the congressional Science Committee and the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, told students at Booker R. Washington High School in Houston that the moon is a "planet" that is "made up mostly of gases."
She also told the students that the moon has its own "unique light and energy" that is more "manageable" for humans than that emitted by the sun. "The sun is a mighty powerful heat, but it’s almost impossible to go near the sun," she claimed.
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The moon, of course, emits no light of its own, reflecting instead the light from the sun. It is also not composed "mostly of gases." According to NASA's website, the moon's crust is made up of "lighter minerals" that "crystallized" and "floated to the surface" in the moon's "very early history."
Though Lee's comments were contrary to commonly known facts, many of those laughing at MTG said nothing about SJL. HuffPost and TMZ did not report on Lee's moon speech, and Luntz and Kinzinger said nothing about Lee on social media.
Lee later claimed she "misspoke." She has a history of similarly misspeaking, falsely asserting in 1997 that astronauts had planted an American flag on Mars and claiming in 2014 that the U.S. Constitution was "400 years" old.
Newsweek, which reported on the comments from both congresswomen, reached out to both women for comment.
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Terrifying videos capture moment Japan was hit by lethal 7.6 magnitude earthquake

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Japan rang in the new year with tsunami alarms after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake rocked the country's west coast Monday afternoon. Even though the colossal waves never came, the destruction on the Noto Peninsula in the central prefecture of Ishikawa was nevertheless extensive.

Scores of lives have been confirmed lost. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to smoldering rubble. Thousands on the Noto Peninsula proceed into 2024 homeless.

Despite the enduring aftershocks affecting the region, efforts are now underway to locate additional survivors in the ruins.

The Japanese office overseeing disaster prevention indicated Monday that a 7.6-magnitude earthquake centered in Noto shook the western coast. The Japan Meteorological Agency assigned the quake a seismic intensity rating of seven — the highest possible.

The U.S. Geological Survey indicated that the primary quake was the most powerful the west coast had seen since 1970.

As 2024 begins, our \xf0\x9f\x92\x94s go out to those affected by Japan\xe2\x80\x99s M7.5 quake. Despite Japan\xe2\x80\x99s active plate boundaries, large quakes on the west coast of Honshu are rarer than the east coast. Since 1970, no M7+ quakes are on record within 155 mi/250 km of today\xe2\x80\x99s quake.
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The quake was preceded by a report of a similarly strong tremor in the area and has been followed since by dozens of lesser quakes in the area of magnitudes of up to 5.7 on the Richter scale. The JMA suggested that sporadic aftershocks nearly as strong as the initial quake could strike for up to a week.

Officials advised residents to evacuate "to even higher ground wherever possible" and to expect high and repeated tsunami waves. While waves as high as four feet were reported following the quake, the region was spared the kind of behemothic waves Japan suffered following the March 2011 8.9-magnitude quake in the country's northeast.

While the JMA has downgraded its tsunami alerts to advisories, the agency continues to stress the importance of exercising caution near or around the coast.

Footage captured by a motorist in one of the affected areas shows a river slosh side to side as the earth around it quakes.

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Another video shows a subway station tremble as commuters brace for the worst.

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Effect of the earthquake that hit Central Japan today: roads cracking and pavements rising.\n\n[\xf0\x9f\x93\xb9 mmmin726]
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Drone footage documenting the aftermath in Wajima City, Japan, obtained by Reuters, shows smoldering ruins, flattened neighborhoods, beached boats, and toppled multi-story buildings.

Aerial images reveal the extent of the destruction caused by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck central Japan on Monday https://t.co/keiE0EocsV
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While the Asian nation's infrastructure is largely built to withstand the earthquakes common around the seismically-active Pacific Ring of Fire, tens of thousands of homes were nevertheless destroyed by the quake, which also shut down water, cell phone service, and power in various areas.

Authorities in the devastated city of Wajima, seen in the drone footage, received reports of at least 30 collapsed buildings and noted firefighters had battled blazes well into the night.

As of Tuesday, officials confirmed at least 48 people were dead and 16 were seriously injured in Ishikawa, reported the Associated Press.

The Japanese government indicated Monday evening that it had ordered over 97,000 people in nine prefectures on the west coast to evacuate, reported Reuters.

According to the New York Times, Japan's Nuclear Regulatory Agency indicated that while a fire had broken out in a transformer at the Shika power plant in Shikawa, there were no signs of abnormalities at its radioactivity monitoring stations.

The Shika plant had shut down its two reactors prior to the quake for regular inspections.

Various governments around the world expressed their sympathies and support for the Japanese people.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel wrote, "We are saddened to see the damage caused by the earthquake that occurred this afternoon near Ishikawa, Japan. Our thoughts are with those who have been impacted across the region."

Emanuel further indicated that the U.S. government and American military in Japan have offered their full support and are ready to provide aid to the affected communities.

President Joe Biden said in a statement, "As close Allies, the United States and Japan share a deep bond of friendship that unites our people. Our thoughts are with the Japanese people during this difficult time."

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