Discussion Forums

GOP Candidate Who Wants To Outlaw Oral Sex In Virginia

Tue, 23 Jul 2013 05:46:41 +0000

GOP Candidate Who Wants To Outlaw Oral Sex In Virginia

There's Nothing About Abortion In The Bible

Sun, 21 Jul 2013 01:19:44 +0000

There's Nothing About Abortion In The Bible http://www.salon.com/2013/07/20/theres_nothing_about_abortion_in_the_bible_partner/?source=newsletter [Non-text

The Rise Of The Religious Left

Fri, 19 Jul 2013 20:33:26 +0000

The Rise Of The Religious Left http://www.salon.com/2013/07/19/the_rise_of_the_religious_left/?source=newsletter [Non-text portions of this message have been

Being "Born-Again" Linked to More Brain Atrophy

Wed, 17 Jul 2013 22:01:36 +0000

Being "Born-Again" Linked to More Brain Atrophy http://www.philly.com/philly/health/132456883.html [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Pat Robertson: Is Obama A "Crypto-Muslim?"

Tue, 16 Jul 2013 20:10:38 +0000

Pat Robertson: Is Obama A "Crypto-Muslim?" http://www.salon.com/2013/07/16/pat_robertson_is_obama_a_crypto_muslim/?source=newsletter [Non-text portions of this

Pat Robertson Urges LGBT People To "Come Out" As Straight

Fri, 12 Jul 2013 01:56:48 +0000

Pat Robertson Urges LGBT People To "Come Out" As Straight

Virginia Governor Did Not Disclose $120,000 In Donations From Compan

Wed, 10 Jul 2013 17:57:59 +0000

Virginia Governor Did Not Disclose $120,000 In Donations From Company He Promoted

Atheism Study: Congratulations, Non-Believers, You're Just Like Ever

Tue, 09 Jul 2013 22:01:48 +0000

Atheism Study: Congratulations, Non-Believers, You're Just Like Everybody Else

RSS is not available for this group.

Tue, 09 Jul 2013 17:04:06 +0000

FLORIDA PASTOR URGES MEN TO DESTROY COMPUTERS IN QUEST TO LIVE "PORN

Mon, 08 Jul 2013 06:34:38 +0000

FLORIDA PASTOR URGES MEN TO DESTROY COMPUTERS IN QUEST TO LIVE "PORN FREE" (above): Baptist preacher Jay Dennis Baptist preacher Jay Dennis of the First

5 Ways Fundamentalists Are Trying To Sneak Creationism Into Public S

Sun, 07 Jul 2013 22:32:00 +0000

5 Ways Fundamentalists Are Trying To Sneak Creationism Into Public Schools

Westboro Baptist Church Praises Deaths Of Arizona Firefighters, Vows

Sat, 06 Jul 2013 17:30:48 +0000

Westboro Baptist Church Praises Deaths Of Arizona Firefighters, Vows To Picket Funerals

7 Marks of A Stereotypical American Christian

Sat, 06 Jul 2013 01:40:01 +0000

7 Marks of A Stereotypical American Christian http://sojo.net/blogs/2013/07/02/7-marks-stereotypical-american-christian/ [Non-text portions of this message

"Republican Men" Far Too Worried About "The Sanctity Of Sperm"

Wed, 03 Jul 2013 18:33:40 +0000

"Republican Men" Far Too Worried About "The Sanctity Of Sperm"

"The Andrew Show," Hosted By Pint-Sized Andrew Pendergraft, Markets

Wed, 03 Jul 2013 18:19:32 +0000

"The Andrew Show," Hosted By Pint-Sized Andrew Pendergraft, Markets Klan's Racist Message To Kids

Cardinal Dolan Transferred $57 Million To A Cemetery Fund To Shield

Wed, 03 Jul 2013 05:59:11 +0000

Cardinal Dolan Transferred $57 Million To A Cemetery Fund To Shield It From Sexual Abuse Victims

Re: God Lives Under the Bed

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 18:03:32 +0000

Very moving and very beautiful. Loved it. I don't know if I was supposed to, but I didn't see any homosexuality in the story. I didn't really care, but the title of this group sort of led to that expectation. I still found it moving and beautiful..

prayer request

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:46:22 +0000

Please Pray fo Josh, Christina and their baby Girl who was born today 19 to 20 weeks premature.

Thought about this..

Thu, 20 May 2010 01:54:23 +0000

I grew up Catholic and went to religion class when I was young. They explained that when you would make the sign of the cross on yourself it represent 3 seperate yet equal parts but couldnt explaiun what they meant. I was thinking that in order for one to feel most complete they have to have their physical, mental, and spiritual energies operating at a high level. If one suffers than it leads to the other suffering, they all effect each other.

Goodness Direct and the Jesus Army

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:09:28 +0000

The following was posted by elettaria in her personal journal; I've been given permission to quote it here. Although the group it discusses is not explicitly dominionist in a political sense, there are some things in the description that are very worrisome (particularly the spiritual-warfare rhetoric). Does anyone know more about this group and whether it has any dominionist connections, or whether it's just an ultra-conservative church?

Being on a fairly restricted diet, for years I've been using the specialist online retailer Goodness Direct. After a while, I noticed this statement on their site.

Back in the 70's a group of Christian friends decided to get together, make flapjack, pack up wholefoods from bulk along with some other healthy goodies, and there began the beginning of Goodness. [...]

Throughout all of these years we maintained our basic Christian ethics. We began life as a group of friends, all taking the same wages, and we continue life as a group of friends all earning the same wages. Yes that's right, all of us from managers to fork lift drivers to packers, we all earn the same wage. Radical isn't it? So radical that the BBC decided to do a programme on us for Working Lunch.

Being committed Christians (see our church's website) means more than just our Sunday faith - to us it is a way of life and it spills out into our company ethics, our dealings with each other, with our suppliers and with you, our customers. It spills out into the products we sell and why we sell them. It means we deal fairly and squarely with everyone.

The website link wasn't there at the time, just some waffle about a Christian charity, but I was vaguely concerned so I rang up and asked if they did any missionary-type work. They told me firmly that they did not. (They lied.) Yesterday I had cause to check that page on their website again, and this time I followed the link to the Jesus Army. Despite their coy suggestion that they are only loosely affiliated with it, they are in fact a part of the Jesus Army, and it's terrifying stuff.

Look at their manifesto, for starters. They practice exorcism of demonic spirits. They believe that women should submit to men, and should have long hair and dress differently from men. They have strong opinions on whom members may and may not marry. They hang onto members' children for dear life.

This was sounding suspiciously cult-like to me, so I ran a Google search. What came up was beyond alarming. As I'd suspected from their manifesto, women aren't allowed to wear trousers or make-up and must be submissive to men, with stories of extremely restricted behaviour. They have an insane focus on celibacy, to the point where even married couples have to sleep in separate beds. They don't just go evangelising, they target extremely vulnerable people, the homeless, drug addicts and mentally ill, and from what I've gathered it's a "convert if you want any help to survive" deal. People who have visited report that they were followed so closely that they weren't even permitted to go to the toilet alone, and that there was enormous pressure to conform, with one journalist being heavily penalised for slipping away from an all-day prayer session to telephone her mother. Everything is communal, including finances, so it doesn't appear that workers are really paid. Well, some sources say that they'll receive their pay if and when they leave the compound, though others say that they're only paid for a few hours a week and forced to do "voluntary" work the rest of the time. There have been sexual child abuse scandals, and ex-members report the beating of children, although it is unclear whether this is still occurring. And oddly, a rather high number of their members have been murdered, though I have absolutely no idea what's going on there.

I am completely horrified to learn where some of my money has been going all these years. If you shop there or know anyone else who does, please pass this on. I'm not telling you where to shop, that's your decision, but I'm urging you to read up on this for yourselves.

Social Persecution and Redemption

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 07:05:02 +0000

I realize that I've made some fairly big mistakes in life, and I pay dearly for them via social persecution. In a Country that was founded upon Religious Freedom and presupposedly principles, how can the vast majority be so callous as to not see this as spiritual callousness. Persecution- that is a pretty scary word, let me tell you. I'm not anti-Christian by any means, but I fail to see how so many flag-waiving Church members can tolerate this in Society. Or, is it simply a lack of people with Godly principles? I dunno, but I'm on the receiving end of this shat. People seem to to be okay with you if you at least maintain the status quo, but woe unto him who is different. So, basically Society has no problem with unethical people, as long as they work and stay out of trouble? Is this the idea? But, a truly good guy who has past mistakes (non-violent) and hasn't reached status quo is swarmed with scorn? 'Suddenly, it's anything people can pick apart about him. I'm just blogging, I guess, but I think this state of affairs is in dire shape. Of course, I'm the victim. If there were several of us, it would be a hate crime... Not if it's just me. Uggh.

Antichrist ID

Tue, 19 May 2009 04:54:39 +0000

Antichrist ID The Temple: The bible says that the antichrist will reign from (a “rebuilt”) Solomon’s temple; recently a CBC news story revealed that the Manitoba legislature building in Winnipeg is a replica of Solomon’s temple, When checking farther I found also that in fact the Capitol building in Washington DC is another [more elaborate] replica. The Bible speaks of a “New World”, a “New Heaven”, and a “New JerUSAlem”, should it be considered that the antichrist will reign from this location rather than from Palestine or Europe as many scholars say? The 11th horn which blasphemes God comes out of the 7th head [Israel] which may relate to this temple in Washington which is a [enhanced] replica of Solomon’s Temple, from which Satan Rules. People who have been looking for (evil) the antichrist have fingered several presidents starting from Nixon who brought shame and disgrace on America to George Walker Busche (Bush) whose Germanic name is 666 ... as was that of Ronald Wilson Reagan. The surfacing of information about the banking cartel and so called Illuminati being puppet masters behind the veil of fraudulent democracy has brought up newer questions about the antichrist. One question which should be asked is: "Aren't ALL presidents fulfilling the prophecy by ruling from Washington DC? Selling out to foreign interests (bankers)? Making peace agreements with Israel and Arab factions. It should also be noted that Pope Jean Paul 2nd [who Lightning called antichrist] said on his death bed that he though George Bush Jr. may be the antichrist. This Pope and all other popes have been accused them selves of being antichrists, as has the Catholic Church (of Rome}. The End of the Beast Christ says: "1 day = 1000 years" God says the 10/11 horns of the beast will have power as kings for one hour [the hour of the beast] 1000 divided by 24 [24 hours in 1 day] is = 41.666 years. Jerusalem was captured at 16:30 GMT June 10th 1967 at the end of the 6 day war —[God created the world in 6 days]—add to this date 41.666 years to the end of the hour of the beast and the following date is the result. Jan 17th 2009 @ 8:30 hrs [Jerusalem Time As I write this western governments are buying out banks potentially giving them kingly powers. Please remember this is not a prediction of a specific time date, it is a calculation based on one interpretation of bible prophesy. Even if the theory is correct the calculation of the time may not be exact. No statement is being made here ... this is an examination of what YOU seek ... (evil). Seek first the kingdom of love and all other things shall be added to you. You are the body of Christ or Satan according to your kind.

This Week on The New American Dream

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:48:41 +0000

http://www.newamericandream.net/index.html The New American Dream ... well ... because we're dreaming of Dick Cheney and George Bush in a big black car limousine motorcade with those little American flags on the front quarter panels on their way to prison ... we're dreaming of a USA truth commission and Cub Scout tours of the "secret" FBI and CIA and some other stuff This Week's Feature Interviews: Monday - Timbre Wolf, a musician who moved from Tulsa to Hawaii Tuesday - Al Markovitz, of Norfolk, Virginia, the Tulsa of the east coast, editor of the Blue Collar Review, "journal of working class literature" Wednesday - Aimee England, the mayor of Tulsa — no, actually, Aimee lives in Michigan and spent over twenty years working in an independent, radical bookstore Thursday - Lee Rayburn, radio show host, formerly of Air American Radio and also Madison, Wisconsin. [never been to Tulsa.] Friday - Bartcop, of Bartcop.com, from where else? Tulsa. Columns: Steve Clemens of the Twin Cities Lydia Sems from Atlanta Poetry: More from Ava Bird of Berkeley and some other stuff Thank you. The Dream Team http://www.newamericandream.net/index.html

Re: Dreaming the NEW American Dream

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:40:24 +0000

Interesting, but is this Quaker lady, and this group actually against ALL kinds of borders? Because if they are, I'd worry about this: 300+ Mexican women have been murdered and raped along the Mexican side of the border. It's a patriarchical society which gives us the word, "macho". No border means we could expect the same to move North! http://www.libertadlatina.org/Crisis_Lat_Mexico_Juarez_Femicide.htm In addition: The Roman Catholic church actively fights all birth control. It is in that church's interest for the population of countries South of the Rio Grand to BURST AT THE SEEMS. Churches here would gain members. More right wing legislators would get elected, and we could expect the public schools to founder, as tax dollars would start to flow to church schools. http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issues_vouchers Borders may not be pretty things at all times, but in this real world, having none would be worse. I have to wonder if the folks here would thwart all attempts at immigration control. Lemme go check . . Anyone know?

Dreaming the NEW American Dream

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:13:37 +0000

California poets Ava Bird & Rex Butters, and.... Santa Cruz artist Russell Brutsche - Karen Kwiatkowski of Virginia Protests to stop immigration raids ... and more. ____________________ http://www.newamericandream.net The New American Dream What's New? * Karen Kwiatkowski column * Ava Bird poetry * Rex Butters poetry * Gary Mennie poetry Columns: Sherwood Ross — why not shut down a few prisons in the United States as well? Mickey Z — Americans are cowards, too comfortable, will never-ever-not-in-one-million-years revolt-or-even-bother-to-stand-up — no matter what the rich folks do to them. Lydia Sems — It's The American Dream that is the problem. and more from Jack Saunders ... Resistance: * Planned civil disobedience in Minnesota to stop raids against immigrants * Protests at Creech AFB against U.S. drone terroristic activity *100 days of protest against Guantanamo to culminate All this, Northern Exposure, The Big Lebowski, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights ... a certificate for free toast ... and more. Join us. The New American Dream Dude. ... because ... Sister Mary Anne told us, "There are no wrong questions, if you don't know the answers." ... from the Dream Team http://www.newamericandream.net

I wonder if this kind of post will be accepted...

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:22:00 +0000

Presuming this kind of post is on-topic, I thought it would do some good to shine some light into the dark corners of the time in which the Dommies began to emerge. It's always critical to keep in mind the founder effect, which has to do with the character of a movement's founders later having an effect on the future of it.

For the purpose of my little ~~twaddle~~-I mean essay, I shall note what I'm defining Dominionism as: the political form of Christianity that first began to arise in the 1920s. Its precursors in the 19th Century Great Awakenings are not considered here, and I already know that Pentecostalism was the bastard grandchild of Anglicanism. Thank you.

Let's take the 1920s in the US at a glance, shall we? There was a car bombing in New York, near Wall Street. The Ku Klux Klan was in full flower, in both South and North. Indians had gained legal citizenship which was in some ways a dubious blessing, as is nearly every "gift" to the Natives. The Nadir of Race Relations was ongoing, Jim Crow was in its high point, the Flappers and other wealthy middle-class phenomena were scandalizing the rich, Prohibition had created a culture rife with crime and violence, and there was a general phobia of Catholics and Jews in the US.

It was in this context that the idea of higher criticism produced a backlash, with the publication of http://www.eaec.org/bookstore/the_fundamentals.htm. (May be triggering in some ways, and is a link to an Evangelical website. I sincerely apologize, I could not find a secular link. If one can be found, please edit my post and put it in, I don't want to be responsible for triggering someone). This, not the Pentecostal Revival of 1900, is the true start of Dominionism, when the ideas that led to Fundamentalism (a term that meant defender of the Fundamentals, which were a boiled-down version of Protestant theology, Catholics and Orthodox need not apply) and the concept of political religion was born. The Fundies opposed eugenics and other such concepts, and had their high water mark with the Scopes Trial. Now, let's put this in perspective, shall we? In the midst of the post World War I period, when a bunch of corrupt do-nothings were the national leaders and when eugenics, Jim Crow, and Sundown Towns and race riots and all that were together, come the Fundamentals.

I suppose a question for discussion is whether or not the Dommies ever really believed in their ideals, or whether or not they started out from the very beginning as a bunch of crooks and charlatans?

If this post isn't proper or needs editing, please let me know. Thanks.

A quick look into the Quiverful movement.

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:22:49 +0000

If you were wondering if the Quiverful movement is inherently abusive to men and women?

Yes, it is.

It's a little blog by two walkaways who write about their experiences and the "realities" of the world as seen from inside the Quiverful bubble.

Well worth a look.

Palin

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:41:43 +0000

Messin' with Alaska via her state Attorney General pick, since she can't mess with the whole country.
Palin's AG Pick Called Gays "Degenerates"

"Other interesting facts about Wayne Anthony Ross, known as WAR, the initials on his vanity plate:

- He was a founder of Alaska Right to Life and represented, without fee, anti-abortion protesters charged with trespassing. 'I feel I have a good relationship with the good Lord (but) if I could overturn Roe vs. Wade, I figure I got my ticket,' he told a reporter.

- He wrote for the Anchorage Times and the conservative Voice of the Times, and titles like "KKK 'Art' Project Gets 'A' For Courage" are listed on the publications page of his Ross & Miner law office."

(The list goes on. See link for all details.)

Computer Virus Alert: Please Read & Pass Along

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:19:12 +0000

I posted this in my own journal, but I thought I'd put it up in some of the communities I frequent. I know it's off topic, but there may be people who have not heard about this.

This is NOT an April Fool’s Day Joke.

A huge computer virus may hit tomorrow.

The link is to a post on the Americablog feed; there is a vid from CNet explaining the virus and links to things you can do to protect your computer. It sounds pretty serious and I think it’s probably a good idea to take the precautions listed.

Richard Dawkins speech under investigation

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:00:36 +0000

I hadn't seen this posted here yet. The basic story is that biologist Richard Dawkins was scheduled to give a speech at the University of Oklahoma recently. Legislators in the state wanted to ban Prof. Dawkins on the basis that he was an atheist and his speech was regarding evolution and did not represent the majority views of Oklahoma residents. The resolution didn't pass, and he gave his speech (waiving any fees or payments, BTW). Now, an investigation is underway regarding this speech, how funds were allocated, etc. Is this going to set a precedent that any scientist who comes into the state (or other states that start following suit) cannot participate in activities at state facilities that are funded with public money? I should say, any scientist that has views that the legislators do not agree with?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-lukianoff/oklahoma-legislature-inve_b_177473.html

Some excerpts:

"Well, it's official: Oklahoma's state legislature is investigating the University of Oklahoma for hosting a speech by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins.

As I noted in a post over the weekend at Dawkins' website, the legislature first considered two resolutions condemning both Dawkins and the theory of evolution as "an unproven and unpopular theory." (I highly recommend reading both of the proposed resolutions.) Despite their efforts, the legislature failed to prevent Dawkins from speaking on March 6 to an audience of thousands at the University of Oklahoma."

"Sure enough, I just received confirmation today in a letter from the Open Records Office at the University of Oklahoma. The letter confirms that on the day of Dawkins' speech, Oklahoma State Representative Rebecca Hamilton requested substantial information relating to the speech from Vice President for Governmental Relations Danny Hilliard. Representative Hamilton's exhaustive request included demands for all e-mails and correspondence relating to the speech; a list of all money paid to Dawkins and the entities, public or private, responsible for this funding; and the total cost to the university, including, among other things, security fees, advertising, and even "faculty time spent promoting this event."

Healing Grace Ministries?

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:24:09 +0000

My nephew's mother is a Dominionist. I say this due to the many arguments we've had over various social and political issue; that my nephew hasn't turned out to be a junior version of Jerry Falwell is probably due to my and my brother's "bad" influences. Still, when my nephew spoke to his dad (who's living with me until the situation in California improves or our economy implodes completely, whichever comes first), he mentioned that his mom now has him read a magazine titled "The Trumpet."

I looked up "The Trumpet" and found the following website: The Trumpet, A Christian Magazine for God's People. (Please don't click if it might trigger.) This rang quite a few alarm bells, especially when I saw the button marked "Opposing Viewpoints" on the left-hand side. It may or may not be deliberate, but when you click on it, it takes you to a 404 page.

My brother's worried that my nephew's being fed more fundamentalist group-think. I'd say it's apparent, but if anyone has any more information about Healing Grace Ministries, which publishes "The Trumpet," I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

son of YWAM director fakes infanticide video

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:14:25 +0000

A video made with the help of U.S. missionaries and depicting Amazon Indians burying children alive is "faked" and inciting racial hatred, a group campaigning for tribal rights said on Thursday.

The short video, "Hakani," has been watched more than 350,000 times on the YouTube video-sharing website. It depicts scenes of Indians in an isolated forest village digging graves and burying several live children in them. The "Hakani" campaign also has a website and a group on networking site Facebook with more than 13,000 members.

also:

The video was made by the son of the founder of an American missionary organization called Youth with a Mission, which has a branch in Brazil known as Jocum.

and:

Neither the video, the "Hakani" campaign website nor the Facebook group include any mention of the missionary group or any contact details. Corry said the group was trying to play down its role in the film.

x-posted to my journal

The coming evangelical collapse

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:51:36 +0000

This Christian Science Monitor article talks about a major change that will overtake the evangelical movement.

While I doubt that his prediction of overt anti-Christian behavior will become reality (most secular people have better manners), it is clear that the tolerance for intolerance- particularly the sort practiced by some evangelical sects- will end. Here are some of his pertinent thoughts [my comments are in brackets --ed]:

Why is this going to happen?

1. Evangelicals have identified their movement with the culture war and with political conservatism. This will prove to be a very costly mistake. Evangelicals will increasingly be seen as a threat to cultural progress. Public leaders will consider us bad for America, bad for education, bad for children, and bad for society.

[Not only cultural progress, but also public safety, if what I've heard here and there is anywhere near true. --ed]

The evangelical investment in moral, social, and political issues has depleted our resources and exposed our weaknesses. Being against gay marriage and being rhetorically pro-life will not make up for the fact that massive majorities of Evangelicals can't articulate the Gospel with any coherence. We fell for the trap of believing in a cause more than a faith.

[When what you are against defines you more than what you are for it's time to retool. --ed]

2. We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it. Our young people have deep beliefs about the culture war, but do not know why they should obey scripture, the essentials of theology, or the experience of spiritual discipline and community. Coming generations of Christians are going to be monumentally ignorant and unprepared for culture-wide pressures.

[They're also clueless about history, too- especially religious history. Sad, really. --ed]

4. Despite some very successful developments in the past 25 years, Christian education has not produced a product that can withstand the rising tide of secularism. Evangelicalism has used its educational system primarily to staff its own needs and talk to itself.

[When what you are teaching your kids is less than educationally, socially, or intellectually rigorous, you're going to find that secular schools of higher education won't take your students. That's literally a no-brainer. --ed]

5. The confrontation between cultural secularism and the faith at the core of evangelical efforts to "do good" is rapidly approaching. We will soon see that the good Evangelicals want to do will be viewed as bad by so many, and much of that work will not be done. Look for ministries to take on a less and less distinctively Christian face in order to survive.

[This ties in to point one- when you are defined by what you hate more than what you care about, no one is going to take anything you do- even truly benevolent things- seriously. The soup is spoiled. --ed]

7. The money will dry up.

[And that is the Achilles Heel- and the big deal. No money, no ministry. It's time to be truly Christ-like, and make do with pretty much nothing but genuine compassion and his commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. --ed]

I really hope that he is wrong about the ascendancy of the 'Charismatic Pentecostal' sects- these are actually some of the worst behaved of the various sects of Christianity, and it is their intolerant behavior that has really done the entire faith a bad turn. I'd like to see the rise and return of the mainline sects, and moderate or even liberal threads of Christian belief. Conservative and fundementalist sects have held sway for far too long, and their bad behavior has done a lot to tarnish the Christian image.

This is an interesting article.

Warning for those who live in or near Boston

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:36:24 +0000

Vision Forum plans a big "event" this July.

Quiverfull not so fulfilling

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 03:02:06 +0000

.
From Salon.com:

All God's Children - The Quiverfull movement saddles women with a life of submission and near-constant pregnancies. One mother explains how she embraced the extreme Christian lifestyle -- and why she left.

Very interesting article, in which a woman who kind of stumbled into the Quiverfull movement talks about the frustration, exhaustion, and isolation that led her to finally quit the whole thing and reclaim her uterus.

Good for her!

Pwning Phelps

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:40:31 +0000

Rarely do I find myself Happy whenever Westboro Baptist Church pops up in the news. Today, however, is one of those rare times.

Phelps and crew decided to stage a protest at the University of Chicago, because the University had the audacity to employ Barack Obama when he was a teacher.

Unfortunately, they chose to stage their protest beside a frat house. Hilarity ensued:

The party included a s’mores roasting station, hot chocolate, a dance performance by Rhythmic Bodies in Motion, and musical performances by individual students and the a capella group Men in Drag. There were also petitions to be signed in support of overturning Proposition 8, a California ballot initiative making gay marriage unconstitutional, which was passed in November and is now being debated in the California Supreme Court.

Large banners with slogans such as “Many Identities, One Community” were available for students to sign. Klein said the banners were there so that people could express “more positive messages about who we are. We are a diverse campus and we love us.”

The party also raised over $500 for the Broadway Youth Center, which provides health services for the LGBTQ community.

You are invited...

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:30:26 +0000

I'd like to extend an invitation for folks here to also join us in a new community: Christians For Progressive Change. Take a look at our profile and if it sounds like your cup of tea, sign up and say hello. We'd be glad to see you there.

Thanks to legolastn for allowing us to share the invitation with you. Best to you and yours.

jesusliberation @ 2009-03-07T22:00:00

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:00:59 +0000

All Things New: Publication of the Student Christian Movement of Canada
www.scmcanada.org

NEXT ISSUE: “SHINE: A Dream of Inclusion & Liberation!” (Spring 2009)

Call-out for Submissions to All Things New

Editorial Collective: Lana Wilson-Dice, Sheryl Johnson, Geoffrey Dice, Rob
Walker, Brigid Morgan

We are seeking submissions to the upcoming Spring 2009 edition of the SCM’s
national magazine, All Things New! Our theme is the same as this year’s
National Conference: “SHINE: Radiating a Dream of Inclusion & Liberation.”

We are discussing issues of radical inclusion and acceptance, especially as
they relate to faith communities and LGBTTQ* peoples and issues
(lesbian/gay/bisexual/trans/two-spirit/queer/questioning). Let’s hear about
Christian resistance to homophobia, and about breaking down boundaries and
building communities. Discuss your challenges and successes with Queer and
Christian Without Contradiction programming! Freely interpret the theme or
submit anything relating to our SCM goals: spirituality, justice, community.
In addition, we would also like articles or reflections based on the recent
San Francisco NARC Conference.

We accept essays, personal reflections, art, cartoons, photos, theological reflections, prayers; anything you feel moved to create. We welcome news and contributions from all SCM Friends. We are also always happy to hear from people of different faith perspectives, so please spread the callout widely.

Submissions can be emailed to editor (at) scmcanada.org , or mailed to:

All Things New
c/o SCM National Office
310 Danforth Ave
Toronto ON M4K 1N6
Canada

The views expressed in All Things New are not necessarily those of the editorial collective, the Student Christian Movement, its national coordinators, its national board or its membership.
[textile]

Please spread the call-out widely!

To order copies of ATN, or to join our mailing list please email: info @scmcanada.org (REMOVE SPACE)

call for submissions from Catholic women: Stories from Catholic Sexual Minorities

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:07:12 +0000

X-Posting with thanks from sedeara on bisexual

I recently became aware of a call for submissions for stories from "lesbian" Catholics. I emailed the woman who is heading up this anthology asking whether bi voices are welcome, and she said that they are. I'm posting the call for submissions below.
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I have been meeting with a group of women from St. Louis to publish a book celebrating the spiritual lives of lesbian [editor note and all bisexual/pansexual, fluid, same gender loving, et. al. queer women] Catholics. I am posting this message to invite you to join us in this. We believe that as women and lesbians we often find ourselves struggling with institutional religion. We feel certain that we don’t have to deny one part of our identity to affirm the other. We know many sisters in faith who have found a way to be true to themselves and we want to record their spiritual journeys.

So many women have stories that move and inspire us. If you see yourself as one of these women, we would like to stand with you in giving voice to our lives. We believe that the Spirit is leading us and creating in us a spirituality that nourishes and sustains us. The Spirit is also guiding us to claim what is our own and to reveal to others the beauty of our spirits, the strength of our souls and the wonder of who we are as women.

At present we are calling this project of gathering our stories, “Giving Voice.” We encourage you to think about this and invite you to join us. Let me know if you are interested in being a part of this. Also I would appreciate it if you could recommend other women who might like to join us in this effort.

Contact me at mogormanathome @ sbcglobal . net. I look forward to hearing from you.

Marge O’Gorman, FSM

Important Mod Post - Please Read

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:05:54 +0000

Via a mod in another community I follow:

There is some malware going around LJ hacking accounts for mods in large communities, that posts an announcement with links that says they are zapping the community. Then proceeding to do so.

So, if any of you see an announcement purporting to be from our mods that we're shutting down:

1) DO NOT CLICK THE LINKS - THEY ARE MALWARE
2) REPORT THE POST TO LJ ABUSE WITH THE FLAG BUTTON
3) LET US KNOW ASAP BY EMAIL, IM, PHONE, CARRIER PIGEON, ANY WAY YOU CAN FIND US
4) DID I SAY DON'T CLICK LINKS? DON'T CLICK THE LINKS!!

More, with screenshot, here SAFE LINK

If you see it in any other community - please report it and let those mods know.

How to spot a hidden religious agenda

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:34:57 +0000

SOURCE
AS A book reviews editor at New Scientist, I often come across so-called science books which after a few pages reveal themselves to be harbouring ulterior motives. I have learned to recognise clues that the author is pushing a religious agenda. As creationists in the US continue to lose court battles over attempts to have intelligent design taught as science in federally funded schools, their strategy has been forced to... well, evolve. That means ensuring that references to pseudoscientific concepts like ID are more heavily veiled. So I thought I'd share a few tips for spotting what may be religion in science's clothing.

Red flag number one: the term "scientific materialism". "Materialism" is most often used in contrast to something else - something non-material, or supernatural. Proponents of ID frequently lament the scientific claim that humans are the product of purely material forces. At the same time, they never define how non-material forces might work. I have yet to find a definition that characterises non-materialism by what it is, rather than by what it is not.

The invocation of Cartesian dualism - where the brain and mind are viewed as two distinct entities, one material and the other immaterial - is also a red flag. And if an author describes the mind, or any biological system for that matter, as "irreducibly complex", let the alarm bells ring.

Misguided interpretations of quantum physics are a classic hallmark of pseudoscience, usually of the New Age variety, but some religious groups are now appealing to aspects of quantum weirdness to account for free will. Beware: this is nonsense.

When you come across the terms "Darwinism" or "Darwinists", take heed. True scientists rarely use these terms, and instead opt for "evolution" and "biologists", respectively. When evolution is described as a "blind, random, undirected process", be warned. While genetic mutations may be random, natural selection is not. When cells are described as "astonishingly complex molecular machines", it is generally by breathless supporters of ID who take the metaphor literally and assume that such a "machine" requires an "engineer". If an author wishes for "academic freedom", it is usually ID code for "the acceptance of creationism".

If an author wishes for 'academic freedom', it is usually code for 'the acceptance of creationism'

Some general sentiments are also red flags. Authors with religious motives make shameless appeals to common sense, from the staid - "There is nothing we can be more certain of than the reality of our sense of self" (James Le Fanu in Why Us?) - to the silly - "Yer granny was an ape!" (creationist blogger Denyse O'Leary). If common sense were a reliable guide, we wouldn't need science in the first place.

Religiously motivated authors also have a bad habit of linking the cultural implications of a theory to the truth-value of that theory. The ID crowd, for instance, loves to draw a line from Darwin to the Holocaust, as they did in the "documentary" film Expelled: No intelligence allowed. Even if such an absurd link were justified, it would have zero relevance to the question of whether or not the theory of evolution is correct. Similarly, when Le Fanu writes that Darwin's On the Origin of Species "articulated the desire of many scientists for an exclusively materialist explanation of natural history that would liberate it from the sticky fingers of the theological inference that the beauty and wonder of the natural world was direct evidence for 'A Designer'", his statement has no bearing on the scientific merits of evolution.

It is crucial to the public's intellectual health to know when science really is science. Those with a religious agenda will continue to disguise their true views in their effort to win supporters, so please read between the lines.

Amanda Gefter is an editor for the Opinion section of New Scientist
28 February 2009 by Amanda Gefter
Magazine issue 2697.

Cross posted from sceptics

Spring Housekeeping

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:55:29 +0000

Hello, readers-

I've done a bit of spring cleaning on the Links column, deleting closed sites. If you have some good live sites that have to do with the subjects this community discusses, please let me know, and I'll post them on the sidebar.

dark_christian @ 2009-02-28T15:06:00

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:11:39 +0000

Last night, the Rachel Maddow Show dedicated a segment to the Left Behind Authors, Obama, and the coming of the Apocalypse.

The segment discusses how the claim that "Obama is a socialist" has a theological grounding; the Left Behind authors believe that Socialism is the first stage in the End Times because it sets the ground work for unifying the world and presenting a framework for the Anti-Christ to take over. Thus, Socialism is an affront against the world because it's ushering in the End Times.

While I found it intriguing, it also confused the hell out of me.

There are several Dominionist activist groups who support the US backing of Israel, because they believe that Israel is the key to ushering in the End Times. They want the Rapture to come.

If that's so, then shouldn't those same groups be the biggest socialist proponents ever? Why would they push, push, push one side of the Apocalypse Pre-Game Show, and fight like mad to prevent the other?

Angels in Waiting:

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:14:03 +0000

What do we know about a group of 'volunteer nurses' called Angels in Waiting? It seems like they made the offer to house and care for Nadya Suleman's octuplets and her other children but she declined the offer.

Via the LA Times:
Octuplets' mom Nadya Suleman has turned down an offer of a home and 24-hour pediatric nursing care, attorney Gloria Allred said this morning during an appearance on CBS' "The Early Show."

The nonprofit Angels in Waiting volunteer nurses "would have provided 24/7 care along with developmental specialists, early intervention professionals, wraparound services for -- and individualized care for -- all these babies," Allred said on the show.

"And I have to say that she did not accept our offer. And a home would have been provided. All 14 could have been kept together, the siblings as well. There would have been no burden on the taxpayers. Instead, now, it may be that the taxpayers are going to have to foot the bill for all of this."[/quote]

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-octuplets-mom28-2009feb28,0,7542371.story

Gloria Allred's now filing some kind of complaint against her to California's DCFS, on account of this rejection.

Now, the only info I could find on any group like that stated its mission to "to move medically fragile foster care infants and young children into private residences under the care of Registered and Licensed Vocational nurses as their foster parents."

Is this some sketchy 'faith based' group trying to remove these children and ship them out to nice 'Christian' families? It sounds pretty suspicious to me.

Good news?

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:53:13 +0000

Obama Administration May Rescind 'Conscience Rule'
Officials say the move seeks to clarify rules for health care workers
by Noam N. Levey

Taking another step into the abortion debate, the Obama administration Friday will move to rescind a controversial rule that allows health-care workers to deny abortion counseling or other family-planning services if doing so would violate their moral beliefs, according to administration officials.

[...] Officials stressed Thursday that the administration is looking for input from people across the ideological spectrum before it finalizes the rollback after the standard 30-day comment period.

(Read more through link: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/02/27-3

Very brief question

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:37:51 +0000

Whose brilliant idea was it to pick Bobby Jindal for the Republican response to Obama's address to Congress?

Seeking advice

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:28:38 +0000

A dilemma has come up in my family and I'm interested in hearing what y'all think of it.

Because of this crappy economy, and because his current company is laying him off this spring, my brother is seriously considering joining the Air Force for lack of any other job opportunities. This bothers me on several levels, not least of which because I fear him getting shipped over to someplace like Iraq (though granted, he's aiming for a mechanic-type position and not an actual combat enlistment, but still...), but also because of the disturbing things I've heard about the dominionist infiltration of the military (including the Air Force).

I realize this isn't my decision to make. But I also don't want my brother getting blindsided by something he knows nothing about (re: the dominionist threat), and if nothing else, I'd like to give him some cautionary advice concerning dominionism in the military. So I'd like to ask those of you who have extensive knowledge and/or experience in this particular area (I'm thinking sunfell and dogemperor in particular) if you would be willing to sum up in layman's terms the situation he could face, and/or permit email contact, since I think it would be better coming from someone who knows their stuff, whereas I'm not liable to be taken seriously on account of I have no familiarity with the subject (that, plus my brother leans strong conservative while I'm more socially liberal and we have serious differences on certain topics).

I appreciate any help you can give.

Quiverfull:Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:45:14 +0000

Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement

Fundamentalist Christianity may lose some access to power in the next election, but it has long-term plans. In this fascinating look at the new generation of fundamentalist Christian women, journalist Kathryn Joyce introduces us to the world of the patriarchy movement and Quiverfull families. Here, in direct and conscious opposition to feminist calls for marital equity, women live within stringently enforced doctrines of wifely submission and male headship. Instead of raising independent daughters, these Christians advocate a return to keeping daughters at home—and out of college—until their marriage to a suitor approved by Dad. To counter reproductive rights, they eschew all contraception in favor of the Quiverfull philosophy of letting God give them as many children as possible—families of twelve and more children that will, they hope, enable them to win the religious and culture wars through demographic means.

This looks like it might be a worthwhile read. It's coming out next month.

While we weren't looking

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:53:28 +0000

Two articles that will get your attention:

What in the Name of the Crusades are Tennessee Evangelicals Doing in Kurdish Iraq?

In an exclusive interview, investigative reporter Mike Reynolds uncovers the special relationship between Iraqi Kurds and a group of American evangelicals that practices “spiritual warfare,” harbors a deep animosity toward Islam, and views the region as the evangelistic final frontier.

Missionaries Face Death, Criticism to Preach

These two guys 'embedded' with the US Army- and the Army has lost the documentation of their visit.

When ABC News contacted the Army in Afghanistan, it said it no longer have the records of the evangelicals' embed, which took place more than four years ago. The missionaries said they weren't accompanied by soldiers when they handed out Bibles, but Decker and Scott said the military was aware of the purpose of their trip.

"It wasn't like we were hiding in the back saying we're going to preach," Scott said. "They knew what we were doing. We told them that we were born again Christians, we're here doing ministry, we shoot for this TV station and we want to embed and see what it was like.

"We were interviewing the chaplains and we talked to them. We spoke at the services and things like that. So we did do our mission being over there as far as being able to document what the soldiers go through, what it's like in Afghanistan," he said. "So I could say that we were on a secular mission as well as far as documenting. I would say we were news reporters as well, we were delivering news of what was actually happening there, but we were also there to document the Christian side."

More Info on the Phelps

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:31:10 +0000

The UK has banned the Phelps from entering the UK

As a UK spokesman said, "...[T]hese individuals have engaged in unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred against a number of communities."

ETA: Looks like someone else got to it right before I did. This article is slightly different than the afore posted one, so if there are no objections, I'll leave this post up.