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Holier Than Thou: When the Christian Right Goes Wrong

• 

  Closeted Remarks

  Fetched: April 24th, 2007, 2:32pm EDT by G

  Tags:    [edit]

  With the 2008 Presidential race already heating up, would-be candidates for the White House are going to have to face the music when it comes to defending some of their past comments and positions.
  
  1). Case in point, THIS outspoken White House hopeful said he was more pro-gay than Ted Kennedy back in the ’90s and during a campaign in 2002 distributed pink fliers at a Gay Pride parade wishing everyone a great Pride weekend. He even backed domestic partner benefits for public employees, winning the endorsement of the national Log Cabin Republicans. So who is this zealot for gay rights?
  
  A. Mitt Romney, outgoing Governor of Massachusetts
  B. Sen. George Allen, Virginia
  C. Jeb Bush, Governor of Florida
  D. Sen. John McCain, Arizona
  
  
  ANSWER
  
  A: Mitt Romney. The governor has apparently has had a big change of heart since being pro-gay is not too popular with his conservative Christian base (funny, since he’s Mormon). As recent as last month he said, “I believe gay marriage should not be legal.” Yet when he ran against Ted Kennedy for the Senate in 1994, Romney wrote a letter to the Massachusetts Log Cabin Club, pledging that as "we seek to establish full equality for American gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent." During that same campaign, Romney was accused of once describing gay people as "perverse."
  
  As governor, he appointed openly gay and lesbian people to high-profile administration positions. He doubled the budget line item for the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, until he tried to disband it last May.
• 

  “God’s Foreign Policy”

  Fetched: April 24th, 2007, 2:32pm EDT by G

  Tags:    [edit]

  OK, this is the kind of stuff that even freaks us out.
  
  The Rev. John Hagee of San Antonio is a mega-church pastor who is well connected with the Bush administration, speaking at the While House this summer on his favorite topic — foreign policy.
  
  In fact, Mr. Hagee has often been flanked by Republican Senators and officials as he speaks passionately about what he calls “a battle between good and evil,” noting that THIS is “God’s foreign policy.”
  
  Just what is he talking about?
  
  A. The U.S. war in Iraq
  B. The U.N.’s anti-AIDS initiative in Africa
  C. The drive to eliminate Third World debt
  D. Support for Israel
  
  
  ANSWER
  D: Support for Israel of course!
  
  What the Rev. Hagee has in mind is the Evangelical belief that by protecting Israel, the United States is speeding up the Second Coming, by which Jesus saves the world — but probably kills all the Israeli Jews who don’t convert at the last minute (then again, we’re used to collateral damage around here, aren’t we?).
  
  Thus, while Israel was bombing the hell out of Lebanon this summer, Mr. Hagee went to lobby the White House to press for letting the bombing last just a little longer.
  
  Now Mr. Hagee is turning his attention to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, drawing parallels between him and the biblical pharaoh of Egypt. “Pharaoh threatened Israel and he ended up fish food,” Mr. Hagee said. One has to wonder what similar Bible prophecy Bush has in mind for Ahmadinejad during his final two years of office.
• 

  What, Me Worry?

  Fetched: April 24th, 2007, 2:32pm EDT by G

  Tags:    [edit]

  Thank God for God! Otherwise, our elected leaders might actually have to tackle issues, solve problems, and in general, lead!
  
  But, according to Republican senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma, despite a growing body of evidence to the contrary, one of our biggest problems as a nation really is no problem at all because, quite simply, “God’s still up there” to protect us.
  
  So, just what issue can we all collectively ignore because God is on the case instead?
  
  A. The War in Iraq
  B. The search for Osama Bin Laden
  C. The battle against AIDS
  D. Global warming
  E. Irregularities in electronic voting machines
  
  
  
  ANSWER
  D. Global warming need not be taken up as an issue for the Congress, Inhofe said, because after all, “God’s still up there.” What makes this statement even more disturbing is the fact that Inhofe is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works — in other words, the top man in the Senate regarding environmental issues like global warming.
  
  Thankfully, Inhofe won’t be in charge of the committee much longer. He will be replaced by new Democratic leadership after the first of the year. Perhaps God is still up there after all.
• 

  Holiday Jeer

  Fetched: April 24th, 2007, 2:32pm EDT by G

  Tags:    [edit]

  We wouldn’t have believed this one if we hadn’t read it with our own eyes. Who would have thought decorating for the holidays would be so controversial. Read on.
  
  Last week Lisa Jensen and Bill Trimarco, a couple living in Pagosa Springs, CO, were recently threatened with fines of $25 a day by their homeowners’ association and told that their take on holiday decorating was divisive and perhaps satanic. The couple had chosen to express their yuletide spirit by doing WHAT?
  
  A. Hanging an elaborate light display in front of their home that flashed in red and green, “Love Thy Neighbor.”
  B. Displaying a four-foot Christmas wreath in the shape of a peace symbol in front of their house.
  C. Decorating a pine tree in front of their house and putting the Jewish Star of David on top of the tree rather than a traditional five-point star.
  D. Refusing to keep with neighborhood tradition by not putting up Christmas lights or decorations and instead displaying a rainbow flag by their front entry.
  
  
  ANSWER
  B: Displaying a wreath in the shape of a peace symbol. In its original letter, the homeowners’ association said some neighbors had found the peace symbol politically “divisive.” And a board member told a newspaper that he thought the familiar circle with angled lines was also, perhaps, a sign of the devil.
  The fines have been dropped and the three-member board of the association has resigned, according to an e-mail message sent to residents on Monday.
  Mr. Trimarco said he put up the wreath as a general symbol of peace on earth, not as a commentary on the Iraq war or another political statement.
  In any case, there are now more peace symbols in Pagosa Springs, a town of 1,700 people, than probably ever in its history.
  Last Tuesday morning 20 people marched through the town carrying peace signs and then stomped a giant peace sign in the snow roughly 300 feet across on a soccer field, where it could be easily seen. Merry Christmas!
• 

  It’s Their Party

  Fetched: April 24th, 2007, 2:32pm EDT by G

  Tags:    [edit]

  This doesn’t happen too often, but we commend famed pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren for hosting the second annual Global Summit on AIDS beginning today at his Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.
  
  1). But, no matter how much merit this important conference has, that hasn’t stopped some evangelicals from getting up in a lather and causing a stir. Seems that there are nearly 60 speakers scheduled to give addresses at the AIDS summit but conservative evangelical Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council, has e-mailed reporters to protest the visit of THIS speaker who Warren invited and who Warren is defending. Who is this speaker who has raised the ire of so many God-loving Christians?
  
  A. Sen. Barack Obama
  B. Sen. Hillary Clinton
  C. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
  D. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
  
  2). And why is this person’s participation in the Global Summit on AIDS being black-balled by the Christian right?
  
  A. This person supports a woman’s right to choose.
  B. This person was not born in America.
  C. This person has a gay campaign manager.
  D. This person has attended several mosque services since the 9/11 attacks.
  
  
  
  ANSWERS
  
  1). A: Barack Obama, who by the way, is a Christian.
  2). A: Schenck is protesting the visit because of Obama's support of abortion rights. "Senator Obama's policies represent the antithesis of biblical ethics and morality, not to mention supreme American values," Schenck wrote in an e-mail to reporters.
  The Saddleback Church responded with a statement acknowledging "strong opposition" to Obama's participation. The church said participants were invited because of their knowledge of HIV/AIDS and that Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life," opposes Obama's position on abortion and other issues. "Our goal has been to put people together who normally won't even speak to each other," the Saddleback statement read. "We do not expect all participants in the summit discussion to agree with all of our evangelical beliefs. However, the HIV/AIDS pandemic cannot be fought by evangelicals alone. It will take the cooperation of all — government, business, NGOs and the church."
• 

  Immigration Reform?

  Fetched: April 24th, 2007, 2:32pm EDT by G

  Tags:    [edit]

  Granted, we at Holier Than Thou don’t expect a lot out of a state that tried to criminalize doctors who perform stem cell research and tried to force public school teachers to teach intelligent design. But even we were a bit shocked at how far Christian Conservative legislators in Missouri are willing to stretch to impose their Evangelical beliefs onto public policy.
  
  Case in point? The House Special Committee on Immigration Reform, a Republican-lead panel that is examining immigration policy. And, among its most outrageous finding is the claim that THIS cause celeb of the Christian Right is partially responsible for the large number of illegal aliens in the country.
  
  What is it?
  
  A. Gay marriage
  B. Abortion
  C. Pornography
  D. The lack of prayer in our public schools
  
  
  ANSWER
  B: Abortion. The argument made by committee chairman Rep. Ed Emery, who not coincidentally is a strong abortion foe, is that terminating unwanted pregnancies in this country has created a labor pool shortage that in turn entices illegal aliens to come to this country to fill the void. Eliminate abortion, the argument goes, and there won’t be enough jobs around to attract illegals to our shores.
  
  We’ll let Rep. Emery take it from here: “We hear a lot of arguments today that the reason that we can’t get serious about our borders is that we are desperate for all these workers…If you kill 44 million or your potential workers [through abortion], it’s not too surprising we would be desperate for workers.”
  
  Not too surprisingly, not a single Democrat on the panel endorsed this report.
  
  Come back tomorrow when we see how the Missouri GOP will link giving women the vote to catching AIDS.
• 

  A Woman’s Concern All Right!

  Fetched: April 24th, 2007, 2:32pm EDT by G

  Tags:    [edit]

  Well, President George W. Bush might have taken a “thumpin’” in the mid-term elections, but that hasn’t kept him from continuing to pursue bizarre and dangerous policies designed to appeal to the Christian Right.
  
  Case in point, the appointment of Eric Keroack to oversee the federal Office of Population Affairs, which oversees a $283 million budget for federally funded teen pregnancy, family planning and abstinence programs.
  
  Now it’s a given that a Bush appointee would oppose abortion, and Mr. Keroack fits that bill. But the gynecologist and obstetrician has raised the hackles of critics because he also opposes WHAT?
  
  A. Federal funds for sex education courses
  B. The HPV vaccine against cervical cancer
  C. Interfaith marriage
  D. Contraception
  
  
  ANSWER
  D: That’s right, the new head of Bush’s office of family planning opposes contraception. Keroack is currently the medical director of the Christian non-profit A Woman’s Concern, which, among other things, works to “help women escape the temptation and violence of abortion.” But the group also opposes contraception, saying — quite paradoxically — that it increases out-of-wedlock pregnancy and abortion rates. That’s right, using birth control actually INCREASES unplanned pregnancy in Keroack’s eyes.
  
  We’ll let the group’s own policy statement take it from here: “A Woman’s Concern is persuaded that the crass commercialization and distribution of birth control is demeaning to women, degrading of human sexuality and adverse to human health and happiness.”
  
  Huh?
• 

  When Good Christians Go Bad: Timothy Byars

  Fetched: April 24th, 2007, 2:32pm EDT by G

  Tags:    [edit]

  Welcome back to another installment of a little feature we like to call “When Good Christians Go Bad.”
  
  Today’s Christian in the spotlight is Timothy Byars of Dyersburg, Tenn. Byars is a youth minister and minister of music at the Springhill Baptist Church he has attended for the past 14 years, a married father of seven, and a volunteer cross-country coach at the local high school.
  
  But, according to local police, is Byars also accused of WHAT?
  
  A. Raping a 14-year-old female student/cross-country runner just hours before a track meet — while his own daughters slept nearby
  B. Plotting to blow up a Nashville gay bar with 23 pounds of dynamite stolen from nearby Fort Campbell army base
  C. Masterminding a crystal meth production and distribution ring that reaches as far north as Pittsburgh and as far west as Las Vegas
  D. Being married to three other Tennessee women, the youngest of who is 17, and the eldest of who has six OTHER children by him
  
  
  ANSWER
  A: The youth-minister part of this one should have given it away — Byars is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl that he had driven to a state cross-country meet. Byars is also accused of sexually assaulting the girl’s 19-year-old sister on the same trip — a trip that two of Byars’ own daughters were also on.
• 

  …But You Can’t Please All of the Christians All of the Time

  Fetched: April 24th, 2007, 2:32pm EDT by G

  Tags:    [edit]

  Earlier this week, we noted that Wal-Mart had responded to pressure from the Religious Right by dropping it’s “happy holidays” customer greetings in favor of the evangelical-favored “Merry Christmas.” But the goodwill garnered by the company from Christian Conservatives has proved to be short lived.
  
  Now comes word that evangelical political groups like the American Family Association and Operation Save America have called for boycotts of Wal-Mart and prayer protests at its stores during the all-important post-Thanksgiving weekend because the company did WHAT?
  
  A. Said it would greet Jewish-looking customers with “Happy Chanukah”
  B. Began to stock the Plan B “morning after pill” contraceptive
  C. Became a member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
  D. Advertised “The DiVinci Code” as a “Price-Saver Christmas Stocking Stuffers” in its recent catalogue
  E. Doesn’t carry the “talking Jesus” doll made famous by the recent Toys for Tots controversy
  
  
  ANSWER
  C: Wal-Mart became a member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce this summer, and also donated some $60,000 to Out and Equal, a gay rights in the workplace advocacy group — moves that the Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Save America charges is capitulating to the “radical homosexual agenda.”
  
  
  “This has been Christian families’ favorite store,” Benham said, “and now they’re giving in, sliding down the slippery slope so many other corporations have gone down…They’re all being extorted by the radical homosexual agenda.”
  
  Responded Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar, “We take pride that we treat every customer, every supplier, every member of our communities fairly. We do not have a position of same-sex marriage. What we do have is a strong commitment to diversity. We’re against discrimination everywhere.”
  
  We at Holier Than Thou, meanwhile, just want to wish all our readers a Happy Thanksgiving! We’ll be back on Monday November 27.
• 

  If God Told You To Jump Off a Bridge, Would You?

  Fetched: April 24th, 2007, 2:32pm EDT by G

  Tags:    [edit]

  Today we offer up more proof that perhaps not everything in the Bible should be taken literally.
  
  Case in point is the fate of Linda Long, a 48-year-old Kentucky woman who was injured during a Sunday service at her longtime church and died at a local hospital shortly thereafter.
  
  Long was killed while practicing her religion as she had been instructed to by her God — who it seems to us has a somewhat ironic sense of humor. So, just HOW did she die?
  
  A. She choked to death on a communion wafer
  B. Hit her head on the pew in front of her while bowing in prayer
  C. Drowned in an immersive Baptismal font
  D. Was bitten by a snake while serpent handling
  E. Had a stroke after 32 straight hours of praying for Ted Haggert to be “healed” of his “sexual deviancy”
  
  
  ANSWER
  D. The unfortunate Ms. Long was bitten by a poisonous snake while serpent handling — a practice that is illegal in Kentucky and carries with it a whopping $100 fine.
  
  “She said she was bitten by a snake at her church,” said a local police spokesman, while neighbors noted that snake handling was a common practice at her East London Holiness Church. The practice traces its roots back to a Bible passage that claims that the sign of a true believer is one who can “take up serpents” without being harmed. Church officials could not be reached for comment.

The Wall of Separation

• 

  Chinese Puzzle: Focus On The Family Brings ‘Abstinence-Only’ Education To The World’s Most Populous Country

  Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 11:28am EDT by Rob Boston

  Tags:    [edit]

  While researching my book Close Encounters with the Religious Right in 1999, I visited the headquarters of Focus on the Family (FOF) in Colorado Springs. During the tour, the guide showed us a large map of the world covered with lights. Each light represented a city where FOF broadcasts were heard over the radio. I was surprised […] Read More
• 

  Call And Response: Religious Right Rallies To Fire Up Base For November Elections

  Posted: September 2nd, 2010, 3:24pm EDT by Sandhya Bathija

  Tags:    [edit]

  This weekend, Religious Right groups will kickoff election season by holding the first in a series of rallies, conferences and other events to stir up their base and turn out the vote in November. On Sept. 3-4, Lou Engle, the raspy-voiced founder of the neo-Pentecostal group TheCall, will lead the initial event in Sacramento. “Faithful Christians” will gather to pray […] Read More
• 

  Walk Out Or Wuss Out?: Glenn Beck Wavers On Pulpit Politicking

  Posted: September 1st, 2010, 10:44am EDT by Rob Boston

  Tags:    [edit]

  The Alliance Defense Fund is trumpeting an Aug. 27 clip of “Christian nation” revisionist David Barton appearing on Glenn Beck’s program lauding pulpit politicking. Barton is looking forward to the ADF’s Sept. 26 “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” during which pastors will openly violate the law by endorsing or opposing candidates from the pulpit. Beck seemed taken with the […] Read More
• 

  Trouble In Paradise: Hawaii GOP Official Warns Of ‘Unrighteous’ Government

  Posted: August 31st, 2010, 2:40pm EDT by Sandhya Bathija

  Tags:    [edit]

  It’s not often we hear much church-state news from Hawaii, but today is the exception. The head of the Hawaii Republican Party has taken it upon himself to send out an e-mail warning pastors that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mufi Hannemann is “not righteous.” Hannemann’s campaign has been looking to visit churches across the state, and Hawaii GOP head Jonah […] Read More
• 

  Beck’s Dreck: Fox News Host’s Real Target Is Religious Liberty

  Posted: August 30th, 2010, 10:55am EDT by Rob Boston

  Tags:    [edit]

  Now that Glenn Beck’s Lincoln Memorial rally is over, it’s time to step back and ask the all-important question: What the heck was that all about? Beck portrayed the “Restoring Honor” event as a celebration of civil rights. But the reporting I read about the bombastic Fox News Channel host’s D.C. get together made some of it sound more like […] Read More
• 

  Dubious ‘Destiny’: Glenn Beck & Co. Are Leading Americans Toward Intolerance, Extremism

  Posted: August 27th, 2010, 2:31pm EDT by Joseph L. Conn

  Tags:    [edit]

  Glenn Beck escalates his war on church-state separation tonight with a “Divine Destiny” event at the Kennedy Center here in Washington, D.C. According to Beck’s Web site, the program will feature “an inspiring look at the role faith played in the founding of America and the role it will play again in its destiny. The audience for the event […] Read More
• 

  Religion + Public School = Trouble: Prayer-Pushing Mississippi Math Teacher Resigns

  Posted: August 26th, 2010, 2:23pm EDT by Sandhya Bathija

  Tags:    [edit]

  For the most part, our public school teachers respect and appreciate the U.S. Constitution. They understand that parents should choose what to teach their children about religion, not school employees. But every once in a while, a teacher comes along who insists he or she knows better. For example, Meadville, Miss., math instructor Alice Hawley believes she should lead her […] Read More
• 

  Stem Cell Tragedy: ADF Lawsuit Blocks Badly Needed Medical Research

  Posted: August 25th, 2010, 2:14pm EDT by Sandhya Bathija

  Tags:    [edit]

  Attorneys for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) should be ashamed of themselves. They have succeeded in temporarily hindering sound science and impeding research that could save lives – just to push their fundamentalist religious agenda. Yesterday, a district court issued a preliminary injunction to stop embryonic stem cell research. The ADF, along with Advocates International, had gone to court […] Read More
• 

  Misguided Military Maneuver: Army’s ‘Spiritual Fitness’ Program Improperly Proselytizes

  Posted: August 24th, 2010, 12:31pm EDT by Joseph L. Conn

  Tags:    [edit]

  Some U.S. military leaders just can’t seem to respect the religious liberty rights of American service personnel. The Army is now investigating an incident at a Virginia military base where soldiers were apparently punished for declining to attend a Christian rock concert. Personnel who skipped the evangelical Christian rally were reportedly ordered to return to their barracks and […] Read More
• 

  Respect And Religious Liberty: A Christian Minister’s Perspective On The NYC Islamic Center Debate

  Posted: August 23rd, 2010, 3:08pm EDT by Sandhya Bathija

  Tags:    [edit]

  Since the controversy over the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” began, we have heard many deplorable and ignorant comments against law-abiding Muslim Americans who have every right to practice their faith in the United States. Most recently, TV preacher Pat Robertson announced on his TV program, “The 700 Club,” that Muslims could bribe local officials to expand their influence. “Imagine […] Read More

religious right watch

• 

  BBC Radio 4: Adam Smith, David Hume.... "The Enlightenment in Scotland"

  Posted: September 6th, 2010, 11:22am EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  In 1696 the Edinburgh student, Thomas Aitkenhead, claimed theology was "a rhapsody of feigned and ill invented nonsense". He was hanged for his trouble - just one victim of a repressive religious society called the Scottish Kirk.

  Yet within 60 years Scotland was transformed by the ideas sweeping the continent in what we call the Enlightenment. This Scottish Enlightenment emerged on a broad front. From philosophy to farming it championed empiricism, questioned religion and debated reason. It was crowned by the philosophical brilliance of David Hume and by Adam Smith – the father of modern economics.

  But what led to this ‘Scottish Miracle’, was it an indigenous phenomenon or did it depend on influence from abroad? It profoundly influenced the American revolutionaries and the British Empire, but what legacy does it have for Scotland today?

  via www.bbc.co.uk

• 

  After Three Years Creation Museum Is Evolving (But Not In That Way)

  Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 10:50pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  In fact, more than three years after it opened in this remote corner of Kentucky, the 70,000-square-foot "walk through the Bible," consisting of animatronic displays, video features, theaters and restaurants has evolved into a thriving enterprise.

  "We have consistently surpassed our own forecasts for attendance," said Mark Looy, a co-founder of the museum and spokesman for the center. Last month (August), the Creation Museum counted more than 1.2 million guests since it opened in 2007, he added.

  via www.huffingtonpost.com

  hhhhh

• 

  Joe Miller Campaign Funded By God, K Street

  Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 10:30pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  Alaska Republican Joe Miller is telling his supporters that he is refusing to take corporate and out-of-state money, yet the Tea-Party-backed candidate has hired a prominent K Street fundraiser to help with his bid for the Senate.

  Miller, to date, has relied extensively on the Lord to raise funds for his Senate run, his campaign told supporters in an email sent Sunday evening that was obtained by HuffPost.

  via www.huffingtonpost.com

• 

  "Homosexual cure" group denied charity status in New Zealand

  Posted: September 1st, 2010, 8:45am EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  A Christian group which claims it can "cure homosexuality" has been denied charitable status [in New Zealand].

  The Charities Commission says the Exodus Ministries Trust Board is not performing any public benefit, because being gay is not a mental disorder and does not need curing.

  The trust is affiliated with the United States-based Exodus Global Alliance, which promises "freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ".

  It has had charitable status for more than a decade, but that status has now been removed by the Charities Commission under a regime introduced in 2007.

  via www.gaynz.com

• 

  The Fresh Air Interview: Journalist Jeff Sharlet -- 'Finding Roots Of Anti-Gay Sentiment in Uganda' : NPR

  Posted: August 31st, 2010, 11:27am EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill was introduced by parliament member David Bahati in October 2009. The bill seeks to eradicate homosexuality from Uganda and become a model for the rest of Africa.

  Among the proposals in the bill: prison terms for Ugandans who fail to report a homosexual within 24 hours; lifelong prison sentences for a single homosexual act; and the death sentence for a range of acts, including having gay sex while HIV-positive, having gay sex with a disabled person or being classified as a "serial offender" — that is, someone who has gay sex more than once.

  via www.npr.org

• 

  No, Alveda King, Our Founders Did Not Put "God" On Our Money

  Posted: August 31st, 2010, 11:14am EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  Alveda King obviously needs a little history lesson -- from somebody other than David Barton.

  The national motto chosen by our founders was "E Pluribus Unum." The changing of our national motto to "In God We Trust" and the placing of this motto on our money didn't happen until the 1950s. Like adding "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance, putting "In God We Trust" on our money was the direct result of the "red scare" fears of "godless" communists infiltrating our society and government -- the same fears being revived by Glenn Beck.

  The irony here? It was this fear of communists, and the claims of their ties to the civil rights movement, that led the F.B.I. to start wiretapping Martin Luther King, Jr.'s phone in the months following his "I have a dream" speech. Maybe Alveda King needs to do a little reading up on that.

  via www.talk2action.org

  More here, with links to additional articles, and this summary:

  Alveda King has been cut off from the King family because she has made a career out of trading on the King name while peddling views that are diametrically opposed to those held by Martin Luther King Jr.

• 

  Events mobilizing young people into Republican politics

  Posted: August 31st, 2010, 11:03am EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  The Christian Right has often sought to stay the hand of God, angry with our failings as a nation, by "standing in the gap" at large prayer rallies and pleading for mercy. They have made a special point of doing so in the run up to national elections since 1980, praying for godly government and righteous candidates, and this year is no exception. The beneficiaries are almost always Republicans and this year is probably no exception in that regard as well. But there is also an ominous element that mostly transcends parties and is on vivid display as we enter the fall campaign season.

  On Labor Day weekend, Lou Engle, head of the fiery neo-Pentecostal group, The Call, is leading a.... Sacramento event...repositioned as the kick-off of a major Christian Right fall political campaign initiative. Engle says it will be the "hinge of history" opening the door to "the greatest awakening" and "returning our nation to its righteous roots."

  [T]his is an effort at reaching and mobilizing evangelical young people into Republican politics, particularly in California.... [I]t represents a new stage in the long term cooperation between conservative Catholics, fundamentalists and the neo-Pentecostals. [T]he militant rhetoric of Engle's armies of activists is escalating, and their organizational infrastructure seems to be increasing, especially in cyberspace.

  via www.talk2action.org

• 

  Gay-Bashing Emerging as Core Christian Right Election Strategy

  Posted: August 30th, 2010, 4:43pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  “Do not open unless you are deeply alarmed by President Obama’s plans for America, read the front of one direct mailing from the Family Research Council (2010). “The Hard-core socialists in control of our country are bent on advancing their damaging agenda regardless of what the American people thinks,” writes Tony Perkins, the group’s President.

  According to Perkins, that agenda is “promoting homosexuality, rationing your healthcare, restricting your religious freedom, expanding abortion, and more.”

  via www.talk2action.org

• 

  Beck’s “Dream”—Our Nightmare

  Posted: August 26th, 2010, 9:12am EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  Glenn Beck says he’s “reclaiming the civil rights movement,” but his ideas about race are rooted in the theology of a historical revisionist who had no problem with “biblical” slavery.

  David Barton, Glenn Beck’s favorite history “professor,” is the creator and purveyor of a revisionist history of race in America that is rapidly gaining traction in conservative and Tea Party circles.
  .....
  Barton frames the details for maximum impact on contemporary politics, to an increasingly growing audience. Like Barton’s larger revisionist effort to develop and perpetuate the narrative that America is a “Christian nation...."
  .....
  Barton’s narrative is gaining a hearing.

  via www.religiondispatches.org

  (Image via shortpacked.com)

• 

  Unreality Show: Beck and Barton

  Posted: August 25th, 2010, 11:49am EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  The constitutional division between church and state, Barton argues, was imposed on an unwilling nation by the Supreme Court in 1947.

  Barton’s “history” is studded with errors. The Myth of Separation contained so many mistakes that Barton withdrew the book and re-titled it Original Intent.

  Barton is also less eager to talk today about his first book, America: To Pray or Not To Pray? It’s an embarrassing collection of charts that Barton uses to “prove” that the 1962 Supreme Court decision striking down school-sponsored prayer led to an increase in crime, higher rates of venereal disease, more alcoholism and so on. The self-published tome is no longer featured on the WallBuilders site – although Beck mentioned Barton’s charts on the air July 1.

  But none of this has slowed Barton down. If anything, his celebrity in the Religious Right has only increased. These days, his site proudly proclaims, “As Seen on Glenn Beck.” Original Intent is selling briskly on Amazon.com. This summer, he appeared with Beck at a series of rallies dubbed the “American Revival Tour,” a national campaign slated to culminate with Beck, Barton and Sarah Palin joining forces at an Aug. 28 “Restoring Honor” event at the Lincoln Memorial.

  Despite his newfound fame, Barton’s research is as sloppy as ever.

  via www.au.org

Jesus' General

• 

  Little Malik doesn't celebrate commie holidays

  Fetched: September 6th, 2010, 2:01pm EDT by Gen. JC Christian, Patriot

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  
  

  
• 

  Department of Book Reports: Medium Raw

  Fetched: September 5th, 2010, 8:03pm EDT by SeattleTammy

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain (Harper, $26.99) Ten years after Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain is back with another brutal culinary tell-all. The sub-title A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook sums it up well. Many of the chefs he talks about fare well, he admires those who work hard and are honest with their audience. Teevee personalities and celebrity chefs are dished and dissected.
  
  In the chapter Go Ask Alice, Tony serves up the back story to Alice Water's now famous crusade to "revolutionize" the White House kitchen and garden and why her hypocrisy was so offensive. He takes her to task for not having voted in 40-some years, but having the nerve to dictate a kitchen & staff she had not bothered to consider. He asks if her ideal world were to be realized, who would be willing to get up at 5am to gather those delicate local vegetables that all might eat organic, regional food in season?
  But even by the end of this rant, he concludes that the world is a better place for her bringing attention to the way our food is produced and consumed.
  
  Perhaps the most scathing chapter is Alan Richman is a Douchebag, where he writes of their long standing feud, and how Richman came to write an ugly review of the restaurant Bourdain used to work at 10 years earlier. But that is not what makes Richman a douchebag in his eyes. It is the snarky review of the New Orleans food scene soon after Katrina which draws his hatred. The article isn't available online, but the responses to it sure are.
  
  Bourdain is equally unflinching in self-examination. He realizes how lucky he has been, and that the path through his early addictions surely brought him to this place. He is giddily happy with life now, and the reason for that is his two year old daughter. Parenthood will change all perspectives. He revels in being un-cool while utterly, devotingly doting on this miracle in his life. I recommend his "Black Ops" chapter Lower Education to any parent wishing to counteract the insidious propaganda of McDonald's on young minds.
  
  Anthony Bourdain also has a challenge for all you would be foodies. Answer this question on his website and you might just get picked by him to be published in the paperback edition of Medium Raw:
  Medium Raw is available from Jackson Street Books and other fine Independent bookstores.As always, books ordered here will have a freebie publishers Advance Reading Copy included as a thank you to our blogosphere friends.

  
  

  
• 

  The Opinuary Column

  Fetched: September 3rd, 2010, 2:06pm EDT by mjs

  Tags:    [edit]

  

  
  
  The Opinion "Sarah Palin would never bully or mock a man's penis in defiance of God's commandment that women be subservient to men (1 Corinth. 14:34 -- ...women... must be in submission... )" has died. The Opinion was two years of age at the time of its passing. Born in the musky, tundra veneris of the Great White North, the Opinion lived a quiet and respectable life among the wild orifices and quim bogs that dot the coastline of Real America, and enjoyed camping, fishing and hunting humpbacked whales with satellite-guided missiles.
  
  Six months ago the Opinion was diagnosed with imasculata frittata, a rare and edible form of Word Cancer that spread to Sarah's hands before being smeared across her chops. First manifesting itself as schoolyard taunting it metastasized and spread throughout her entire vocabulary, a vocabulary believed to be as large as six hundred words (seven hundred if you include the numbers 600 thru 700) before coming to rest in her divinely appointed hooty-pie. The Opinion is survived by a conservative call to refrain from mono-pleaseistic sexual acts. Today's conservative must be potent and rigid, but for the lord's sake don't give in to the desire for self-managed orgasm! What's next? Electric cars? Sustainable farming? Besides, if you're like Sarah, you don't want to touch yourself down there--those ink stains are hard to get out!
  
  In lieu of flowers...ah, fuck it. Give 'em flowers.
  
  ++++

  
  

  
• 

  A fist full of photos

  Fetched: September 3rd, 2010, 2:06pm EDT by Gen. JC Christian, Patriot

  Tags:    [edit]

  Shannon Carson
  Field Marshal
  Right Wing Extreme Militia
  
  Dear Mr. Shannon,
  
  Today, I received a number of photos from someone who identified himself as "Sir Terry the Limber, Royal Quartermaster." I assume you asked him to send them. If that's the case, thank you for finally coming to your senses. Now, we can get to work.
  
  As per my request, everyone in the photos is wearing their invisible Ephesians 6 Armor of God and nothing else. The skin indentations indicate that you are all wearing your armor correctly except for the Codpiece of Redemptive Anger--none of you have that right. Your man grenades hang freely when they should be tucked safely inside the codpiece. Heck, the overweight hairy guy appears to have three grenades, and they hang so low, they could create a tripping hazard during close arms combat. He needs to police up his satchel charges, immediately.
  
  I'm also concerned by the photo I assume to be yours--it's the only one showing a man holding a scepter. I've been staring at your "little soldier" for a little over an hour now (and as I promised you last night, I did not touch myself, much). While I'm impressed by your little soldier's pistol-barrel-like rigidity, and monstrous length--I estimate it at nearly three inches--I'm more than a little concerned about its shooting end. You appear to have a Judeo-Muslim helmet rather a good, god-fearing, Baptist aardvark down there.
  
  Are you sure you're not some kind of Kenyan?
  
  Heterosexually yours,
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot
  American Christian Militia
  
  The Prince And I: Previous discussions with Prince Shannon
  I write Prince Shannon
  My first call to Prince Shannon.
  Calling Prince Shannon again.
  
  Elsewhere: Prince Shannon gives me a shout out on his radio show. Not much there. He started to discuss our militia, then seemed to get sidetracked. I think he might be secretly re-evaluating his position on Spartan-style wrestling. That'd explain why he seemed so preoccupied.

  
  

  
• 

  Is Prince Shannon a Libislamunistofascist Agent Provocateur?

  Fetched: September 3rd, 2010, 2:06pm EDT by Gen. JC Christian, Patriot

  Tags:    [edit]

  I just got off of the phone with Prince Shannon, the leader of the Right Wing Extreme Militia, and I have to tell you, I'm very upset. It all started Tuesday night when I received this email:
  

  From: Prince
  To: Gen. JC Christian patriot
  Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 7:03 PM
  Subject: We need to talk!
  
  I'm pretty upset with you General. We need to talk before tomorrow nights [sic] show. How dare you try to tear patriots apart at a time like this! Who's [sic] side are you on?

  Can you believe that? After all the help I've given him, he asks whose side I'm on.
  
  I couldn't allow him to get away with making such a baseless charge, so I gave him a call. It didn't help. Rather than apologize, he attacked me, saying that my request for photos of him and his men wearing Ephesians 6 Armor of God was simply a sleazy attempt to obtain "naked pictures" of his unit.
  
  But it got even worse after that. He attacked one of our most sacred and cherished warriorly traditions, Spartan-style wrestling, describing it in a way that made it sound cheap, tawdry, and dirty.
  
  I'm hurt and disgusted.
  
  I don't have time to put a recording of the call up right now. I'll try to put it together as another video over the weekend and post it on Monday.
  
  Here are a couple of short excerpts:
  

  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: I was going to invite you to come over to the compound and meet me for some Spartan-style wrestling. That's the greatest honor...
  
  Prince Shannon: I'm not going to wrestle naked with a bunch of guys. That's a party I won't come too.
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: That's the greatest honor one warrior can give to another. I'm not going to give you that, now.
  
  Prince Shannon: It may have been for that time, General, but the way it works today. You don't think I'm a warrior.
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: I don't think you deserve the honor of having my rigid shaft driven deep into your cave of shame.
  
  Prince Shannon: No, I don't think so. I don't think that is an honorable thing, you know, to have some man's penis...
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: Don't you, don't you make it sound dirty, now.
  
  Prince Shannon: That is dirty general. you've got to be kidding me.
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: No, it's a warriorly thing. If you understood the ways of our Spartan warrior forefathers, you'd understand this.
  
  Prince Shannon: I don't care what the ancient Spartan forefathers did if there are a bunch of naked men wrestling around. And I know they were tough. I know that they were, you know, a real force to be reckoned with, the Spartans were. I understand that. OK, but this isn't Sparta. This is America, here. And we're going down the tubes.
  
  And our groups need each other. We don't need to be talking about things like this. If we have disagreements that's one thing, General. I can overlook that. You believe this way. I believe that way. So what. It has nothing to do with our Constitution....General, we're losing our nation right now. We don't need to be arguing and fighting and doing things like this. We're supposed to bring our groups together...
  
  ***
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: You can either send me the photos or not, whatever.
  
  Prince Shannon: Absolutely not. That will not happen, General.
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: Well...
  
  Prince Shannon: No. That will not happen.
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: Well, OK. I offered to help. I really believe that you're probably some kind of libislamunistofascist.
  
  Prince Shannon: You know what. Don't call me a liberal. OK, I am not a liberal... I question your leadership, right now, and i question you for not wanting to band the patriots together, because right now, the biggest roadblock to that happening is you.

  He does his radio show tonight at 11:30 pm EST. He's warned me that I'll be his topic. That's a shame. All I was trying to do was help a fellow patriot.
  
  Previously on Jesus's General
  
  I write Prince Shannon
  
  My first call to Prince Shannon.
  
  Update: Prince Shannon responds in my comments section:
  
  

  Shannon said...
  General! You’re offended and I am offended but jcricket is right! Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves. The fight is out there. It’s not amongst the Spartans and the Crusaders. Let’s get those warrior guys on TV to do a show on who would win. The crusaders or the Spartans? I put my money on the Spartans. You have your traditions and we have ours. But we are on the same team. I think also what is going on here with the militia groups are fighting for who will lead this revolution if it ever happens. My point is, NONE of us will. Our founding fathers were the leaders and we are not fighting for anything other than to restore our constitution and bring our nation back to GOD. We have that in common and if the two of us can’t get it together how will we unit the rest? If I offended you, I offer my apology to you and your men. But I also believe you owe me an apology for offending me and my men. By calling us liberals and mocking who we are. Just as you were offended that I don’t agree. But at the end of the day we are still brothers in Christ. I will offer my apology to you on the show tomorrow and I hope you listen and call in.
  We can make history and unite the rest of the Christians and conservatives who love Jesus and their country just as much as we do. I will be asking the question tomorrow night, if we did revolt and we won, what would we change and why? Ask yourself that question as I will be thinking about it as well.
  Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,[a] rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you,[b] saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
  Luke 17:3

  

  
  

  
• 

  And they call the enlightened, "insane!"

  Fetched: September 3rd, 2010, 2:06pm EDT by Gen. JC Christian, Patriot

  Tags:    [edit]

  I first found this video at a patriotic Ron-Paul-supporting Tea Party site. I've lost the url since then, but the message of this video hit me so forcefully, its title was burned into my mind.
  
  It explains the eight veils of perception and how they are used to enslave us. What are these veils?
  
  From the video:
  

  There are over six billion people on the planet. Most of them live and die without having seriously contemplated anything other than what it takes to keep their lives together. Ninety percent of humanity will live and die without having pierced the first veil.
  
  Ten percent of us will pierce the second veil to explore the world of history, the relationship between man and government and the meaning of self-government through constitutional and common law. We will find the worlds of politics...we will have a tendency to accept that government officials, network media personalities, and other "experts are voices of authority...
  
  Ten percent of those of us behind the second veil will pierce through it to find that the resources of the world, including people, are controlled by extremely wealthy and powerful families whose incorporated old world assets have, with modern extortion strategies, become the foundation upon which the world's economy is currently indebted...
  
  Ten percent of us will pierce the fourth veil to discover the Illuminati, Jesuits, Freemasonry and the other secret societies. These societies use symbols and perform ceremonies that perpetuate the generational transfers of arcane knowledge that is used to keep the ordinary people in political, economic and spiritual bondage to the oldest bloodlines on earth...
  
  Ten percent of us will pierce the fifth veil to learn that the secret societies are so far advanced technologically that time travel and interstellar communications have no boundaries and controlling the actions of people is what their members do as offhandedly as we tell our children when they must go to bed...
  
  Ten percent of us will pierce the sixth veil where the demons, aliens, and fallen angels we thought were the fictional monsters of childhood literature are real and are the controlling forces behind the secret societies...
  
  I do not know what is behind the seventh veil, but by this point, most have found God and strive to become a people so enlightened that they brighten the world around them no matter what. [Sarah Palin? Chuck Norris?]
  
  Piercing the eighth veil probably reveals God and His pure energy that is the lite force of all living things.
  
  The irony here is too incredible! Those who are stuck behind veils one through five have little choice but to view the people who have pierced the veils beyond them as insane.
  
  With each veil pierced, exponentially shrinking numbers of increasingly enlightened people are deemed insane by increasing masses of decreasingly enlightened people!

  
  

  
  

  
• 

  The Prince and the General

  Fetched: September 3rd, 2010, 2:06pm EDT by Gen. JC Christian, Patriot

  Tags:    [edit]

  Last week, I wrote Prince Shannon, the commander of the Right Wing Extreme Militia, offering to help him through a public relations crisis--he volunteered his group to provide security for "Burn the Koran Day," and then, almost immediately, pulled out.
  
  Part of the help I offered, included this:
  

  I'll need photos of you and your men wearing the Armor of God--nothing else, just the Armor of God, so I can evaluate how well you wear it. Oil up before donning it if you can. It'll help me see the indentations the armor will make in your skin. It'll also help if you shave "down there" so I can gauge the Codpiece of Redemptive Anger's fit. I also hope you'll present your Staffs of Righteousness as rigidly as possible--it's kind of an aesthetic thing I like. Same goes for a bit of lipstick--adds a little color to all that flesh.

  He responded and asked me to give him a call. I did. We talked for about ten minutes. I recorded it and made this video to share the conversation with my men.
  
  
  
  Here are a few excerpts for those of you who are at work and can't listen.
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: So you like the crusades, and you hope someday to take Jerusalem for the Christians?
  
  Prince Shannon: I would absolutely like to do that, but we need to take America back first, here.
  
  ***
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: But you know there's something about when you get a group of men together, a group of men who all love the Lord and love the capitalist system and love America, love the America we want, that use to be. You get them together for a wrestlin' match, you know, get all oiled up and naked--just like our Spartan forefathers did. And you wrestle, you wrestle hard until one man submits when you drive your hard, rigid, shaft of glory deep into his cave of shame, and that is the bonding moment, the moment when the men come together and you become a unit.
  
  Prince Shannon: Yeah, I couldn't agree more.
  
  ***
  
  Prince Shannon: We just teamed up and joined with us a North Florida survival group militia. They found out about Right Wing, and they joined up with us too.
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: Do they have those ghillie suits, the ghillie suits like the snipers wear.
  
  Prince Shannon: Yes. Yes.
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: I love those so much.
  
  Prince Shannon: Yeah, yeah...
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: You know, one thing about those ghillie suits, when you do shoot your pictures, and you do the part where I ask you to "shave down there." Collect all the clippings. I make ghille suits out of those.
  
  Prince Shannon: Oh yeah, really. [nervous laugh] Wow. Cool.
  
  ***
  
  Prince Shannon: You've asked for photos. Well, I'll tell you. we're spread out all across the United States and our members are as well.
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: Well, it's really the only way I can tell if you're wearing the Armor of God like it says in Ephesians 6.
  
  Prince Shannon: Well, like I said, we take on the crusaders--that's the theme we have--and that's the kind of photos you're going to get from us, the white with the red cross.
  
  ***
  
  Prince Shannon: ...we need to get together and have a national meeting, somewhere, with all the Christian militia groups in the United States, and there's quite a few of them, including Right Wing, including yourself.
  
  ***
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: Yeah, they don't know how to take on armor. What you gotta do is get a CCI .22 stinger in your rifle and you shoot right straight down the barrel. What that does is it compresses the [spent] uranium in the round, and it causes a small nuclear explosion and destroys the tank. People don't know that kind of stuff.
  
  Prince Shannon: Yeah, I tell you. I don't know that kind of stuff.
  
  ***
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot: And you just know he [Obama] is eating babies. You just know he is.
  
  Prince Shannon: Yes. Yes. Yes.
  
  ***
  
  Prince Shannon: I will support you guys, and I hope you will support us as well.

  
  

  
• 

  Department of Book Reports: The Backlash

  Fetched: September 3rd, 2010, 2:06pm EDT by SeattleDan

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  With Glenn Beck and his minions marauding around D.C. this weekend, I wanted to point out a new book by Will Bunch entitled The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, High-Def Hucksters and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama (Harper $26.00). The book will be released on Tuesday, August 31st, so I haven't had a chance to read it yet. However, I know and loved Bunch's previous book, Tear Down This Myth: The Right-Wing Distortion of the Reagan Legacy ( Free Press $16.00).
  
  Bunch shows us in The Backlash that the these Right-Wingers : Think Obama Isn't an American Citizen. They think Obama wants to put Americans into Concentration Camps. They think Obama is the Anit-Christ.
  
  I am very anxious to read this book. It will be available, of course, at Jackson Street Books and other fine Independent bookstores.As always, books ordered here will have a freebie publishers Advance Reading Copy included as a thank you to our blogosphere friends.
  
  
  Five years ago, Hurricanes Katrina and Ike highlighted the importance of protecting the environment in order to protect communities. Louisiana’s natural lines of defense – barrier islands, swamps, and wetlands – disappear at the rate of one football field every 45 minutes, leaving communities more vulnerable to future storms. Now, BP’s crude is clearly making matters worse. Gulf Restoration Network is working with event organizers throughout the country to build a nationwide call for a commitment to restoring and protecting the Gulf.
  
  We'll be screening the movie at Lacamas Hall in Second Life, Monday 5pm (PDT or SLT) one of nearly 200 similar events throughout the country, locals will come together in support of the Gulf of Mexico’s people, places, and wildlife to commemorate the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Catastrophic wetlands loss leaves New Orleans and other coastal communities more vulnerable to hurricanes like Katrina, and now BP’s oil disaster continues to impact an already imperiled ecosystem.
  
  Defend the Gulf Movie Screening and Discussion, featuring a compilation of short films designed to educate and inspire that includes the world premier of “Terrebonne,” a family drama set in Louisiana's swamps, a hilarious mockumentary by the creator of Mr. Bill, the compelling and award-winning home by Matt Faust, GRN's Gulf Tides series covering the BP oil disaster, and more.
  For more info: [healthygulf.org]

  
  

  
• 

  The Opinuary Column

  Fetched: September 3rd, 2010, 2:06pm EDT by mjs

  Tags:    [edit]

  
  
  

  i have dreamed a wild dream
  i have suckled so obscene
  i have taken many hits
  i must be really lit
  i'm having a strange fit
  i see three hundred million and ten
  three hundred and ten million tits
  
  i was fumbling with her bra
  a billion hooks that grab like claws
  i would woo her with my wits
  we should be putting on the Ritz
  please somebody: somebody help me with these tits
  
  oh, momma
  oh, momma
  valhala
  wow-wowza
  oh, my darling
  oh, darling momma
  man, you have a lot of tits
  
  i brought her close for just a taste
  not a drop would i dare waste
  let me cradle with my mitts
  like fine cherries without pits
  three hundred and ten million--that's a whole lot of tits
  
  we were kissing at the bar
  then i walked her to my car
  she is smart, she ain't no ditz
  she filled my heart with so much bliss
  and she had so many tits!
  
  i was fumbling with her bra
  a billion hooks that grab like claws
  i would woo her with my wits
  we should be putting on the Ritz
  please somebody: somebody help me with these tits
  
  oh, momma
  oh, momma
  valhala
  wow-wowza
  oh, my darling
  oh, darling momma
  man, you have a lot of tits
  
  now i'm old and low on cash
  putting ointment on my rash
  i still have a burning need
  i need those tits so i can feed
  please somebody: somebody help me with these tits
  
  i have dreamed a wild dream
  i have suckled so obscene
  i have taken many hits
  i must be really lit
  i'm having a strange fit
  i see three hundred million and ten
  three hundred and ten million tits
  
  i was fumbling with her bra
  a billion hooks that grab like claws
  i would woo her with my wits
  we should be putting on the Ritz
  please somebody: somebody help me with these tits
  
  oh, momma
  oh, momma
  valhala
  wow-wowza
  oh, my darling
  oh, darling momma
  you have got so many tits

  
  
  ++++
  
  Public domain image of She Wolf suckling Romulus and Remus from WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
  
  ++++

  
  

  
• 

  Building a Better Christian Warrior

  Fetched: September 3rd, 2010, 2:06pm EDT by Gen. JC Christian, Patriot

  Tags:    [edit]

  Shannon Carson
  Field Marshal
  Right Wing Extreme Militia
  
  Dear Mr. Shannon,
  
  I'm the nation's premiere Christian militia training and crisis management expert, and I think you could use a little help right now. Don't worry, I'm doing it pro-bono. It's a pay-it-forward kind of thing I first picked up from JB Stoner.
  
  You're in real trouble, image-wise, right now. Announcing you'd pull security duty for Pastor Terry Jones's "Burn the Koran Day" and then, almost immediately, backing out was more than just a rookie mistake; it was a rookie disaster. It made you look like a bunch of sequin-spangled pantsuited wussies; not sequin-spangled pantsuited like Elvis--he was, as the kids say, "the bomb"--but like some kind of really bad scooter-riding sideburnless Swedish Euro-pop quartet from France.
  
  I can help you recover. It'll be hard, but if you follow my advice, I think you could become as famous and as intimidating as House Republican Caucus.
  
  Here's what you need to do:
  
  First, you have to lose the handle you're using on your website. I know you think "Prince Shannon" makes you sound like a crusader, but actually, it just reinforces the image that you're an impotent wanker. It's very tinny. You need something much more woody, something like "Emperor Ghorbanifar the Skulldoer." It's the kind of name that'll evoke fear in the hearts of your enemies and cause mothers to pull their children close when you pass by.
  
  Second, you need to look the part. Now, I haven't seen your unit, but I suspect you probably wear black turtlenecks and berets or something very similar. As Christian warriors, you should be wearing the Armor of God (Eph 6:10-17).
  
  Wearing the Armor of God can be tricky. It's invisible, and therefore, hard to position correctly. I can help you with that. I know just how and where it should create impressions on the skin.
  
  I'll need photos of you and your men wearing the Armor of God--nothing else, just the Armor of God, so I can evaluate how well you wear it. Oil up before donning it if you can. It'll help me see the indentations the armor will make in your skin. It'll also help if you shave "down there" so I can gauge the Codpiece of Redemptive Anger's fit. I also hope you'll present your Staffs of Righteousness as rigidly as possible--it's kind of an aesthetic thing I like. Same goes for a bit of lipstick--adds a little color to all that flesh.
  
  The photos should be high resolution, so I can enlarge them enough to be seen on my computer screen from wherever I'm, uh, working, yeah, in my room.
  
  Well, that's about all the help I can give you until I receive the photos. Please send them soon, so I can get right to work.
  
  Heterosexually yours,
  
  Gen. JC Christian, patriot

  
  

  

Dark Christianity

• 

  Goodness Direct and the Jesus Army

  Posted: April 21st, 2010, 1:09pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  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.

• 

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

  Posted: April 3rd, 2009, 3:10pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  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 [eaec.org]. (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.

  Posted: April 1st, 2009, 5:22pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  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

  Posted: March 31st, 2009, 6:41pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  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

  Posted: March 31st, 2009, 4:19pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  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

  Posted: March 24th, 2009, 10:00am EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  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?
  
  [huffingtonpost.com]
  
  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?

  Posted: March 22nd, 2009, 9:24am EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  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

  Posted: March 21st, 2009, 2:14pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  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

  Posted: March 20th, 2009, 1:33pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  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

  Posted: March 14th, 2009, 12:36pm EDT

  Tags:    [edit]

  Vision Forum plans a big "event" this July.