Religious Left

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AFP) — Seven people were injured on Thursday when Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests came to blows in a dispute over how to clean the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Following the Christmas celebrations, Greek Orthodox priests set up ladders to clean the walls and ceilings of their part of the church, which is built over the site where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born. But the ladders encroached on space controlled by Armenian priests, according to photographers who said angry words ensued and blows quickly followed. For a quarter of an hour bearded and robed priests laid into each other with fists, brooms and iron rods while the photographers who had come to take pictures of the annual cleaning ceremony recorded the whole event. A dozen unarmed Palestinian policemen were sent to try to separate the priests, but two of them were also injured in the unholy melee. "As usual the cleaning of the church afer Christmas is a cause of problems,"

I'm sure there are heterosexual christian talibanists out there who wish the USA was more like Indonesia in regards to religion: Thirty-one Muslims in the Donggala area of Central Sulawesi have become apostates and converted to the Bahá’í religion, it is said, inviting the anger of their neighbours who are sticking firm to Islam, and the displeasure of the local bureaucracy The head of the Religious Affairs Office in Palolo sub-district said that the Bahai faith, led by one Mulahi, a former marriage counsellor, entered Banpers village in the 1990s, and Mulahi had persuaded 31 local people to convert. The local government held a meeting between concerned Muslims and the Bahaists in September, 2007, wherein the Bahai adherents were warned to have a think about which religion they wanted to belong to, either Islam, like before, or another religion which was recognised by the government, because Bahai is not. Another meeting will be held soon, to find out whether the Bahaists have had

The Free Press, in Mankato MN, is reporting on the incredible public response to the documentary For The Bible Tells Me So . The film focuses on the debate about gays-in-the-church . And many pro-gay veterans of theological discussions give their positions on the subject throughout the documentary. For The Bible Tells Me So was a nominee for Grand Jury Prize, at the Sundance Film Festival; and won the Audience Award for Best Documentary, at the Seattle International Film Festival. Now it's one of several films being considered in the documentary category of the 2008 Academy Awards. The film will be released on DVD in February and can be pre-ordered .

What this Christian leader and her ilk want is her religious freedom, guaranteed by the US Constitution (in their eyes) to practice their religious beliefs in castigating queers in the workplace, refusing to hire queers, and in firing queers if one slips in. Just practicing their religion. The fact that this is the same religious freedom that the South wanted in maintaining human slavery dosn't phase them one bit. When you spend any time on the Christian Right's web sites, you will soon see what their real beef is with non-discrimination bills, ENDA, Hate crimes, etc. In their own words, they fear "the normalization of the sin of homosexuality." (and the other letters in lgbt) It is the "normalization" that is driving them crazy ... the "Will and Grace" the Internet, the GSA's, the Gay History Month in schools, gays in movies, the laws, all of it is driving them to the brink. What the Religious Right does NOT want is to be questioned

Focus on the Family, Concerned Women of America, the Illinois Family Institute, and other groups with access to right-wing airwaves claim not to be bigoted and reactionary organizations. In particular, they claim not to disrespect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people when they denounce their "lifestyles." No, they merely want to deny these couples the same rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples in marriage. These rights are many and important; they encompass everything from inheritance rights and the right to be on a spouse's health insurance policy to the right to visit one's life partner in a hospital. These groups also oppose federal protection of LGBT people against discrimination in housing, public accommodations and employment. They like the idea that a landlord should be legally able to refuse to rent to somebody gay or lesbian. They approve of the power an employer has to hire or fire someone based on his perceived sexual orientation. They see noth

Written by JoSelle Vanderhooft It’s a busy night at Ogden’s OUTReach Resource Center for teens. The minute director Gary Horenkamp answers the telephone, 25 youngsters march into the drop-in center’s space at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden in search of something fun to do on a cold December night. As Horenkamp explains it, OUTReach, while not a religious program, was the brain child of the Unitarian Universalist church that houses it. Three years ago, the church’s social action committee decided that they wanted to provide a service for the city’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender teens. Although a number of resources existed to serve Ogden’s 60,000 young people, such as The Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Youth Impact, Horenkamp said none at the time existed specifically for queer youngsters. Horenkamp, who also volunteers at the Teen Suicide Prevention Taskforce in Utah, holds a Master’s degree in counseling and interned at a juvenile corrections facility. Betwe

By David W. Virtue As whole dioceses begin to leave The Episcopal Church, homosexual Anglican activists are turning up the heat on the Anglican Communion demanding that their voices of pansexual inclusion become the standard teaching of the church. An international group of 50 Anglican leaders met recently near Chicago to, as they say, "build international coalitions and develop a strategy for the full inclusion of gay and lesbian Christians in the life of the church." Participants from Africa, England and New Zealand joined Anglicans from Central, North and South America and "pledged to work against schismatic leaders who have sought to gain power in the Communion by turning marginalized groups against one another." The consultation unapologetically argued that homosexual behavior is no longer unacceptable to God and that anyone who opposes the behavior is a homophobe who has no place in the [Anglican] branch of the communion. This much aggrieved group pulled in a

According to Pat Robertson, God is using superhighway I-35 that runs from Canada to Mexico to purify America from sin. He says "I-35 is the highway spoken of in Isaiah 35:8 - "And a highway will be there; it will be called the way of holiness." So, evangelical Christians have set aside 35 days to use the cities around I-35 to rid America of sin, meaning "abortion clinics, gay bars, strip joints, and porn shops." God is using "purity sieges" to set America free. One of the main people featured in the clip posted below is James Stabile, who was apparently "cured" of his homosexuality by a minister at one of these purity sieges. Joseph Stabile said he’s fully accepting of his son’s sexual orientation and believes being gay is neither a choice nor a sin. Joseph Stabile said James left home to go out that Friday night and never returned. Joseph said James, or 'B.J.' as his parents affectionately refer to him, is bipolar and had stopped ta

Although the stated aim of the movement is to turn gays straight and bring them to God, it actually now has as much to do with battling the gay rights movement by trying to prove that sexuality is not an immutable characteristic like race or gender. Ex-gay ministries began as redoubts for men and women trying to reconcile their faith and sexuality. But in the hands of the anti-gay Christian Right, they have become full-fledged propaganda machines depicting gays as sex-addicted, mentally ill, and stunted heterosexuals. Focus on the Family, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., now runs its own traveling ex-gay ministry, Love Won Out, which has drawn crowds of several hundred in more than 50 cities since 2001. Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson finances studies on ex-gay "conversion therapies," and the late Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell, who once infamously claimed that gays, lesbians and other agents of liberalism spurred the 9/11 terrorist attacks, was a keynote spea

19 year old Makwan Moloudzadeh, accused of homosexual rape when he was age 13 by accusers who have since recanted, was executed without warning last week after a stay of execution in response to international pressures had been granted. In addition to illustrating the arbitrary nature of the so-called Islamic justice system in Iran, something which Iranian expatriates have talked about for years, the fate of Makwan Moloudzadeh illuminates the great risks in relying solely on pressure from international agencies and diplomacy when dealing with the Iranian government. It has been my experience that those who are so very fond of exercising their worldly power do not allow their legal pronouncements to be openly violated without consequence, as apparently has happened here. I am increasingly of the opinion the supreme governor of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the mob itself. full article

COLORADO: It now appears that Matthew Murray, identified as the shooter at the New Life Church had previously worked or volunteered at Youth With A Mission, the site of the first shooting. Also, the two teenage girls killed in Colorado Springs were apparently involved with YWAM, although nothing has been released suggesting Murray actually knew the victims. YWAM is affiliated with Exodus, the ex-gay organization which offers "reparative therapy" to "cure" gays. full story

Self-righteousness and a profound sense of superiority have been responsible for the deaths of millions of humans throughout history. The Taliban consist of men who worship power above all else and abuse the name of God or Allah to justify their evil ways. Sadly and tragically certain fundamentalist and extremist men who thump bibles and call themselves ‘Christians’ behave in a similar reprehensible and evil fashion. They themselves constitute that element of society which Jesus Himself so loathed—the power crazed HYPOCRITE!!! If we continue to lose our basic human rights and freedoms as Americans these evil men will eventually use their extremist and twisted interpretations of Biblical Scripture to terrorize our citizens. As they gain power and prestige they will launch a campaign of hate, bigotry, and persecution of women, which will mimic the pernicious evil of the Taliban—thus becoming a ‘Christian Taliban’. Although not yet in power, there are several powerful men who would lead u

“I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another.” Thomas Jefferson As tax-exempt entities, houses of worship may not intervene in partisan politics by endorsing or opposing candidates. Pulpit-based electioneering not only violates federal law, many believe it corrupts the true mission of our faith communities. Federal courts are often our last line of defense to protect our constitutional rights. Federal judges should respect our Constitution and appreciate the important role that church-state separation has played in safeguarding religious liberty. The so-called “faith-based” initiative is a euphemism for taxpayer-supported religion. The initiative funnels taxpayer dollars to religious social service providers without adequate safeguards to prevent proselytism. In addition, these groups seek to discriminate in hiring based on religion even though their programs are publicly funded. The right to practice your chosen fa

Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. violated federal tax law by using school resources to endorse Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, Americans United for Separation of Church and State told the Internal Revenue Service today. “Falwell surely knows that these types of political endorsements are illegal,” remarked the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “Tax-exempt religious institutions may not be used to support or oppose candidates for public office.” Falwell seems to be following in the footsteps of his late father Jerry Falwell Sr. In 1993, Falwell Sr.'s Old Time Gospel Hour had its tax exemption retroactively revoked for the years 1986 and 1987 and the ministry was required to pay $50,000 because of involvement in partisan politics. Pastors and heads of 501(c)(3) non-profit groups are free to endorse candidates as private individuals, but the Internal Revenue Code does not allow them to use institutional resources, such as offic

For years, Religious Right groups like the Family Research Council (FRC) have complained that the Democrats are too secular. One candidate, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, is especially known for highlighting religious themes during his speeches. He often talks about his involvement in the church and how his faith pulled him through tough times. So the Religious Right is happy, right? Of course not. Religiosity apparently doesn’t count when Democrats do it. Tony Perkins and the gang at FRC Action were kind enough to send out a fund-raising letter recently explaining why “God talk” only matters when it’s delivered by a Religious Right-style Republican. Asserts Perkins in the letter, “It seems there is no end to left-wing hypocrisy – speaking freely of the ‘biblical call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked’ while opposing protections for babies born alive after late-term abortions…or calling oneself a friend of America’s families while approving of early prison release for convicted sex offe

Oral Roberts University (ORU), which has a stated mission that includes a “commitment to the Christian faith,” continues to garner national attention for allegations of improper politicking and a slew of other misdeeds that are befitting of a daytime soap drama. The mounting allegations swirling around the university have apparently become too hot for Richard Roberts; he resigned the presidency last week. The Tulsa World reports that Roberts told ORU students that “God spoke to him last Thursday and told him to resign.” According to the article, Roberts also told the students that he initially resisted God’s instructions, “but God told him that if he would resign, the school would be blessed ‘supernaturally.’” ORU sparked media scrutiny after a lawsuit was filed in the fall by three former professors who alleged they were fired for shedding light on political machinations and other wrongdoings orchestrated by the Tulsa school’s leaders. One of the professors, Tim Brooker, claims he wa

(San Diego, California) Two conservative Christian groups have asked a federal judge to overturn a California law prohibiting discrimination against gays and transgendered students. In a lawsuit filed in San Diego, Advocates for Faith and Freedom and the Alliance Defense Fund claim portions of the legislation - particularly those covering "gender identity" - are unconstitutionally vague and violate student privacy. The author of the legislation, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) calls the lawsuit frivolous. Kuehl said the bill did not change existing California law, only made it clearer so that school districts would have less trouble adhering to it. A law banning LGBT discrimination in schools has been on the books in California since 1999, said Kuehl, who is one of several gay members of the California legislature. "There's no change in the law; it was always the same. All of these truly silly claims that they make about what could happen could have been hap

In 2002, Stephen Boissoin wrote a letter to the editor of the Red Deer Advocate that compared gay people to pedophiles and drug dealers. It was published under the headline "Homosexual agenda wicked." Darren Lund, a high school teacher in Red Deer at the time, complained to the Alberta Human Rights Commission that the letter was a hate crime after a gay teenager was attacked in the city. Mr. Boissoin has been fined and ordered to publish a full appology in the Red Deer Advocate. full story -*- court ruling

Uruguay will become the first country in Latin America to allow gay and lesbian couples to engage in civil unions nationwide as a result of legislation passed Thursday. The legislation would grant same-sex couples the same social security, pension, inheritance, and parenting rights that heterosexual couples enjoy, though civil unions will not be called marriage. Edgardo Ortuno, a member of the center-left ruling party, said the law could take effect as early as mid December. "This recognition of the legal status of couples ... recognizes the legal status of homosexual couples, which gives it a completely new dimension," Ortuno said to the Union-Tribune. (The Advocate) If you'd like to know more, you can find stories related to Uruguay to allow civil unions .

A family, traditionally, has meant man, woman and child. Not any more, as children raised by gay and lesbian couples are on the rise internationally. Laws differ from country to country and even state to state. In the US, Florida is the only state that bans anyone who is a "homosexual" from adopting a child. Utah does that indirectly by restraining unmarried couples from adopting. Washington DC and 11 states, including California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, New Jersey and Vermont explicitly state that sexual orientation cannot prevent gays and lesbians from adopting. Across Europe, in the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Sweden same-sex couples have been given the right to adopt a child. Australia, Canada, South Africa and Israel are some of the other countries to allow it. The American Psychological Association in its Resolution on Sexual Orientation, Parents, and Children in July 2004, said, "There is no scientific evidence that parenting effectivenes