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PostPosted: 05/24/14 8:28 am • # 51 
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“Are we going to be cowards because we’re afraid? Could we get our heads chopped off? We could, maybe one day. So what? Chop it off!”

Ok. How 'bout Monday at 2 P.M.? I don't want to mess up the weekend.
Oops. Make that Tuesday, eh?


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PostPosted: 05/31/14 9:09 am • # 52 
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Here is this week's installment ~ I'm thinking the far-right religiosos are making it up as they go, actively searching for something/anything to bash/hate/denigrate ~ THAT is their "religion" ~ :g ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

This Week in God, 5.31.14
05/31/14 08:47 AM
By Steve Benen

First up from the God Machine this week is a curious reaction from a religious right group to, of all things, postage stamps.

The U.S Postal Service recently released a stamp honoring Harvey Milk, one of the nation’s first openly gay elected officials. It appears the unveiling has not gone over well with some social conservatives.

Quote:
Incensed by the release of a postage stamp honoring Harvey Milk, the American Family Association is urging its members not only to avoid purchasing the stamp…but to refuse to accept or open any letter or package postmarked with one. […]

In his daily email alert yesterday, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins also attacked the Obama administration for issuing the stamp, linking the move to the imprisonment of a Sudanese mother who is facing the death penalty for her conversion to Christianity.

In the case of the American Family Association, the far-right group specifically told its followers to “refuse to accept the Harvey Milk stamp if offered by your local post office.” Perhaps more importantly, the AFA went on to urge conservatives to “refuse to accept mail at your home or business if it is postmarked with the Harvey Milk stamp. Simply write ‘Return to Sender’ on the envelope and tell your postman you won’t accept it.”

Note, for the AFA, it doesn’t matter what it’s in the mail. What matters is whether the stamp shows the face of a gay guy – and if it does, you shouldn’t even open the envelope. (Presumably, the thinking goes, if enough Americans rise up against the stamp, people will stop using them.)

In an amusing experiment, Abby Ohlheiser decided to test the AFA’s commitment by sending a $5 donation to the American Family Association in an envelope with a Harvey Milk stamp. The test, of course, is to see which the AFA values more: the financial support or the bizarre anti-gay animus. I’ll let you know what happens to Ohlheiser’s contribution.

In the meantime, it’s worth noting that Post Office’s Milk stamp is a “forever” stamp, which means it can be used as first-class postage indefinitely into the future. Sorry, AFA.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* A creationist group’s plan to build the proposed Ark Encounter theme park was supposed to be subsidized with tax dollars in Kentucky. That support is now in doubt: “[A]ccording to new information LEO just discovered from Kentucky’s Tourism Cabinet, the facts on the ground have changed. [Answers in Genesis’ Ken Ham] and his dinosaur boat will absolutely not receive $43 million in tax incentives from the state, and there’s still doubt that they will be eligible for any incentives at all.”

* The Freedom From Religion Foundation strikes out at the 2nd Circuit: “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled on Wednesday that the use of ‘In God We Trust’ on American currency does not violate the Establishment Clause or the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.”

* Retired Lt. Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin, a leading right-wing activist in the religious right movement and vice president of the Family Research Council, “detailed some of the Pentagon’s most sensitive operations of the 20th century” in his book published in 2008. The Pentagon wasn’t pleased: “The Army struck back last year, quietly issuing him a scathing reprimand following a criminal investigation that concluded he had wrongfully released classified information, according to an Army document obtained by The Washington Post through a Freedom of Information Act request.”

* And in related news: “In the days following the horrible massacre perpetrated by Elliot Rodger at University of California, Santa Barbara, people across the political sphere have been notably reticent to try to use the incident as a vehicle to forward their ideological hobbyhorses. Well, that period of discretion is now over. According to Family Research Council head Tony Perkins, the Isla Vista murders weren’t caused so much by misogyny or the prevalence of guns, but rather due to Hollywood and Obamacare.”

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/week-god-53114


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PostPosted: 06/07/14 12:41 pm • # 53 
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Here is this week's installment ~ I stand with the Ohio teachers resigning from Catholic schools because of the new/required/discriminatory "morality clause" ... which I personally see as IMmoral ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

This Week in God, 6.7.14
06/07/14 09:13 AM
By Steve Benen

First up from the God Machine this week is a story out of Ohio, where a “morality clause” has forced some celebrated school teachers to resign from the private Catholic schools where they’ve taught for years.

A revised teachers’ contract in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has forced some teachers to leave their positions even after years of service.

First-grade teacher Molly Shumate and high school English teacher Robert Hague are among the veteran teachers choosing to leave the diocese over a ‘morality clause’ included in the new contracts. The clause reportedly prohibits teachers, whether Catholic or not, from having sex or living with a partner outside of marriage, using in-vitro fertilization, leading a gay “lifestyle,” or publicly supporting any of the above.

That last part is of particular interest. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese wrote the “morality clause” in such a way as to apply not just to employees’ actions, but also their stated opinions.

In other words, if you work at a Catholic school in Cincinnati, you can’t be gay or try to have children through IVF treatments, and at the same time, you also can’t say you support gay rights or endorse IVF treatments in general.

Shumate, a lifelong Catholic who talked to msnbc’s Tamron Hall this week, felt the need to resign because the archdiocese’s “morality clause” would pit her against her own gay son. “For me to sign this (contract),” Shumate told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I feel like I would be telling my son I’ve changed my mind, that I don’t support him as I did. And I won’t do that.”

Robert Hague, who has taught high school English for 50 years and is now leaving the archdiocese, added that the church’s new contracts represent “an embarrassment and a scandal.”

It’s worth noting, of course, that the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is a private religious institution, which is free to establish its own rules of conduct for its employees, and which is not subject to anti-discrimination laws. None of the teachers who’ve quit will be able to seek legal course.

That said, Ohio is one of several states that allow private school religious vouchers, which means taxpayers can subsidize the same parochial schools that are imposing “morality clauses” on their employees.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* Lawmakers in Pennsylvania may be struggling with a variety of important policy challenges, but this week, state lawmakers found time to advance a measure to display “In God We Trust” in the state’s public schools.

* The story that will not end: “The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case against the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro (ICM), the target of antagonistic legal action from community residents since 2010.”

* The U.S. military allows servicemembers to identify themselves as “humanists,” but the Navy has nevertheless rejected the application of a humanist who sought a commission as a military chaplain.

* And the religious right movement is nothing if not predictable: “Family Research Council President Tony Perkins is urging parents across the country to pull their children out of public schools in response to a Washington, D.C., principal’s decision to come out to his students and school staff.”

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/week-god-6714


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PostPosted: 06/07/14 1:06 pm • # 54 
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* And the religious right movement is nothing if not predictable: “Family Research Council President Tony Perkins is urging parents across the country to pull their children out of public schools in response to a Washington, D.C., principal’s decision to come out to his students and school staff.”


Roflmao! Yeah. That'll teach 'em. All children in public school WILL be pulled out anyway.......for the summer. lol


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PostPosted: 06/08/14 12:06 pm • # 55 
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roseanne wrote:
* And the religious right movement is nothing if not predictable: “Family Research Council President Tony Perkins is urging parents across the country to pull their children out of public schools in response to a Washington, D.C., principal’s decision to come out to his students and school staff.”


Roflmao! Yeah. That'll teach 'em. All children in public school WILL be pulled out anyway.......for the summer. lol


....and just in time for final exams.


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PostPosted: 06/14/14 6:48 am • # 56 
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Here is this week's installment ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

This Week in God, 6.14.14
06/14/14 08:30 AM
By Steve Benen

First up from the God Machine this week is an unexpected theological confrontation between a far-right congressman and an ordained Christian minister during a hearing on Capitol Hill.

The House Judiciary Committee hosted an otherwise unremarkable hearing on religious liberty when Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) decided to press the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and state, on his personal religious beliefs. (Disclosure: Barry is a long-time friend of mine.)

Quote:
“I’m curious, in your Christian beliefs, do you believe in sharing the good news that will keep people from going to hell, consistent with the Christian belief?” Gohmert asked.

Lynn responded: “I wouldn’t agree with your construction of what hell is like or why one gets there.”

Lynn, an ordained United Church of Christ minister, was invited to testify on behalf of religious minorities, but that apparently was not what Gohmert, a notorious right-wing Texan, wanted to talk about.

“You don’t believe somebody would go to hell if they do not believe Jesus is the way, the truth, the life?” the congressman asked during the hearing.

When Lynn said he does not believe “a specific set of ideas” guarantees a one-way ticket to hell, Gohmert kept pressing. “Either you believe as a Christian that Jesus is the way, the truth, or life or you don’t.”

The liberal sparring partner got in the last word. “Congressman, what I believe is not necessarily what I think ought to justify the creation of public policy for everybody,” Lynn responded. “For the 2,000 different religions that exist in this country, the 25 million non-believers. I’ve never been offended. I’ve never been afraid to share my beliefs.”

Gohmert, who never fully explained why this line of questioning was relevant in a congressional hearing, thanked the UCC minister “for his indulgence.” A few hours later, Lynn reflected on the exchange on msnbc’s “The Ed Show.”

Also from the God Machine this week:

* A remarkable turn in the Catholic Church’s sexual-abuse scandal: “Archbishop Robert J. Carlson claimed to be uncertain that he knew sexual abuse of a child by a priest constituted a crime when he was auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, according to a deposition released Monday.”

* A bold divestment move: “A United Methodist Church fund is divesting from a multinational security firm that activists have criticized for its work in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The church’s General Board of Pension and Health Benefits is selling its stock in the U.K.-based G4S, which provides equipment and services for Israeli prisons, checkpoints and settlements in the West Bank. The Methodist board, which manages an investment portfolio of $20 billion, has $110,000 in G4S shares, church officials said Thursday.”

* Atheists still appear to be one of the nation’s least liked minorities. In the Pew Research Center’s monster new report on American political polarization, respondents were asked how they would react if an immediate family member married “someone who doesn’t believe in God.” A 49% plurality would be “unhappy.”

* And a child asked TV preacher Pat Robertson this week what to do about the child’s father threatening his or her mother with a gun. The televangelist suggested the child talk to the mother about getting help, but only after saying, “You don’t want to get your father busted.”

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/week-god-61414


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PostPosted: 06/21/14 7:46 am • # 57 
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Here is this week's installment ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

This Week in God, 6.21.14
06/21/14 08:54 AM
By Steve Benen

First up from the God Machine this week is a look at one of the nation’s most high profile religio-political figures, who’s found an interesting way to keep busy in between presidential campaigns.

Pennsylvania Republican Rick Santorum’s political career seemingly came to an end in 2006, following an embarrassing defeat in his home state, but he launched a comeback bid anyway, running a competitive presidential campaign in 2012. Many expect him to try again in 2016.

But in the interim, Santorum needs a day job. As Kevin Lincoln reported this week, that means running a Christian film production and distribution company called EchoLight Studios.

Quote:
EchoLight was founded in 2011; before the winter 2013 release of The Christmas Candle, EchoLight’s first movie with Santorum as CEO, it had been involved with 10 films to varying degrees, none of which received wide theatrical release. The Christmas Candle grossed $2 million, certainly not a wild success. But to gauge EchoLight’s potential, consider that, when Santorum took over the company, it was sitting on a filmmaking fund of about $20 million. God’s Not Dead reportedly cost $2 million to produce. That means Santorum and EchoLight could afford to make 10 such movies. If just one does as well as God’s Not Dead, the company will be in great shape.

Santorum and EchoLight President Jeff Sheets are hoping to use congregations as a testing ground to premier their films, literally turning churches into theaters where they can gauge impact and enthusiasm. “If they don’t resonate well with the church, then it isn’t realistic to think that they’re going to resonate well in theaters,” says Sheets (who tells me that he works with Santorum “literally daily”). If the films “do resonate well in the church, and there’s a growing groundswell of support, then it will overflow into the theaters and it will have a much broader impact on society.” It also means that a film has to prove itself before EchoLight takes “the much more expensive approach of putting it in theaters.”

As for Santorum’s political ambitions, it probably doesn’t hurt to run a company that’s in frequent contact with like-minded churches nationwide. And if his next campaign comes up short – or if Santorum chooses not to run – he’s still positioned as head of a movie studio producing films for a fast-growing segment of the entertainment industry.

As Lincoln’s report added, “Some of those movies may be long shots to garner a mass audience but all of them are probably surer bets than a presidential campaign.”

Also from the God Machine this week:

* The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) held its General Assembly this week and voted to “change its constitution’s definition of marriage from ‘a man and a woman’ to ‘two people,’ and to allow its ministers to perform same-sex marriages where it is legal.” As recently as 2008, the church had reached the opposite conclusion.

* State lawmakers in North Carolina recently approved a measure to “allow students to engage in religious expression at all times. It would also permit teachers and staff to participate in student prayer.” This week, the Greensboro City Council took up a resolution on the issue, which was easily defeated. “I am totally supportive of freedom of speech and freedom of religion,” one council member said. “But our students in North Carolina have this freedom and have this ability now.”

* And House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was asked this week about the end of Eric Cantor’s tenure as House Majority Leader. “I was thinking about it on Sunday when I was praying for the Republicans in church, as I do at least every Sunday,” Pelosi told reporters at a press conference.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/week-god-62114


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PostPosted: 06/28/14 7:56 am • # 58 
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Here is this week's installment ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

This Week in God, 6.28.14
06/28/14 09:33 AM
By Steve Benen

First up from the God Machine this week is a look at a Christian church in Missouri that adopted a non-traditional approach to filling its pews on Fathers’ Day.

Quote:
Ignite Church, in Joplin, is catching serious heat for giving away two Black Rain AR-15s on Father’s Day in a bid to connect with 18 to 35-year-olds in the area.

Critics said the initiative was “seriously messed up,” could “give way to new violence” and questioned what the reaction would be if a mosque held a similar give-away.

But tattooed mohawked pastor Heath Mooneyham defended the scheme – telling the Joplin Globe that “if we get people in the door, we get to preach the gospel.”

Houses of worship have traditionally tried all kinds of creative ideas to encourage attendance, but assault-rifle raffles is a provocative approach, especially given Biblical text like this from the Book of Matthew: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.”

ThinkProgress’ report added that the pastor posted a YouTube video promoting the raffle, in which he promised that “you can kill a weak zombie with that thing” or “double tap a zombie” with another gun, “the “Lamborghini of AR-15s.” Mooneyham added, “So get your butts to church, if you’re late don’t cry to me that you’re a pansy and you cannot set your alarm, alright? You’re a big boy. You got big balls between your legs, you’re a dad right?”

The church’s Facebook page featured some lively discussion, including one person who asked, “What if a mosque did this – how would that be perceived?”

Also from the God Machine this week:

* Frank Schaefer’s return: “Six months after losing his ordination credentials for presiding over the wedding of his gay son and for leaving open the possibility of performing future same-sex wedding ceremonies, a Pennsylvania pastor has been welcomed back into the United Methodist Church. On Tuesday, a nine-person appeals panel of church officials overturned an earlier decision to defrock Rev. Frank Schaefer of Lebanon, Pa., who in 2007 married his oldest son, Tim, to another man.”

* A welcome debate: “The Vatican conceded Thursday that most Catholics reject its teachings on sex and contraception as intrusive and irrelevant and officials pledged not to ‘close our eyes to anything’ when it opens a two-year debate on some of the thorniest issues facing the church.”

* A new public display of religion on the way: “The U.S. National Park Service says the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., commemorates ‘service, sacrifice, unity, and victory.’ After last night, however, they might as well scratch ‘unity’ off that list. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 370-12 yesterday in favor of adding a prayer given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 6, 1944 (D-Day) to the memorial.”

* In what I believe is a first, the Huffington Post is liveblogging Ramadan.

* And TV preacher Pat Robertson not only believes haunted houses are real, he’s also willing to give advice to those who find themselves living in one.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/week-god-62814


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PostPosted: 07/12/14 7:34 am • # 59 
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Here is this week's installment ~ the Pew religious study ["live-linked" below], dated December 2009, is an interesting read, ranking the 50 states on 4 metrics: importance of religion, worship service attendance, frequency of prayer, and certainty of belief in God ~ I'm curious what changes there have been in the last 4-1/2 years with the explosion of the "religious right" ~ there are other "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

This Week in God, 7.12.14
07/12/14 09:00 AM
By Steve Benen

First up from the God Machine this week is a story out of Illinois, where a Christian minister came up with an interesting way to protest the Supreme Court’s recent anti-contraception ruling.

After the ruling was issued, and Americans learned that some employers had been empowered to restrict their employees’ access to birth control, many on the left may have been tempted to go to Hobby Lobby stores and hand out contraception as a way to register their outrage.

But in Northern Illinois, some clergy weren’t just tempted – they actually did it.

Quote:
A reverend in Illinois organized a demonstration to hand out condoms outside of a local Hobby Lobby store in order to protest the Supreme Court’s ruling on contraception, the Daily Herald reported.

Rev. Mark Winters of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Naperville, Ill., said it started out as a joke in a Facebook, but after he got a great response, he decided to organize a protest.

The group of demonstrators stood outside the store to hand out condoms donated by Planned Parenthood. Winters told the Daily Herald that he wanted the protest to show that not all Christians oppose birth control. He also said he hoped to get people to question whether the Supreme Court’s decision was fair to Hobby Lobby employees’ religious freedom.

Winters added, “Jesus had a lot of issue with powerful people using power over the powerless.”

The Rev. Emmy Lou Belcher, a Unitarian Universalist minister who attended the demonstration, added, “I’m just hoping that (people who see the demonstration) realize that this opinion (of Hobby Lobby’s owners) is not the opinion of religious people as a broad spectrum, but that religious people have many different opinions.”

On a related note, a Baptist minister held a prayer vigil outside Hobby Lobby’s flagship store in Edmond, Oklahoma, to decry the decision. “Hobby Lobby employees who will now have difficulty accessing health care they need to responsibly plan for their families’ futures,” Dr. Bruce Powell explained.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* The pope prioritizes the environment: “This past weekend, Pope Francis did something that was quietly revolutionary. In a talk at the Italian university of Molise, Francis characterized concerns about the environment as ‘one of the greatest challenges of our time’ – a challenge that is theological, as well as political, in nature. ‘When I look at … so many forests, all cut, that have become land … that can [no] longer give life,’ he reflected, citing South American forests in particular. ‘This is our sin, exploiting the Earth.’”

* The religious right finds a new approach to immigration: “In response to the influx of Central American children fleeing to the southern border of the U.S., the American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer is repeating his belief that all national borders were determined by God and therefore anybody who crosses them without permission is directly offending the Creator.”

* Churches and guns: “Two Catholic dioceses in Georgia have banned guns and other weapons from church facilities in response to the state’s new so-called ‘guns everywhere’ law.”

* How religious is your state? The Pew Forum ranks all 50 based on four relevant categories.

* The Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins said this week that the Obama administration is imposing Islamic law in the U.S. military. For the record, the Obama administration is not imposing Islamic law in the U.S. military.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/week-god-71214


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PostPosted: 07/12/14 4:35 pm • # 60 
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“In response to the influx of Central American children fleeing to the southern border of the U.S., the American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer is repeating his belief that all national borders were determined by God and therefore anybody who crosses them without permission is directly offending the Creator.”


That was definitely a "try not to spit your coffee all over the computer" moment.


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PostPosted: 07/19/14 8:02 am • # 61 
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Here is this week's installment ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

This Week in God, 7.19.14
07/19/14 09:03 AM—Updated 07/19/14 09:08 AM
By Steve Benen

First up from the God Machine this week is a story out of our nation’s capital, where the prospect for a new museum is raising eyebrows.

Currently, the National Mall and its surrounding area offer a wide variety of history museums, science museums, and art museums. Is it time for a Bible museum? Hobby Lobby’s corporate owners apparently believe it is.

Quote:
The evangelical Christian family that owns Hobby Lobby, the chain of craft stores, made history two weeks ago when the Supreme Court overturned the Obama administration’s mandate that family-owned companies must provide contraceptive coverage to their employees.

Now, the family is looking to build a permanent presence on the Washington landscape, by establishing a sprawling museum dedicated to the Bible – just two blocks south of the National Mall.

It’s a reminder of the Oklahoma-based Green family’s broad ambitions. What started as a national arts-and-crafts chain has now ventured into legal and educational efforts, which includes school curricula and now a possible D.C. museum.

Some of the details of the museum plan are murky, but Hobby Lobby president Steve Green reflected last year on the ostensible goal, telling an audience last year, “This nation is in danger because of its ignorance of what God has taught. There are lessons from the past that we can learn from, the dangers of ignorance of this book. We need to know it. If we don’t know it, our future is going to be very scary.”

The reported target date for opening the Bible museum is 2017. As the New York Times’ report added, the Green family’s Museum of the Bible nonprofit organization bought a 400,000-square-foot space for the facility in 2012 for $50 million.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* An interesting dispute in Salem, MA: “The mayor of a Massachusetts city has fired back at conservative protests of her move to void a contract with a Christian college that opposes U.S. efforts to protect gay rights, vowing to donate $5 to a local gay-rights group for each complaint call she receives. Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll last week terminated a contract that allowed Gordon College to operate Salem’s town hall, after the school joined other religious organizations in appealing to the White House to exempt it from federal rules forbidding employers to discriminate on the basis of sexual discrimination. Glenn Beck has been encouraging the right to complain (thanks to my colleague Will Femia for the heads-up).

* A different kind of invocation: “At a recent meeting of the Osceola County, Fla., board of commissioners, many attendees bowed their heads in silence as they listened to an invocation delivered by an atheist. ‘Habit, I guess,’ says David Williamson of Central Florida Freethought Community, who, in lieu of calling on the almighty, invoked the spirit of goodwill during his roughly one-minute speech.” Williamson was the first nonbeliever invited to perform the county ritual.

* President Obama this week hosted an annual Iftar Dinner this week at the White House.

* TV preacher Pat Robertson this week weighed in on “a proposed Democratic measure in the Senate to rein in unnecessary regulation of abortion clinics.” Robertson warned that Democrats are “talking about a full abortion for anybody.” I’ll confess, the phrase “full abortion” is new to me.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/week-god-71914


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PostPosted: 07/19/14 4:02 pm • # 62 
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I’ll confess, the phrase “full abortion” is new to me.

That when you have an abortion in the 255th trimester. He's running scared!


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PostPosted: 07/19/14 6:13 pm • # 63 
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“talking about a full abortion for anybody.”

As opposed to the partial one in the Robertson family?


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PostPosted: 07/19/14 8:14 pm • # 64 
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oskar576 wrote:
“talking about a full abortion for anybody.”

As opposed to the partial one in the Robertson family?

That was a partial lobotomy, you silly Oskar.


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PostPosted: 07/20/14 1:38 pm • # 65 
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Anybody notice how he talked about being opposed to a bill reigning in "unnecessary" regulation of abortion clinics?


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PostPosted: 07/26/14 8:19 am • # 66 
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Here is this week's installment ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

This Week in God, 7.26.14
07/26/14 09:24 AM
By Steve Benen

First up from the God Machine this week is a story out of New Orleans, where opponents of abortion rights decided to hold an impromptu protest in an unusual place: inside a church, during church services, while the congregation was in the middle of a moment of silence.

Quote:
Flip Benham’s group Operation Save America disrupted the services of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans on Sunday while the congregation was honoring a member who had died. The organization framed their action as simply an effort to “present the truth of the Gospel in this synagogue of Satan” as part of their efforts “to defeat the culture of death.”

Apparently, hundreds of activists who oppose abortion rights gathered in New Orleans this week to hold a series of protests, but Operation Save America members took it upon themselves to interrupt this church’s worship service, telling members of the congregation they don’t have the “true faith,” presumably because Unitarian Universalist churches are pro-choice.

Operation Save America’s name may not sound familiar, so it’s worth noting the group used to be called Operation Rescue National, an organization that developed a reputation for extremist, sometimes violent, activism.

In this case, members of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans, no longer able to hold a moment of silence to honor a congregant who recently died, sang while the anti-abortion activists disrupted their services.

The Rev. Deanna Vandiver, the UU speaker during Sunday’s service, later argued, “No one should invade the sanctuary of another’s faith to terrorize people as they worship.”

It would appear Operation Save America disagrees.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* In Iraq: “The militant group ISIS is continuing its rampage of holy places by destroying the tomb of Jonah, a place thought to be the burial site of the prophet believed by Abrahamic faiths to have been swallowed by a whale or fish. Civil defense officials in Mosul, Iraq, told CNN that ISIS operatives planted explosives around the mosque containing the tomb then detonated it remotely on Thursday.”

* In related news, ISIS has also begun targeting Iraqi Christians, telling them to leave Mosul or face the consequences: “Men, women and children piled into neighbors’ cars, some begged for rides to the city limits and hoped to get taxis to the nearest Christian villages. They took nothing more than the clothes on their backs, according to several who were reached late Friday.”

* As the violent conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has intensified, the effects have spilled into European streets, “as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have depicted Israel as the aggressor and sought to isolate it internationally.” This week, eight synagogues in France have been targeted by protesters.

* And closer to home: “In a move straight out of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s playbook, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad issued an official proclamation instructing citizens to pray and repent and presided over a revival event on the grounds of the state capitol.”

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/week-god-72614


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PostPosted: 08/02/14 7:15 am • # 67 
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Here is this week's installment ~ the Satanic Temple's ingenious twist on the Hobby Lobby ruling is a doozy ~ :st :st :st ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

This Week in God, 8.2.14
08/02/14 08:48 AM
By Steve Benen

First up from the God Machine this week is a story about one faith group that appears eager to take the Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby ruling in a new direction – one the ruling’s defenders probably aren’t going to like.

The Satanic Temple has launched a campaign seeking religious exemption from laws that restrict access to abortions, citing the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling.

The group, which “facilitates the communication and mobilization of politically aware Satanists, secularists, and advocates for individual liberty,” argues that states’ “informed consent” laws violate its religious freedom.

In a press statement, the Satanic Temple’s spokesperson, Lucien Graves, said the recent ruling from the high court’s conservative justices, based on a specific approach to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, offers a unique opportunity.

“While we feel we have a strong case for exemption regardless of the Hobby Lobby ruling, the Supreme Court has decided that religious beliefs are so sacrosanct that they can even trump scientific fact,” Graves said. “Because of the respect the Court has given to religious beliefs, and the fact that our beliefs are based on best available knowledge, we expect that our belief in the illegitimacy of state-mandated ‘informational’ material is enough to exempt us, and those who hold our beliefs, from having to receive them.”

In effect, the Satanic Temple is saying it can follow the trail blazed by Hobby Lobby to object to anti-abortion provisions in several states.

As msnbc’s Irin Carmon reported this week, this was a fear raised by the right back when it was first approved in the 1990s: “In fact, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the law under which Hobby Lobby won, was originally opposed by anti-abortion activists and members of Congress who feared it would be used to make that very argument: That access to abortion, and the right of every woman to plan her family, was a matter of religious conscience.”

To be sure, supporters of reproductive rights have pursued this line of argument in the courts before, without success, though those efforts came before the Hobby Lobby ruling, which may have opened the door wider than conservatives hoped.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* President Obama this week chose Rabbi David Saperstein to serve as the next U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, heading the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom. Saperstein will be the first non-Christian to hold the post since it was created 16 years ago.

* In Minnesota, Roman Catholic Archbishop John C. Nienstedt acknowledged mistakes this week “for the way his diocese has dealt with sexually abusive priests.” Nienstedt “did not directly address accusations that he himself had had inappropriate sexual relationships with adult men, other than to say that he commissioned an investigation ‘because I had nothing to hide and wanted to be vindicated from false allegations, as anyone would.’”

* And in Alabama this week, the head of the state Public Service Commission urged “all the citizens of Alabama” to “be in prayer” in opposition to EPA measures on carbon pollution.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/week-god-8214


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PostPosted: 08/09/14 3:40 pm • # 68 
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Here is this week's installment ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

This Week in God, 8.9.14
08/09/14 09:26 AM
By Steve Benen

First up from the God Machine this week is a story about a symbolic congressional resolution that’s run into some unexpected trouble. The Hill reported:

Quote:
A popular piece of legislation that seeks to honor Pope Francis is stuck in Congress.

With time running out on the Capitol Hill calendar, the lawmakers who crafted the bipartisan measure are getting impatient with Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).

The resolution, written by Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Pete King (R-N.Y.), congratulates Francis on his March 2013 election and recognizes “his inspirational statements and actions.” The seemingly innocuous resolution was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which hasn’t acted on it.

The symbolic measure – the sort of thing that usually passes the House without incident – has 221 co-sponsors, but there’s a stark partisan imbalance, with 202 Democratic supporters. One House Republican lawmaker said the GOP considers the pope is “too liberal.”

The unnamed Republican, who supports the resolution, said GOP lawmakers have complained that Pope Francis is “sounding like Obama” because he “talks about equality.” What’s more, the pope has blasted “trickle-down economics,” rhetoric that many conservatives consider “politically charged.”

A Religion News Service report added, “[N]early half of all simple resolutions introduced in the last two years were passed, so it’s notable that one praising Pope Francis couldn’t even make it out of committee in this Congress.”

To be sure, very little seems to happen in this Congress, but in the case of this resolution, it appears there may be more than routine gridlock at play.

Also from the God Machine this week:

* Rep. Steven Palazzo (R) of Mississippi has sent Christian Bibles to literally every member of Congress – including lawmakers who aren’t Christian – along with a note saying his gift is intended “to help guide you in your decision-making,”

* A remarkable story out of China: “China will construct a ‘Chinese Christian theology’ suitable for the country, state media reported on Thursday, as both the number of believers and tensions with the authorities are on the rise.” According to a state-run newspaper, “The construction of Chinese Christian theology should adapt to China’s national condition and integrate with Chinese culture” (thanks to my colleague Will Femia for the heads-up).

* An interesting religious-display lawsuit in New Mexico: “A federal judge on Thursday ruled that a New Mexico city must remove a monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments from the lawn in front of Bloomfield City Hall.”

* And TV preacher Pat Robertson’s show, “The 700 Club,” ran a feature on Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) this week, which the host apparently liked. “Wouldn’t it be great if we had a president who was a former Hindu from India?” Robertson said. “What a great story.” For the record, Jindal was born in Louisiana, not India.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/week-god-8914


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PostPosted: 08/09/14 4:54 pm • # 69 
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“Wouldn’t it be great if we had a president who was a former Hindu from India?” Robertson said.

Depends. S/he might kill you for being a fake christian.


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PostPosted: 08/09/14 5:09 pm • # 70 
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A remarkable story out of China: “China will construct a ‘Chinese Christian theology’ suitable for the country, state media reported on Thursday, as both the number of believers and tensions with the authorities are on the rise.” According to a state-run newspaper, “The construction of Chinese Christian theology should adapt to China’s national condition and integrate with Chinese culture” (thanks to my colleague Will Femia for the heads-up).

Before anybody cries and bemoans Chinese interpretations to the Bible, remember there's a conservative group rewriting it to give it a bit more of a conservative slant. (Jesus has a .45 strapped on under his dress or something.)


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PostPosted: 08/09/14 5:28 pm • # 71 
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Jesus has a .45 strapped on under his dress or something.

That was a .45????????????????????


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PostPosted: 08/09/14 6:09 pm • # 72 
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Hence the song: I Don't Know How to Love Him


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PostPosted: 08/09/14 7:26 pm • # 73 
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Ok, now you're all going to Hell.


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PostPosted: 08/10/14 3:51 pm • # 74 
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Hell would be going to a "heaven" full of Woolenormas.

I'd prefer to be with you guys.


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PostPosted: 08/10/14 6:08 pm • # 75 
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Is Pat Robertson related to the duck dynasty guys?


hmmmm....Ive never seen pat Robertson and phil Robertson in the same room....at a skanky beard and a touque and some grimy camo clothes, and maybe a couch...hmmmm....

somewhere some dead guy named Robert from medieval times is rolling around in his grave, considering the people named his sons.


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