It’s one thing (a constitutional thing) for a private citizen to criticize another citizen’s religion, but this is entirely different . . . and unconstitutional: An Indianapolis father is appealing a Marion County judge’s unusual order that prohibits him and his ex-wife from exposing their child to “non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals.” The parents practice Wicca, a contemporary pagan religion … Read More
The Latest In Krazy Kristian Kookdom
Wake the kids and load the mini-van. It’s time for a trip to the Creation Museum! Wait. Better not yet. The museum will open in 2007 in Northern Kentucky, USA (natch), right near the Cincinnati Airport. A 50,000 square foot facility, it claims to be “a wonderful alternative to the evolutionary natural history museums that are turning countless minds against … Read More
Rules And Regs
Anybody else besides me find it ironic that these are the rules for students at Liberty University (Jerry Falwell’s school)?
Silent Majority Speaks Up
President Bush is, not surprisingly, speaking at the commencement of a Christian college in a few days. But what warms my heart, is this, as reported here: [Calvin College is] a liberal arts school that defines its mission as “developing the Christian mind,” and requires what its spokesman, Phil de Haan, calls “an allegiance of faith” from its faculty, and … Read More
Krazy Kristian Kook Roll Call
It’s a good thing that bloggers like Pam Spaulding take ventures into the dark side, so that I don’t have to. Below, she presents and comments on a few of the scarier wingbats. Please note that all of them seem to have a greater obsession with homosexuals than most homosexuals I know: Peter LaBarbera, founder of Americans for Truth and … Read More
More Jesus Sightings
Thawing sludge appears in a Chicago underpass, and everybody flocked to see it because it was the Virgin Mary. And now, Jesus shows up in a woman’s womb. Well, the ultrasound of it. Actually, it looks like a full grown woman to me, but what do I know? Now, I know that God moves in strange and mysterious ways, but … Read More
Fourth Circuit to Establishment Clause: “Fuck You!”
Like in public meetings around the country, the Chesterfield County (Va.) Board of Supervisors begins its meetings with a religious invocation offered by local clergymen of various denominations. As you might expect, the invocation itself is non-denominational, but alway always always invokes a monotheistic supreme being. Cynthia Simpson, a member of a non-Judeo-Christian pantheistic religion — a religion with hundreds … Read More
Family Research Council And the Klan
Max Blumenthal shines the spotlight on Tony Perkins, Family Research Council President and Friend of Frist. [Note: the Family Research Council, founded by James Dobson, held a little "Justice Sunday" fest last weekend — where Bill Frist spoke via tape — in which they complained that the Democratic filibuster of Bush’s judicial nominees was an attack on faith and religion]. … Read More
Melissa Rogers On Christian Manipulation
Melissa Rogers, a visiting professor of religion and public policy at Wake Forest University Divinity School, says it all: I AM A CHURCHGOING, Bible-believing Baptist, but I recently learned that I’m not a Christian. Indeed, I’ve not only learned that I’m not a Christian, I’ve also learned that I’m anti-Christian and hostile to religion. Why? Because I dare to disagree … Read More
Learnin’ The Facts Of Life (Child Abuse Episode)
I note with growing alarm at the Christian Right’s embrace of what appears to be, arguably, child abuse. Stuff like this: Bonney Lake police said Rachel Lambert claimed the children’s behavior had gotten progressively worse over the past month and that she disciplined the children by feeding them jalapeno peppers, the documents indicated. The 10-year-old boy said "he had a … Read More
WHO Is Against People Of Faith?
This past weekend, there was a liberal-bashing conference put on by Family Research Council in which it was said — falsely — that Democrats are against "people of faith", particularly judges. It’s an insidious lie. Most Democrats are people of faith; we just don’t believe that our faith (or anybody else’s) should be incorporated into laws and public policy (because … Read More
Pope Benny 16
I have absolutely no thoughts on the subject, although that may be rightfully attributed to my fatigue arising from rehearsals for this. Suffice to say this: I’m already sick of right wing pundits trying to make this a victory for conservative moral values, continuing Pope John Paul’s legacy. Need they be reminded that the conservative Ratzinger — at Pope John … Read More
Dobson Christianity
The "influential" Publius has a post about Hugh Hewitt’s defense of James Dobson. In it, Publius invokes the term "Dobson Christianity", distinguishing it from others forms of Christianity. I’m sure this comes as a surprise to many on the religious right, who simply don’t believe in diversity of beliefs even within the Christian faith. To them, you are either a … Read More
The Next Pope?
This can’t be good: THE wartime past of a leading German contender to succeed John Paul II may return to haunt him as cardinals begin voting in the Sistine Chapel tomorrow to choose a new leader for 1 billion Catholics. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, whose strong defence of Catholic orthodoxy has earned him a variety of sobriquets — including “the enforcer”, … Read More
False Dichotomy – A Rant
Take a look at this poster: Now what is it saying? It is saying that in order to serve as a judge, you must abandon your Christian faith, because you cannot do both, yes? Apparently, the right wing is in favor of the idea that judges should be able to follow their faith over what judges are supposed to be … Read More