LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

Here we go again- when the bullies can't win, they holler about being persecuted. Anyone see a pattern?

Indiana Republican says Democrats demonize Christians

By ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — A Republican congressman accused Democrats on Monday of "denigrating and demonizing Christians" by concluding there was religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

During debate on a proposal by Democrats that would put Congress on record against "coercive and abusive religious proselytizing" at the academy, Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind., criticized Reps. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., and David Obey, D-Wis.

"Like a moth to a flame, Democrats can't help themselves when it comes to denigrating and demonizing Christians," Hostettler said.( Read more... )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

This AlterNet article is quite interesting. It 'depicts the transformation of a Texas teenager -- from conservative Christian to champion of sex education.'

Comprehensive sex education is at the heart of what divides America today. One side thinks it's a direct affront to the Christian value of abstinence until marriage; the other thinks it helps prevent the 60% of teens who already having sex from getting pregnant, or contracting a disease and dying.

Tonight's documentary on PBS, "The Education of Shelby Knox," traverses the bridge between both sides. Shelby Knox is a 15-year-old Christian girl who takes a church pledge to not have sex until marriage. She lives in Lubbock, Texas, a Republican Christian stronghold where local government meetings begin with a prayer, and where students learn that abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and disease.( Read more... )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

Yesterday's segment of Talk of the Nation feature Evangelical leaders on the political right and left discussing the politicization of their beliefs and the future of their movement.

Guests:

Barrett Duke, vice president for research with the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

Randall Balmer, professor of American religious history at Barnard College, Columbia University in N.Y., and an evangelical Christian who is a political liberal

Rev. Rob Schenck, minister of the Evangelical Church Alliance; president of Faith and Action; and a conservative evangelical Christian

Link to audio track on the site.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY seshen)

Thought you might be interested.

A mainstream voice to counter the Religious Right in Texas

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kalibex)

The Moderate Christians Strike Back

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

Found this on "Christian Alliance":

Spiritual Activism Conferences in Berkeley, Ca. July 20-23, 2005. In Washington, D.C. Feb. 10-13, 2006

Courtesy of TIKKUN Magazine: A Bimonthly Jewish Critique of Politics, Culture, & Society

Go to above link for conference details.

Goals:
Begin the process of creating the strategy and program for The Nework of Spiritual Progressives (NSP), which will:

1. Challenge the misuse of God and religion by the Religious Right

2. Challenge the ethos of selfishness and materialism of the advanced industrial societies (first and foremost in the U.S. and Canada), and replace it with a NEW BOTTOM LINE (so that institutions are judged efficient, rational and productive not only to the extent that they maximize money and power, but also to the extent that they maximize love and caring, ethical and ecological consciousness, and to the extent that they maximize our capacities to respond to the universe with awe and wonder)

3. Build an alliance between secular, religious and "spiritual but not religious" progressives--in part by challenging the anti-religious biases in parts of the liberal culture (while acknowledging the legitimacy of anger against those parts of the religious world that have embodied authoritarian, racist, sexist, homophobic or xenophobic practices and attitudes).

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

From Frederick Clarkson's blog:

Periodically, we here at FrederickClarkson.com are compelled to recognize an individual in American politics or government whose efforts on behalf of theocracy are, well, extraordinary. This week we recognize the efforts of U.S. Rep. John Hoesttler (R-IN) who has pushed through legislation in the House that would deny funding to enforce the ruling of a federal court which declared that a display of a monument to Ten Commandments in a court house in his district was unconstitutional. He also declared on the House floor, that "Democrats cannot help denigrating and demonizing Christians." Finally, in a House committee meeting, he referred to "the mythical wall [of] separation between church and state that's been erected by the courts." (Although he did not say this last item this week, our judges have ruled that it counts since the remark came to our attention this week.)

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY britzkrieg)

Just for laughs: The Cthulhu Chick Tract!

You don't have to be familiar with Lovecraft or Chick Tracts to find this amusing, but it helps. :-D