LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY gairid)

This was on the estimable twistedchick's LJ.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/michael_haggerty/expose3.htm

An expose' on Phelps by two of his sons. May contain triggers for some of you, and really, not a read for anyone weak of stomach, although that might be said of anything that this man has been involved in.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY neadods)

Second page of the Post today is an article by Alan Cooperman about how Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart's spot on the Veteran's Memorial Cemetary is blank.

That's because Stewart was a Wiccan, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has refused to allow a symbol of the Wicca religion -- a five-pointed star within a circle, called a pentacle -- to be inscribed on U.S. military memorials or grave markers. The department has approved the symbols of 38 other faiths; about half of are versions of the Christian cross. It also allows the Jewish Star of David, the Muslim crescent, the Buddhist wheel, the Mormon angel, the nine-pointed star of Bahai and something that looks like an atomic symbol for atheists.

The article goes on to say that 11 other symbols have been approved while the Wiccan symbol is held up, even though the Federal Government accepts Wicca as an official religion and has done so for 20 years.

A retired Army chaplain lays it on the line: "It's such a clear First Amendment issue, I can't even conceive of why they are not granting it, except for political reasons," he said. "I think the powers that be are afraid they'll alienate conservative Christians if they approve a symbol that connotes witches and warlocks casting spells and brewing potions."

x-posted to personal journal

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY loquaciousnut)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060703/od_afp/usreligionsexoffbeat_060703165605

by Zachary Slobig
Mon Jul 3, 12:56 PM ET



LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A Christian missionary group making the rounds at US adult entertainment conventions hands out Bibles with "Jesus loves porn stars" stamped on their covers.

Jesus loves porn stars just as much as he does pastors and soccer moms, XXXchurch contends.

The outreach team from XXXchurch, calling itself a "porn ministry," distributes paperback New Testaments with a gaudy purple-and-yellow cover reading: "Jesus loves porn stars."

Its website, billed as the number-one Christian porn site, includes downloadable Bible studies and an array of "prayer software," including "accountability programs" designed to help users resist pornographic temptation.

The Bible's text, in everyday conversational English, includes this introduction from XXXchurch:

"Jesus loves pornographers as much as he loves pastors, soccer moms, liars, thieves and prostitutes. We're all just people who need God to save us from the mess we're in, and lead us to a better way."

Pornography brings in more revenue in the US than all of professional football, baseball and basketball franchises combined, according to the conservative research group Family Safe Media.

XXXchurch has taken its message on the road for "porn Sundays," a traveling seminar "to bring healing and recovery to those struggling with pornography."

The group estimates that over half of Christian ministers use pornography regularly, and are determined to expose "America's dirty little secret." It is not made explicitly clear how XXXchurch arrived at this number.

Its pastor, J.R. Mahon, and founding pastor Craig Gross, have published a book titled "Starving Jesus" outlining their unorthodox missionary views. The cover features a cartoon image of an emaciated Jesus with blinking bug eyes dragging a cross.

Their mission: to change church culture inside out.

"We're sick of pastors with planes, pastors with record deals, pastors with bodyguards," writes Mahon. "Give to the poor, evangelize on a city street, bring the hooker to church, just get off your butt and do something."

At the recent Los Angeles Erotica convention, Mahon spent three days spreading his message. One convention visitor, armed with a camera for snapshots of favorite pornographic actresses, was perplexed by the pastors' gift of a pocket-sized Bible.

"It's the real deal, no naked chicks in there, just the word of the lord," said Mahon. "Well, I don't really read, but thanks," the conventioneer replied before rushing off to collect autographs.

"We're not here to tell people they're going to hell," said Mahon. "We just want people to know that we dig God and we want them to dig him too."

But some believe there are better ways to attract potential converts.

"Christ would never compromise or stoop to their level. Mary came to him, remember? He didn't go to the whore house using words like sex and porn," said a typical entry in the hate mail section of the XXXchurch website.

"It's nothing but a gimmick to you, an excuse to mingle with the perverts. You talk more about porn than you do Jesus Christ," it said.

Mahon admits his ministry has received mixed reactions in the Christian community. "When we first started this thing four years ago, some people looked at us and thought we were working for the devil," Mahon said.

The young ministers also had trouble finding a publisher for their porn-fighting Bible. The American Bible Society, one of the oldest Bible publishers in the US, refused to print it.

"Out of a sense of propriety, ABS felt that the wording 'Jesus Loves Porn Stars' was misleading and inappropriate for a New Testament cover," the company said in April.

Despite flaps over its methods, XXXchurch continues to make the rounds of porn conventions and congregations nationwide in its "porn mobile" -- a black, customized SUV splattered with an eyebrow raising logo.

"These are the perfect places to find people to love God," said Mahon. "If Jesus was here today, he'd go to the porn shows."

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY navytron89)

Today, we again celebrate the freedom our fore fathers fought for; standing against a tyrant and his minions. Now we enjoy those freedoms everywhere or at least attempt to. The Religious Reich once again courts the GOP and schemes to move their (evil) agenda forward to make a "Free and Democratic America" into a land of Theocratic  Domination. We must stand up and be ever vigilant against the forces of tyrants and despots who hide behind the facades of religion and fundamentalism. 

Remember Good men and women who do nothing are still helping evil win by default. 

The latest news from American United about the next phase of the Religious Reich agenda 


We must all do something to protect our country wether its putting on a uniform and serving in the armed forces or speaking out against evil. 

It is the responsibility of all Americans to protect that very freedom we celebrate and sometimes take for granted. 

America is our home  and its our basic duty to defend it from enemies both foreign and domestic.....