LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

This AlterNet article talks about the religious right's gobbling up of low power FM translator licenses. They tried to take the translator licenses from our Public Radio station, but we actually prevailed.

Here's an excerpt:

For years, media reform activists have fought valiantly to force the FCC to issue licenses for low power radio stations. Their dream: to create a space on the radio dial for true locally produced community programming, untainted by the profit considerations of large media conglomerates. Low power radio would finally give voice to those who needed it most: people of color, low-income communities, local organizations.

Five years after their victory, community radio has become the bastion of Christian programming. LPFM is being squeezed off the radio dial by religious broadcasters who are gobbling up FM frequencies at an astonishing speed. Their weapon of choice: low power translators.

While much of the media coverage of rightwing groups and low power radio has focused on low power licenses -- they represent about half of the applications (344) for the FCC low power licenses -- these broadcasters dominate low power frequencies primarily by acquiring translator licenses.

Translators, which range in power from 10 to 250 watts, were created by the FCC to help boost signals of existing stations in areas where the terrain can hamper their signals. Christian broadcasters use these translators to transmit programs from their bigger full-power stations. Unlike commercial stations – which can only have a translator within the receivable range of the full-power "parent" station – non-commercial groups such as religious broadcasters can place their translators at any distance and feed them via satellite or other means. As a result, one full-power station can be used to broadcast programming across a number of states, vastly extending its reach, especially in rural areas. And the more translators take up low power frequencies in a community, the less room for local radio stations on the FM dial. More importantly, Christian radio networks can gain access to small communities without having to produce any local programming -- since the FCC forbids translator stations from airing such programming.

The end result: community radio is literally being crowded off the radio by religious broadcasters.

The most notorious of the Christian broadcasters who abuse translator licenses is Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls, Idaho, which owns only 34 full-power radio stations, but transmits programming to 361 translators across the country from its flagship station, KAWZ.

I notice that when I dial around the shortwave, the majority of stations in English are also evangelical.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

twistedchick talks about the "open season on judges" declared by the Dominionist ruled Republicans. They've reintroduced a bill that

Amends the Federal judicial code to prohibit the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal district courts from exercising jurisdiction over any matter in which relief is sought against an entity of Federal, State, or local government or an officer or agent of such government concerning that entity's, officer's, or agent's acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government.

Prohibits a court of the United States from relying upon any law, policy, or other action of a foreign state or international organization in interpreting and applying the Constitution, other than English constitutional and common law up to the time of adoption of the U.S. Constitution.

Provides that any Federal court decision relating to an issue removed from Federal jurisdiction by this Act is not binding precedent on State courts.

Provides that any Supreme Court justice or Federal court judge who exceeds the jurisdictional limitations of this Act shall be deemed to have committed an offense for which the justice or judge may be removed, and to have violated the standard of good behavior required of Article III judges by the Constitution.

They tried this (and failed) in 2003. They're going to keep at it until it passes, or they get impeached.

twistedchick says, "No way can this be called conservative -- it is a radical reworking of the law and the power of the judiciary. It is punitive to judges who interpret the law in the traditional manner. It abridges case law and constitutional law occurring since the Constitution was adopted in 1787. It expressly unites church and state, and makes religion the source of law and justice -- which opens up the possibility of changing any law that is not aligned with the religious beliefs of whoever is in power."

This must be fought. It will kill the Constitution as we know it, and turn the courts into religious courts, dispensing Biblical justice. For non-Christians, 'heretics', women, and especially homosexuals, this means almost certain death, if the extreme Dominionists have their way.

Here's another look at this "Constitution Restoration Act". I find it ironic the 'newspeak' involved in naming this bill- it's going to destroy the Constitution, not 'restore' it. Sort of like 'Healthy Forests' and "Clear Skies"...

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

The Cold Embrace is an essay that shows in chilling detail how many Dominionists think. It focuses on Randall Terry, one of the most virulent and violent of them all. Here are some significant quotes from Terry:

"I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you... I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good... Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a biblical duty, we are called by God, to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism."

***

"When I, or people like me, are running the country, you'd better flee, because we will find you, we will try you, and we'll execute you. I mean every word of it. ... I will make it part of my mission to see to it that they are tried and executed.

"You say, 'This is extreme!' Yeah, you're right. But imagine God Almighty sending people to hell just because they didn't follow His son? That's extreme. That's intolerance. Imagine Jesus saying that all other religions are false. Christianity claims to be the only way."( Read more... )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kalibex)

Interesting D.U. board thread regarding religious (Christian) skywriting observed recently over Florida beaches...

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

I've been playing a bit with the style settings on this community. I was finding the red-and-black theme to be a bit oppressive, especially in the light of a lot of the material posted here. So, I've changed it a bit- for readability as well as ease on the eyes.

Hope you like it.

Your moderator