LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY inkedgeekfreak)

Reading CNN and stumbled on an article about the Patriot Guard. It's a group of bikers that arrive at soldiers funerals to counter the protesting of Phelps and his gang. Basically the bikers hold flags to block the grieving fmailies view of Westboro's members and chant USA to drown out the incessant droning of the baptists. Read the article

Personally think this is an ingenious way to counter their absurd notion that soldiers die because the USA houses queers. But then again, I think most of what comes our of their mouth is absurd.

Also, I did not know that the Westboro's congregation is mostly extended family with little other support or ties to any bigger religious affiliation.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY tko_ak)

First, I apologize if this type of post isn't allowed, but I thought it may be acceptable so I figured, why not? I realize it may not fit with this community, and I originally wasn't going to post here, but I was encouraged to do so in christianleft by someone who thought members of this community might be receptive.

Anyway, I founded and maintain gsa_lj, and in an attempt to increase membership in under-represented groups, I've decided to try and get more religious people to join. Unfortunately, many members are pretty militantly athiest, which is fine, but I hate to see people hostile to religion because all they've seen is anti-gay crap spewed. Admittedly, much of it is anti-Christian bias.

So, check the community out. You may like it. We have Christian members, but I'm trying to increase those ranks with tolerant, open-minded, and gay friendly folks. I want people to realize that religion and God doesn't equal intolerance, hate, or homophobia.

Again, I apologize if this type of post isn't allowed.

Cordially,

Jamie
Founder & Maintainer, gsa_lj
jlhobson@gmail.com

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY wyldraven)

Casting Stones: An Army of radical Christian Reconstructionists is preparing a campaign to convert conservative fundamentalist churches. By David Holthouse of the Southern Poverty Law Center

Interesting, if somewhat sarcastic, analysis of Mark Rushdoony and the Chalcedon Foundation.

( Full Text behind the cut )

More about the Chalcedon Foundation, in their own words, can be found here and here.

Be certain to have a few grains of salt ready should you delve into the Chalcedon web site.

x-posted to my personal journal.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY vanar_en_daeor)

Rehabilitated by Vatican, Hans Küng reflects on laws of nature and God

Hans Küng is not a man afraid of challenging authority. The liberal Swiss priest has confronted the Vatican so often that he was barred from teaching Catholic theology in 1979 and was long a “persona non grata” in Rome.

He also has clear ideas about where theologians should not tread. The row about evolution and intelligent design, a major issue in the United States, is a case where he says believers should not claim to know more science than the scientists.

As a man of faith, Küng sees God reflected in creation, but says this does not mean the Almighty tinkers with the laws of nature or creates life forms so complex they could not have evolved.

( Read more... )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

The power of the internet meets the power of the blogswarm.

Seems that the Speaker of the Indiana House got an earful after the blogswarm spreading his high-handed behavior to the world got back to him. His horrid behavior towards a Jewish delegation protesting secterian prayer in the statehouse really got around.

More here.

The bottom line: blogswarms work!

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY arliss)

Mark Joseph had this to say in response to the Anne Lamott article I posted earlier today:

"I almost fell off of my stationary bike when I read this piece by author Anne Lamott. I'm no theologian, but this sure doesn't sound very Christian or very tolerant. I often hear how intolerant the religious right is, but if this is any indication, the religious left packs a mean punch too."

And Jane Smiley replies.

"When Christians talk about secular Americans being "tolerant" of Christian beliefs, they are misusing the word. What conservative Christians want is not toleration, but social control. Toleration takes place between two people who know one another, and is a feature of personal relationships. Social control is about who gets the power to dictate policy and law."

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

A judge has decided that a woman's contact with the satrical religious group "Church of the SubGenius" was enough to take custody of her son away from her.

Bartholomew's Notes on Religion has more links and details.

But here's the "Dark Christian" connection: the photos that the staunchly Catholic judge viewed contained a parody of "The Passion of the Christ", which enraged him so badly that he went ballistic:

The judge, allegedly a very strict Catholic, became outraged at the photos of the X-Day parody of Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ — especially the photo where Jesus [Steve Bevilacqua] is wearing clown makeup and carrying a crucifix with a pool-noodle dollar sign on it while being beaten by a crowd of SubGenii, including a topless woman with a “dildo”.

…Judge Punch lost his temper completely, and began to shout abuse at Rachel, calling her a “pervert,” “mentally ill,” “lying,” and a participant in “sex orgies.” The judge ordered that Rachel is to have absolutely no contact with her son, not even in writing, because he felt the pictures of X-Day performance art were evidence enough to suspect “severe mental illness”…

What is it about the super religious and their lack of a sense of humor? There are links to BoingBoing, Talk To Action, and Jesus General, as well as links to the Church of the SubGenius, for those who are curious.

The Church of the SubGenius is sometimes thought to be synergystic with the Discordians and Erisians, and is a freewheeling, sex-positive, freethinking, often hilarious, and sometimes outrageous group. Don't go to their website if you're of a delicate religious sensibility- they have something to offend everyone.