LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY nebris)

How should youth in The Restored Church of God approach blogs? Are there biblical principles that apply? Some teenagers in the world admit that blogging is pointless; should RCG youth feel the same?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY hummingwolf)

Those of you who enjoy Slacktivist's excellent series of Left Behind critiques might also be interested in the Cynic Sage's posts on Every Man's Battle. For those unfamiliar with EMB, it's a series of books (and seminars and lunchboxes(?)) marketed to Christian men who are concerned about their masculinity and sexual purity. If you tune into your local Christian radio station, there's a good chance these books or books like them will be part of the conversation after a while. Interesting look at the intersection of marketing and cultural warfare.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kengr)

I was rather surprised to see a group of fundies in Portland's Pride parade today.

They were relatively well behaved, but even so.

Pics below the cut.
( Warning, one of the signs they are carrying has a rather gross picture of an aborted fetus )

I can imagine what would have happened if we'd tried that at one of their parades. Then again, given the tricks a few gay groups have pulled to get included in some secular parades...

ETA: from what someone earlier on the parade route says, the fundies apparently snuck into the parade.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY mysticknyght)

Radical Cleric Dobson has already come out against Rudy, and the rank-and-file fundigelicals have their concerns about Romney:

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Here's the problem with electing a Mormon president, as Jason Thurman sees it: "I don't believe he would be guided by God."

Thurman, 26, is tidying the annotated Bibles in the Shepherd's Fold bookstore. Over by the rack of Christian CDs, his co-worker Marty Thomas raises a similar concern.

"When it comes right down to it," says Thomas, 40, "a Mormon's strength is human. A Christian person's strength is superhuman. I want [a president] who has that extra on his side."

Of course, there are some who are a bit more pragmatic:

This is not an arcane theological dispute; to some born-again Christians, it's at the very core of presidential leadership. If Romney does not understand what they take to be God's true nature, can he still receive divine guidance? If he doesn't accept the Trinity as they conceptualize it, can he still be filled with the strength of the Holy Spirit?

Some evangelicals answer "yes" to such questions: "Just because he's Mormon doesn't mean God can't bless the country through him," says Carissa James, 36, a pastor's wife in this suburban community of 50,000.

I wonder if this woman's husband realizes she's this far off the reservation?

The article is an interesting read. Were the Mittster to become the front-runner, the GOP could form a circular firing squad that has only been rivalled by Democrats. Romney talks the talk, but he walks a strict Mormon walk. His moral values are in line with rank-and-file fundigelicals, but his theology is out the box as far as their pastors are concerned. With the radical clerics calling Romney's church a cult and the average redneck/racist/homophobe Republican voter wanting to maintain control of the white house, Romney presents an even greater dilemma than Rudy.

If Romney starts winning primaries, we could see some neat Republican fratricide. Pass the popcorn.