The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters
This Category is to cover those stories related to issues of sexual orientation.
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), one of the extreme right-wing fringe groups, has what they think is a hip new campaign they called 2M4M. Kind of like the tea-baggers, I’m guessing they didn’t think through the title completely before going public. But that’s just fine, since it gives us all plenty to laugh about. And Joe Sudbay at Americablog has tipped me off to hilarious video by Andy Cobb about the 2M4M initiative by NOM.
Read moreMr. President, I was finally prompted to write you after reviewing the Motion and Brief submitted by W. Scott Simpson, Chief Trial Counsel of your Department of Justice in the case of Smelt and Hammer v. United States. I’m no attorney, but even a layman can determine bigoted and hateful reasoning when it rears its head. I voted for you with high expectations that your administration would return this country to the principles of fairness, respect, and government of, by and for the people as set forth so eloquently by our founding fathers. Thus far, I am gravely disappointed in the actions of your administration.
Read moreI have held off posting on this whole Miss USA conflagration. I thought it mostly much ado about nothing, but now everyone seems to be jumping into the act. Not suprisingly, the krazy kristian kooks are trying to martyr Miss Jugs for Jesus.
Read moreU.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx represents the congressional district that includes my alma mater, and she has attended ASU events and activities to advance her political career and give her an undeserved credibility. Over the past several days, Rep. Foxx has made a number of inflammatory statements during the House’s consideration of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. Today, Rep. Foxx crossed a line when she took to the floor of the House, claimed that Shepard was killed as part of a robbery, and called the hate aspect of the crime “a hoax.”
Read moreThe krazy kristian kooks have their knickers all in a wad over the gay marriage situation in Iowa and Vermont, and their responses are predictably idiotic. Basically we can’t allow equal protection under the law because it violates their religious sensibilities.
Read moreMark Twain said, “Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” Rick Warren, darling of the “intellectual evangelicals,” is learning that lesson the hard way this week after an appearance on Larry King Live. Obviously I don’t agree with the evangelical view on homosexuality, and believe they are misreading the Bible based on many years of misinterpretation by their clerics, but I understand their right to believe as they wish. One thing, though, I’m fairly clear about is that lying is pretty much frowned upon throughout the Bible, yet Warren decides to play fast and loose with the truth. Now, even the evangelicals are mad at him.
Read moreFrom the, “it would be funny if it weren’t so sad” category, we have the Christian Anti-Defamation League listing their top 10 examples of Christians being “bashed” in 2008. It includes things like Obama defaming Christianity by claiming to be Christian. Give the video below a watch.
Read moreThe Supreme Court has declined to take up the case of a Kentucky High School student who wants to sue the school district for barring him from expressing opposition to homosexuality. Morrison, a senior at Boyd County High School, sued the Boyd County school district over a policy that required students to undergo anti-harassment training. He claimed the policy threatened him with punishment for expressing religious beliefs in opposition to homosexuality.
Read moreJim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin seems to have found out why the Proposition 8 people were so hell bent in trying to prohibit the release of the names of donors to their campaign to take away the rights of Gay people in California. It seems the LDS had way more to do with this than they were claiming. (And by the Church, I mean the church corporate…not just “members.”) Burroway reports they had 190,000 reasons to prevent the disclosure. Seems the LDS provided lots of official corporate support and in-kind services.
Read moreFor those of you living under a rock, President Elect Obama has invited Rick Warren, from the Saddleback Mega-Church, to deliver the invocation at Obama’s inauguration. Gay rights and other activists groups have strenuously objected, and Obama and his aides have made any number of statements defending the choice with the tired old line of how the Obama campaign has always been about “uniting people” and showing how “we can disagree without being disagreeable.” So let me be clear in my response. In the case of claims by the Warren supporters (including you Obama), they are correct. I am being intolerant and am applying the standard applied by Warren and his supporters to love the sinner and hate the sin. I believe that the sin of hate and bigotry, most especially when used for monetary gain, should never ever be tolerated. I guess that fits the definition of intolerance, so I am guilty as charged.
Read moreIt’s 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A vibrant, charismatic priest, Father Flynn, is trying to upend the school’s strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the country, and, indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James, a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius is galvanized to begin a crusade to both unearth the truth and expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shred of proof or evidence except her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn, a battle that threatens to tear apart the Church and school with devastating consequences. This is an excellent must-see movie.
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