The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters
A general category for things related to our society and how we interact with one another.
An appeals committee has reversed a clergy court verdict in the case of Irene Elizabeth “Beth” Stroud. The Northeastern Jurisdiction Committee on Appeals announced its decision at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time today, after hearing Stroud’s appeal April 28. Stroud lost her credentials as a United Methodist minister on Dec. 2 after a clergy trial, which stemmed from her acknowledgment that she is a practicing lesbian.
Read moreRyan Dobson has written a new book, just in time to take full advantage of pre-Rapture shopping season. “Be Intolerant” is the title of this soon to be classic primer on hate and it is clearly aimed at the rather vacuous minds of hip, young, evangelical dudes and chicks everwhere.
Read moreRepublican Alabama lawmaker Gerald Allen says homosexuality is an unacceptable lifestyle. As CBS News Correspondent Mark Strassmann reports, under his bill, public school libraries could no longer buy new copies of plays or books by gay authors, or about gay characters.
Read moreAs is so often the case, I?m trying to follow the logic in James “Krazy Kristian Kook” Dobson’s speech at the “Justice Sunday” (motto: Gonna Get Legislative On Your Asses) Conference. Ye ?ole bouncing ball of logic was careening around that Louisville church like a rabbit on a meth binge.
Read moreAmerica, with 1,516 U.S. fatalities in Iraq as of March 16, 2005, pays little public attention to its war dead. Indeed, aside from the printed obituaries in metro sections of dailies, there is little acknowledgment by the government or substantial reporting in the media of the soldiers who perish in Iraq and the families they leave behind. We do not see or hear them. They die alone on the hot sands of Iraq and their survivors grieve privately on American soil.
Read moreAmerica, with 1,516 U.S. fatalities in Iraq as of March 16, 2005, pays little public attention to its war dead. Indeed, aside from the printed obituaries in metro sections of dailies, there is little acknowledgment by the government or substantial reporting in the media of the soldiers who perish in Iraq and the families they leave behind. We do not see or hear them. They die alone on the hot sands of Iraq and their survivors grieve privately on American soil.
Read moreA key argument espoused by American supporters of our imperialistic policies in the Middle East is that the Islamic theocracies pose a threat to American security because of their radical nature. Yet here at home, we have our own radical religious fundamentalists clamoring to form a theocracy.
Read moreIn light of the threat’s by certain members of Congress against judges, and given this weekend’s conference pitting “people of faith” against people who believe in the Constitution, I think it might be timely to note the words of a great Indian leader from North America’s past:
Read moreA British resident has claimed he was tortured by US guards at Guantanamo Bay, suffering violent sexual assaults, near drowning and an attack in which he was blinded.
Read moreI was saddened this week to learn that, by definition of U.S. Senator (and Senate Majority Leader) Dr. Bill (I’ll diagnose you via videotape for a nominal contribution….ahhhh…I mean fee) Frist, and the Family Research Council, I am no longer a person of faith. That may be true. My lifelong allegience to Christianity is certainly being challenged by the Krazy Kristian Kooks, and if being a person of faith means relinquishing my rights and freedoms to the Kooks…then I withdraw my membership.
Read moreIn today’s op/ed column in the New York Times, David Books places blame for the dissolution of national discourse, for
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