Intelligent Design Downed In Utah
DefCon Clark printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Tue Feb 28, 2006 at 11:54:20 AM EST
Yesterday in a 28-46 vote, the Utah House of Representatives voted to defeat a bill pushed by Republican Sen. Chris Buttars that would have required teachers to present alternatives to evolution, which is long form for the state sanctioned teaching of intelligent design.

As in Ohio earlier this month, where DefCon members sent 30,000 emails to pro-intelligent design Ohio school board members, yesterday's vote came after DefCon members sent an astonishing 455,000 emails to 75 members of the Utah House of Representatives, illustrating the ever growing opposition to intelligent design and shutting down the House of Representatives' computer server in the process.

(252 words in story)
An introduction to the Anglican "Global South"
ajg printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Mon Feb 27, 2006 at 05:49:38 AM EST

Recent struggles within the Episcopal Church and the the Worldwide Anglican Communion, to which it belongs have pitted (as the IRD associated, Ahmanson funded American conservatives would frame things) the degenerate, gay-friendly American Episcopal Church against the oppressed, biblically orthodox and numerically superior provinces of the Anglican "Global South." Indeed, Anglican Archbishops (sometimes called primates) in a number of African provinces (most notable Nigeria, who's Archbishop is their de-facto leader), along with West Indies, and the numerically smaller provinces of Southeast Asia and the Southern Cone (of South America, which includes Argentina and Chile). Have been at the forefront of condemning the Episcopal Church for the actions of the their General Convention in 2003.

An excellent discussion of recent developments is provided in Saturday's Washinton Post by Bishop John Chane of the Episcopal Diocese of Wahshington (D.C.)

(21 comments, 856 words in story)
Talk to Action Site Guidelines Udated
Frederick Clarkson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Sat Feb 25, 2006 at 01:53:16 AM EST
Much has happened since we launched Talk to Action last November.

Our site traffic has risen steadily -- we currently average 1,200 visitors per day, and have over 900 registered users. Not bad at all for such a specialized site.

As difficult and controversial as our subject matter can be, we have managed to sustain a remarkably civil and engaging conversation among quite a range of kinds of people. Nothing like it has ever been attempted, and I think that we are demonstrating that it not only should be done, but it can be done -- and done well.  

Congratulations everyone!

(1 comment, 1293 words in story)
Secular Strife and the Principles of Impartial Justice
Alonzo Fyfe printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Fri Feb 24, 2006 at 10:30:39 PM EST
I have been using the current struggle in Iraq, and the threat of civil war, to illustrate the importance of several principles of justice.

Those principles include:

(1) Punish the guilty; let the innocent go free.
(2) Presume innocence unless guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
(3) Prove guilt by presenting evidence to an impartial judge and/or jury.

I also use it to explain why it is wrong to cover the "public square" with the religious symbols of any one sect. Iraq makes clear how such a move cannot be expected to promote an atmosphere of peace and mutual respect among different sects that may exist in a community.

(2315 words in story)
Wow! The IRS is paying attention?
Psyche printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Fri Feb 24, 2006 at 04:46:58 PM EST
According to an AP release: IRS: Charities Overstepping Into Politics it looks like the IRS has been paying some attention.
(3 comments, 450 words in story)
US Christian Reconstructionist In Ugandan Jail Over Illegal Guns
Richard Bartholomew printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 11:17:36 PM EST
Strange news from Uganda. Peter E Waldron, a long-time Christian Reconstructionist activist and businessman, is currently in jail facing possible terror charges after police allegedly found illegal guns and ammunition in his house. Police think he may be planning to form a new Christian political party in Uganda, and that he may have links to an as-yet unknown group in DR Congo.
(7 comments, 1841 words in story)
Vision America: The War Against Christians
Lorie Johnson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 10:45:05 AM EST
The War on Christians and the Values Voter of 2006

Washington DC

Omni Shoreham Hotel

March 27-28 2006

Confirmed speakers include:

Senator Sam Brownback

Senator John Cornyn

Congressman Tom DeLay

Congressman Todd Akin

Congressman Louis Gohmert

Rick Scarborough

Phyllis Schlafly

Alan Keyes

Gary Bauer

Janet Parshall

Panels Include:

The Gay Agenda: America Won't Be Happy

The ACLU And Radical Secularism: Driving God From The Public Square

Hollywood: Christians Through A Distorted Lens

Jews Confront The War On Christians

The Judiciary: Overruling God

The Media: Megaphone For Anti-Faith Values

Taking Our Faith To The Ballot Box

(8 comments)
Synergy with Street Prophets
Frederick Clarkson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 12:37:37 AM EST
Talk to Action and Street Prophets, a blog about religion and politics -- are different, but share much in common. Indeed, Pastordan who operates Street Prophets, was one of the founders of this site.

Our sites share a lot of common interests, readers, writers, and perspectives.  

If you are not familiar with Street Prophets, let me introduce you by way of recommending three posts:  

(7 comments, 286 words in story)
Belly of the Beast Report 3
tikkun printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 02:02:02 PM EST
Please bear with and read through the following report.  I realize that the details of this diary can leave one glassy eyed, but the links between denominational governing bodies, individual churches and the IRD are rarely obvious or direct. For some time I've known that the Episcopal Diocese of Albany was connected with the IRD but I was damned if I could find the concrete connection.


Yesterday I roamed through the websites of organizations that came up when I googled Diocese of Albany. Finally, after hours of mind numbing reading, the following relationship between the American Anglican Council, (USA), the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD), and The Anglican Communion Network (world wide parallel to the AAC) popped!!  The concrete link between the Diocese of Albany and the IRD showed up in the affiliate organizations of the AAC. The IRD is listed as an AAC Affliliate Ministry on the AAC website.  The Diocese of Albany is listed and linked to the AAC as an Affiliate Parish (rather than as an affiliate diocese).  I'm not sure what the politics of that odd affiliation are other than the dust up that occurred when Herzog was forced to resign as an officer of the AAC.

Further investigation mined the following information about one way money is channeled to rogue religious groups.

(14 comments, 754 words in story)
Go to South Carolina, Ye Christian
cyncooper printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 10:04:47 AM EST
USA Today is reporting on a new movement of Christians to go to South Carolina, where they believe they can take over the government.

The story, on Christian Exodus believes that the state is ripe for takeover and is encouraging people to move from across the country to install right-wing conservative views.  So says founder Cory Burnell.


Burnell has picked six counties as the first targets for local action. And in the ones where he once estimated it would take 500 emigrants to turn the tide, he now says it will take 100.

By 2008, he hopes to see a strong presence of Christian Exodus-backed candidates in all six counties, and he anticipates an "overwhelmingly impact" statewide elections in 2014.

The idea isn't as far-fetched as it may sound, said Laura Olson, a political science professor at Clemson University who studies religion's influence on politics.

"In many states I would say no chance, but in a state like South Carolina ... where lots of people are on that sort of boat to begin with, it's the sort of thing that's not unfathomable," she said.

(3 comments, 227 words in story)
Catholic judge takes child from SubGenius mother
jasonpitzlwaters printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Tue Feb 21, 2006 at 07:41:34 PM EST
A woman has had custody and all contact with her son taken away after her ex-husband submitted pictures to the judge of her at a SubGenius festival that the child never attended.
(10 comments, 618 words in story)
These scouts pledge to church, family, God : NOT America
Bruce Wilson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Mon Feb 20, 2006 at 05:53:50 PM EST
Last year, a blogger living in Lowell, Mass. organized a rather successful  anti-Fred Phelps rally that raised money - via pledges - in proportion to the number of supporters who showed up at Mr. Phelps rally to endorse his particularly execrable brand of anti-gay hatred.

The "anti-Phelps" rally was a success - only a handful of Phelps supporters came out.

News reports mentioned that most of the few who turned out to support Phelps came from an Assemblies of God church, within the route 495 beltway, in Mass.  

So I looked for the church website. I found it and didn't notice anything obviously odd but I did discover the the Assemblies of God had spun off their own international scouting organization they'd dubbed the "Royal Rangers"

and a  curious aspect of the "Royal Rangers" took a while to sink into my awareness :

The "Royal Rangers" oath.

(40 comments, 771 words in story)


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