Gay in Iran? Try a Sex Change

The NYTimes ran an article investigating the status of homosexuals in Iran, as a follow up to Ahmadinejad’s denial of there existence. I found this bit on transsexuals particularly interesting:
But Iran has also taken the unusual step of encouraging sex change operations for those with homosexual tendencies. While religious authorities here view homosexuality a clear [...]

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McCain: US is a Christian Nation

The pandering to the religious right never seems to end for McCain. Beliefnet has just posted an interview on religion and politics. Some of the gems from the interview:
Q: It doesn’t seem like a Muslim candidate would do very well, according to that standard.
A: I admire the Islam. There’s a lot of good principles [...]

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The Fate of the Death Penalty

From NYT:
A day after the United States Supreme Court halted an execution in Texas at the last minute, Texas officials made clear on Friday that they would nonetheless proceed with more executions in coming months, including one next week.
Though several other states are halting lethal injections until it is clear whether they are constitutional, Texas [...]

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Lesbianism and the Book of Ruth

Cory Tucholski from Josiah Concept Ministries has challenged my interpretation of the book of Ruth. My response is as follows:
I will grant you that my initial post on the Book of Ruth lacked depth. Though I also feel that you present a somewhat naïve interpretation yourself, as you fail to address the language and the [...]

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More Wisdom from African Bishops: Condoms Cause AIDS

It seems now that since the nexus of Christianity is shifting from the global north to the south, we’re getting more church leaders saying outrageously extreme things. I’ve written before about the down right hateful comments made by Bishop Issaac Orama (which are under dispute).
Now there’s Archbishop Francisco Chimoio of Mozambique, who is [...]

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Romney: Protecting Kids from the Mere Thought that Gay People Exist

Mitt Romney issued the following press release this morning:
Last night’s debate was just the latest example of how out of touch the Democratic presidential candidates are with the American people. Not one candidate was uncomfortable with young children learning about same-sex marriage in the second grade. This is a subject that should be left to [...]

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Sen. Craig Votes Against Hate Crime Amendment

Senator Craig has apparently voted against the Kennedy hate crimes amendment, which would add gays to the federal hate crime statute.
If he voted against gays, he can’t possibly be gay, right?
Let’s see if the court reviewing his bathroom sex sting case buys it.
UPDATE: the hate crimes measure passed the Senate this morning by a vote [...]

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Gen. Pace Attacks Gays in the Military, Again

In a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing yesterday, outgoing Joint Chiefs Chairman General Pace reiterated his belief that gays are immoral and that they don’t belong in the military.
I find it infuriating that Pace still claims that he respects gay troops while consistently scolding them with his self righteous moral speak. What’s more, his concern with [...]

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Verizon Policy Reversal

As an update to my earlier post, Verizon officials have decided to allow text messages from Naral after all, according to NYT.
Very quick turnaround, seeing as the initial policy was just reported last night.  I’d be willing to be bloggers had a good deal to do with this reversal.

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Dawkins Duped by Creationists

According to the NYT, Richard Dawkins was misled into giving an interview for the new documentary on the oppressive close mindedness of those who think lessons on creationism don’t belong in the science classroom. The documentary, “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed,” is hosted by Ben Stein, and from the looks of the trailer, it Michael Moore-esque.
The [...]

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Verizon: The Fox News of Phone Plans

Or just the FCC? I get confused sometimes, anyway….
Interesting bit from NYT today over Verizon’s refusal to allow customers to receive text updates from NARAL. Verizon has cited their right to block “controversial or unsavory” text messages.  From the article:
The dispute over the Naral messages is a skirmish in the larger battle over the question [...]

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Procreation: A Counter Argument

And now I would like to devote another post, as a follow up to previous ones, on refuting the argument that the purpose of civil marriage is procreation, as the Maryland Supreme Court found.
Opponents to same sex marriage also argue that the prohibition of gay couples from marrying rests on the fundamentally procreative purpose of [...]

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‘Protecting Traditional Marriage’: A Counter Argument

In a follow up to my previous post about the Maryland Supreme Court decision which upheld the state’s statute defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman, I’m going to devote this post to countering the argument that the ban serves the legitimate state purpose of protecting traditional marriage. The following analysis [...]

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A Random Look at the Bible

Happy are those who find wisdom,
and thos who get understanding,
for her income is better than silvere,
and her revenue better than gold.
Proverbs (3:13-14)

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Fair and Balanced News in Nigeria

The anti-gay statements of Bishop Isaac Orama of Nigeria that I wrote about in a previous post are apparently not true. I was informed of this through a comment on my post, reportedly from the state owned Nigerian News Agency, which originally reported the story. The last line of the retraction letter I received [...]

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Maryland Court Upholds Discrimination

This morning, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld the state statute which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman in a 4-3 decision.
The court found that 1) the statue does not discriminate on the basis of gender 2) that sexual orientation is neither a suspect or quasi-suspect class, whereby discriminatory laws [...]

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Homosexuals ‘Not Fit to Live’ Says Anglican Bishop

“Homosexuality and lesbianism are inhuman. Those who practice them are insane, satanic and are not fit to live because they are rebels to God’s purpose for man.”
That quotation comes from Rt. Rev. Isaac Orama, Anglican Bishop of Uyo, Nigeria in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
Sadly, in Nigeria, gays actually do face the [...]

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Fundamentalist Christian Leader James Kennedy Dies

James Kennedy of the Coral Ridge megachurch died today at the age of 76. He was an influential figure of the religious right (a founding board member of the Moral Majority and founder of Reclaiming America for Christ) who preached simple minded Christianity and hatred.
Right Wing Watch and Americans United for the Separation of [...]

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Christian Advocacy Law Firms

The Chicago Tribune writes about how Christian advocacy law firms (like the Thomas More Law Center) are popping up around the country. The article primarily covers the American Center for Law and Justice, which was founded by Pat Robertson in 1990 and has employs over 130 people and has an annual budget of $35 million. [...]

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Outing Anti-Gay Homosexual Politicians

The Washington Post ran an article yesterday about Mike Rogers, blogger from BlogActive, who’s goal is to out closeted gay politicians who support anti-gay policies. Rogers’ targets have included Senator Larry Craig, Virginia Congressman Ed Schrock, and Congressman Mark Foley. Rogers is also aiming to out 33 more closeted Congressman with anti-gay records.
Rogers [...]

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