History Repeats Itself — Pope George W. Bush?

See if you recognize recent events in the U.S. in this passage talking about the history of the Catholic Church…

The Church turned to its own canon law to authenticate an agency which could enforce adherence to Church authority. In 1231 Pope Gregory IX established the Inquisition as a separate tribunal, independent of bishops and prelates. Its administrators, the inquisitors, were to be answerable only to the Pope. Its inquisitional law replaced the common law tradition of “innocent until proven guilty”with “guilty until proven innocent.” Despite an ostensible trial, inquisitional procedure left no possibility for the suspected to prove his or her innocence; the process resulted in the condemnation of anyone even suspected of heresy. The accused was denied the right of counsel. No particulars were given as to the time or place fo the suspected heresies, or to what kind of heresies were suspected. A suspected friendship with a convicted heretic was also a crime, yet no information was given as to which heretic the accused as to have “adored.” The names of the accusing witnesses were kept secret. One’s only recourse was an appeal to the Pope in Rome which was so futile as to be facical. The friar Bernard Delicieux declared:

…that if St. Peter and St. Paul were accused of ‘adoring’ heretics and were prosecuted after the fashion of the Inquisition, there would be no defense for them.

The inquisitor presided over inquisitional procedure as both prosecutor and judge. While he was technically to arrive at his decision after consulting with an assembly of experts of his choosing, this check to his power was soon abandoned. An inquisitor was selected primarily on the basis of of his zeal to prosecute heretics. He and his assistants, messengers and spies were allowed to carry arms. And in 1245, the Pope granted him the right to absolve these assistants for any acts of violence. This act rendered the Inquisition, which was already free from any secular jurisdiction, unaccountable to even ecclesiastical tribunals. [The Dark Side of Christian History, “Chapter 6: Controlling The Human Spirit”]

Take a moment to let that sink in and think about how many times in history that sort of thing seems to have repeated itself. Witch trials, Nazi Germany, McCarthyism, Kenneth Star ;)… Unchecked power using hate of some group or other to persecute and it’s all unquestioning, all unapologetic, all without regret. It’s all to get more power through fear.

Now think about what has happened in this country in the last five years. People both from this country and not have been taken from their homes, from airports, from their travels and spirited away in secret places, in American prisons, in Gitmo, who knows how many are innocent or how many are guilty. How do you prove you’re innocent when you are presumed guilty from the beginning? How do you prove you’re innocent when your only sin is that you look like you might be dangerous? How do you prove you’re innocent when you’ve been handed over to the Americans by foreign bounty hunters who insist you’re a terrorist? What do you say to prove you aren’t guilty when the American Inquisition doesn’t care really. It’s not about whether you’re innocent; it’s about gaining more power through fear and not even the fear of the arrested. It’s about gaining power through the fear of Americans like you and me, my dear Readers.

Tags: The Dark Side of Christian History, history repeats, George W. Bush, America

Quote of the Day: On Cultural Symbols

“The Golden Arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian Cross.”
– Eric Schlosser

Tags: Quote of the Day, Christian Cross, McDonalds

Creepy “Got Jesus?” TV Commercial

I saw the creepiest and most inappropriate commercial last night for a local church.  It starts off looking like one of those sports shoe or drink commercials where they’re going to tell you to “Just Do It” or make you feel that everything is attainable if you just drink their blue sugar water.  There’s a guy on some high man-made structure out in nature.  The sun is shining, he’s drinking from a sports bottle, there’s inspirational music playing, he’s about to bungee jump.  The music climaxes.  He holds up the drink to the sky and then jumps.  The bungee cord isn’t tethered or something.  Letters come up that say “Got Jesus?”

Then there’s a message about the church near the mall.

I swear to God I was was incredibly offended and disturbed.  That’s why I don’t go to church anymore.   Those people are crazy.  It’s much safer for God and I to keep religion between ourselves.

Tags: Christian, inappropriate advertising

Work Your Brain — 09/02/06

First Some Fun

• Thursday Thirteen #3 — Baggage @ Baggage That Goes With Mine wrote thirteen reasons why the internet is better than real life. This is my favorite.
  

  11. On the internet, you can pop into a forum or a blog and tell a person that their beliefs are dumb, they should be breastfeeding, they should never co-sleep, they should divorce their husband, they should shave their legs, and they should stop wearing mom jeans. In real life, people would punch you in the face.

In Memory Of Katrina

• But you can keep them for the birds and bees — Mac @ PeskyApostrophe wonders about all of that Katrina aid money the U.S. asked for and got from other countries last year. She comes to the same conclusion I did.
  

  I’m appalled at a variety of things when it comes to the Katrina rebuilding effort and FEMA’s role in it all, but this is a whole new level of incompetence. As part of my new job, I am now involved in grant-writing. In a good portion of grants, the grantee expects a report as to how the money was used. While I’m sure these gifts did not come with any reporting requirements, if one of our grantees found out their money had been either wasted or didn’t got to the program for which it was intended that would pretty much guarantee they’d never give money to us again. And you have to wonder if, should another emergency situation arise, these countries would think twice about giving aid money to the U.S. if we’re not going to use it and use it wisely.

• First the Flood, Now the Fight — Spencer S. Hsu @ WashingtonPost.com wrote a special report on the butting of heads between FEMA and state and city officials in the rebuilding of the Gulf States and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. FEMA swears it’s not trying to be difficult but the process seems to be designed to wear down those requesting help until they just give up and either take what little they’ve been given, which isn’t much if anything.
  

  Through hundreds of such disputes large and small, the most costly disaster in U.S. history is fast becoming its most contentious, with appeals and disputes worth nearly a billion dollars bogging down repairs of critical public systems and delaying the return of residents.

  Current and former officials at all levels blame FEMA workers’ inexperience with eligibility rules, weaknesses in U.S. disaster laws and inconsistent treatment by Congress for much of the wrangling. The huge scale of the storm and honest disagreement over whether federal or local taxpayers should pay the tab add to the conflict.

  “Disasters should be difficult to declare. . . . But once you get them, FEMA should not worry about cutting costs,” said Daniel A. Craig, who stepped down in October as head of FEMA’s recovery division and is now consulting for New Orleans. “Public entities are eligible for everything they have lost due to the disaster. It is not up to FEMA to cut corners or makes sure money is saved.”

  Gil H. Jamieson, FEMA’s deputy director for Gulf Coast recovery, agreed that “we’re in this to rebuild the city” and added: “We are not in it to delay for the sake of delay. Are there folks who sometimes hose it up? Absolutely. But I think we’re doing a good job of helping it recover.”

  The disputes come as the costliest part of the recovery begins: restoring water, power, roads, bridges, schools and other public facilities along the Gulf Coast. Agency veterans said the spending will have more impact on the physical rebuilding of the Gulf area than anything else FEMA does over the next decade, possibly eclipsing its role in aiding individual victims of the storm.

  The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, for instance, sustained $446 million in storm losses, said Executive Director Marcia St. Martin. But FEMA has committed just $113 million so far.

  FEMA notes that New Orleans promised U.S. environmental regulators $640 million in repairs before Katrina, and that the antiquated system is too big for the Crescent City’s reduced population.

  “That’s what makes a city — if you don’t have water, sewer and drainage, you don’t have a city,” lamented Robert Jackson, spokesman for the sewer board. “The money so far only scratches the surface of the devastation.

  Hat Tip: Susie @ Suburban Guerrilla

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Tags: Thursday Thirteen, Internet, Hurricane Katrina, FEMA, aid money, Gil H. Jamieson, Daniel A. Craig, Gulf Coast recovery, New Orleans, Islamofascism, George W. Bush, Muslims, women in the media, Support the Troops, defense appropriation bill, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, Iraq, Afghanistan, Congress, Pentagon, Lower 9th Ward, National Hurricane Canter, 9/11, Max Mayfield, Osama bin Laden, Hezbollah, terrorism, Ann Jones, Taliban, NATO, Christians, American Dream, Martin Niemoller, Germany, Nazis, Rocky Anderson, Utah, Salt Lake Tribune, patriotism, lie, Walter Jones, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell, Dick Cheney, Caddam Hussein, Donald Rumsfeld

Recommended Reading - 08/08/06

• Preparing for Martial Law - Jill @ Brilliant at Breakfast reports that President Bush is trying to secretly federalize the National Guard, a move that the National Governors Association is trying to put a stop to.  This is the kind of thing a dictator would do, by the way.
• Might as well face it, they’re addicted to porn… - SpinDentist @ The All Spin Zone reports on a poll revelling what I’ve suspected all along — that there are quite a large number of self-identified Christians involving themselves with porn.  This may be why so many rightwingers are so interested in what everyone else is doing in their bedrooms.
• ABC’s Good Morning America covers story of gay Arabic speaker kicked out of military - John in DC @ AmericaBlog has a link to ABC’s Good Morning America video coverage of the story.  I’ve seen the story reported on several liberal blogs, including Pandagon, but this is the first main stream media coverage I’ve seen.  I have to agree with John that it does appear that the military does seem more interested in it’s witch hunt for homosexuals than in helping itself and in stopping the terrorists.
• Senate ratifies Europe cybercrime convention - Michael Hampton @ Homeland Stupidity reports that as of last Thursday night, “the U.S. can now spy on your Internet activity at the request of a foreign government — even if you are only doing things completely legal.”  It’s called the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime.  What does that mean?  It’s a treaty which requires its signatories to pass laws against breaking into computer systems, child pornography, Internet fraud, computer viruses, denial of service attacks and related crimes.
  

  The treaty requires the U.S. to turn over data stored by Internet Service Providers, and provide real-time interception of your Internet traffic, at the request of a foreign government, whether the offense the foreign government is investigating is a crime in the U.S. or not.

  “That means that countries that have laws limiting free speech on the Net could oblige the F.B.I. to uncover the identities of anonymous U.S. critics, or monitor their communications on behalf of foreign governments,” wrote Electronic Frontier Foundation activist coordinator Danny O’Brien. “American ISPs would be obliged to obey other jurisdictions’ requests to log their users’ behavior without due process, or compensation.”

  “And it applies not just to ‘cyber’ crimes but to digital evidence of any crime, so foreign governments now may begin using U.S. law enforcement to help them gather evidence in all kinds of cases,” wrote Cato Institute Director of Information Policy Studies Jim Harper.

• Gunning for PBS - Steve Aqui @  Donklephant writes about the GOP’s targeting of funding for NPR and PBS and how the GOP would prefer both would just disappear.  Steve points out how hypocritical the GOP is with it’s big tax cuts and it’s attempts to eliminate the estate tax and yet it claims there’s no money to help handicap children or pay for public radio and television or reduce the deficit.

Tags: PBS, NPR, GOP, Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, ABC, Good Morning America, Christians, George W. Bush, National Guard, National Governors Association, EFF

Why Is Jesus’ Virginity So Important To The Christian Church?

With all the hoopla over The Da Vinci Code movie coming out this month and the mainstream media and blogosphere reporting on the Teen “Virginity Pledges”, I have to admit I’ve been pondering the big questions about religion and faith and “The Christian Church”.

Mostly, I’ve been wondering what the big deal about virginity is. (As the World’s Oldest Virgin, I have the right to wonder.)

O.K. I get that Jesus’ birth was a miracle virgin birth signifying that only God himself could have actually impregnated Mary. I see where that is significant.

But what I don’t get is this big hang up by the Christian Church on Jesus’ virginity. Why is it so vital to their Faith that he be virginally chaste for 30+ years?

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Tags: Christian Church, Virginity Pledges, Jesus, Da Vinci Code, virgin, Faith, religion

Afghan Could Die For Christianity

Imagine living in a country where you cannot choose what god you want to worship or how you wish to worship or even if you wish to worship. Imagine living in a country where making that very choice could mean life or death. Imagine a country where owning a Bible or a Koran or a Torah could be a crime in itself. Imagine living in a country where you are considered a traitor or mentally ill if you convert to another system of belief.

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 20, 2006 — Despite the overthrow of the fundamentalist Taliban government and the presence of 22,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, a man who converted to Christianity is being prosecuted in Kabul, and a judge said Sunday that if convicted, he faces the death penalty.

Abdul Rahman, who is in his 40s, says he converted to Christianity 16 years ago while working as an aid worker helping Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Relatives denounced him as a convert during a custody battle over his children, and he was arrested last month. The prosecutor says Rahman was found with a Bible.

[…]

Presiding judge Ansarullah Mawlazezadah tells ABC News a medical team was checking the defendant, since the team suspects insanity caused Rahman to reject Islam.

“We want to know that the doctors have given him a green light on his mental state, because he is not normal when he talks,” says the judge.

The post-Taliban constitution recognizes Islam as Afghanistan’s religion, and decrees that Islam’s Sharia law applies when a case is not covered by specific legislation. The prosecutor says under Sharia law, Abdul Rahman must die.

The judge, however, holds hopes for a solution.

“We will ask him if he has changed his mind about being a Christian,” Mawlazezadah says. “If he has, we will forgive him, because Islam is a religion of tolerance.”[“Afghan Faces Death Penalty For Converting To Christianity” (ABC News)]

When I look at my bookshelf with it’s dusty copies of a a variety of Bibles, including the Morman version, a book on Wiccan philosophies, several books of Eastern philosophers recommended by my late step-grandmother, and a growing interest in spiritualism, I wonder how I’d be preceived if I lived in such a country. After all, I certainly have questions about the church, about all churches, really.

I’m grateful I live in a country where I’m still free to explore my spirituality and hope it stays that way despite the religious-right’s recent attempts to take over.

However, I’m saddened that all these years after liberating Afghanistan, they really aren’t all that free. We’ve just changed the names of the people in charge.

Tags: Faith, God, Christian Zealots, Islam, Afghanistan

The Trouble With Hell

I believe there is a God, a benevolent Creator even.

And, yes, I believe in the Big Bang Theory and evolution too.

I believe in an afterlife too, but I start to have trouble when I think about the concepts of Heaven and Hell.

I just find it hard to believe that a benevolent God would sentence anyone to an eternity of pain for some infraction committed in such a short lifespan.

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Tags: Hell, religion, Christianity, God, Heaven, Faith

One Nation Under God

Cory Burnell wants to set up a Christian nation within the United States where abortion is illegal, gay marriage is banned, schools cannot teach evolution, children can pray to Jesus in public schools and the Ten Commandments are posted publicly. [“Christian group wants to ‘redeem’ US states”]

Twenty-nine year-old Burnell founded Christian Exodus two years ago with the goal of redirecting the United States by “redeeming” one state at a time, starting with South Carolina.

The plan is to move 2,500 Christians (though there are only 1,000 currently in Christian Exodus) into South Carolina with a goal of relocating tens of thousands by 2016 to fill the state legislature with “Christian constitutionalists.”

“We (want to) force Washington, D.C., to reform itself by not going along with it,” he said.

The organization’s Web site says if it does not meet its goal of change, it will work to secede from the United States.

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the union in 1860, and the first shots of the U.S. Civil War were fired from Charleston’s Battery onto Fort Sumter.

The group’s reception in South Carolina has been mixed. [“Christian group wants to ‘redeem’ US states”]

I bet.

Haven’t these people heard of separation of church and state?

Tags: Christian Zealots

Maine’s “Unneeded” Law Protecting Gays & Lesbians

Here in Maine, we’re getting ready to vote on whether or not to keep a newly passed law that will protect the rights of fellow Mainers based on their sexuality or preceived sexuality.

First of all, I think Question 1 is worded strangely — possibly to confuse voters as to what exactly they are voting for.

Do you want to reject the new law that would protect people from discrimination in employment, housing, education, public accommodations and credit based on their sexual orientation?

The important thing to note is that a “yes” vote would repeal the law and a “no” vote will keep it on the books. Oh, and the law defines sexual orientation as “a person’s actual or perceived hetrosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality or gender identity or epression.” Repealing the law would mean that whether or not you are a gay or lesbian or bisexual or hetrosexual, it will not be against the law for someone to judge you based on their impression of you and fire you, harrass you, deny you an apartment or a hotel room, or even enrollment in a university based on their personal judgement of you.

Get that? The discrimination is legal even if the boss or landlord just imagines you might be “a little light in your loafers” for his taste.

Last Sunday’s Maine Sunday Telegram had a couple of front page articles on the subject since the vote is a hop, skip, and a jump away, and there was something in the one titled “Grievances unlikely to surge if Maine gay rights law upheld” that has been nagging at me. Actually, it’s the subheader that’s been nagging at me — you know, that place between the headline and the byline (Mark Peters, by the way)?

Critics say a lack of filings in other states proves the law isn’t needed here.

So, I’ve been wondering why it is that the law isn’t needed?

Is it because no one in Maine discriminates based on sexuality? Are we such an openminded Blue state liberal community that we would never ever have an incident where this might occur?

And if that’s the case, if it’s not needed because no one would do it, what’s the harm of leaving it on the books? Why spent all this time and money petitioning to have a repeal option be put on the November ballot and advertising about what a bad idea it is? If it’s so unneeded then leaving it won’t harm anyone because it’ll never come up in a court case, right?

Some opponents of the state law say there isn’t evidence gays and lesbians face discrimination in Maine.

“I don’t discriminated against them, and I don’t see how other people do,” said Jill Taylor, an opponent of the law who collected signatures to help force the Novemeber vote.

The stay-at-home mom in Buxton fears that passage of the gay rights law will further erode the freedom of Christians to speak openly about their faith.

Wow, that’s mind-boggling. I mean, I don’t think there’s anything in that law that says that Christians (of which I am one) can’t speak openly about their faith. It just says that they can’t judge others and discriminate against them because of their faith.

discriminate

to make a difference in treatment or favor on a basis other than individual merit; especially : to make a difference in treatment on a basis prohibited by law (as national origin, race, sex, religion, age, or disability)

You know, I’m fairly sure that God would approve of such a law. Remember, Jesus loved all the children; he never said don’t love if they are a different race or a different sexuality or a different religion. Oh, he didn’t say you have to love them, but I’m fairly certain that hate is a pretty un-Jesus-y thing to do. Oh sure, you aren’t supposed to love the sin, but then we’re all sinners. None of us but Jesus are above sinning. Of course, whatever choices anyone makes in this life that doesn’t actually harm anyone else really is between that person and God in my opinion. I don’t think you get moved up to the front of the line to the Heavenly Gates because you were more disapproving of sin than others.

Just my 2¢ whatever they’re worth.

If you’re wondering, I’ll be voting “no” on Novemeber 8th. It just seems like the Christian thing to do.

Source: Maine Sunday Tribune, October 16, 2005.
Recommended Reading: Maine Won’t Discriminate

Tags: politics, Maine, vote, Gay Rights, Christian bigotry

Pat Robertson Doesn’t Know When To Shut Up

Despite nation-wide and world-wide criticism of his remarks regarding assassinating Chavez earlier this week, Robertson is not backing down.

The 700 Club comes on at 11pm locally on The Family Channel of all places. I know this because usually reruns of Who’s Line Is It Anyway? run from 10pm to 11pm and sometimes I don’t find the channel clicker in time. Last night was one of those times and by the time I got it, I was unable to change the channel because I was standing there with my jaw on the floor. Last night’s The 700 Club started with a five minute Hard Copy-like “news” story about what an evil person Chavez is.

I’m starting to think that if we are going to have a place like Guantanamo Bay where we ship off the religious fanatic terrorist-types, we should ship Robertson there. Obviously he’s no better than the people the Bush administration are calling the enemy.

Anyway, I was finally able to come to my senses and change to Nick At Nite. Whew!

Tags: Pat Robertson, Christian Zealots, 700 Club, Guantanamo Bay, Hugo Chavez

Pat Robertson: Christian Wacko or David Koresh with More Money?

Pat Robertson is a self-proclaimed Christian and man of God, but I have to wonder sometimes which God and which version of the Bible he has.

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested on-air that American operatives assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to stop his country from becoming “a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism.”

“We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability,” Robertson said Monday on the Christian Broadcast Network’s “The 700 Club.”

“We don’t need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator,” he continued. “It’s a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.” [”Televangelist Calls for Chavez’ Death” (Yahoo!News)]

O.K. I know a lot of people believe that the New Testement cancels out the Old Testement, so I’ll provide a little New Testement to back my opinion up. (Emphasis provide by me.)

From Matthew 19:

17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Sooooo…the Ten Commandments are still in effect. They are the basic laws of Christianity. The very first one Jesus mentions is murder. Must be important.

Murder

The unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice.

Assassinate

To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons.

A Christian preacher/minister is supposed to set a good example and be a role model. How can Christians continue to follow a man who asks for the murder of another person and continues to make other contraversial and sometimes treasonistic remarks?

n October 2003, he suggested that the State Department be blown up with a nuclear device. He has also said that feminism encourages women to “kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.”

This man is just a few marbles short of starting his own cult and his own version of the jihad. Does this not scare anyone else? Imagine if David Koresh had had Robertson’s money and a televised show. I’m starting to wonder if The 700 Show has subliminal messages. Remember some people are voting based on what this man says.

Tags: Pat Robertson, Christian Zealots, Hugo Chavez, 700 Club

Quote of the Day: On Religious Extremists

From Diane Dees:

Extremists will always be with us, and they will always have followers. But while Americans are constantly asking mainstream Muslims to please denounce Islamic extremists, no one is asking mainstream Christians to do something about Robertson, Falwell, Dobson, Rudolph, and their ilk. [“Pat Robertson calls for assassination of Hugo Chavez” (MotherJones.com)]

Tags: Diane Dees, Christian Zealots, Pat Robertson

Be Responsible; Vote Smart!

One of my biggest complaints about voters is that so many of them are uniformed which makes them more dangerous than the people who don’t vote. Worse, are the people who only get their information from limited sources as evidenced from this quote from a candid interview with Mary Fowler, 54, Housekeeper, on Stories in America:

Where do you get your information about the war?

The Bible and the 700 Club. I also listen to preachers who know what’s going on. Pat Robertson. [“Conversations At The Gas Pump” (Stories in America )]

I’m pretty sure that the Bible was written before the war started.

Anyway, I’m begging everyone to read and watch the news from real news media like CNN, Yahoo!News, MSNBC, NPR, and even Fox News. Try to get a view of the big picture by checking the facts with multiple sources and don’t get sucked in by other people’s (including the media’s) opinions!

Be responsible; be a well-informed voter!

Tags: politics, vote, blogs, Pat Robertson, Christian Zealots

Round ‘n’ Round We Go

I don’t understand what’s going on in our country right now. I just don’t get how the Religious Right can be campaigning so adamantly about making abortion illegal and keeping gays and lesbians from marrying each other and all the while spouting Bible verses as their reasons; yet there is also a strong movement in this country to have The Ten Commandments removed from public courthouses because of separation of Church and State. If we’re so interested in keeping our Church and State separate, why are legislators trying to pass laws that affect other people’s lives based on their own personal religious beliefs?

I just don’t get it. This world seems more and more illogical and contradictory by the day.

Tags: abortion, Gay Rights, Christian Zealots, politics