Nobody’s There…

I’ve always thought that the loudest Christians are usually nattering on about things for their own financial benifit rather than concern with spiritual matters. “Make a Mint Ministries.” Now we have proof of one… or at least one that it bases its website on a financial frame.  Janet Folger of Faith2action on WorldNewsNet blogs on and on about her willingness to go to prison for her beliefs. The article is written with that desperateness for a jolt of righteousness, so much so that it twists an interpretation from the law like a hobo squeezing Sterno through a sock for a quick cheap drink.   Are you ready? Here we go!

The Ku Klux Klan can march. The Nazis can hand out brochures. Skinheads can do whatever it is that Skinheads do. But in the state of Colorado, the only group who is NOT allowed to be heard is … the Christians. They’re the ones who disagree with same-sex marriage, cohabitation, and believe the biblical view that homosexuality is a sin. But if they voice that objection from now on, it had better be inside the four walls of a church. If not, they’ll be staring at the four walls of a prison cell … for up to a year.

… quite incorrect!   Then I notice that instead of offering connections to other blog entries that may be of interest the postcript is :-

“Special offer? Point proven?   

From the BBC  Pope sorry for priests’ sex abuse  

Pope Benedict XVI has told Australians he is deeply sorry for the sexual abuse of children by some Catholic priests.

Speaking at a gathering of bishops in Sydney, the Pope spoke of the “shame we have all felt” and called for abusers to face justice.

A campaign group criticised the speech, saying the Pope should have met some victims to apologise in person.

The Pope was speaking as thousands of Catholic pilgrims began gathering for a candlelit prayer vigil in Sydney.

… but you know being sorry just isn’t enough.

Time and again deists seem to think that just saying those words are enough to satisfy everyone. The truth is that you have to do something about it.

Broken Rites, which had wanted the Pope to meet some of the victims in person, said the pontiff’s apology “is not enough”.

“Victims want action, not just words,” the group said in a statement.

Broken Rites says there have been 107 convictions against Catholic clergymen on sex charges in Australia. But the campaigners estimate the number of victims to be in the thousands.

The BBC’s Nick Bryant, in Sydney, says victims have complained that the Church in Australia has tried to stall compensation claims and cover up certain cases.

And so it goes.

Youth Day dampened by more allegations :-

World Youth Day celebrations have been dampened by allegations a Catholic priest taking part in the event took pictures of naked teenage boys. Channel 7 is reporting tonight that Father Michael Endicott, seen here indulging his interest in photography at this week’s Youth Day celebrations, recently came to the attention of Queensland Police. The allegations were made by three former students at Villanova Catholic College in Brisbane.

Related articles by Zemanta

• As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.
• Edward Lozzi: Papal Bull-False Promises to Clergy Sex Victims From Benedict XVI

This, pardon my English sang frois, is totally unacceptable!

If you sent out an email to the Museum of Broadcast Communications complaining or objecting to James Dobson as a nominee for their National Radio Hall of Fame you’ve had a rather unexpected series of emails.

They released the entire list of complainers in a series of emails by including all of our names in the statement that they sent out in reply.

I expect it’s just a cock-up by their publicity department but can you blame the people who think it might be a plot to silence objectors? 

Complaints back to them have reached epidemic proportions but have also pinpointed real problems with the Museum’s approach to their “Hall of Fame.” 

• They failed to send out ballots in a timely manner
• Nominations come from Bruce DuMont the founder and president through a committee appointed by him.
• Lack of internal integrity and security.
• Unconcern with protecting the privacy of their voters

The Museum of Broadcast Communications needs to get their act together. What do they have to say about confidentiality? Here’s a snip and paste from their own site:-

CONFIDENTIALITY
All RHOFSC meetings are confidential sessions. Any breach in the confidentiality of these sessions will result in immediate expulsion from the RHOFSC. 

So far there has been no reaction from them.

I’ve bated my breath!

Gays Miffed At Possible James Dobson Radio Honor / Queerty

Bryan and I have lived together as a couple for over thirty years. We spent our twenties to forties as polically “out” gay men with the support of both of our families. These days we live in Florida and run our businesses from there.

When the UK changed the rules about civil partnerships we thought that we’d just let sleeping dogs lie, since it wouldn’t affect us in any way here…. but conscience overcame us and we decided to go back to the Uk and get hitched. If you fight for rights and then they give them to you it seems churlish not to take advantage of them.

That was three weeks ago.

Our London club, The Groucho, opened up their rooms for us, our chosen family turned up for the event. We though it was going to be a quick and relatively unemotional occasion but everyone cried - even the registrar.

Both of us are very happy to leave weddings and marriages to churches. After all it was Robert Luis Stephenson who said

Marriage is a sort of friendship recognized by the police

Focus On The Family’s new graphic proves it!

Thanks to Richard Dawkins for the link to a wonderful series of short videos about the elements from Nottingham university.

Wonderful, enthusiastic people talking about the periodic table.

The Periodic Table of Videos - University of Nottingham

I’ve run businesses and been a consultant to them for many years. Successful enterprises rely on well educated staff. It doesn’t matter if an individual has a degree in science or arts, if they’ve applied themselves and can think they’re going to be an asset.

As soon as you prevent students from being able to distinguish between faith and science, between thinking and hoping, you supply the workplaces of America with substantially below par workers.

The undermining of science caused by the fundamentalist IDers does just this. Soon Louisiana will be sending out of it’s colleges young people who I can’t employ for anything other than manual labour or low skill jobs - such as filing.

I hope that science teachers will use the Louisiana Science Education Act to introduce their students to Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris. Teaching the real controversy - that between science and religion - is a useful way to get students to think about thinking, to develop a critical approach to materials.

In every conversation I’ve had with people who have supported Intelligent design every one of them has ended up admitting that it’s not science and come away from the conversation converted.

I often use the phrase “hoist with their own petard” meaning that the weapon an individual uses ends up damaging them. I think that, if they’re supported, science teachers all over America can use this bill and others that are similar, to introduce a strong defense of science, to turn the sloppily drafted bills against their creators and end up with a better educated population.

For a fuller report of the situation I can recommend New Scientists coverage.

Elizaphanian’s blog has prompted me to respond to the Atheist meme. I didn’t get tagged (boo hoo) and I’m doing it off my own initiative.

Q1. How would you define “atheism”?

Living without reference to a god or to supernatural ideas.

Q2. Was your upbringing religious? If so, what tradition?

Catholic and, during my teens, Baptist.

Q3. How would you describe “Intelligent Design”, using only one word?

Confused!

Q4. What scientific endeavor really excites you?

The Large Hadron Collider. Messing about with the fundamentals has always fascinated me. It’s going to be like taking a watch apart using a sledge hammer. Sparks will fly!

Q5. If you could change one thing about the “atheist community”, what would it be and why?

Get them to contribute to awareness campaigns such as the “Imagine No Religion” billboard

Q6. If your child came up to you and said “I’m joining the clergy”, what would be your first response?

That’s nice dear.

Q7. What’s your favorite theistic argument, and how do you usually refute it?

The cosmological or  first cause argument. And my question is the usual “And what caused God?”

Q8. What’s your most “controversial” (as far as general attitudes amongst other atheists goes) viewpoint?

That you can only be truly moral if you are atheist. Morality is of a low order if it depends on the reward and punishment basis at the foundations of most religions.

Q9. Of the “Four Horsemen” (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris) who is your favourite, and why?

I like the anger of Dawkins. Most people think of anger as a negative emotion. I disagree. Anger gets things done. It rescues the abused, homeless, hungry. Frees the imprisoned and  enslaved. Cold anger changes the world.

Q10. If you could convince just one theistic person to abandon their beliefs, who would it be?

Barak Obama. He’d loose the election but it would be a magnificent fight!

In an amazing statement today Edward Gordon writes on his blog, Christian Cross Talk, that he has given up the argument for the existance of god. 

He states that he no longer willing to debate the issue and says,

The arguments for God are on the website, and that’s my token participation in the great debate of the Divine, but I don’t need secular proof of God, and those who do aren’t ready for a discussion of faith and miracles.

Now he’s only willing to debate stuff like “holiness” and “faith” calling the debate “…a satanic distraction.”

This was an interesting site for a while but I would guess that he’s been so unable to counter the strong arguments of his co-debators that he’s given up.

Many Christians do this in order to preserve their faith in the face of real chalenge.

My bet is that it won’t be long before he moves over into another camp.

PS Incorrectly spelled headline corrected thanks to Tommykey!

As a response to the statement released yesterday by The Palm Center, University of California, Santa Barbara here is my military story.

I’d been asked to do some psych training with the British army in Germany during one of the 80’s crises. Naturally I was asked to dine by one of the senior British officers and a very good dinner party it was too.

One of the women there, a serving officer, was married to a guy who was an actor.

Here is a “remembered” conversation that took place.

American General: I don’t know how you actors manage to remember all those lines. I can’t even recall the names of the men under me and get really embarrassed.

British Actor: Just do what we do in the theatre. Call everyone ”Darling”

Thnk you to the 52 retired U.S. Generals and Admirals who signed the following statement:-

We respectfully urge Congress to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Those of us signing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish. As General Colin Powell, Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs said when the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was enacted, it is not the place of the military or those in senior leadership to make moral judgments.

Scholarly data shows there are approximately one million gay and lesbian veterans in the United States today, as well as 65,000 gays and lesbians currently serving in our armed forces. They have served our nation honorably.

We support the recent comments of another former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General John Shalikashvili, who has concluded that repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy would not harm, and would indeed help our armed forces. As is the case in Britain, Israel, and other nations which allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion, and sexuality. Such collaboration reflects the strength and the best traditions of our democracy.

They are:-

Former Secretary of the Army Clifford Alexander, (ret.)
Lieutenant General Jerry Hilmes, USA (ret.)
Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, USA (ret.)
Lieutenant General Donald Kerrick, USA (ret.)
Vice Admiral Harold Koenig, USN (ret.) 
Vice Admiral James Zimble, USN (ret.)
Major General Les Burger, USA (ret.)
Major General Alex Burgin, USANG (ret.) 
Major General Rosetta Burke, AUS (ret.) 
Major General Michael Conrad, USA (ret.) 
Major General James Delk, USA (ret.) 
Major General Jack Farris, USAF (ret.) 
Major General Fred Forster, USANG (ret.) 
Major General Robert Gamrath, AUS (ret.) 
Major General David Hale, USA (ret.)
Major General Randy Jayne, USANG (ret.) 
Major General Lawrence Johnson, USA (ret.) 
Major General Dennis Laich, USA (ret.) 
Major General Dennis Malcor, USA (ret.)
Major General Michael Scotti, USA (ret.)* 
Major General Alan Salisbury, USA (ret.) 
Major General Harry Sieben, USANG (ret.) 
Major General Charles Starr Jr., USA (ret.)
Brigadier General John C. Adams, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Clara Adams-Ender, USA (ret.) 
Brigadier General John “Joe” Allen, USAF (ret.) 
Brigadier General Patricia Anderson, AUS (ret.) 
Brigadier General Dale Barber, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General George Baxter, USA (ret.) 
Brigadier General Robert Baxter, USAF (ret.)
Brigadier General Harold Bowman, USANG (ret.) 
Brigadier General Douglas Bradley, USA (ret.) 
Brigadier General Jack Capps, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Richard Carter, AUS (ret.) 
Brigadier General Steve Chapplis, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General BG David Cole, USA (ret.) 
Brigadier General William Colvin, USANG (ret.) 
Brigadier General Joseph Cutrona, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Tom Daniels, USAF (ret.)
Brigadier General Evelyn Foote, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Giffen, USAF (ret.) 
Brigadier General Bob Hardy, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Edwin Heffelfinger, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General J.D Johnson, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General James Martin, USAF (ret.) 
Brigadier General Phil Peay, USANG (ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Poirot, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Philip Pushkin, USANG (ret.)
Brigadier General Virgil Richard, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Donald Schenk, USA (ret.) 
Brigadier General Daniel Wardrop, USA (ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert Krasner, USN (ret.) 
Rear Admiral Charles Rauch, USN (ret.)

*General Scotti passed away in September, 2007. His widow asked that his name remain on this statement.
**Rear Admiral William Retz was incorrectly listed as a signatory on a previous version of this statement.