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Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Installments of Jonathan Hutson's Talk To Action expose series on the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game have been viewed by up to 1/2 million people. See our site section featuring Over 35 original articles covering the controversial "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game that has provoked a boycott by a coalition of religious groups and a letter writing campaign urging Walmart to stop selling the game. Media inquiries click here
(image: detail from Francoise Dubois' rendition of the Bartholomew's Day Massacre reveals the actual nature of religious warfare)



False Middle Ground on Abortion, Crumbling
By Frederick Clarkson Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 10:48:04 AM EST printable version print story
Frances Kissling has an important essay at Salon.com, in which she outlines what's wrong with President Obama's appointment of Alexia Kelley as the head of the faith based office at the Department of Health and Human Services. The office, Kissling writes, has a budget of more than $20 million for family planning grants to faith based and community groups, and "includes oversight of the department's faith-based grant-making in family planning, HIV and AIDS and in small-scale research into the effect of religion and spirituality on early sexual behavior."  

As it turns out, this appointment epitomizes the problem of creeping Religious Rightism in the Democratic Party.

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Newt Gingrich Assumes The Position
By Bruce Wilson Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 07:23:44 PM EST printable version print story
[ed: see end of story for video] People for the American Way's Kyle Mantyla has picked up on an important aspect of the June 5, 2009 Virginia Beach Rock Church event, co-hosted by Christian martyrdom proponent and TheCall founder Lou Engle, that attracted possible 2012 presidential race aspirants Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee. Apparently the legal confine of TheCall's 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure, which only allowed Lou Engle to make public calls, from onstage before audiences of thousands, for acts of Christian martyrdom, was too restrictive for C. Peter Wagner's aspiring "Prophetic Elder" Engle. As Mantyla describes in his PFAW post [with accompanying video - see PFAW link, above],

The goal of Engle's Call to Action is to "redefine voting" for the next generation as a "prophetic act" and train them that they don't vote Democrat or Republican but vote "moral absolute truths," creating a mass army of young, motivated Christian voters who will pledge never to vote for a candidate who is not anti-choice, thereby creating a "spiritual revolution [and] training a generation to seize technology and turn the tide"

Then Newt Gingrich assumed the position.

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Christian Martyr Movement Leader Blesses Gingrich, Lays Hands on Huckabee
By Bruce Wilson Sun Jun 07, 2009 at 02:48:47 PM EST printable version print story
On Friday, June 5, 2009, at an event featuring aspiring politicians Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich that was broadcast over the global media networks of GodTV, a rising leader in the rapidly reconfiguring Christian right who has publicly called for acts of Christian martyrdom, prayed over and blessed Huckabee and Gingrich: TheCall founder Lou Engle.

The  June 5, 2009, Rock Church event has received some media notice but coverage -which has noted Newt Gingrich declared Americans are "surrounded by paganism", and that he and Mike Huckabee made stump speeches calling for Christian conservatives to become more involved in electoral politics- has almost wholly missed the significance.

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Abortion, Apocalypse, and "Killing for Life"
By Chip Berlet Thu Jun 04, 2009 at 10:53:02 PM EST printable version print story
Chip Berlet, Senior Analyst, Political Research Associates (author info)
Those of us who have tracked clinic violence over the past two decades have long known of the militant anti-abortion subculture that ebbs and flows with the political moment. There are two factors that are central to this movement.

One is that many of them believe in a vast conspiracy to destroy the country and defame God led by liberal secular humanists and other subversive swine like those of us who read Talk to Action.

The other is the role of aggressive apocalyptic belief among certain Christians on the Political Right. These folks read the Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins Left Behind series of novels as if it were a roadmap to future history. More than 70 million sold. Christian bookstores, especially on the Internet, are well stocked with Christian conspiracist literature as well as Christian apocalyptic literature. Sometimes they are the same book.

When you combine conspiracy theories that demonize a scapegoat with an aggressive form of apocalypticism, you have a volatile mix--one that throughout history has generated violence and murder.
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Beware the Lone Nut Theory
By Frederick Clarkson Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 03:21:09 PM EST printable version print story
Chip Berlet, Senior Analyst at Political Research Associates, and I were on Democracy Now with Amy Goodman this morning discussing the assassination of Dr. Tiller, his alleged assailant Scott Roeder and the religious and political movements that support and give rise to antiabortion violence.

We were preceded by the pseudonymous manager of clinic in Kansas City that had reported to the FBI that Scott Roeder had twice super glued the locks at his clinic in the previous week, and that they did not arrest him. He believes that if the FBI had acted, Dr. Tiller would be alive today. He was followed by Dr. Susan Robinson, who flew to Wichita monthly to work with Tiller. She describes the inadequate attention by police to the routine crimes of antiabortion protesters.

To watch or listen to the show or to read our portion of the rush transcript (which you will also find on the flip) -- click here.

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'Common Ground' with who?
By Bill Berkowitz Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 11:20:37 AM EST printable version print story
Condemn the murder of Dr. George Tilller? Absolutely! Is condemnation enough? Not on your life!

Sometime during the day after the assasinastion of Dr. George Tiller, I received another condemnation of the murder in my in-box.

This one was from Faith In Public Life, an organization working hard to establish "common ground" amongst conservative and liberal religious leaders. (Thus far, I have generally been agnostic about "common ground" efforts.)

The headline read "Religious Leaders Seeking Common Ground on Abortion: Condemn George Tiller's Murder, Say Act Offends Us All"

What followed was a condemnation of the murder. I was sorry to see that it didn't go nearly far enough.

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Hate Speech Leads to Violence: In Wake of Abortion Doc Murder, Religious Leaders Skirt the Issue
By Bill Berkowitz Wed Jun 03, 2009 at 11:08:27 AM EST printable version print story
While everyone on both sides of the abortion issue seems to condemn the murder of George Tiller, few admit the malignant effects of "baby killer" rhetoric

In the immediate aftermath of the murder of Dr. George Tiller, words came flowing forth from every conceivable direction. The media reported, longtime anti-abortion activists "condemned," but few apologized for years of hate speech directed at Tiller.

In the hours following the murder and the subsequent condemnations from Religious Right leaders, I remembered Jerry Falwell's notorious post-9/11 remarks, blaming feminists and the ACLU, among others -- and the uncomfortable flip-flopping that followed. It was clear that his comments represented what he was thinking. Yet it was also clear, as he tried to backtrack and apologize, that he realized he had monumentally goofed.

I was reminded of those wretched Falwell maneuverings on Monday evening while watching Frank Schaeffer -- the son of the late Francis Schaeffer, one of the founding fathers and most revered figures on the Christian Right - point out during his appearance on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show that the condemnations of Tiller's murder issued by leaders of the Christian Right seemed forced and empty.

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Gingrich & Huckabee Endorse Christian Antiabortion Militancy
By Bruce Wilson Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 06:23:37 PM EST printable version print story
As Christian Newswire just announced four hours ago, "Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Lou Engle, Ron Luce and others link up this week to inspire people of faith to reclaim the Nation's spiritual foundation." The event will be broadcast over GodTV, a Christian media network founded in 1995 which claims to be able to reach hundreds of millions globally.

On Sunday May 31, 2009 late-term abortion doctor George Tiller was allegedly gunned down in the lobby of his Wichita, Kansas church by a man, Scott Roeder, who had ties to the racist wing of the militia movement. The next morning CBS's Jeff Glor reported, "We did speak with the accused shooters' ex-wife yesterday. She said she was not surprised this happened and that she believed Roeder wanted to be a martyr for the cause."

If the event goes as planned, Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee will appear, only days after Tiller was slain, with a man who has publicly agitated against George Tiller and called for Christian martyrs to stop legal abortion: Lou Engle of TheCall.

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With McHugh at the Helm, Christian Fundamentalist Permeation of the Army Likely to Continue
By Chris Rodda Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 03:44:15 PM EST printable version print story
While the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) is extremely pleased by the announcement that President Obama is replacing Army Secretary Pete Geren, a man who is clearly among those who view the current wars as a religious struggle, we have grave concerns about nominee John McHugh, whose record in Congress indicates that he is no friend of the protections guaranteed by the First Amendment, a standpoint that could have serious ramifications with respect to the already crumbled wall between religion and the military, and further weaken the right of our soldiers to be free from government sanctioned religious coercion and discrimination.
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Anti-Abortion Violence & the Right-Wing Patriot Movement
By Chip Berlet Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 02:18:00 PM EST printable version print story
Chip Berlet, Senior Analyst, Political Research Associates (author info)

Scott Roeder, suspected in the slaying of Dr. George Tiller, and John C. Salvi III, who in 1994 killed two health workers and injured several others in a Boston anti-abortion rampage, share a connection to the right-wing Patriot movement--a collection of groups and individuals with one foot in the anti-tax movement and another in organized White Supremacy.

This overlapping set of alliances goes back over ten years to the height of the armed citizens militia movement which emerged from the broader Patriot movement, a longstanding part of right-wing reality in the United States.

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No Sense Of Decency: The Moral Bankruptcy Of Randall Terry
By Rob Boston Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 12:45:51 PM EST printable version print story
Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas abortion provider, was shot to death in church Sunday morning. Is it so hard to say that this was a heinous act that should be condemned by all reasonable people?

Apparently it is for some. Religious Right theocrat Randall Terry reserved space at the National Press Club yesterday to opine that Tiller got what he deserved.

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Anti-Gay Marriage Pro-Prop 8 Leader Called For Antiabortion Martyrs
By Bruce Wilson Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 08:39:43 AM EST printable version print story
[UPDATE: Lou Engle, who publicly calls for acts of Christian martyrdom is slated to appear along with Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee this coming Thursday June 4 at 8.30pm and Friday June 5 at 8am, on GodTV - which claims a broadcast of hundreds of millions worldwide.] On Sunday May 31, 2009 Kansas City late-term abortion doctor George Tiller was allegedly gunned down in the lobby of his church by a man, Scott Roeder, who had ties to the racist wing of the militia movement. The next morning CBS's Jeff Glor reported, "We did speak with the accused shooters' ex-wife yesterday. She said she was not surprised this happened and that she believed Roeder wanted to be a martyr for the cause." The antiabortion, pro-Christian martyrdom of TheCall founder Lou Engle, whose personal website still features a post attacking Tiller, has up until now received little scrutiny.

At Lou Engle's November 1, 2008 pro-Proposition 8 anti-gay marriage TheCall San Diego event Engle and his disciples called for acts of Christian martyrdom against legalized abortion. In the early 1980's, KKK and Aryan Nations strategist Louis Beam helped popularize a tactic known as "leaderless resistance" in which high profile propagandists would incite terrorist acts carried out by autonomous individuals and cell groups. Lou Engle's inflammatory TheCall antiabortion rhetoric conforms with Beam's tactic; Engle merely incites.

Lou Engle appeared in the Heidi Ewing / Rachel Grady runaway hit documentary Jesus Camp. The Official documentary website states that at Becky Fischer's "Jesus Camp" summer camp, "kids are taught to become dedicated soldiers in God's army and are schooled in how to take America back for Christ." In the film, Fischer states her desire to indoctrinate the children at her camp so that they have the same level of dedication as Hamas suicide bombers. When Fischer's "Jesus Camp" children become young adults, they will gravitate toward Lou Engle's slickly marketed TheCall events, which draw between 20 and 80 thousand people per event and are held in the US and also internationally, in Kansas, San Diego, and Washington DC but also in Australia, Germany, the Philippines, Norway, England, Jerusalem and Brazil [Top, Left: Becky Fischer admires the dedication of Hamas' young suicide bombers. Top, Right: Lou Engle predicts legalized abortion will lead to a second American civil war, TheCall Kansas City, December 31, 2007. Bottom, Left: Lou Engle calls for martyrs, at TheCall San Diego, November 1, 2008. Bottom, Right: Lou Engle, at Jesus Camp, indoctrinates children as future antiabortion movement warriors.].

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Inflammatory Rhetoric as the Context of Assassination
By Frederick Clarkson Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 05:38:15 PM EST printable version print story
In the wake of the assassination of Dr. George Tiller, we have already seen a great deal of attention given to the role of inflammatory anti-abortion rhetoric. There will be a continuing debate about this. I don't believe that dedicated people react to sound bites and then go out and kill. But the rhetoric is a reflection of profound beliefs that are ultimately more important than the words used to express them. To many, abortion is murder, and that its practitioners are committing mass murder. This is an important element of the context of our time. Nevertheless, words do matter.
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Which is it Newt: Catholicism or the Constitution?
By Frank Cocozzelli Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 07:26:58 AM EST printable version print story
Newly converted conservative Catholic Newt Gingrich is defining U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as a reverse racist, claiming that her ability to draw upon her heritage as a Hispanic woman makes her a proponent of "identity politics."

But the question I have for the thrice married, twice divorced former Speaker of the House of Representatives is whether Judge Sotomayor should engage in religious identity politics.

To say the least, I suspect that ole Newt would give us a rather interesting answer.

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Prominent Abortion Provider Murdered at Church -- UPDATED
By Frederick Clarkson Sun May 31, 2009 at 02:04:28 PM EST printable version print story
Dr. George Tiller, a prominent abortion provider who has been the target of mass protests, arson at his clinic, attempted murder (shot in both arms) and more, was shot to death while attending church.  The Wichita Eagle reports:

WICHITA - George Tiller, the Wichita doctor who became a national lightning rod in the debate over abortion, was shot to death Sunday morning as he walked into church services.

Tiller was shot just after 10 a.m. at Reformation Lutheran Church at 7601 E. 13th, where he was a member of the congregation. Witnesses and a police source confirmed Tiller was the victim.

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When the Default Setting is Religious Bigotry
By Frederick Clarkson Sat May 30, 2009 at 11:46:00 PM EST printable version print story
This is a story of term that turned up in what, by Religious Right standards, was a mild diatribe issued by the Family Research Council. It was issued in response to a mild call for support for President Obama's health care reform plan by some liberal and centrist religious groups. But it is a story that offers insight into the politics our time as viewed from the window of history. So please bear with me as we take the long view of rhetoric emanating out of the heat of the moment.
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Sotomayor and the Secular
By Frederick Clarkson Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:54:39 PM EST printable version print story
The Religious Right did not die, it just went mainstream. That's why it stands to reason that the culture wars are not over and that the battle grounds, leaders, and tactics are changing to adapt to changing times and circumstances. Examples abound in the news, the culture of denial about these things not withstanding.

There is hardly a better example than the accidentally leaked list of Republican Party talking points in response to the Sotomayor nomination:  

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C. Peter Wagner Explains The New Apostolic Reformation
By Bruce Wilson Thu May 28, 2009 at 07:00:32 PM EST printable version print story
[editor: C. Peter Wagner (who named the movement and also helped create it) explains the New Apostolic Reformation. This article was originally published as Chapter 14 of The Transforming Power of Revival edited by Harold Caballeros and Mel Winger. It was reprinted in  Renewal Journal #15: Wineskins (2000:1) [ www.renewaljournal.com ] with the generous conditional copyright extension clause, Reproduction is permitted so long as the copyright remains intact with the text.]

The New Apostolic Reformation (by C. Peter Wagner)

Prolific author of over 40 books, C.  Peter Wagner, describes the emerging church wineskins for the twenty-first century.  This article is reproduced with permission from Chapter 14 of The Transforming Power of Revival edited by Harold Caballeros and Mel Winger.

I will soon complete 30 years as a professor of church growth on the graduate level.  During these 30 years, I have studied countless Christian churches of all sizes, in all kinds of locations, from new church plants to those hundreds of years old, spanning virtually every theological tradition, and rooted in varieties of cultures on six continents.  I have reported my research the best I have known how in an average of one or two books a year.                                

I have never been more excited about a book dealing with church growth than I am about The New Apostolic Churches, from which this chapter is reprinted.  I will begin with a personal testimony of how God has brought me to the place where I am now; it will explain why I am so excited.

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Are religious sects/cults invading the United Nations?
By Bill Berkowitz Thu May 28, 2009 at 11:52:00 AM EST printable version print story
French government agency report claims growing influence of religious sects and cults at UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

A French government agency called MIVILUDES (Mission interministérielle de vigilance et de lutte contre les dérives sectaries -- Interministerial Mission for Monitoring and Combating Cultic Deviancy) recently issued a 199-page report claiming that religious sects and cults are exerting a growing influence in international bodies such as the United Nations.

According to a report at Digital Journal, "A sect is defined here as being any religious organization which can be characterized as employing any of the following methods; Mental destabilization, exorbitant financial demands, a rupture with members' original environment, power in the hands of one person, the invasion of a person's physical integrity, the recruitment of children, antisocial preaching and troubling public order, activities which lead it to be tried in a court of law, using parallel economic structures, attempts to infiltrate the workplace, schools, and public powers."

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School For Scandal: Liberty University's Latest Venture Into Partisanship
By Rob Boston Tue May 26, 2009 at 12:09:14 PM EST printable version print story
Many young people these days tend to look at college in a utilitarian light: They ask, "What can I study that will land me a good job and lead to a comfortable life?"

I understand that impulse. But I'd also like to think there are other reasons for going to college - say, to expand your horizons. A good university education should expose you to new ideas and challenge your way of thinking, not just reinforce your pre-existing biases.

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The First Radio Preacher Part 2
By wilkyjr Tue May 26, 2009 at 10:11:08 AM EST printable version print story
     Author Barry Hankins said that J. Frank Norris often had dealings with Gerald Winrod.  Winrod was the "Jawhawk Nazi" who ran for senator from Kansas.  Norris was also special friends with Gerald Smith, the notorious anti-Semite.  Norris once had Smith into his church to preach a series of revival meetings.  Smith's topics he preached on included a Communist plot to deceive Negroes and why Elliot Roosevelt is closer to Stalin than any other American.  One message dealt with a special deal insiders had going to pick Stalin as the next President of the United States.  Norris would part with this branch of the religious right over the issue of Jews.  Norris' view of end of times led him to embrace modern Israel.
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Short Takes
By Frederick Clarkson Mon May 25, 2009 at 01:45:01 PM EST printable version print story
Church & State: Rob Boston discusses the transition going on in the leadership of the Religious Right.

Mahablog: Barbara O'Brien discussses the difference between "abortion reduction" and "reducing the need for abortion." (HINT: The first is what you say if you are a Religious Right leader. The second is what you say if you are the president's Domestic Policy Adviser.  The differences are more than in the phrasing.)

Daily Kos: Teacherken discusses a column by James Carroll about the religion and the military.

Street Prophets:  Pastordan discusses a recent poll of mainline clergy which among other things, shows that many are worried that marriage equality laws may require clergy to marry gay couples against their beliefs. Pastordan suggests that the poll must have oversampled "low information"  clergy. I think it showed not so much low, but mis-information.  The anti-equality folks don't talk much about Massachusetts where we have had marriage equality for five years. Nothing like what they predicted has happened here. (Western Civilization hasn't fallen; and God has not punished us. In fact the Red Sox are in first place.) No clergy in Massachusetts has been required to marry anyone against their beliefs. Couples have the right to marry, but they cannot require anyone to perform the service. Its just as it has always been in that regard. But the Religious Right continues to spread the lie that it might be otherwise. People should be more careful where they get their information.

Facebook: Fans of Talk to Action. Facebook:  Dispatches from the Religious Left.  Facebook:  I want to know more about Sarah Palin...  and her view of the Third Wave. Facebook Fish Out of Water Facebook The Clergy Letter Project Facebook: Enough! Basta! Stop Sidewalk Bullying at Women's Clinics!


A New Nadir for William Donohue
By Frank Cocozzelli Sat May 23, 2009 at 04:48:27 PM EST printable version print story
Just when I thought Bill Donohue head of the Catholic League could not go any lower  he callously downplayed a horrific story of decades of pedophilia and child abuse committed by Irish Catholic priests and nuns.  This, according to a 2,600 page report prepared by an investigatory commission set up by the Irish Government and chaired by a judge of the country's High Court.  
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Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
By Frederick Clarkson Fri May 22, 2009 at 03:36:10 PM EST printable version print story
The more things change, the more things stay the same. That's the old saw that comes to mind in light of recent doings at Liberty University, in Lynchburg Virginia; founded by the late Jerry Falwell and currently led by Jerry Falwell Jr.

But before we get to those doings and what they may mean, I want to recall the giddy declarations that the culture wars are over, or nearly so, we have heard for some time, albeit on the basis of scanty, or at least contestable evidence. Prior to that, we heard similary giddy declarations that the Religious Right itself was dead, or nearly so, again based on scanty or at least contestable evidence.  Some have suggested that the debate about such thinking and the "strategy" that stems from it might be little more than a tempest in a teapot. But the  problemwith pooh poohing the significance of the debate is that it is about several strategic premises and the political and policy direction of the Democratic Party.

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The First Radio Preacher, Part 1
By wilkyjr Fri May 22, 2009 at 10:22:51 AM EST printable version print story
It is Sunday morning at the First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.  The famous pastor by the name of J. Frank Norris enters the pulpit carrying a broken quart bottle with him.  It is the early part of the 20th century and the church is relieved that their pastor was just acquitted in court of allegations that he had torched the church.  With fervent passion the preacher is proud in his exoneration from the accusations.  He preaches a sermon from the text, "Thou are weighed in the balances and found wanting."  He tears into the attorney who brought charges against him. The lawyer has just met a horrible death driving his Cadillac on North Main accompanied by a lady companion. His vehicle is full of liquor and is driven head on into the streetcar.  Pastor J. Frank announces to the congregation that in the broken bottle there is whiskey and brains from the lawyer. The story is a splendid portrait of the life and ministry of J. Frank Norris.
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Gingrich's Gasps of Wrath
By Bill Berkowitz Thu May 21, 2009 at 12:31:31 PM EST printable version print story
For Newt Gingrich, there are so many battles and so little time. With 2012 in his sights, Gingrich has become a one-man GOP band, trumpeting god, guns and the resignation of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

In his most recent "Newt Gingrich Letter," the former House Speaker, who knows from resignations, demanded the resignation of current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He wrote in "Why Pelosi Should Step Down" that, "The case against Nancy Pelosi remaining Speaker of the House is as simple as it is devastating:

The piece's subtitles tell the story:

"From a Question of Memory to a Question of Criminality"

"Pelosi on the CIA: 'They Mislead Us All The Time'

"Why Did Pelosi Escalate the Controversy into a Full Scale War With the CIA?"

"If Pelosi Consented to Waterboarding in 2002, the Bush Policy Is Vindicated"

"Speaker Pelosi Has Made America Less Safe"

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Conspiracy Theorist Military Chaplains Promote Anti-American Militia Activity
By Chris Rodda Wed May 20, 2009 at 05:20:01 PM EST printable version print story
Every once in a while, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) stumbles into a story that's so crazy that even we have a hard time believing it's true, and, it just happened again. But, before getting into this story, I would be remiss in not extending, on behalf of MRFF, a sincere thank you to former Navy chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, without whose recent actions we never would have paid attention to an organization whose members include some of the most bizarre and dangerous chaplains we have ever come across in the U.S. military.
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Evangelical Latino Politicians/Pastors Lead Fight Against Same-sex Marriage in New York
By Bill Berkowitz Wed May 20, 2009 at 12:25:38 PM EST printable version print story
Mega-evangelical Samuel Rodriguez joins with Senator Ruben Diaz to rally opponents to gay marriage.

Years from now - I won't venture a guess as to how many but I am fairly certain by that time the names Carrie Prejean and Perez Hilton will be mere footnotes - when the history of the struggle over gay rights and same-sex marriage is written, there will be plenty of heroes/heroines to be honored, and more than enough villains to go around. Maybe villains is too strong a term; how about anti-gay true believers whose beliefs resulted in real harm? For every courageous couple in Iowa or Massachusetts who, against great odds, have pressed on, there are those that have made it their business to stand (metaphorically for now) in the courthouse doorway.

For now, if you've been following the battle over same-sex marriage and you don't know who the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez or Rubén Díaz are, you likely soon will.

Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), and Diaz, a New York state Senator from the Bronx a Pentecostal pastor in that borough, are two key players leading anti-same-sex marriage forces in New York State.

On Sunday, May 17, while much of the "culture war" crowd was focused on events at Notre Dame University -- where President Barack Obama was heartily welcomed by UND graduates and their families - things were hopping in New York City. Thousands of anti-same-sex marriage activists marched in opposition to Governor David Patterson's gay marriage bill.

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Chip Berlet on "Winning the Battle, Losing the Culture War"
By Frederick Clarkson Tue May 19, 2009 at 05:40:29 PM EST printable version print story
In an essay at Religion Dispatches, Talk to Action contributor Chip Berlet has what may be the definitive overview of the debate on the Religious Left about how "common ground" with conservative evangelicals has been pursued in the Democratic Party at the expense of progressive values.  Indeed, Berlet develops what some of us have been discussing here for some time:  that some party operatives and related interest groups have adopted some of the framing and arguably some of the goals of the Religious Right itself; and goes on to say that it doesn't have to be this way.

I know that some of those we have written about here dispute much if not all of we have had to say about these things, but Chip's essay makes a strong case.  And he graciously invites the leaders of Faith in Public Life and those who think as they do  to reconsider in the interests of values we all share -- including separation of church and state, reproductive justice and gay rights.  

Excerpts on the flip.

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Demonizing For Dollars: Religious Right Ready To Attack Supreme Court Nominee
By Rob Boston Tue May 19, 2009 at 01:28:11 PM EST printable version print story
Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter's decision to retire and return to his farm in New Hampshire has really got the Religious Right's knickers in knots - but also has given movement leaders an opportunity.

President Barack Obama is expected to name Souter's replacement soon, and chances are the Religious Right isn't going to like that person's record.

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WWW Talk To Action


Radio host: We're only united through Christianity
Most of you in Indiana may know about Peter Heck, who hosts a daily radio show in Kokomo and puts out a column that appears in several newspapers across the state and in OneNewsNow.......
By Christian Dem in NC (1 comment)
Cindy Jacobs--the new leader of the NAR
You may remember that Lou Engle has made moves of late to position himself as the new power in the religious right.  He's a member of the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, a group......
By Christian Dem in NC (1 comment)
James F. Linzey Espouses anti-Semitic, White Racialist Conspiracy Theory
James F. Linzey is a prominent, active duty chaplain in the United States military. Linzey has stated that he was the command chaplain for the Operation Iraqi Freedom troop mobilization prior to the US......
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White Supremacist named as Holocaust Museum Shooter
An 89 year old, vehemently antiSemitic  Ron Paul supporter has been named by police as the gunman who opened fire in the Holocaust Museum shortly after noon today: Gunman, guard shot at Holocaust museum......
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From Focus On The Family to La Familia Michoacana
I didn't think my work on the religous right would converge with what I'm doing on the narcoguerra in Mexico...but here it is: the Faith-Based Cartel. ......
By julydogs (1 comment)
A Pagan Among the Mainstream Churches in Boise
The participation by an "out" Pagan in the Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force proves that some religions will accept and welcome help from all quarters, in recognition that we are all human.  The glaring......
By Chiawana (0 comments)
Clarkson on CounterSpin
Hear me discuss the Tiller assasination this week on the nationally syndicated radio program CounterSpin, the progressive media criticism show produced by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR).  You can also listen via Mp3......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Liberty Counsel tries to SLAPP Americans United
In what can charitably be described as an act of desperation, Liberty Counsel is asking the IRS to investigate Americans United's tax-exempt status.  This comes only days after AU asked the IRS to investigate......
By Christian Dem in NC (0 comments)
Strange how things bring the nutcases out
I read today that Westboro Baptist staged a protest at a vigil held for Dr. Tiller in Wichita.   I'm not surprised, but what did surprise me was that they had 20 people there......
By ArchaeoBob (0 comments)
Southern Baptists may be abandoning public schools
Via OneNewsNow, I discovered a story by former Southern Baptist Convention president Morris Chapman that appears to call for SBC churches to begin setting up Christian schools. I now wonder if our focus in......
By Christian Dem in NC (0 comments)
Footnote about Ammerman / Palin / Wagner Linkage
Colonel "Jim" Ammerman was listed as being an apostle in C. Peter Wagner's International Coalition of Apostles [see ICA prospectus] from the organization's inception in 2001 through to December 2008. The ICA is one......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
The Singapore Struggle, after AWARE
An introductory post on steeplejacking in Singapore after the attempted takeover of a woman's NGO and a summary of recent updates. ......
By Sniper (2 comments)
What Does Bobby Jindal Really Want to Do To Louisiana Higher Education?
In recent weeks, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has stood back and watched while both the Louisiana House and Senate wrestled with his original budget proposal to cut $219 million from Louisiana public higher education.......
By ulyankee (3 comments)
Yank Dominionists are considering taking over....New Zealand?????
No, it's not a plot for a bad sci-fi movie, it's.... "The Three Greatest Issues Facing the Men of New Zealand" ....and the first wave of the "invasion" has already hit the island, just......
By CynthiaGee (1 comment)
The AWARE steeplejackers and their deep connections to Joel's Army and American dominionists
Thanks to a few Singaporean friends (who shall remain anonymous), I had become aware of a disturbing development--an attempted hijack of a major women's NGO. Through those same folks and Fred Clarkson's post on......
By dogemperor (0 comments)
Common Enemies: LGBT, Abortion Share Foes
by Pam Chamberlain [On The Issues Magazine] When I was in college, a group of radical women dressed as witches ran around major U.S. cities doing zap actions, placing hexes on male-dominated institutions like......
By On The Issues Magazine (0 comments)
Florida Theocrats at it again.
There are two news articles in today's Ledger that are of concern. http://www.theledger.com/article/20090424/NEWS/904259979/1003/NEW S00?Title=Jesus-License-Plate-Could-Come The new license plates come up for a vote this year. http://www.theledger.com/article/20090423/NEWS/904235098/1005/NEW S02?Title=Bill-Would-Strengthen-Voucher-Program This bill, also possibly up for a......
By ArchaeoBob (4 comments)
Is Humanism Arrogant?
Much to the dismay of theocratic Christians, humanists claim that ethics can be understood without resorting to the supernatural or alleged divine authority from religious texts.  Christian theocrats say this is hubris. ......
By TMurray (8 comments)
Terry Schaivo back in the news
http://www.theledger.com/article/20090330/NEWS/903305040/1003/NEW S00?Title=Schiavo-Anniversary-Mass-Planned Another move by the religious right- rather than letting Terry go (after an autopsy PROVED that she had severe and irreversible brain damage), they're dragging her up again. ......
By ArchaeoBob (5 comments)
no ark no temple
how can you build a new temple in jerusalem if there is no ark of the covanent to put in it? book of jerimiah states that the ark will not be reconstructed. what does......
By keyknow (5 comments)
WND.com Cashes In on "Birther" Conspiracy Theories
WorldNetDaily has been spinning ridiculous yarns about Barack Obama since last year's presidential campaign, particularly about the idea that he's a foreign-born usurper to the Oval Office. Now you can own a peice of......
By Scoutstr295 (0 comments)
Did you know NC's constitution bars atheists from holding office?
When I found out that an Arkansas state rep is trying to repeal a provision in his state constitution that bars atheists from holding office, I remembered that, sadly, North Carolina's constitution has a......
By Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)
AP helping religious right again--this time in Arkansas
I'm starting to wonder if the American Family Association has a moleat the Associated Press. That's the only plausible explanation for an AP story about a possible referendum about removing constitutional restrictions on atheists......
By Christian Dem in NC (1 comment)
Creationists' new angle--it's in the name of academic freedom
(cross-posted at dKos) Looks like the creationist crowd is trying a new tack to try and get a toe in the evolution debate. Apparently shutting out discussion of creation amounts to a denial of......
By Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)
Religious right threatens lawsuit over provision of stimulus bill
cross-posted at dKos The American Center for Law and Justice is threatening a lawsuit over the stimulus package. At issue? A provision that it claims may force colleges receiving funds to renovate their facilities......
By Christian Dem in NC (3 comments)
Fundies raising stink about prospective gay appointment
cross-posted at dKosI had a funny feeling the religious right would find something about Obama to get worked up about, and wouldn't you know, it looks like they have.  Apparently the prospect of Obama--horrors!--appointing......
By Christian Dem in NC (1 comment)
The Churches may need Redefining
       John Aravosis www.americablog.com/ has reported that Archbishop Rino Fisichella is commenting on the arrogance of newly elected President Obama as someone who is opening the door to abortion and thus the......
By tangodaddy (1 comment)
Blackwater: Guns for Hire or Trojan Horsemen?
The Los Angeles Times reports this morning that  Blackwater security may be forced out of Iraq: "Blackwater Worldwide,the security firm that allegedly used excessive force to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq, will soon be......
By CynthiaGee (0 comments)
If Abortion is Murder what do you do with the Killers?
This is a video I found today of a guy who interviewed pro-life activists at an anti-abortion rally. The interviewer asked the question, "What do you do with all of the women who commit......
By inlikeflint (0 comments)
Boston Globe Notes Warren's Hitler Cites, Misses "Africa Problem"
As a new Boston Globe article, "Effort to surmount polarizing debates backfires on pastor", by Michael Paulson, noticed, "The Huffington Post, noting that Warren has cited the success Hitler, Lenin and Mao had at......
By Bruce Wilson (4 comments)

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