Jack Van Impe, Hal Lindsey and similar professional Nostradamus clones, have plenty of job security.  All they have to do is sit back and watch the current President. If he fails they respond, "Didn't I tell you guy was no good."  If he suceeds they respond, "What do you expect, after all, he's the anti-Christ."  Others in the current job market do not enjoy such employment security.  Some in the Religious Right have come up with simple solutions to solve the current economic crisis.

In previous posts I have called for mainstream Catholics to offer remonstrance - an earnest presentation of reasons for opposition or grievance against the reactionaries now fomenting schism within the Church; and against a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that increasingly sound more like its most theocratic ally inclined members. And there is no better example than the bishops' opportunistic efforts to hold health insurance reform hostage to their antiabortion agenda.

Well, spring is in the air, and that can mean only one thing. It's time for a member of Congress to introduce a resolution proclaiming the first weekend of May "Ten Commandments Weekend." This time, the resolution comes from Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA).

TV evangelist Pat Robertson's 80th birthday is on Monday, and to mark that momentous occasion, the Virginia legislature decided to pass a resolution lauding him a great American, visionary leader and all-around swell fellow.

The resolution is full of the "whereases" and flowery language that are common in this type of thing. It lauds Robertson's creation of the Christian Broadcasting Network, Regent University, the American Center for Law and Justice and the Christian Coalition.

Last week I wrote about Prime Minister Netanyahu's participation at John Hagee's CUFI rally held in Jerusalem on the evening of Joe Biden's arrival in Israel.   Since that time Netanyahu has claimed that the announcement of new housing units in East Jerusalem was accidental, and the ambush of Biden unintentional.  But there has been almost no mainstream press acknowledgement of Netanyahu's participation at the CUFI rally, an event which  indicates his willingness to blatantly snub the Obama administration and peace talk attempts.

I have written another more detailed article titled A Serial Obstuctionist for Zeek, an online publication of the Jewish Daily Forward.  This incident deserves more exposure for several reasons.  

Glenn Beck's recent admonition that people who attend a church that teaches social justice should leave -- was anti-Catholicism. This was obvious from a wide range of perspectives --from a Jesuit scholar to a liberal newspaper columnist and a neoconservative evangelical blogger.

Yet perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this tawdry episode was that stepping forward to defend Glenn Beck was none other than Bill Donohue leader of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

It's that time of year again.  It's time for the annual Blog Against Theocracy, April 2-4, 2010.  

The prime mover of this blogtacular is our friend Blue Gal, who is a front pager at  Crooks & Liars. The idea is simple. Post a blog against theocracy somewhere that weekend, send the link to Blue Gal, and she'll feature it at Blog Against Theocracy Headquarters -- along with hundreds of others.  

Talk to Action has been honored to participate in the past, and this year is no exception.

 

Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State has an op-ed today at AOL News discussing how, campaign promises and the complaints of civil rights groups not with standing, the Obama administration continues to provide federal funds to organizations that engage in religious discrimination in hiring.

When you scrape the fuzzy mold of the term "faith-based" off of the language used to cloak rank religious bigotry and violations of civil rights laws -- as well as the enabling behavior of the Obama administration -- another tentacle of creeping Religious Rightism in the Democratic Party is cast in sharp relief.

Today an imam delivered the opening prayer before the Virginia House of Delegates - and once again the Religious Right is having kittens.

Three Religious Right groups - the Traditional Values Coalition, the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force and Act for America -- say the imam, Johari Abdul-Malik of the Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, is tied to terrorism. But those claims are false. In reality, I suspect these groups are just angry because someone other than a non-fundamentalist Christian is reciting the prayer.

Yesterday (Monday) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to hundreds of Christian Zionists in Jerusalem at an event organized by John Hagee and Christians United for Israel.  Moments after I finished watching the live stream of the two hour extravaganza, I received an e-mail news notice stating that U.S. Middle East Peace Envoy George Mitchell had just announced new Israeli-Palestinian "proximity talks" or indirect  talks with the U.S. serving as the intermediary. I had a feeling of deja vu.  

In 1998 Netanyahu had traveled to the U.S. to meet with President Bill Clinton concerning peace efforts.  However, before meeting with Clinton, Netanyahu spoke to hundreds of Christian Zionists assembled by Jerry Falwell and John Hagee at the Mayflower Hotel.  In a blatant snub of Clinton and the peace efforts, John Hagee led the crowd in chants of "not one inch," referring to no withdrawal from the West Bank settlements.  With little fanfare and almost no press coverage, Netanyahu and Hagee have pulled the same stunt again. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Israel yesterday. Links to videos of the event can be accessed at Max Blumenthal's article, Hagee and Netanyahu's Lovefest on the Eve of Biden's Arrival in Israel. Also see my article at Zeek titled A Serial Obstructionist.

It's been a year since President Obama lifted the Bush administration's restrictions on the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.  Nevertheless, religious opponents of the research still claim that embryonic stem cells have yet to yield any treatments. They insist that adult stem cell research will render embryonic stem cell research unnecessary.

Well, guess what?

Repent Amarillo, a Texas ministry which refers to itself as an "Army of God,"  is making news for its spiritual warfare and vigilante tactics.  The ministry has "spiritually mapped" the city targeting businesses deemed as evil, Masonic Lodges, the Islamic Center, a Buddhist Temple  and even an Episcopal church accused of being "gay friendly."  (I have looked at the map several times but just noticed the shooting sounds that start after the music ends.)

Repent Amarillo is headed by David Grisham, a part time pastor and security guard at a nuclear facility, but the ministry is part of  RAVEN International headed by Troy Bohn whose RAVEN Amarillo site takes credit for the spiritual mapping and other activities. According to their biographies at RAVEN (which stands for Restoring A Vision & Evangelizing Nations) both Bohn and RAVEN leader Alex Hill were part of Amarillo's Dayspring Dream Center affiliated with the LA Dream Center led by Matthew Barnett.  Bohn and Hill developed Dream Center ministries in Amarillo such as "Adopt-a -Block," before starting RAVEN International as an evangelizing arm of the ministry.

On Feb. 24, a tragedy occurred at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla. A six-ton killer whale known as Tillikum pulled trainer Dawn Brancheau underwater to her death in front of a crowd of horrified spectators watching a show.

Brancheau's tragic death has led to some soul searching: What should be done with Tillikum? Is it ever appropriate to keep killer whales (also known as orcas) in captivity? Is it right to expect these animals to perform for our amusement?

Some time ago, I filled out a survey from the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in connection with an academic study they were doing of the religion blogosphere. Talk to Action is not exactly what I think of as a religion blog, but it is not exactly not a religion blog either. In any case, I filled out the survey, and sent it in.  The survey was part of an interesting Ford Foundation-funded study, The New Landscape of the Religion Blogosphere which has just been published.

It is a worthwhile read for those who are interested in the role of the blogosphere in religion in public life, academia and journalism.  Several people,including me, were asked to briefly comment at the SSRC's blog, The Immanent Frame. You can check out our comments  here. Most of us talked about what blogs have meant for our work, for writing, and even for religion. But significantly, the first thought from the editor of the blog First Thoughts, was to say that religion bloggers really ought to be subject to ecclesiastical authority.   First Thoughts is the blog of the religiously neoconservative journal, First Things.

Yesterday Alternet published an article by Bill Berkowitz including an interview with me about the New Apostolic Reformation, or the "largest religious movement you never heard of."  Despite the growing political clout of its leadership, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) continues to operate under the radar of the mainstream press as well as most progressive media. Hopefully this interview will prove to be another stepping stone in making the movement more recognizable to the public.

I recently called for mainstream Catholics to offer remonstrance -- an earnest presentation of reasons for opposition or grievance against the reactionaries now fomenting schism within the Church.  Today, I will discuss some living role models.  

A few years back I received a letter from Baylor University stating it decided to discontinue its "unclothed anatomical figurine drawing class".  It was a euphemistic way of saying they had closed down the nude model co-ed art class .  Baylor's latest spin is calling Ken Starr, their new president, a Democrat.

Yesterday, I published a commentary at Women's eNews titled: U.S. Religions Quietly Launch a Sexual Revolution. Its about how the Religious Institute, a progressive religious think tank has issued a 46 page manifesto about breaking the silence in religious communities about a host of sexuality issues; and although many mainstream religious institutions have a long way to go, many have also come a long way.

Unsurprisingly, the manifesto was immediately denounced by Religious Right leader Dr. Albert Mohler, the fundamentalist president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The infamous "C Street house" is back in the news.

A group of clergy in Ohio, aided by a tax lawyer, has written to the Internal Revenue Service today asking the federal tax agency to examine the house's tax-exempt status as a church.

Erwin Lutzer, pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, just published a book named, WHEN A NATION FORGETS GOD.  The book contains an endorsement from the Natonal Religious Broadcaster's president, Frank Wright.  Wright's organization has been connected to Dominion theology by some groups in the nation. The theme of he book is stated on page 134; "We have witnessed increasing hostility against Christainity from society in general and from state institutions in particular."

We are pleased to welcome Devin Burghart as a guest front pager. Devin's report on the efforts to fuse elements of the Religious Right with the Tea Partiers is crossposted from the blog of the Institute for Research and Edcuation on Human Rights, where he serves as vice-president. -- FC

Nashville -- The rancor and division among Tea Partiers that erupted in the weeks leading up to the first Tea Party National Convention were nowhere to be found inside the expansive biosphere-like confines of the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. Squabbles set aside, at least for the moment, the real business of the February 4-7 convention was three-fold: culture warring, movement building, and campaign winning.

Organized by Judson Phillips, a Nashville attorney, and his wife Sherry, Tea Party Nation (or TPN) is one of several different Tea Party factions vying to be the voice of those angry white voters wanting to “take America back!”

For months I've been trying to figure out what to make of the "tea party" movement.

Is it merely another band of anti-government, low-tax activists with a libertarian populist edge - or will it become the next wave of the Religious Right? Do the tea partiers intend to stay focused on issues like smaller government or will they take on social issues?

Talk2action.org cofounder Bruce Wilson and I are now regularly contributing articles to Zeek, an online publication of the Jewish Daily Forward.  Almost two years ago Bruce and I began collaborating and sharing our voluminous collections of video, audio, and printed material on Christian Zionism, as well as our analysis of current theological trends in this millennialist movement.  I was proud to have played a small role in assisting Bruce with his John Hagee video that was aired by Countdown with Keith Olbermann on May 21, 2008, and drew international attention within twenty-four hours.

The exposure of Hagee's "Hitler as God's hunter" quote was followed by John McCain's rejection of Hagee's political endorsement. However, it failed to ignite the serious dialogue that we expected. We hope that our contributions to Zeek and other publications will highlight the role that Christian Zionist activism plays in obstructing a peaceful two-state resolution in the Middle East and in disseminating anti-Jewish memes and conspiracy theories. Christian Zionists have approached political leaders in numerous nations to encourage them to support Israel on the basis of biblical prophecy.  Political activism to advance the hands of the prophetic clock is not only a threat to Israel's future but to secular democracy and religious pluralism around the globe.

Following are summaries and links for the Zeek articles.

I've been following a situation in Lancaster, Calif., involving R. Rex Parris, the city's mayor.

Parris found himself in a bit of a hot spot when, during a speech to religious leaders, he asserted, "We're growing a Christian community, and don't let anybody shy away from that."

The story of the assasination of Dr. George Tiller by antiabortion militant Scott Roeder has taken a revealing turn.  The AP is reports that in a 1996 cable TV interview with fellow antiabortion miltant David Leach, Roeder discussed his anti-government militia views.  

Although there has been reporting on Roeder's involvement in the farther reaches of the Religious Right, this would be the first detailed examination of the depth and breadth of the views that have animiated his politics for many years.

Special Focus:  Christian Zionism
Updated February 15, 2010

Following are a list of articles on Christian Zionism that have been posted on Talk2action.org over a period of several years along with other supplementary material.  The articles are listed in chronological order starting with the most recent.

Christian Zionism has been defined as support for the state of Israel by Christians based on biblical beliefs.  However, in the context of these articles, the term Christian Zionist is limited to those activists who view Israel and Jews through the paradigm of their biblical prophecy narratives and are working to advance the hands of the prophetic clock.  The following articles document the paradoxical end times narratives of this millennial worldview and the activism of leaders and organizations including John Hagee and his Christians United for Israel.

The following links are in chronological article starting with the most recent articles.

Welcome to readers from PA Progress 2010!  Keystone Progress held their first conference in Harrisburg Pennsylvania on January 29 and 30. I was honored and excited to be able to participate in this successful event which drew over 500 progressive activists from across Pennsylvania.  My presentation was titled "The Sacralizing of Political and Economic Issues" and included a PowerPoint presentation in which I tracked the history and activism related to "biblical capitalism."  The presentation is not anti-religious, anti-bible, nor anti-capitalist, but addresses the ideology that unregulated capitalism is dictated by biblical law.  In other words, biblical capitalism is the belief that government intervention in the marketplace is against God's will.

As progressives, we are well aware of the role of the Religious Right in issues such as gay rights and women's rights. However, the Religious Right's war on progressive economic policy, regulation, progressive tax structures, and labor unions is often overlooked. Radical free market ideology is being taught to students and adults as a biblical mandate and those in opposition are being literally demonized.  Revisionist textbooks rewriting science and social sciences to align with literal biblical interpretations, are widely used in homeschooling, some private schools, and also by "family values" organizations and adult seminars.

As Talk to Action regulars know, we believe that name calling and cheap sloganeering are no substitute for actual knowledge and the capacity to think about and discuss the Religious Right in thoughtful ways. Indeed, labeling and demonization tactics not only tend to distort civil discourse, but are often substituted for knowledge and sound analysis.  (I have encountered more otherwise sensible people over the years than I ever could have imagined who seem to think that you really don't need to know much more than what to call "THEM.")

While developing broadly held understandings of the Religious Right and the capacity to discuss it has always been difficult, some trends in recent years posed additional obstacles.  The pandering to conservative Catholics and evangelicals by the Democratic Party and related interest groups has had the perhaps unintended consequence of knowledge reduction, and of the marginalization of genuinely informed analysis about the Religious Right. For example, Jeff Sharlet's book The Family came out with little notice or interest from the media, the political community or the blogosphere.  When the "C Street" scandal hit, Jeff's book suddenly became required reading -- as it should have been all along. Another consequence was that conferences now tended not to feature speakers and panels about the right, but often highlighted discussion of dubious notions of "faith outreach" and "common ground."

So I am pleased to note a recent exception, and I hope it signals a trend.

Religion Dispatches: A number of religious leaders called on president Obama to condemn the proposed Ugandan kill the gays bill, which had been originally promoted by members of secretive power clique "The Family."

Daily Kos: While addressing the Family-sponsored National Prayer Breakfast, Obama called the bill "odious."

Americans United: But Barry Lynn says that in the same speech Obama gave the "wrong impression" that Bush era constitutional and civil rights problems caused by the "faith-based initiative" have been fixed. A national coalition of 25 religious and civil rights groups wonders when the administration will get around to it.

It was February 2006. President George Bush, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Bono all gathered at the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast. If they read the printed program accompanying the event they would have seen a falsified George Washington quote: fake history in essence. Did they know ? According to Jewish Standard reporter Jacob Berkman, literature printed to accompany the event featured 'George Washington's prayer for the United States of America from June 8, 1783, which ends "Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord." ' But George Washington did not write those words. The quote was fake.

Congressional Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) declaimed the falsified "prayer" at the 2005 National Prayer Breakfast, and it was on the National Prayer Breakfast program in 2007. According to an article in The Christian Century the falsified 'prayer' was in the printed program at the 2001 National Prayer Breakfast too. It was a pattern.