Donate to or support
Talk to Action






Talk To Action Speakers Bureau


Religious Right Organizations

Site Sections

The War on Reproductive Rights

Attacking Public Education

Shadow War: the battle for mainstream faith
the covert campaign against liberal chuches and the social justice tradition

War on Judicial Independence

Recommended Books
[above: click on image for YouTube video trailer]"Renewal or Ruin": New Video Documentary By Steve D. Martin Spotlights Secretive Rightwing Effort To Destroy Mainstream Protestant Churches


Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy, by Frederick Clarkson


Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort
by Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons
sample chapter

God's Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade For Values Voters
By Sarah Posner


Liars for Jesus: The Religious Right's Alternate Version of American History
By Chris Rodda


Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism
: by Michelle Goldberg


With God on Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George W. Bush's White House.
by Esther Kaplan


Straight to Jesus: Sexual and Christian Conversions in the Ex-Gay Movement
Tanya Erzen


Special Features

Attack on The United Churches of Christ

Attack on The United Methodist Church

"The Christian Right, Dominionism, and Theocracy", by Chip Berlet

Parts OneTwoThreeFourFive

"Taking Over The Republican Party", a four part series by Joan Bokaer

The Woman in A Mink CoatWhile We Were sleepingAngels On a PinheadUnder Cover of Night

The Indian River Incident : What You Can Do

link > The "Stop the ACLU Coalition" Shaming Project
How you can help stop "Stop The ACLU" just by sending a few emails



'Left Behind' video game imageThe Shaming Project

does the violence of "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" bother you ? If so, what can you do ? Well, to begin with you can email Jonathan Hutson's stories to people you know. That will help to bring more public scrutiny of the game. Public shaming really works ! Just click on the "email" icon and link at the top or bottom of the story and you'll be taken to a form that will allow you email the first story, The Purpose Driven Life Takers or the latest installment without leaving this site. Thanks. 'Left Behind' video game image

Donate to or support
Talk to Action




Anatomy of Another Attack
By John Dorhauer Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 03:07:45 PM EST printable version print story
Review it on NewsTrust
The following e-mail came to me yesterday. It tells a sad story of a church under attack. I have asked permission of the pastor to share this with you in its entirety. I have changed the name of the church and the pastor, knowing that some will guess which church and pastor are being referred to. Those details are not essential to the telling of this story.

Many of the tactics described here are almost universally applied in a takeover attempt in our churches: attempts at peace and reconciliation met with only more strident attacks; capitulation to bullying tactics met with another attack; ugly words and actions expressed in public hearings; letter to church members expressing disgust and disdain about an action of the wider church; responses to such a letter from representatives of the wider church; clandestine meetings; calls for votes; signature campaigns; establishment of a research committee; request to distribute the results of the 'research' to the full membership of the church.

This e-mail provides us with a pretty thorough, first-hand look at the development of an attack.. I include it in its entirety, again, changing only those items that would identify the church in question.

topic: United Churches Of Christ
Lately it seems a greater sense of peace has descended on First Church that is
very refreshing. Since the summer of 2005 we've experienced turmoil and
sought to placate those who seek to take  First Church out of the United Church
of Christ (UCC). Each time we've chosen to capitulate to their demands
thinking peace would result, they have been emboldened to demand an even
stronger expression of their displeasure.

In the summer of 2005 I published a pastoral letter agreeing not to
perform same sex ceremonies. That promise still stands. I was told it
was not strong enough and therefore there might be a hint that if the
state  were to change its laws, I might go back on my word.
Open hearing meetings were held in early 2006 seeking a path toward
peace. Many ugly things were said in those meetings. Then First Church's church
council asked members to voice the degree of their opposition to the UCC
(3 disapproving choices and one neutral). In July 2006 a letter went
from First Church giving voice to objections some here felt toward a UCC
resolution from 2005 hoping that would help bring peace to First Church. Both
the Conference and the National office of the UCC
received and responded to that letter. After publishing the results of
the survey and sending the letter. the council stated that their wisdom
was that for the good of the congregation First church is not on a path to leave
the UCC. Some First church members, coached by individuals outside our
community, mounted an aggressive signature campaign, which garnered
enough signatures to force a congregational meeting. Many ugly things
were said at that meeting and a resolution came from it to:  
Establish an independent committee of volunteers (nine members) free
from the influence of the UCC and the Conference to investigate
the concerns this congregation has with the UCC and to provide
recommendations to the congregation that address those concerns.  

This group came to be called the Independent Research Committee (a name
from the outside coaches) and would have included no one with affection
for the UCC except that our church council president
insisted that our by-laws be followed.

To discharge their task to investigate, this Independent Research
Committee sent out a survey asking members to (again) voice their
objections to the UCC. It did not ask members to voice their joys or
loves regarding the UCC and some members did not respond because the
survey was perceived to only be asking for the opinions of those who
dislike the UCC.  

Last Monday, at the church council meeting, the research committeerequested that their
finding be sent to the entire congregation in a separate mailing. This
report will be shown to the council for the first time on Wed., Jan. 17
and mailed to members on Jan. 19. The research committee requested that the council set
the agenda for the upcoming Jan. 28 congregational meeting to include
the report, but no action be taken on the committee's recommendations.
When the council asked what those recommendations would be, the council
was told that the recommendations were not yet formulated by the
committee. It has now become clear that the research committee findings being mailed
this week will include not only a report by also 7 recommendations.

o    The research committee will recommend to First Church that it force Rev. Jones to
resign.
o    It will recommend by-law changes regarding how First Church selects
Church Council members in case of mid term vacancy.  
o    It will recommend a change in the current Search Committee's
procedures to give more power to those who seek a senior pastor whose
views correspond to those calling for First Church to leave the UCC.

And:

o    It will recommend that a new committee be established to study
the objections First Church has against the UCC.  

During this process, members coached by outsiders have regularly and
systematically made false statements about the UCC in the grocery
stores, in fellowship meetings, after church, during coffee hour and in
many other settings. It has been repeated that the UCC does not accept
Jesus Christ as Messiah. This is completely false. The UCC constitution
begins with the statement that Jesus is the sole head of the church and
affirms the historic creeds of the Christian faith. It has been said
that some people have read the UCC web site and have seen it there that
the UCC denies Jesus' divinity. This is completely false. Read it for
yourself. It says no such thing.

It has been said that the UCC supports abortion. This is false. It has
been said that some people have read the UCC web site and have seen this
for themselves. This is false. Read it for yourself. The UCC is
congregationally organized. The National settings speak to and not for
the local congregation. The UCC is one of the most open and accepting
Christian organizations in existence. It is that very freedom that
allows many points of view to be discussed fully and openly.

Some of the surveys returned to the research committee have had printed copies of anti
UCC website materials attached to them.

I will take time in the coming weeks to write more about this church, and how it contains many identifiable elements of a typical church attack.

Digg
del.icio.us
Newsvine
Reddit
stumbleupon
Facebook


To discuss this story, sign up for a free account

Display:
Anatomy of Another Attack | 18 comments (18 topical, 0 hidden)
Thanks for posting these... (5.00 / 2)
...Right before I joined our local PCUSA church there had been some maneuvering to question whether or not the congregation would stay with the denomination (this was about the same time as the General assembly was meeting and debating the positions on same sex relationships).

They have remained as part of the PCUSA, but I will be vigilant and notice if any of these tactics being used in the UCC are tried in our church.

by SharonB on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 04:30:25 PM EST
Thanks... (5.00 / 1)
This is a dynamic to which we all must be paying vigilant attention.
Shalom, Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer "Time makes ancient good uncouth; we must onward still and upward who would keep abreast of truth." from Lowell, "The Present Crisis"
by John Dorhauer on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 07:35:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]


Shining Light on the IRD? (5.00 / 1)
Thank you for bringing this story to light.  My guess is that the "outside coaches" in this situation are the field hands of the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD).  At least this is how the IRD works.  For those interested in the history of this right-wing organization's attacks on the National Council of Churches as well as the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, and other Protestant denominations with long traditions of social justice, it appears in the January/February 2004 issue of Zion's Herald (recently renamed The Progressive Christian), authored by Andrew Weaver.  Weaver also has an article on the IRD and Neoconservative Catholics in the current issue of Progressive Christian (www.tpcmagazine.org).  Just for the record, I am not affiliated with ZH/TPC.  It is essential to continue to uncover the tentacles of groups like the IRD.  But it is just as important to build a strong and effective progressive religious and progressive Christian witness to fill the void now being created by the growing, widespread disillusionment with right-wing Christianity, even among evangelicals.  It is interesting to me that the alternative now getting the most media exposure is that of the atheists.  I don't wish them ill at all--they have been maligned as long as most any group in the country and even now are about the only minority that could not possibly get a (self-avowed!) member elected as the U.S. president.  (Morever, most of them regret and reject the vitriole of Dawkins, et al).  But it is a simple fact that atheism, however "evangelical" in tone and moral in content, cannot provide a compelling religious vision to replace the withering rhetoric of the religious right.  It must come from the progressive traditions within America's religions, particularly (because of our demographics) Christianity.  And while there is a lot of progressive Christian talk and activism these days, there is very little in the way of a vocal, identifiable progressive Christian point of view (or family of viewpoints).  What is the "worldview" of progressive Christianity, other than an important set of sane moral commitments that parallels those of most secular progressives?  But if that is all it is, why not be a secular progressive?  Progressive Christianity must be something more than progressive moral commitments wrapped in vaguely biblical language.  Developing this point of view, and communicating it, is as important, I believe, as exposing the sinister machinations of groups like the IRD.  (St. Dubiety, previously doubtisdivine)   


by doubtisdivine on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 05:23:10 PM EST
it is time to defend the NCC (5.00 / 1)
They are suffering under renewed attack.  I got wind of it from a press release to the Albany Times Union recently.  The NCC has been down this road before but last time there was little awareness of the nature of the attack and it was hard to explain it to people.  We need to be there for them this time.  

The IRD has written a ninty page report about the NCC.  It's all over the front page of the IRD website.

by tikkun on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 08:03:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

You are right. (5.00 / 2)
You are the third person today to alert me to this, and I need to go check it out - we all do. There is no saying this time "We didn't know what we were up against." If we let this go on, we will all be hurt by it.
Shalom, Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer "Time makes ancient good uncouth; we must onward still and upward who would keep abreast of truth." from Lowell, "The Present Crisis"
by John Dorhauer on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 09:08:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I wrote about the attack on the NCC (5.00 / 2)
When False Equivalency Distorts the News

But there needs to be a far wider response than what I alone can do.

by Frederick Clarkson on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 09:28:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Sorry, Didn't See it. (5.00 / 1)
I have an op ed piece for the Times Union that ya'll are more than welcome to peruse and critique before it gets published.  Where should I put it so you can have at it.

by tikkun on Wed Jan 17, 2007 at 09:53:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]
It has to be in today (5.00 / 1)
Robb Brill has been nagging and this has to be effective. He's putting it on the regular opinion page, not in the religion section. HELP

by tikkun on Wed Jan 17, 2007 at 09:56:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]


I take it back (5.00 / 1)
I did read it. It is the bones for the op ed piece. Thanks Fred.

by tikkun on Wed Jan 17, 2007 at 10:33:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]
if you need an edit (5.00 / 1)
shoot me copy at frederick.clarkson@gmail.com and tell me what the word count needs to be. Glad to help.

by Frederick Clarkson on Wed Jan 17, 2007 at 11:02:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I sent it, check your e-mail (5.00 / 1)
There is no word count. it's an invited piece but still and all it's too darn long.  

by tikkun on Wed Jan 17, 2007 at 04:15:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]





This started out very well (5.00 / 2)
but you kinda went down hill at this point
But it is just as important to build a strong and effective...

We do political solutions to the right wing, not theological discussions of what should counterbalance the right wing.  There are very good places to carry on the evangelical point of the post.  Check the purpose statement. I know it's sometimes hard to find the fulcrum  that balances evangelizing and strategizing, but it gets easier with time.  

by tikkun on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 08:29:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

We do political solutions to the right wing...! (5.00 / 2)
I believe a distinction can be made between "what we do" and, more generally, "what needs to be done" (often, by others), and that on occasion there may be a reason to talk about a more general need, or at least one in someone else's territory, as well as matters that fit neatly into our own specific purview.  With all due respect, I was not engaged in a theological discussion; I was saying that for the sake of us all it would help if those who call themselves progressive religious people--particularly the Christians among them, since the strength of the right wing has been located in the Church--would get busy doing their own "theological" work, by which I mean making a compelling case, drawing upon the universe of Christian symbols and myths for their advocacy of progressive values.  I think that (speaking of "political solutions") will be essential if vast numbers of voters are to be turned away AND KEPT AWAY from the hegemony of the religious right.   One of the people who speaks eloquently for this, interestingly, is Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun, who has on several occasions contended that progressive Christians need to stop speaking solely in "secular-ese" and start defending the progressive social and political agenda using the resources of their own traditions.  Of  course, he thinks progressive Jews should do the same.  That is all I was saying when you think I started going "down hill."  I believe the identification of that need is a political claim, not a theological one, and so, if I may, an appropriate point to make in this forum.  To address another concern that my remarks might raise, saying that progressive Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. (as well as Atheists, Marxists, Darwinians, etc.) should articulate, even in our public discourse, their progressive values in the language of their own (philosophical, religious, and scientific) traditions is not at all--so far as I can see--violating the separation of"church" (interesting, but understandable that we reduce the issue that way) and state.  For one thing, it is simply inviting people to say "why" they think what they think, which has its own intrinsic value in a diverse culture.  These specifically parochial reasons will not be (certainly should not be) the bases for supporting certain values legislatively, and they need not be.  For one thing, people belong to more than one parochial tradition (and, by the way, no one escapes them--even Secularism is a particular tradition).  Second, at least some of the reasons that emerge from one tradition make a difference in others.  Third, beginning with our diverse starting points does not mean we are locked into them, and usually we are not; we often come up with encompassing (some might prefer to say "neutral") reasons for the values we wish to advocate and support collectively.  In sum, to make some more or less permanent political headway, I believe progressives in each religious tradition need to say in a compelling way how their tradition supports those values.  This is an especially urgent need among Christians, whose traditional symbols have been controlled by the right wing.  If progressive Christians believe this right wing "take over" is a distortion of their tradition, they need to be able to say why, and say it intelligently and persuasively.  And I believe this judgment of mine, right or wrong, is a political one.  --St. Dubiety.        

by doubtisdivine on Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 11:49:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Your second post is on target (5.00 / 1)
There is one "slight" problem that might arise.  Everyone is not equally equipped to speak effectively just as everyone is not equipped to teach effectively or to organize effectively, or write markup code. We need to do a better job of recognizing the tasks that need to be done and of recognizing those best suited to do them.  I'm not the person who should be writing op ed pieces, I'm a mediocre organizer, and my code is primitive at best, but I'm stuck with all the jobs right now because I am just beginning to teach the rest of the resistant irl community what they need to know about the enemy at hand.

Since we are online, we are a reading and writing medium. That doesn't help us find the appropriate people necessary to accomplish the other tasks necessary to complete all the tasks ahead of us.  

This post doesn't have an ending.  Its exactly the frustrating place where I am mentally.  I have code and an op ed piece to write today.  I have no editor for either..  Damn, damn and double damn.  I don't have time for egos and stars, I need people to help me do the bloody work work...and that is exactly where the resisting community is.

by tikkun on Wed Jan 17, 2007 at 10:27:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

I want to weigh in... (5.00 / 2)
and say that the progressive religious community has never not developed sound theology, has never not appropriated meaninful myth and symbol. We live in a day and time when the religious right has done a much better job of using mass media to communicate to a much broader audience their particular theology, symbology, etc. If anything, the left lacks media savvy. But, on the other hand, every effort the left has made to enter the realm  of a more public dialogue has been characterized by the right as pandering to 'the secular left ' - that numinous term that gives Fred such fits (as well it should).
Shalom, Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer "Time makes ancient good uncouth; we must onward still and upward who would keep abreast of truth." from Lowell, "The Present Crisis"
by John Dorhauer on Wed Jan 17, 2007 at 11:11:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]
bt, dt (none / 0)
John,
Thanks for this.  Sans the outside influence, sounds like what I went through with my congregation.  We stayed but only by a compromising reduction in denominational support.  Fiercely clinging to Christ and one another.  The dissenters left.

And yes, there has always be some theology done in progressive circles, but, understandably, not as rigorously as from the right.  Theory (read:theology) is part of praxis.

Niederfrank

by Don Niederfrank on Wed Jan 24, 2007 at 08:32:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]




Bob Edgar uses the term (none / 0)
"middle" to avoid IRD framing.  I think it's a clumsy reframe but he's on the right track.  

by tikkun on Wed Jan 17, 2007 at 10:06:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]




You think so... (none / 0)
Just so you know, our pastor wrote a letter like this, too, and it is all untrue.  The people on our committee had no prodding from anyone except their own research and prayerful efforts.  This is a slap in the face to all who are truly concerned about Christ's presence and true Word of God in the church.

by mbamomma on Wed Feb 21, 2007 at 02:11:57 PM EST

Anatomy of Another Attack | 18 comments (18 topical, 0 hidden)

WWW Talk To Action


The Fog is Lifting over Common Ground on Abortion
President Obama has made much about finding common ground on abortion, and Democratic oriented think tanks like Third Way and Faith in Public Life......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Short Takes
Examiner.com:  A few years ago, Talk to Action exposed the convert or die ideology of the video game based on Tim LaHaye's Left Behind......
By Frederick Clarkson (6 comments)
Sally Kern, Unpatriot: Why Does Oklahoma's Looney Lawmaker Hate America?
Everyone's favorite raging theocrat, Oklahoma House member Sally Kern, is at it again. Numerous reports indicate that Kern and her supporters plan to publicly......
By Rob Boston (3 comments)
Camp David Chaplain: "First we get the military, then we get the nation"
For a few hours today it seemed, according to a new Time Magazine story by Amy Sullivan, released Monday morning, that US President Barack......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
Obama's [Reported] New Pastor: "First we get the military, then we get the nation"
UPDATE: The White House has denied the report that Obama has chosen the chapel at Camp David as his church. This, however, does not......
By Chris Rodda (2 comments)
CBS's Go To (Rightwing) Catholic Guy
The go to guy at CBS News for all-things Catholic is one Father Thomas D. Williams.  Never heard of him?  Well, if you watch......
By Frank Cocozzelli (2 comments)
MRFF Demands DoD Revoke Authority of Chaplain Endorser Who Suggested Democrats Should Be Executed
As I wrote back in May, the antics of disgraced former Navy chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, and his retaliation against the Military Religious Freedom Foundation......
By Chris Rodda (4 comments)
Al Jazeera Special Report Covers Advance of Fundamentalism in US Military
A June 23, 2009 report from Al Jazeera (English) by Josh Rushing, "Fault Lines - Religion in the Military", expertly covers a topic the......
By Bruce Wilson (2 comments)
Ann Coulter Justifies The Tiller Assasination
Ann Coulter is skilled at saying what she really believes while building in a certain plausible deniability, and that is what she has repeatedly......
By Frederick Clarkson (5 comments)
More on the Pre-Netroots Nation Pie Fight
The other day, I reported about the pies launched in response to the description of one of the first sessions to be announced for......
By Frederick Clarkson (3 comments)
Ralph's Resurrection?: Former Christian Coalition Honcho Reed Seeks To Rise From The Crypt
Last month I wrote a story for Church & State speculating about possible new leaders for the Religious Right. I focused on Mike Huckabee,......
By Rob Boston (3 comments)
Liberty Learns A Lesson: Falwell School Accepts AU Advice On Political Clubs
Americans United for Separation of Church and State reacted quickly when word spread recently that officials at Liberty University had revoked university recognition of......
By Rob Boston (0 comments)
Defense Department-Certified Agency Newsletter Suggests Killing Democrats
"In 2008, Ammerman implied that four presidential candidates should be "arrested, quickly tried and hanged" for not voting to designate English America's official language,......
By Bruce Wilson (2 comments)
Col. Jim Ammerman, Apostle & New World Order Conspiracy Theorist
Part Two - Conspiracy as Prophecy New World Order Conspiracy is not disseminated by white supremacist groups alone. New World Order conspiracy is a......
By Ruth (2 comments)
Common Ground Sink Hole at RH Reality Check
There is an odd new section to the prochoice site, RH Reality Check devoted to discussion of common ground on abortion, and featuring some......
By Frederick Clarkson (3 comments)

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......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)
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......
By CynthiaGee (0 comments)
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)

More Diaries...


Donate to or support
Talk to Action
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)







Blogs

Bartholomew's Notes On ReligionChip BerletMax BlumenthalThe Panda's ThumbFrederick Clarkson Chuck Currie DefCon father Jake Stops The World John Gorenfeld Religion Clause Chris Mooney Religious Right Watch The Revealer Jesus Politics Majority Report Radio Blog Mainstream Baptist Orcinus Dispatches from the Culture Wars Ex-Gay Watch The Wall of Separation Blog From The Capital:a blog on religious liberty issues and the separation of church and state

CrossLeft: Organizing The Christian Left Dark Christianity The Daily Kos Booman TribuneePluribus Media My Left Wing Political Cortex Street Prophets

Organizations

American Booksellers Foundation for Freedom of ExpressionACLUAnti-Defamation LeagueAmerican Library AssociationChristian Alliance for ProgressCitizens ProjectDefCon: Campaign to Defend The ConstitutionFaithful America People For the American wayInstitute For Democracy StudiesInterfaith AllianceJews On First: Defending the First AmendmentAmerican Fundamentalists Americans United for Separation of Church and StateBaptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty The Clergy and laity Network Political Research Associates Theocracy Watch Media Matters for AmericaMilitary Religious Freedom FoundationMontana Human Rights NetworkNational Center For Science EducationReligious Coalition for Reproductive ChoiceThe RevealerSouthern Poverty Law CenterTexas Freedom NetworkCrossLeft: Organizing the Christian LeftTheocracy WatchTruth Wins Out"