When does Gay not equal homosexual?

We are all well aware that the religious right is a favourite topic of mine, but a story I came across this weekend really made me giggle.

I first came across this article in the TO Star and was able to find a screenshot on Bejing Olympics Fan’s site. Turns out that the religious-right Christian news site OneNewsNow has a nifty little piece of automatic software built into their site that automatically alters “offensive” words like, oh, turning “gay” into “homosexual”.

So what happens when the site posts an article on Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay, you ask? Well, you get the screen shot below:

[insert wah-wah trombone sound here]

Die to skip living

I was bumbling about through blogs, as is my wont, and came across this little gem.

You all know by now (by you all, I mostly mean Jimsey, Humberto, and a handful of others who read this) that this is my favourite sort of fodder, so let’s get cracking.

According to the good author, “[c]ompromise has become a way of life for modern American Catholics” and “[a]s far as the Church militant is concerned, sometimes the lack of will to fight is much more grueling than actually waging war.”

We’re off to a good start, but it gets better.  Next he rails against what he calls “the pill”, which typically means birth control, but I think he’s actually referring to the morning after pill in any case, and he vomits up this nugget:

Top Fifty Atheist T-Shirt and Bumper Sticker Aphorisms

Mom, I apologize…I just couldn’t resist!

There is a more serious side to this, as well…check out the link for the number one aphorism. Ben Co. giveth you laughter, and Ben Co. taketh your laughter away.

Besides, some of these are pretty friggin’ hilarious. Thanks to “Why, That’s Delightful!” for the tip.

1. Abstinence Makes the Church Grow Fondlers
2. Honk If Your Religious Beliefs Make You An Asshole
3. Intelligent Design Makes My Monkey Cry
4. Too Stupid to Understand Science? Try Religion.
5. There’s A REASON Why Atheists Don’t Fly Planes Into Buildings
6. “Worship Me or I Will Torture You Forever. Have a Nice Day.”­ God.
7. God Doesn’t Kill People. People Who Believe in God Kill People.
8. If There is No God, Then What Makes the Next Kleenex Pop Up?
9. He’s Dead.
   It’s Been 2,000 years.
   He’s Not Coming Back.
   Get OVER It Already!
10. All religion is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry. Edgar Allen Poe.

Pope Banned from University in Rome

The Edmonton Journal is reporting that students and professors at La Sapienza University in Rome have successfully forced Pope Benedict to cancel an upcoming a speaking engagement at the university. See the full article here.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not a fan of this most recent Pope (not that I’ve been a fan of most Popes…). I think he’s introduced a number of regressive ideas back into the Catholic doctrine that do little to help the Catholic church address modern concerns.

That aside, I never agree with a university censoring anyone. University’s are supposed be bastions of free thought, regardless of religious or political affiliation. Columbia University, on the other hand, handled the visit of an (arguably) more controversial figure when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited last year.

So, let the Pope speak, just be sure that there is a free and open forum for debate. Once we lose academic freedom we might as well close up shop and move to Texas.

Does God Have a Future?

I came across a great series examining the relevancy of God and religion in our current world.  Shadow Democracy has started a 1o part series on the topic, with a new installment coming out each Sunday.

I do not pretend to be anything close to a theologian, or a scholar, or a scholarly theologian, but I always find discussions such as these fascinating.

It seems that for an increasing number of people in their 20s and 30s, traditional forms of religion hold little meaning for them.  For many the continuing extremism of many religions in the United States, the social inflexibility of the Catholic church, and continual religious conflict across the globe call into question whether organized religion in its more traditional forms has run its course

Instead, spirituality is sought in other places - non-traditional religious practices, more ancient religious practices (e.g., the explosion of yoga, Wicca), or something as simple as seeking spirituality in nature.

In any case, all good discussions to be having.  Enjoy!

Ford Motor Co: Nazi-Sodomite-Treefrog Automobiles?

Sometimes people just make my blog life too easy.

 Case in point, this guy.

My first thought was, “Weird, what do Ford recalls have to do with religion?”

My second thought was, “Oh, oh, a religious zealot!  Yay!”

To think that to date I was not driving a Christian made car.  And what the heck is a “treefrog trade unionist company”?  And when did unions become un-Christian?

Now, growing up in Detroit, I was of the belief that I would burn in hell only if I drove a foreign car.  But apparently I have put my soul in jeopardy by driving my Ford Escape.  I’m so confused.

Now if only I could get that pair of cavorting sodomites out of my engine…they are really hurting my fuel economy.

Florida: Good for something?

So it appears that the latest battle ground in the good ol’ “Intelligent Design vs. Evolution” war will be taking place in Florida, according to WIRED.

Now, personally, I’m a big fan of evolution.  It is a concept I can grasp and one that can be actively witnessed in other areas of our life (think constantly changing technology).  Common sense aside (this is a required step when you want to consider creationism or intelligent design), theories of evolution are the only theories that have a substantial amount of hard evidence to support them.  They can not be tested by experiment.

Borrowing from Wikipedia, here’s something to think about:

1. Can intelligent design be defined as science?
2. If so, does the evidence support it and related explanations of the history of life on Earth?
3. If the answer to either question is negative, is the teaching of such explanations appropriate and legal in public education, specifically in science classes?

If you leave it at that the answer seems pretty obvious.  As Florida has shown many times in the past, there is no telling which way they’ll go.

And as a cool bonus, you get to learn about evolutionary theology - hadn’t heard of it before, but looks interesting.

“Christian” Pastor seeks to buy up Microsoft shares to eliminate Microsoft’s non-discrimination polices

Sigh.  Despite what some friends might think, I really do strive to remain objective when I consider another persons perspective, especially when it conflicts with my own personally held views.

But then something like this comes along and just provides way to much ammunition for me.  I’ll summarize the article for those of you who don’t feel like pressing their left finger on the link.

Pastor Ken Hutcherson, an evangelical pastor in Redmond, WA (and a former Dallas Cowboys linebacker, hence the addled brain, perchance?) has vowed to mobilize “millions of evangelical activists” in an effort to buy up all of Microsoft’s shares.  And why does the good pastor want to do this?

Is Microsoft persecuting, refusing to hire, or otherwise persecuting Christians?  Does Hutcherson have evidence of Microsoft participating in the 9/11 attacks?  Or, even worse, is it over Microsoft’s utter dominance of personal computers? 

No, he is embarking on this crusade because Microsoft officially discarded its previously neutral stance on homosexuality in favour of championing gay rights in it’s organization.

Yes, a Christian pastor of a church that promotes “diversity” in it’s congregation is attacking Microsoft for not discriminating.  Bravo.  If there is a god I’m sure he’s VERY proud of his flock in Hutcherson’s church.

Why does this drive me bonkers?  Where to start…ah, how about with some foundations of Christian beliefs Hutcherson is going against (Courtesy of Rutgers University)!

• “Christian love isn’t real unless it’s willing to come to grips with real human relationships and the problems that arise with them.”
  
  • This is an ongoing issue I have with religion.  A major tenet of Christianity and most other major religions is this concept of love for your fellow human being.  Evidence from history has not shown that this tenant has been followed too closely.  Hutcherson certainly doesn’t seem to adhere to it.
• “Forgiveness of sins is one of the key marks of Christianity. Christ died to seal our forgiveness by God. We are expected to respond by forgiving each other, and acting as a force for reconciliation in the world.”
  • Even if you DO believe homosexuality is a sin, as a Christian you should be forgiving.  Don’t see much forgiveness going on here, either.
• “There is a certain anti-legal strain in Christian thought. Jesus accepted the validity of the Jewish laws. However he encouraged people to emphasize the intent behind the law, and to focus on their motivations. He summarized the law as love for God and for our neighbor. Thus much of Christian practice is focused on finding ways to show love for our fellows.”
  • Apparently this is now interpreted as “love for our fellows as long as we agree with them”

I’ll leave it at those major concepts for now…although we could go on.

I’ll close with some juicy tidbits from Hutcherson himself.  And I quote:

• “I consider myself a warrior for Christ. Microsoft don’t scare me. I got God with me.”
  • I’m pretty sure the Blues Brothers had a better “Mission from God” than this guy.
    
• Mr Hutcherson’s office is decorated with the heads of deer, elk and a buffalo – “when I run into animals, I kill them and bring them home and eat them”
  • Uh…think this includes cats, dogs, pigeons, rats, and so forth?  eww.
    
• “I don’t care how big Microsoft is,” he said. “They are nothing but a feather in the wind of God. America basically got started with a tea party and Goliath, if I’m not mistaken, got taken down by David, who believed in the same cause I believe in.

  “I’m going to go after the new Goliath with one little rock called a share and I’m going to make them tremble before we get through.”

  • Now I’m no biblical scholar, but I didn’t realize David believed in buying shares of Microsoft in order to promote discrimination and hatred… 

So, score another point in religions continued battle to make itself look ridiculous.  Sometimes it really is too easy.