Clipmarks | AtlLiberal's 'christian' clips

Religion, Caste, and Fear

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:53:11 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: This has been brewing for some time in India with no coverage to speak of in the US. For a country like India with such a long history it's bewildering that they haven't eliminated such blatant rigid social expressions of division which lead to this bloody encounter.

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

Holy war strikes India

As she recalled her awful story, Puspanjali Panda made no attempt to halt the tears flooding down her face.

Holding her daughter close, she told how a baying Hindu mob dragged her husband – a Christian pastor – from his bed, beat him to death with stones and iron rods and then threw him into a river. She found his corpse two days later, washed up on the bank. When she went to the police, they told her to go away.

Mrs Panda and thousands of others like her are victims of the worst communal violence between Hindus and Christians that India has seen for decades.

The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, called it a "national disgrace".

The journey to the heart of the violence follows a bone-shaking road east from Bhubaneswar to the district capital, Phulbani. It was here in late August that thousands of Hindus armed with swords, sticks and primitive guns began taking matters into their own hands after the murder of an elderly religious leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.

Low Information Voters

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:35:53 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: I run into these people a lot here in Georgia. People that make up their minds based on bumper stickers and 30 second TV ads.

In a country with such promise, there is a huge swath of people that are, IMO, wasting the potential of this free society to learn, grow, and advance the human condition. Dare I use the word shallow?

Clip Source: www.ucdailynews.com

Why You Shouldn't Vote for Barack Obama

I decided go out, among the flock, to talk to some of my neighbors, co-workers and people in the local Wal-mart and grocery stores, to get some reasons why I shouldn’t vote for this new shiny coin they call Barack Obama.

I found a co-worker of mine who carries the opinion that he is a Muslim pretending to be a Christian. That he hates white people and was sent here by Al Qaeda to infiltrate the terrorist’s agenda into USA soil. They know this because he received an email from a friend from church, or a co-worker who received this information from a reliable source.

I also spoke to an older friend of mine

She said, “He is a Chicago “slickster” who has a big “MTV Cribs” style house.

I did find a lady at the grocery store who told me that “McCain was a prisoner of war and therefore could be trusted with the country”.

JC in the WH?

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:25:28 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Rovian treatment of Christian deity. It works for anyone.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

If Jesus Ran For President...

[Video]

Democratic = Atheist?

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:23:04 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: While there is no reason why an atheist couldn't be a Republican this piece touches on some interesting questions.

Clip Source: atheism.about.com

Should Atheists Vote for the Republican Party?

Why is there a problem for atheists who might be inclined to support the Republican Party? Although it was not inevitable, today Republicans at all levels of government across the country are the primary force behind legislation which would:

Undermine the teaching of evolution and promote the teaching of creationism

Criminalize abortion in as many cases as possible, if not in all cases

Provide funding to religious groups that discriminate on the basis of religion

Provide funding for religious and theological training, as with ministers or priests

Establish prison rehabilitation programs that emphasize fundamentalist Christianity

Have the government endorse the Ten Commandments

Use government power to give a privileged status to Christianity and Christian beliefs

Having Their Cake and Eating It Too

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:40:06 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: From the article:

"Let's imagine that the Alliance Defense Fund and its clerical clients were to persuade the Supreme Court to overturn the Johnson amendment's ban on political endorsements from the pulpit. At that point, what would prevent wealthy ideologues from making tax-exempt contributions to sympathetic pastors' churches for the express purpose of engaging in partisan electioneering? For that matter, what would prevent ambitious pastors from soliciting just such contributions and then using them to bind like-minded ministers into powerful political machines?"

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

Beware the bully pulpit

Pastors plan to challenge a ban on religious leaders making political endorsements in church. It's a bad idea.

Every act of civil disobedience is, by its very nature, a provocation. The trick is to distinguish between those acts that genuinely express the unjustly ignored conscience of the provocateur and those that merely are provocative.

On Sunday, 33 evangelical Protestant pastors in 22 states will demand that the rest of us do precisely that, when they participate in a "pulpit initiative" conceived by an Arizona-based Christian legal organization -- the Alliance Defense Fund -- which hopes to overturn the Internal Revenue Code's 54-year-old ban on political endorsements by tax-exempt organizations, including churches.

The lawyers and the pastors they've recruited argue that the ban -- originally sponsored by then-Texas Sen. Lyndon Johnson in 1954 -- violates the clergy's 1st Amendment rights to both free speech and free exercise of religion.

Hindu Cooties

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:18:58 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Unambiguous religious discrimination against a class of people fuels violent unrest in India. Directed mainly towards Christian, it has been seen that Christian converts are disproportionately found to be from India's lower castes. Thus there appears to be not only a problem with friction between Hindus and Christians but the age old problem of class discrimination to boot.

Clip Source: atheism.about.com

Lowest Hindu Caste Left Behind in Flood?

Discrimination against Dalits — India's lowest caste — is supposed to be over. It was made a crime over 50 years ago and the government has a quota system designed to ensure that Dalits get a fair chance at government jobs and places in government schools. So why are the social and economic circumstances of Dalits still so bad?

Indians from higher castes routinely deny Dalits everything and anything that others take for granted, like electricity and running water.

Although India is a society where separating religion and culture is more difficult than most, it's unambiguous that the plight of the Dalits is ultimately religious in origin. The foundation of the Dalit caste are people whose occupations were believed to make a person "ritually impure" — handling leather, carcasses, human waste, etc.

Letters, We Get Letters...

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:16:21 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Dawkins retains a jovial outlook when presented with Christian Love©

Clip Source: godbegone.blogspot.com

Richard Dawkins Reads Hate Mail From Loving Christians

Professor Dawkins reads us some of the hate mail he receives from loving christians, Christians who not only express vile vitriol, But also the inability to grasp the concept of punctuation.

[Video]

Another Variety of Insanity

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:25:57 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: What defines "respectable" religion from a cult. I suspect it's either number of followers or going against the favorite wedge issue of the day. In reality, the differences are very small and often hinge on the number of angels on a pin.

From the article:

"At their Saugus, Calif., church in the 1970s, the Alamos preached that anyone who quit the cult would be killed, driven mad, or changed into a homosexual."

Clip Source: www.splcenter.org

The Ravening Wolf

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Clad in matching T-shirts with bejeweled cross logos, members of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries are once again saving souls on Hollywood Boulevard. Since the late 1960s, followers of notorious cult leader Tony Alamo have recruited and distributed literature on this star-studded sidewalk.

Scattered former acolytes have long accused Alamo of mind control, con artistry, and mental and physical abuse of his followers. Now, momentum to hold accountable the man known as "Papa Tony" is on the rise. In the last two years, former followers have come together on the Internet, establishing online forums where they offer mutual support and document a litany of personal horror stories. Even more importantly, a number of ex-cult members and family members of several of those still inside have reported to law enforcement allegations of serious crimes including physical abuse, statutory rape and polygamy.

Christian Apologist Defends Xmas

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:15:48 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Don't look now but the Holiday season is almost upon us. Strap on your crosses and march off to K-Mart to lasso the latest Christian gifts with your Rosaries.

Clip Source: atheism.about.com

Mailbag: You Don't Know Love

From: "Jenny"
Subject: Are You a Robot?

The only reason there is Christmas is becauwe of Christ. Us giving gifts to others represents the wisemen giving their gifts to Christ. ... If you're an athiest and don't believe in Christ then you don't know Love, or Joy or happiness or sorrow. You would be a robot. Are you a robot? No.

The "no Christmas without Christ" is a familiar refrain in America, although usually phrased as "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." Unfortunately for those singing this tune, they have it all wrong. Without Christianity we would still have Christmas - although it would obviously go under some other name.

Many cultures, in particular European cultures, there has always been some sort of winter festival that falls around the time of Christmas. Christianity didn't invent celebrations at this time of year and didn't even invent giving gifts, either.

"Jesus is living within me."

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:14:51 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Possessed Arkansas preacher's church compound looked at for alleged child abuse. Let me see, haven't we heard this song before?

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Evangelist's compound raided in child abuse case

(CNN) -- Federal and state police raided an evangelist's compound in Arkansas late Saturday to investigate whether any children have been physically or sexually abused, officials said.

The raid is part of a two-year investigation into a compound near Texarkana, Arkansas, owned by Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, said Bill Sadler of the Arkansas State Police. About 100 agents were on the 10- to 15-acre site late Saturday and met with no resistance, he said.

"It's a hoax," Alamo said. "They're just trying to make our church look evil ... by saying I'm a pornographer. Saying that I rape little children. ... I love children. I don't abuse them. Never have. Never will." Watch Alamo deny the allegations »

"Why were they after Jesus?" he asked. "It's the same reason. Jesus is living within me."

Tags: religion

The Universal Candidate

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:06:27 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Palin continues to amaze her supporters. Next week she's scheduled to walk across the Bering Strait to meet with all the Russian diplomats she's been waving to. Fox News demigod Sean Hannity will have an exclusive interview with Sarah as she walks across the water.

Clip Source: www.theonion.com

Palin Unveils 9/11 Firefighter Cousin, Reformed Lesbian Niece, Naturalized Mexican Half Brother

Less than two weeks after introducing to the nation her developmentally disabled newborn and her 19-year-old son preparing for military service in Iraq, Republican vice presidential nominee and conservative Christian woman Sarah Palin delivered a speech Monday flanked by three heretofore-unknown relatives, including a naturalized Mexican half brother, a formerly lesbian niece, and a New York City firefighter cousin who saved several lives during the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.

"John McCain and I will take on the Washington establishment and give the government back to the people," said Palin, who several times gave the "thumbs-up" sign to her African-American coal-miner uncle seated in the audience. "We envision a better and brighter future for hardworking, selfless Americans like Ted, Anne, and Guillermo here."

Church/State Mythology

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:39:36 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: From the article:

Christians in America are often told that they are being persecuted, so claims like this fall on already very fertile ground. Despite having their hands on nearly every lever of power throughout American society, many Christians sincerely believe that they and their religion are under siege and suffering from persecution. They certainly don't want to experience even more hardship, so they are responsive to whatever suggestions their leaders offer to stave off the criminalization of their religion.

Unfortunately, these Christians are simply being deceived. There is no logical, necessary, or legal connection between preventing the government from promoting certain religious beliefs and preventing individual citizens from expressing those same religious beliefs on their own.

Clip Source: atheism.about.com

Myth: Church/State Separation is a Means for Making Christianity Illegal

Are Atheists Using Church/State Separation to Criminalize Religious Expression?

Myth:

If expressions of religious belief, like that in our national motto or Pledge of Allegiance, can be declared unconstitutional simply because they reflect basic truths of our religious faith, then any expression of religious faith can also be declared illegal. Our basic freedoms, especially religious freedoms, will crumble.

Response:
One of the most popular means the Christian Right has for scaring people out of supporting church/state separation is to get them to believe that if the government is prohibited from expressing, endorsing, and promoting religious beliefs, then individual Christians will also be prohibited from doing the same. Denying the government authority over religious matters is thus reframed as government suppression of religious expression. How does that work?

Disturbing Correlations

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:48:37 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: This article brings up questions concerning Palin's religious associations and the philosophies they embrace. If a connection exists to one of the far right organizations mentioned it should be scrutinized and brought to light. The last thing we need is a Dominionist in the White House.

See past clips about Joel's Army for more info.

Clip Source: www.talk2action.org

Palin's Churches and the Third Wave

Sarah Palin has refused to acknowledge belonging to any specific denomination or any particular religious stream. However, it is now well documented that she spent her youth in an Assembly of God church and has regularly attended another AoG church, as well as two Independent Churches. At least three of four of these churches have close ties to prominent organizations and leaders in the Third Wave movement, also known as the New Apostolic Reformation.

This is a worldwide movement so completely ignored by the press that there is no single accepted term that has been coined for the identification for the group. In addition to Third Wave and New Apostolic Reformation, it is also referred to by the names of some of its more extreme theologies, such as Joel's Army and Manifest Sons of Destiny.

Tags: joel's army, dominionist, christian, far right

Growing Militancy

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:34:13 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Another look at this dangerous group of right wing fanatics that plan to take over the US and impose their own brand of hell and brimstone government.

Clip Source: www.rightwingwatch.org

Joel's Army and The Call

We wrote about The Call a few times before their before their rally on the National Mall earlier this month, but the Southern Poverty Law Center has released a fascinating new report entitled "Arming" for Armageddon that puts its activities in an entirely new light.

It turns out that The Call and its founder Lou Engle are closely aligned with a militant Christian dominionist movement called "Joe'ls Army" run by self-proclaimed prophet and faith-healer Todd Bentley:

Joel's Army believers are hard-core Christian dominionists, meaning they believe that America, along with the rest of the world, should be governed by conservative Christians and a conservative Christian interpretation of biblical law. There is no room in their doctrine for democracy or pluralism.

According to Joel's Army doctrine, the enforcers of the five-fold ministry will be members of the final generation, for whom the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade constituted a new Passover.

Tags: splc, joel's army, dominionist

On the Fringe

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:28:08 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: One of many articles examining this far right Christian Dominionist sect that appears to be growing in number as members of Pentecostal churches split off looking for more "active" ways to force Christianity on the country. Their goal is to establish a Christian Theocracy in the US in preparation for the Apocalypse. Organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center fear that they may soon move beyond mere talk to armed action.

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Theocratic Sect Prays for Real Armageddon

Members of Joel's Army are fighting to bring about the millennial reign of Christ.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Todd Bentley has a long night ahead of him, resurrecting the dead, healing the blind, and exploding cancerous tumors. Since April 3, the 32-year-old, heavily tattooed, body-pierced, shaved-head Canadian preacher has been leading a continuous "supernatural healing revival" in central Florida.

"An end-time army has one common purpose -- to aggressively take ground for the kingdom of God under the authority of Jesus Christ, the Dread Champion," Bentley declares on the website for his ministry school in British Columbia, Canada. "The trumpet is sounding, calling on-fire, revolutionary believers to enlist in Joel's Army. ... Many are now ready to be mobilized to establish and advance God's kingdom on earth."

Tags: dominion, christian, pentecostal