Category: Religion

Bizarre, Congress, Politics, Religion

Sen. Jon Kyl’s False Claim About Planned Parenthood

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Jon Kyl

During the budget debate, Congressional Republicans have targeted Planned Parenthood because it provides abortion services. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) even took to the Senate floor to claim that well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does is provide abortion services. That is a lie and Kyl couldn’t care less. In what must be some kind of spin setting record, Kyl said his remark was “not intended to be a factual statement.” So he lied intentionally.

Planned Parenthood has received federal funding since 1970 and abortion services are funded exclusively by private donations.

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Criminal law, Politics, Religion

The “Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2011″

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Jan Brewer

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed into law House Bill 2443, named the “Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2011.” I don’t think the name was intended to be humorous. The law makes it a Class 3 felony to:

PERFORM AN ABORTION KNOWING THAT THE ABORTION IS SOUGHT BASED ON THE SEX OR RACE OF THE CHILD OR THE RACE OF A PARENT OF THAT CHILD.

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Religion, Supreme Court

The Hedge of Separation?

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Statue of Roger Williams

The earliest North American advocate of the separation between church and state was Roger Williams who founded not only the first Baptist Church on the continent, but also the colony of Rhode Island. In his 1644 book, The Bloody Tenent of Persecution, Williams used the phrase “[A] hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world.”

Fortunately, Thomas Jefferson didn’t use “hedge” in his famous letter in reply to the Danbury Baptists. However, “hedge” does fit into Williams’ metaphor that uses garden and wilderness.

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Criminal law, Lawyering, Politics, Religion, Society

Florida Prosecutors Charge Leading Atheist Advocate With Unauthorized Practice of Law Due To The Use of Esquire

There is a disturbing case out of Florida where EllenBeth Wachs, 48, the legal coordinator for the Atheists of Florida had been arrested for unauthorized practice of law because she signed letters using “Esq.” for esquire.
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Academia, Bizarre, Politics, Religion, Society

Gingrich: America In Danger of Becoming Secular Atheist Country Dominated By Radical Islamists

Newt Gingrich is on a roll. Only a couple of weeks ago, Gingrich explained how his “passion” for the country led to his repeated adulterous affairs. Now, he is warning about the importance of the next presidential election — and presumably his election: “I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they’re my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.” There you have it. Atheists and Islamic radicals will take over — a curious alliance to be sure.

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Constitutional Law, Politics, Religion

Did Pawlenty Promote Sharia Compliance?

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

in 2004, in an effort to increase minority home ownership, then-Gov. Pawlenty urged the Minnesota Housing Financing Agency (MHFA) to partner with local groups and businesses. The MHFA partnered with the African Development Center (ADC), developing culturally sensitive financial products that would allow Muslims to own homes. Sharia (Islamic law) prohibits the payment or acceptance of interest fees for loans of money. Charging interest on loans is also forbidden according to Jewish law.

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Justice, Religion

Jesuit Group Agrees to Pay Huge Settlement to Native American and Alaskan Native Victims of Abuse

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

The Society of Jesus, Oregon Province—a group of Jesuits who serve the Northwest—has agreed to pay a settlement of $166 million to childhood victims of sexual and physical abuse. The abuse of approximately 500 Native Americans and Alaskan Natives is reported to have taken place at mission and boarding schools operated by the Jesuits on Indian Reservations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and Montana.

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Politics, Religion

Bryan Fischer – Republican Presidential Hopefuls Go-To Guy

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Bryan Fischer is the director of analysis for government and policy for the American Family Association (designated a hate group by the SPLC), which claims 2 million online supporters and 180,000 subscribers to its AFA Journal. Fischer recently said that the First Amendment doesn’t apply to Muslims, writing: “Islam has no fundamental First Amendment claims, for the simple reason that it was not written to protect the religion of Islam.”

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Bizarre, Politics, Religion, Society

Roughly Four Out of Ten Americans Believe Disasters Like Japanese Earthquake Directed By God

Roughly four out of ten Americans still like that old testament version of God — full of wrath and fury. A poll by Public Religion Research Institute and Religion News Surveshows that forty percent of our citizens still believe that God directs such disasters like the Japanese earthquake for a purpose. It is not clear what God had against the Japanese, but these citizens believe it was for a divine purpose. They are not alone Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara called the earthquake and tsunami in Japan tembatsu — or “divine judgment”
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Bizarre, Politics, Religion

American Taliban: Florida Pastor Burns Qur’an After “Trial” By His Church

Florida pastor Terry Jones is back. If you recall, he caused an international sensation in pledging to burn a copy of the Qur’an (Koran) and then backed down in exchange for a new car. Well, Jones has now proceeded in holding a trial of the holy book and proceeded to burn it after his flock found it guilty. Jones serves as the judge for the trial at the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla.
Continue reading “American Taliban: Florida Pastor Burns Qur’an After “Trial” By His Church” →

Criminal law, Religion

IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits?

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

If Republicans get their way that’s a distinct possibility. Under a GOP-backed bill the Internal Revenue Service would be required to police how Americans pay for abortions. Under the Republicans’ “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act”, known as H.R. 3, IRS agents would also have to determine if the terminated pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.

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Congress, Justice, Politics, Religion, Society, Things That Tick Me Off

Is This The America That We Want?

 

Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw) Guest Blogger

Over the past few weeks and months, we have read repeatedly about how politicians are upset that the government is doing nothing about jobs.  We hear it from the Right and we hear it from the Left, but the unemployment rate is still around 9.0% with many out of work Americans no longer looking for work.   With this background, I was incensed when I read about a Minnesota legislative proposal to bar citizens on public aid from having more than $20.00 cash in their pocket at any time! Continue reading “Is This The America That We Want?” →

Bizarre, Religion, Society

Pay and Pray: Pastor Accused of Withholding Communion After Parishioners Refuse To Hand Over Their Tax Refunds

Pastor John Goodman is accused of having a rather curious view of attending his flock: fleecing before ministering. Members of the Houston Unity Baptist Church have accused Goodman of refusing to give them communion after they declined to hand over their tax refund to the church.
Continue reading “Pay and Pray: Pastor Accused of Withholding Communion After Parishioners Refuse To Hand Over Their Tax Refunds” →