For over a week, an international campaign has grown — with growing media coverage from CNN, NPR, and other outlets — to support Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari, a self-described 35-year-old lesbian who had been abducted in Syria after blogging about her life and dreams. The American-born Amina’s disappearance led to the creation of websites and set off demands for governmental inquiries and sanctions. She has now been found alive and well . . . and a man from Georgia with a rather twisted view of advocacy and integrity. Tom MacMaster, 40, a graduate student has now admitted that there is no Amina, no abduction, and only a very pathetic story about a man from Georgia.
Continue reading “Syrian Lesbian Advocate Amina Abdallah Is Alive And Well . . . And Living As A Man In Georgia”
Category: Religion
Submitted By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
The Central Arkansas Coalition of Reason has a First Amendment problem. When the coalition of atheists, agnostics, and skeptics attempted to place advertising on Little Rock transit buses, they were met with an unusual demand. In order to place $5,000.00 worth of advertising, the Central Arkansas Transit Authority (CATA) required them to purchase insurance against angry Christians in the amount of $36,000.00. The policy was needed said the bus company’s ad agency, On The Move Advertising, because a handful of similar ads had been vandalized in other states.
Continue reading “Will Free Speech Have To Make A Bus Stop In Arkansas?”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
David Barton is an evangelical minister and author who describes himself as “an expert in historical and constitutional issues.” Barton is the darling of the religious right receiving praise from Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, and Michele Bachmann.
In the video, below the fold, Barton makes some remarkable claims.
Continue reading “David Barton Claims Founding Fathers Debated Creation/Evolution”
I knew this day would come. I have something upon which I agree with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranians are justifiably upset over the disqualification of their women’s soccer team in the 2012 London Olympics. The reason is the inclusion of an Islamic headscarf in their uniform by the international soccer association, FIFA.
Continue reading “Iranian Olympic Soccer Team Disqualified Over Wearing of Islamic Headscarf”
We have yet another insight into what passes for Sharia-based feminism in the Middle East. This week we already saw an Obedient Wives’ Club calling for women to service their husbands like “high-priced prostitutes” to fulfill their duties under the Koran (Qu’ran). Now, Kuwaiti politician Salwa al Mutairi has called for the use of sex slaves, or Jawari, to satisfy the needs of “decent, devout and virile Kuwaiti men” and discourage adultery.
There is a bizarre and touching story out of Buffalo where twin brothers Julian and Adrian Riester, 92, two Franciscan monks died on the same day after spending a virtually inseparable life together. They joined the order in their 20s and last week Brother Julian Riester and Brother Adrian Riester died together at St. Anthony Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Continue reading “Twin Friars Die On Same Day After Inseparable Life”
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has issued a decree to ban men working in lingerie shops. Saudi clerics previously opposed women working in lingerie shops and even issued a fatwa banning such jobs.
Continue reading “Does This Bustier Make Me Look Fatwa? Saudi Arabia Bans Male Lingerie Salesmen”
In Malaysian, sharia law already strips women of many of the most basic protections in society. However, the Obedient Wives’ Club is creating chapters around the country to remind women that if they are beaten or abandoned, it is really their fault. Indeed, vice-president Dr Rohaya Mohamad has publicly told women that it is their duty to service their husbands like “a first-class prostitute.” It is just another insight into the plight of women in some of these Sharia-based systems.
Continue reading “The Obedient Wives’ Club: Muslim Advocate Tells Women That It Is Their Duty Under The Koran Is To Service Husbands Like “First-Class Prostitutes””
Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah is the spiritual mentor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and he is not exactly a kid person. After telling the faithful that suicide bombings are required for Muslims in fighting Israel, he declined to make an exception for children.
One of the most senior figures in Australia’s Church of Scientology has been criminally charged in a case of sexual abuse. Jan Eastgate is accused of encouraging a young girl to lie and deny allegations of sexual abuse in the church. In the meantime, another leading Church figure, Tom Cruse, is being sued in an action unconnected to the cases in Australia by ex-Scientologist, Peter Letterese, for $250 million under a RICO claim that includes allegations of bribing a judge.
Continue reading “Senior Scientology Figure Criminally Charged After Allegedly Telling Minor To Lie About Abuse”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Recently, the findings of a controversial five-year study into the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church were released. The study, commissioned by the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops, was conducted by researchers at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. The study concluded that homosexual priests were no more likely to be abusers than heterosexual priests. It also found that celibacy was not to blame for the sexual abuse of children. Authors of the study wrote: “The most significant conclusion drawn from this data is that no single psychological, developmental, or behavioral characteristic differentiated priests who abused minors from those who did not.’’
Karen Terry, PhD., John Jay’s principal investigator for the report, claimed that the bulk of the cases occurred decades ago. Terry said: “The increased frequency of abuse in the 1960s and 1970s was consistent with the patterns of increased deviance of society during that time.” She added that “social influences intersected with vulnerabilities of individual priests whose preparation for a life of celibacy was inadequate at that time.” The poor training of priests combined with social isolation, job stress, and few support systems were also said to have been contributing factors to clergy sex abuse of children.
Kansas state GOP Rep. Pete DeGraaf (Mulvane) has either a perverse view of rape or roadside repairs. I am not sure which but I would not recommend either a long trip or a rape counseling session with him. DeGraaf recently opposed a rape exception to a legislative ban on insurance for abortions. He explained that rape is really like a flat tire. He appears to have misunderstood Goodyear’s slogan: “Should a Woman Have to Worry About Tires? Goodyear Says No!
When Snow Say No, Goodyear says Go!..”
Continue reading “Roadside Rape Kit? Kansas Legislator Compares Rape To Flat Tire”
Minnesota has seen the best and worst of its society in the debate of a constitutional amendment to limit marriage to heterosexual couples. The best was Sen. John Kiesel, who was a profile of courage. The worst was the pastor invited to give the opening prayer, Bradlee Dean, a profile of perfidy (as in a deliberate breach of faith when you agree to give a nondenominational prayer and then give a sectarian diatribe). Dean’s record of hateful and bigoted statements was well-known before he was invited to the legislature to start off the day of debate on the rights of homosexual citizens to marry.
Continue reading “Meet Bradlee Dean: Profile of Perfidy”
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have been blocked in his effort to become oil minister, but he is still angling for national meteorologist. In a speech this weekend, Ahmadinejad accused Europe of emptying clouds and depriving Iran of rain.
Continue reading “Cloudy With A Chance Of Jihad: Ahmadinejad Accuses Europe of “Emptying Clouds””
The Dutch Catholic Church and the Salesian order are under fire this week after it was disclosed that a priest not only served on the board of a pro-pedophilia organization but defended adult-child sex. To make matters worse, high ranking officials were apparently aware of the 73-year-old priest’s activities. The priest is known only as “Father Van B.” Moreover, Superior Jos Claes says that he does not believe that such activities would present a serious problem for the priest.