One church in Canton, N.C., “celebrated” Halloween in a special way this past weekend. You might have seen the reports about it in the AP or in hundreds of blogs.
Amazing Grace Baptist Church planned a book burning on Oct. 31. According to their website, the event was a success. Non-church members, including the media, were shut out of the event, which was held inside (how did that work, with all that fire?).
At least a year ago, if not longer, I bought a DVD from the American Family Association. Call it opposition research if you will. Of course, in the process of the purchase, I had to provide my email address along with all my billing information, including mailing address. Guess what the good ol’ AFA did? They put me on their mailing list. The upside was receiving their newsletter. Quite interesting stuff in there; like looking right into the mind of insanity, it is.
Anti-gay researcher and Regent University prof Mark Yarhouse is at it again. He’s released several studies and what not exploring “ex-gays” and human sexuality. His most recent release is a survey of 104 “sexual minority” youth at Christian colleges.
In a “study” of the (extremely undersampled) surveys, Yarhouse (and a host of other researchers: Stephen Stratton, Janet Dean, and Heather Brooke) find:
A few figures immediately jumped out at me: By age 13, 70 percent of the students said they were aware of their same-sex feelings. Seventy-one percent said they experienced “confusion” about those feelings at ages 14-15.
Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ken., says the Southern Baptist Convention is in danger of collapse.
The Associated Press reported today on a recent Mohler speech on the campus of the seminary. He told students, faculty and staff that Southern Baptists must either change and grow or die out.
“The Southern Baptist Convention is either going to become younger or dead. Here we have a big issue; we’re losing at least two-thirds of our young people somewhere along the line between adolescence and adulthood,” The AP reported Mohler saying. “A generation that has reduced religion and Christianity to what is called moralistic, therapeutic deism — believing that God basically wants them to do well and to do right and to be happy.”
The impending death of the Southern Baptist Convention should come as no surprise. For at least the past decade, if not two, the denomination has been on a death march as they forget, ignore and erase any semblance of traditional Baptist principles, faith or heritage from its ranks.
It seems Palmetto State Episcopalians aren’t too happy with their national denomination. Will the Diocese of South Carolina pull out of the Episcopal Church and join ranks with The Anglican Church of North America (ACNA), or will they stay in the church as “loyal opposition”?
A new commentary at VirtueOnline.org asks this very question:
Is the Bishop of South Carolina, the Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence planning to take his diocese out of The Episcopal Church? Word has it that Lawrence has been in “substantive talks” with Archbishop Robert Duncan of The Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). But Lawrence has commented (in the past) that he is concerned about whether ACNA has a sufficient “catholic ecclesiology” — by which he means that he is not sure it is sufficiently united. It looks to him more like a loose federation than “one body”.
It is not, apparently, the direction he is expected to take the diocese. Sources tell VOL that when Lawrence meets with the clergy of his Diocese on Thursday, he will propose that his diocese push to be on the first level of the “two level, two tier” approach advocated by the Archbishop of Canterbury for the Anglican Communion. He will also advocate closer ties with the Anglican Communion Institute’s (ACI) approach of staying in TEC as the denomination’s loyal opposition.
Despite what you might think, South Carolina isn’t as conservative as you’ve been led to believe. Don’t get me wrong: The Palmetto State is pretty anti-gay. But, there are liberal and progressive pockets. I can’t imagine Episcopalians in Columbia — one of only a few cities across the South banning discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations on the basis of gender-identity and sexual orientation — being opposed to LGBTs living a full life of worship, fellowship and leadership in their church. (Update: I’ve learned South Carolina is comprised of two Episcopal dioceses. Columbia is in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina.)
Even in conservative, aristocratic Charleston, I imagine there are liberal pockets of Episcopalians and folks from other religious faiths.
Perhaps the South Carolina bishop’s reticence to pull out isn’t based so much on loyalty to the national church, as it is loyalty to his local parishioners, many of whom might be divided on the issue?
In a column for the conservative Townhall.com, anti-gay pastor Biship Harry Jackson, Jr., laments over the psychological and biological harms of children living outside of families headed up by one dad and one mom.
Among his facts:
Consider these statistics. Over half of Americans studied in a survey in 2001 by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government believe that the high number of single-parent families is a major cause of poverty. Studies also reveal that most Americans believe that welfare programs encourage single-parent families and teenage pregnancy.
Malcolm D. Williams in 1997, used a sample of 1,610 10-13 year-olds in a study. He found that children who learn to share significant ideas with their fathers had fewer behavior problems and developed stronger cognitive abilities than their peers.
Similar results were found in a 1995 study of 254 black adolescents living with both of their biological parents. Ninety-six percent of these boys said their fathers were their role models. In this study, only 44 percent of black adolescents who were not living with their fathers said their fathers were their role models.
The Journal of Family Psychology in 2000 reported a study of 116 African American students ages 10-13. The boys with married parents were found to have much higher levels of self esteem and a better sense of personal power and self-control compared to single-mother homes.
Repeatedly, scholarly studies focused on adolescence show that early onset of puberty in girls is a major problem. It is associated with negative psychological, social, and health problems. Depression, alcohol consumption, and higher teenage pregnancy rates are some of the results. An eight year study of girls and their families showed that a father’s presence in the home, with appropriate involvement in his children’s lives, contributed to later pubertal timing of the daughters in the seventh grade.
These studies and scores of others suggest what most Americans have always known: that both boys and girls, are deeply affected in both biological and psychological ways by the presence of their fathers. We have emphasized the father half of the biblical duo called “parents,” assuming the mother is intact within the family setting.
Sounds like some damn perfect arguments for divorce and requiring forced marriages, wouldn’t you say?
If he is so adamantly opposed to same-sex marriage because having two-parent, mom-dad homes are just so absolutely important and crucial, then I’m sure Jackson wouldn’t mind me signing him up to support two bills that would immediately fix his “nuclear family degradation” problem — two bills that would impact more children’s lives than all of the anti-gay marriage amendments put together:
1. The Sanctity of Marriage Act (SOMA) (a.k.a., the divorce ban). SOMA would ban divorce nationwide, thereby keeping healthy heterosexual, mom-dad parenting intact for all of our nation’s children
2. For the Future of our Children Act (FFCA). The FFCA would instantly change the plight of motherless and fatherless children across the country, by forcing young parents with unplanned pregnancies to immediately wed as soon as the female in the couple tested positive for a pregnancy. This bill would be historic, forever ridding our country of single parents everywhere!
Together with all of the “pro-family” advocates in the nation, Bishop Jackson could unveil the “Restoring America’s Marriages Relief and Aid Package,” including SOMA, FFCA and tax credits and stimulus checks for all parents who immediately disown their homo-sex-sinning children who fail to successfully complete the U.S. National Love Conquers Sexual Sin Trainings (disowned children will be deported to San Francisco, which will be involuntarily seceded from the Union and will become known as Degenerateland).
Yup, all that should do the trick. America would be on to a healthy, free and just existence for all!
Lemme hear a brother say, “Amen! Praise Jesus! Damn the queers!”
The Christian Century magazine published an outstanding review of “Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing up Gay in America.” Edited by Mitchell Gold, the book was released in September 2008, has received rave reviews from all corners of the country.
David P. Gushee, professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University, a Baptist college in Macon, Ga. Gushee quickly recounts the stories of several of the books contributors, including Jared Horsford, Mitchell Gold, Jarrod Parker, Mary Lou Wallner, Elke Kennedy and me.
He boldly says:
As an evangelical Christian whose career has been spent in the South, I must say I find it scandalous that the most physically and psychologically dangerous place to be (or even appear to be) gay or lesbian in America is in the most religiously conservative families, congregations and regions of this country. Most often these are Christian contexts. Many of the most disturbing stories in this volume come from the Bible Belt. This marks an appalling Christian moral failure.
In contrast to the love and mercy that Jesus exemplified, Christian communities offer young lesbians and gays hate and rejection. Sometimes that rejection is declared directly from the pulpit. But even when church leaders attempt to be more careful, to “hate the sin but love the sinner” (as that hackneyed formulation has it), the love gets lost. Perhaps we need to focus on refining our ability to love; maybe we are not actually capable of compartmentalizing hate.
But the best line comes at the end: “Moreover, after reading these stories, I feel that Christians have something they need to request from God and from gays and lesbians, and that is forgiveness.”
Thank you Professor Gushee.
THANK GOD!
Perhaps now Focus on the Family will become as toothless, ballsless and as silent as Liberty U. after Falwell died.
Statement published by Truth Wins Out’s Wayne Besen:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Feb. 27, 2009
Contact: Wayne Besen
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
TWO Comments On James Dobson Resigning As Focus on the Family Chairman
Truth Wins Out (TWO) expressed its hope today that James Dobson resigning as chairman of Focus on the Family would eventually lead the anti-gay organization in a new direction. Dobson has created an entire industry that distorts the lives of gay and lesbian people for political gain, says TWO.
“James Dobson’s legacy of lies has caused significant pain for gay and lesbian people and their families,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “We hope his departure will eventually signal a shift in tone and end Focus on the Family’s destructive attacks against gay and lesbian Americans.”
The Associated Press reports that Dobson, 72, will still be a powerful presence. He will continue to host his daily radio show, which reaches 1.5 million listeners in the United States. A Focus on the family spokesman also said he will “continue to speak out as he always has – a private citizen and not a representative of the organization he founded.”
“It is time for Focus on the Family to abandon the politics of polarization and choose moderate leaders who are not fixated on culture wars,” said Besen. “This would also be a good time for the organization to consider abandoning its failed ‘ex-gay’ ministry, Love Won Out.”
In Nov. 2008, Truth Wins Out protested Dobson’s selection into the Radio Hall of Fame. In the past two years, TWO has found eight researchers in three countries who say that Dobson has distorted their work. Videos and letters that these scientists sent to Dobson can be viewed at www.Respectmyresearch.org.
Dobson’s rhetoric is so divisive that former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) said that, “Dobson and his gang of thugs are real nasty bullies.” Focus on the Family co-founder Gil Alexander Moegerle said that, “I believe Dobson-style politics have been inept, simplistic, exclusionary, divisive and alarmingly sectarian…James Dobson’s political style has been one of relentlessly demonizing his adversaries.”
Dobson told The Daily Oklahoman on Oct. 23, 2004 that, “Homosexuals are not monogamous. They want to destroy the institution of marriage. It will destroy marriage. It will destroy the Earth.” Dobson also told the Daily Oklahoman that Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is “a God’s people hater. I don’t know if he hates God, but he hates God’s people.”
Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that defends gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people against anti-gay misinformation campaigns. TWO also counters the “ex-gay” industry and educates America about gay life.
The Dallas Voice blog points out that the Rev. Scott Jones (pictured right) was invited to give the opening prayer for the Oklahoma State House of Representatives. Jones originally reported the story at his blog, including the fact that at the end of the day, a Republican objected to including Jones’ remarks in the record.
Twenty representatives, including the infamously anti-gay Sally Kern, voted against including the pastor’s remarks. From the DV blog:
“It was an interesting moment, and rather chaotic,” Jones wrote on MyQuest. “One legislator commented, ‘We always enter the remarks.’ Others wanted to read what I had said, and came over to where I was and read my hard copy and kept saying, ‘What are they objecting to?’ Others came over to apologize. One legislator made a point of order to remind colleagues that if they were in the room, they had to vote, at which some of them fled … “
Sixty-four voted in favor of including the remarks. Twenty against. The total number of those scrambling out of the room? Many of them are surely included in the 17 representatives “excused” from the vote. (click here for voting records, scroll to Feb. 11).
Some where along their life paths, these 20 elected officials somehow forgot one of Christ’s most important lessons: “Love one another, as I have loved you.”
My daily reads and things I find awesomely cool:
Publish2: Link Journalism, Pam's House Blend, PageOneQ, Washington Blade, Southern Voice, Queerty, Towleroad, Charlotte Observer, News & Observer
