Westboro Baptist Upcoming Protests

As always, presenting this update so you can be informed.

Saturday 8/18/07 - 9:45 am
Memorial for Staff Sgt. Jacob Thompson
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
632 S. Broadway, Mankato MN

Saturday, 8/18/07 - 1:15 pm
Memorial for Army Maj. Thomas Bostick Jr.
Llano Junior High School, 400 Highway 71 E, Llano TX

Monday, 9/3/07 - Noon
City Hall of Treviso, Italy
No reason given yet.

God hates Ireland? What?

The whack jobs over at the Westboro Baptist Church have now decided that God Hates Ireland via a new website - which is exactly that phrase as a url. They, of course, call out their reasoning:

Sun., July 22, ‘07: God Hates Ireland – Land of the Sodomite Damned.

We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Cor. 2:11). “Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices – (contrivances, plots) – against Jeremiah.” Jer. 18:18. It begins to look like the fags and fag-enablers of the Literary & Historical Society of the University College Dublin have devised devices against me – phrased another way – they have contrived a plot – or conspiracy – to lure me to Dublin, Ireland, to speak at their 153rd Session on the subject of “Gay Adoption” – and then to arrest me for the crime of violating their law entitled, The Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act. (See WBC's response to their invitation). That Act is a draconian, antichristic cup of Satan’s slimy vomit straight from the maw of Hell. They know exactly what I will say on the subject of Gay Adoption. And they know that what I will say from the Bible about sodomites will land me in an Irish jail for two and maybe 10 years. “For they speak not peace; but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.” Psa. 35:20. It looks like they’ve taken counsel together against me and against the Lord, saying, Let us break their bands – (Bible doctrines about sodomites going to Hell) – asunder, and cast away their cords – (Bible doctrines about Sin, Predestination, and Reprobation) – from us. Psa. 2:2,3

Ok. So as I read that, I'm a little confused. Two or 3 small words require a translation, a'la Phelps, on how it relates to faggotry. There's also something in there about an invite to a gay adoption debate, and an unclear message on why dear old Fred is pissed about it.

These people confuse me to death. By the way, they also seem to have "proof" that God hates Sweden and Canada - in addition to the good old U.S. of A.

Please. Someone give these people a reality check. I guess it's not a good day to be a gay Irish-American (which I happen to be, actually).

At least he's consistent...

Caught this one over at Bent Blog. I believe it was alst posted over at Queerty. Both great blogs for very different reasons :) Enjoy. Or weep a little. Not sure which.

Westboro Baptist Upcoming Protests

As always, we publish the upcoming protest schedule for Westboro Baptist Church so you can be informed when they're coming to your community, and perhaps schedule a peaceful counter-protest as so many have before.

Saturday 8/11/07 - 1:30 - 4:30 pm:
WBC will conduct an outdoor "religious" service
Los Angeles at the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd. & San Vincente Blvd. (West Hollywood)

Saturday & Sunday 8/11-8/12/07:
WBC to picket the Republic of Ireland - at the "Irish Icons Festival 2007"
Irish Cultural Center, 200 New Boston Dr., Canton, Mass.

Sunday, 8/12/07:
WBC will picket three more Florida Mega-churches

Sunday 8/12/07 - 1:30 - 4:30 pm:
WBC will conduct an outdoor "religious" service
Los Angeles at the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd. & San Vincente Blvd. (West Hollywood)

Sunday 8/12/07 - 10:15 am:
WBC to picket memorial for Army Spc. Christopher Neiberger
Trinity Methodist Church, 4000 NW 53rd, Gainesville, Florida.

Monday, 8/13/07 - 9:15 am:
WBC to picket memorial for Army Pfc. Matthew M. Murchison
Newcomers Chapel, 11200 Metcalf, Overland Park, Kansas.

Monday, 8/13/07 - 10:15 am:
WBC to picket memorial for Army Pfc. Jaron D. Holliday
Tulsa Bible Church, 5838 South Sheridan Road, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Monday, 8/13/07 - 12:15 pm:
WBC to picket memorial for Army Spc. Charles Leonard Jr.
Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport, LA.

Monday 8/13/07 - 9:15 am:
WBC to picket memorial for Army Sgt. Dustin Wakeman
Laurel Land Funeral Home, 7100 Crowley Road, Ft. Worth, Texas.

Tuesday, 8/14/07 - 10:15 am:
WBC to picket memorial for Army Spc. Justin Blackwell
East Wood Church of Christ, 800 East Wood St., Paris, Tennessee.

Tuesday, 8/14/07 - 1:15 pm:
WBC to picket memorial for Staff Sgt. Fernando Santos
Roy Akers Funeral Chapel, 515 N. Main Ave., San Antonio, Texas.

Wednesday, 8/15/07 - 9:15 am:
WBC to picket memorial for Army Maj. Thomas G. Bostick Jr.
Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC (Arlington, VA).

Gene Robinson, Gay Episcopal Bishop, Endorses Obama

This from gay.com (click the link at the end to read the whole story):

The Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president Thursday, even though they don't share the same views on issues critical to gay men and lesbians.

"Frankly, I don't think there's any major candidate that is where we in the gay community would hope they would be on our issues," V. Gene Robinson said in a conference call with reporters. "That being said, I would say the senator has been enormously supportive of our issues. We appreciate his support for civil unions."

The continuing repercussions from Robinson's 2003 election as bishop of New Hampshire threaten to break up the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is part. His supporters hail him as a role model and civil rights pioneer.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Could it be?

Ahhh... musical satire... Enjoy.

Shirley Phelps-Roper Charged With Child Abuse Over Anti-Gay Military Funeral Demo

From 365gay.com:

(Omaha, Nebraska) The daughter of homophobic preacher Fred Phelps has been formally charged with negligent child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, flag mutilation and disturbing the peace over an anti-gay protest at the funeral of a soldier last month.

The indictment was filed Thursday. Shirley Phelps-Roper, 49, was arrested last month in Bellevue, Nebraska, after her 10-year-old son stomped on an American flag during a protest at the funeral of a National Guardsman killed in Iraq.

Full story here.

Justice? We'll see. It's an interesting array of charges they've brought against her. Who knows how many will stick - or if the ACLU will take the case.

A different generation...

I normally don't write about things that are personal or close to home, but I feel compelled to today. You see, my Grandmother passed away this morning. Though that was only the catalyst for this post.

I loved my Grandmother very much. And believe that she was a great person at heart. She just grew up in a very different time and in a very different world than I did. She was in her 70's when she died, meaning she was born shortly after the great depression. She saw cars, telephones, televisions and computers become mainstream. She grew up in a world where wars were actually fought face to face - instead of from hundreds of miles away with tremendous technology.

She also grew up in a world where God Fearing Christians were the norm. Which leads me to this post. One of the most interesting and unusual things I ever knew her to believe was this: "If your church doesn't have Christ's name in it - he won't know how to find you when he comes back and your congregation will perish in Hell."

Wow.

It's unfathomable to me, though I was raised a conservative Christian, to carry such a narrow view of "the Second Coming." I have a very broad view of religion and consider myself more 'spiritual' than 'religious' these days. But my Grandmother, and those in her generation grew up with a VERY narrow view of the world. Without Internet. Without CNN. Without BBC news on U.S. TV's and without routine air travel to other countries.

The world they knew didn't have a lot of tolerance for people who weren't like them. In some ways, the world I live in today is much the same. I like to think we've come a long way, but then I'm reminded of the many ways in which we haven't.

It gives me a new perspective on matters like God and gays and what makes people hate. But it doesn't change my resolve that above all else, we should treat others as we would like to be treated. And the greatest gift of all is love.

On those two things, I'm sure my Grandmother would agree.

Big Gay Political Statement

I have to tell you one of my favorite shows this season came out of nowhere and consistently makes me laugh... and think. Though they haven't yet tackled anything directly related to religion and sexuality, but I don't doubt they will in the near future.

It's the Big Gay Sketch Show on Logo. Here's a clip of "Political Project Runway" posted on Youtube. If you don't get Logo - call your cable or satellite provider. If you do, I strongly recommend this show.

New Book: Forbidden Fruit: Sex & Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers

This book popped up in my email today from Amazon as a recommended reading (probably because I've purchased and linked to so many books on religion and sexuality). It seems like it might be an objective, interesting read. If anyone has read it, or reads it - please feel free to send me a synopsis I can publish.



From the book description:
Americans remain deeply ambivalent about teenage sexuality. Many presume that such uneasiness is rooted in religion. But how exactly does religion contribute to the formation of teenagers' sexual values and actions? What difference, if any, does religion make in adolescents' sexual attitudes and behaviors? Are abstinence pledges effective? What does it mean to be "emotionally ready" for sex? Who expresses regrets about their sexual activity and why? Tackling these and other questions, Forbidden Fruit tells the definitive story of the sexual values and practices of American teenagers, paying particular attention to how participating in organized religion shapes sexual decision-making. Merging analyses of three national surveys with stories drawn from interviews with over 250 teenagers across America, Mark Regnerus reviews how young people learn-and what they know-about sex from their parents, schools, peers and other sources. He examines what experiences teens profess to have had, and how they make sense of these experiences in light of their own identities as religious, moral, and responsible persons. Religion can and does matter, Regnerus finds, but religious claims are often swamped by other compelling sexual scripts. Particularly interesting is the emergence of what Regnerus calls a new middle class sexual morality which has little to do with a desire for virginity but nevertheless shuns intercourse in order to avoid risks associated with pregnancy and STDs. And strikingly, evangelical teens aren't less sexually active than their non-evangelical counterparts, they just tend to feel guiltier about it. In fact, Regnerus finds that few religious teens have internalized or are even able to articulate the sexual ethic taught by their denominations. The only-and largely ineffective-sexual message most religious teens are getting is, "Don't do it until you're married." Ultimately, Regnerus concludes, religion may influence adolescent sexual behavior, but it rarely motivates sexual decision making.

The Ex-Gay Movement - A Spoof

Sometimes you have to laugh at the world around you. Videos like this help you do just that!

Updates to the Blog

We're moving to a 3-column blog to provide more static information in the columns and hopefully enhance the overall layout. As we transition to this, some of the information that has previously been on the right column will be temporarily unavailable (the stylesheet transition doesn't move all content easily).

Rest assured, we'll have all of the previous info back up in no time - as well as some new content!

Would Jesus Discriminate?

A new website came across my radar - I believe the Rev. Jimmy Creech, who was ousted from a Methodist Church in Omaha for performing a gay commitment ceremony, has something to do with it. I'll have to research more.

The site poses several questions directly relating to Jesus and how he feels/would feel/felt about homosexuals. It also takes a new look at several scriptures where Jesus comments on the issue. While the Bible is subject to interpretation, it's an interesting counterpoint to many arguments. The site is intelligent, thoughtful and put together well.

One of their billboards:


Check out the site here and post your comments. Would love to know what people think.

I've Been Slacking

My apologies to everyone. I've been slacking with the site and haven't done any updates in quite a while. I'm very burnt on keeping this stuff up and managing my life - new house, keeping my relationship going, keeping my job going. It's a lot. I promise I'll be back at it soon.

Anti-Gay Church Must Pay Marine's Family

From a reader:

BALTIMORE -- A Kansas church has been ordered to pay $3,150 for costs and fees associated with a summons and complaint filed by the father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by the extremist group.

Albert Snyder, of York, Pa., is suing the Rev. Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church after church members demonstrated at the funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, of Westminster, and posted pictures of the protest on their Web site.

Lance Snyder was killed in Iraq in March. Members of the Topeka church claim U.S. soldiers are killed as God's punishment for America's tolerance of homosexuality.

Click here for the full story.

Pastor Resigns Over Homosexuality

What is it with Evangelical ministers in Colorado suddenly coming out? I think this it the third one in about as many months. If so many of these 'holiest' of men are having this issue, doesn't it really throw sand in the face of the argument that you can change your sexuality? This preacher talks about struggling with this since he was 5. It seems to me that's pretty concrete evidence for 'nature' over 'nurture.'

From the Denver Post:

In a tearful videotaped message Sunday to his congregation, the senior pastor of a thriving evangelical megachurch in south metro Denver confessed to sexual relations with other men and announced he had voluntarily resigned his pulpit.

A month ago, the Rev. Paul Barnes of Grace Chapel in Douglas County preached to his 2,100-member congregation about integrity and grace in the aftermath of the Ted Haggard drugs-and gay-sex scandal.

Now, the 54-year-old Barnes joins Haggard as a fallen evangelical minister who preached that homosexuality was a sin but grappled with a hidden life.

“I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year-old boy," Barnes said in the 32- minute video, which church leaders permitted The Denver Post to view. "... I can't tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away."

His wife, Char, cradled his hand. Barnes declined an interview request through the church.

Click here for the full story in the Denver Post.

I was raised fundamentalist. Baptist for a time. It was a rough road at times, but unlike these men who repressed who they were, married, had kids and threw themselves into religion, I chose to accept who I was and how I was made, be open and honest with myself and God - and not live a lie. In my opinion, I have the better deal.

Huntsville cares - a positive response to Phelps protests.

The following came to me via email late last night. It's a great example of using a phelps protest for good, turning their hate into donations for worthy causes. Read on:


Hi all,

First off, I'd like to thank everyone for your generous support, and am sorry that there is not time to reply to all of you individually. There has been a wonderful response! We have received $1160.00 in straight contributions, and pledges of $935.00 per hour. More support is still rolling in. After the funeral today, an amount of $2406.72 has been raised.

As some of you may have heard, the Huntsville police gave Fred Phelps a permit only for 45 minutes, from 11:15 until noon, at which time the funeral was scheduled to begin. When I arrived about 10:30, there was a big police presence, and I love what they set up for a demonstration space for Phelps! They parked two city buses in front of the small space reserved for them, completely hiding them from public view.

We were allowed to stand on the other side of the street. A good number of counter-protestors showed up (see picture below). Most of them carried positive signs, like "Respect the Funeral", "Respect Grief", and "God is Love".

Rebecca Smith and I stood with two signs. One stated "Huntsville Cares", and the other said (at the end of the protest) "$2100 for Lee High Families and AAC"

Here you see the demonstration space (behind the two buses). We could hear the Westboro people shouting and singing over there, but the only time we could see them was when they left, shortly after noon.

Here's Rebecca Smith with our signs, standing in the counter-protest area.

I doubt that the Westboro demonstrators even saw our signs, but the people going to the funeral were appreciative of everyone's support for the families. However, just to make sure that Fred Phelps knows, I will send a letter to the Westboro "Baptist Church" telling how their time was redirected for positive purposes.

That is probably it -- I understand now that the Phelps crowd is scheduled to be in Orlando tomorrow, so hopefully, no more funerals will be disrupted.

Thanks for caring, and for helping convert hatred into an awesome act of community!

I would love to give further credit to the source, but this was an email forward to me. Thanks to "Bob" for forwarding it on.

Amazon.com Books

What's going on with the changes?

As I sit and try to keep the site going, it's become difficult to keep things up to date and find time to write, though I'm committed to keeping the site going. So what changes should you expect?

• More personal writing and thoughts of my own.
• A bit more interaction (latest comments on the left), additional options as Google adds them to Blogger.
  
• I'm looking for other bloggers to share their experiences being gay and Christian - a blog of this nature will manage that well.
• We've removed a lot of the 3rd party resources as the are from other sites on the web. There are links on the right that will take you to more resources than we could post here (and we'd never want to plaigerize).
• Regular updates as I work this into my blogging schedule.
• Dynamic updating news (left).
• More links and resources than before.

Hope you like the changes and the transition. Please comment to this post if there's something I'm missing, or that you'd like to see/hear.

A comedy piece with a lot to say.

This is Sacha Baron Cohen's character Bruno for his next film. Cohen is best known for "Da Ali G Show" and the current movie "Borat." While this piece is clearly done for comedy, it's a serious interview with a "gay converting" pastor and speaks volumes of the chasm between gay rights and most organized religion. Enjoy.