Wednesday Male Beauty

Religion and Modernity: Embrace New Knowledge or Die

Whether it's the Roman Catholic Church clinging to a 13th century version of "natural law" or the Southern Baptist Convention and professional Christians ranting against gays, the real collision course facing a free and educated society is the fact that increasingly modern knowledge simply contradicts what the self-congratulatory and/or fear driven Christians claim to believe. Claims of Bible inerrancy in particular underscores the disconnect from objective reality. And the contradictions range from modern knowledge of sexual orientation, to in vitro fertilization for the childless to the likelihood that Earth is not the only planet in the universe with intelligent life. Generally, the (in my view falsely) pious refuse to face this reality and in the long term - and deservedly so - the result will be the death of Christianity. Or at least the ignorance embracing, inflexible, non-thinking, hate based version that currently seems to still predominate far too many denominations. An op-ed piece in The Lutheran (subscription only - I get it through my parish) looks at this situation and makes a case with which I generally agree: basically, change or die. Here are some highlights:
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As a result of the skepticism of Reformation-era religious leaders, church polity underwent unsettling and significant changes. This coincided with challenges to church perspectives from science and enlightened thought.

The ELCA needs to engage, once again, in vigorous dialogue about modern thinking and religion. Conversations with church colleagues suggest that, for many of us, postmodern thinking challenges notions of unscientific religious dogma. Specific religious doctrines and practices seem increasingly irrelevant to many of our educationally sophisticated, technologically advanced young people. Declining attendance implies disengagement from the church.

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Conservative organizations and denominations often cling to outmoded concepts, traditional styles or homophobic ideas that are rejected by many modern critics.

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A parishioner recently said, "I believe the Bible is God's word, not God's words." But what does God's word say if the words are inaccurate or outside of scientific conceptualization?

The Hidden Victims of Wartime Rape - Men and Boys

The New York Times has an op-ed piece that raises the issue of sexual violence and rape used as a tool of terror and humiliation that typically goes unnoticed - the rape of men and boys in wartime and civil wars. Just as rape against women and girls is a tool of humiliation and punishment, so too it is when utilized against males. And the irony is that it's often in "macho" societies that the abuse is the worse. Indeed, some within the USA's own military is likely guilty of the offense. Once again, our f*cked up societal notions seem to conspire to allow the tragic abuse to continue and sweep the issue conveniently under the rug. It needs to stop. As does the use of sexual violence against all individuals regardless of the gender. Here are some highlights from Lara Stemple's op-ed piece (Ms. Stemple is the director of graduate studies and of the Health and Human Rights Law Project at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law):
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As disturbing new reports of male rape in Congo made clear, wartime sexual violence isn’t limited to women and girls. But in its ongoing effort to eradicate rape during conflict, the United Nations continues to overlook a significant imperative: ending wartime sexual assault of men and boys as well.
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Sexual violence against men does occasionally make the news: the photographs of the sexual abuse and humiliation of Iraqi men at the Abu Ghraib prison, for example, stunned the world.
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Yet there are thousands of similar cases, less well publicized but well documented by researchers, in places as varied as Chile, Greece and Iran. The United Nations reported that out of 5,000 male concentration camp detainees held near Sarajevo during the Bosnian conflict, 80 percent acknowledged having been abused sexually. In El Salvador, 76 percent of male political prisoners told researchers they had experienced sexual torture.
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Rape has long been a way to humiliate, traumatize and silence the enemy. For many of the same reasons that combatants assault women and girls, they also rape men and boys. Nevertheless, international legal documents routinely reflect the assumption that sexual violence happens only to women and girls.
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[W]hen men have experienced sexual abuse and are treated solely as “torture victims,” we ignore the sexual component of their suffering. Indeed, doctors and emergency aid workers are rarely trained to recognize the physical signs of male rape or to provide counseling to its victims. Our failure to acknowledge male rape leaves it in the shadows, compounding the humiliation that survivors experience.
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The United Nations has attempted to take wartime rape seriously. In 2000 the Security Council passed Resolution 1325 which, among other things, promotes gender-sensitive training in peacekeeping, encourages hiring more women in peacekeeping roles and calls for better protection of women and girls in conflict zones. This is a crucial undertaking, but the agreement neglects to address sexual violence against men and boys.
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The United Nations and the White House must likewise move beyond the shortcomings of Resolution 1325 and commit to ending wartime sexual violence against everyone.

California Attorney General Requests Stay of Perry Ruling be Lifted

The plaintiffs' counsel in Perry v. Schwarzenegger have already asked that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals lift the stay of Judge Walker's ruling. Now, California Attorney General, Kamala Harris, has likewise requested the appeals court to lift the stay. If the stay is lifted, the ban on same sex marriages would be removed pending the outcome of the appeal. Part of Harris' reasoning is that the likelihood of success for the Prop 8 supporter's appeal is questionable - the 9th Circuit itself has indicated that it believes the Prop 8 supporters may lack standing to bring the appeal - and that injustice is being done to LGBT citizens in the interim. Harris' statement to the Court can be found here. I believe that her legal points are correct and that the 9th Circuit needs to lift the stay. Here are highlights from the Advocate:
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California attorney general Kamala Harris filed a brief with the ninth circuit U.S. court of appeals Tuesday that asked the court to immediately reinstate same-sex marriage in the Golden State.
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The appeals court has asked the California supreme court to decide whether plaintiffs in the appeal — antigay groups like ProtectMarriage.com — have standing to defend Prop. 8 under state law, since California's governor and attorney general refuse to defend it.
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The appeal’s likelihood of success has been substantially diminished, Harris said in her statement to the court, “both by the United States Attorney General’s conclusion that classifications based on sexual orientation cannot survive constitutional scrutiny and by this Court’s certification order to the California Supreme Court, which seriously questions the Court’s jurisdiction to decide the merits of the case.”
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Harris also said in her statement that Prop. 8 proponents will not suffer any harm or injury should gay couples be allowed to marry. She also cited the decision by President Barack Obama and the Justice Department not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in an appeals court.
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“For 845 days, Proposition 8 has denied equality under law to gay and lesbian couples,” Harris said in her statement. “Each and every one of those days, same-sex couples have been denied their right to convene loved ones and friends to celebrate marriages sanctioned and protected by California law. Each one of those days, loved ones have been lost, opportunities have been missed, and justice has been denied.”
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As noted many times on this blog, anti-gay laws exist for two reasons: (1) to punish gays for not conforming to Christianists religious beliefs and (2) to improperly afford one version of Christian belief special rights and status under the law. These objectives are both unconstitutional.

More Tuesday Male Beauty

AFA's [Soon to Be Former?] Lawyer: DOMA Is Unconstitutional

Apparently, Pat Vaughn (pictured at left), an in-house attorney for the American Family Association ("AFA") - a registered anti-gay hate group - did not get the memo telling him that as a paid professional Christian he was exempt from the pesky restrictions of the Commandment against lying and bearing false witness. Why do I say this? Because Vaughn made a statement on AFA Report that basically supported Barack Obama and his Department of Justice's decision that Sec. 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional. Here are highlights from the Advocate and a clip from You Tube (To be added once Blogger ceases it's brain fart]:

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The American Family Association's in-house attorney says that while he and many members of his organization believe that marriage should be reserved only for heterosexual adults, the Defense of Marriage Act is "probably unconstitutional."

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Pat Vaughn appeared on the Tuesday edition of the AFA Report to talk about President Barack Obama's recent directive to the Department of Justice to stop defending the 15-year-old law barring federal recognition of state-sanctioned marriages or civil unions for same-sex couples.

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Vaughn replied, "I think that Newt Gingrich is an astute politician and he is playing this for all it's worth. I think that marriage is defined by God as between a man and a woman. However, the Defense of Marriage Act is probably unconstitutional, particularly ... if you attempt to apply it so that to say that a marriage conducted in one state is not in effect in another. That clearly violates the Constitution."

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Abandoning Children - Texas and GOP Style

I realize that at times I sound like a broken record, but the the manner in which the Republican Party's economic policies are 180 degrees opposite of the Gospel message GOP claims to honor is breath taking. The GOP controlled budget in Texas is in many ways a mini-version of what the Congressional GOP seeks to implement and it is an indictment of a political approach that trashes the weakest and most vulnerable members of society. Paul Krugman has a column in the New York Times that takes a good look at the "Christian" and "family" values of the GOP. It is beyond disturbing how little the GOP as a party cares about investing in the nation's real future - it's children. Here are some column highlights:

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Republicans are demanding draconian spending cuts, but we don’t yet know how far they’re willing to go in a showdown with President Obama. At the state and local level, however, there’s no doubt about it: big spending cuts are coming.

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And who will bear the brunt of these cuts? America’s children. Now, politicians — and especially, in my experience, conservative politicians — always claim to be deeply concerned about the nation’s children. . . . In practice, however, when advocates of lower spending get a chance to put their ideas into practice, the burden always seems to fall disproportionately on those very children they claim to hold so dear.

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Consider, as a case in point, what’s happening in Texas, which more and more seems to be where America’s political future happens first. . . . . While low spending may sound good in the abstract, what it amounts to in practice is low spending on children, who account directly or indirectly for a large part of government outlays at the state and local level.

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And in low-tax, low-spending Texas, the kids are not all right. The high school graduation rate, at just 61.3 percent, puts Texas 43rd out of 50 in state rankings. Nationally, the state ranks fifth in child poverty; it leads in the percentage of children without health insurance. And only 78 percent of Texas children are in excellent or very good health, significantly below the national average. It*’s not a pretty picture; compassion aside, you have to wonder — and many business people in Texas do — how the state can prosper in the long run with a future work force blighted by childhood poverty, poor health and lack of education. But things are about to get much worse.
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Given the already dire condition of Texas children, you might have expected the state’s leaders to focus the pain elsewhere. In particular, you might have expected high-income Texans, who pay much less in state and local taxes than the national average, to be asked to bear at least some of the burden. But you’d be wrong. Tax increases have been ruled out of consideration; the gap will be closed solely through spending cuts.

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The really striking thing about all this isn’t the cruelty — at this point you expect that — but the shortsightedness. What’s supposed to happen when today’s neglected children become tomorrow’s work force? Anyway, the next time some self-proclaimed deficit hawk tells you how much he worries about the debt we’re leaving our children, remember what’s happening in Texas, a state whose slogan right now might as well be “Lose the future.”

Huckabee Lies and Claims Obama Grew Up in Kenya

Admittedly, I hold great contempt for Christo-fascist Mike Huckabee. In fact, based on his stated desire to subvert the U.S. Constitution to his interpretation of the Bible, I view him as a clear and present danger to constitutional government as laid out by the Founding Fathers. Now, in true Christianist fashion where the Commandment against lying and bearing false witness is viewed as not applicable to themselves, Huckabee has been caught perpetuating the Kool-Aid drinking Tea Party lie that Barack Obama is not really American and that he grew up in Kenya. It's a total lie, but its all too typical of the bigoted, lying and hypocritical ranks of the holier than thou Christian Right. Like so many other Christianists, Huckabee makes the case Anne Rice's position of not wanting to be associated with the term "Christina." Here are highlights from Google News on Huckabee's latest lying:
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Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee suggested in a radio interview that President Barack Obama's childhood in Kenya shaped his worldview — even though Obama did not visit Kenya until he was in his 20s.
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The potential Republican presidential candidate told New York radio station WOR on Monday that Obama's youth led him to resent the West, which he said explains why, in Huckabee's view, Obama's foreign policy differs so greatly from that of his predecessors.
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Huckabee said childhood stories of the Mau Mau rebellion would lead President Obama to want to remove from the Oval Office the bust of Churchill, who ordered a crackdown against that uprising. The executive director of Huckabee's political action committee said the former governor misspoke.
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Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961 to a mother from Kansas, and a father from Kenya whom he would barely know and write in his memoir he had met only once. He spent the first five years of his life in Hawaii and then moved with his since-divorced mother and her new husband to Indonesia. At the age of 10, he returned to Hawaii to live with his maternal grandparents on Oahu until he started his undergraduate degree in Los Angeles and completed it in New York City.
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And on Monday, just a few moments after he asserted Obama's Kenyan upbringing, Huckabee returned to what had been his standard rhetoric on the question of his birth certificate.
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"The only reason I'm not as confident that there's something about the birth certificate ... is because I know the Clintons and believe me, they have lots of investigators out on him, and I'm convinced if there was anything that they could have found on that, they would have found it, and I promise they would have used it," Huckabee said.
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Pardon my "French," but in my opinion Huckabee is a lying sack of shit.

Tuesday Male Beauty

John Boehner Kisses Pat Robertson's Ring and Intimates that GOP Will Defend DOMA

One of the draw backs of living in the Hampton Roads area is the frequent exposure to the lunacy eruptions of local religious extremist/nut case, Pat Robertson. With each passing year, Robertson gets crazier and crazier, yet members of the GOP continue to prostitute themselves to Robertson and his coven of extremists at Christian Broadcasting Network ("CBN") and similar "Christian" broadcasting outlets. Speaker of the House John Boehner apparently felt compelled to kiss Robertson's ring and those of other Christianist snake oil merchants at a recent gathering of the National Religious Broadcasters Association. Boehner also made an obligatory rant about the Obama Department of Justice's decision not to defend Sec. 3 of DOMA in federal court. As noted in a prior post, one can only hope that Boehner and his fellow GOP Christo-fascists rush into court and find themselves cut to shreds when they must provide serious evidence and legal arguments to support their religious based hatred toward gays. Here's some of CBN's coverage of Boehner's pandering:
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Speaker John Boehner: “I’m really disappointed in the President and the Department of Justice in the fact that they’re not going to defend a law that Congress passed overwhelmingly. It’s their responsibility to do that. Now, it’s happened before where administrations have decided they weren’t going to go out and vigorously defend a law that Congress passed but I really am disappointed in the President in his actions but if the President won’t lead, if the President won’t defend DOMA then you’ll see the House of Representatives defend our actions in passing a bill that frankly passed overwhelmingly.”
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Speaker John Boehner: “I’d be very surprised if the House didn’t decide that they were going to defend law.”

Speaker John Boehner: “It strikes me as something that’s just as raw politics as anything I’ve seen knowing that a lot of people who believe in DOMA are probably not likely to vote for him and pandering to the other side on this issue.”