The Sins of Rick Warren: #4 - Heil! Christofascists!

What Rick Warren Sees From The Pulpit...
You Don't Want To Know!

Christofascism allows Christians, or disposes them, to impose themselves upon other religions, upon other cultures, and upon political parties which do not march under the banner of the final, normative, victorious Christ.

(From Huffington Post, by Bruce Wilson, Jan. 15, 2009)

During his Anaheim stadium speech Warren, sometimes called 'pastor Rick' talked about a number of visions and communications he had received from God. By calling on his church members to follow Jesus with the fanatical dedication with which the Nazis, or Hitler Youth, gave to Adolf Hitler, Rick Warren appeared to be in effect asking his Saddleback members to be fanatically dedicated to Warren's own leadership, given his role in divining God's intent for the Saddleback church flock. During his speech, Rick Warren also explained that God had personally instructed him to seek, for the good of the world, more influence, power and fame.

This one speech, given in 2007, should have had people running towards the exits with lightening speed. Instead, it kept them in their seats enthralled.

Frightening.

"What kind of spiritual awakening would we see?" The kind of awakening that Pastor Rick wants us to see: total, mindless adherence to him and his form of Christianity.

"Whatever it takes" This alone is chilling.

"Whatever it takes": even discrimination; even violence; even war; even death. O.K.,the image to the right is extreme, but "whatever it takes" to get the point across that in Warren's world, "forced conversions" are not discounted. Remember Ann Coulter(geist)'s dictate: "We ought to kill all their leaders and turn them into Christians."

Is Rick Warren a Reconstructionist? Maybe.

In a Reconstructionist's world there is obedience to the Bible as well as:

• Death penalty for abortionists, gays and disobedient women.
• Shunning of liberal democracy as a product of anti-Christian Enlightenment
• Public schools being abandoned for home schools.
• "Biblical" slavery for non-Christian prisoners, captives in war, and, in some cases, disobedient women.
• Swearing that the Bible is the ultimate test of scientific truth.

(wikipedia)

Christofascism: a concept in Christian theology first mentioned by Dorothee Sölle, a socially-engaged theologian and writer, in her book Beyond Mere Obedience: Reflections on a Christian Ethic for the Future in 1970. To Dorothee Sölle, Christofascism was caused by the embracing of authoritarian theology by the Christian church. It is an arrogant, totalitarian, imperialistic attitude, characteristic of the church in Germany under Nazism, that she believed to be alive and well in the theological scene of the late 20th and turn of the 21st century.

The Sins Of Rick Warren: #3 Homosexuality Disproves Darwin!

Or Should That Be "Evolution Disproves Homosexuality?"
Can Rick Warren Have It Both Ways?

Rick Warren has to decide which he hates more: homosexuality or evolution. He relies on the lame arguments of websites like Renew America and it's "creator" Alan Keyes.

September 8, 2005
Charles Darwin disagrees with homosexuality
By Nathan Tabor

Under Darwin's process of natural selection, all "beings" — as opposed to the outmoded religious idea of "creatures" — are continually adapting to their natural environment in order to have a better chance of surviving. ... the strongest and most improved survive long enough to mate. Their offspring inherit their genes, and thus the species improves from one generation to the next.

Of course, the Hawaiian-shirted Warren approves of this generalization of Darwin's findings. If he didn't, he would be ostracized from the Southern Baptist Convention sooner than you can say "species." Notice how the author of the piece immediately tells us that science doesn't pay any attention to religion, therefore, religion should never pay any attention to science.

Now according to the great one, represented by the author, Nathan Tabor and literalists like Warren, the rest of the premise goes thusly: Darwin's evolution depends entirely on adaptation via procreation. Gays cannot procreate, therefore they are not part of evolution. Forget that "it's in the genes" stuff. And so...

Not only are homosexuals seemingly blind to their moral conflict with Christianity, they are also blind to their natural conflict with our modern secular god, Science, particularly as espoused by the disciples of Charles Darwin, the prophet of evolution.

Got that? Again, I think Warren wants it both ways: no such thing as evolution and no such thing as a genetic link to homosexuality. "It's a choice."

Right. In Warren's convoluted world (albeit absolute, therefore absolutely convoluted) things mean what he wants them to mean even if they're contradictory.

This is yet again an example of Warren's modus operandi: pick whatever suits your own philosophies best: evolution has been studied by greater minds that Rick Warren's (Gasp!) and has found anomalies to natural selection, but the basic principle is still very strong. A combination of genetics, biochemistry, and neurology can result in homosexuality. The "god of science" cannot be ruled out.

So what is Rick Warren's sin here? The sin of hypocrisy? Actually I think it's the larger sin of hubris: Warren is so enamored of himself that he doesn't think anyone will notice that he picks and chooses from everything that gives him an advantage (that includes translations of the Bible).

And for the people who actually agree with Warren, the above article (in full length here) is a hodgepodge of falsities and fantasies:

(From Ex-Gay Watch - Mike Airhart)

• ostracized Dr. Paul Cameron’s claims that gay men tend to die by age 42 [totally untrue]
  
• rightist hate groups’ myth that gay rights advocates say their lifestyle is genetically determined and claim they have no choice over their behavior;
• the myth that “most homosexuals reject God,” [too many go to church in spite of what the church thinks about them!]
  
• scientifically illiterate distortions of the theory of evolution. [As well as anthropology, history, and archeology]

And remember: when Feb. 12th rolls around (the 200th birth date of Darwin), Rick Warren will celebrate with a sermon about how Adam and Eve and even Jesus, cavorted with dinosaurs but not homosexuals.

Just a thought.

Bigots and Battles: What Gets You Scrapped From Your Ministry?

(From USA Today, Cathy Lynn Grossman)

So you'd think that sexual misconduct, gay or straight, is the downfall of the righteous -- or at least one of the top reasons pastors lose their posts.

Nope. According to 10 years of surveys among pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention, the nations' largest Protestant denomination, sexual misconduct was not at the top of the list in 2006, the last time the survey was done. (Maybe it's creeped up since then.)

The big buggabo: Folks just can't get along. It's far more likely that feuding among the staff and clergy is what drives pastors out.

The top five reasons, pastors leave, resign or just plain get the boot:

• Control issues (who’s going to run the church)
• Poor people skills
• Churches’ resistance to change
• Pastor’s leadership style being too strong
• Churches already in conflict when the pastor arrived.

Moving up the list, however were: Administrative incompetence (No. 8); Sexual misconduct (No. 9). Ethical misconduct such as mismanaged monies, dishonesty, etc. (No. 11) and "disagreement over doctrine" (No. 12).

Now we know what is REALLY on the mind of those sinister pastors: they're fascists who want the staff to tow the line and not change anything. Sound like anyone we know? O.K., so Pope Benedict isn't a Southern Baptist, but he certainly wants everyone to goose-step through his tenure. Problem is: the Catholic Church can't get rid of him.

"Disagreement over doctrine" is a poor 12th. Nice to know that religious principles come last. So what if the pastor teaches that Jesus rode an SUV into Jerusalem. He's a damned good administrator (and an even better kisser!).

Trouble in Limbaughland! ...or How NOT To Hate The President

With A Salary of $33 Million Last Year,
Rush Limbaugh Should Be Able to Take It On The Chins!

Rush Limbaugh is getting some flack. That's not unusual, but the flack is now coming from Republicans as well as Democrats. The problem? His comments about President Obama.

Moderate Republicans are ashamed:

(from Think Progress)

Some Republicans are even saying that Limbaugh is a negative influence on the party. Speaking to the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza, former McCain adviser John Weaver called Limbaugh one of “the most controversial voices on the extreme right,” adding that it is dangerous if he is perceived to “speak for all members of the center/right movement.”

Limbaugh has called the President "Halfrican American". He also brazenly stated on his show that he hoped Obama would fail because it would ultimately be better for the United States.

"...the country is being forced to “bend over, grab the ankles, bend over forward, backward, whichever” because Obama’s “father was black, because this is the first black president.”

Of course, President Obama couldn't resist a very pithy response to Limbaugh's crudities:

In a meeting with congressional leaders from both parties last week, President Obama told the GOP members that “You can’t just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.” As expected, Limbaugh responded to the presidential mention of his name with his usual bluster, stating, “I think Obama wants me to fail.”

Of course, Rush does have his staunch supporters, like Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) on Norah O'Donnell's MSNBC program:

PENCE: I don’t believe Rush Limbaugh has a racist bone in his body. If you’re suggesting that his statement had a racist element in it, I commend you to a greater understanding of the positions he’s taken. He’s a man about opportunity of all Americans, regardless of race, creed, or color. That’s why he’s so admired and appreciated across America.

I can imagine people across the country laughing at that one, especially the phrase "admired and appreciated." And anyone who thinks Limbaugh isn't racist, hasn't been listening to Limbaugh much!

Here are some choice quotes of Rush Limbaugh:

• Words do not kill.
• Take that bone out of your nose and call me back.
• They're 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares?
• Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?
• I'm going to tell you, what's good for al-Qaeda is good for the Democratic Party in this country today.
• (Abu Ghraib): This is no different than what happens at the Skull and Bones initiation.
  
• This is really shameless of Michael J Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting.
• Compassion is no substitute for justice.
• The dream end of this [of Operation Chaos] is that this keeps up to the Convention, and that we have a recreation of Chicago 1968 with burning cars, protests, fire, and literal riots and all of that, that is the objective here."

Rep Alan Grayson (D-Fla) had this to say about Limbaugh:

He actually was more lucid when he was a drug addict. If America ever did 1% of what he wanted us to do, then we’d all need pain killers.”

OMG! I just had the most horrible thought: what if...Rush Limbaugh married Ann Coulter? Imagine the offspring!?! Would God look down upon us and say "That's it, the last straw. This whole mankind/earth thing has been a dismal failure."

Just a thought.

Bush's Crimes: Are We For Accountability Or Not?

(From Jason Leopold, OpEd News)

As President Barack Obama reverses some of ex-President George W. Bush's most controversial "war on terror" policies, a consensus seems to be building among Democratic congressional leaders that further investigations are needed into Bush's use of torture and other potential crimes.

We're crossing our fingers.


We can't fault Barack Obama for trying to concentrate on the future, but we also have to agree that, as Nancy Pelosi stated to Chris Wallace of Fox News, "the past is prologue." We are doomed to repeat this sordid piece of American history if we do not learn from it. Republicans would rather have us all become revisionists.

President Obama has been elected, in part, to do damage control. However, the country needs to know just how much damage has been done. Gitmo brutalities aside, people need to know all of the Who What When Where and Hows of the Bush administration - the most secretive in U.S. history. Cheney and Rove have stated that history will be much kinder to the Bush cabal than we think. How long do we have to wait for that judgment? While Cheney, Rove, Bush et al sit back, comforted by their own words, the country will be asking "Who put us here?"

We really need to know.

Obama's aides have indicated that there soon may be a "public airing" of secret Justice Department legal opinions and other documents that provided the underpinning for the Bush administration's brutal interrogation policies.

So, Mr. President, as much as you may not want to enforce it, you have a mandate from the people: investigate NOW.

The Sins of Rick Warren: #2 anti-Semitism Is A Virtue

Rick Warren And (pope) Joseph Ratzinger
Must Have Been Separated At Birth!

By now, many people have heard about Rick Warren's largess to African school children: one million copies of Manga Messiah, a comic book series which more than implies that Jesus was NOT Jewish and that "perfidious" Jews killed him. (I used the word perfidious not because it was in the text - it isn't - but the Roman Catholic Mass used the derogatory term until several years ago.)

Rick Warren has been recently cited for repeatedly, in public appearances and in print, calling on Christians to be as dedicated to Jesus as were Hitler youth in Munich stadium who spelled out in mass formation with their bodies, "Hitler we are yours!" before the leader of the Third Reich, whose movement 'nearly took the world' according to Warren.

(Christopher Hitchens - Slate)

It is a fact that Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Church in Orange County, Calif., was present at a meeting of the Aspen Institute not long ago and was asked by Lynda Resnick—she of the pomegranate-juice dynasty—if a Jew like herself could expect to be admitted to paradise. Warren publicly told her no. What choice did he have? His own theology says that only those who accept Jesus can hope to be saved.

It is arrogant for anyone to tell you that your religion doesn't quite match up to theirs. That their belief is "true" while yours is false. It is also insulting to tell you that "you're a sinner.We're all sinners." To that I say, "Speak for yourself, buddy." Warren constantly shows his contempt for his neighbors by his sermons filled with negative feelings about his fellow man. To paraphrase another rabid right-winger, Warren wants to "Bless Your Mess."

Perhaps the most appropriate and eloquent reaction to Warren's invocation at President Barack Obama's inauguration came from a Jewish mother in Texas:

As a Jewish woman who watched the invocation with her Jewish son, Pastor Warren had the distinct pleasure of providing us both with the one moment today we felt truly alienated from our country.

It was a reminder that although I'm tolerated, and my vote is courted, when push comes to shove despite all that is outlined regarding Freedom of Religion, I was not truly included in everything today.

When any religious leader purposely excludes people from feeling a part of anything, that leader must suffer the consequences of his/her rhetoric. A quality of Christofascism is the ability to create an "us vs. them" mentality.

Rick Warren seems to be doing just that.

Just a thought.

Rick Warren's Dilemma: Preachers Hate Him Too!

When Preachers Hate Preachers - Watch Out!

Perhaps the most ridiculous of wars are wars of religion. When two preachers hurl theologically insidious remarks at one another, both are made to look as if two thousand years of religious strife were nothing in comparison to their enmity towards each other. And they both seem to enjoy strife immensely:

(From A True Church):

If you are involved with the kind of Christianity that views the "church of Christ", or Billy Graham, or Rick Warren, or Joel Osteen, or James Dobson, or Pat Robertson, or John MacArthur, ...or T. D. Jakes,.. (or any of the likes on "Christian" TV or radio) as godly men, you are not saved. Why? Because, you are on the broad way (Matthew 7:13; 2 Peter 2:2; 2 Timothy 4:3). You have not the characteristic of Christ's sheep (John 10:5). And, men such as these are wells without water (2 Peter 2:17).

Let's back up a bit on that statement: the author (unknown) lumps Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, Joel Osteen and Rick Warren together. WTF? This is like alligators eating their own young. Yes, it's just that vicious. Can't these guys just learn to get along? Talk about religious intolerance!

O.K., Rick Warren could be the anti-Christ because Christ would never have worn hideous Hawaiian shirts while preaching. Be that as it may, when Christianity was in its infancy, even its worst critics were heard to say, "but see how they love one another." Now it's "see how they mock, scourge, pillory, damn, ridicule and revile one another!" When is Christian America (yes, including Mormons) going to take a step back and see the overall picture of (what looks like) rabid dogs, frothing at the mouth, each one declaring that they alone have "the Truth."

It all looks like plain ole intolerance for each other. Forget the "love one another" maxim of Christ; these people LIVE on hatred. They cut their teeth on loathing someone - anyone.

Jeesus! After two thousand years, these guys just can't get it right!

Just a thought.

Haggard ReDux: Sometimes the Homo-sex Came From Within New Hope Church!

Ted Haggard: From One Comic Scandal To Another!

Hypocrisy is running rampant through America's religious communities these days. And exposing hypocrisy is...fun! At least for those of us who can point it out!

(From the Denver Post, Jan. 23, 2009)

Disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard's former church disclosed Friday that the gay sex scandal that caused his downfall extends to a young male church volunteer who reported having a sexual relationship with Haggard — a revelation that comes as Haggard tries to repair his public image.

Brady Boyd, who succeeded Haggard as senior pastor of New Life, said the church reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved discuss the matter publicly.

We considered it more compassionate assistance — certainly not hush money.

Compassion from a Christofascist? Now that's a new one. If it's anything like the compassionate conservatism we had under George Bush, then it's rather hollow. What about Mike Jones? He's angry. VERY angry. He experienced the hypocrisy of the gay community as well as New Life's hypocritical attempt at a cover-up. He was made a pariah by both sides. And he never received appreciation for his resolve and courage.

A documentary, The Trials of Ted Haggard, is to be aired on HBO within several days. With this new twist, we wonder how this "in depth and insightful" piece will be viewed. Instead of HBO, FOX News should have produced it. They're so good at comedy.

Just a thought.

The Sins Of Rick Warren: Sin #1 "Wives Must Submit!"

Attention all wife-beaters! It's O.K.!
Pastor Rick Warren says so!

Sin #1:

Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback (mega-mucho-great big) Church thinks God hates divorce so much that he'll let the wife take a beating as long as she "submits" and acquiesces to the husband even if he's an a**hole. To Warren, the only reasons for divorce are adultery (the husband's) or abandonment (hey, if the guy's not around who's there to submit to?). Those are the only reasons because they are the ones listed in the Bible.

Abuse is no excuse.

Then what, pray tell, is a battered wife to do? Pray. And if the beating is REGULAR, then you can separate while BOTH you and your husband seek holy guidance.

What is a good enough reason ivorce? Well, according to Rick Warren’s Saddleback church, divorce is only permitted in cases of adultery or abandonment—as these are the only cases permitted in the Bible—and never for abuse.

As teaching pastor Tom Holladay explains, spousal abuse should be dealt with by temporary separation and church marriage counseling designed to bring about reconciliation between the couple. But to qualify for that separation, your spouse must be in the “habit of beating you regularly,” and not be simply someone who “grabbed you once.”

That "grabbed you once" might mean he crushed your skull with a baseball bat. But hey, it's O.K.! Jocelyn Anderson, author of Woman Submit! Christians and Domestic Violence asks "How many beatings would have to take place in order to qualify as regularly?” She correctly sees Warren's attitude as laying groundwork for an epidemic of domestic violence.

Wives, it's time to say something to Pastor Rick: F**k You!

Just a thought.

Pope Benedict: "Holocaust? What Holocaust?"

Aw, Those Holocaust Deniers! Always Good For A Laugh!

NOT!

Pope Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) is certainly showing his true colors with this one:

VATICAN CITY (AP)

— Pope Benedict XVI has lifted the excommunications of four bishops consecrated without papal consent 20 years ago by the late French ultraconservative Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the Vatican announced Saturday.

One of the four bishops was shown this week in an interview saying that the Nazi gas chambers probably didn't exist. The report prompted Rome's chief rabbi to ask the Vatican to halt plans to rehabilitate him.

AP has that last bit slightly askew: reinstate, yes, rehabilitate, no.

"Bishop" Richard Williamson is a Holocaust denier and today was reinstated by Pope Benedict XVI. His anti-Semitism is well known (as can be seen explaining his views - as "scientific" of course).

That he was reinstated by Benedict is not really a surprise (remember that Benedict was a Hitler youth and his position before becoming Pope was as head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (the descendant of the Inquisition.) In fact, delving into Williamson's life is just as interesting, because his mentor was the infamous Archbishop Marcel-Francois Lefebvre.

Infamous? This was a "man of God" who favored dictators. He was a staunch supporter of France's Vichy government (the puppet of Hitler's Germany), he was a rabid Holocaust denier, and hated the precepts of the Vatican II ecumenical council. He openly favored Franco and his fascist regime. In other words, he was exceptionally far to the right. He was a father of today's Christofascism. In today's parlance of celebrities, just think of him as Mel Gibson's dad.

Let's associate then, shall we? Because of his extreme authoritarian views Lefebvre was an enemy of popes John XXIII, Paul VI, John-Paul I and John-Paul II. His protege and successor was/is Bishop Richard Williamson. Williamson, along with Lefebvre was excommunicated 20 years ago by John-Paul II. Now-pope Benedict XVI has reinstated him.

Benedict/Ratzinger is scheduled to visit Israel in May of this year.

He should make other plans.

Perhaps the Oświęcim synagogue* in Poland.

In his native tongue, however, it would be called ...Auschwitz.

Just a thought.

*In 1939, more than the half of the population of Oświęcim was Jewish. The community was more than 400 years old and there were more than 20 synagogues. The last native Jew in Oświęcim died in 2000.

The Knee Jerks

And these Spasms Will Go On and On

The Knee Jerks. Hmmm...sounds like a parody of early roch 'n roll names, like Sid Ceasar's The Hair Cuts. The problem is, these people and events aren't parodies. They're REAL!

We knew that the inauguration of Barack Obama would have repercussions: violent, nasty, strange and just plain stupid repercussions. I was looking for Sarah Palin's name among some of the press releases, but she, alas, must be broiling some mooseburgers.

From the violent:

Five recent attacks by white supremacists on blacks and Latinos in the San Jacinto Valley are part of a violent backlash to the election of Barack Obama as the first black president in U.S. history, police said.

Church Arson Motivated By Anti-Obama Rage

(The Republican, January 19, 2009)

One of three men arrested for burning down a black church a few hours after Barack Obama was declared the winner of the presidential election last November told investigators he set the church ablaze because he was angered by the prospect of a black president.

To The Virulently Verbal:

"Pray Obama Fails" by Joseph Farah, WorldnetDaily

I want Obama to fail because his agenda is 100 percent at odds with God's. Pretending it is not simply makes a mockery of God's straightforward Commandments.

FRC- Tony Perkins

After granting a 24-hour stay on the execution of the unborn, President Obama delivered today on his promise of taxpayer-funded promotion of abortion. This afternoon, the new administration inked the order overturning the "Mexico City policy" and unleashing millions of federal dollars to international abortion groups. Of course, it was no accident that the new president postponed the act until the last possible minute on Friday, knowing the repeal would be buried in the weekend headlines. Issuing it now means that even the presidential blackberry will get more media coverage than his international abortion bailout.

Editor's Note: The election of America's first black president has triggered more than 200 hate-related incidents, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center – a record in modern presidential elections. Moreover, the white nationalist movement, bemoaning an election that confirmed voters' comfort with a multiracial demography, expects Mr. Obama's election to be a potent recruiting tool – one that watchdog groups warn could give new impetus to a mostly defanged fringe element...

Rush Limbaugh:

I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: "Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails." Somebody's gotta say it.

We've all been taught that true patriotism comes from dissent. But are these people dissenting? Qualify that: are these people dissenting reasonably? Knee-jerk responses are not dissent. So, who is the patriot and who is the traitor?

Just a thought.

New Dirt About An Old Con: The Hitler Movement of Saddleback Church Reaches Africa

God: Rick, go to seek more influence, power and fame.

Warren: O.K.

What's with Christian Right people uttering ridiculous and inappropriate statements? Have they all been "Pat Robertsonized"? Is it a new theological trend to utter stupid attacks and convolute Scriptures to the point that they are some verses are unrecognizable? "Purpose Driven" Rick Warren is now the insane pastor of the moment. He characterizes himself as someone who's purpose it is to globalize Christianity in whatever way possible and help the sick and the poor. His mantra is "Whatever It Takes." To me, however, "Whatever It Takes" sounds quite ominous.

(Sarah Posner, Crooks and Liars)

Warren vocally opposes gay marriage, does not believe in evolution, has compared abortion to the Holocaust and backed the assassination of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Warren has done a masterful job at marketing himself as a "new" kind of evangelical with a "broader agenda" than just fighting abortion rights and gay marriage.

Warren represents the absolute worst of the Democrats' religious outreach, a right-winger masquerading as a do-gooder anointed as the arbiter of what it means to be faithful.

If Warren is so passionate about AIDS and humanity, where was he during the "gay plague" years? I wrote to an assistant of Kay Warren's (Warren's wife heads up the AIDS global agency) and asked where these people were when wee needed them here at home:

(Elizabeth Styffe asst to Kay Warren)

We do not believe you can care about global HIV until you also care locally. We have a very active HIV Initiative that mobilizes people to care in very practical ways both locally and globally. I'd be interested in hearing the ways you think we can improve, change and grow. I'm in this for the long haul. As a member of the Orange Country HIV Planning Council, I am constantly learning and working with Kay to make an impact and care and engage others in doing the same. We want your feedback...people living with HIV are our passion.

Bullshit.

When talking about AIDS, the focus is ONLY on Africa: it's safer because it's poorer, its far away, and it's considered a new field to plow in terms of conversions. Over 70% of the "Christian" churches in this country do not have HIV/AIDS ministries at their churches. And much of that includes ministries to Rwanda and Uganda.

More disturbing about Warren is his insistence that his followers be the followers of Hitler:

During his Anaheim stadium speech Warren, sometimes called 'pastor Rick' talked about a number of visions and communications he had received from God. By calling on his church members to follow Jesus with the fanatical dedication with which the Nazis, or Hitler Youth, gave to Adolf Hitler, Rick Warren appeared to be in effect asking his Saddleback members to be fanatically dedicated to Warren's own leadership, given his role in divining God's intent for the Saddleback church flock. During his speech, Rick Warren also explained that God had personally instructed him to seek, for the good of the world, more influence, power and fame.

Remember the slogan: Whatever it takes.

Obama's Agenda and The People Who Hate Him For It

The Agenda

Each President is confronted with new and unique challenges. Learn more about the Obama-Biden Administration's positions on everything from health care and the economy to alternative energy and foreign policy.

Neocons and Christofascists hate change - unless the change is in their direction - usually in reverse.We knew that organizations like the Family Research Council run by James Dobson's toady, Tony Perkins would jocky for position to shoot down absolutely everything President Obama proposes. The thing that scares the Christofascist Right is that Obama is working exceptionally fast to undo eight years of mismanagement, cronyism and corruption. Yes, the administration is using a steamroller and the Right was off guard licking Sarah Palin's wounds while Obama's transition team segued seamlessly into the next generation of Americans.

I've annotated Perkins' latest "frantasy" (frantic fear mixed with delusions of an America that never was)

(From Tony Perkins and The FRC, Jan. 22, 2009)

Alhough the Obama administration is a little over 24 hours old, the new President has already set to work undoing years of pro-life and pro-family policy. Minutes after Obama took the oath of office, the transfer of power was made complete on the White House website. The page, once home to a host of family values (1), now welcomes an extreme collection of anti-life, anti-woman,(2) and anti-family agendas(3). Under the caption "civil rights," Obama pledges to fight for nationwide civil unions (4), repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, homosexual adoption(5), the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (6), expanded "hate crimes,"(7) and over 1,100 costly same-sex benefits (8). He promises to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"(9) as well as block a federal amendment to preserve marriage(10). In exchange for the support of groups like Planned Parenthood, the abortion business is also due for a rich payoff from the 44th president, including his support of abortion-on-demand(11), more funding for "family planning" programs, embryonic stem cell experiments, and tax-funded abortion(12).

1. "Family values" in this case would be George W. Bush's family of big business and old cronies.

2. Anti-woman? President Obama and Vice President Biden will work to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to challenge pay discrimination. They will also pass the Fair Pay Act, to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work. Oh, right, tha'ts sooo anti-woman.

3. There's nothing in the Agenda that is anti-family. Perkins: go look somewhere else.

4. Obama bent your way, Perkins, when he could have gone all-out gay marriage and infuriated you. The attack aginst civil unions only makes FRC and its supporters look like right-wing bigots (which, of course, they are).

5. Perkins still dreams of "Leave it to Beaver" as the model for all American families. Get over it, Perkins! Loving, caring, nurturing families can be made out of single parents, and diverse pairings of couples and groups.

6. This act merely extends the laws of discrimination to the LGBT community. Again, Perkins just looks hated-riddled and homophobic.

7. Hate crimes are hate crimes, for God's sake. They could (and should) be expanded to be inclusive of everyone who is a group which is specifically targeted for violence. Perkins has blood dripping from his fingers from this one.

8. "Costly" to whom? Perkins wants to shield big business, that's all.

9. "Don't Ask Don't Tell" weakened the military because it helped to kick out some very valuable military men and women. Gays can't help it if they were better trained to do some things, like translating Arabic - something which military dimwits didn't think about and now are babbling pidgeon-Urdu, Arabic and Farsi to people who laugh at them.

10. "Preserve Marriage" - that was DOMAs silly job. You and Rick Warren are one-note hate-mongers with your Marriage = One Man One Woman for 5000 years. This is total bullshit that you're feeding to the unwashed masses (esp. unsuspecting trailer trash).

11. "Abortion on Demand"? Huh? Nothing like that in the Agenda.

12."Tax-funded" abortion. The small amount that the government gives to programs like Planned Parenthood is usually portioned to programs other than abortion. By the time you get down to it, "tax-funded abortion" is practically nothing!

And so with this little guideline, boys and girls, we can see that Christofascists all over the country are opining for the "good ole' days" that never were. And they'll stoop the lowest and stop at nothing to achieve their own AGENDA.

Just a thought.

Ab-O: The Program That Keeps Failing and Failing and Failing

TEENS: Abstinence Is Cool!!
"HUH"?!?!

(Nina Funnel - Sydney Morning Herald)

In the US and Britain, girls as young as 10 are being invited to attend dances known as "purity balls" where, escorted by their fathers, they sign contracts promising to remain virgins until their wedding nights. In return, the fathers also sign a contract, pledging "as high priest in the home", to protect and provide for their daughters, on the provision that they remain virgins.

For thousands of years, telling teens to abstain from sex is talking to the proverbial brick wall. How dense do some people have to be to stop from banging their heads against that same wall? And how stupid are parents who think that their teenagers will stick to abstinence-only programs, take "The Pledge" and rely on their parents to tell them all they need about sex? When will we get to the point that, the day after the wedding the bride's father exhibits the bloodstained sheet in the public square?

In her book Princesses And Pornstars, the feminist author Emily Maguire claims that by bowing to economic pressure, many US schools may end up mortgaging the health and safety of students.

Citing numerous studies, Maguire argues that while there is no evidence to suggest that abstinence-only programs succeed in reducing the likelihood of teenagers having premarital sex, there is significant evidence to suggest these programs reduce the likelihood of sexually active teens practising safe sex.

The problem is that students given the "abstinence-only" line often miss out on vital information regarding contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Not only does this place teenagers at a much greater health risk but it also contributes to a culture of ignorance and secrecy about sex.

Sounds a lot like the United States, where rates of teen pregnancy were dropping steadily until abstinence-only sex ed became all the rage. Now study after study shows that while such programs may help kids put off losing their virginity for a little while, it makes them much less likely to use birth control when they do start having sex, thus increasing the risk of pregnancy and the spread of disease.

I'll have more about Rick Warren and Africa in the next post.

Nation or America. What's The Difference? Answer: the Difference between Black and White, Between Global Reality and Hubris

And The Difference Between Brilliance and Stupidity

When I created a "wordle" out of President Obama's Inaugural Speech, a funny thing happened: it showed an enormous difference between today's speech and George W. Bush's "Farewell Address" to the country. President Obama is a careful orator: every word and nuance is studied again and again. Bush's speeches always seemed slap-dash because he so desperately wanted to seem just like one of the back-slapping "good ole boys". As I've written before, he hoped he could channel Will Rogers. Even in formal speeches, like the "Farewell Address" a vague off-hand manner persisted. This was truly a cowboy who, aw shucks, just couldn't cotton to real formal speechifyin'. At least that was what he wanted people to think about him. Thankfully, reading between the lines of its country's president has been a well taught subject in America.


Perhaps the most striking thing about the outgoing speech and the incoming speech is the use of the words NATION and AMERICA. First of all, they are reverse in importance. In Bush's speech, AMERICA is the largest word (due its being said the most times). In Obama's speech, NATION was the larger of the two. How is this significant? Bush's doctrine of global imperialism places AMERICA outside the rest of the speech and far away from other ideologies. Wasn't this Bush's concept of America? It was obvious that Bush never knew anything about other countries. He would spout the buzz words Karl Rove had told him to: freedom, liberty, equality, free elections, democracy. And there were times he looked positively baffled at who these people were. His worldview is a commonwealth of sorts paying homage to the king - America.

With Obama's speech, NATION gives equivalence to other countries. He avoids hyperbole when referring to America's greatness. His speech is, therefore, much more diplomatic. That is to be expected.

With George W. Bush, America tried to lead the world. With President Obama, we are at last one with the world.

Just a thought.

Click on each Wordle for a large, more readable version.