A Rib-Cracking Bear Hug: The Russian Orthodox Church EMBRACES Gays

Two of the biggest problems Christian churches have today: people either blindly trust them OR... they don't trust them at all. I admit I'm one of the latter, but with good reason: I saw one of history's greatest hypocrisies play out before my very eyes in our own "Age of AIDS." No, I won't go into my story because a great many people already know it and for those who don't, here's an open invitation to contact me to find out why I am so mistrustful of organized religion. For argument's sake, however, let's just say that I know a little about the whys and wherefores of religious organizations.

From 365gay.com

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church says that, although the church views homosexuality as a sin, homosexuality is a personal choice.

Patriarch Kirill says gays and lesbians must not be persecuted or discriminated against in any way, though the church still opposes same-sex marriages.

The patriarch’s statements, a breakthrough for the Russian church, were made during a meeting Wednesday with visiting Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland.

Opposition to gay rights remains widespread in Russia, where homosexuality was decriminalized only in 1993.

Several high-profile Russian politicians have spoken against gay rights. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has described homosexuality as “satanic” and blamed homosexuals for spreading AIDS.

Some people have hailed the Patriarch's move as "embracing" while others look at it suspiciously: too little and waaaay too late. Russia's love affair with homophobia is so entrenched in the culture that patriarchs placing pink triangles on their foreheads would be met with derision and onion-domed churches set ablaze (for good measure). And although one could argue "it's better than nothing," we've heard that song before and it's rather depressing: "Second Hand Rose". It's as if gays are getting the crumbs off the table of Patriarch Kirill's table. One comment the Associated Press article got was quite apropos, although acidic in temperment:

Why do we care what is said by a group which believes in bronze age mythology about a sky deity who sends his son, who is really himself on a suicide mission so he doesn’t have to send everyone on earth into eternal burning torment? Talking snakes with feet? Guys living inside of giant fishes? It’s like some sort of really badly written and edited science fiction novel. And yet we listen to what they have to say about us? Why? I don’t give a rat’s ass what they think. The sooner they drift into the debris of history, the better off we will all be.

The last two sentences are a bit too negative. The part that I focused on immediately: "And yet we listen to what they have to say about us?" Yes, we do. Or more correctly, yes, they do. And they outnumber us. They are high on self-righteousness. They glory in their "true church" hubris.

The embrace? ...hypocrisy. If they think gays are sinners who choose to sin, then why the anti-discrimination, anti-persecution declaration? Is it possible that the church is making slow moves towards full acceptance? Possible, but not likely. The compassion that is stated by organized religion could very well be a smokescreen: it's the "love the sinner, hate the sin" meme used to lull and dull.

Cynical? Of course. Cautious? Yes. And although we'll have to wait and see how much effect their "compassionate" declaration has on the Russian public, I should give everyone a caveat here:

Don't hold your breath.

Glen Beck Is Officially Crowned King Of Fools So Now We...Cry!

As I've said many times in this blog, hatred makes people stupid, so it's really no surprise that the crying pundit, Glen Beck, has been given the very dubious honor of being named "Misinformer of the Year" by Media Matters, the media watchdog. (And lest anyone think it's a strictly left wing media promoter, check out the stuff that they have on Obama!) The stupidity comes when Beck tries to pawn off his misinformation as actual truth. Look at just some of Beck's statements analyzed (and corrected) by Politifact.org and their "truth-o-meter":

Labor union president Andy Stern is "the most frequent visitor" at the White House.
Politifact: Only if you use incomplete, outdated data

Less than 10 percent of Obama's Cabinet appointees "have any experience in the private sector."
Politifact: Most of them do, to varying degrees

"In the health care bill, we're now offering insurance for dogs."

Politifact: No public option for Bo

John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, "has proposed forcing abortions and putting sterilants in the drinking water to control population."

Politifact: Holdren never endorsed these ideas

Forty-five percent of doctors "say they'll quit" if health reform passes

Politifact: A questionable assertion based on questionable data

"Why do we have automatic citizenship upon birth? We're the only country in the world that has it."

Politifact: Brazil, Canada, Guatamala, Romania...

When viewing Beck as a baffoon, one can't help but laugh at him and the people who adore him (yes, that's the right word). Mark Twain once said: "Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand." The problem with Beck as I see it, is that we're laughing at the wrong person. Beck enjoys the laughter he gets from his critics. In fact, it energizes him. His ego is still growing and he loves every minute of derision. However, we should be laughing at the people who watch/listen to his shows. They should be cringing with humiliation.

So we should hoist aloft a campaign to make sure that America knows Beck's audience to have the cumulative IQ of a dead flashlight battery. We should have SNL sketches devoted to idiots watching Glen Beck. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert should devote whole segments on Glen Beck supporters with misspelled signs, interviews with illiterate Beckies across the country, and special features about how some of them are paying $500 a drop for Beck's tears (Vicks Vaporub not included).

Nah, it won't float. Why not? Because Beckies transcend humiliation: they are too stupid to even surmise that someone is laughing at them.

So what should we do with this large crowd (according to his ratings) of idiots?

The King of Fools Has Been Crowned! Long Live The King!!!

There is nothing we can do, except ... cry.

Merry Christmas From the SFFP (San Francisco Faerie Portal)

It's one hour into Christmas Eve and I don't know why I'm writing this except for the good feeling in telling anyone, everyone that someone out there is still trying to love you.

Trying?

I won't be a hypocrite even on Christmas Eve: I won't tell you how we all have the potential to love everyone. To hate everyone, yes. Hate is a man-made emotion so therefore man sets the limits on hate. Unfortunately, he hasn't set very many limits yet. Love, however, is something etched into in our souls. Love embraces humanity. But even though we are born with an endless amount of love for everyone, it is difficult to love anyone. Love itself does not have barriers, but encounters them every day: barriers to the way someone is supposed to look to us, to the way we are treated, to the way we are accepted. Skin, teeth, eyes, body shape, height, smell, clothes, environment, friends, employment, status all work to set up walls against unconditional love.

So we can only try our best to overcome these barriers. We can only try to love everyone.
Maybe the attempt is enough.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Warren: "Uganda Have Heart!" Uganda: "Damn Yankees!"

When Exporting Homophobia Backfires

(14 hours ago) Ugandan mobs call for passing "Kill Gays" bill

Led by religious leaders, Ugandan protesters marched to demand that the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill be passed.

Several hundred people demonstrated in the Ugandan capital Kampala on Tuesday against gays and lesbians, and expressed support for the country’s impending tough anti-homosexual law.

The protesters, led by born-again clerics, cultural leaders, and university undergraduates, marched to the parliament where they presented a petition.

"Ya know, it's like you can help some guys a lot, but when YOU need something, it's like talk to the hand, ya know?"

That's my inner Chicagoland self-assessing the Rick Warren/Uganda situation. While in my inner self, I can look at everything as either black or white, but this new situation with Rick Warren and the upcoming vote for a law that puts harsher punishments on gays in Uganda is so complicated I've had to wade through it as if I were slogging through a swamp.

In terms we mere mortals can understand:

• Rick Warren gains popularity in Uganda by assisting in obtaining AIDS medical supplies and other necessities.
  
• Warren curries favor with Ugandan President Museveni and his wife. He also meets Martin Ssempe whose sole mission in life seems to be the obliteration of evil by killing as many homosexuals as possible. They strike up a friendship and for the next several years, Ssempe is invited to squeak at Warren's Saddleback Church.
• Ssempe, of course, is overwhelmed by the whole package: a multimillion best-seller (second to his own beloved Bible), a megachurch that doesn't look like a church (unless African churches have skateboard parks), respect, prestige and money $.
• Something happens between the two mega-personalities and Ssempe drops out of Warren's radar range.
• The Kampala anti-gay conference begins in March.
• Exodus, International attends the conference then later withdraws from ideologies encompassing the genocide of gays.
• By Sept. 15, an anti-gay bill is circulating the nation. Consequently, news of the draft is leaked out of the country, at which time Rick Warren would have known about it (if not before)
• By Nov. 15, definite sides have formed: Uganda clerics calling for quick passage of the bill, while statesmen are denouncing it. The bill's links to American evangelical groups and politicians prove that those groups are exporting homophobia.
• Nov. 30 - Rick Warren refuses to denounce the bill.
• Dec. 15 -Rick Warren, under pressure, finally delivers "encyclical video" denouncing he bill.Under pressure.
  

Martin Ssempe responds to Rick Warren's denunciation

"As you yourself have said, '..the Bible says evil has to be opposed. Evil has to be stopped. The Bible does not say negotiate with evil. It says stop it. Stop evil'. (12/2007) Since homosexuality is evil, you cannot possibly be against a law that seeks to stop it unless you have misunderstood it."

And in a letter from 20 prominent Uganda pastors:

"We note with sadness the increasing levels of accepting of the evil of homosexuality," they state. "In these increasingly dark days, we encourage you not to give into the temptation to water down what the Bible says so as not to offend people."

The text of the "Kill Gays" bill is HERE.

Now the Uganda Christofascists want an apology from Warren:

Christian Post:

"Your letter has caused great distress and the pastors are demanding that you issue a formal apology for insulting the people of Africa by your very inapropriate (sic) bully use of your church and purpose driven pulpits to coerse us into the 'evil' of Sodomy and Gaymorrah (sic)," the pastors, which include Martin Ssempa, state in a letter emailed to Warren.

From RH Reality Check

Martin Ssempe's letter to Rick Warren:

Africa101: Homosexuality is illegal, unnatural, ungodly and un-African: In Uganda as most of the global South, homosexuality is an “evil and repugnant sexual act” ...

We are harrassed by a massive invasion of rich Europeans and Americans groups who are scorning our traditional African view of marriage and family, bullying and threatening to cut off “aid” if we dont legalise the sins of Sodom and Gommorrah! We are troubled by some members western media which is obsessed with homosexuality.

When you came to Uganda on Thursday, 27 March 2008, and expressed support to the Church of Uganda’s boycott of the pro-homosexual church of England, you stated; “The Church of England is wrong, and I support the Church of Uganda”.

You are further remembered to say, “homosexuality is not a natural way of life and thus (its) not a human right. We shall not tolerate this apect at all”.

Let's see Rick Warren gets out of this one! He won't. He'll offer vague platitudes to both sides, but Christianity in America ( as well as humanist/secular groups) and the Christian Right in Africa will look askance at Warren from now on: he will eventually be forgiven, but they will never forget.

"My influence in that nation has been greatly exaggerated by the media."

THIS LAST STATEMENT:

... belies the fact that, according to Rev. Kapya Kaoma (an Anglican pastor from Zambia and the author of a recent report on gays in Africa) Warren has immense influence among Uganda's political élite, and the First Lady. "He eats with them, he knows what goes on, they respect him," said Kaoma in a conference call.

So Rick Warren is now, as they say, between a rock and a hard place. He and the rest of the Christofascist Right gambled on a gullible public in one country and an uninformed public in another. Now they're success in exporting homophobia is coming back to bite them.

Bite hard, Uganda, bite HARD!

Viva MEXICO CITY! The Catholic Church's New Satan!

Changing The Definition Of Marriage!!

Mexico City: the eighth richest city in the world, home to one of the world's largest GDPs, capital of the world's second largest Roman Catholic Church enclave is about to become the new Satan to the Vatican. Today, December 22, Marcelo Ebrard, Head of Government of the Federal District (loosely translated in the US as "mayor" but with considerably more national power) will be signing a bill of total equality for same-sex marriages:

Pam's House Blend:

The bill calls for changing the definition of marriage in the city's civil code. Marriage is currently defined as the union of a man and a woman. The new definition will be "the free uniting of two people."

The change would allow same-sex couples to adopt children, apply for bank loans together, inherit wealth and be included in the insurance policies of their spouse, rights they were denied under civil unions allowed in the city. ...

wikipedia:

The 2000 census reported that Mexico had some 101,456,786 Catholics among the population aged five and above, which equates to around 91% of the total population, making the second largest Roman Catholic country in the world after Brazil.

LGBT community:

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights in Mexico have expanded in recent years, in keeping with worldwide legal trends.

...[However]The social environment in most of Mexico remains repressive, and often dangerous. Machista ideals of manly appearance and behavior contribute to extreme prejudices against LGBT people, especially effeminate men, and often to violence against them. Lack of interest in investigating such cases is common and police often assumes that homosexuals are responsible for the attacks against them. The Roman Catholic teaching that homosexuality is a sin further contributes to intolerance, and is seen to provide moral sanction for mistreatment.

But the capitulation of Mexico City to justice and tolerance will sound a loud alarm to the Catholic Church: Pope Benny will not be amused. Prior to this, he called Mexico a country that has been "forged over the centuries in a fruitful relationship with the message of salvation proclaimed by the Catholic Church."And as Mexico City goes, so will the rest of the country - eventually taking away much of the church's hold on the country ...and its money.

The Vatican must act quickly on this one - and diplomatically. It can't exactly call Mexico City a commie-pinko hot-bed of leftist lust and depravity yet it must support Mexico's hinterlands and its overall intolerance of gays.

This should be an interesting week. And fun, too!

Oral Roberts Gets Taken By God While Rod Parsley Gets Taken To The Cleaners

As a tribute to the late Oral Roberts, Rod Parsley decided to make a plea for money because the supernatural was involved in his shaky finances. It was Oral Roberts who told his TV flock that "God was going to call me back" if he didn't raise $8m for his ministry. He actually raised the money on that line (one donor gave $1m).

Parsley's request has been smaller, but no less theatrical: "Will you help me take back what the devil stole?" The problem with Parsley's request is that the "devil" in this case was a two-year-old whose parents won a $3m law suit against World Harvest Ministries because he was disciplined way too harshly at Parsley's Church's day care center ("Cuddle Care")

... and beaten by the same man who years earlier was accused of the same abuse in the same place! Rod Parsley is evidently not a good judge of character. In the first incident, Richard Vaughan, an employee of the school, but with no background or license to teach, insisted that the child received a skull fracture in a tussle with another two-year-old!

from Right Wing Watch:

The ruling stated that "Vaughan's trial testimony regarding the incident was inconsistent both with previous accounts he gave and with the testimony of other witnesses" and that nobody from WHC even inquired about any injuries supposedly suffered by the other child (E.Y.) and that "E.Y.'s father insisted his son had not collided with Z.C. and had not been injured in any incident with Z.C."

And as horrific as that incident might seem, the Faietas (parents of the child in the lawsuit) found out that trying to approach Parsley or anyone else at World Harvest Ministries would result in a total shutout:

When, however, Lacey Faieta returned to WHC two days later and attempted to meet and discuss the matter with Jack Johnson, WHC's headmaster, he refused, telling her he had been advised not to speak with the Faietas. The next week WHC sent the Faietas a letter ordering them not to come on the property and threatening them with criminal prosecution for trespass if they returned to the school. The letter contained no exceptions and provided the Faietas with no means to schedule any further meetings with WHC personnel. The Faietas received no further communication from WHC.

For more detailed coverage, read Pam's House Blend ("The Devil Stole Rod Parsley's Brain") or Right Wing Watch.

Oral Roberts was the founder of the "prosperity gospel" game and was eulogized by the likes of Pat Robertson and Joel Osteen. He was also one of the leaders of Christofascism and through his school, ORU (Oral Roberts University) gave us such outstanding Christian leaders as Ted Haggard, Kathie Lee Gifford, Kenneth Copeland, Michele Bachmann and Ned Flanders.

So now that Oral Roberts is dead, who is going to take the mantle of "world's greatest moralizing moron?" My bets are on Pat Robertson. True, he does not pronounce the word "anus" like Roberts did ("ah-nus") and it's more than likely that Robertson will be declared totally senile by his son Gordon, but Robertson is more well-known than his son and after his passing, my bets will be on Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son and stern Fundamentalist friend to non other than the Divine Sarah (no, not Bernhardt, but Palin.)

Then again, the title of "world's greatest moalizing moron" might just go to Rod Parsley. After all, calling a justifiable child abuse settlement a "demonically inspired financial attack," keeping a child abuser in his employ at the same position after a serious attack, telling his congregation that the USA was founded in order to eradicate Islam and spewing militaristic phrases that hint of religious intolerance and violence, well, those actions might be construed as both moralizing and stupid.

Of course, the race is still running and there are more Ted Haggards and Jimmy Swaggarts to be found out.

Stay tuned...

There Is NO War On Christmas! Jesus Told Me So!

Actually, He said:

"Huh? What War On Christmas?
Are Limbaugh And O'Reilly At It AGAIN?"

I decorated the Christmas tree tonight. Like a cartoon character, I got tangled in lights, needed a new power strip, and had to race to Walgreens to get more white lights. As with most American households, I wanted my Christmas tree to look perfect: it was not going to look as if it had swallowed all the colored lights first. I was organized and resourceful last year, so there were no real surprises when I opened all of the other Christmas Crud boxes. It had me feeling a little gypped, to tell you the truth. What's Christmas like without sifting through bad ornaments to look for good ones? Moreover, what's Christmas like without all of the beautiful, tacky, cheap, glitzy, poignant, crass decorations we've acquired through the years?

Christmas trees and their decorations can be the mirrors of our true selves: we prominently display the best ornaments in the front while we place the crappy ones (or, just not as beautiful) in the back. I remember one particular ornament that never made it to the front: a flat, brown teddy bear dressed as a nurse. And it was sticking its red tongue out. It took a change of partners for me to get rid of the strange thing. But that's the thing about Christmas - the sentiment is so strong that you never throw out even the worst, most threadbare, tarnished, half-broken ornaments. Why?

Because at Christmastime, even the battered and ugly ornaments seem to have souls.

Today I read another article about the "War On Christmas" instigated by the sacred cows of the Christian Right. Is saying "Merry Christmas" so important that today's right-wing talk show bloviators and pulpit pimps have taken to ostracizing those who say "Happy Holidays?" Over the years, the concept of Christmas has transcended the birthday celebration of a religious icon. Perhaps that's why the Christian Right is furious over the inclusion of everyone into the "season of giving": the ideology of "Peace On Earth, Good Will Towards Men" has overshadowed the babe in the manger and they feel slighted. After all, they are a self-righteously arrogant lot that keeps reminding us that they have cornered the market on goodness ("It's the Christian thing to do!").

And they certainly don't want other holidays to be mixed in with theirs! "Why, saying 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas' is downright sacrilegious! It's positively un-American! Christmas is a Christians Only holiday! Exclusivity is our right!

But who knew that such an exclusive holiday would become a worldwide peacekeeper (if only for one day)? Who knew that one day out of the year would garner hosts of goodwill and, most important of all, compassion? Can't the Christian Right be a bit more generous with one of their core philosophies? Then again, they seem to be a people fixated with their own persecution: "War on Christmas" "War against Marriage" "War against the Unborn." But who's going to tell them that there is no "War" except for the one they themselves are waging against inclusion?

Are they the only ones who discard old, unwanted Christmas tree decorations?

Yes, there is a war: on inclusion, on open-mindedness, on universal acceptance. Today's family values include more people in the family than any Christian Right family reunion picnic. "Extended" families are just that: strongly bonded extensions of the core, whatever that core may be. And today's Christmas recognizes the love between individuals more than ever before. That, of course, makes the Christian Right seethe in rage. To them, the meaning of Christmas is only about their ideals and the way they want to see those ideals performed.

So if The Christian Right is involved in a war, the only war it is fighting is the "War on Universal Love."

Thanks for reading.

Dan Vojir

PS:
For all my friends and readers I have a small, homemade Holiday gift created with the help of my late love of gardening. It's a series of photos I pasted together for several of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker melodies. The last one is performed for you by the San Francisco Faerie Portal. It depicts how the faeries magically celebrate Christmas Eve.

All the flowers of our home
and the faeries of the portal wish you all
the Happiest of Holidays!

For Thought-Crimes In The Catholic Church: "Just Go To Hell!"

When I was a kid (yeah, that's me all right), I followed all the rules of the Catholic Church as assiduously as the nuns taught me. After all, dealing with the rules of the Church was dealing directly with God. I never messed with them. And the most important rules were the ones laid out for the sacraments - especially Holy Communion.

The nuns told us that in order to receive Holy Communion, we should be in the state of "grace" - in other words, free from sin. Now, in canon law terms, there is venial sin and mortal sin. Venial sin was not really a big deal (although to the nuns, well, EVERYTHING was a big deal) so you could take Communion, even if you knew that you purloined a Snickers bar from Felix Linder**. Mortal sin, however, ranked up there with grand theft auto, rape, and killing your mother-in-law (caveat: sometimes only a venial sin). But, as with most thing sunlawful, there was an escape clause: if you said a "perfect act of contrition" (to God) and promised to go to confession, you could get away with - literally - murder and still take Communion.

And, as with some escape clauses, this one also had a piece that was binding on the opposite side: since a priest couldn't read your mind before Communion, he could not refuse you Communion. At least, that's what Srs. Mary Florence, Mary Benedict and Sr. Boom-Boom Bernadine* told us. I used the escape clause only once (or so I thought) after the first time I masturbated.

Roman Catholic Canon Law #916:

Can. 916: A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.

There is now a renewed push to punish pro-choice members of the Catholic Church by refusing them the rite of Holy Communion and then, of course, making that refusal public. The latest from Randall Terry's group, Insurrecta Nex:

Beginning Wednesday, December 9, Insurrecta Nex team members will travel to 13 Cathedrals in 9 states to hold vigils and press conferences. The tour will finish at the Boston Cathedral, the seat of Cardinal O'Malley, the site of decades of scandal with the Kennedy and the Kerry families.

They will ask Catholic Bishops: "Your Excellency, if any Catholic US Senator from your state, or member of the United States House of Representatives from your diocese votes to fund the murder of children by abortion in any 'health care reform' bill, will they be denied Communion?"

What a way to tell people to "go to hell!" - literally.

Now here's the Catholic voter conundrum: what if the pro-choice candidate's opponent goes against all of the other ideologies the voter espouses? What if that candidate is inexperienced, corrupt, racist, or just plain stupid? Should the voter be forced to vote for the pro-life candidate? Should the voter shirk civic duty and not vote at all? Let's face it, today's social issues and politics are hard enough to deal with without being told that if you even think of voting for a pro-choice candidate you're committing a grievous sin.

Oh to have separation of church and state!

* Boom-Boom Bernadine may have been a fictional character in the wonderfully fertile mind of John Powers (Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?), but to anyone growing up Catholic in Chicago during the 50s, she was as real as rosary beads. "She could throw an eraser with the speed and accuracy of a bullet."

** Also from John Powers, except his full name was Felix-the-Filth-Fiend Linder: "Felix had enough dirt in his mind to apply for statehood."

The Inflatable Nativity vs The True Meaning of Christmas

Catholic News Agency:

New York City, N.Y., Dec 2, 2009 / 08:18 am (CNA).- Christians should not show timidity in cultural disputes over traditional Christmas songs, displays and Nativity scenes, the head of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights says. He charges such disputes are contrived by a small set of “mean-spirited people” who wrongly insinuate that many non-Christians are offended by Christmas.

How can I be offended by something that has been rammed into my being (as a turkey is by stuffing), making me numb to everything else around me for one month out of the year? And every year, staunch "keep the Christ in Christmas" church goers keep the holiday holier than Easter, elevating everything to worship status. It's about the only time Protestants acknowledge Mary and a time when Catholics mention Joseph with reverence. (Cuckolded husbands - even ones cuckolded by Almighty God - never seem to get much respect in the Bible).

Equal Time

It seems to me that Christians are rather mean-spirited about their own holiday: why can't other people celebrate that particular time of year in their own way and have that way acknowledged in similar fashion?

CNA spoke with Donohue in a Tuesday phone interview. He said that the “War on Christmas” largely began with the Catholic League’s successful efforts to place a Nativity scene in the same New York City public park which hosted the world’s largest menorah.

The Catholic League also sued the City of New York because miniature menorahs were displayed in public schools but Christian symbols were not.

From wikipedia:

On November 11, 2009, the American Family Association called for a "limited two-month boycott" of Gap, Inc over what they claimed was the "company's censorship of the word Christmas." In a advertising campaign launched by Gap on November 12, the term "Christmas" was both spoken and printed on their website at least once, and was part of a television ad campaign sung as: "Go Christmas, Go Hanukkah, Go Kwanzaa, Go solstice... go Christmas, go Hanukkah, go whatever holiday you Wannakuh".

I don't agree with Donahoe. The "war on Christmas" started with ... plastic, the air infusion of plastic, the coloring of extremely weird faces on plastic, light-up plastic, unbreakable plastic, AND polyester! Just look at the happy kids below enjoying their authentic costumes:

The Incredible Inflatable Nativity!

(This was on the FRONT COVER of a party catalogue)

“Let them experience the real reason for Christmas”

The above is not shameless exploitation of a holiday, but a HIDEOUS exploitation of a holiday! I can see Glenn Beck weeping in front of it saying something like, "What a wonderful gesture and from such wonderful kids!"

How many storefront churches are going to by this stuff? Probably hundreds. And how many in-your-face Religious Right churches are going to boycott it? Probably zero. They never did try to remove that glow-in-the-dark plastic Jesus from people’s cars, so why should they protest a tacky setup like this? After all, this is not an attack on Christianity.

Or it it? Snneeaky!

Now let's take a quick look at the other insidious ways secularists have been able to wage their War on Christmas:

And let's take a look at the Gap's vicious attack on Christmas:

Warped Worldviews: The Manhattan Declaration of War and the Rick Warren Silent Declaration of Genocide

This is an act of terror and murder against an already beleaguered minority, and Warren is an accessory to it. As a powerful figure in distributing AIDS funding in Uganda, he cannot bring himself to oppose a law that would condemn someone in a gay relationship to death, and imprison him or her for touching another human being, and inciting a wave of informing on family members and friends and acquaintances in order to terrify a sexual minority. This alleged man of God cannot speak out on this - except to protect his own p.r.

- Andrew Sullivan, The Atlantic

Several weeks ago, the Christian Right finally unleashed its bigotry in a statement called The Manhattan Declaration, formally defining their role in America's culture war. Oh, it had some little "we're sorry" moments

While fully acknowledging the imperfections and shortcomings of Christian institutions and communities in all ages [In other words, they don’t intend to address the topic of pedophile priests or ministers], we claim the heritage of those Christians who defended innocent life by rescuing discarded babies from trash heaps in Roman cities and publicly denouncing the Empire’s sanctioning of infanticide. We remember with reverence those believers who sacrificed their lives by remaining in Roman cities to tend the sick and dying during the plagues [Like the onslaught of AIDS?], and who died bravely in the coliseums rather than deny their Lord.

And this gem:

We have compassion for those so disposed [to homosexuality]; we respect them as human beings possessing profound, inherent, and equal dignity;

Followed by an arrogant and totally disingenuous fabrication:

And so it is out of love (not “animus”) and prudent concern for the common good (not “prejudice”) that we pledge to labor ceaselessly to preserve the legal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman and to rebuild the marriage culture.

The entire proclamation is sprinkled liberally with paeans to how holy and wonderful its take on religion is and how the church has been scorned for being so holy. It conjures up images of people walking with immense dignity into a light:

Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family.

Cue The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

So that you might have the full impact of the Declaration, here's the entire (and annotated) Manhattan Declaration.

Museveni's Pope?

Under the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, homosexual relations are specifically targeted. Anyone in a position of authority who is aware of a gay or lesbian individual has 24 hours to inform police or face jail time. ... Those who engage in "aggravated homosexuality" -- defined as repeated homosexual relations or sexual contact with others who are HIV/AIDS infected -- will face the death penalty.

Enter Rick Warren, the most popular minister in America. The man who was excoriated by MSM after he filmed a commercial supporting California's Proposition 8 but answered that he had "many gay friends. I've been to their homes for dinner. I know gay leaders." Rick Warren is now engaged in a conundrum pitting his "empathy" for gays against his extensive relationship with the African country of Uganda.

Should he denounce the upcoming legislation as an attempt at genocide? Should he stress morality and compassion? Or should he, by proclamation or silence, agree that Uganda should have the most extreme punishments for homosexuality in the world?

So far, by Warren's silence, Uganda, is winning.

In the scheme of history, it was not so long ago that a high-ranking clergyman decided to keep silent about a genocide: Pope Pius XII, by his stubborn resolve to keep the Vatican's part of the agreement with Germany (the Reichsconcordat of 1933), effectively sealed the fate of millions of people by not speaking out against the Holocaust he knew was happening.

Think Progress:

On Meet the Press yesterday, Warren reiterated, “As a pastor, my job is to encourage, to support. I never take sides.” He has, however, said that abortion is a “holocaust” and pushed for the passage of California’s Prop. 8.

From a press release issued today:

The fundamental dignity of every person, our right to be free, and the freedom to make moral choices are gifts endowed by God, our creator. However, it is not my personal calling as a pastor in America to comment or interfere in the political process of other nations.

Warren has repeatedly emphasized that his assistance to African nations concerning AIDS would only take place if that nation promoted abstinence-only programs. Since those programs would need to be sanctioned by the country's department of education (which is part of the "political process" in countries like Uganda), Warren's statement is totally false. "I never take sides" is an incredible lie that can be proven quite easily. Even his "outreach" statements (like the speech to Muslims last Easter) are one-sided since they tend to glorify his work.

Interestingly enough, he has not as yet signed the Manhattan Declaration. As Andrew Sullivan pointed out, he could be hesitating because it may not "protect his own p.r."

And if nothing else, Warren's image is about p.r.

To date, over 150,000 people have signed the Declaration. It is now time to look at those people who signed the initial document and consider who didn't. Below is the list of the initial signers. It's interesting that they fall into various categories:

• People famous for being hand-in-hand with the Christian Right (Chuck Colson, Leith Anderson, Tony Perkins, Dinesh D'Szousa)
• People connected to organizations or institutions strongly anti-abortion and/or anti-gay (Gary Bauer, Jim Daly, James Dobson)
• And people whose institutions obviously need the publicity (Maggie Gallagher)

1. Dr. Daniel Akin President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, N.C.)
2. Most Rev. Peter J. Akinola Primate, Anglican Church of Nigeria (Abuja, Nigeria)
3. Randy Alcorn Founder and Director, Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM) (Sandy, Ore.)
4. Rt. Rev. David Anderson President and CEO, American Anglican Council (Atlanta)
5. Leith Anderson President of National Association of Evangelicals (Washington, D.C.)
6. Charlotte K. Ardizzone TV Show Host and Speaker, INSP Television (Charlotte, N.C.)
7. Kay Arthur CEO and Co-founder, Precept Ministries International (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
8. Dr. Mark L. Bailey President, Dallas Theological Seminary (Dallas)
9. Most Rev. Craig W. Bates, Archbishop, International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (Malverne, N.Y.)
10. Gary Bauer President, American Values; Chairman, Campaign for Working Families
11. His Grace, The Right Reverend Bishop Basil Essey The Right Reverend Bishop of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America (Wichita, Kan.)
12. Joel Belz Founder, World Magazine (Asheville, N.C.)
13. Rev. Michael L. Beresford Managing Director of Church Relations, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (Charlotte, N.C.)
14. Ken Boa President, Reflections Ministries (Atlanta)
15. Joseph Bottum Editor of First Things (New York)
16. Pastor Randy & Sarah Brannon Senior Pastor, Grace Community Church (Madera, Calif.)
17. Steve Brown National Radio Broadcaster, Key Life (Maitland, Fla.)
18. Dr. Robert C. Cannada, Jr. Chancellor and CEO, Reformed Theological Seminary (Orlando, Fla.) Galen Carey Director of Government Affairs, National Association of Evangelicals (Washington, D.C.)
19. Dr. Bryan Chapell President, Covenant Theological Seminary (St. Louis)
20. Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver
21. Timothy Clinton President, American Association of Christian Counselors (Forest, Va.)
22. Chuck Colson Founder, The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview (Lansdowne, Va.)
23. Most Rev. Salvatore Joseph Cordileone Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, Calif.
24. Dr. Gary Culpepper Associate Professor, Providence College (Providence, R.I.)
25. Jim Daly President and CEO, Focus on the Family (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
26. Marjorie Dannenfelser President, Susan B. Anthony List (Arlington, Va.)
27. Rev. Daniel Delgado Board of Directors, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Pastor, Third Day Missions Church (Staten Island, N.Y.)
28. Patrick J. Deneen Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis Associate Professor and Director, The Tocqueville Forum on the Roots of American Democracy, Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)
    
29. Dr. James Dobson Founder, Focus on the Family (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
30. Dr. David Dockery President, Union University (Jackson, Tenn.)
31. Most Rev. Timothy Dolan Archbishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of New York, N.Y.
32. Dr. William Donohue President, Catholic League (New York)
33. Dr. James T. Draper, Jr. President Emeritus, LifeWay (Nashville, Tenn.)
34. Dinesh D'Souza Writer and Speaker (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)
35. Most Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan Archbishop and Primate, Anglican Church in North America (Ambridge, Pa. )
36. Dr. Michael Easley President Emeritus, Moody Bible Institute (Chicago)
37. Dr. William Edgar Professor, Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia)
38. Brett Elder Executive Director, Stewardship Council (Grand Rapids, Mich.
39. Rev. Joel Elowsky Drew University (Madison, N.J.)
40. Stuart Epperson Co-Founder and Chariman of the Board, Salem Communications Corporation (Camarillo, Calif.)
41. Rev. Jonathan Falwell Senior Pastor, Thomas Road Baptist Church (Lynchburg, Va.)
42. William J. Federer President, Amerisearch, Inc. (St. Louis)
43. Fr. Joseph D. Fessio Founder and Editor, Ignatius Press (Ft. Collins, Colo.)
44. Carmen Fowler President and Executive Editor, Presbyterian Lay Committee (Lenoir, N.C.)
45. Maggie Gallagher President, National Organization for Marriage (Manassas, Va.)
46. Dr. Jim Garlow Senior Pastor, Skyline Church (La Mesa, Calif.)
47. Steven Garofalo Senior Consultant, Search and Assessment Services (Charlotte, N.C.)
48. Dr. Robert P. George McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University (Princeton, N.J.)
49. Dr. Timothy George Dean and Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School at Samford University (Birmingham, Ala.)
50. Thomas Gilson Director of Strategic Processes, Campus Crusade for Christ International (Norfolk, Va.)
51. Dr. Jack Graham Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church (Plano, Texas)
52. Dr. Wayne Grudem Research Professor of Theological and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary (Phoenix)
53. Dr. Cornell "Corkie" Haan National Facilitator of Spiritual Unity, The Mission America Coalition (Palm Desert, Calif.)
54. Fr. Chad Hatfield Chancellor, CEO and Archpriest, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Yonkers, N.Y.)
55. Dr. Dennis Hollinger President and Professor of Christian Ethics, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (South Hamilton, Mass.)
56. Dr. Jeanette Hsieh Executive Vice President and Provost, Trinity International University (Deerfield, Ill.)
57. Dr. John A. Huffman, Jr. Senior Pastor, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church (Newport Beach, Calif.); Chairman of the Board, Christianity Today International (Carol Stream, Ill.)
58. Rev. Ken Hutcherson Pastor, Antioch Bible Church (Kirkland, Wash.)
59. Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr. Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church (Beltsville, Md.)
60. Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse President, American Orthodox Institute; Editor, OrthodoxyToday.org (Naples, Fla.)
61. Jerry Jenkins Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Moody Bible Institute (Black Forest, Colo.)
62. Camille Kampouris Editorial Board, Kairos Journal
63. Emmanuel A. Kampouris Publisher, Kairos Journal
64. Rev. Tim Keller Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (New York)
65. Dr. Peter Kreeft Professor of Philosophy, Boston College (Mass.) and at the Kings College (N.Y.)
66. Most Rev. Joseph E. Kurtz Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, Ky.
67. Jim Kushiner Editor, Touchstone (Chicago)
68. Dr. Richard Land President, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC (Washington, D.C.)
69. Jim Law Senior Associate Pastor, First Baptist Church (Woodstock, Ga.)
70. Dr. Matthew Levering
    Associate Professor of Theology, Ave Maria University (Naples, Fla.)
71. Dr. Peter Lillback President, The Providence Forum (West Conshohocken, Pa.)
72. Dr. Duane Litfin President, Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.)
73. Rev. Herb Lusk Pastor, Greater Exodus Baptist Church (Philadelphia)
74. His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida Archbishop Emeritus, Roman Catholic Diocese of Detroit
75. Most Rev. Richard J. Malone Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine
76. Rev. Francis Martin Professor of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Heart Major Seminary (Detroit)
77. Dr. Joseph Mattera Bishop and Senior Pastor, Resurrection Church (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
78. Phil Maxwell Pastor, Gateway Church (Bridgewater, N.J.)
79. Josh McDowell Founder, Josh McDowell Ministries (Plano, Texas)
80. Alex McFarland President, Southern Evangelical Seminary (Charlotte, N.C.)
81. Most Rev. George Dallas McKinney Bishop, Founder and Pastor, St. Stephen's Church of God in Christ (San Diego)
82. Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns Missionary Bishop, Convocation of Anglicans of North America (Herndon, Va.)
83. Dr. C. Ben Mitchell Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy, Union University (Jackson, Tenn.)
84. Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. President, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, Ky.)
85. Dr. Russell D. Moore Senior Vice President for Academic Administration and Dean of the School of Theology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, Ky.)
86. Most Rev. John J. Myers Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.
87. Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann Archbishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City, Kan.
88. David Neff Editor-in-Chief, Christianity Today (Carol Stream, Ill.)
89. Tom Nelson Senior Pastor, Christ Community Evangelical Free Church (Leawood, Kan.)
90. Niel NielsonPr esident, Covenant College (Lookout Mt., Ga.)
91. Most Rev. John Nienstedt Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
92. Dr. Tom Oden Theologian, United Methodist Minister; Professor, Drew University (Madison, N.J.)
93. Marvin Olasky Editor-in-Chief, World Magazine; Provost, The Kings College (New York)
94. Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
95. Rev. William Owens Chairman, Coalition of African-American Pastors (Memphis, Tenn.)
96. Dr. J.I. Packer Board of Governors' Professor of Theology, Regent College (Canada)
97. Metr. Jonah Paffhausen Primate, Orthodox Church in America (Syosset, N.Y.)
98. Tony Perkins President, Family Research Council (Washington, D.C.)
99. Eric M. Pillmore CEO, Pillmore Consulting LLC (Doylestown, Pa.)
100. Dr. Everett Piper President, Oklahoma Wesleyan University (Bartlesville, Okla.)
101. Todd Pitner President, Rev Increase
102. Dr. Cornelius Plantinga President, Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
103. Dr. David Platt Pastor, Church at Brook Hills (Birmingham, Ala.)
104. Rev. Jim Pocock Pastor, Trinitarian Congregational Church (Wayland, Mass.)
105. Fred Potter Executive Director and CEO, Christian Legal Society (Springfield, Va.)
106. Dennis Rainey President, CEO, and Co-Founder, FamilyLife (Little Rock, Ark.)
107. Fr. Patrick Reardon Pastor, All Saints' Antiochian Orthodox Church (Chicago)
108. Bob Reccord Founder, Total Life Impact, Inc. (Suwanee, Ga.)
109. His Eminence Justin Cardinal Rigali Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
110. Frank Schubert President, Schubert Flint Public Affairs (Sacramento, Calif.)
111. David Schuringa President, Crossroads Bible Institute (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
112. Tricia Scribner Author (Harrisburg, N.C.)
113. Dr. Dave Seaford Senior Pastor, Community Fellowship Church (Matthews, N.C.)
114. Alan Sears President, CEO, and General Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
115. Randy Setzer Senior Pastor, Macedonia Baptist Church (Lincolnton, N.C.)
116. Most Rev. Michael J. Sheridan Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs, Colo.
117. Dr. Ron Sider Director, Evangelicals for Social Action (Wynnewood, Pa.)
118. Fr. Robert Sirico Founder, Acton Institute (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
119. Dr. Robert Sloan President, Houston Baptist University (Houston)
120. Charles Stetson Chairman of the Board, Bible Literacy Project (New York)
121. Dr. David Stevens CEO, Christian Medical and Dental Association (Bristol, Tenn.)
122. John Stonestreet Executive Director, Summit Ministries (Manitou Springs, Colo.)
123. Dr. Joseph Stowell President, Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
124. Dr. Sarah Sumner Professor of Theology and Ministry, Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, Calif.)
125. Dr. Glenn Sunshine Chairman of the History Department, Central Connecticut State University (New Britain, Conn.)
126. Joni Eareckson Tada Founder and CEO, Joni and Friends International Disability Center (Agoura Hills, Calif.)
127. Luiz Tellez President, The Witherspoon Institute (Princeton, N.J.)
128. Dr. Timothy C. Tennent, President, Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, Ky.)
129. Michael Timmis. Chairman, Prison Fellowship and Prison Fellowship International (Naples, Fla.)
130. Mark Tooley, President, Institute for Religion and Democracy (Washington, D.C.)
131. H. James Towey, President, St. Vincent College (Latrobe, Pa.)
132. Juan Valdes, Middle and High School Chaplain, Florida Christian School (Miami, Fla.)
133. Todd Wagner, Pastor, WaterMark Community Church (Dallas)
134. Dr. Graham Walker, President, Patrick Henry College (Purcellville, Va.)
135. Fr. Alexander F. C. Webster, Ph.D., Archpriest, Orthodox Church in America; Professorial Lecturer, The George Washington University (Ashburn, Va.)
     
136. George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center (Washington, D.C.)
137. David Welch, Houston Area Pastor Council Executive Director, US Pastors Council (Houston)
138. Dr. James Emery White, Founding and Senior Pastor, Mecklenburg Community Church (Charlotte, N.C.)
139. Dr. Hayes Wicker, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church (Naples, Fla.)
140. Mark Williamson, Founder and President, Foundation Restoration Ministries/Federal Intercessors (Katy, Texas)
141. Parker T. Williamson, Editor Emeritus and Senior Correspondent, Presbyterian Lay Committee
     
142. Dr. Craig Williford, President, Trinity International University (Deerfield, Ill.)
143. Dr. John Woodbridge, Research Professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, Ill.)
144. Don M. Woodside, Performance Matters Associates (Matthews, N.C.)
145. Dr. Frank Wright, President, National Religious Broadcasters (Manassas, Va.)
146. Most Rev. Donald W. Wuerl, Archbishop, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
147. Paul Young, COO and Executive Vice President, Christian Research Institute (Charlotte, N.C.)
148. Dr. Michael Youssef, President, Leading the Way (Atlanta)
149. Ravi Zacharias, Founder and Chairman of the Board, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (Norcross, Ga.)
150. Most Rev. David A. Zubik, Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
151. James R. Thobaben, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor, Bioethics and Social Ethics, Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, Ky.)
     

There are a great deal of institutions represented that appear to be so miniscule as to seem innocuous. However, therein lies the danger of this group: they may seem small, but, given the right occassion, will make valiant attempts of bigotry that could prove to be ... fatal. ALL of these people and their organizations deserve the utmost scrutiny from now on. Of course, while some of them may seem to be beyond reproach (like archbishops), remember that titles can cover a host of hypocrisies.