SNL & Julie Taymor: The BEST diversion today!

I laughed my head off!

God's Ambulance Chasers Rush To Japan's Aid, But Lady Gaga May Have Gotten There First

Will Japan's skies start raining Bibles?
Or Will Lady Gaga's Prayer Bracelet Obtain More Relief?

There's definitely going to be a battle between Lady Gaga and Pat Robertson. 


WTF? Yes. While the Christian Right will be scurrying to set up electronic Bible Broadcasters as they did in Haiti, Lady Gaga's "prayer bracelet" may be more effective in helping the Japanese recover from the latest disaster. You see, hers is a true prayer for Japan because it comes with cash for food, clothing, medical supplies. The poor "pagan" Japanese (Buddhist, Shinto, Confucian), alas, cannot wear, eat or apply Bibles to wounds. 


I know that sounds quite spiritually callus, especially coming from a Christian, but it's true. With the exception of Operation Blessing (which has largely divorced itself from founder Pat Robertson ever since the mining equipment scandal*), faith-based agencies will be under a very watchful eye (including mine). The Asian Tsunami attracted Jerry Falwell (who, along with supplies, sent 600,000 Christian tracts to Hindus and Muslims), Hurricane Katrina attracted Pat Robertson ( who immediately poured 40,000 Bibles onto people  - dead or alive), and Haiti brought out a Christian group that deposited electronic "solar-powered Bibles" (at $90,000) to blare out Biblical passages as people fought off disease. Years ago, I called the whole mess of missionaries "God's Ambulance Chasers." Since then, the article still comes out on top for Google searches. In fact, it may be the only phrase this poor writer will ever be known for. 


Disasters. They really do bring out the best in people, in humanity. But rushing to evangelize after a tragedy can be akin to circling vultures. It's no secret that I'm against proselytizing, but inundating people who have been devastated by a cataclysm, a people who are of a different faith, with pleas to convert is ...wrong. 


And soothing words are cheap. 


The rush to insult another religion is also wrong, but righteous arrogance is strong: Falwell couldn't understand why people were appalled that he sent so many leaflets about the "Word of God" to suffering Hindus and Muslims. The people, thankfully, summoned enough dignity to to reject the paper cargo. Falwell was not amused. Robertson was also criticized for his rush to rain Bibles onto New Orleans, then he compounded the insult by his "contract with the Devil" remarks. To be fair, while supermarket tabloids are now trumpeting Robertson's impending senility, many people have thought him senile for the last thirty years, so his actions are considered almost meaningless. As God's ambulance chaser, he's been retired. 


So with Robertson retired and Falwell long gone, who will take up the gauntlet and become the next ambulance chaser of natural disasters? Lou Engle? Sorry. Lou Engle IS a natural disaster (just ask gays in Uganda). Rick Warren? I don't think so. Warren's too busy creating "Purpose Driven" countries (again, just ask Uganda). My bet is on Franklin Graham and his group, Samaritan's Purse. He may try to weasel in a proselytizing rally or two after humbly distributing food. Did I say humbly? Hmm. Well, maybe not too humbly. 


From its website:

Staff members are on their way to the affected area. We will be working with Japanese Christians to distribute food, water, blankets, hygiene supplies, and other aid to people who have lost virtually everything.

Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham has conducted evangelistic Festivals in the Japanese cities of Osaka and Okinawa, and we have hundreds of church partners in the country.

On Samaritan's Purse efforts in Sudan:

Samaritan’s Purse has trained thousands of people from local churches to lead the reading groups. People who join the groups receive free Bibles. For many, it is the first they have ever owned. 

Yes, it may seem petty and anti-Christian to monitor such a group, but my premise lies hidden in the name of Graham's charity: the Good Samaritan of Christ's New Testament did not come back with a tract on Samaritan religion. The Good Samaritan, in fact, did not proselytize: he may have simply gone on his way doing good for others. Period.


All Hail Lady Gaga


No matter what I thought of him as an actor, Sean Penn captured my adoration in his valiant efforts in Haiti. Some movie stars are like that: combining their fame with the determination to get relief under way makes them more beautiful. And when a celebrity who has been endlessly pilloried by the Christian Right as being immoral performs a creative feat of fundraising for disaster relief, she becomes more than beautiful, she becomes ... stellar. 


The speed with which Lady Gaga came out with her "prayer bracelet" was amazing. The ingeniousness of the product was incredible: proving that spirituality can come in all forms and can transcend religion itself. 


Last year, the infamous Westboro Baptist Church (Fred We-Hate-Everything Phelps) put out a campaign, "God Hates Lady Gaga." And although being besieged by the Phelps clan has now become a badge of honor, Phelps' ubiquitous hatred mirrors the opinions of the Christian Right. Lady Gaga's response: 

“Do not interact with them, or try to fight. Do not respond to any of their provocation. Don’t waste your words or feelings, no matter what you hear or see… Be inspired to ignore their ignorant message, and feel gratitude in your heart that you are not burdened or addicted to hate, as they are.” 

Sounds as if Lady Gaga's words were straight out of the New Testament. 

If a heroic aura surrounds Lady Gaga at this time, it will be because of a simple humanitarian action. Many faith-based relief programs, however, have never taken the hint that actions can speak louder than Bibles.  

Below is an amazing video of the response of Operation Blessing. It is notable because it focuses ONLY on relief. Operation Blessing has learned its lesson.

*wikipedia:


After making emotional pleas in 1994 on The 700 Club for cash donations to Operation Blessing to support airlifts of refugees from Rwanda to Zaire, it was later discovered, by a reporter from The Virginian-Pilot, that Operation Blessing's planes were transporting diamond-mining equipment for the Robertson-owned African Development Corporation, a venture Robertson had established in cooperation with Zaire's dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko, whom Robertson had befriended earlier in 1993.

Republicans Are Now Going After ...Puppies!

Rethuglicans, not content to bust unions and impoverish people as much as their corporate employers want, are now going after ...puppies. The state of Missouri is now considering regaining its status as the worst "puppy mill" factory in the world. 

The Most Heartless (And Senile) Republican In The World: "Ship The Mentally Ill Off To Siberia"

URGENT UPDATE: My bad. Check out the answers given by Harty for his 2008 campaign. They're as disturbing as hi "Siberia" comment!

Martin Harty, a Republican New Hampshire state senator, is 91 years old. It is possible that he has turned senile. It is also possible that he will be shipped to Siberia.


It's sad when someone becomes so senile that he doesn't resemble a human being. The question that comes immediately to mind: has he actually outlived his usefulness? In the case of New Hampshire state senator Martin Harty, his philosophy of getting rid of useless people might return to bite him in his wrinkled old ass. 

Think Progress: Barrington Republican Martin Harty told Sharon Omand, a Strafford resident who manages a community mental health program, that “the world is too populated” and there are “too many defective people,”according to an e-mail account of the conversation by Omand. [...] Harty confirmed to the Monitor that he made the comments to Omand.

“I wish we had a Siberia so we could ship them all off to freeze to death and die and clean up the population...Hitler did something right, and I agree with (it).

The "I was kidding" defense.

Harty has absolutely refused to apologize for the remarks, saying he was kidding her because she was an "unidentified caller."

"I was kidding with her ...It was a girl that wanted money for the crazy people... a good percentage of the homeless people are mentally disturbed." Unfortunately, he overstepped the bounds of humanity in his "kidding" by referring to any form of eugenics or genocide. He can, of course, place the blame of his comments on his age, since he was first inaugurated last January, making him the oldest "freshman" Republican office-holder in the country.

The issue of age and mental stability may not lie in Harty, however, but in his constituents. After all, you have to wonder about a populace who votes in a politician simply because of age. Because if you try to find out anything about "Marty Harty" you don't find much.

A plebecite of "No Response" 

- Does Marty Harty even exist?

Go to the website for Vote New Hampshire, a site supposedly devoted to "connecting voters to candidates. The results will surprise/shock you. In Harty's candidate profile, which includes age, gender and all political positions, the only answer is: "no response."

Gender: No response, Religion: No response, Education: No response, Civic: No response, Military: No response, Political: No response.

And accomplishments: No response. Maybe Marty Harty is so old, he's turned translucent - or completely invisible.

Ditto on the website for Project Vote Smart:
Representative Marty C. Harty refused to tell citizens where he/she stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.

This candidate has demonstrated 0% courage during the test.


There is NO email for the senator and only the New Hampshire Republican Party references him - vaguely, making "connecting" very difficult for someone like Sharon Omand. At this point, the question of Marty Harty's existence comes into play and wild conspiracy theories against New Hampshire's Republican Party could start to sprout.

The Concord Monitor (unfortunately) was able to get a hold of him in response:
Harty said nature has a way of "getting rid of stupid people," and "now we're saving everyone who gets born."

He's so senile, he's pissing off Republican-based pro-lifers. Not good. Pat Robertson pissed off a multitude of Christians with his Haiti-contract-with-the-devil comments. They tried to cover it all up with a kind of senility defense, but it didn't work.


So now the focus needs to shift to the New Hampshire Republicans who voted-in Harty for no reason at all other than he's very old and very senile. If you research the demographics of Barrington, NH, the place (and its newest educational make-up - an all-white, upper-middle class charter school), might give you a better picture: Harty has obviously had no contact with emotionally or financially disabled people. None. Zip. And the area looks as if it wants to stay that way, with help from the Republican Party. Sharon Omand may be a humanitarian in a developing sea of intense contempt for everyone else. True, the area is very, very small, so let us hope it is in no way representative of a larger trend.




Wisconsin and Michigan, on the other hand...

Have We Now Gained The Right To Sadism? The Horrible Story Of The Deaver Fetus

I've long had the stance that pro-lifers are actually pro birth, only caring that a child is born ... no matter the consequences. To some, "life" is only precious at the point of birth. And in the case of Danielle and Robb Deaver, neither life before, nor life after mattered to the State of Nebraska. 


The Deaver story, as told by them below, is certainly heart-wrenching and, in short, involved a mother being forced to carry a child to term even though doctors said that the pregnancy would be painful, the child would be born prematurely, be seriously deformed and live for only minutes after birth. As Danielle put it, "we decided that some things were worse than death." Some "things?" Or someone like Senator Mike Flood and Julia Schmit-Albin of Nebraska Right To Life. Some media were more succinct about the situation: 




Abortion Law: Mother Denied Abortion, 
Then Had To Watch Baby Die


Nebraska State Senator Mike Flood was the primary architect of the state's two-month-old law banning partial-birth abortions after the age of 20 weeks - no matter what the consequences.

"Even in these situations where the baby has a terminal condition or there's not much chance of surviving outside of the womb, my point has been and remains that is still a life." 

Of course, the Nebraska Right To Life doyenne, Julie Schmit-Albin, came to the defense of the law:

"We acknowledge the tragedy that occurs with a poor prenatal diagnosis for the baby. But isn't it more humane for the baby to die in a loving manner with comfort care and in the arms of her parents than by the intentional painful death through abortion?"* (emphasis mine)

"We acknowledge the tragedy." The words seem hollow. While the pro-life movement has stressed that ALL children should be born no matter what the circumstance, it automatically erases any concern for the individuals involved and in some case, even that of the child: in the interview below, Danielle Deavers raises a good point: because of the child's inabilities to develop normally, how could she not think that the child was suffering? True, there was a heartbeat (evidently all that mattered to lawmakers like Senator Flood), but since muscles were pressing on the unborn child's head, she had to assume that the child was experiencing some discomfort. Added to those hollow words is this little point of sadism: since the Nebraska law reinforces a belief* that a fetus feels pain after 20 weeks, Danielle Deaver was right to be concerned for the suffering of her child. She was concerned, but obviously, the pro-life law of Nebraska wasn't. It's only concern was for the child to be born. Period.

One commenter on the situation brought up another concern: medical expenses. While the state forced the couple to proceed with the pregnancy, it certainly didn't feel liable for any of the medical expenses which added to the Deavers' woes. 

I'm struggling here not to take on a possible little-Elizabeth-Deaver stance, but I'm losing the battle:

"OK, Ms. Julie Schmit-Albin, let's get this straight: the doctors say I'm not going to live past fifteen minutes. If, by the odd chance I do live, then I'm gonna be a vegetable gasping for breath for a while longer. Since I've been here in the womb for over 20 weeks, you believe I should feel pain. I've already had a hard time breathing in this place, but my mother feels a lot more pain than I do. She, being humane, thinks that both she and I would feel a lot better if things didn't continue. You, on the other hand, think that it's God's will that we both live through this. You, who are not related to me in any way, have passed a law that says I have to come out of this place into my mother's arms so that we both can suffer as long as possible."

"Take a hike, b*tch."

At this point, while I'm not about to paint pictures of Flood and Schmit-Albin rejoicing at both pre-birth and after-birth agonies, I don't think their reasoning could be looked upon as humanitarian, although a glance at the Des Moines Register's piece and its comments section shows that both sides are screeching about "God" and the concept of being "humane." 

People like Jill June, president of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, took a more hopeful attitude:

"I think those that hear her story will be very, very moved," June said. "Hopefully some of them that are on this reckless stampede against a woman's right to decide with her doctor what is in the best interest of her health and well being - I hope they will hear her words and listen to her."

Fat chance, Jill, if you're telling it to people like Tony Perkins, the Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler of The Royal Order Of Self-Righteousness. 

OK, sarcasm aside, there's a nagging feeling that while outright sadism may not be involved, a quiet, smug, self-righteous little voice inside of people like Flood and Schmit-Albin is whispering, "Glory Hallelujah!" 

*On the website of NRTL there is a link to this "Tiller the killer" murder statement:
"National Right to Life extends its sympathies to Dr. Tiller’s family over this loss of life." Right.
** There is intense medical debate on whether or not any pain is felt after 20 weeks. Many scientists believe that neurons are not really formed in the brain until 28 weeks.

On My Ordination: Heartwarming Responses

I'm all ferklempt! Although it's only been several hours since I announced my intention to fight the Christian Right with my ordination, I've received three responses. Yes, only three, but they're the most wonderful responses I could have imagined!


I really want to share them with you:

Bravo! for standing up to the idiots!

I really enjoyed your article. Very succinct and really hit the nail on the head. I have become so incensed at how they take over our media and politics. They pummel us with their ideology. They want us to stop being individual thinkers and follow like sheep behind their inane ridiculous personal beliefs. 
Thank You for letting me know there are real intelligent, thoughtful people that understand what is going on, what the agenda is. More power to you.

Your Reverendness:

I'm sorry you've such a generally hard time. I don't know your story, but I hear a lot of anger and a fair amount of pain. I run the ULC Seminary and I feel that anyone who has to deal with any-wingers has my sympathy. I hear from them a lot in my business, but I also hear from a lot of people who are just trying to find their way. 

I'm not sure what possessed me to reach out, but it just seemed like you needed a hello. 

Your sardonic wit hits the hypocrites where they live-their souls such as they are

Dear Rev. Dan Vojir, 
Thank you for your self-reliance and for your supporting others in same. 
I am Quaker and your ideas for being ones own preacher fits my beliefs exactly. 
Your words are full of life, Rev. Dan and I thank you for this as well. 

Were They Chanting "Jesus!" "Jesus!" Or "Kill" "Kill"?

I find it odd that the only one following the teachings of Jesus Christ

 in that crowd is a Muslim.

This is Islamophobia at its worst. It is also Christofascism at its worst. 

While one can say that this kind religious intolerance and harassment shouldn't be allowed to exist, the problem we have is that it DOES. Had the Muslim man not been in front of the White House, had he been in, say, Alabama, parts of Kansas, or even parts of Southern California, who knows what would have happened to him. Had he been near any state senator who wants to "ban Sharia law" on the basis of ignorance and fear, I would not have vouchsafed his life.