Bibles, hypocrites, and venn diagrams

I'm going to have to shop at J C Penney now...

Because the One Million Moms group is trying to start a boycott of the store for daring to use Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson. J C Penney has refused to submit to bullying and will continue to use DeGeneres. Ellen DeGeneres believes in honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. Apparently to some people her being gay negates all those 'Christian-claimed' traditional values.

Update: new video.

Those who preach God is love are often filled with hate

Amelia shares what happened when the blog post about her possibly gay son went viral:

These people would tell my innocent little boy (who currently wants to be a fireman-ninja when he grows up) he is the biggest threat the American family... because he wants to kiss boys and not girls.

The reality is they are pounding these words of ignorance and hate into the ears and minds of gay children every day. And those children are hearing them. I know because many of those kids are now writing to me. Kids as young as 14 have sent me messages. So many are scared children, who sure as hell did not choose this for themselves, living in fear of their family finding out because they know full well what their mom and dad will say. And they tell me they wish I was their mom.

I want to keep all this talk, all these lies, all this hate, away from these kids. Of course, there is an inherent problem with that. We can't pick out the gay kids simply by looking, and behavior isn't a clear indicator (some little straight girls are tomboys, and some little gay boys love their monster trucks). The only way we can truly know someone's orientation is if they tell us, which for some doesn't happen until well into adulthood.

Bless this young man

Zach Wahls

The Finns show the world

How to behave:

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has gotten itself into hot water with its members -- many of whom are now ex-members -- after aligning itself with hateful, conservative views about homosexuality.

More than 78% of Finns are said to be members of the church, but those numbers have been tumbling as of late; last year, some 40,000 people resigned from the church, and this year 70,000 have already left. The most recent exodus can be attributed to a recent live televised debate during which church representatives called homosexuality a "sin" and questioned gay couples’ ability to raise a family.

Maybe nationalizing women's wombs

Enshrining Christianity into the Constitution, and shoving gays back into closets isn't such a good idea....

Ya think???

Steve Benen of the Washington Monthly:

MORE CALLS FOR A CULTURE-WAR TRUCE.... It's been a while, but in the months leading up to the 2006 midterms -- the last time a chamber of Congress had a Republican majority -- GOP policymakers were intent on making the base happy.

In the three months leading up to Election Day '06, Republicans voted on an anti-gay constitutional amendment, a flag-burning constitutional amendment, assorted restrictions on abortion rights, new penalties for "broadcast indecency," and a measure to retain the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Republican lawmakers thought they could gin up the base and salvage the election cycle. It didn't work, and Democrats soon after won majorities in both chambers.

It's interesting, then, to see some Republicans urging the party to just skip hot-button culture-war issues altogether in the next Congress.

Amazingly some teapartiers are not too happy about this....

You, sir, are a douchebag.

It gets better

If you have time for only one thing today, watch this.

You go, Al.

How else can they spread the Word?

Focus on the Family has a message for gay rights activists: stay off the playground.

Candi Cushman, an education analyst for the James Dobson-founded group, told The Denver Post this weekend that gay rights advocates have inserted their agenda into anti-bullying efforts, at the expense of Christian values.

"We feel more and more that activists are being deceptive in using anti-bullying rhetoric to introduce their viewpoints, while the viewpoint of Christian students and parents are increasingly belittled," Cushman told the Post.

In an email to TPM, Cushman expanded her argument. "Listing certain categories creates a system ripe for reverse discrimination, sending the message that certain characteristics are more worthy of protection than others," she said.

Cushman's argument has two levels: first, she says anti-bullying efforts wrongly put the focus on the "characteristics of the victim" instead of the "wrong actions of the bullies." Second, she thinks that gay rights activists are using the whole issue to sneak their agenda into the nation's schools. She denounced the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

"In many cases, these politicized bullying policies are being used as tools to undermine parental rights," she said, "and censor or marginalize students and parents with differing viewpoints."

So.... you want your Christianist children to be able to call suspected gay children names and beat up on kids with wrong religious beliefs or something? Just WHAT are you saying here?

Meanwhile... back on the ranch...

Global warming:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released data today (15 June 2010) confirming what NASA separately reported last week: global surface temperatures this Spring rose to record levels. NOAA data also indicate that other temperature records are toppling -- all consistent with long-term trends driven largely by rising greenhouse gas emissions.

And bees:

Distracted by a mysterious rash of dying bees, researchers may be overlooking a more insidious pollinator crisis. It has little to do with bees and everything to do with booming markets for raspberries, pears, and chocolate

Erik Prince of Blackwater fame thinks about Dubai:

Sources close to Blackwater and its secretive owner Erik Prince claim that the embattled head of the world's most infamous mercenary firm is planning to move to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Middle Eastern nation, a major hub for the US war industry, has no extradition treaty with the United States. In April, five of Prince's top deputies were hit with a fifteen-count indictment by a federal grand jury on conspiracy, weapons and obstruction of justice charges. Among those indicted were Prince's longtime number-two man, former Blackwater president Gary Jackson, former vice presidents William Matthews and Ana Bundy and Prince's former legal counsel Andrew Howell.

And the horrible health care we have in this country:

Can’t afford a doctor? No health insurance? Well, you can always go to the emergency room.

Kathy Myers found out the hard way that the ER isn’t the answer. Out of work, lacking insurance, and unable to get proper treatment for a painful shoulder injury incurred a month ago, the 41 year-old Michigan woman took drastic steps.

She lay on her bed, put a pillow over her shoulder, and shot herself with a handgun. Not in a suicide attempt, but in an attempt escape the constant pain and get medical treatment. A month of pain without no end in sight will mess with your head.

A 911 call did result in a trip to the ER, but only to take care of the gunshot wound. Her previous non life-threatening injury was left untreated. No CT scan, no MRI. She was home within a few hours. And she’s in worse shape than ever, with the added possibility of facing criminal charges for discharging a firearm within city limits.

And how far we've come..../snark: Marines Put Gay Man in Hospital. Will Anyone Prosecute?

If Hitler actually used gay soldiers

Because they were merciless killers ... doesn't that kinda negate the concern that gay soldiers would not be a good fighting force?

And by the way, you know the "Greatest Generation" guys? All those people drafted to fight WWII? Beating the Germans and the Japanese? ... There were gay people in those ranks, too.

So why the hissy fit over the repeal of DADT?

The Republican platform just lost another one of its planks.

Keeping their eye on the important stuff

Oil disaster? Two wars? Bad economy?

Iowa lawmaker presses the state to discriminate against LGBT families at campgrounds.

Want to guess which party he belongs to?

Says you.

Brazilian archbishop: all teenagers are 'spontaneously homosexual'

I believe a deep therapy session is in order for you, sir.

If gay soldiers were in the Greatest Generation war...

How come we won?

Scapegoats are needed

To bond people together! How can we know we're all on the same side if we don't define who we're against??!!11?

Virginia attorney general instructs state colleges to stop protecting gay students from discrimination.

Not being able to punch school-aged gay kids

Is being threatened by tolerance!!

Who will the poor bullies be able to threaten then? Who's thinking of THEM???

God, girls and gays.....

The use and misuse of religion this past decade. Another example: Taliban in Pakistan blowing up girl's schools.

Just a reminder that religious and political extremists don't all dwell in the Pakistani mountains: Conservative Says Women Shouldn't Vote.

And Ann Coulter negated her own voice because of her gender: Ann Coulter’s Disastrous Political Strategy: ‘Take Away Women’s Right To Vote’.

And Radio host: Women vote Dem because they "think with their hearts and not with their minds"

And about gays: GOP's New Prayer Guru Says Gays Possessed By Demons

The meaning of marriage

Thank you, New York State Senator Diane Savino:

Thank you, sir, for your service to our nation

Your patriotism, and your love of your sons. All of them.



h/t to JJ of Unrepentant Old Hippie