April 23, 2008
Oh, no, I’m not being flippant about a death — I really do wonder what St. Peter had to say to Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, the Vatican’s poster boy for a Dark-Ages mentality on same-sex marriage, stem cell research, and a woman’s right to choose, and who, most (in)famously, outright lied when he said condoms don’t do anything to prevent the spread of HIV. (The World Health Organization set everybody straight — so to speak — on that note, reiterating that condoms are 90% effective, and failure was usually due to improper installation.)
Not, mind you, that I really believe in the whole St. Peter/Pearly Gates thing; I don’t. But I’m a happy little agnostic quite content with the idea that wherever we end up, it’s of our own making: If you expect to see St. Peter, or some Pearly Gates, then you will.
But I digress, as usual.
Serendipity flowing freely this week, it was ironic, but rather satisfying in a mean, Schadenfreude kind of way, to hear that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (chaired by one of our few remaining heroes in the Democratic Party, Henry Waxman [D-Calif.]) is holding a hearing today to re-open the issue of whether or not abstinence-only programs work.
The reality is: They don’t. But as long as Radical Righteous Religionists exist — and as long as they maintain their stranglehold on our government — the reality of the situation needs to be hammered into many thick skulls before the U.S. gives up this killer (and I do mean killer) notion that if you withhold contraceptives and fact-based sex education, people will stop getting STDs, and stop having abortions.
What needs to stop is handing over taxpayer dollars to “faith-based” institutions that do nothing to decrease the spread of STDs or unwanted pregnancies, and in fact only serve to exacerbate the situation(s).
Sometimes it seems the only way to a new Age of Englightenment is to outlive the troglodytes who think they can pray the AIDS away. And so it is with an uncomfortable mixture of both sadness and relief that we mark the passing of Cardinal Trujillo: There was a man who stood no hope of being enlightened and reborn into a healthy, helpful, reality-based way of thinking, and now he’s gone. That’s the sad part. The relief (which troubles me to admit to) comes with the knowledge that there is one less powerful person on this planet standing in the way of countless millions being equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to save their own lives, and the lives of many others.
I’ll leave you with that thought, and with the ACLU’s writeup on today’s abstinence-only hearing — so my “faith-based” readers might understand that I’m not some sort of heartless ghoul celebrating the death of an “enemy.”
You see, Cardinal Trujillo called every struggle for control over our own lives and our own bodies, from same-sex marriage to euthanasia, a “culture of death,” when the truth is that lying about condoms and stem cell research and all the rest kills people. It is the Cardinal Trujillos of this world who propagate a “culture of death.”
Evidence Once Again Shows Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs Don’t Work
WASHINGTON, DC — April 23 — The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing today titled “Domestic Abstinence-Only Programs: Assessing the Evidence.” The ACLU applauds Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) for bringing new attention to this deeply troubling policy and the committee’s willingness to examine the public health policy implications of abstinence-only programs. We look forward to the testimony of scientists, clinicians, researchers and youth activists who will report on the failures of abstinence-only education programs.
Their testimony is supported by research which has repeatedly shown that, at best, abstinence-only programs do not delay sexual initiation and, at worst, may actually cause harm by providing young people with dangerously inadequate and inaccurate information. A troubling recent report found teens in Florida, a state that relies on abstinence-only programs, who believed drinking a can of Mt. Dew would prevent unintended pregnancy, or drinking a capful of bleach would prevent HIV/AIDS.
In addition to the clear and compelling public health concerns of abstinence-only programs, the ACLU has submitted a statement to the committee addressing the civil liberties concerns raised by these programs. Abstinence-only programs censor information, reinforce gender stereotypes, provide inaccurate and misleading information, promote religion, serve a narrow ideological agenda, stigmatize lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, and jeopardize the well-being of young people.
“The evidence leads to only one conclusion: abstinence-only programs represent a failed policy,” said Vania Leveille, legislative counsel at the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “They are driven by ideology and politics, rather than by science or good public health policy, and our young people are suffering as a result. Most troubling, they represent a purposeful campaign to mislead, distort, stifle and censor, and are part of a disturbing trend to politicize science. The ACLU urges congressional action to bring this failed policy to an end.”
Since 1996, the U.S. government has poured more than a billion dollars into abstinence-only education programs so ineffective and dangerous that seventeen states have refused funding. At a time when the administration emphasizes accountability in funding only programs with demonstrated success, the continued funding of unproven abstinence-only programs is unacceptable.
The ACLU’s statement to the committee is available here
Posted by: Sapphocrat
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March 14, 2008
It seems that Sally Kern is not alone in her belief that the vast Homosexual Agenda is plotting to take over all that is good in the world. Now Bishop Joseph Devine has put forth his claim that gays are engaged in a conspiracy against the Catholic church.
A Catholic bishop has accused the gay community of leading a “conspiracy” against Christianity by allying itself with Holocaust survivors.
The Bishop of Motherwell, Joseph Devine, says a “homosexual lobby” has aligned itself with minority groups, including Holocaust survivors, to gain persecuted status.
He said there was a “huge and well orchestrated conspiracy” taking place in the “gay movement”, which the Catholic Church neglected “at our peril”.
The bishop, who has previously spoken out against the Labour government’s support for civil partnerships, said the “lobby” was “ever present” at services for Holocaust Memorial Day. “The impression is that they have been equally persecuted,” he said.
Right, we just made up the 5,000-15,000 gay men who were killed in the Holocaust so we could gain sympathy for ourselves. We aren’t the victims of thousands of hate crimes every year, we aren’t denied rights like marriage, housing, jobs and the other things our straight counterparts take for granted. Think again.
In an attack on openly gay actor Sir Ian McKellen the bishop said: “I saw actor Ian McKellen being honoured for his work on behalf of homosexuals, when a century ago Oscar Wilde was locked up and put in jail.”
In that comment the bishop lets the truth out. He wishes he could still put LGBT people in jail–or worse–just for being gay. Sadly he’s not alone and in many parts of the world people get away with what the bishop merely wishes he could do.
A spokesman defended the bishop’s comments, “Anything which attacks the sanctity of marriage and the family will be opposed by the church,” he said. Civil partnerships are “an abuse” of the church’s teaching on marriage, he told Times Online.
I’m still waiting for the church to call for a ban on adultery and divorce. They’re both much more of a threat to the “sanctity of marriage” and the family than same-sex marriages ever could be. Adultery is also forbidden by the 7th Commandment, and divorce is denounced far more times than homosexuality by the Bible–including by Jesus who had nothing to say about gays. So why is the church not clamoring for bans on adultery and divorce?
As usual the religious bigots pick and choose what they want to rant against and are very selective in how they interpret the scriptures and their dogma. If there’s any “conspiracy” it is that of the church against LGBT people. Maybe the church can get together and find another enemy, a real one that actually is causing harm to others. Otherwise they risk becoming obsolete old nuts eternally chasing boogeymen.
Posted by: Buffy
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October 19, 2007
The following was issued today by the Democratic National Committee:
Apparently, smooth-talking Mitt Romney is so desperate to win over the extreme right wing of the Republican Party that he is willing to turn a blind eye to the racist, anti-Catholic, anti-Mormon, and anti-gay policies of Bob Jones University and its leadership. Romney was in Columbus, Ohio yesterday bragging about this week’s endorsements from Bob Jones University Dean Robert Taylor and chancellor Bob Jones III, calling their support “a positive step.” [Columbus Dispatch, 10/18/07] Earlier this week, Romney’s campaign manager in South Carolina said the campaign was “proud to have the support of Dr. Jones.” [Greenville News, 10/16/07]
Embracing Bob Jones University and Bob Jones III is hardly something to be proud of. Not only did Bob Jones University lose its tax-exempt status because of its discriminatory policies, but Bob Jones III himself has a history of disturbing statements. In a “President’s Corner” column posted on the school’s website, Jones III called Catholicism and Mormonism “cults which call themselves Christian.” After the school removed the post, Jones III reportedly ordered it reposted in order to avoid giving anyone the impression that he had changed his views. [Associated Press, 3/16/00] Bob Jones University refused to admit African-American students, banned interracial dating until 2000, refused to honor Martin Luther King, published fifth grade textbooks that called Catholicism a “false religion,” and banned gay alumni from campus–particularly noteworthy considering Romney’s statement just last week that he opposed discrimination against gay people. In Columbus, Romney sidestepped questions about whether he agrees with those policies and rhetoric, saying the questions were “not really relevant today.” [Columbus Dispatch, 10/18/07]
“If smooth-talking Mitt Romney is so proud to be endorsed by Bob Jones and the school’s leadership, he should be able to tell the American people whether he supports their despicable rhetoric and policies and whether he would allow the school to receive federal funds,” said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney. “He may be desperate to win over extremists in the right wing of his Party, but his failure to be straightforward about which racist, discriminatory and anti-gay policies and statements he is proud to be associated with speaks volumes about his campaign.”
Mitt Romney Proud of Bob Jones Endorsements…
Romney: Bob Jones Endorsements “A Positive Step.” Romney, making his first public appearance of the campaign in Columbus, told reporters that Jones’ backing was “a positive step” in his effort to reach out to evangelicals who disagree with Mormon doctrine, although he conceded that he didn’t know whether it’s “100 percent resolved yet” that evangelical voters would support a Mormon for president. [Columbus Dispatch, 10/18/07]
Romney South Carolina Campaign Manager “Proud” of Jones’ Support. Terry Sullivan, Romney’s South Carolina campaign manager, said he doesn’t think Jones’ endorsement will turn off voters who may be wary of Jones’ religious views. “We’re proud to have the support of Dr. Jones and look forward to his help in delivering Gov. Romney’s conservative message to the voters,” he said. [Greenville News, 10/16/07]
What Exactly is He Proud Of?
Bob Jones III’S Anti-Catholic, Anti-Mormon Rhetoric
Bob Jones III Protested Catholicism, Other Religions. In 1994, Jones III protested an agreement between evangelicals and Catholics in the south, saying that “The Christian Church has as much reason to separate from Catholicism as it does from Islam, Mormonism, or any other of the world’s religious deceptions.” The university’s website referred to Catholicism as “a cult which calls itself Christian.” Former university president and founder Bob Jones Jr. called the Pope the antichrist and referred the University’s collection of Catholic art as false, saying that “There is not a lot of good Protestant Christian painting. I had to buy Catholic pictures, despite the falsehoods in them.” [Associated Press, 4/8/94, 9/11/87; Christian Century, 5/5/93; Atlanta Journal Constitution, 6/30/91; Arizona Star, 3/7/00]
Jones III Reposts Anti-Catholic, Anti-Mormon Column on School Website. After it was reported that the message referring to Catholicism and Mormonism as cults in the “President’s Corner” of the Bob Jones University website was removed, school President Bob Jones III reposted the attacked. Jones III reposted the comments to show that nothing had changed about his views, he said. Reports about the removal were “totally misleading” Jones III said, because they implied the removal was “for suspect reasons or because of embarrassment or cowardice.” “In order to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind of the university’s integrity and absolute commitment to its biblical principles, the article in question has been reposted,” Jones III said. [Associated Press, 3/16/00]
Website Statement: The statement which Jones III removed and then reposted stated the following: “The diminution of evangelistic enterprise to cults which call themselves Christian, including Catholicism and Mormonism, is frightening.” [Associated Press, 3/16/00]
Bob Jones Textbooks Condemn Catholicism. Bob Jones University’s textbooks speak out against Catholicism. One book states that “Luther and other Protestant reformers exposed the false doctrines of Roman Catholicism that had clouded God’s truth for centuries.” A fifth-grade social studies book produced by the school said that Roman Catholics practice a “false religion” [San Francisco Chronicle, 12/17/96; Virginian Pilot and Ledger Star, 3/19/93]
Bob Jones University’s Racist History
Bob Jones University Lost Tax-Exempt Status Because of Racial Discrimination. Bob Jones University lost its tax-exempt status in 1970 for refusing to admit African-Americans. The school then changed its policy but still prohibited any interracial dating or marriage. In 1983, the U.S. Supreme Court supported an IRS decision to remove tax-exempt status from the school for its dating policy, which included rules such as “students who date outside their own race will be expelled.” [The Tax Lawyer, Winter 1984; World News Digest, 5/27/83]
University Still Banned Interracial Dating in 1998. In 1998, James Landrith, who is white, tried to apply to the school even though he is married to an African American woman. According to NPR, Landrith received this response to his application: “I noticed on your application that you are interracially married. Bob Jones University does not endorse this. It would be no problem for you to be a student here as long as your wife was not or vice versa.” [NPR, 4/15/99]
Bob Jones University Dropped Ban on Interracial Dating in 2000. On “Larry King Live” in March 2000, Bob Jones III said that the university had dropped the ban on interracial dating as of March 3, 2000. Jones said the national scrutiny the school has received since Bush’s appearance led to the decision to drop the policy. Jones III also said that the foundation for the ban was still true — “that God made the races separate for his own purpose, and it is wrong to break down the barriers God erected, that it could lead to dangerous ‘one-worldism,’ just like globalism …” according to the Globe and Mail, but that students and alumni were coming under too much criticism for the policy. The ban was put in place in the 1950s, when an Asian family threatened to sue the school after their son, a student there, almost married a white student. [Larry King Live, 3/3/00; Associated Press, 3/5/00; Globe and Mail, 3/9/00]
Interracial Dating Still Requires Parental Permission. Three days after announcing that the ban on interracial dating was dropped from school policy, BJU President Bob Jones III announced that students must tell their parents if they become involved in an interracial relationship. “We will carry out the will of your parents,” Jones III said at the school’s chapel service. “They will need to have a say in this.” The new policy says that parents must send a letter to the dean of men or women approving the relationship before the school will allow it. Jones also said that most people disapprove of interracial dating and marriage. “I think that’s evidenced by the fact that so few people are interracially married,” Jones said to students. “When you date interracially or marry interracially, it cuts you off from people. [Associated Press, 3/7/00]
Bob Jones University Refused to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr. According to a former student of Bob Jones University, the school refused to fly the campus flag at half-mast after Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, and the president referred to King as an “apostate,” one who abandons the Christian faith. [Chicago Tribune, 6/4/92]
Bob Jones University Is Anti-Gay
Bob Jones University Threatened to Arrest Gay Alumni. In October 1998, Wayne Mouritzen, a retired minister and Bob Jones University graduate, received a letter from university officials telling him to not return to the school because he is gay. The letter from the school’s dean said that “as long as you are living as a homosexual, you, of course, would not be welcome on the campus and would be arrested for trespassing if you did visit.” Bob Jones spokesman Jonathan Pait said the policy applies only to graduates, and also covers cult members, unrepentant criminals, or other alumni who are believed to have strayed from the school’s teachings. “We can’t tell our alumni what they can and can’t believe,” Pait said. “But we can say, ‘You’ve made your decisions; please do not return.’” The school did allow those banned alumni to visit its religious art gallery so the gallery does not lose its tax-exempt status. [Boston Globe, 10/24/98; Christianity Today, 12/7/98]
Flashback: Romney Opposed Discrimination Against Gays. Romney said, “‘I’m not in favor of discrimination. I do not oppose and I very much support equal opportunity in education, equal opportunity in employment, in housing and so forth for gay people.’ He added that as Governor one of his cabinet members was gay. Romney’s statement of support for ‘equal opportunity in employment’ might serve to remind his Democratic critics that he once was a supporter of the Employee Non-Discrimination Act during an earlier, more moderate, period of his career but has more recently become an opponent of the federal legislation which would protect gays and lesbians from employment-based discrimination.” [ABCNews.com, 10/10/07]
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Posted by: Sapphocrat
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