The Rainbow Wind Blog

Christian Militia and Real Pagans

2010-04-01T13:59:00.001-05:00

My latest exchange on Twitter:

onfaith: Why does the media keep referring to arrested Michigan extremists as 'Christian' militia? How are they Christian? http://bit.ly/c7lUjJ

My response: Why do they refer to Muslim extremists as Muslim? If it's what they call themselves, is it our place to proclaim them non-Xian? The IRS goes by sincerity of belief. Extremists who define their actions as springing from their faith are generally sincere about why they need to kill people or at least not be forced to treat them fairly.

Too much BS circulates about what a 'real' Christian is and isn't. The same goes for Pagans. I'm tired of hearing about which groups or people are 'real' Pagans or witches. A recent blogger began Project Pagan Enough:

Project Pagan Enough seeks to say that - no matter your beliefs, practices, looks, or loves - you are pagan enough. We can argue theology back and forth all day long and disagree with one another's fluff-factor until the cows come home, but it is high time that we stop denigrating one another's level of being pagan. Paganism does not have a set definition, and there is definitely not a dress code or music-loving requirement.

We can hold debates over what the titles 'Christian' and 'Muslim' and 'Pagan' and 'Witch' mean, we can stop extremists from killing people in the name of their faith, we can explore history, philosophy, and anecdotal evidence... but people are going to keep referring to themselves by specific religious titles because that's part of their self-definition. Arguing over them is, basically, arguing about the opinion of your invisible friend as opposed to theirs.

Or, more to the point, it's arguing semantics. It's of interest to intellectuals and theologians, but, practically speaking, you're better off judging people by their deeds, not their labels.

Not really the focus of his article, but a nice observation.

2010-02-17T15:26:00.000-05:00

From Doctor Grumpy in the House:

So when you can't get in to see a doctor next month, I'm sure you'll find yourself saying "Well, I can't find anyone to treat my Parkinson's disease, but it doesn't matter because I know it was SO much more important that my legislators spent their valuable time arguing for/against gay marriage than trying to maintain jobs and health care."

I don't know if Doctor Grumpy is gay-friendly or not, but he won't see you after 2/28/10 if you're using Medicare.

Gays vs. Democratic Party | Washington D.C. | Advocate.com

2010-01-12T16:50:00.001-05:00

Gays vs. Democratic Party | Washington D.C. | Advocate.com

In 2004, Andy Szekeres, then a 21-year-old budding Democratic strategist with several political campaigns already under his belt, was working as the Wisconsin LGBT field coordinator for John Kerry’s presidential campaign. Szekeres estimates that he and his team registered 26,000 new gay voters across the crucial swing state that year, and on Election Night, Kerry won the state by about 11,000 votes—less than 0.5% of the overall vote. Though the win can be attributed to the support of various constituencies, there’s no question that Wisconsin would have wound up red—not blue—if it hadn’t been for gay voters’ strong backing of the Democratic ticket.
Fast-forward five years to Maine, where social conservatives proposed and funded Question 1, a November ballot initiative that, like Proposition 8 in California, successfully repealed marriage equality in the state. Szekeres worked as finance director for No on 1/Protect Maine Equality, which opposed the initiative. But he says his experience with the Democratic Party was significantly different this time. While the national party had been more than happy to enlist the support of gay donors and campaign workers in its effort to get Kerry elected in 2004, it couldn’t be bothered to involve itself in the fight to maintain those voters’ and workers’ right to marry.

Much, much more follows this intro at the Advocate's website.

Wild Hunt: Good News at the Air Force Academy and Other Pagan News of Note

2009-12-18T10:04:00.002-05:00

From http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/12/good-news-at-the-air-force-academy-and-other-pagan-news-of-note.html

Top Story: The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, once the poster child of creeping Christian militarism and religious intolerance, has apparently made vast improvement in recent months. So significant are these improvements that even Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is impressed, and accommodations are being made for minority religions, including modern Pagan cadets.

Definitely a change from past military protocol.

Jason was also kind enough to direct me to the blog for Pagans attending the Parliament of World Religions. You can find a video of the panel at People Call Us Pagans.

Very, very nice.

give to LLF

2009-12-15T15:25:00.001-05:00

give to LLF

Posted using ShareThis

X-Posted: The War on Christmas: Politics or Personal Problem?

2009-12-11T13:35:00.003-05:00

I'm beginning to think this is an annual post for me. This year's post is over on my author's blog. There's always someone complaining about how liberals like me are attacking them, so it's a hard subject to avoid.

Obama administration reps meet with many faiths at PWR

2009-12-09T09:35:00.005-05:00

Obama administration reps meet with many faiths at PWR

Posted using ShareThis

Patrick McCollum, a Pagan, was among them. He reported that Native American, Australian Aboriginals, and members of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhists communities were on the guest list.

Good reading!

2009-11-09T17:13:00.004-05:00

From AMERICAblog:

Joe and I are launching today a donor boycott of the DNC. The boycott is cosponsored by Daily Kos, Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake, Dan Savage, Michelangelo Signorile, David Mixner, Andy Towle and Michael Goff of Towle Road, Paul Sousa (Founder of Equal Rep in Boston), Pam Spaulding, Robin Tyler (ED of the Equality Campaign, Inc.), Bil Browning for the Bilerico Project, and soon others.
It's really more of a "pause," than a boycott. Boycotts sounds so final, and angry. Whereas this campaign is temporary, and is only meant to help some friends - President Obama and the Democratic party - who have lost their way. We are hopeful that via this campaign, our friends will keep their promises.

So please sign the Petition and take a Pledge to no longer donate to the DNC, Organizing for America, or the Obama campaign until the President and the Democratic party keep their promises to the gay community, our families, and our friends.

I confess that I have mixed feelings about this. It's very true that the DNC has frequently defriended gays once an election was over. AMERICAblog puts forth some damned good reasons why the DNC itself is a poor ally, and shows where the Obama Administration is supporting policies they promised to get rid of. Unfortunately, most of our best advocates are still Democrats. It's sort of like having a good friend whose husband is an absolute boor. Do you invite neither of them, or both of them, to your wedding? Or is that a poor choice in examples?

Boycotting on my part would be an empty gesture. I don't donate to the DNC or Organizing for America anyway, since I don't have much money to spare. I did put time towards Obama's campaign last year, but right now he's in office and isn't asking for me to put up yard signs. So, for the time being, I plan to continue my current policy of supporting individual gay-friendly candidates with my time and, sometimes, money.

However, if you want to sign the pledge, go here.

Reblog: Etiquette in pentecostal worship

2009-11-04T13:17:00.001-05:00

H/T to Progressive Involvement for this instructional video!

Can Church-and-State Issues Be Funny? Hell, Yes

2009-10-20T10:03:00.003-05:00

From Lowering the Bar.

Someone Didn't Think This Through

2008-11-20T12:20:00.002-05:00

I received this ad today as a 'Top Supporter' of the Republican National Committee. I'm not sure how I wound up on this list, but they do get a lot of funding on the backs of gays...

Doesn't anyone remember what a 'White Elephant' is any more?

Olbermann on Prop 8

2008-11-11T12:32:00.001-05:00

Gads, I love listening to this fellow.

Liveblogging the LBGT Caucus

2008-09-01T20:40:00.002-05:00

Originally posted at Bluegrass Roots.

The LBGT Caucus opened with a special message from Nancy Wohlforth of the AFL-CIO: Support the Employee Free Choice Act. We need a transgender-inclusive ENDA, and we need the Employee Free Choice Act.
Alan Cummings from X-men gets a special shout out. He waves to the audience.

Dell Martin, who passed away this morning, gets a moment of silence.

Introducing the first guest speaker: he just helped provide universal health care to San Francisco. He also blocked the development of Treasure Island out of San Francisco. He also opened the gates of marriage, for a brief time, in California. Gavin Newsom! A huge cheer from the crowd.

Newsom speaks of Dell Martin and her partner, whose devotion he felt defined marriage.

He recalled listening to Dubya's State of the Union address in 2004 in which Bush declared his support of a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. It spurred his decision to marry same-sex couple. Newsom had read the CA Constitution and didn't see anything about it barring equal rights and protection under the law. He wanted to put a human face on the issue, and Dell Martin and her partner Phyllis were the first people he thought of.

He arranged for their marriage, plus several others. The next day, the headlines screamed that the world was coming to an end. Restraining orders were filed and denied. Four years later, a largely Republican California Supreme Court decided that Newsom was right about the Constitution. Dell and Phyllis were remarried. Dubya's attempt to prevent same-sex marriage failed, but California has an anti-marriage amendment on the ballot.

Newsom: We need your help defeating Proposition 8. It would be a monumental setback in the history of your movement. This is about human rights and dignity, and is the second most important election in this nation.

Standing ovation.

Steve Hildebrandt from the Obama campaign is up now. We have handouts comparing Obama's stand on LBGT issues to McCain's. I notice that his listed opposition to same-sex marriage bans doesn't include support of actual same-sex marriage. However, he does support civil unions and feels that they should have the full equivalent rights and recognitions that marriage has. Why must people quibble over semantics? If it's the equivalent of marriage, then why not call it that? Or, if that makes people too comfortable, why not call ALL marriages 'civil unions' in the eyes of the law, and let individual churches decide who they want to 'unite in holy matrimony'?

Hildebrandt is urging them to vote for Obama, for everyone's benefit. Quote: "Barack is f---ing smart." The crowd cheers. "Give it everything you've got."

Howard Dean is speaking now. He recalls the battle over civil unions in Vermont, and the advances made over the last few years, despite the efforts of George Bush and Karl Rove to stem them.

He encourages the members of the audience to not only register voters, but encourage them to vote early. It circumvents the last-minute handouts in church bulletins and last-minute smears on television. Ask everyone to vote early or vote absentee. When the GOP make it harder for minority groups to vote, they also made it easier to vote early (since so many GOP supporters vote early). Take advantage of this. Every vote has to count.

They're introducing Linda Kettner, openly LBGT candidate for Congress in South Carolina. She says that she is the "Southern Strategy". However, she is not running to make a point, but to win. She is currently up in the polls.

Kettner has learned that people will vote for her when she asks them what's important to them and she really listens to them. Apparently, voters aren't used to that. Overall, people need and want the same things. She is not running for gay people, white people, or blondes. She's running for everyone.

Introducing Congressman Tim Wallace. He says that the message of LBGT equality is being heard as freely in Minnesota as it is in San Francisco. He won despite his pro-LBGT positions. When people said "Wow, you won a red district despite your positions," his answer was: "No, I won BECAUSE of my positions."

Barney Frank is coming to the podium now, accompanied by applause. He is definitely getting older, and his voice is grizzled. He's probably been making speeches all week. My question: will he run for Ted Kennedy's seat in the Senate once it becomes vacant? I don't want to sound like a vulture here, but the term 'grim diagnosis' not one you usually live through.

He's talking about first running for office, and people learning he was gay. It startled the men, but didn't bother the women at all. Laughter.

Frank says that we are freeing people from homophobia when we come out. He complains, though, that When we discuss our sexuality, we are accused of shoving it into people's faces. Strangely enough, straight people talk about sex all the time, and it's just called 'talking'.

The parties' stands on LBGT rights is where they are most dissimilar. The more Democrats we have in office, the better off we are. It doesn't mean all Democrats are our allies, but overall our community will do better with Democrats in office. They are more supportive.

Also: the GOP has been trying to split minority groups away from the gay groups, using religious arguments, suggesting that we aren't real victims of prejudice, etc. However, the most supportive group to LBGT rights in Congress is the Black Caucus. Applause again.

Frank feels that in the history books, 2008 will be listed as the year Americans decided to legally end discrimination against sexual orientation. Be able to say, "I was there when we broke the back of bigotry."

Update on KY Farm Bureau Violating Fairness Ordinance

2008-08-07T11:39:00.004-05:00

Page One Kentucky reports:

In what could be considered one of the biggest stories ever about the historic Fairness Ordinance that protects individuals from discrimination on several fronts, the 8th District Circuit Court in Jefferson County has ruled that Todd Eklof can sue Kentucky Farm Bureau for violating the ordinance.

POK has made the court document available (click on the pic to read).

Your Pets Will Not Be Flagged For Removal By Jesus During the Rapture

2008-07-26T13:03:00.003-05:00

Many, many thanks to Barefoot and Progressive for alerting me to this Craigslist bulletin!

Have you ever thought about what will happen to your pets after Jesus comes back to claim the souls of the saved during the Rapture and deliver them to heaven to enjoy ever lasting life? The bible clearly teaches that only those that have accepted Jesus as their savior will enter heaven (John 14:6, Romans 3:23), and we all know that pets do not have the cognitive ability to do this, so what will happen to your beloved pets? Surely without you there, they would be stuck inside your empty house, starving to death with no one to feed them, let them out to potty, or clean their litter box. This is probably not what you envision for your pets after you are gone. This is where I come in.

I am here to offer you pet care service for after the rapture. As an atheist, I will surely still be here on this earth post rapture and would love to look after your pets for a small fee and make sure they are still well taken care of after you and your family have been raptured. You will be able to look down on them from heaven and see them being well cared for by me and living happy, healthy lives. Do not let my atheism scare you! I am a moral and loving pet owner and would never do harm to any animal.

Click here to check out the rest of the ad.

Ice Cap Melting? Make a run to SuperAmerica!

2008-07-01T11:38:00.003-05:00

Recent reports that the North Pole may be ice-free this summer has environmentalists up in arms. GOP supporters... not so much.

James Pence brings us this video, where attendees at a Louisville GOP $1000 per plate fundraiser are first confronted about the war in Iraq and then the global warming worsened by Bush/Cheney/Mitch's policies. One of the supporters has an interesting suggestion for solving the problem of an overheated North Pole:

Of course, SuperAmerica's main sales are oil and gas. Hmmm.... Leave it to Republicans to find a new way to turn a buck while feeding a global crisis!

And why should they care about homeless polar bears or the increase of heat-related deaths worldwide? There's a silver lining to this soggy cloud:

"There's also, or course, oil at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean," he (Mark Serreze, senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center) said. "Now, the irony of that is kind of clear, but the fact that we are opening up the Arctic Ocean does make it more accessible."

Does this at least mean that they'll leave Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico alone?

Lexington Pride 2008!

2008-06-30T08:08:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday, Lexington had its first downtown Pride Festival. Sunday morning, I'm sure videos like this were shown in fundie churches everywhere:

Other videos can be seen here, here, and here.

The Pride Festival, despite the predictable complaints, was a huge success. The festival was held on the lawn of the old courthouse. Meanwhile, a block or two away, the annual Diversity Festival (which presents food and music from countries all over the world) was taking place on the lawn of the new courthouse. Rather than 'stealing' people from each other, the two celebrations benefited from the crowd of over 1000 people that wandered back and forth between them.

Several openly gay politicians spoke at the event: Jim Gray, Lexington's vice mayor, Ernesto Scorsone, state senator, and Diane Lawless, candidate for city council. For the non-political types, there was a silent art auction, booths with pride gear, a Pride Idol competition, and several drag performers to hold their interest.

A rumor that Fred Phelps and clan would drive in for the event did not manifest. They were probably too busy announcing that they would picket George Carlin's funeral. This looks like it may have been a rumor, too - or the press didn't care to mention them.

An even larger celebration is planned for next year:

Pride Festival chairwoman Ginger Moore-Minder was almost beside herself at the larger-than-expected crowd.

”I am amazed and awed by this day. The response is outstanding. ... We've already raised over $9,000 that will go towards local LGBT causes. And we've started planning for next year – it'll blow this year's festival out of the water.“

FINALLY! Beshear Starts Fixing Some Fletcher Damage

2008-06-03T10:40:00.003-05:00

Ryan Alessi is reporting that:

1. The Labor Cabinet will become a standalone department again;

2. Beshear is restoring the Governor's Employee Advisory Council (which gives labor groups the opportunity to discuss issues directly with the governor); and

3. Beshear has restored the executive order protecting gay employees. When I spoke to Beshear at the Change For Kentucky summit last year, he promised me that this last item would happen. I'm glad that he followed through!

From the Herald-Leader:

"Experience, qualifications, talent and performance are what matter," Beshear said in a statement.

Democratic former Gov. Paul Patton signed an executive order in 2003 aimed at protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender state employees. The policy also bars discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, age and religion.

But Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher removed sexual orientation from the list of specifically protected characteristics as part of an executive order he signed on Diversity Day in April 2006.

I haven't been very impressed (at least, not favorably) with the 'regime change' in Frankfort up till now. Are things taking a turn for the better?

Some Programmers Have Gone Over To The Dark Side

2008-05-31T19:37:00.003-05:00

Right Wing Watch, an arm of People For the American Way, recently discovered that when readers clicked links leading to the American Family Association's website, they weren't going to the pages RWW referenced. Instead, they were being redirected to a Good Person Test that they couldn't pass.

Answer a question about honesty and you are told you are a liar; answer a question about lust and you are told you are an adulterer; answer a question about anger and you are told you are a murderer.
...
We’ve noticed that this special redirecting service is something AFA seems to have reserved for Right Wing Watch, because, for example, Street Prophets excerpted one of our posts the other day that included a link to a OneNewsNow article that, from their blog, takes readers to the article quoting Gary Bauer whereas those clicking through from our post get redirected.

Unfortunately for our fundie friends, RWW has programmers, too. They have already figured out how to get their links working again. Enjoy this story I was able to reach from their site. By the way, the author has forgotten Rhode Island.

I couldn't resist

2008-05-08T23:07:00.000-05:00

Talk about a bad hair day!

moar funny pictures

Tax Time is Upon Us Again: Monetary Suggestions

2008-04-15T13:00:00.006-05:00

Today, a large number of people are only beginning to fill out their tax forms. Some won't start until tonight, necessitating that drive by the TV cameras at the Post Office. Others will file on line, cursing the burden on the servers that delays their work. The phone lines will buzz with calls to tax help services and relatives with financial experience.

Everyone who can file should, since it will make them eligible for the tax 'rebate' that has been promised us. This election-year giveaway isn't going to help the government get out of the hole it's in, but it may provide some needed cash for folks out there.

Tax refunds and 'rebates' are often a nice little chunk of money that gets wasted. Do not piss this money away. The Bushites want you to spend it on frivolous things that will 'help the economy'. Do something really useful instead.

Some Pagans are smart with their money and/or well-heeled, but I've met a larger number who, just like most people out there, don't have a lot of money and don't have any idea of what to do with a windfall (even a small one). Many Pagans feel that they shouldn't concern themselves with money, but I think they should still spend what they have wisely!

Some suggestions:

* If you've been putting off dental work for yourself or your child, do it now.
* Have that physical or well child checkup.
* Get that eye/hearing checkup for yourself or your child.
* Fix those brakes and/or replace those bald tires.
* Buy that damned auto insurance! I entered traffic accidents for about seven years, and too many people out there are driving uninsured. If you can afford more than liability insurance, it's worth it. I say this as one who knows.

Don't have those needs?

* Pay down (or off) one of your credit cards. Don't divide it among your credit cards, kill one outright.
* If you don't have an emergency savings account, get one. This works better if it's at a different bank than the one for your checking account. The temptation to nickel-and-dime a savings account to nothing is pretty high, so don't make it easy to shift money over to the account you use for daily expenses. I would suggest paying the credit card(s) off first, though, because a credit card can get you through an emergency when a tiny savings account won't.
* File a will. This is especially important if you have children or are half of a gay couple. Don't trust the court to leave your property or award your kids to the person of your choice.
* Get that house/property repair you desperately need. Last time we got a rebate, a damaged tree in our yard was threatening to fall over. We paid some local people to come take it out. This helped stimulate the economy and ensure our house's safety.

Got more money left over, or don't have those needs?

* Open an IRA. Those of you who got rebates before will remember that, the following year, you had to count them as income. An IRA will reduce your tax liability next year and, in the long run, help replace the Social Security you may not be getting. Your bank may tell you that you need $500 - $1000 to open an IRA, but some online services will let you begin one with a much smaller amount of money. I opened one on Sharebuilder (owned by ING) with $200 and could probably have opened it with $25.
* Give to a worthy charity. It can be a tax benefit, and it'll help someone else. If you feel political, give to a group like Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. There are also some Pagan charities doing good work. If you want the tax deduction, verify that they qualify for it before you give them the money. Of course, the good karma of giving to a charitable group doesn't depend on its IRS classification.

If you're getting a large return:

* Buy a CD. You have to get a bigger check to do this, but it lets you save money at a higher rate and is not as easily broken into as a savings account. If you're getting a big refund and don't need the money immediately, it's not a bad idea.
* Buy a bond. Ask your bank or credit union about this. I have some bond stocks in my retirement account, but I'm no expert on this. Bonds are a nice hedge when the economy sucks.

Got some better ideas? Feel free to comment.

Ralph Long: Know Your Friends (and those who aren't)

2008-04-02T13:11:00.003-05:00

From Ralph Long's blog:

I recently got a couple of Fund Raising emails from http://www.kentuckyvotes.com/. The emails came from Kelly L. Smith [postmaster@bipps.org]. Now I subscribe to this site, along with a number of other sites and I know its run by the same folks that run the Bluegrass Institute. Kentucky Votes is a pretty good service if you ignore most of the comments on the site.

The subject of the email was KentuckyVotes.org_A Testimonial from Norman Davis and contained this line.

Our friend and colleague, Norman Davis of Clarkson, Kentucky, is a regular user of Kentucky Votes. No big deal, I’m a regular user of Kentucky Votes. But to think that Norman Davis endorsing something will get me to pony up some bucks, well that’s not going to happen.

For those of you who don’t know who Norman Davis is let me introduce you. Davis is the leader of a coalition of groups called Take Back Kentucky.

A 2004 Kentucky Department of Justice Report - Hate Crime and Hate Incidents in the Commonwealth of Kentucky lists Take Back Kentucky as a Patriot Group.

Patriot groups define themselves as opposed to the “New World Order” or advocate or adhere to extreme anti-government or conspiratorial doctrines.

Ralph says that he won't be giving money to this group any time soon. I would suggest that everyone do the same before ponying up for any candidate or interest group that contacts them during this election year.

Too bad it's not coming to KY!

2008-03-06T15:03:00.005-05:00

Information on the simulcast below:

Celebrities, Religious Liberty Heroes Headline National Simulcast For Church-State Separation

Activists Gather At Theaters In 25 Cities To Put Church-State Separation On National Agenda During 2008 Election

Actors, musicians and comedians will join church-state activists from across the country March 26 to put church-state separation on the national agenda during the 2008 election season.

In movie theatres in 25 cities across the nation, interested citizens will gather to learn about the threats to church-state separation and to demand that presidential hopefuls and candidates for other offices answer questions about key issues dealing with individual freedom. A list of 10 great questions to ask candidates will be featured.

Titled “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about the Separation of Church and State … but Were Afraid to Ask!,” the high-definition program is being hosted by First Freedom First (FFF), a joint project of Americans United for Separation of Church and State and The Interfaith Alliance Foundation.

Peter Coyote, a celebrated Hollywood actor and filmmaker, will emcee the program, which is to include a performance by special guests, The Bacon Brothers. Actor Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael formed the band more than 10 years ago and continue touring nationwide.

Other actors and celebrities scheduled to participate include Michael J. Fox (“Family Ties” and “Spin City”), Jack Klugman (“The Odd Couple” and “Quincy, M.E.”), James Whitmore (“The Shawshank Redemption”), Wendie Malick (“Just Shoot Me!”), Dan Lauria (“The Wonder Years”), Catherine Dent (“The Shield”), stand-up comedian and Air America host Marc Maron, singer/songwriter Catie Curtis and singer/satirist Roy Zimmerman.

In addition, Americans who have fought for individual freedom will tell their stories. Invited guests include Bryan and Christy Rehm (who fought creationism in Dover, Pa. science classes), Matthew LaClair (a New Jersey high schooler who exposed religious indoctrination at his school), Roberta Stewart (an Afghanistan War widow who fought for equal rights for Wiccan veterans), Dr. Susan Wicklund (who wears a bullet-proof vest to provide reproductive services in underserved areas) the Rev. Madison Shockley (pastor and reproductive rights advocate) David and Ryan Altoon (who oppose fundamentalist proselytism at U.S. military academies) Melinda “Lindy” Maddox (who successfully sued Alabama “Commandments” Judge Roy Moore) and Susan Jacoby (author of The Age of American Unreason).

First Freedom First was launched in 2006 to mobilize Americans from all walks of life in defense of church-state separation. Recently FFF ran television ads in several presidential primary states urging citizens to ask the candidates to elaborate on their understanding of religious liberty.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, and the Rev. Welton Gaddy, president of The Interfaith Alliance Foundation, will also participate in the simulcast.

Said Lynn, “This is a unique event that brings together celebrity commitment, civic engagement and the latest technology. Presidential candidates have been asked what their favorite Bible verse is and what sins they have committed. I want to know where they stand on key issues of individual freedom. This simulcast will tell us how to find out that information -- and give us an entertaining evening to boot.”

Said Gaddy, “We are thrilled that so many American icons we have welcomed into our living rooms over the years have graciously agreed to lend their star-power to focus attention on religious liberty and some of its heroes. This gathering should prove to be a lively and much-deserved celebration of the diversity of belief systems in this country and some of the citizens who have boldly taken public stands to protect the boundaries between religion and government.”

The March 26 simulcast is being produced by Progressive Media Agency, a Portland, Ore.-based firm led by Adam Klugman and Enrique Arias.

Kentucky: The Newest Pretext to Force Christian Prayer Into the Schools

2008-02-07T15:56:00.000-05:00

DINO Bob Damron, et alii panderers, are making another run at injecting religion into the schools. This is one of the reasons I voted 'No' on the constitutional amendment allowing the KY General Assembly to meet every year. The state seems to run more quietly when these folks aren't in session.

The ploy this time is to get the kids to recite the Lord's Prayer in class under the guise of understanding the American forefathers. Thus, they will have "American = Christian" (specifically Protestant Christian) stamped into their minds early on. Why do I suspect that they won't be re-enacting any Native American rituals, which would certainly be an important part of our country's history as well? Perhaps they should also include some African religious instruction, which would give the pupils a greater understanding of how the slaves brought here felt when they were forced to give up their faith. That'd really ram the message home, wouldn't it?

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/08RS/HB460/bill.doc

HB 460 (BR 27) - R. Adams, K. Hall, J. Comer Jr, R. Damron, J. Stewart III, A. Wuchner

AN ACT relating to schools.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

Section 1. KRS 158.175 is amended to read as follows:

(1) As a continuation of the policy of teaching our country's history and as an affirmation of the freedom of religion in this country, the board of education of a local school district may authorize the recitation of the traditional Lord's prayer and the pledge of allegiance to the flag in public elementary schools. Pupil participation in the recitation of the prayer and pledge of allegiance shall be voluntary. Pupils shall be reminded that this Lord's prayer is the prayer our pilgrim fathers recited when they came to this country in their search for freedom. Pupils shall be informed that these exercises are not meant to influence an individual's personal religious beliefs in any manner. The exercises shall be conducted so that pupils shall learn of our great freedoms, including the freedom of religion symbolized by the recitation of the Lord's prayer.
(2) The board of education of each school district shall establish a policy and develop procedures whereby the pupils in each elementary and secondary school may participate in the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States at the commencement of each school day.
(3) The Kentucky Board of Education shall develop a program of instruction relating to the flag of the United States of America, including instruction in etiquette, the correct use and display of the flag, and other patriotic exercises as may be related. This program of instruction shall be provided to each public school for use in its course of instruction. The program of instruction, at a minimum, shall include the provisions of 4 U.S.C. secs. 1 to 3 and 4 U.S.C. secs. 5 to 9.
(4) The board of education of each local school district may purchase or otherwise acquire and provide for display in each classroom copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and other documents the local board deems significant to the history of Kentucky and the United States.
(5) At the commencement of the first class of each day in all public schools, the teacher in charge of the room shall [originally may] announce that a moment of silence or reflection not to exceed two (2) minutes [originally one (1) minute] in duration shall be observed.

Note that the proposed law also enforces reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, which will probably NOT be the original one without the 'Under God' phrase. Somehow, I think the later version will be used. I guess our buddies in the House don't want the kids to get confused about what religious freedom really means.

The real fun should start, though, when the Catholic kids start using different words in the middle of the Lord's Prayer. Back in the Bad Old Days, Catholic kids got punished for using the 'wrong' words during classroom prayer. Today, they'll just get points off until they start using the American version. And they'll get the message, too.

Interested in complaining? Call 1-800-372-7181 to leave a message.

Fuzzy creatures

2008-01-31T11:34:00.001-05:00

Yes, I'm a sucker for fuzzy critters.

However, if you prefer another type of fuzzy critters, look below. I blame this all on Daily Kos.

Church-State Separation Commercials Running in South Carolina!

2008-01-10T16:58:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Blue Gal's post at Street Prophets for drawing my attention to this! First Freedom First is putting their money into the 'Red States', where it's needed the most.

This ad features Jack Klugman, one of my favorite actors. Klugman also has one where he advocates his right to choose how he dies. There's still a lot of fire in the old belly, though, so don't think it maudlin.

Sarah G

The War on Christmas BS Continues

2007-12-15T23:22:00.000-05:00

I just returned from Eastern Kentucky, that bastion of liberality and diversity-mindedness. While there, I visited one of the small churches that dot the rolling land. No, I did not burst into flames, despite being both Pagan and lesbian (surely one of those should have gotten God's attention).

The church play for Christmas focused on those nasty retailers who say 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas'. Naturally, the correct conclusion was to remind everyone of 'the reason for the season'. If one looks at history, one sees that the reason was actually tacked onto the season, but that's not what really bothers me about what the church play is teaching these kids.

What I find most troubling is the subtle message being conveyed below the radar: Christians do not have to share, or respect other people.

Forget 'framing' or those other buzzwords being thrown around by the policy wonks. Ask yourself: since when did acknowledging that other people have winter holidays equate attacking Christians? If one of your children claimed that you were attacking him every time you mentioned his brother, or used the phrase 'my children', you'd think he had a serious ego problem. Is this really that different?

In order to get respect, one needs to give it. Yelling and screaming unless everyone else pretends that no other religions, or other winter holidays, exist should be swiftly slapped down for the solipsistic selfishness it is.

By the way, Merry Christmas. I am perfectly fine with everyone enjoying their holidays.

Time to Change Your Insurance

2007-09-20T08:07:00.000-05:00

When the Lexington City Council was debating its Fairness Ordinance some years back, a man representing himself as being from KY Farm Bureau urged them not to pass it, adding that they would go to hell if they did. I hoped he was speaking only for himself, but it appears to be policy!

Time to look for insurance someplace else, Kentucky...

Video: Athena rises from the ashes

2007-08-22T07:53:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year, an arsonist torched a 100-year-old tree in Woodland Park. A local artist was inspired to preserve at least part of it as a protectress of the "Athens of the West".

Okay, what is this thing?

2007-07-19T12:05:00.000-05:00

We found this on Honeymoon Island, which is close to Dunedin, Florida. Is it a bug? A tiny crab? Anyone out there want to guess?

Why Going On a Diet Could Save Your Life

2007-05-10T10:26:00.000-05:00

Forget esthetics! Forget being able to fit into the teeny-weeny clothes at Old Navy. Controlling and limiting your intake could prevent kidney failure.

You probably remember the pet food recall last month, after several dogs and cats died suddenly. This was due to the addition of the industrial chemical melamine to their food. Multiple Chinese manufacturers have been adding it to the wheat, corn and rice gluten they sell us to boost the protein count and enable them to sell an otherwise inferior (cheaper) product. They've learned from Westerners that it's all about the bottom line.

Well, it’s not just pet food that’s been contaminated. It’s human food, too.

In "FDA: the Faith-Based Dining Association", Goldy from HorsesAss reports:

First we were told that none of the adulterated wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate had made its way into the human food supply, and then we were informed that a mere 6,000 hogs had eaten feed contaminated by "salvaged" pet food. Next it was chickens. 3 million of them. Slaughtered, butchered and eaten by unsuspecting Americans.

Then 20 million more chickens, and today another 50,000 hogs... not to mention the God-knows-how-many fish in the US and Canada raised on farms now known to have received Canadian fish meal manufactured from contaminated Chinese flours.

Today, CNN gave more details on the crap-fed fish. They also reported that the manager of one of the Chinese suppliers has been detained, and he claims he doesn't even know what melamine is, much less anyone who would use it. I suggest that they only provide pet food for his meals, and see how quickly his memory comes back.

I’m sure these events will help convert more people to veganism, which should make PETA happy. Unfortunately, there’s this little problem of E.coli popping up in spinach and other lettuces. Just ask Taco Bell about the grief E. coli has given them over the last year.

Me, I'm thinking about spending more money at my local farmer's market, where one knows the provenance of the food. That, and praying that the chocolate supply is safe.

For Big Pharma, Business as Usual

2007-05-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

In "How Many “Free Trade” Senators Can PhRMA Turn Into Corporate Protectionists?", David Sirota kvetches:

How many self-described “free” trade lawmakers in Congress can the drug industry make head to the floor of the Senate and bare their corporate protectionist corruption for all to see? Based on a key vote yesterday, the answer appears to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 49 (including 14 Democrats) - well over what’s necessary to control the federal government.

That’s right, as the Associated Press reports, “In a triumph for the pharmaceutical industry, the Senate killed a drive to allow consumers to buy prescription drugs from abroad at a significant savings from domestic prices.” The legislation to allow imports of FDA-approved medicines from other industrialized nations (a practice used by other industrialized nations themselves) was sponsored by North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) and has long been supported by the vast majority of the American public in opinion polls. Yet right there on the floor of the U.S. Senate yesterday afternoon, 49 senators voted through a poison pill amendment, invalidating Dorgan’s legislation and protecting drug industry profiteering. The sheer disregard for the truth and for consistency when it came to both the policy and politics of this vote was, in a word, stunning.

Why would our congressmen and senators vote for a plan like this? Because Big Pharma promoted it under the radar with "stealth PACs", and rewarded supporters by paying for campaign commercials.

You may have also seen the commercials claiming that seniors are doing better and seeing 'real savings' under the current Medicaid structure. Those commercials are sponsored by PhRMA, a major funder of the stealth PACs.

What they don't tell you is that the most inexpensive plan puts a strict cap on how much Medicaid will pay for medicine each year. Naturally, the people who take the plan are the ones with the lowest incomes, and thus are the least able to pay if they have real health problems. Since lower income people are less able to afford good health care, their conditions tend to worsen more quickly, yada yada yada.

At least one friend's family hit this ceiling in about March or April last year, and the rest of the cost went on their credit cards. Credit cards charge interest, so... let's just say that those 'real savings' get swallowed up quickly by interest charges.

What can you do? Find your senators, and learn how they voted. Then, most importantly, do something about it. Contact them to offer thanks or criticism, phone their offices, and write letters to your newspaper. Tell your friends. Finally, work for their re-election or defeat. Your personal time and effort is worth more than ten commercials.

Merry Month of May

2007-05-04T15:41:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a happy Beltane. I spent it at a cousin's wedding in North Carolina. At the right, you can see the pole they set up for the post-nuptial celebration.
The rest of the month promises to be a busy one: it's primary season in Kentucky, and I'll be calling and canvassing for the Jonathan Miller campaign.

That may sound like a boring thing to do when the weather is finally improving, but I would rarely leave my library or my precious air conditioning otherwise. See, politics can bring you closer to nature!

Sarah G

I wish to register a complaint...

2007-04-09T11:09:00.000-05:00

...with the city of Punxsutawney, PA. Their groundhog either needs new glasses or he was lying through his front two teeth. I suspect he was paid off by the Fashion Consortium so they could push their spring wardrobes early.

Two weeks of warm weather followed by April snow is not spring, folks. Time for rodent stew!

Sarah G

Spring is Here

2007-03-21T12:58:00.000-05:00

You may remember that, back on Groundhog Day (aka Imbolc), Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring. For a while, it even seemed like he might be right. It got warmer, our crocuses broke ground, and our maple tree began putting out leaves. A week or so later, the temperatures plummeted again and snow covered everything.

I’ve wanted to kick that groundhog ever since.

Today, though, on the first official day of spring, it is finally getting warm again. The flowering trees near my workplace are blooming, our crocuses are back in force, and the daffodils have opened up. New birds are visiting our feeder, and the squirrels are frolicking in our back yard.

Happy Ostara, everyone.

Falwell's Double Standard

2007-03-20T11:54:00.000-05:00

Jerry Falwell recently visited our (sometimes) fair state. From his interview in The Winchester Sun:

Patrick: One of the social conservative issues that has gotten a lot of attention this week is homosexuality, because Dr. (Albert) Mohler at the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville has said that Christians should accept that there probably is a biological basis for homosexuality.

Falwell: That's what the article said, but today, if you go to his Web site, he denies all of that.

Patrick: What is your thought on that?

Falwell: I don't think anybody is born a bank robber or an adulterer or a homosexual or you name it. I think we are all born sinners in need of a new birth experience, but I think our behavior is all a matter of choice.

Patrick: There's a lot of science recently that contradicts. (Here Falwell interrupted the question.)

Falwell: Half of those are gay scientists. It's hogwash. I believe that when you're born, you have a clean slate, but you have a fallen nature because of Adam and Eve. Everyone needs to be born again, to come to know Christ personally.

Isn't it nice to be put in the same category as bank robbers? I get really tired of all the implications fundamentalists make about the character of gays, and not just our sexual habits. That, though, could be an entire separate post.

Falwell's finger pointing, however, did not extend to Newt Gingrich:

Patrick: Do you think Gingrich should run for president after his recent revelations to you (about his marital infidelity at the same time he was leading the charge against Clinton over having an affair in the White House)?

Falwell: I think that Newt Gingrich is, without question, the brightest politician in America today. He has forgotten more than most of them know. He is speaking to our commencement exercise in May at Liberty University. John McCain spoke last year. We have not endorsed anyone. But my opinion is that if Newt Gingrich announces, he will immediately be among the top runners.

He sidesteps the question about Gingrich completely, which I find ironic since he'd just likened gay people to adulterers, like Gingrich. Hypocrisy and sexual sins don't seem to be so bad when they're done by your people instead of those people.

The saddest part is that no one in Falwell's camp, nor any of his supporters, is likely to call him on this obvious double standard. This is why I think fundamentalist leaders are more interested in playing 'gotcha', 'mine's better than yours', and getting to treat others badly than in actually doing anything to help people or 'the family', their most cherished words. I think I know who is really demonstrating flawed character here.

Calling All Candidates...

2007-03-15T16:07:00.000-05:00

Recently, I attended a Democratic Party function honoring the volunteers from the 2006 election. It was a high-level event, held in a historical building. The food was catered, and all the important local politicos were there. Naturally, several speeches were made by said politicos.

During one of the speeches, a cell phone began ringing. No modest chirp here, or clip of classical music. No, this phone blared “Sexyback” from Justin Timberlake! It lay on a table filled with middle-aged women, who all began looking at one another. No one claimed the phone, so it continued its mating call, provoking giggles from around the room.

Finally, one of the women was brave enough to pick it up. “Hello? Who are you calling for?” She then handed to another woman at the table, saying, “It’s for you.”

The phone was in plain view of everyone at the table, including the owner, but she was too embarrassed to pick it up. I’m certain that she was worried that other people would think that she had no taste, was pretending to be young, was actually immature, or even had loose morals. I suppose it’s also possible that a teenage offspring downloaded the tone, but I was rooting for a secret naughty streak. Life doesn’t end at 40, as I well know.

Democratic politicians act the same way about gays sometimes. Less than two weeks ago, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was saying that her door would always be open to us. Yesterday, though, after the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff referred to homosexuality as ‘immoral’, she ducked the question when asked to agree or disagree with the statement. Barack Obama also sidestepped the question. Both issued statements later through their spokespeople, stating they disagreed with General Peter Pace. Since Hillary’s husband was the original institutor of the ‘Don’t Ask – Don’t Tell’ doctrine, she’s getting more press than Obama did.

Like the woman who didn’t want to admit the phone was hers, the Democratic Party is very good at wooing gays privately when it comes to volunteers and donations, then pretending like they don’t know us when the public is watching. I’m sure that both candidates went to check the polls before releasing politic statements through third parties. When will it occur to Democrats that the religious fundamentalists they want to draw in are more faithful to the Republican Party than their own wives? Furthermore, when will it occur to Hillary that both gays and fundamentalists have long memories?

Edwards was the only one that’s picked up the phone so far. From CNN:

BLITZER: First of all, in your opinion, is homosexuality immoral?

EDWARDS: I don't -- don't share that view. And I would go -- go further than that, Wolf. I think the don't ask, don't tell is not working. And as president of the United States I would change that policy.

Edwards is still balking on the marriage issue, but at least he was able to answer the ‘immoral’ question directly. He also said he wanted to end discrimination in this country, in general terms. Guess he’s not afraid of that ring tone.

Me, I favor the Addams Family theme. And I don’t get embarrassed when people laugh.

No Pagan sports fans?

2007-03-13T14:07:00.000-05:00

I find it interesting how many Pagans snub sports. Many of us seem to have adopted the ‘intellectuals have more important things to think about’ attitude. If you look at history, however, ancient Pagans were very interested in sports. Many games, races, and gladiatorial battles were dedicated to the gods of Greece and Rome, for example. The most famous world-wide series of athletic competitions today, the Olympics, was originally held in honor of the god Zeus. The victors glorified the god, and their cities of origin basked in the glow.

“We know that, Miss Obvious,” you might say. “We’ve studied the ancient origins of many things. Did you know there were artistic and intellectual competitions as well?”

Hey, where do you think Jeopardy and American Idol got their start? Okay, maybe that's a stretch.

I am an intellectual, or so I am told. I am not an athlete. This is not because I think athletics are ‘beneath’ me, but because I am as athletic as a turnip and always have been. It doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy watching certain competitions, like ice skating (okay, NOT Greek in origin) or backing certain athletic teams. I must confess, though, that I have never watched the Superbowl. Why should I, when there’s a Jessica Fletcher marathon going on somewhere?

Go Cats!

Sarah

Welcome to the new Rainbow Wind blog!

2007-03-09T15:48:00.000-05:00

This is the new home of the Rainbow Wind blog. With so much going on at the national and state levels, I'm sure we'll find a lot to talk about.

If you had a link to the old Rainbow Wind blog, please change it to this page.

Sarah