THE DARK SIDE

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St. Petersburg, Florida Republican (remember the "family values party") City Council Chairman John Bryan committed suicide Friday after allegations of sexual abuse involving his 12 and 15 year old adopted daughters surfaced and a custody hearing determined that Bryan was ordered by the courts to have no further contact with them.

Bryant had already admitted to a sexual relationship with a former nanny who he later adopted; although he claimed the sex was consensual and that she was over 18 at the time.

Several local politicians say they had heard tales of sexual improprieties for decades.

His very good friend, Holier Than Thou St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker (the same mayor who refuses to acknowledge Gay Pride, even though millions of dollars are generated for the city of St. Petersburg each year), must have had his head buried in his bible because he stated that he "never heard of any allegations of Councilman John Bryan's sexual improprieties".

Who knew what, who did what will never be known because the coward took the easy way out!

Howard Troxler of the St. Petersburg times writes:

"It is never the future by which we destroy ourselves. It is what we do in the present, which in the next heartbeat becomes an unchangeable past. In making our choices each of us, in our own way, is inspired by the better part of our nature, but tortured by the dark."

FINDING JESUS?

Politicians and religious figures that get caught with their pants down do it, even Paris Hilton did it while in prison; it was only a matter of time before athletes would jump on the "I've found Jesus" bandwagon!

The public apology of professional football player Michael Vick regarding his involvement in an illegal dogfighting operation is raising skepticism among conservatives and the media.
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Atlanta Falcons football player Michael Vick makes a statement after pleading guilty to a federal dogfighting charge in Richmond, Va., Monday, Aug. 27, 2007.

While he took "full responsibility" for his actions, pleading guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy and involvement in the killing of at least six dogs, the Atlanta Falcons' star quarterback went further to say he has found Jesus.

"I'm upset with myself and, you know, through this situation I found Jesus and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God," he said in a statement on Monday. "I think that's the right thing to do as of right now."

Not everyone was convinced.

"The statement that Michael Vick has found Jesus is laughable," said the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson in a statement on Tuesday. "Like other celebrities before him, Vick is evoking Jesus' name to stop the criticism and gain public sympathy. True believers recognize the hypocrisy in what he's doing."

"'Jesus' is the most abused name in black America and Vick is following a long line of abusers," the conservative radio talk show host continued. "We can no longer allow celebrities and politicians to break laws and then use 'Jesus' as a get-out-of-jail free card. Most of these people go right back into their bad behavior and criminal activities as soon as the storm passes."

Another skeptic of Vick's sincerity, Tim Wildmon, president of the conservative American Family Association, posed on a less harsh note, "You wonder, what's the motivation for making a public statement? Is it sincere, or are they doing it to gain something from it?

"It gets personal in trying to understand someone's faith at times so they may say the right things, but you don't really know what they mean by it," said Wildmon, according to Cybercast News Service.

Vick had made continuous references to his Christian faith throughout his football career in statements and his touchdown signal of pointing to the sky, which for many athletes signifies their thanks to God.

And while FoxNews.com's vice president and executive producer, Mike Straka, had been expecting it, he was surprised to have heard Vick profess "finding Jesus" before imprisonment.

"It took Paris Hilton a few hours in the slammer before she met Jesus, and Vick does it even before lockup. Who knew?" wrote Straka.
Associated Press-

THE DROOLING HOMOPHOBE AND HIS PEDOPHILE SON

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Right-wing Christian extremist Dave Daubenmire of Pass the Salt Ministries with his flock, has been on a crusade to disrupt the church services of gay-friendly churches.

But that's not even the best part of the story. As is so often the case, the best part of the story is in an almost offhand remark.

In a Bible-spewing homophobic rant earlier this year about a visit to the Gay Pride Parade, Daubenmire had this to say:

"The 'meat' on display will forever change the way you view homosexuality. Sin has no boundaries, no clutch, and no emergency brake. Once you dip your toe into the pool of sin, especially sexual sin, there is a magnetism that will not let go."

Ummmm...

Let me put it this way. The straight guys I know who visit the Gay Pride Parade do not describe the event as having "a magnetism that will not let go." Their reaction is more along the lines of, "Nice dress, dude."

They describe it as interesting, entertaining, touching, hilarious, kind of tedious when the "polo-shirted employees of boring corporations" contingents go by, etc. But they do not describe it as a pool of sin with a magnetism that will not let go.

The straight guys I know are not forever changed by the sight of gay male "meat on display," and they are quite capable of resisting the magnetism of homosexuality. They find the magnetic pull of homosexuality pretty gosh-darned unmagnetic. That's kind of what makes them, you know -- straight.

So I just have to ask: Do Dave Daubenmire, and Ted Haggard, and all the rest of the right-wing Christian leering brigade, really not know what they sound like? Do they really not see that frothing at the mouth closely resembles drooling?

ABOVE FROM: Greta Christina

Personally, I think Dave Daubenmire has personal family issues that should be his focus at the moment; not the disruption of churches where gay men and lesbians are welcomed as part of the congregation. It appears that while daddy was away, holding up signs quoting the bible on homosexuality, his son was busy on the computer...... being a very very bad boy!


NEWARK, Ohio -- The 24-year-old son of conservative religious activist David Daubenmire will spend the next five years on probation after a Licking County judge convicted him on a child-pornography charge.

At a hearing this morning, Zachary Daubenmire pleaded no contest to a felony charge of pandering obscenity involving a minor. Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Marcelain convicted him on the charge and immediately sentenced him.

Daubenmire, whose father has fought pornography as the founder of Pass the Salt Ministries and Minutemen United, also was fined $1,000 and must spend two years in prison if he violates terms of his probation.

And then of course, keeping in step with most religious bigots who finally get "caught" with their pants down:

The younger Daubenmire showed genuine remorse and is now in counseling for an addiction that he told the judge began when he was 15.

Authorities found 37 still images and 26 movies depicting young girls enaging in sex with men on the family's home computer. A computer repair technician discovered the pornography last August.

The Columbus Dispatch

WHY WE HAVE THE SEPARATION CHURCH AND STATE

I found this post written by my blogmaster Keith Boykin.
Sadly informative but enlightening, I believe it to be one of those "must share" blog entries.

Take the time for a "reality check" and focus on GOD and MAN, the final paragraphs.

Why We Separate Church and State
By Keith Boykin
Thursday, August 2 2007

What you are about to read is heresy. Or treason, depending on your perspective. If I wrote this article in Tehran, I could be in jail by the end of the day, charged with "activities against national security" and "publicity in favor of the regime’s opponents." If the police found out I was gay, I could be sentenced to death and executed in a public hanging. Iranians and visitors to Iran can also be hanged for other crimes, including rape, armed robbery, apostasy, blasphemy, drug trafficking, pederasty, adultery, prostitution, treason and espionage. In fact, just yesterday, the government of Iran hanged 9 people in what it called a crackdown on "thugs.

Every time I hear the Christian fundamentalists in America talk about putting (their) God back into public life, getting tough on crime, and executing criminals, I am reminded of the Islamic fundamentalists in Iran. The dangers of intermingling church and state are still vividly on display in that country, and I don't want it to happen here.

Injustice In Iran

Not long ago, Sina Paymard, an 18-year-old Iranian musician, was set to be executed for a murder that took place during a fight. Standing on the gallows, the young man's last request was to play a Middle Eastern flute called a ney for the last time. After his performance, the family of the victim was so moved by his music that they granted Paymard a last minute reprieve. Families of victims in Iran have to power to stop an execution and demand monetary compensation instead. In this case, the family asked for 150 million toumans (over $US 160,000) as compensation, and Paymard’s family then struggled to raise the funds.

By the end of the deadline, Sina Paymard’s father reportedly said that he had sold everything in order to raise US $70,000, but the victim's family rejected the settlement as insufficient. After an international fundraising campaign from human rights groups, the family was able to raise the remainder of the money and the execution was halted. That's the kind of "justice" that takes place in Iran.

Amnesty International reports that Iran executed 177 people in 2006 and 143 people so far this year. Armed with cameras and camcorders, men, women and children jostle for position behind security barriers, determined to get the best view of the main event.

A few years ago, Americans objected to the Taliban, the authoritarian religious government in Afghanistan. In that country, women were not allowed to show any part of their bodies in public, men were required to sport short hair cuts, and opposition to the religious government could land you in prison or in the death chamber. After the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan following the September 11 attack, the Taliban government fell, but religious fundamentalism remains a threat to freedom in the world.

These are just some of the recent news reports from Iran.

A 17-year-old girl was sentenced to death by hanging for defending herself against three rapists.

Two teenagers were executed, reportedly for the crime of homosexuality.

Two Kurdish journalists were sentenced to death in Iran for possession of Kurdish flags, videos and photographs of a family trip to Iraqi Kurdistan.

The government of Iran hanged 12 men convicted of various offences including rape and kidnapping after showing their last minutes of life on television.

A woman and two others were hanged in Iran as spectators shout "God is great."

God and Man

There is a small but influential segment of society in our culture and in others that wants to impose religious order on public life. This is a dangerous step backward.

I believe in God, but I don't believe in using God or religion as a device to make me feel better than you. My vision of God may not be the same as yours. I don't care. I just don't want you to impose your vision on me and I won't impose mine on you. At least not in public policy.

Of course, my political beliefs are often informed by my faith. My faith is what teaches me that capital punishment is wrong. I took it seriously when the Ten Commandments said "Thou shalt not kill." And I took it seriously when Jesus said to turn the other cheek. I know that those principles are very hard to live up to, and that is part of the reason I am troubled by the Christians who cite their faith as a justification for wars, weapons and murder.

I don't want religion dictating marching orders to our public officials. I don't care what religion it is, I don't want it in my government. I don't want the Ten Commandments hanging in the county court house. I don't want public school teachers instructing my children how and when to pray. And I don't want those teachers teaching religious theories to substitute for science.

I have seen the damage caused by religious fundamentalism in the Islamic world, and I do not want the Taliban here in America. Even if they come bearing a cross.

ABOUT KEITH BOYKIN


Keith Boykin is one of the most dynamic new voices in American media, politics and literature. He is a host of the BET television show "My Two Cents," a New York Times best-selling author of three books, and a regular commentator on CNN's "Paula Zahn Now."

Educated at Dartmouth and Harvard, Keith attended law school with U.S. Senator Barack Obama, and in his work and travel across the globe, he has met with everyone from Bill Clinton to Nelson Mandela.

A former White House aide to President Clinton, Keith was once the highest-ranking openly gay person in the Clinton White House. He also helped to organize and participated in the nation's first ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and leaders of the gay community.

Each of Keith's three books has been nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, including his most recent book, Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies and Denial in Black America. Keith won the Lambda Literary Award for his second book, Respecting The Soul, while his first book, One More River to Cross, is taught in colleges and universities throughout the country.

A founder and the first board president of the National Black Justice Coalition, Keith has been actively involved in progressive causes since he worked on his first congressional campaign while still a student in high school. A veteran of six political campaigns, including two presidential campaigns, Keith was named one of the top instructors when he taught political science at American University in Washington. He has traveled extensively from Africa to Europe to North America and South America, and in 1997, President Clinton appointed him to the U.S. presidential trade delegation to Zimbabwe, along with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King and Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater.

Keith has spoken to audiences, large and small, all across the world. He delivered a landmark speech to 200,000 people at the Millennium March on Washington and he gave a stirring speech about the AIDS epidemic in front of 40,000 people in Chicago's Soldier Field for the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Gay Games.

In 2004, Keith launched his media career as a star on the Showtime television series "American Candidate." Since then, you may have seen him on "The Montel Williams Show," "Anderson Cooper 360," "The O'Reilly Factor," "Tony Brown's Journal" or "The Dennis Miller Show." Or you may have heard him on "The Tom Joyner Morning Show," National Public Radio or on Sirius Satellite Radio, where he served as a frequent guest host of the "Michelangelo Signorile Show." Keith has appeared on

From: Keith Boykin

PRICELESS!

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Telling it like it is.....



Is there a Pulitzer for the "most revealing" photo of a Republican couple? If so, we nominate the AP picture in today's Washington Post of GOP Senator David "Diaperman" Vitter and his psycho wife Wendy.

An 8 x 12 print of this should be given to freshmen membeers of the House and Senate - put it on the cover of the Welcome to Congress orientation guide! Because this is the inevitable end product of a Washington marriage: The stupid creepy diaper-wearing politician stands dumb eyed and shamed while his crazy-eyed horse-mouthed power-mad wife yells at reporters because her idiot whoremonger husband is repeatedly caught at the whorehouse.

Wonkette

BLIND AT THE HOLY SEE

This is a very interesting and informative article expressing the views of Wayne Besden for 365gay.com..........


In the wake of sex scandals involving children, the Roman Catholic Church should either change its mores or close its doors.

Since 1950, the United States arm of the church has paid an astounding $2 billion to settle claims of childhood sexual abuse. Yes, that is billions with a capital "B" that could have gone towards raising orphans, housing the homeless and feeding the "foodless." Instead, the church has had to reach deep inside its pockets, because some priests can't keep their hands out of the pants of others.

About a quarter of the fortune paid to the unfortunate victims has come from the Los Angeles archdiocese. Its leader, Cardinal Roger Mahony, apologized Sunday to the hundreds of abused who will be compensated, as if you can put a price on the church's vice.

"There really is no way to go back and give them that innocence that was taken from them. The one thing I wish I could give the victims...I cannot," he said. "Once again, I apologize to anyone who has been offended, who has been abused. It should not have happened and should not ever happen again."

Of course, it will happen again, since none of the underlying structural problems have been addressed. The church simply cannot continue its practice of recruiting spiritual leaders from a pool of repressed, self-loathing, sexually and emotionally stunted men and not expect a sordid sequel.

An apology without genuine reform is an empty gesture and mere disastrous dogma that will continue to strip-mine more weeping souls. What substantial measure has the church taken to prevent future victims? Have they even once broken with orthodoxy or taken difficult steps that actually matter? The answer is an emphatic, shameful "no."

There are only three reforms that will alter the status quo:

** Ending celibacy and allowing priests to marry

** Ordaining openly gay people

** Allowing women into the priesthood.

Anything short of these dramatic changes is mere window dressing that will lead to future problems.

Celibacy: This largely discredited idea of "sexual purity" rarely works in practice. It may succeed for people with unusually low sex drives, but for normally functioning males, it is seldom a viable way of life. Sex is a natural drive and love is its magnificent emotional counterpart. To deny this aspect of one's humanity over an extended or indefinite period of time is wishful thinking. Until priests can get married and experience human touch, they will be dangerously out of touch. Sometimes, such deprivation leads to a twisted mindset that drives priests to take advantage of vulnerable people - such as altar boys.

Allowing marriage will also help end the priesthood as a place where self-loathing gay people can shield their true identity. Homosexuals (and heteros too) with such unresolved internal conflicts do not belong in the priesthood, as their repression may sometimes manifest in unhealthy ways.

Openly Gay Priests: Once the Church has weeded out emotionally disturbed closet cases, it can attract morally and spiritually secure gay people. To do this, however, Rome would have to allow marriages - or commitment ceremonies - for gay priests. Sadly, the Pope seems more interested in blaming gay people for the churches' scandals and calling them "disordered."

It is insulting for the morally compromised Catholic Church to blame gay people for its own dishonorable record. After all, if homosexuality alone was responsible for child abuse, it would be the gay rights organizations getting sued, not the Vatican. Rome's anti-gay campaign might be good politics, but it will also foster the perpetuation of pedophilia, even as they apologize for past transgressions.

Women Priests: The primary reason to allow women into the priesthood is because it is fair. Rome should terminate its archaic and discriminatory policy of sexist exclusion and send sisters to seminary. A secondary reason to admit women is that it will end the bad boys club that currently exists. Having women giving mass will make it more difficult to have mass cover-ups. Of course, this is common sense, which is a commodity in short supply if you consider the blithely blind child abuse record of the Holy See.

Unfortunately, there is a moral vacancy at the Vatican, so the drumbeat of denial goes on. Some "Good Fathers" will continue to fondle, the hierarchy will hide the horrors, Rome will retreat from reality and spin its festering sin. I don't have the faintest idea of where God resides in this dreary drama. But, faux apologies aside, it is my impression that Rome has yet to really go to confession.

MONDAY EYE CANDY

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After having worked a six day week, Sunday was spent doing absolutely NOTHING!

Suddenly, it's Monday morning and I wake up to the realization that this is the beginning of another six day work week..... and the hope that we will soon replace the "missing link".

Although the weather is much too hot to be eating chocolate, I recall the old M&M commercial "M&M's melt in your mouth, not in your hand".

Presenting Monday's M&M .....

ON THE POLITICAL FRONT~

Last week was not a good week for Republicans..... with four getting caught with their pants down/dicks out/wallets open.

US Senator David Vitter was "exposed" for using the services of the DC Madam and a Madam in New Orleans.

Florida House member Bob Allen was arrested for offering a cop twenty-dollars for sex.

North Carolina State Representative David Almond resigned amid allegations that he exposed himself and chased a female employee saying "suck it"!

New York city councilman David Gallagher is under investigation for allegedly assaulting sexually a woman he picked up in a bar.

Neighbors at his well-groomed home said the councilman and his wife often fight loudly enough for people outside to hear.

"They're always screaming at one another," said one neighbor, who said she'd heard Mrs. Gallagher tell her husband that he was a "lying, cheating piece of shit and she wants him out of the house."

All of these men are married. Doesn't the bible say something about adultry?

A HYPOCRITE AND A LIAR!

While discussing the arrest of Republican state representative Robert Allen at work today, my co-workers questioned my reasoning for placing emphasis on this news story and featuring it on my blog (see my previous post).

I explained it in simple terms. Part of the mission statement of this blog is to expose hypocrisy and/or bigotry in politics and religion.

Mr. Allen has consistently voted against gay rights (including the right to marry), voted against laws that would protect the younger gay community from harassment in schools, aligned himself with the christian coalition more than 90% of the time and ...... this one is hard to believe ...... authored a failed Florida House Bill #1475, the "Lewd Or Lascivious Exhibition Act" which would have made public masturbation in the presence of another adult illegal, whether the other adult consented or not.

THIS IS A HYPOCRITE!

"I'm not in anyway associated with what they are saying,
this is disgusting." Republican state representative Bob Allen said shortly after he was arrested Wednesday.

As Mr. Allen continues to deny his involvement, below is the arresting affidavit and at the bottom of this post, you can click on a link which will bring you to the actual arrest record.



"On 11 July 2007 at approximately 1533 hours I was conducting a plain clothes investigation in the area of 10 Broad Street (Space View Park). I observed a white male driving a silver 4 door Toyota pull into the driveway, which is a roundabout, twice within a matter of moments. I recall this because I was conducting surveillance in an attempt to capture a burglar in a nearby condominium and I was concerned about counter-surveillance.

"I observed Allen walk into the men's restroom ... I then observed Allen leave the restroom and walk towards a park bench. I then entered the bathroom to adjust my police radio. On my way out of the restroom I almost bumped into Allen who was on his way into the restroom again. Allen changed his course of direction when he saw that I was leaving the restroom and went back towards his park bench. I talked with the other officers again and then entered the bathroom and began washing my hands. Allen entered the the restroom behind me and proceeded into the first stall.

"I realized there were no paper towels to dry my hands so I walked into the handicap stall to dry my hands. As I stood in the stall drying my hands I observed Allen look over the door of my stall and make eye contact with me. Allen then stepped away and then came back to the door of my stall and looked in, making eye contact with me again.

"I said 'hey buddy' and Allen said 'hi' and then stepped away again. About 5 seconds later Allen pushed open the door to my stall and stepped inside. I was standing againste the far wall of the stall . Allen closed the door behind him and stood against it. I said 'What's up?' and Allen again said 'hi.' Allen then said, 'this is kind of a public place isn't it?' I said, 'do you have somewhere else we can go?' Allen said, 'How about across the bridge, it's quiet over there.' Allen engaged me in a conversation in which it was agreed that he would pay me $20 in order to perform a 'blow job' on me. Allen stated that he wanted me to ride with him across the river before he performed the act and gave me the money. Before entering Allen's vehicle I identified myself as a police officer and detained him."

To see a copy of the actual police report, click here.

IT'S THE HYPOCRISY, STUPID!

In the last session of the Florida legislature, conservative republican State Representative Robert Allen sponsored a failed bill that would have tightened the state's prohibition on public sex.

He also has been a supporter of amending the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage and has opposed a bill to curb bullying of gay students.
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"I'm not in anyway associated with that they are saying, this is disgusting." state representative Bob Allen said shortly after he was arrested Wednesday.



Titusville, Florida police say they have arrested Republican Florida State Representative Robert "Bob" Allen, of Merrit Island, on second degree charges for solicitation for prostitution.

Allen, 48, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at Veteran's Memorial Park on East Broad St. in Titusville. The park was under surveillance by a detail of undercover police officers.

Officers say they noticed Allen acting suspicious as he went in and out of the men's restroom 3 times. Minutes later, he solicited an undercover male officer inside the restroom, offering to perform oral sex for $20. Officers realized he was a public figure after the arrest.

Married with one daughter, Allen has a strong conservative record.

Between 2003 and 2006 Allen voted with the Christian Coalition over 90% of the time.

Allen has been endorsed by the Florida Right to Life Committee and this year he voted to impose a 24-hour waiting period on third-trimester abortions.

FAMILY VALUES AND HYPOCRISY

Senator David Vitter, a churchgoing Catholic who is married and has four children, is seen as a hard-line right-winger. A staunch supporter of President Bush, Vitter has built his reputation on family-values platforms such as marriage protection and abstinence-only programs.

In opposition to same-sex marriage, Vitter recently stated, "Marriage is a core institution of societies throughout the world and throughout history. It's something that has provided permanence and stability for our very social structure."

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Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), whose telephone number was disclosed by the so-called "D.C. Madam" accused of running a prostitution ring, says he is sorry for a "serious sin" and that he has already made peace with his wife.

"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said Monday in a printed statement.

"Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there - with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way."

Today, Jeanette Maier, a former madam, said Vitter had been a customer of her New Orleans brothel. Maier pleaded guilty to running the brothel in 2002. Vitter's office did not respond to requests for comment on her claim.
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"I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary. If he does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me."

-- Wendy Vitter, when asked by an interviewer in 2000 whether she could forgive her husband, Sen. David Vitter, if she learned he'd had an extramarital affair, as Hillary Clinton had done.



As a personal footnote to those family values conservatives who continue to preach morality but continue to be "caught with their pants down", there is no longer a need to ask God for forgivness. Simply purchase a package of the new and disposable WASH AWAY SINS toweletts......

THE BIBLE AND THE GAY COMMUNITY~

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Most Christians don't know this about the bible:

Jesus says nothing about same-sex behavior.

The Jewish prophets are silent about homosexuality.

Only six or seven of the Bible's one million verses refer to same-sex behavior in any way -- and none of these verses refer to homosexual orientation as it's understood today.

- Rev. Mel White (Soulforce)

Proof that fundamentalists selectively quote the Bible:

A lesson about the book of Leviticus . . .

Homophobic fundamentalists often quote two particular verses that seem to be against gay people. These two verses, both of which appear in the book of Leviticus, are . . .

"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22)

and . . .

"If a man lie with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:13)

Below, we'll take a look at other scripture verses that are in the exact same book (Leviticus) as the above verse. This exercise proves that those preachers who are so enthusiastic about quoting the book of Leviticus to affirm their personal prejudice against people who are gay or lesbian become awfully quiet when it comes to other verses that appear in the very same book.

Remember, this isn't about faith whatsoever. It's about people who have pre-existing anti-gay prejudice in their hearts. They choose the Christian Bible as the tool which which they attempt to affirm and legitimize that pre-existing prejudice.
Sadly, the truth is that they just don't like gay people.

"For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him." (Leviticus 20:9)
Imagine what would happen today if we killed every child who was disrespectful to his parents. Fundamentalists explain this verse away, saying that it is part of the Old Levitical Holiness Code and is not meant to be taken literally.
But the above verse is just a mere 3 verses before Leviticus 20:13, one of their favorite anti-gay scriptures which, of course, they do choose to apply literally.
It's just incredible, isn't it?

Fundamentalists change their entire methodology of scriptural interpretation when it suits their purpose, even when dealing with verses that are a just couple of sentences away from each other!

"If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has discovered her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from her people." (Leviticus 20:18)

Imagine what would happen today if we deported every man and woman who had ever had sex together while the woman was having her period. Fundamentalists decline the opportunity to take this verse literally, which is merely 5 verses after Leviticus 20:13.

"Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property." (Leviticus 25:44-45)

Did you ever wonder where racist, uneducated Southerners in the 19th century got the idea that slaves were just property and not people? Directly from the above verse, which fundamentalists do not, of course, take literally.

"Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." (Leviticus 19:27)

"Bible-believing" fundamentalists never preach against the evils of shaving, as they do not take this verse literally for our day. Of course, they most certainly would do so if they had a personal bias against shaving, but apparently, they do not.

"...and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7)

As you can see, the book of Leviticus also prohibits the eating of pork (a swine is a pig). Of course, fundamentalists do not choose to use this verse to preach against eating pork. Sadly, however, they have no problem abusing the Bible to condemn gay and lesbian people. Remember, it's about their personal prejudice against gay people, not about a true desire to understand what the Bible actually says.

"...do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear material woven of two kinds of material." (Leviticus 19:19)

Farmers in this country almost always grow more than one kind of crop in their fields. In fact, they often must do so for ecological reasons. Fundamentalists do not apply this verse literally. If they were to preach against farmers, there would be an uproar, and rightfully so.

Fundamentalists also ignore the Biblical command to not wear clothes that have two different kinds of material. The shirts that many fundamentalists are often seen wearing must be a cotton/polyester blend, the most common in the United States of America.

They may be "Bible believing" Christians, but this is yet another verse that they don't believe should be applied to today.

~Author Anonymous

Following are a few more quotes "just for your reading pleasure" ......

DEUTERONOMY 22:13-21
If it is discovered that a bride is not a virgin, the Bible demands that she be executed by stoning immediately.

DEUTERONOMY 22:22
If a married person has sex with someone else's husband or wife, the Bible commands that both adulterers be stoned to death.

MARK 10:1-12
Divorce is strictly forbidden in both Testaments, as is remarriage of anyone who has been divorced.

LEVITICUS 18:19
The Bible forbids a married couple from having sexual intercourse during a woman's period. If they disobey, both shall be executed.

MARK 12:18-27
If a man dies childless, his widow is ordered by biblical law to have intercourse with each of his brothers in turn until she bears her deceased husband a male heir.

DEUTERONOMY 25:11-12
If a man gets into a fight with another man and his wife seeks to rescue her husband by grabbing the enemy's genitals, her hand shall be cut off and no pity shall be shown her.

HYPOCRISY THRU THE AGES ~

The first edition of the English Bible commonly known as the "King James Version" was printed in 1611.

King James VI of Scotland & I of Great Britain had sponsored the project, and the translators appropriately dedicated the new Bible to him."

Throughout his youth, James was praised for his chastity, since he showed little interest in women; and although he preferred the company of males and showed a special fondness for the Duke of Lennox; a suitable marriage, was necessary to reinforce his monarchy, and the choice fell on the fourteen-year-old Anne of Denmark (born October 1574), younger daughter of the Protestant Frederick II. The couple produced three surviving children: Henry, Prince of Wales, who was to die, probably of typhoid, in 1612, aged 18; Elizabeth, later Queen of Bohemia; and Charles, the future King Charles I of England.

Shortly after his marriage to Anne, King James having already been involved in a love affair with the Duke of Lennox; took as his current lover in England, a young man whose special relationship with the king would earn him the Earldom of Somerset.

By 1615, however, Somerset's fortunes declined and James succeeded in luring his most famous lover, George Villiers, later Duke of Buckingham, into bed. What are we to make of these relationships between King James and his so-called "favorites?"

in 1617 James addressed the venerable Privy Council with an official affirmation of his right to love men:

"I, James, am neither a god nor an angel, but a man like any other. Therefore I act like a man and confess to loving those dear to me more than other men. You may be sure that I love the Earl of Buckingham more than anyone else, and more than you who are here assembled. I wish to speak in my own behalf and not to have it thought to be a defect, for Jesus Christ did the same, and therefore I cannot be blamed. Christ had John, and I have George."

Quote from a letter written by James I to the Duke of Buckingham: "I desire only to live in the world for your sake, and I had rather live banished in any part of the world with you, than live a sorrowful widow-life without you. And so God bless you, my sweet child and wife, and grant that ye may ever be a comfort to your dear dad and husband."

Théophile de Viau did not mince words in describing the king's relationship. In his poem, Au Marquis du Boukinquan, (1623) de Viau writes:

Apollo with his songs
Debauched young Hyacinthus
Just as Corydon fucked Amyntas,
So Caesar did not spurn boys.

One man fucks Monsieur le Grand de Bellegarde,
Another fucks the Comte de Tonnerre.
And it is well known that the King of England
Fucks the Duke of Buckingham.

Assasinated in 1628 the Duke of Buckingham's body was entombed in the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey, hitherto reserved for royalty, where it now resides beneath a recumbent bronze effigy near the tomb of his beloved King James who died in 1625. On a tablet facing the tomb is the famous (Latin) inscription describing him as "THE ENIGMA OF THE WORLD."

The magnificent Buckingham tomb is on James's left; on his right is the tomb (with bronze figures representing Hope, Truth, Charity and Faith) of his other lover, Ludovic Stuart, Duke of Richmond and Lennox.

King James was responsible for the restoration and remodelling of the Henry VII Chapel—presumably to celebrate for eternity his love for two men.

Many earlier historians treated the subject of James' homosexuality with shock, disdain, and denial. Only recently has the subject been treated more seriously and fairly by scholars such as Caroline Bingham, Jonathan Goldberg Roger Lockyer, and David Bergeron.

A LESSON IN HYPOCRISY

Tyler Whitney, is an 18 year old self-professed up-and-coming conservative activist who currently works as a webmaster for the GOP's most rabidly anti-gay presidential candidate Tom Tancredo.

Whitney also reportedly leads an antigay political group on his college campus and has carried a "Go Back in the Closet!" sign at an antigay protest.

Recently, Between the Lines, a gay newspaper in Michigan published a story that noted Whitney has told some friends that he is gay, which was then picked up by loads of national gay bloggers.

Bay Buchanan, an adviser to Tancredo, has said that Whitney's "sexual preference is a personal matter" and that it should have "nothing to do with the campaign."

But Noted gay advice columnist
Dan Savage disagrees:

"Sorry, Bay, but gay-bashing thugs-people like you, your horrible brother Pat, your vile candidate-can't have it both ways.

If Whitney's sexual preference is a personal matter, then so is mine. If Whitney's sexual preference shouldn't have anything to do with the campaign, then neither should mine-nor should the sexual preference of any other American.

But so long as the GOP attacks gay Americans, Whitney's sexuality-and his hypocrisy-has everything to do with the campaign."

Whitney is most likely wishing he could quietly "Go Back in the Closet!"

Talk about hypocrisy!

Dan Savage continues:

Some folks will question the ethics of outing a messed up 18 year-old.

Like lots of young 'mos from conservative backgrounds, Whitney seems to have compensated for his sexuality by going off the anti-gay deep end. What better way to cover up for your homosexuality than working against the rights of gay people?

But by eighteen you're old enough to know better-if you're 18 and gay in America, you're old enough to know that you don't have to live a lie.

If you're 18 and gay and not ready or willing to come out, you're old enough to know that keeping your closeted mouth shut about gay issues is the option that doesn't make you a flaming hypocrite.

And if you're 18 and closeted and gay and politically active, as Whitney was, you're old enough and savvy enough to know that aligning yourself with anti-gay politicians, marching with assholes that carry "Straight Power!" signs at anti-gay rallies, and being best buds with a guy that thinks gays should be imprisoned is as good as painting a bulls eye on your back.

You not only risk being outed, you invite it.

Hell, you've earned it.

Another Bush Clown makes an exit!

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Bush administration's so-called "AIDS Czar," Deputy Secretary of State Randall L. Tobias was criticized by some for emphasizing faithfulness and abstinence over condom use to prevent the spread of AIDS.

In a 2004 interview, Tobias explained his approach as "A and B and C. . . Abstinence works. 'Be faithful' works. Condoms work. They all have a role. But it's not a multiple choice, where there is only one answer."

As a top official overseeing global AIDS funding to other countries, Tobias was responsible for enforcing a U.S. policy, enacted during the Bush administration, that requires recipients to swear they oppose prostitution and sex trafficking. USAID adopted a similar policy in 2004.

Tobias submitted his resignation Friday, one day after confirming to ABC News that he had been a customer of a Washington, D.C. escort service whose owner has been charged by federal prosecutors with running a prostitution operation.

Tobias, 65, director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), had previously served as the ambassador for the President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief.

A State Department press release late Friday afternoon said only he was leaving for "personal reasons."

On Thursday, Tobias told ABC News he had several times called the "Pamela Martin and Associates" escort service "to have gals come over to the condo to give me a massage."

The Catholic Obsession with Sexuality!

In calling church leaders "arrogant", Catholic Theologian Daniel Maguire informed the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that they are overly fixated on contraception, abortion and same sex marriage and neglecting justice issues including poverty, racism and environmental degradation.

Maguire, a graduate of Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome who teaches religious ethics at Marquette University, a Jesuit school has been challenging the church's views on sexuality for years.

Last year he distributed pamphlets to all U.S. bishops titled, "The Moderate Roman Catholic Position on Contraception and Abortion" and "A Catholic Defense of Same-Sex Marriage."

The response from the bishops' doctrine committee was that Maguire gave his views wide distribution "as if they were a valid alternative to the teaching of the Catholic Church." The prelates publicly denounced his arguments.

Meanwhile the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People, established by the same US Conference of Catholic Bishops published the following statistics on abuse by catholic clergy.

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US clerics accused of abuse from 1950-2002: 4,392.
Individuals making accusations: 10,667.
Victims' ages: 5.8% under 7; 16% ages 8-10; 50.9% ages 11-14; 27.3% ages 15-17.
Victims' gender: 81% male, 19% female

Known cost to dioceses and religious orders: $572,507,094 (does not include the $85 million Boston settlement and other expenses after research was concluded).

These figures are widely suspected to be grossly underestimated. For example, the late Fr. Tom Economus, former President of the Linkup, a national survivors' advocacy group, said back in the mid-90s that he knew of "1,400 insurance claims on the books and that the Church has paid out over $1 billion in liability with an estimated $500 million pending."

He also said that over 800 priests had been removed from ministry and that there might be as many as 5,000 with allegations against them.