Another local idiot speaks out

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20110402/OPINION03/104020313/Bible-says-s-wrong

On the front page of The Star Press on Tuesday, March 22 was an article, "Straight Allies Stand Up for Gay Rights."

The featured speaker was Claire Buffie, an advocate for gay rights.

In the Bible, the inspired word of God (that never changes) states that in the beginning, God created in his image both male and female. He blessed them and told them to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. (Genesis 1:27-28).

Leviticus states that homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord. By no means is this to say that God hates homosexuals, but does mean that he hates and is disgusted by the sin of homosexuality. He states very plainly that homosexuals (among others) will not inherit the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9-10).

Can homosexuals be fruitful and multiply to fill the earth?

I'm proud to report that commentors have ripped this shit to shreds.  Someone pointed out that the Bible has changed many times.  Someone else pointed out that other people who can't reproduce have the right to be married.  Another person listed all the rules in Leviticus that Christians are happy to ignore.  And finally the first amendment got a backhanded nod.

The article appeared on April 1.  It should have been a Poe, but apparently this idiot is the real thing.  They seem to get published every time the paper reports on something they don't like.  They don't like a lot of things.  They need to grow up.

Calling all Amputees!

You don't have to be a religious nutter to be a "faith" healer (though it helps).  You do have to be a "faith" heal-ee, though.

http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-braco-braco-to-bring-silent-gaze-healing-to-indy-20110329,0,989823.story

This wacky gazing fellow is coming to town.  Notice that the list of things he can "cure" doesn't include amputees?  So, if you know any amputees I can borrow to take to see this guy please send them my way!

I mean, if you can be healed by being stared at, shouldn't all burn victims be healed?  (come to think of it, send them my way too!)  Not to mention, there would be no breast cancer if staring worked!

How does this crap get a foothold?  I thought everyone was supposed to have sufficient health care to get, well... HEALTH CARE now!

YAY! For Indiana!

Incredible as it may seem, fundies in Indiana have failed to insert their skydaddy into the Biology curriculum for public schools:

http://ncse.com/news/2011/03/voice-evolution-from-indiana-006564

The pdf linked there states:

"...content taught in the area of science must be consistent with the nature of science... as science itself is the connection between theory and experiment."

Sadly, they waffle later:  "This does not mean that belief systems based upon sacred texts or tradition are to be discounted, for they are not lesser or greater than a "scientific" viewpoint.  Understanding the difference and the nature of science itself is the key, and it is something of which students should be made aware."

...and then they say it's okay to add myth to the curriculum (not the science curriculum) as long as it doesn't favor one religion.

I'm proud of Indiana educators for standing up to the bullies of the religious right, but I'm ashamed for them that they feel they have to have these disclaimers about religion.

Indiana, land of "In God We Trust" on license plates

I used to live in DC, and that's where I was living when I started this blog (and dropped it). Now that I live in the Texas of the Midwest, I'm encountering fundies again and they just creep me out. I was so shocked that "In God We Trust" is on half the license plates, and that it's the only free choice for tag design other than the state logo. I'll be registering my car soon, and I was dismayed to find that religious sentiments are not permitted in vanity tags. And coincidentally, there is no tag, even at a price, that says "Relax. There's no God."

Standard Tags: http://www.in.gov/bmv/2695.htm



...and in other news:

Atheists sue to stop 'In God We Trust' in Capitol visitor's center
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-07-17-atheist-capitol_N.htm

WASHINGTON — The nation's largest group of atheists and agnostics filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday to stop the engraving of "In God We Trust" and the "one nation under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance in the new Capitol Visitor
Center.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based church-state watchdog group, claimed the engravings are unconstitutional and would exclude the 15% of
Americans who identify themselves as non-religious.

Uh... what? FFRF includes believers who don't want to mix state and church. Of course Republicans are the sponsors of the bill that supports the engraving, and Democrats don't want to offend independents, who are 85% likely to be believers.

Annie Laurie Gaylor represents FFRF in this article. All the Republicans lining up on the other side are men. Coincidence? Or is USA Today subconsciously referencing the Eve myth?