And The Lord Said Unto Abraham...

Hit the gym and lay off the fries? It never occurred to me that faith-based exercise programs might exist, but if they help people, that's great. Being healthy can be a real challenge.

Somehow though, I doubt the baby Jesus cries over a super-size. From AM New York:

Boxing and church may be an uncommon pairing, but Rev. Steve Reynolds was making a point that God and exercise do go together. Both are part of Bod4God, the weight-loss program based on Christian principles that Reynolds developed as he lost more than 100 pounds over the last two years.

"Jesus Christ was not obese," Reynolds told the audience, pointing to passages in the Bible that describe Jesus walking 40 miles in one day. "I believe the heart of God is so sad today when it comes to our physical shape."

And a sociologist quoted in the article has some ideas and findings:

Obesity is a growing problem in America — more than 72 million adults are considered obese.

And Kenneth Ferraro, a sociology professor at Purdue University, has studied religion and obesity and found that religion is related to the prevalence of obesity. His research in the U.S. has found, for example, that Baptist and fundamentalist Protestants had higher rates of obesity than other Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, Jews and other non-Christians, including Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists.

Ferraro believes Baptists' and fundamentalists' absolutist views on alcohol and smoking may contribute to the rate of obesity, because they're not learning to practice moderation.

"When you teach people it's all or nothing, it works for some things but doesn't transfer over to food, because you have to eat," Ferraro said.

Fundy Sunday

If you've ever participated in a thread on religion or atheism (They're not the same thing BTW. Calling atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color - Don Hirschberg.), you've probably seen the behavior outlined in the following comment awarded 'comment of the week' by About.com's Austin Cline:

You may feel like a pioneer, on the outskirts of Christendom evangelising the heathens, but we’ve had so many missionaries here that I doubt you have anything new to offer. You all follow the same steps, perhaps you’re taught them at Missionary School, and they seem to be the following:

Step one: Post off topic. Show total disregard for the purpose of the comments section. Better still, post the exact same thing in the comments section of several totally unrelated articles.

Step two: Make sure you give a gloss of politeness to your post.

Step three: Be sure not to actually read anything on the site, just launch your attack. Do not seek answers, and do not question your own position. You already know you’re right; either of the above would merely be matching wits with the Devil!

Step four: When you get a response, make sure you point out how puzzled you are that they are not yet totally convinced. Be sure to ask “why so much anger”. Point out the character flaws which are surely the cause of their incredulity. Do not engage any of the points raised, do not under any circumstances enter into real dialogue; then repeat your original post as if nothing else has yet been added to the discussion.

Step five: If asked a direct question, ignore it. Accuse everyone else of not answering your questions.

Step six: If they are still not convinced, repeat steps four and five.

Step seven: If anyone calls you up on any of our incoherence, poor reasoning, dishonesty or blatant lies; ignore step two. Be sure to whip yourself up into a self-righteous frenzy, bemoan the fact that all you want is an honest discussion, to share opinions. Tell them how much God loves them. Tell them they’ll spend an eternity in Hell.

Step eight: Leave, never to be heard from again, shaking the metaphorical dust from your metaphorical sandals as you go.

[original post]

Our Allies In The Middle East

(CBS News)

Here's a little tidbit from CNN:

Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which those convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery are executed in public with a sword.

The maid is the second person to be executed this year in the desert kingdom, according to an Associated Press count.

Saudi Arabia beheaded 137 people last year, up sharply from the 38 in 2006.

Democracy's on the march, or something.

Beautiful 2007 Memories

Suck it Jesus:

From the video: "Jesus is not busy in Darfur, he's very busy helping Hollywood celebrities win awards."

I love you Kathy.

Things Fundamentalist Christians Do

I saw this piece over at Pam's. Reading it made me sick to my stomach. It describes how a Christian gay-conversion organization used and abused a mentally ill man to falsely advertise success at praying away 'teh gay.'

My guess is that the baby Jesus frowns on such things.

A Law Enshrined Xmas

Awesome! If you have a second, read Bernard Chazelle's funny take on HR847. HR847 appears to be a frighteningly evolved version of HR579(pdf file) from 2005.

If possible, this is less important than steroid use in baseball. Why is taxpayer money being wasted on these issues?

Attacked For Saying, "Happy Hanukkah"

I saw this at Eschaton:

Four Jewish subway riders who wished other people Happy Hanukkah were pelted with anti-Semitic remarks before being beaten, New York police and prosecutors said. The incident was being investigated as a possible hate crime. The four were on a train in Manhattan on Friday night, during the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, when they were approached by a group of 10 people who offered holiday greetings. The victims responded, Happy Hanukkah and were assaulted by the larger group, police said Tuesday. Police caught up with the train in Brooklyn and arrested eight men and two women, ages 19 and 20. They were arraigned Saturday on charges of assault, menacing, riot, harassment and disorderly conduct, the Brooklyn district attorney's office said.

(original story here).

This is more evidence that NYC is far from a harmonious melting pot. This is gross. At least some of this is on the heads of people like Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly.

Ham For Hanukkah?

A store here in NYC was captured advertising "Boneless Spiral Ham" that's "Delicious for Chanukah." From the link (where there are pictures):

Instead of pointing out the mistake to management, Shapiro posted the snapshots on her blog to amuse others.

"I just thought it was funny," Shapiro, a self-described "unobservant Jew," told the newspaper. "I wasn't offended in any way. I just thought, here's somebody who knows nothing about what Jews eat."

On Tuesday, the first night of Hanukkah, the signs had apparently vanished.

A Balducci's official, who didn't want to speak on the record, told the Daily News that it was a mistake. The official pinned the blame on a stock clerk who normally doesn't work the meat department.

A stock clerk mistakenly made laminated product cards? Really? Shapiro has more pictures at her website.

Get Ready For The Fundy Cinematic Vapors

Is 'Golden Compass' 'selling atheism to kids'? - CNN.com:

Based on the first volume in the award-winning trilogy 'His Dark Materials' by religious skeptic Philip Pullman, the movie already has been condemned by conservative Roman Catholics and evangelicals. They say it will hook children into Pullman's books and a dark, individualistic world where all religion is evil.

Do they mean the world we currently call Earth? The last time I checked, religion didn't have such a wonderful track record.

Now I want to see this movie even more (even if Daniel Craig does keep his shirt on).

Naked Therapy For My Gay?

Wayne Besen has a short and interesting piece up at 365gay. He writes about the lengths to which the ex-gay movement is willing to go as they quest to stop 'teh gay.' Some ex-gay organizations have promoted a truly bizarre wilderness course put on by The Mankind Project (BTW MKP, the photo strip format on your site that features faceshots of your men is oddly similar to ads I've seen for many gay personals websites.). Wayne writes that the course, conducted by men likely lacking licenses to practice therapy, includes some pretty gay stuff:

This cult-like national program is a $650 weekend boot camp where participants – mostly straight - are greeted by large, intimidating men dressed in dark clothing and faces painted black. During their stay, the men are forced to take cold showers, survive on about four hours sleep, and subsist on very little food. In follow-up meetings, the activities include shaving another man’s face, kidnapping a member of another camp group and changing clothes with other men. The idea is to help them get in-touch with their feelings and uncover and heal deep wounds that are barriers to successful lives.

The alternative publication, The Houston Press, uncovered a letter Michael Scinto wrote to the Madison County Texas sheriff’s office, just prior to committing suicide allegedly as a result of the boot camp. The Scinto family has filed a lawsuit against The ManKind Project, while the deceased man’s letter to the sheriff claims the New Warrior program practiced bizarre rituals that include:

1. Blindfolded walking tours in the nude

2. People blowing sage smoke in his face while 50 or so naked men danced around candles

3. Men sitting in a circle discussing their sexual histories while passing a wooden dildo called “The Cock”

4. Naked men beating cooked chickens with a hammer

I can truly tell you that this gay man has never danced with 50 naked men around candles. Now, that's gay! Alas, this would be funnier if LGBT people didn't feel the need to commit suicide based on confused self-loathing promoted by these ex-gay nuts.

Friday Dump

- Anthony Fortunato has been found guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime in the death of Michael Sandy. Sandy was targeted for being gay. Fortunato came out of the closet during his trial, claiming that a gay person wouldn't target another gay person for a crime. Right, closeted gay people don't ever attack their own. Closeted gay on gay violence is one of the ugly products of a homophobic culture and the closet.

- Congrats to Al Gore and the UN Panel on Climate Change for winning the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. That was nice news to wake up to. Speaking of the environment, glaciers as disappearing from Glacier National Park.

- Europe starts to get it right on creationism.

- News findings indicate that a) abortion has dropped worldwide due to increased birth control and b) women in countries that outlaw abortion are just as likely to have the procedure as women in countries where it's legal.

- Expensive running shoes aren't better than lower priced ones. It's the fit that counts. Interestingly, this story is all over the UK and Australian press but, so far, getting skimpy coverage here. Maybe that will change as the day goes on.

- Biotech company Genentech makes two drugs that doctors are using to treat macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, Avastin (~$38/dose) and the more expensive Lucentis ($1,950/dose). Doctors have been using Avastin "off label," it's a cancer drug and not approved for ocular disorders. But, the drugs are very similar chemically and doctors have reported promising anecdotal results with Avastin after two years of use. Genentech has decided to cut off the supply chain for Avastin. Gee, I wonder why?

- Oh, and Ann Coulter would like Jews to perfected by becoming xtians. She also thinks that heaven is NYC during the 2004 RNC. Very odd.

America's Moral Leaders

Oral Roberts and family are in it deep. Scroll to the end of this article for the long list of things you'd never expect from a good Christian family.

Ex-Gay Therapist Into Molesting Men

Truth Wins Out is all over ex-gay "therapists," debunking their methods and monitoring and exposing their hypocrisy. Yesterday, they passed along the good news that a sexual predator masquerading as one of these ex-gay counselors has been convicted of sexual assault and is likely out of business (although these types always seem to resurface):

NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out expressed relief today that Christopher Austin, an ‘ex-gay’ counselor in Irving, Texas, was convicted of sexually assaulting a client. Austin was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but received seven years probation, had to register as a sex offender and was ordered to pay a $2,500 fine. After years of reported abuse – including several alleged victims who testified at the trial - it is welcome news that Austin has finally been put out of business, says TWO.

“We are deeply gratified that this ‘ex-gay’ predator is no longer in the counseling business, where he exploited his position of authority to sexually abuse vulnerable clients,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “Ex-gay therapy is extremely dangerous and places confused clients in the hands of repressed therapists. It is a recipe for disaster.”

According to the 283rd Criminal District Court, a jury convicted Austin of a Second Degree felony. Court documents said that the ex-gay leader, “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly caused penetration of [pseudonym Stephen Trask].”

Austin had started Renew Ministries, a counseling center run out of a church in Irving. He was affiliated with the National Association For Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). Indeed, Austin taught a seminar at NARTH’s 2004 annual convention entitled, “Understanding and Treating Compulsive Sexual Behavior in Men with Value-Incongruent Homosexual Issues: A Multidimensional Approach.”

Austin spoke of the “devastating spiritual effects homosexuality has on a man’s heart.” However, he failed to take his own advice when he once wrote, “Before addressing the brokenness in others, we must defeat all the responses of our own flesh.”

Living a life of self-loathing and engaging in activism against something so fundamental to your composition can result in some terrible behavior. These ex-gays demonstrate that repeatedly.

Reason 6357 Why Religious Beliefs Shouldn't Determine Law

A mob gathers and tries to lynch men convicted of violating Islamic law:

(Lagos) A mob attempted to break into a prison in northern Nigeria on Saturday and lynch 18 men awaiting sentencing on morals charges that state controlled NAN news agency reports.

On prison official was injured as guards fended off the angry crowd.

Sentences for the 18 were to have been handed down last week by a Sharia court in the Moslem state of Bauchi.

They were arrested wearing women's clothing at a hotel where police say they had gathered for the wedding "of two men". An attorney for the men said they were at the hotel for a "graduation party".

The 18 were convicted of sodomy earlier this month but last week the judge reduced that violating Islamic law by dressing in female garb when it could not be proved any sex had occurred.

Sodomy carries a maximum sentence of death.

Nigeria is currently pushing forward legislation that prevents more than two LGBT people from gathering.

This isn't just an Islamic thing by any stretch. It has the full support of Nigeria's Anglican church and bishop Peter Akinola. Conservative Anglicans in the US strongly support Akinola.

Nigeria is a place where two religions have come together and, hand-in-hand, done their best to make the country a deadly place for LGBT people.

Born Again Alice?

(WorldGolf)

Who knew? Alice Cooper is a born-again xtian setting up a center for troubled youth in the southwest.

It seems like only yesterday my fundy church was warning me about him. Apparently his transformation happened some sixteen years ago. On his latest effort, he says (from the second link), "We are overtly Christian," he says, "but we're not going to beat you over the head with a Bible." I hope he's true to that. I could live with such fundamentalist xtians.

The land for the center has been donated by for-profit Christian University Grand Canyon University. Also, Jerry Colangelo, former owner of the Arizona Suns, is on the advisory board of Cooper's Solid Rock charity. I can't find much controversy around Cooper's charity. But, it might be a good sign that the AFA frowns on Colangelo for his organization's canceling of an anti-LGBT Church Night and for advertising to LGBT communities.

I see that some other branches of the fundy forces aren't so in love with their boa toting brother in Christ. LOL.

Backmasking

Today's featured article at Wikipedia is about backmasking, the technique of putting backward messages into music. I spent my early childhood and some of my adolescence in a fundy church. At our youth group meetings we were taught that backmasking came from two sources.

The first source was devil worshiping rock bands intentionally inserting backward messages about all things evil (sex, drugs, Satan, homostuff, etc.).

The second source of reverse messages was Satan himself providing lyricists and singers with words and phrasing designed to contain hidden, reversed messages. The prime evidence presented for this second source was "here's to my sweet Satan" that supposedly can be heard when Stairway to Heaven is played in reverse. Pastor Nick showed us a video where xtian "investigators" played Stairway (and several other songs) backwards. Everyone claimed to hear "here's to my sweet Satan" and something about "666." I was skeptical but afraid to say so. I didn't hear much except music played in the wrong direction.

Those were good times! :)

Oooh, Bad News For Me

I took an online test to determine where I'm headed in the afterlife. I don't make it to heaven (Well, the best you can do is purgatory.). I think the homo thing did me in.

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to the First Level of Hell - Limbo!

Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very High
Level 2 (Lustful)	High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Moderate
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Very Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very High
Level 7 (Violent)	High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Low
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Divine Comedy Inferno Test

I guess I should be happy. Limbo doesn't sound too bad. I thought I was headed for a much worse place given all the talk of hellfire and dalmatians:

Abstinence Education Still Ineffective

Back in April I wrote about a finding that abstinence education programs are ineffective and that the US has wasted over $1.5 billion on them since 97. This week the House of Representatives will vote, not on abolishing this funding of waste, but on whether to increase it's funding:

(Washington) This week, the House of Representatives is set to vote on an appropriations bill that includes $141 million for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs—a $27.8 million increase. ...

A 2006 study by the independent Society for Adolescent Medicine called the programs “scientifically and ethically flawed” and found that the “efficacy of abstinence-only interventions may approach zero.”

Twenty-three percent of U.S. school districts run abstinence-only programs, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The rate of sexually transmitted infections and HIV has increased among youth since these programs were implemented, with 4 million young people in the U.S. contracting sexually-transmitted diseases each year.

Almost half of high school students in the United States report being sexually active. Youth who have participated in abstinence-only programs and have pledged to save their virginity until marriage are just as likely to have sex as their peers. Those who participate in abstinence-only programs, however, are one-third less likely than their peers to use contraception when they do become sexually active.

SuperFundy Profile

Name: Rev. Woody L. Martin

Year Born Again: 1959

Affiliation: Christian (International Assemblies of God, Laguna Hills, California)

Education: Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Kingsway Bible College in Des Moines, Iowa, 1984.

Size: large southern male.


Fundy Power: Healing factor (High), general blessing capabilities. Miracles cited: general blessings, financial successes, and cures for: hyperthyroidism, color-blindness, blindness, and cancer.

Donation Factor: Moderate to High. Donations solicited for books and videos. Accepts Check, PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

Homo Hating Factor: preliminary Google searching reveals little about "Dr." Woody's position on teh gay. International Assemblies of God is fervently anti-gay, purging their ranks of homosexuals upon discovery.

Points of Interest: Website offers Blood of Jesus Oil for anointing purposes. Literature offered includes a diet manual (see Size above).


Discovered by this blog: Saturday July 1, 2007, ~1am, NYC, some religious channel.

God Hates Shrimp

Who knew? God hates shrimp ... it's a funny read. I love stumbling around the net.