Search Results for: Becky Garrison

TransFaith, TransWeb

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Becky Garrison: The Miss Universe Organization’s decision to change their rules so that transgender women can compete appears to signify a growing acceptance of trans individuals (GLAAD and other groups had admonished the organization). However, statistics from the Transgender Europe’s Trans Murder Monitoring project, noting more than 800 reported murders of trans people in the last four years, indicates this shifting is not universal.  But the internet helps.

As a growing sign of the increased visibility of the trans community, academic, author and activist Helen Boyd, noted that one can now find over a hundred transgender related blogs. In addition, this community also connects with each other via Facebook, Twitter, Live Journal and other social media tools. Continue Reading →

Restricting Free Speech or Promoting Hate?

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Becky Garrison:  Even though the Family Research Council was designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in 2010, their spokesperson, Tony Perkins, continues to grace cable network news programs like MSNBC’s “Hardball With Chris Matthews.” In light of the fact that Perkins has been a guest on the station 23 times since the SPLC issued their findings, Faithful America designed a TV ad they hoped to run on MSNBC calling the network to cease booking Tony Perkins. As reported by The Advocate, MSNBC chose not to run the ad. According to an MSNBC spokesman, “We have many guests from a variety of viewpoints who all play roles in the political process. The views of our guests are not those of MSNBC.” Continue Reading →

Did the Ex-Gay Movement Exodus the Building?

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By Becky Garrison

Despite recent efforts to mainstream its image, Exodus International, a network of ministries formed over 30 years ago to “mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality,” appears to be on the decline. As reported by Truth Wins Out, a non-profit organization that fights anti-gay religious extremism, attendance at Exodus International’s latest Love Won Out conference, drew at most 400 people, a far cry from the 1,000 in attendance during its heyday when Focus on the Family organized these quarterly ex-gay symposiums. This drop in attendance follows a meeting convened by Exodus International President Alan Chambers on November 16, 2011 to explore how to keep the organization from social and economic oblivion. Continue Reading →

Tying Knots

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Becky Garrison:  In the battle for marriage equality, a federal appeals court and the Washington State legislature delivered both a love letter for same-sex couples and a Valentine’s Day massacre on society, depending on one’s interpretation of civil liberties and the institution of marriage.

On February 7, 2012, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared California’s Proposition 8, a ban on same-sex marriage, to be unconstitutional. By a 2-1 decision, the three-judge panel affirmed the lower court judge’s 2010 ruling that Prop. 8 was indeed a violation of the civil rights of gays and lesbians. (This timeline charts the legal briefs and hearings that transpired since 2008 when Prop 8 went into effect.) Continue Reading →

Our Daily Links: We're Totally Thankful Edition

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Thanks to two Jewish authors, the Bible has now been revised for Jews.

Miss the first Response, Rick Perry’s church revival?  No worries.  Thankfully four more are scheduled for December, January and February, though they’ve dropped their affiliation “with any presidential candidate.” (h/t Becky Garrison)

Hallelujah.  We have 37 more days of Frequencies, a joint project of The Immanent Frame and Killing the Buddha.  Now go read all 62 past!

Thankfully, the Pope is concerned about the spread of HIV/AIDs in Africa.  Like Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, we think there are things he could do if he were sincere.

In thinking about the question, “Are morals derived from religion?” we thankfully find this bit of news on anti-gay activity in anti-religion Russia helpful.

Evangelicals aren’t Catholics.  They should be thankful they’re not and resist temptations to “cross the Tiber” as Chris Armstrong puts it.

U.S. Catholic thinks that Catholics have very strong opinions about Obama.  Who doesn’t?!  They’re asking readers to fill out this survey on just how much you appreciate the president; they’ll publish the results in time for President’s Day.

Also, check out the list of law suits U.S. Catholic published earlier this month.  They are examples of cases that challenge the idea of religious freedom.  Then thank your founding fathers for a constitution that guarantees equality and freedom of conscience to all citizens.  You might also like to write a letter of thanks to your local bishop. Continue Reading →

Our Daily Links: We’re Totally Thankful Edition

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Thanks to two Jewish authors, the Bible has now been revised for Jews.

Miss the first Response, Rick Perry’s church revival?  No worries.  Thankfully four more are scheduled for December, January and February, though they’ve dropped their affiliation “with any presidential candidate.” (h/t Becky Garrison)

Hallelujah.  We have 37 more days of Frequencies, a joint project of The Immanent Frame and Killing the Buddha.  Now go read all 62 past!

Thankfully, the Pope is concerned about the spread of HIV/AIDs in Africa.  Like Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, we think there are things he could do if he were sincere.

In thinking about the question, “Are morals derived from religion?” we thankfully find this bit of news on anti-gay activity in anti-religion Russia helpful.

Evangelicals aren’t Catholics.  They should be thankful they’re not and resist temptations to “cross the Tiber” as Chris Armstrong puts it.

U.S. Catholic thinks that Catholics have very strong opinions about Obama.  Who doesn’t?!  They’re asking readers to fill out this survey on just how much you appreciate the president; they’ll publish the results in time for President’s Day.

Also, check out the list of law suits U.S. Catholic published earlier this month.  They are examples of cases that challenge the idea of religious freedom.  Then thank your founding fathers for a constitution that guarantees equality and freedom of conscience to all citizens.  You might also like to write a letter of thanks to your local bishop. Continue Reading →

Our Daily Links

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Way back, the Mormon Church coughed up a chunk of money to petition for Proposition 8 in California. With two presidential nominees, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, now officially in the 2012 race, everybody’s asking which candidate will get keys to the church and community’s coffers.  Catherine Elson at The Divining Blog recently wrote to tell us about her post on the Top 15 Blogs on Religious Studies. Check it out. Evolutionary Christianity is my current site of interest.  You can read a new study on anti-Muslim hate by the Southern Poverty Law Center here.  The council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has also released a report, “Same Hate, New Target.”  Patheos has a new “Progressive Christian” portal.  You can read a new piece by Becky Garrison there that argues for a distinction among so-called progressives according to positioning on LGBT issues.  The West Texas Catholic Diocese of San Angelo recently held a seminar on exorcism that drew hundreds of attendees.  Are you smarter than an atheist? Odyssey Networks just released a video that interviews two Presbyterian ministers about their opinion on the recent removal of “celibacy in singleness” requirement from ordained ministers.

(h/t Becky Garrison, PZ Myers) Continue Reading →

Authentically Baptist

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From the website of Central Baptist Church of Wayne, PA:

In affirming the historic Baptist principle of non-creedalism, Central Baptist Church holds that this addendum to ABC’s identity statement is distinctly creedal, forcing one limited interpretation of Scripture upon the whole of American Baptists. This serves to silence the movement of the Holy Spirit in and through Scripture. Our Baptist ancestors would be horrified to see us sell out our Biblical principles by replacing the voice of Scripture with a human decree. We lament that this turn means that the American Baptist Churches USA is no longer authentically Baptist.

(h/t Becky Garrison) Continue Reading →

Give Us This Day Our Daily Links

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Gingrich is in. How he’ll appeal to the social conservatives is anyone’s guess.  || As Speaker Boehner plans his commencement speech for Catholic University of America, dozens of prominent Catholics have written him a letter that calls his policies “anti-life.”  || Becky Garrison has pointed us to John Shore’s analysis of the Sojourner’s gay ad kerfuffle, “Mr. Wallis and His Big Gay Waffle.” || Today The Presbyterian Church (USA) joined the Episcopal Church (US), the United Church of Christ and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in permitting the ordination of gay ministers.  At least one Baptist thinks they’re all crazy.  ||  Speaking of Baptists…”But when it comes to disaster relief, the link between church and state has never been stronger than during the most recent storms in the South, say federal officials and the leaders of faith-based disaster relief work.” Continue Reading →

Give Us This Day Our Daily Links

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Should astrophysicist Martin Rees have accepted the Templeton Prize he was awarded last week?  ||  This is what blasphemy looks like:  A group of French Catholics has defaced Serrano’s Piss Christ.  ||  Nickelodeon premiered a new children’s TV show on Sunday, “Freedom to believe…or Not.”  ||  The death of God is so over:  Jon Meacham puts Rob Bell on the cover of Time and asks us, “Is Hell Dead?” (Read Revealer Becky Garrison’s take on the Bell & Piper show here. Watch Chris Matthews’ panel — with Andrew Sullivan, Norah O’Donnell, Joe Klein and Becky Quick — here.)  ||  “A professor of religious law at Benghazi’s Garyounis University, Osama el-Salladi, says that under the 41-year rule of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, religious institutions were as controlled as political life.”  ||  A truck carrying 3,888 bibles was stolen outside Moscow this holy week.  ||  Fraudulent churches, heal thyselves:  Senator Chuck Grassley’s three-year investigation of church financial fraud has produced a commission (from the likes of Oral Roberts University President Mark Rutland, Campus Crusade for Christ President Stephen Douglass and megachurch pastors Joel Hunter and Bishop Kenneth Ulmer) but no charges of misconduct.  ||  The presidential campaign to appear convincingly Christian is working.  ||  Mega Churches have turned away from the bible and it’s all Peter Drucker’s fault.  || Doomsday Capitalism! The 500-year cycle is coming to an end!  ||  “This budget deal is at least $1.1 billion sin against the poorest of this nation. And no one who voted for it deserves the appellation ‘pro-life.’” Continue Reading →