Former Evangelist Slams Anti-Gay Right

Former Evangelical powerhouse Frank Schaeffer, recently spoke with DL Hughley about Rush Limbaugh, the GOP and the Religious Right. During that segment he stated:

“Rush Limbaugh is telling the truth when he says he wants him (Obama) to fail. These people are ideological enough that they would rather take our whole country down and be proved right than be patriotic and be Americans, stand up and do the thing that everyone who loves this country should do right now which is support the President whether you voted for him or not!”

Check out what else he has to say below.  This guy is GREAT!

Lutheran Church: Let Congregation Decide

Noting specific divisions within the Lutheran church over weather gay or lesbian clergy should be allowed to preside over congregations, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) task force has recommended a policy that will be considered at their biannual convention in August. The proposed policy would allow local congregations to decide whether or not those in “lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships” would be allowed to lead as clergy.

Gays and lesbians can now serve as clergy in the ELCA if they remain celibate, although some congregations have challenged the system and hired pastors who are in same-sex relationships.

Opposing views in the church claim that homosexuality is a sin, basing their arguments on individual interpretations of the Bible.

An Open Letter To All Republicans

Dear Republicans: This election all Republicans who love America must vote for Obama. A vote for business-as-usual and a continuation of the Neoconservative/Religious Right/ party of corporate American alienation is a vote against America. As a former Republican activist, I appeal to your patriotism and honor.

Unless you haven’t been paying attention to the recent history of the Republican Party you will know that today Republican ideology and energy is derived from three sources:

* The Religious Right,

* The Neoconservative Movement,

* Corporate business interests.

You also should know that when it comes to the Religious Right my late father and evangelist, Francis Schaeffer, was the intellectual voice that made it happen. As his young sidekick (in the 70s and 80s) I helped take his message to a huge evangelical audience.

Read the rest of this at huffingtonpost.com.

Separation of Church & State: Evangelicals Just Don’t Get It

Barack Obama’s former pastor, Jeremiah Wright didn’t shy away from preaching politics.  Now the Democrats are incorporating elements of various religions into their convention.  The Pew Research Center says a majority of Americans don’t like it.

“Politics and religion should not be combined,” voter Jessica Fitzpatrick says.

Just over half say they don’t want politicians talking about God and they don’t want pastors talking about candidates and political issues.

“If he’s telling me I should go and vote against it just because the Bible says or the Church says, then I don’t think he should do that,” voter Natalie Young says.

The pastor of Spirit One Christian Center in Wichita disagrees.  Mark Holick has been arrested at gay rights rallies and the IRS threatened to pull his church’s tax exempt status for allegedly getting too involved in partisan politics.

“The separation of church and state is found nowhere in the constitution,” Holick says.

Holick says his church takes stands on candidates and issues because the constitution allows it and the Bible demands it.

“Proverbs 29 and Proverbs 14 (say), ‘when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.  When the wicked rule, people mourn.’  We have a responsibility as Christians to vote Christians into office,” Holick says.

Read more of this at kansascw.com.

Go West? There’s A New Sheriff In Town!

If you have any idea of what it is to be a good person, you will probably become ill over this.  Julaine Appling, along with others who claim to be “people of God” are at it again.  She is attempting to resurrect and misconstrue a nearly 100-year-old Wisconsin law that states same-sex couples who leave the state to be married could face fines and jail time if they return.  The law, originally aimed at stopping underage couples from going out-of-state to get married is now being considered by Appling’s group, called the Family Council to be applicable to same-sex marriages.

Offending couples could face $10,000 fines, nine months in prison or both. ”To have a marriage that you know is illegal where you reside, and you have the intent of coming back to that state where its illegal, that’s a defrauding of the government,” said the Family Council Julaine Appling.  This is also a person who has been quoted as saying “I think we’ve been extremely tolerant in allowing [homosexuals] to live wherever they choose.”  You can listen to what else she has to say at CNN.com.

On yet another disturbing note, A lawsuit that seeks to force a vote on Oregon’s domestic partnership law ran into a panel of skeptical federal judges Tuesday. 

Read more