Merry Christmas from Republic of Gilead!

Merry Christmas to all my readers! I'm taking a short blogging break, but I'll return soon with posts on recent Religious Right happenings. Have a safe and happy holiday season!

In the meantime, enjoy this selection from Unheilig's Frohes Fest, my favorite holiday album.

Commentary Tidbits

Naked Pastor: 10 reasons why abusive churches succeed

New York Times: The Bible as Bludgeon

Baltimore Sun: Unholy religious exemptions

O-blog-dee-o-blog-da: Anti-gay Scott Lively again denied attempt to avoid crimes against humanity lawsuit

Salon: Catholic schools’ hateful pattern: Firing teachers for coming out

Lady Atheist: Breaking the Faith: Chilling New Series

Infidel753: Secularism strong

Friendly Atheist: This Christian Group’s List of ‘Ingredients’ For Marriage Equality is Outrageous

Dispatches from the Culture Wars: How Not to Share the Gospel

Huffington Post: The Salvation Army's History of Anti-LGBT Discrimination

Think Progress: ‘Family’ Group Defends Blood Donation Ban By Implying All Gay Men Have HIV

Think Progress: Rick Santorum: Government-Provided Health Care Is A Plot To Kill People Who Don’t Vote The Right Way

News Tidbits

The Advocate: Kidnapped for Christ to Premiere at Slamdance

BBC News: Child 'training' book triggers backlash

Gay Star News: Pastor Rick Warren can't imagine a time when he'll support gay marriage

Pink News: Rick Warren compares the ‘redefinition of marriage’ to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four

Washington Post: Virginia pastor: US custody case had no Vermont connection

The Telegraph: We can’t dissent against 'new gay orthodoxy’, says UK Christian charity

Raw Story: Anti-LGBT baker tells Fox News that Jesus ‘wants me’ to deny cakes to gay couples

Raw Story: Rhode Island bishop marks Mandela’s death by slamming his abortion policies

Sen. Kirk Cancels Space for Anti-Gay Meeting; Religious Right Incensed

Earlier this year, the Russian government passed a controversial anti-gay law banning dissemination of "propaganda on nontraditional sexual relationships" to minors. The law, which came into effect amidst an increasingly homophobic cultural climate in Russia, has been widely slammed as an affront to free speech and LGBTQ rights. Voices from the American Religious Right have not only applauded the legislation, but sought to learn from it.

In a November 11th press release, the Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society announced its November 15th symposium in Washington D.C. entitled "Family Policy Lessons from Other Lands: What Should America Learn?” Scheduled speakers at the symposium heralded from right-wing organizations such as the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM), the Beverly LaHaye Institute, and the Population Research Institute.

According to the press release, the symposium would be a setting where American legislators and activists could learn from international initiatives, including Russia's anti-gay law, mean to affirm the "natural family".

"While the current U.S. administration persists in its efforts to redefine marriage and family, other nations are seeking a reaffirmation of the natural family. Australia has just elected a conservative government and given the largest budget area to Kevin Andrews, long-time defender of the family and World Congress of Families supporter; Russia recently banned the propaganda of “nontraditional sexual relations” to minors; and across Europe and Africa, nations are concerned with life issues, shrinking populations, and the disintegration of the natural family. Here in America, what can our pro-family legislators learn—positively and negatively—by studying our colleagues’ actions abroad?"

The implications of the meeting spurred LGBTQ rights activists into action. On November 14th, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) condemned the meeting on its website, appalled that "top American supporters of Russia’s anti-LGBT laws will come to Capitol Hill to argue that these hateful policies should serve as a model for the United States." HRC president Chad Griffin called the planned meeting an "outrage".

“These shameful individuals represent the worst of America, and it’s an outrage that they will now bring their vitriol to the United States Capitol. After spending years exporting their hate to other regions of the world and contributing to a culture of anti-LGBT violence in Russia, these zealots should be condemned by all Americans and especially by our elected leaders.”

Soon thereafter, the symposium was denied its original meeting space. Right Wing Watch reports that the Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society was forced to relocate its symposium after Sen. Mark Kirk canceled their meeting room reservation at the U.S. Senate office building.
Buzzfeed reported that House Speaker John Boehner secured space for the meeting after their original space reservation was canceled.

Cue Religious Right outrage!

Incensed, several participating groups accused Sen. Kirk of discrimination and lambasted HRC for its actions. For instance, in a press release posted at Christian News Wire, the World Congress of Families expressed its disgust with HRC's actions. Larry Jacobs, managing director of the World Congress of Families, had this to say.

"It is shocking that a United States Senator would bow to pressure from these militants and refuse to facilitate the discussion of vital issues affecting children, family, life, and the economy.  Groups like HRC have set themselves up as arbiters of what may or may not be discussed at public forums. Instead of meeting us in the marketplace of ideas, they take the low road of smears and intimidation, seeking to foreclose the healthy debate that’s vital to a democracy."

Jacobs insisted that the meeting was about more than Russia's "widely misunderstood" law, explaining that it was intended to cover policy initiatives on "promotion of marriage and large families, parent's rights, the promotion of home-schooling, the encouragement of family-owned businesses, the benefits of religious faith, the protection of women and children from human trafficking, and the legal protection of life from conception to natural death..."

Allan Carlson, president of World Congress of Families, expressed frustration with attempts to thwart the meeting. "A great fear seems to be descending over what has been called the world’s greatest deliberative body … ideas are being suppressed, debate is being shut off, and minds are being closed," he said, according to Buzzfeed.

Additionally, Family Research Council was also offended that Sen. Kirk canceled their space reservation after "homosexual activists" criticized the event. In a November 19th press release, FRC president Tony Perkins demanded an apology from Sen. Kirk.

"Sen. Kirk's decision is true discrimination, silencing anyone who doesn't adhere to a politically correct view of sexuality.

"We welcome open debate about policy differences on social issues. However, Sen. Kirk's decision to cancel the event signals that he wants to silence those who disagree with him.  We are encouraged by the many Illinois residents who have stood up in support of the Howard Center and its right to free speech and freedom of assembly.

"Holding a different view of marriage and sexuality is not discriminatory - especially when all the social science research demonstrates the benefits of the natural family."

Illinois Family Institute cultural analyst Laurie Higgins blasted Sen. Kirk in a hyperbolic commentary. Higgins fumed at Sen. Kirk's alleged "obamaniacal act of hubris" in allying himself with "homosexual activists". She defended the homophobia of the groups scheduled to meet in Senate space, accusing Sen. Kirk of abusing his position "to normalize sexual deviance".

"If Kirk considers these scholars hate-promoters, then logically he must call all orthodox Christian theologians hate-promoters for every contemporary orthodox theologian and every theologian in the history of Christendom has held the same views on the nature of marriage and the nature and morality of homosexuality as these panel participants ... Sen. Kirk thinks that it’s hateful to believe that marriage is inherently sexually complementary, but not hateful to kill the unborn. To Kirk, cross-dressing and perverse sexual acts are moral goods and fighting for the rights of children to survive the womb and be raised by a mother and father are moral evils. What kind of man thinks like this? C.S. Lewis calls men like this “men without chests,” and Isaiah warns, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.”

The controversy surrounding this meeting (and its space cancellation) serves as a reminder that American Religious Right voices still hold fast to homophobia. LGBTQ rights supporters should also take note of the Religious Right's desire to learn from anti-gay legislation in other countries. If the Religious Right is paying close attention to anti-gay initiatives around the globe, so should we.

Commentary Tidbits

Bartholomew's Notes on Religion: Tyndale House Doubles Down on Support for Mark Driscoll

Warren Throckmorton: Janet Mefferd Removes Evidence Relating To Charges Of Plagiarism Against Mark Driscoll; Apologizes To Audience

The Anxious Bench: Plagiarism, Personality-Driven Leadership, and the Problem With Evangelicalism

SPLC Hatewatch: Hate Group Ties Become Issue for Tony Perkins in Possible Run for Congress

Religion Dispatches: Will IRS Crack Down on Church Politicking?

The Guardian: Why I won't be going back to Bristol's creationist zoo

Salon: Civil war in the church!: Catholics tell bishops to stop playing doctor

O-blog-dee-o-blog-da: Anti-gay Scott Lively again tries to avoid crimes against humanity trial 

The New Civil Rights Movement: The Religious Right Has ‘Lost The War’ Says Glenn Beck

Anthony B. Susan: Setting the Boundaries

Defeating the Dragons: Victims and abusers, and why church is not safe

Heresy in the Heartland: Mandatory Motherhood

Salon: Christian conservatives have perfected playing the victim card

News Tidbits

Religion News Service: Mefferd producer reportedly resigns over Mark Driscoll controversy

Christian Post: Mars Hill Church to Host Undergraduate, Graduate Level University and Seminary Programs

Politico: Rick Santorum ties Obamacare, Nelson Mandela

Washington Post: Pentecostal pastors in Africa push prayer, not drugs, for people with HIV

BBC News: Vatican rebuffs United Nations sex abuse inquiries

CNN: Vatican setting up commission against sexual abuse of minors

Bluestem Prairie: Bachmann and Associates counseling clinic rebranded self as Counseling Care

The Advocate: Bill O'Reilly Lauds Antigay Group's Work in 'War on Christmas'

The Guardian: Catholic school fires gay teacher who applied for marriage license

Pink News: UK: Trans Christians express disappointment over Church report and reiterate calls for inclusion

ABC 7 News: Court hears discrimination case over wedding cake for gay couple

EQUAL Prepares for Annual Protest at IHOP's OneThing Conference

Every December, the International House of Prayer (IHOP) hosts OneThing, a large-scale worship conference in Kansas City, MO.* However, one youth organization is taking IHOP to task for its messages about LGBTQ people.

Empowering Queer Activists and Leaders (EQUAL) is an LGBTQ youth organization that advocates for LGBTQ equality in the Kansas City area. Camp Kansas City reports that EQUAL is finalizing plans to protest at this year's OneThing conference, as it has done for several years. According to Camp Kansas City, EQUAL president Wick Thomas explained that the OneThing protest is intended to raise awareness of homophobic ministries and engage conference attendees on LGBTQ issues.

EQUAL's annual protest stems from IHOP's troubling stance on LGBTQ issues. Camp Kansas City states that IHOP has ties to Desert Stream Ministries, which promotes so-called conversion therapy intended to change participants' sexual orientation. Lou Engle, the founder of TheCall and a longtime supporter of IHOP, has a long history of homophobic comments. Several years ago, Engle made scathing comments about the "homosexual agenda" at a religious rally in Uganda, shortly before Ugandan parliament began consideration of a draconian anti-gay bill. LGBTQ rights groups such as Soulforce and Human Rights Campaign have publicly criticized Engle for his homophobic activism in Uganda. **

I applaud EQUAL for holding IHOP and Lou Engle accountable, and for working diligently toward LGBTQ equality. My hope is that EQUAL's demonstration at the 2012 OneThing gathering will open minds about LGBTQ issues and raise awareness of IHOP's history.




* Republic of Gilead has posted commentary on OneThing gatherings from 2010, 2011, and 2012.

**  For an in-depth look at the relationship between American evangelical leaders and the proposed "Kill the Gays" bill in Uganda, check out documentaries such as Missionaries of Hate and God Loves Uganda.

Commentary Tidbits

The Way of Improvement Leads Home: White Guys Talking About Christian Hip-Hop and "Reformed Rap"

Uncommon God, Common Good: Ayn Rand, Christians and Altruism

Right Wing Watch: Why It's Best Not To Cite The Pilgrims While Defending Hobby Lobby

Washington Post: Catholic hospitals are growing. What will that mean for reproductive health?

Think Progress: The American Family Association’s Naughty Or Nice List And The Vapidity Of The ‘War On Christmas’

Mother Jones: Why Climate Change Skeptics and Evolution Deniers Joined Forces

Political Research Associates: How the Right's State-Based Think Tanks Are Transforming U.S. Politics

Spiritual Sounding Board: Doug Phillips: “Disowns” Former Vision Forum Executive Assistant to President, Peter Bradrick, Calls Him “Destroyer” When Confronted about Sins

This Ain't Livin': I Don't Need Faith to Have Ethics

News Tidbits

Associated Press: Notre Dame Sues Over Birth Control Mandate

Washington Post: ACLU sues US bishops over Catholic hospital ethics

Raw Story: Rafael Cruz: God told me to wake up the pastors so they will warn the people

Raw Story: Catholic hospital sent home woman enduring dangerous, prolonged miscarriage, suit claims

City Pages: Minnesota: Rep. Karen Clark plans to introduce bill banning ex-gay therapy

Christian Post: Tony Perkins, Congressmen Meet With Netanyahu in Israel

Los Angeles Times: For Roger Mahony, clergy abuse cases were a threat to agenda

Pink News: Gay ‘cure’ conference to be staged by Anglican Mainstream in London

Gay Star News: Maltese bishop Charles Scicluna says gay sex has no role in society

Gay Christian Network Talks to Straight Christians

The Gay Christian Network recently posted a video about its study of straight Christians' attitudes toward gays. What they found was unfortunate but not surprising. We still have a lot of work to do.