Commentary Tidbits -- Easter Edition

Happy Easter to all my readers!

Politicus USA: An Easter Lesson from a Small Church that Defied the Agenda of Hate

Talk to Action: Extreme Over Easter: AFA Declares War on Ohio Town's Spring Egg Hunt

Daily Kos: The War on Easter?

Religion Dispatches: Eddie Long Off the Cross in Time for Easter?

Earth Day and its Detractors

Stop worshipping that blue heron!
What is it with you Earth Day types!?

Today, April 22nd, is Earth Day. Established by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970, Earth Day is now an international event devoted to environmental issues. Earth Day events abound, intended to raise consciousness about our relationship with the natural world.

Predictably, some Religious Right figures have voiced their displeasure with Earth Day and environmentalism, which they brand as allegedly anti-Christian. As we celebrate Earth Day, we should also be aware of its detractors and the myths circulating about environmentalism.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

You were worshipping this bird,
weren't you? Knock it off.
I mean it.

First, at his Vision Forum blog, Doug Phillips posted a commentary entitled "A Christian Response to Earth Day: Understanding the 4 Lies of the Radical Environmental Movement." Phillips insists that many modern people are "earth worshippers" and "sanitized pantheists" in their alleged religious devotion to the natural world. Pantheism, he claims, is not only at the core of the green movement, but has also seeped into entertainment, advertising, politics, and schools. Earth Day, supposedly, is a holy day in honor of the "earth God". In other worlds, Phillips associates environmentalism with pagan Earth worship and pantheism, assuming that it is antithetical to Christianity. The fact that most environmentalists are not pagans, and that plenty of green Christians and ecotheologians have reconciled faith and environmental awareness seems to have escaped him. To boot, he assumes that Earth worship is automatically negative, which many modern-day neo-pagans would disagree with!

Phillips accuses the environmental movement of promoting four lies: (1) Earth is our mother, (2) human life holds no greater intrinsic value than animal life, (3) environmental harm is the greatest crisis facing humanity, and (4) environmental problems will lead to an end of life on Earth unless public policy and private practices change. In doing so, Phillips makes sweeping assumptions about the environmental movement that do not necessary reflect reality. For instance, not all environmentalists would agree with statement #2, which is reflective of biocentric ethics (i.e., deep ecology) but not of anthropocentric or virtue ethics approaches to the environment.

News Tidbits

KGET 17: Did pro-life activist go too far?

Action News Jacksonville: Kimberly Daniels responds to new controversial video

Knoxnews.com: "Don't Say Gay" Bill Clears Tennessee Senate Panel

Beliefnet: Poll: Americans See Clash Between Christianity, Capitalism

Physorg.com: Religion continues to impact voter decision, study finds

The Advocate: Antigay Group Boycotts Transgender MTV Character

The Wichita Eagle: Judge rejects injunction for anti-abortion activist

Los Angeles Times: Billboards that highlight black abortion disparity spark debate

Los Angeles Times: New York artist satirizes Westboro Baptist Church leaders in painting

American Independent: Young Conservatives of Texas claims responsibility for ‘family and traditional values’ centers amendment

Texas Independent: Rep. Christian: GLBT centers at A&M, UT ‘are about promoting a certain life style and culture’

Texas Independent: Effects of Texas House legislation unclear for GLBT programs at A&M, A&M-Commerce

Commentary Tidbits

The DV8: South Carolina Republicans

Truth Wins Out: Anti-Semitic ‘Demon-Buster’ Runs For Jacksonville City Council

Talk to Action: A Kim Daniels "Demon Buster" Quote Base

Freak Out Nation: Mike Huckabee Slams Glenn Beck

Good As You: NOM's Ruth Institute Now Pushing "Ex-Gay" Therapy

Think Progress Wonk Room: Pawlenty Unsure If Homosexuality Is A Health Risk /

The American Prospect: Submitting to the Christian Right

Media Matters: Referencing Genesis, Beck Advises Listeners To Spend On Food Insurance Rather Than Save Money

Religion Dispatches: Dialogue or Demonization? Where Gays are Concerned, Focus on the Family Wants it Both Ways

Right Wing Watch: Harvey And LaBarbera Accuse LGBT Community And Glee Of Using "Demonic Manipulation" To Make Kids Gay

More Highlights from Awakening 2011

(To read an earlier post on LGBT issues at Awakening 2011, click here.)

Awakening 2011, held at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA on April 8-9, drew attention not only because of homophobic comments made by attendees, but also because of conference speakers stances on education and reproductive issues.

As mentioned earlier, the conference held several workshops with anti-abortion and anti-Planned Parenthood content. (See freedomfederation[dot]org/content/awakening_2011_schedule)

- "Exposing Planned Parenthood and Sex Trafficking"

- "Abortion: Ending the Holocaust and Defunding Planned Parenthood"

- "Hooking Up, Homosexuality, Pornography, Abortion, Sex Trafficking, and Cultural Engagement"

- Screenings of the film Maafa 21

Anti-abortion advocate Lila Rose, founder of LiveAction, spoke at Awakening 2011. According to the American Independent, Rose urged students to join the anti-abortion movement, which she called "the winning side" and "the side of life." The article also states that Rose accused Planned Parenthood of allegedly skirting mandatory reporting laws. When asked why LiveAction uses manufactured video evidence on its website, Rose asked if they should use real victims of abuse.

News Tidbits

New York Times: Even on Religious Campuses, Students Fight for Gay Identity

Detroit Free Press: Prosecutors seek to stop rally outside Dearborn mosque by Florida pastor

American Independent: Focus on the Family happy with Boehner plan to shell out $500K to defend DOMA

American Independent: Arizona Gov. Brewer signs bill allowing churches political power

Florida Independent: ‘Catholic Services’ restricts birth control despite overwhelming number of Catholic women using it

Florida Independent: Palin to speak at yet another Heroic Media-sponsored event

Commentary Tidbits

Right Wing Watch: Jackson: Gay Marriage Part of a "Satanic Plot" to Destroy the Family

Daily Kos: Religious Right Attacks Paralysis Research Bill

Salon: Revisiting the murder of Dr. George Tiller

People for the American Way: Barton’s Bunk: Religious Right ‘Historian’ Hits the Big Time in Tea Party 

Media Matters: Doocy's Response To CA Bill That Would Require Teaching LGBT Contributions To History: "Homeschool!"

Religion Dispatches: Vatican: Gay Rights Opponents Are Real Victims

RH Reality Check: The Anti-Choice Movement: A Dangerous Place for African American Women

Awakening 2011 Retrospective -- LGBT Issues

I've been blogging at a snail's pace recently . . .

Man, I'm really off my game. My busy schedule kept me from blogging about Awakening 2011 until this weekend, so I offer my regrets for this delayed post. 
-- Ahab

On April 8-9, Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA hosted Awakening 2011, an annual gathering of conservatives sponsored by the Freedom Federation. Featuring speakers such as Newt Gingrich, Lila Rose, Matt Barber, Matt Staver, and Rick Scarborough, Awakening 2011 was a veritable who's who of Religious Right figures. The titles of some of its workshops provide a taste of the conference's tone. (See freedomfederation[dot]org/content/awakening_2011_schedule)

- "Exposing Planned Parenthood and Sex Trafficking"

- "Abortion: Ending the Holocaust and Defunding Planned Parenthood"

- "The Kinsey Fraud, Child Prostitution and Sex Trafficking: The Problem and Possible Solutions"

- "Hooking Up, Homosexuality, Pornography, Abortion, Sex Trafficking, and Cultural Engagement"

- "Religious Liberty and the LGBT Agenda: A Zero Sum Game in the Military and Beyond"

- "Sharia Law and the Constitution"

- "ObamaCare: Dismantling the Monstrosity in the Courts, in Congress, and in the States"

- Screenings of the film Maafa 21

We owe a debt of gratitude to the American Independent for its exhaustive coverage of the event, as well as Right Wing Watch for capturing excerpts of the conference on video.

Commentary Tidbits

Politics Plus: Would Jesus Forgive Republican Supply-Side Jesus?

Americans United for Separation of Church and State: Hospital Mergers And Heavy-Handed Tactics Are Giving The Catholic Hierarchy An Increasingly Problematic Role In American Health Care

Box Turtle Bulletin: Laurie Higgins hates the sinner

Ms. Magazine: New Line of Tween Panties Promotes … Abstinence?

Religion Dispatches: The Evangelical Sex Disconnect

Alternet: Tea Party Jesus: Koch's Americans for Prosperity Sidles Up to Religious Right for 2012 Campaign

* Not to be confused with the humor site Tea Party Jesus     :)

News Tidbits

Huffington Post: Evangelicals Named to Ministry Watchdog Panel

Minnesota Independent: School district: Alliance Defense Fund confused about anti-abortion student group

CNN: New abortion laws show Christian Right's continued power

The Advocate: Rep. Frank: Antigay Hatred Losing Steam

Edge Boston: Anti-Gay Right Responds to California Gay History Bill