Rod 2.0:Beta

Focus on the Family Unhinged: Prays for Rain at Obama Speech

The right-wing social conservative nutjobs at James Dobson's Focus on the Family momentarily turn away from supporting fighting the "evil ... homosexual agenda" and now advocate a more ridiculous task: Praying for rain at Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Stuart Shepard, digital media director for FoF, hopes the almighty will send a sudden, heavy rain to Denver's Invesco Field at Mile High during Obama's acceptance speech on August 28. Shepard's bizarre video prayer request was posted earlier this week and later yanked from their website, but, PageOneQ posted a copy to YouTube. Watch it and laugh.
& ;

"Would it be wrong if we asked people to pray for rain? Abundant rain. Torrential rain. Urban and small stream flood advisory rain. I know, you might ask, why would I pray for that? Well, I'm still pro-life. And I'm still in favor of marriage being only between one man and one woman. And I'd like the next President, who will select justices for the U.S. Supreme Court, to agree."

If God decides that "rain of biblical proportions would be a good and proper meteorological condition for that evening," he added, "we'll see it, and we'll say that it is good."

Well, Stuart, now that you ask, it would not be "wrong" to ask God to use a flash flood to interrupt the Democrats' convention. It would be pathetic and downright un-Christian. Oh, and while you're promoting "marriage being only between one man and one woman", why does Focus on the Family support adulterous senators? Where do they find these freaks. Seriously.

Video: Pray for Rain at Obama's DNC Speech [P1Q]

More FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

Some Background ...
White House Must Reveal Visits by Anti-Gay, Christian Leaders [R20]
James Dobson: Just Say "No" to Giuliani [R20]
Anti-Gay FoF Will Not Support Thompson [R20]
Dungy Sits Down with Anti-Gay Dr. James Dobson [R20]
Why Is Dungy Endorsing Anti-Gay Fundamentalists? [R20]
Dobson Doesn't Have Time to "Cure" Haggard [R20]
Dobson on GOP Defeat [R20]
Blacks and Ex-Gays [R20]
"Ex-Gays" Refuse to Apologize [R20]
Ex Gays: Blacks Better Off Under Slavery [R20]
"Christians" Opposed to Obama [R20]
Gay MI Man Files $60M Lawsuit Against Bible Publishers [R20]

Post Quotes "Handwriting Experts" to "Analyze" Obama's Prayer Note

Is nothing sacred? The Murdoch-owned New York Post stoop to new lows of journalism and publishes the alleged note written and slipped into the cracks of the Western Wall in Jerusalem by Democratic presidential challenger Barack Obama.& ; The tabloid published the note after it "was stolen from the wall—reportedly by a Jewish seminary student—and then published in the Israeli daily paper Maariv."

The historic site is the holiest in Judaism and it would be an understatement to call the theft of any note left there a sacrilege. The rabbi in charge of the wall, Shmuel Rabinovitz, slammed Maariv for publishing the text, telling Israeli Army Radio, "The notes placed between the stones of the Western Wall are between a person and his maker. It is forbidden to read them or make any use of them . . . [this] damages the Western Wall and damages the personal, deep part of every one of us that we keep to ourselves."

To add more heaps of BS to the pile, the newspaper quotes several "handwriting experts" to "analyze" Obama's prayer request. One quoted "expert", arlene Leachman said "that when he wrote 'forgive me,' there was "too much space between forgive and me, so he probably doesn't feel he needs to be forgiven."

Outrageous. It is the New York Post that feels it doesn't need to be forgiven. And how about that seminary student? Would you want to share a confession or your troubles with him?

Dear God [NYP]

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Sudanese Anglican Bishop Blasts Gays and Bishop Gene Robinson

At the same thousands of people in Sudan are being killed by civil war and the president has been indicted for war crimes and genocide, the Sudanese Anglican bishops take a strong public stand against the most important problem facing their nation. Gays in the church and same sex marriage.

The Archbishop of Sudan, Daniel Deng Bul, calls for openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson,of New Hampshire to "resign for the sake of the church."& ; At the Lambeth Conference, the once-in-a-decade summit of Anglican leaders, Deng condemned Robinson and gays saying, "God is not making a mistake creating Adam and Eve. He would have created two Adams if he wanted."

In a joint statement, Sudanese bishops accused& ; American and Canadian church leaders of "ridiculing" Anglicanism and destroying its credibility by ordaining gay American clergy and blessing same-sex unions in Canada. Bishop Robinson is the first openly gay bishop in the 450-year-old church's history, and the Sudanese archbishop blamed him for boycott of the conference by 230 conservative bishops.

Archbishop Deng "said the existence of an actively gay bishop in America had direct consequences for Anglicans" minorities living in heavily Muslim countries such as Sudan. "We are called infidel by the Islamic world. When they are hearing our brothers and sisters from other parts of the Christian global, when they are talking of the same sex to be blessed. Immediately it gives them the way out to tell the other people, these people are evil and they can even harm our people more."

Gay Bishop Robinson 'Should Quit' [BBC]
Gay Bishop Should Resign: Sudan Church Leader [Reuters]

Obama and McCain Agree to Forum at Rick Warren's Mega-Church

Sen. Barack Obama famously said he "welcomed" a debate with Sen. John McCain and would meet him "anytime, anywhere, but, since then, the presidential candidates have been unable to agree to a series of town hall meetings. You'll be happy to hear they have finally agreed on their first joint appearance: At a mega-church.

The Rev. Rick Warren has persuaded the candidates to attend a forum at his Saddleback Church, in Lake Forest, Calif., on Aug. 16. In an interview, Mr. Warren said over the weekend that the presidential candidates would appear together for a moment but that he would interview them in succession at his megachurch. ...

Mr. Warren, the author of the best-selling book "The Purpose-Driven Life," said he had called each man personally to invite him to his event, which will focus on how they make decisions and on some of Mr. Warren’s main areas of focus, like AIDS, poverty and the environment. ...

He said that both had readily agreed, perhaps reflecting how each candidate is courting the evangelical audience to whom Mr. Warren ministers..

The event will be co-sponsored by Faith in Public Life, the same ecumenical religious group that held the CNN Compassion Forum at the anti-gay Messiah College in Pennsylvania in April attended by Obama and primary challenger Hillary Clinton. Transcript here.

This wouldn't be the first time Obama sat on the stage at Warren's Baptist mega-church. In November 2006, Rod 2.0 reported on the controversy among Christian right evangelicals surrounding Obama's appearance at Saddleback to attend an evangelical AIDS summit. They were not pleased.

Rev. Rick Warren is a social conservative but not cut from the same rabidly anti-gay cloth as the James Dobsons and Harry Jacksons. Warren is far more passive-aggressive, such as preaching against benefits and and rights for gay couples, but, welcoming gay dad's for Father's Day. But not showing up. Or, preaching compassion for gay youth, but, refusing to meet with Soulforce.

In late June, Obama said he would expand the Bush Administration's faith-based initiatives office and faith outreach would be a "critical" part of his White House..

McCain, Obama Agree to Attend Megachurch Forum [NYT]

More OBAMA
More McCAIN
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Some Background ...
"Pastor Warren, Would You Let a White Supremacist Speak at Your Church?" [R20]
"Christians" Opposed to Obama[R20]
Far-Right Not Interested in Disease [R20]
Far-Right Not Interested in Disease Pt 2[R20]
Obama: Not "Very Christian" to Criticize Gays [R20]
Obama: Hospital Visitation for Gay Couples is "Not a Special Privilege" [R20]
Behind the Gay-Friendly Faces [The Advocate + PDF]
A Tale of Two Cities [The Advocate]
I Have a Dream ... Ticket [The Advocate]

Anti-Gay CME Bishop Suspended Pending Lawsuit, Criminal Charges for Sexually Assaulting Minister

Black mega-church pastors gone wild! A prominent, anti-gay black Christian Methodist Episcopal bishop in Dallas-Fort Worth is suspended after indicted on sexual assault charges involving a 46-year-old man. The victim is also a minister in the CME Church.

Bishop Kenneth Wayne Carter, reports the Houston Chronicle, was indicted last month, charged and released on $10,000 bail last week. Church officials announced Carter, 51, was suspended with pay until his criminal case is resolved.

Carter, who is married with children, has preached a strict anti-gay message at Carter Metropolitan C.M.E. Church in Fort Worth for the past decade and apparently leading a double life. The licensed minister at a Dallas CME church alleges "Carter sexually assaulted him last year when he went to Carter's Arlington home to be interviewed for a driving job. The minister says he went to the interview despite his misgivings about Carter's 'homosexual tendencies.' " The bishop maintains the sex was consensual and claims the minister "was the aggressor." Talk about on-the-job training.

Oh, and it gets more interesting. The victim has also filed a lawsuit against Carter, the Memphis-based Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and Senior Bishop William Graves. The Star-Telegram reports "the lawsuit on the accusations is set for trial next month" but plaintiff's attorneys expect "the civil court case to be postponed until after the criminal case is tried." Litigation means additional victims partners could be introduced, as well as more full details on Carter's "homosexual tendencies."

Bishop Kenneth W. Carter was elected as the 55th Bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in 2006. The church is an historic African-American denomination that dates to 1870 and was formerly known as the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. It boasts approximately 800,000 members in the United States, Haiti, Jamaica, Ghana, Liberia & Nigeria. Some state chapters and churches, such as those in Massachusetts and Colorado, have backed gay rights. Carter has not only opposed gay rights, but he has preached against gays. What goes around comes around.

CME Bishop Suspended [Hou Chron]
CME Bishop Indicted in Sex-Assault Case [ST]

Sudanese President to Face War Crimes and Genocide Charges

More developments on a story we first reported in Friday's news wrap. Later today, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is expected to charge Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir "with crimes against humanity for allegedly directing the campaign of rape and murder that has plagued the Darfur region for five years." The Wall Street Journal.

Aid groups and others say the move will test the effectiveness of the six-year-old court as well as the resolve of the international community to bring Mr. Bashir to trial and address a conflict the U.S. has called genocide.

A person familiar with the matter confirmed that the chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, plans to bring the charges Monday, but it remained unclear whether he will move against others as well. A spokeswoman for Mr. Moreno-Ocampo declined to comment.

Filing charges could complicate United Nations peacekeeping missions in Sudan which have already seen a number of aid workers killed or kidnapped. So far, at least 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million displaced in the civil war between the government and Darfur provinces.

Meanwhile, in Khartoum, "thousands of people took to the streets of Sudan’s tense capital...in a carefully choreographed protest" denouncing the international court and the United Nations. Sudan’s state-run television station broadcast a statement from the al-Bashir's National Congress Party, "saying that the court’s actions would cause 'more violence and blood' in Darfur."

Sudan's largest economic and military partner is China.

Sudan President to Face Darfur Charges [WSJ]
Sudanese Protest War Crimes Case [NYT]

Some Background ...
Bush Pressures Sudan with Sanctions Over Darfur [R20]
"We All Witness" Darfur Except LeBron James [R20]
UN Climate Report: Poor Will Suffer Most [R20]
Edwards Launches White House Run [R20]
Sudan's Multi-million Dollar Ad Campaign [R20]
Carl Lewis Says Bush Should Boycott Beijing [R20]

Christian UK Registrar Can Refuse to Perform Same Sex Partnerships

Calling it a "victory for religious liberty," a North London registrar who refused to perform gay civil partnerships because they were "sinful" wins a landmark discrimination suit. The Independent:

In a unanimous judgment, an employment tribunal found Islington council in north London unlawfully discriminated against Lillian Ladele, who was threatened with dismissal when she asked to be excused from conducting gay marriage ceremonies.

Ms Ladele, who worked in the registration service for nearly 16 years, said she held "orthodox Christian beliefs'' about marriage and same-sex unions and was not happy to perform civil partnerships. She asked to be excused from them because other registrars could conduct the services.

She was subjected to various acts of direct discrimination by the council on the grounds of her religious beliefs, the Central London Employment Tribunal ruled. This included disciplining her and threatening her with dismissal, concluding that she had committed gross misconduct and labelling and treating her as homophobic.

The self-described "Christian" tells the BBC, "I am delighted at this decision. It is a victory for religious liberty, not just for myself but for others in a similar position. Gay rights should not be used as an excuse to bully and harass people over their religious beliefs."

That's funny because many of us believe "religion" should not be "used as an excuse to bully and harass people" over their sexuality.

Registrar wins same-sex tribunal [BBC]
Registrar wins right to refuse gay weddings [Ind]

News: Gabrielle Union, Dobson, Hagee, Pharrell, Domestic Violence

· Two years ago in an interview with OUT, Gabrielle Union said, "You're nobody until someone says you're gay." The actress returns to the magazine to glam it up and share some advice with the boys.

· Should rabidly anti-gay demagogue James Dobson be recognized by the Radio Hall of Fame? Truth Wins Out launches petition drive to keep the hateful Focus on the Family founder out of the museum. "It is outrageous and insulting that James Dobson would be nominated for the Radio Hall of Fame," says TWO Executive Director Wayne Besen. "We believe that character counts and nominees should have careers based on honesty and integrity—not discrimination, distorting research and outright lying."

· Huffington Post: Lawyers for anti-gay evangelical Rev. John Hagee force YouTube to remove more than 120 videos of the controversial pastor.

· Pharrell Williams to undergo exotic tattoo removal procedure "that involves growing new skin."

· Cher laughs off rumors of a(nother) quickie wedding.

· Domestic violence and gay relationships, coast to coast. Los Angeles: City Council creates subcommittee "aimed at reducing incidents of domestic violence among same-sex couples [because ] often times police officers do not know what to do when they respond to a situation that involves violence between gay and lesbian partners." New York: Gay friendly Gov. David Paterson wants to expand domestic violence law to include dating relationships.

· Kenyan Anglican bishop threatens to quit the church over same-sex marriages. The Reverend Thomas Kogo believes gay rights activists are driven by ... "desire" for money and wealth. "God recognizes marriage between man and woman, and there is no way we will accept homosexuality and gay marriages. The Bible is very clear on the matter."

· A bidding war erupts over Ivorian footballer and Rod 2.0 fave Didier Drogba. "Despite continuing rumours that Didier Drogba will be heading to Milan this summer, Chelsea's new manager is "200%" sure the phenom will remain in England. Meanwhile .... "Marseilles fans have launched an appeal to raise £22m in order to buy" Drogba's contract.

· NTSB unsure of cause of recent problem with Obama's campaign plane but investigation does "not reveal any evidence of missing components, nor any evidence of tampering."

· White House caught suppressing data on global warming.

"In a letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), former White House official Jason Burnett revealed that Vice President Cheney’s office deleted portions of the testimony of Center for Disease Control Director Julie Gerberding, who testified last year about the consequences of climate change on public health. In a press conference yesterday, Boxer charged that White House spokesperson Dana Perino had 'lied' about the rationale behind the editing of the testimony: 'As I understand it, she said, the draft information did not comport with that, the science that was in the IPCC report. This was a lie. And we proved it before. We had in the last press conference we did on this.' "

Gay Michigan Man Files $60M Lawsuit Against Bible Publishers

Jeremy at Good As You gives an excellent heads up. Bradley LaShawn Fowler, a black gay Michigan man, is suing two Bible publishers for $60 million and claims the mis-interpretation of passages that call homosexuality "sinful" made him and other gay men and lesbians outcasts from their families, and, targets of abuse. It's an interesting claim and Christian groups are closely following the case.

The 39-year-old man filed separate lawsuits against Tennessee-based publisher Zondervan and Michigan-based Thomas Nelson Publishing. Fowler, who is representing himself, says the Biblical references have made him an outcast from his family and have contributed to physical discomfort, "demoralization, chaos and bewilderment."

His suit centers on one passage in scripture -- 1 Corinthians 6:9 -- and how it reads in Bibles published by Zondervan.

Fowler says Zondervan Bibles published in 1982 and 1987 use the word homosexuals among a list of those who are "wicked" or "unrighteous" and won't inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Fowler says his family's pastor used that Zondervan Bible, and because of it his family considered him a sinner and he suffered.

The lawsuits also blame the publishers for causing Bradley "or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence ... including murder." The lawsuit is certainly a long-shot but the judge decided not to dismiss the case. Just this week alone, we've reported numerous incidents of abuse, discrimination, violence and murder of gays. Proving that fundamentalist bigotry against gays caused specific emotional injuries might be problematic ... but the connection between religious bigotry and homophobia is undeniable.

Zondervan claims it doesn't translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations, instead relying on the "scholarly judgment of credible translation committees."

Christian social conservatives, such as the homo-bigots at James Dobson's Focus on the Family, believe this case could be a latest tipping point of the evil and nebulous gay agenda. "As frivolous as this case may sound, it's an indicator of where the homosexual agenda is headed," says FoF judicial analyst Bruce Hausknecht. "Ten years from now, this type of case won't be humorous at all; we'll see organizations like the ACLU dedicating resources to them because such 'language' will no longer be considered protected speech."

Zondervan faces $60M federal lawsuit over Bible [WOOD-TV]
Fowler finds one Bible 'fouler' than others [GAY]
Man Sues Bible Publishers [FoF]

Bush's Anti-Gay Surgeon General Nominee Refuses Senate Questions

An update to the story of Dr. James Holsinger, the Bush Administration's controversial nominee for Surgeon General with an anti-gay record, history of homophobic and scientifically inaccurate statements, opposing gay and lesbian clergy in the United Methodist Church, and, founding an ex-gay ministry. Holsinger's nomination stalled in July and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee never took a vote.

The Louisville Courier-Journal reports the University of Kentucky cardiologist who was "picked by President Bush in May 2007, is more than 10 months late answering written questions from the Senate committee that would consider his nomination.In the protocol of Congress, missing a deadline by that much is tantamount to political suicide for a presidential nominee." The newspaper also published an editorial expressing displeasure with Holsinger and criticized him as "disrespectful" for "ignor[ing] questions from the committee for so long." Ouch.

Not only were Ted Kennedy and the Democrats on the HELP Committee very clear in their opposition to Holsinger, but, some Republicans also expressed concerns. It's likely Holsinger never responded to the committee's questions because they would be used against him, and, because the Bush Administration hoped to sneak a recess appointment. But that's not going to happen because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has made sure the Senate is technically in session during holidays.

Time running out for surgeon general nominee [LCJ]
Holsinger's silence [LCJ]

Some Background ...
Bush to Bypass Senate to Appoint AntiGay Surgeon General Nominee? [R20]
Kennedy to Block Surgeon General-Nominee? [R20]
NYT Editorial Slams Surgeon General Nominee [R20]
Republicans Opposed to Surgeon General Nominee [R20]
Confirmation Hearings Set [R20]
Lift Gag Rule from Surgeon Genl Nominee [R20]
Joycelyn Elders on Surgeon General Nominee [R20]
Senate GOP Leader Supports Nominee [R20]
Surgeon General Warning [R20]
Clinton, Edwards Oppose Surgeon Genl Nominee [R20]