I'm sorry you feel SOCAS is not important (1)

Generally not something I would expand upon but this "head in the sand" attitude needs to cease as it has been going on for way too long. Due to space considerations I could not elaborate as much as I would have liked concerning some points I made. So here we go, and this is gonna be long, very long!

As I noted, religionists have a troubled relationship with race and segregation.

In May 1969, a group of African-American parents in Holmes County, Mississippi, sued the Treasury Department to prevent three new whites-only K-12 private academies from securing full tax-exempt status, arguing that their discriminatory policies prevented them from being considered “charitable” institutions,,,

In  Green v. Kennedy [https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/309/1127/2096127/] (David Kennedy was secretary of the treasury at the time), decided in January 1970, the plaintiffs won a preliminary injunction, which denied the “segregation academies” tax-exempt status until further review. In the meantime, the government was solidifying its position on such schools. Later that year, President Richard Nixon ordered the Internal Revenue Service to enact a new policy denying tax exemptions to all segregated schools in the United States. Under the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which forbade racial segregation and discrimination, discriminatory schools were not—by definition—“charitable” educational organizations, and therefore they had no claims to tax-exempt status; similarly, donations to such organizations would no longer qualify as tax-deductible contributions.

What Balmer argues, Paul Weyrich used this opportunity to organize the Religious Right as the IRS began sending questionnaires to church-related “segregation academies.” One such institution which become the battleground is Bob Jones University. While the initial legal battle began in 1971, it wasn't until 1983that SCOTUS upheld the right of the IRS to rescind the tax-exempt status of the University in Bob Jones University v. United States 461 U.S. 574 (1983).


From Amanda Marcotte,

Balmer doesn't mention it, but there was one other shift in the public consciousness going on at the time. The "Stop ERA" campaign, headed up by Christian right leader Phyllis Schlafly to kill the Equal Rights Amendment banning sex discrimination, got moving in 1972. By the time male Christian conservative leaders like Weyrich and Falwell decided to make abortion a centerpiece issue, Schlafly had done the yeoman's work of convincing huge numbers of evangelical Christians that feminists were a threat to the very fabric of society. With hostility to women's equality rising, making the anti-abortion pitch was probably much, much easier.

In regards to the Bible being used as a sledge-hammer (justifying slavery and anti-LGBTQI+ discrimination), two books come to mind: Saving The Original Sinner: How Christians Have Used the Bible’s First Man to Oppress, Inspire and Make Sense of the World, by Karl. W. Giberson (2015) AND The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It by Peter Enns (2015). Both books explore the intellectual games used by conservative Christians to “protect” the Bible and justify their actions or in-actions.

It is in chapter 9 that Giberson explores racism and slavery. Contrary to AiG some of the most ardent racists were so-called Christians who used the Bible to support such. (I contrast with Ham and AiG as I am more familiar with their stance than any other creationist/religionist organization.) Just for shits-n-giggle, this is AiG's review of Giberson's book (abstract).

According to Dr. Karl Giberson, the molecules-to-man evolution that supposedly spawned us also made us the morally messed up creatures that we are. In Saving the Original Sinner he attacks belief in the historicity of Adam. He teaches that we are “original sinners” not as Adam’s descendants but as a result of our evolutionary heritage. Believing sin and death did not enter human history through Adam but are the natural results of evolution, he considers Adam irrelevant. Gone with Adam is the biblical foundation for understanding why the “last Adam” Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of the first Adam’s descendants. Bible-believing creationists who believe Adam and Eve were the first parents of all people refuse to accept Darwinian evolution’s explanation of human origins. Therefore, belief in Adam is a stronghold that evolutionist Karl Giberson assaults with this book, hoping to precipitate a crisis of faith in biblical creationists.

While I would have to review my copy of Giberson book to be sure, but this goes to Ham's fear of losing authority, something I have written about before - specifically The Evolution Connection.  Why he pushes so hard for creationism to be taught in schools.

As for my take away from Enns' book, while he was a bit more fluffy for my overall liking, he makes an interesting point that I believe highlights the mind-set of the Religious Right, "God never told the Israelites to kill the Canaanites. The Israelites believed that God told them to kill the Canaanites."

Again for shits-n-giggles, AiG's critique.

What we know of Jesus Christ’s love and grace comes to us through the reliable testimony of God’s Word. That simple and beautiful biblical truth, summed up in the familiar phrase “The Bible tells me so” from the hymn “Jesus Loves Me,” introduces many children to the love of Jesus. This sweet refrain also reminds adults that God’s revelation to us in His Word is the foundation for faith and the ultimate source of truth. A new book capitalizing on the familiar song—The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It by Dr. Peter Enns—is a collection of compromises, written for the layman. The book wastes a great deal of ink claiming that the Bible is simply not to be trusted or taken seriously. In it Dr. Enns continues his destructive influence on the Christian faith and biblical understanding through his relentless assault on God’s Word.

We are all well aware of the "clobber passages" used to justify hatred and discrimination, re-hashing them now would be a bit redundant (and make this post even longer).  What I want to focus on are some of the preachers of hate both members of clergy and pols-n-pundits.  As I said many years ago, this type of rhetoric is no longer fringe.

Sorry to say, if you do not speak out against the extremism you condone it, it is no longer fringe when it is occurs in our everyday life. To borrow a phrase from a wise friend, I leave you with this: "The religions of "love" teaching hate!!"

Scott Lively in his own words,,,

"There is no question that homosexuality figures prominently in the history of the Holocaust. … The first years of terrorism against the Jews were carried out by the homosexuals of the SA."
– The Pink Swastika, 1996

"Homosexuality is thus biologically (and to varying degrees morally) equivalent to pedophilia, sado-masochism, bestiality and many other forms of deviant behavior."
– “Deciphering 'Gay' Word-Speak and Language of Confusion," May 2002

Lively is currently running for Governor of Massachusetts, is responsible, in part,  for the "kill the gays" bill in Uganda. With author Kevin Abrams, wrote The Pink Swastika (1995); which is thoroughly debunked. Believes his advocacy helped inspire the Russian law passed in 2013 that bans “propaganda for non-traditional sexual relations among minors.”

Next comes a man who is of the opinion all gays are pedophiles and will have sex with anything, believing all homosexuals should kill themselves. (See:: America's Hate Preachers a BBC documentary, highlighted below, and this little gem.)

ANDERSON: To normal people, homosexuality [and] pedophilia are disgusting. To a normal person.
LIVINGSTON: Why do you put pedophilia and homosexuality in the same group?
ANDERSON: They are in the same group! Because any man who would have sex with another man would have sex with anything. Period. Like, I’ll put it this way: Any man who would have sex with another man would have sex with an animal.
LIVINGSTON: That’s blatantly not true, though!
ANDERSON: It is true! That’s reality. Even if you don’t think it’s reality…

… LIVINGSTON: What do you think homosexuals should do, then?
ANDERSON: Kill themselves, as far as I’m concerned, because they’re horrible, wicked people. They’re just gonna keep molesting and destroying people. So I don’t have any advice for homosexuals, except to put a bullet in your own head so that you don’t molest my kids or anyone else’s kids.

Steven Anderson has been banned in Jamaica (2018), Botswana (deported - 2016), South Africa (2016), the UK (2016) and Canada.  He is known for, not only the above, but also calling on the government to execute homosexuals as well as declaring there are  “50 less pedophiles in this world” after the Pulse nightclub shooting. (Theodore Shoebat is another anti-LGBTQI+ crusader who has also advocated for executing homosexuals. Along with his father Walid "more than a few holes in his backstory" Shoebat, they are a potent hate duo.)

[Besides advocating for the death of LGBT people, Steven Anderson also made an antisemitic film and promoted Holocaust denial (“Marching to Zion.” released in March 2015 - mirror site), saying the Jews lied about the Holocaust in order to create the state of Israel, and that slave laborers at Auschwitz were compensated for their work and could buy items at a commissary.  This is a horrid little film and if you have a strong stomach, it is worth the watch.]

Next on my list is Gordon Klingenschmitt (sadly a hometown boy as he was born in Buffalo and hence my interest), this man should be a nobody but for his one claim to fame. In 2006 he was court-martialed and subsequently ousted from the Navy and sued in the Court of Federal Claims, claiming that he was wrongfully discharged from the Navy and seeking reinstatement, and arguing that his First Amendment rights were violated. (Readers Digest version.)

Now Gordon has had a fairly long career by hate-mongers standards.  While not as vitriolic as Anderson, he is anti-LGBTQI+; he's a bizarre little man. Although he has a thing for "demonic spirits". What makes Klingenschmitt so dangerous, he has served as a state legislator (CO) and is considering another run in 2018.

As Luning notes,

A lightning rod for controversy who put actual lightning rods to shame during his one term in the General Assembly, Klingenschmitt maintained President Barack Obama is possessed by demons and once performed an exorcism on him. He accused U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, who is gay, of wanting to “join ISIS in beheading Christians,” although Klingenschmitt later said the remark wasn’t meant seriously. He was admonished by House GOP leadership for calling it “the curse of God upon America for our sin of not protecting innocent children in the womb” when a pregnant Longmont woman was attacked and her baby was cut from her womb.

Not only is he considering another run for office, he does have the ear of some notable if not infamous politicians. As I have sated before, Klingenschmitt is guilty of biblical hyperliteralism; it is a false way of biblical interpretation which leads to his many bigoted statements.

While Gordon is in some cases mild, not so with our next homophobe,  Kevin Swanson.  He like Anderson and Shoebat advocate for the execution of homosexuals.  What's worse is he has political clout as demonstrated by the 2015 National Religious Liberties Conference. An event he organized featuring, then, three Republican contenders for the presidency:  Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, and  Ted Cruz.

As Katherine Stewart notes for the NYT,

The comfortable thing to do would be to dismiss Mr. Swanson as just another wombat from the embarrassing fringe of American politics. But that would be a mistake. Mr. Swanson’s murderous imaginings did not interfere with his ability to attract senior Republican figures to his conference, including as a keynote speaker Bob Vander Plaats, an Iowa politician who will grant the “Most Wanted Endorsement of 2016,” according to the Conservative Review.

Mr. Swanson is the product of a significant political movement that has coalesced around the theme of religious liberty. Many of its leaders and their allies appear at the Family Research Council’s annual Values Voters Summit. Other power centers include Liberty University (now a required stop on the campaign trail); conservative policy organizations like the American Family Association and Concerned Women for America; and Christian legal advocacy groups like Liberty Counsel (whose co-founder, Mat Staver, acted as Kim Davis’s lawyer) and the Alliance Defending Freedom, the legal powerhouse behind the Hobby Lobby decision (whose president, Alan Sears, co-wrote a book in 2003 titled “The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today”).

When talking about religious conservatives in America, we might perhaps conjure up an image of a farmer in Iowa or a small-business owner in Ohio who goes to church and holds traditional values. But the leaders to whom such conservatives deliver their votes have a distinct, often different, political vision.

Speaking of Ted Cruz (and by proxy his father Rafael) let's take a look-see first at elder Cruz and his dominionist ideology, "that fundamentalist Christians should take over, well, just about everything".

It’s not hard to figure out Rafael Cruz’s basic message. He has given scores, probably hundreds, of sermons and talks at religious and political gatherings, and many are on YouTube. His primary theme is that the United States is a “Christian nation” and that only true believers who adhere to biblical principles—that is, who accept the literal truth of the Bible, as Rafael Cruz and other fundamentalists see it—are worthy of guiding the United States forward. He regularly rails against pastors and church leaders who eschew politics and do not enter the political fray to combat the enemy: secular humanism.

Rafael Cruz is an advocate of Christian dominionism, which essentially holds that fundamentalist Christians should take over, well, just about everything. Speaking at a Texas church in 2012, Rafael Cruz told the crowd that God instructed Adam and Eve to go forth, multiply, and, as he put it, “take dominion over all my creation.” He said this meant that true-believers ought to dominate all areas of life: “That dominion is not just in the church, that dominion is over every area—society, education, government, and economics.” (During that sermon, he also noted that husbands, not wives, should be the “spiritual leader” of their families.) In Cruz’s view, those who accept Christ and his word (as Cruz believes it should be understood) will prosper spiritually and financially. In that same sermon, he noted that God not only anoints priests to lead the faithful, but also anoints “kings…to take dominion.” By that, he means those who rule a nation, and, he adds, these rulers one day (and he makes it sound as if this day will come soon) will transfer the wealth of the “wicked” to the “righteous.”

So, how far do you think the apple falls from the tree? Rafael Cruz is not only Ted Cruz's father, he is also his closest personal and professional mentor who actively campaigned for his son among evangelical voters in regards to the 2016 Presidential election cycle. While Junior's speeches are not laden with hate like his father's, he does accept his father endorsement and council.

It's difficult to succinctly pin a direct statement like Swanson's "kill the gays" on Cruz; but he sure does attract a, shall we say, questionable crowd. For example, Mike Bickle (IHOP) has notably claimed God sent Adolf Hitler to hunt down Jews who refuse to convert to Christianity; James Dobson of Focus on the Family, who has suggested taking up arms against transgendered individuals; Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty who in 2013 had the infamous GQ interview where he stated, 

"Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men," he says. Then he paraphrases Corinthians: "Don't be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won't inherit the kingdom of God. Don't deceive yourself. It's not right."

Bob Vander Plaats of Family Leader,  who led a successful 2010 effort to oust three state Supreme Court justices who ruled in favor of marriage equality.

Pamela Gellar, the anti-Muslim activist who claim to fame is her 2010 campaign in opposition to the Park 51 Islamic Center project in Manhattan, which she deemed the “Ground Zero Mosque”. Not only is she associated with National Security Advisor John Bolton, but Richard Spencer and Milo Yiannopoulos as well.  She is an active columnist at Breibart and WND (note:: direct link be careful!) 

Now just to demonstrate how wacked these associations are, consider this,,, Theodore Shoebat has, in the past, called for Pamela Geller to be put to death for associating with “faggots” and “sodomites” at the “Gays for Trump” event during the RNC convention noted above. I shit you not!!

The list of influences on Cruz is endless in regards to what I consider far-right crazies (for complete list.) But,,, it highlights very well that no matter how small the crazies influence, it has ramifications  for a wider audience.  In some case individuals that are responsible for making our laws. It is why I personally bitch so much in regards to SOCAS.

These are but a few individuals, some I have had personal run-ins with but most interactions have been on the inter-web.  I am going to leave with one last person, someone whom falls into the former category mentioned; Michael Brown.

(Some individuals I have mentioned for a specific reason.   Currently Ted Cruz is up for re-election in Texas against Beto O'Rourke.  While he is not well liked by his colleagues, Cruz does wield much power - w/ Mike Lee of UT - and like Mike Pence, his notion of theocratic control concerning the "Seven Mountains Mandate" is scary, the individuals listed endorse his brand of dominionism, it even scarier.)

Like Scott Lively, Brown has no problem exporting his hate nor like Klingenschmitt claiming homosexual demonic forces or some such shit. Brown is also a big purveyor of the "Christian persecution" narrative (I am a fan of JMG and use him as reference in many a posting, including this one.)  But what makes Brown dangerous, (besides his association with Lou Engle, founder of the International House of Prayer (IHOP) and leader of TheCall; a man who believes the LGBT fight for equality is a bigger threat than Islamic terrorists), he employs verbal and religious violence as a tool of thought and instruction. "[V]erbal, spiritual and theological violence will be to silence and strip all LGBT people of their legal, civil and social equality, freedom and liberty, effectively creating a theocracy governed by the principles they believe are set forward in both Old Testament and New Testament law."


IOWs, while Brown may not advocate for physical violence, his "imagery and allegory, are a threat to LGBT people, even if he and his organization are not,,, there is a thin line between violent thoughts and words, and violent actions and deeds. I believe it is this precariously thin line Brown seems to disregard,,," (From  “Jesus Manifesto,” via Interstateq.)

“Revolution means upheaval. Revolution means the overthrowing of the status quo. We dare not downplay the significance of the word. Revolution is a matter of life and death, and our revolution flows from the blood of the Savior to the blood of the martyr. We put down our sword and take up our cross, overcoming Satan by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony, and by not loving our lives so much as to shrink from death (Rev. 12:11).”

Our revolution is fueled by the power of the gospel, and the gospel does violence to the forces of hell. We must recover the fullness of the gospel of Jesus! It is nothing less than a direct assault on the kingdom of Satan, a frontal attack on hostile, spiritual powers, a mortal confrontation of light against darkness. It brings about the ultimate counterculture conflict.”

"We’re in a war, and war means conflict, hardship, and sacrifice. As Leonard Ravenhill wrote, ‘When a nation calls its prime men to battle, homes are broken, weeping sweethearts say their good-byes, businesses are closed, college careers are wrecked, factories are refitted for wartime production, rationing and discomforts are accepted — all for war. Can we do less for the greatest fight that this world has ever known outside of the cross — this end-time siege on sanity, morality, and spirituality?'”

"Our society is deteriorating all around us and even non-believers sense that something is wrong. Why? It is because we, the people of God, the army of the Lord Jesus, the messengers of liberation, the ambassadors of reconciliation, have been sidetracked by the love of this world and distracted by the cares of this age.”

Matt sums up the issue well in the comments, responding to Brown,  "my utmost concern is your verbally and theologically violent rhetoric and language. People have a right to be aware of what you are teaching and how it is being taught. People have a right to be aware of the possible threat — not from you or your group — but from others who hear your words and are unable to distinguish between your “spiritual concepts” and allegory, and real calls for physical violence."


So I will end there (I leave out Westboro as they are no longer the only player in the game), but to say I am "reeeeeaally reaching with those examples. Especially if you're trying to use them as examples in the present day," is utter bull-fucking-shit. You and your head-in-the-sand ilk need to start paying attention.  Hell even my 16y/o co-worker is more aware of the religious batshittery going on without doing a deep dive into all the religious rhetoric.

Kevin Swanson: God Let Orlando Massacre Happen Because The Sins Of Homosexuality And Islam Lead To Murder | Right Wing Watch

As if on cue,,,

Yesterday, Colorado-based pastor Kevin Swanson addressed the massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando by arguing that homosexuality and Islam are both inherently violent because God gives gay people and Muslims up to their dishonorable ways and other sins like murder.

“Why do homosexuals murder homosexuals?” he asked. Because, according to Romans 1, “God gave them up to vile passions.” “Violence” and “murder,” he said, are deeply tied to homosexuality.

Kevin Swanson: God Let Orlando Massacre Happen Because The Sins Of Homosexuality And Islam Lead To Murder | Right Wing Watch

February 5-9, 2016::End of the day round-up (pg 2)

From KnowPolitical!!  It is a repeat of Kevin Swanson's so-called rally that included then presidential hopefuls Mike Huckabee, Piyush Jindal, and of course Ted Cruz.  It is important to repeat, so I am (I think):

Ted Cruz joins surreal anti-gay event with screaming pastor

"It's NOT a gay time! These are the people with the sores — the gaping sores! Don't you DARE carve happy faces on OPEN PUSSY SORES!" Last fall Ted Cruz and two other GOP presidential hopefuls joined screaming bigot pastor Kevin Swanson at his two-day religious conference where he opined repeatedly about how gay people were worthy of death— all under the guise of "religious liberty." Between blaming Harry Potter and contraception for the scourge of gay marriage, Pastor Swanson told attendees he would rather sit in front of a church, smear himself in manure and wail lamentations if his son were gay and invited him to his wedding. Swanson also spoke of how a gay kiss caused wildfires and floods in his home state of Colorado and declared that the state's socially progressive policies had made it "more evil" than communist China and North Korea.Bonus end clips: Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson campaigns for Ted Cruz in Iowa, calling gay marriage evil and wicked saying, "We have to rid the earth of 'em." Ted Cruz's evangelical pastor father Rafael Cruz stating that gay marriage was not about gay rights, but an objective to destroy the traditional family…. while also adding that evolution is a lie that goes hand-in-hand with communism. "If they can convince you that you came from a monkey, it's much easier to convince you that God does not exist." Rafael Cruz is not only Ted Cruz's father, he is also his closest personal and professional mentor who is actively campaigning for his son among evangelical voters. Rafael Cruz subscribes to Dominionist theology, a school of thought that says Genesis gives true men of faith the right to seize control of government and run the country by biblical mandates.
Posted by KnowPolitical on Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Ted Cruz Trumpets Endorsement From a Man Who Thinks God Sent Hitler to Hunt the Jews

In a 2011 speech, Bickle suggested that millions of Jews were killed during the Holocaust because they didn't accept God's gift of Jesus. At this event, he read from Jeremiah 16:16 and used this passage from the Bible to explain why Hitler executed millions:

The Lord says, "I'm going to give all 20 million of them the chance to respond to the fishermen. And I give them grace." And he says, "And if they don't respond to grace, I'm going to raise up the hunters." And the most famous hunter in recent history is a man named Adolf Hitler.

 In Iowa intro, First Baptist Dallas’ Jeffress says he can’t “officially” endorse Trump, however … 

Robert Jeffress, whose First Baptist Dallas downtown the Associated Press now considers a “megachurch,” flew to Iowa over the weekend to introduce Donald Trump at a packed rally at Dordt College. It’s becoming something of a regular gig: Jeffress, you may recall, also intro’d Trump at his American Airlines Center rally in September. And when he’s not introducing Trump, Jeffress is laying hands on the man.

Jeffress once said that “no evangelical I know is expecting Trump to lead our nation in a spiritual revival.” But on Saturday, he essentially endorsed The Donald without, you know, endorsing The Donald, since that would threaten the church’s status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Trump Embraces Radical Anti-Catholic, Anti-Gay Pastor


Although I can not help financially, sharing is the best I can offer.  Many of you were able to help me, maybe you can help these folks,,,

Can't pray the pain away

Can’t pray the pain away. We’re a good hearted Atheist couple going through a rough time. A lot of people offer “Thoughts and prayers” but that doesn’t quite pay the bills. Some people told us to pray ourselves, but, of course, that would be as helpful of other people’s prayers, and pretty hypocritical. We'll stick to science and doctors.

Honestly, all this is kind of confusing to me. I build fire trucks for a living, not people. Surgery really isn’t my thing, but I’ll try to explain a bit. Bear with me and try to read through to the end of my ramblings.

Man who spent 22 years in prison for rape he didn't commit faces long legal battle with NYC over $18 million jury award

They took away his freedom — and now they keep trying to take away his money.

The city is doubling down its efforts to stop Alan Newton, who spent 22 years behind bars for a rape he didn’t commit, from collecting the $18 million verdict a jury awarded him in 2010.

“This is a journey that started in 1984, and it’s still going on because the city refuses to take any responsibility,” Newton told the Daily News on Thursday.
,,,
The city Law Department claims in new court papers the Second Circuit didn't weigh “whether the amount of the damages was appropriate” and “did not address the question whether the separate verdict on damages was excessive.”

All the appeals court did was decide whether the city was at fault for Newton’s wrongful incarceration, the city lawyers argue — and they now want Scheindlin to reduce the award.

Congressional GOP ‘unwilling to even talk about the budget’

“It says a lot of things, I think. It certainly does raise some questions about how serious Republicans actually are about governing the country. It also raises some questions about how confident they are in the kinds of arguments that they could make about the budget. Maybe they’re taking the Donald Trump approach to debates about the budget – they’re just not going to show up.”

'Christian' pastors suggest executing gays during Rose Bowl parade

I have written about Swanson before, Buehner is new to me. Both seem to have a want and need for killing LGBT individuals, which to me is a sign of a hidden secret; some self-loathing. That aside, what is disturbing to me, is not so much that he said what he did, that is to be expected, he is a religious freak, but the utter disregard for human life. You see 20 years ago in Humboldt, Nebraska this mentality was very prevalent and resulted in the brutal murder of 3 young people. One of whom was Brandon Teena.

Though much has changed since December 31, 1993 much has not: "Conservatives are foaming at the mouth for the day when they can use the federal government as a tool to persecute gay people. “Christian” radio host Bryan Fischer recently praised Russia for how that nation treats homosexuals. In fact, he thinks America should copy Russia. In addition, Pat Buchanan and several right-wing anti-gay groups also believe that Russian policies should be adopted by America. Bottom line: right-wingers want America to be just like Russia, Constitution be damned."

Let's not allow the memory of Brandon Teena or Matthew Shepard lay in vain. By remaining silent you are condoning this hatred!!

'Christian' pastors suggest executing gays during Rose Bowl parade

Pastor Kevin Swanson: Tell gay couples to die on their wedding day – LGBTQ Nation

First Klingenschmitt now this douche-bag, what is it with Christian extremists wanting to kill people they don't "like." Time to play with more temple prostitutes, the holiness code and visit Molech and Baal.

Taking a page from Gordon Klingenschmitt, who said that photographers should print “worthy of death” on photos of the wedding of a same-sex couple, Swanson said that guests can “attend the wedding and hold up the sign Leviticus 20:13 word for word:

‘If a man sleeps with a man as he sleeps with a woman the two of them have committed an abomination and they shall both be put to death.’ You could attend a wedding and hold up that sign.” Christian Right radio host Kevin Swanson

As with Romans 1, it is vital to understand the cultural, historical and religious context surrounding this passage. The human authors of the Bible testify to the ongoing presence of cult prostitution, shrine prostitution or temple prostitution in ancient Israel. Various authors identify it by those names, yet the Bible never links those pagan activities to being gay or lesbian. But before we delve into that morass, I think it important to understand Leviticus as a whole and one way to do that is to determine to whom the book of Leviticus is addressed.

In general terms, the third book in the Pentateuch ascribed to Moses is called Leviticus because it relates primarily to the Levites and priests and their services. Also known as the "Law of the Priests" as it contains the system of laws administered by the Levitical priesthood under which the HEBREW nation lived. More specifically:

• “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 1:2; Lev 4:2; Lev 11:2; Lev 12:2; Lev 15:2; Lev 18:2; Lev 23:2; Lev 25:2; Lev 27:2. 
• “Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 17:2 
• “Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 19:2 
• "Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel...” Lev 20:2 
• “Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron...” Lev 21:1 
• “Command the children of Israel...” Lev 24:2 

I'm not sure how obvious this needs to be, Leviticus is written for "the children of Israel." It contains the laws and rules for Israel as they prepared to occupy the land of Canaan. So anyone prior to this time period (ie. Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) were not under the law of Moses.

The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us [the children of Israel], even us, who are all of us here alive this day.  (Deuteronomy 5:3)

In essence, the Holiness Code (another name for Leviticus, specifically chapters 18-27) was a specific covenant with a specific people at a specific time for specific purposes related to the specific situation in what is now Palestine.

• Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. (Deuteronomy 4:5)
• And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it. (Deuteronomy 4:14)
• But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it. (Deuteronomy 5:31)
• Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it. (Deuteronomy 6:1)

The laws are earnest exhortations to obedience, and dissuasives from idolatry as Moses is speaking to the children of Israel, not setting down rules for Christians in the 21st century. The Holiness Code was intended to outlaw the pagan practices of fertility goddess cults in ancient Canaan.

One point to bare in mind in regards to the Leviticus and the Old Testament (or Old Covenant) as a whole, it is important to distinguish between Jews and Christians when it comes to context. The Bible itself is very clear on this. The Old Testament (Covenant) ended and the New Testament (Covenant) began when Jesus died on the Cross. It wasn't until some 1500 years after the Holiness Code was given that Christians appeared on the scene:

And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26)  

In other words, some of the Bible is written only to the Jews. Christians are never instructed to observe Jewish rituals practiced in the Old Testament. Which bring us to another point, when did this Old Testament Covenant end? Again the Bible is clear on this point and tells us,

• For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. (Matthew 11:13)
• The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. (Luke 16:16)
• But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. (Romans 3:21)

This signifies the end of all previous dispensations, the Old Testament prophesied of things to come, which are now present, and clearly and plainly seen. According to Jesus, the Law was only in force until John the Baptist. It had an ending point, the day Christ died for the sins of the world.

Taking all this into account then, what is Leviticus 18:22 (which is oft cited as well so I am including it here) and 20:13 referring to? What is the context of this exhortation from Moses? Leviticus 18:3 and 18:21 set the context for 18:22, which reads: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. (See also: Psalms 106:35; Ezekiel 20:7, 8; 23:8 Ephesians 5:7-11; 1 Peter 4:2-4 and Leviticus 20:23 Exodus 23:24; Deuteronomy 12:4, 30, 31; Jeremiah 10:2, 3; Romans 12:2)

And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. (See also: 20:2 Deuteronomy 12:31; 18:10 2 Kings 16:3; 21:6; 23:10; Psalms 106:37, 38; Jeremiah 7:31; Jeremiah 19:5; Ezekiel 20:31; 23:37; 1 Kings 11:7, 33; Amos 5:26; Acts 7:43)

God, through Moses, is warning Israel against the pagan gods and pagan practices of Egypt and Canaan, specifically mentioned is Molech which includes his fertility goddess Ashtoreth. Leviticus 20:2-5 & 23 set the context for Leviticus 20:13. God makes the same warning against the pagan practices of Egypt and Canaan, again mentioning Molech:

Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people,,,[a]nd ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Again, a specific covenant with a specific people at a specific time for specific purposes related to the specific situation in what is now Palestine. These rules specifically target the children of Israel. They are God's rules for Israel.

So Mr. Swanson me thinks you may need to follow 2 Timothy 2:15 more closely: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Christians are not under Levitical Law, they never have been.

• Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: (Acts 15:24)
• Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication (Acts 21:24-25)

Like many others of your ilk, the Bible has become not only an idol but a weapon as well. You wield your sword hacking to bits a historical book to suit your purposes ignoring its true message. You place the Bible above Jesus’ compassion and love, holding steadfast onto what you believe to be the correct interpretation of a small amount of verses that (don't) speak about same-sex relations. For those of you who repeatedly quote Leviticus and Romans maybe leaving your Bible on the dusty shelf for awhile would be a good thing. Take the time to contemplate what you are saying and not what you think the Bible is saying.

Pastor Kevin Swanson: Tell gay couples to die on their wedding day – LGBTQ Nation