The Gaytheist Agenda

The notoriously anti-gay California State Senator who was recently arrested on DUI charges after allegedly leaving a gay nightclub has admitted he is gay.

State Sen. Roy Ashburn, the Bakersfield Republican who was arrested in Sacramento last week on suspicion of drunk driving, came out as gay in a radio interview this morning.

“I am gay. And so, those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long,” Ashburn told radio host Inga Barks on her show on the KERN station in Bakersfield.

I positively detest self-loathing homosexual (for the term gay simply doesn’t apply to anybody of his ilk) politicians who work to harm LGBT people. They are vermin.

He defended his voting record, saying he cast votes that his constituents wanted. Ashburn represents the 18th Senate District, which covers a huge swath of the central and southern part of the state.

“I felt my duty, and I still feel this way, is to represent my constituents,” Ashburn said, adding later that “I don’t think it’s something that has affected or will affect how I do my job.”

…..

“I was only doing my duty”. Gee where have I heard that one before? At any rate, Ashburn didn’t just vote for anti-gay measures, he actively campaigned against LGBT rights. He was not an innocent party merely doing his job. He was personally and willingly involved in harming LGBT people. He deserves nothing but contempt.

 

Larry Langford is the former mayor of Birmingham. During his reign he claimed prayer and Bibles were the best way to combat the rising crime rate in his city. Accordingly he ordered thousands of Bibles and sack-cloths, so people could be properly attired when they prayed.

It was no surprise to many when Langford was later arrested for bribery and money laundering. He has now been sentenced to 15 years for 60 counts of fraud, bribery and money laundering. If only he’d remembered to save a Bible and a sackcloth for himself he might not be in this mess.

 

Another “family values” crusader bites the dust.

BAD: CBS affiliate CBS13 reports that Roy Ashburn, a state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly driving drunk.

WORSE: CBS affiliate CBS13 reports that Roy Ashburn, a state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly driving drunk AFTER LEAVING A GAY BAR.
…..

WORST: CBS affiliate CBS13 reports that Roy Ashburn, a MARRIED state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after leaving a gay bar with another man in the car.

…..

WORSTEST: CBS affiliate CBS13 reports that Roy Ashburn, a married, Republican state senator from Southern California WITH A HISTORY OF OPPOSING GAY RIGHTS was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after leaving a gay bar with another man in the car.

 
Another source indicates that it is unlikely Ashburn was at Faces, since Tuesdays are “Latin Night” at the popular club and “A white guy would stick out like a sore thumb”. However there are reportedly numerous clubs gay and straight clubs in the area so it’s possible Ashburn was at one of them rather than at Faces.

 
After his arrest, Ashburn issued the following statement:

“I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did.

I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me - my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate.”

Needless to say, Ashburn has earned himself an entry on Conservative Babylon.

 

That’s right. Jeffery Joseph Czech is defending Nadia Schulman. In case you’ve forgotten or hadn’t heard, she’s the infamous “Octomom”, who had a litter of babies via artificial insemination, then tried to use them as a means of getting her own reality TV show. Czech also donated $50K to Americans United to Preserve Marriage. In Czech’s twisted fundamentalist mind committed same-sex couples who want to marry rank below a woman who’d pimp out her own infants for publicity. It’s always nice to see those Christian Ethics in action….

Speaking of anti-gay bigots with deep pockets, don’t forget to check Base8 frequently. It’s constantly being updated and what you see today is not what you’ll see tomorrow.

 

White House officials met with secularist and atheist groups for the first time in history. Of course since religious groups have lost their exclusive access to the WH they must have tantrums over the event.

 

 
The supporters of Proposition 8 realize how poorly their side argued their case in Perry vs. Schwarzenegger. So now, like monkeys, they are pulling yet more poo out of their backsides and flinging it in hopes that something will stick to the wall.

…..
The potential harms they cited included giving bisexuals a legal basis for pursuing group marriages and unmarried fathers an incentive to abandon their children.
…..

Bisexual means a person can be romantically and sexually attracted to either gender. It doesn’t mean they’re inclined to fall in love with both at the same time. Of course the bigots like to push the notion that it’s the latter because then they can also pimp their slippery slope fallacy. OMG, if we allow same-sex marriage it might lead to POLYGAMY!!! Yeah, and people might start squeezing the Charmin too. Please people, protect the toilet paper and vote NO on Gay.

As to the claim that same-sex marriage would give unmarried fathers an incentive to abandon their children…that’s pure horsecrap. There are already millions of “deadbeat dads” out there and it has absolutely nothing to do with same-sex marriage. It’s high time that heterosexual people stop blaming gay people and gay unions for the failings of heterosexual relationships.

 

 
A student in a Maryland middle school refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Her teacher mocked her and called her names on the first day, and had the school police escort her to the office on the second day. It’s a good thing the girl wasn’t doodling on her desk….

 

 
Yet another Christian is crying “persecution” and filing a lawsuit because he thinks they shouldn’t have to share public space with others, or be pestered with the opinions of those who think differently. Perhaps a secured commune would be a better place for him.

 

 
Finally, this “Christian” charity will stop providing aid to Haiti if they won’t turn from their evil Voodoo ways and convert to Christianity. This is exactly why I despise most “faith based” charities–they don’t truly want to help but only to push their religion on others. The aid they provide is only a vehicle to gain more bodies for their god. There is nothing moral about what they do.

 

Two Texas men have been arrested in connection with a string of church burnings. Of course if they’re guilty I hope they suffer the consequences of their actions. But it’s what we’re not seeing in most of the stories, and what we’re seeing pushed in the headlines, that raises my eyebrows.

 

Report: Church Fire Suspect Had Books on Atheism

 
These headlines imply an angry, religion-hating atheist who went on a church burning rampage. So what’s wrong with the headlines and the stories they link to? For one thing, most of them only mention the book on atheism, and neglect the book about demon possession. That may seem insignificant but the fact is that people who are atheists (with rare exceptions) do not believe in demons (evil supernatural beings) and certainly not in the concept of “demon possession”. Atheism (lack of belief in gods) and belief in demons/demon possession are two very disparate things.

Am I saying Bourque is definitely not an atheist? Of course not. I’m just noting that one atheist book does not an atheist make, despite the media spin. (Incidentally on Bourque’s MySpace page he indicates he is a Christian.)

What is more disingenuous about the reporting is the fact that most of the news headlines or stories fail to mention the three Bibles found in Jason Bourque’s home. Honest mistake? Perhaps, but I’m inclined to believe otherwise. Most likely it just didn’t fit with the picture of the suspects as renegade atheists on a rampage to persecute religious people so it was conveniently omitted from most of the stories.

Atheists face enough stigma in society already. We don’t need slanted, dishonest reporting like this to engender more of the same.

 

We’re constantly told that religion makes people more altruistic, moral, kind, etc. We’re also told that atheists are untrustworthy, immoral, depraved, and wouldn’t think twice about committing any crime (up to and including murder) because they have no “authority” to answer to. So why is it that millions of religious signs, banners and billboards go up every day without incident, while the atheist sign and billboard campaign has been met with a barrage of vehement protests, refusals by ad companies to post the billboards, vandalism and even theft?

The latest instance involves the billboards put up in Sacramento. The day I read about those billboards going up in the Sacramento area I knew there was going to be trouble and I was right. At least one thus far has been vandalized. I wonder if “god” told someone to do it.

One or more vandals used spray paint to deface part of a billboard on Interstate 80 midway between Sacramento and Davis, California, that reads “Are you good without God? Millions are.” The words “also lost?” were added below the “Millions are.”

The billboard, which was placed by the Sacramento Area Coalition of Reason last Tuesday, is one of ten such roadway ads that have gone up in and around Sacramento. They were paid for by the United Coalition of Reason, headquartered in Washington DC.

“This shows loud and clear just how necessary our message is, because prejudice against people who don’t believe in a god remains very real in America.” said Rachael Harrington, coordinator of Sacramento CoR.
…..

If you want to have faith or religion that’s fine. More power to you. But if your faith/religion is so weak you lash out and even commit crimes any time it is challenged in the least you have a serious problem. Any religion or faith worth a darn can tolerate opposing opinions and challenges.

Or are you actually saying your god is so effete he needs you to defend him from billboards?

 

Various pieces from around the Internutz.

 
How the most religious states fare.

Classically Liberal dissects multiple reports and studies to show what I’ve long known, and have reported more than once–that God and religion simply aren’t the answer to society’s woes.

 
While Judge Considers Same-Sex Marriage Case, House Church Leader says the Verdict Doesn’t Matter

A church leader declares many Christians have lost their way, and turned Christianity into a crusade against others rather than an effort to bring others to Christ and seek God’s Kingdom. It’s nice to see one of them speak up since our voices go largely ignored when we say it.

 
Gay harassment, bias crimes often go unreported

This isn’t anything most of us don’t already know, but it bears repeating because it’s urgent, and because the RRRW tries fervently to ignore/deny it.

 
How the Game is Played

You probably saw the NYT article that claimed 50% of gay married men are in “open marriages”. What you didn’t see is how they distorted the study, and outright lied, to once again smear gay couples. Read the facts at Truth Wins Out.

 
Anita Bryant and Me

One person’s encounter with the original “OMG won’t somebody please think of the children?!?!” anti-gay Liar for the Lord.

 

Loving, committed same-sex couples cannot get married in most US states. Opposite-sex couples who are complete strangers, on the other hand, can do so with no problem whatsoever. This is the “sanctity of traditional marriage” we’re always hearing about? Gay people’s rights are being sacrificed to “protect” this?

 
(Hat tip, ZackFord Blogs)

 

The Christian Anti-Defamation League released it’s annual We’re Sooooo Persecuted list recently (while I freely admit Christians are persecuted in various places around the world, the USA is not one of those places).

10. Pro-life Pastor Reverend Walter Hoye of Oakland, CA was jailed for exercising peaceful, pro-life speech.

Of course not one of the CADC’s claims has a link supporting their claims. RRRW sites are like that. They just throw out a claim, generally a very biased and even dubious claim, and expect you to believe it. They wouldn’t mislead you–they’re Christians . But I like to fact-check and provide what they don’t–citations.

Pastor Reverend Walter Hoye was jailed for violating the law. Specifically he was jailed because he violated the Oakland law which creates a buffer zone around women’s clinics. Apparently those who protest abortion believe it is necessary to be in a woman’s face to “provide her alternatives to abortion” and “preach the word of god”. Cities like Oakland disagree and make laws indicating protesters must remain a certain distance away (in the case of Oakland it is a mere eight feet). Like many religious people of his ilk, Hoye believed he could use his “religious beliefs” to evade the law–any law. He was reminded that he cannot.

9. Rev. Fred Winters was murdered while preaching in his pulpit in Maryville, Illinois.

This was indeed a tragedy, one I blogged about myself. But as I indicated in my post the perpetrator was possibly mentally ill and Reverend Winters was likely not murdered because he was a Christian (nor was he likely the only intended victim) . Accordingly this would not be an act of anti-Christian bigotry or a hate crime. A tragedy, yes, but not persecution. (BTW, if it was an “anti-Christian” act, WTF is a murder doing all the way down at #9 on the list?)

7. The overt homosexual participation in Obama’s presidential inaugural events by “Bishop” Vickie Eugene Robinson, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington D. C., and a homosexual marching band.

So it’s come to the point that the mere existence of gay people in the public eye is now an “anti-Christian” act? The CADC has truly jumped the shark.

5. Pro-life activist Jim Pullion was murdered in front of his granddaughter’s high school for showing the truth about abortion.

The man who killed Pullion also killed a local businessman, and apparently had a third victim in mind. He also was being treated for depression and was later found incompetent to stand trial. His beef with Pullion wasn’t with his “faith”, but with the graphic signs the man held while sitting outside the school. Am I in any way condoning the actions of the accused man? Of course not. But once again CADC is being terribly dishonest, presuming people will take their undocumented statements at face value and believe Pullion was gunned down because he was a Christian.

4. An activist judge ordered a home school mom in New Hampshire to stop home schooling her daughter because the little girl “reflected too strongly” her mother’s Christian faith.

All children need to be exposed to a variety of viewpoints and experiences. And if, as her mother claims, her “faith” could be destroyed by exposure to outside influences then it’s the sort of faith that should be destroyed. Any faith/religion that’s worth keeping can tolerate inquiry and even criticism.

3. The Federal Department of Homeland Security issued a report entitled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate” that labeled conservative Christians extremists and potential terrorists.

So does that mean that CADC supports the beliefs and actions of the Christian Identity Movement (the only Christian group named in the report)? Or do they just reflexively presume that any denunciation of “Rightwing” groups, even those who kill, means “we hate Christians”?

1. The Federal Hate Crimes Bill that attacks religious liberty and freedom of speech. For the first time in our history ministers are vulnerable to investigation and prosecution for telling the truth about homosexuality.

Am I surprised that this is #1 on their list? Not at all. The RRRW was rending their garments over the hate-crimes bill for years before it came to fruition, and tantrumed when it passed. It doesn’t matter that their claims are pure bull-poo. It keeps money flowing into their coffers and allows them to pretend they’re victims because others now enjoy the same legal protections they do. Oh, the horror.

 
So there you have it. The alleged top-10 most horrible anti-Christian things that occurred in the US in 2009. Now where did I put my tiny violin?