A Free Market Prayer For The New Year

Sometime around Christmas I went out to eat with some old-time old-school friends that I hadn't seen for a while.  We chose a Mexican restaurant (and the food was amazing). 

I got a massive amount of burritos, tostadas, rice, beans, chips, queso, and I forget what else for only $10.95.  Everyone else got a similar bounty for their bucks. 

My friends at the table are not religious.  They're not even spiritual.  But one of them said "For this food at this price, I feel like a prayer of some kind is in order." 

All eyes turned in my direction....

Here's what I improvised, or at least my rough memory of it.  It owes more than a little to Leonard Reed's immortal "I, Pencil" essay. 

No heads were bowed.  No eyes were closed.  I wasn't talking to god or gods.  It's just what I wanted people to know, and what I hoped we all felt:

"We're grateful for this food.  For the farmers who grew it, for the cattlemen who fed it, and for the workers who harvested it. 

Let us not forget the factory owners who processed it, none of whom knew that we would be here eating today.  May we always remember to be grateful for the truckers and warehouse workers who handled the shipping and transport, despite them not even knowing our names.

May we never forget the tremendous risk undertaken by anyone who tries to open and run a restaurant.  And we are grateful for the cooks, the wait staff, the bus boys, and the cleaning crew.

All of those hard-working wonderful people accomplished this miracle on our behalf for the price of $10.95 each. 

May we all be free from rent-seekers who would interject themselves, uninvited, into this process.

May everyone involved in our exchanges believe that they have gotten the best of every deal, and may we all live our lives in a way that encourages others to trade their dishes for our dollars."

- Amen

(The last part in italics wasn't in the original prayer.  I just thought of it, and considered it too good to leave out.)  

A quick prayer for The Super Bowl

God, I know that I am a sinner, and that I do not live according to your Word, whether it's the Torah, the Old Testament, the I Ching, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, or Dr. Atkins' Weight Loss Revolution. 

But God, I'm just asking for one little thing.....

Obama's will give his State Of The Union Speech on Tuesday night.  His typists are working on it now. 

Please have the Teleprompter Programmers come down hard on Global Warming.  President Obama, much like Ron Burgundy, will read whatever the Teleprompter Programmer puts on the thing. 

Let Obama stand before Congress and the nation and ask for money to fight warming.  Let him denounce the internal combustion engine.  Let him lobby for windmills, recycling, green bullshit, and carbon taxes. 

And then..... let it snow. 

May it snow enough to ground the wheels of D.C. to a halt. 

Let it snow some more. 

There is already a good chance that the Super Bowl will be postponed.  (Here's what the Meadowlands stadium looks like today.) 

 God, I ask this in your son's name, and in the name of Allah and Mohammad and Buddha and Dr. Atkins.  May the rescheduled Super Bowl also be postponed because of snow and cold and freezing and ice. 

May the Gore Effect make itself known throughout our land, and may your people break out in giggles.  Because it'll be so damn funny. 

Amen, Ameen, Shalom, Namaste, and we all bow to the Buddha nature that is within you. 

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

Everyone but God,  please go here for a few weather predictions and possibilities. 

Stop praying in public. It is sinful

From The Christian Science Monitor:

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that challenges whether the city council of Greece, N.Y., can open its meetings with a public prayer. The arguments will likely focus on an appeals court ruling that found the prayers – given by a range of believers from Jew to Wiccan but dominantly Christian – smack too much of religion.

The lower court said those giving the prayers were prone to “convey their views of religious truth.”
The high court may not take kindly to judges passing judgment on the types of prayers, at least the spoken kind that are delivered in a government setting. For a court to impose a definition of prayer – by reviewing prayers and then banning them – could be seen as coercive. It would imply a government hand in how individuals should, or should not, pray.

Godalmighty, I'm so tired of writing about this.  Here's what Jesus had to say about public prayer.  (And Jesus is the primary god/ghost/spirit/SkyMan being prayed to in this conflict.)  If you accept his teachings as infallible, it carries the same weight as his teaching on giving, self-sacrifice, and money, all of  which, now that I think about it, is also cheerfully ignored. 

Matthew 6:5-8

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."

That's it.  The final word.  When you pray, go to your room and close the freakin' door.  Don't get behind a microphone and ask God's blessings upon the unholy works of the Greece, N.Y. city council. 

 

I think I'm going to "rebuke" Obamacare

The video is only 60 seconds long. Watch it. Then, everybody, on the count of three.... "I REBUKE THEE, I REBUKE THEE, I REBUKE THEE, OBAMACARE!!!"

A Prayer For 2016

Dear God,

We don't talk much anymore. 
I acknowledge that I'm a sinner. 
Except for Christmas and some Youth Sundays, I haven't made it to church in about three years. 

I've said horrible, horrible things about three of my Brothers In Christ, George W. Bush and Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.  Perhaps I've made Gary Johnson into a false idol. 

But I've worked really hard to get our children and grandchildren some relief from their parents' and grandparents' ridiculous government debts.  I've worked hard for gay marriage.  I've led discussion forums about the right of self-defense and gun rights and the 2nd amendment.  I've advocated the complete and utter destruction of Ben Bernanke's government money printing press on Blue Mound Road, mostly because inflation hurts poor people so much. 

I've even tried to be Moses.  I've taken a look at the number of black men that Barack Obama keeps in steel cages for marijuana offenses, and I've said "BARACK OBAMA!!!  YOU HYPOCRITICAL POT-SMOKING S.O.B. !!  LET YOUR PEOPLE GO !!"

I recently acted as preacher/priest/rabbi in a secular wedding.  I bet you were proud. 

Balance all that Libertarian Goodness against my continued violations of almost every known commandment, and it probably comes up even.  That's the only reason I'm coming to you, asking just one little favor. 

This website (do you have to hit links if you're God?) says that Jeb Bush, who is George W.'s brother and GHW Bush's son, will probably be the Republican nominee for President in 2016. 

This website says that She Whose Name Is Not Spoken will probably be the Democrat nominee for President in 2016. 

Please let this happen, God.  Please, please, please.  I'll go to church every Sunday for one complete calendar month.  Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton.  Please, please, please. 

If voters are given the choice between Gary Johnson and the princelings from a couple of entitled hereditary monarchies, life will be almost too good for words.  Gary Johnson vs. Bill Clinton's wife vs. George Bush's brother.  Can you imagine those two royal families arguing that a commoner should be excluded from the presidential debates???

In spite of today being Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, I'm going to go to work.  Please don't hold that against me. 

Amen. 

Julia, those were the moments when I carried you.....

I think we should be a compassionate society. 
I think we really are our brothers' keepers. 
I hope that Broadway Baptist Church, the Libertarian Party, the Little Sisters Of The Blind, or somebody will take me in when I get old, feeble, and worn-out.  (In other words, I'll probably need some help tomorrow.) 
I don't think that people should be required (at gunpoint) to help me. 
I don't think that Barack Obama and the Republicans should have a monopoly on compassion.
Now, let's get down to bidness..... 

Barack Obama has released an unintentionally hilarious slideshow on the White House website.
It's called the "Life Of Julia", and shows a woman's lifelong dependence on The Teleprompter Jesus, from birth to old age.  
Julia doesn't rely on family, friends, or the sperm donor for her baby.  She relies on Barry O. 
Parodies have sprung up everywhere. 

This is the best of the latest.  Here's Peter Suderman, parodying the treacly "Footprints In The Sand" story often found on plaques in Christian bookstores. :
(Suderman's original says "POTUS" for President Of The U.S." instead of Teleprompter Jesus. Sorry. Couldn't help myself.)


One night Julia dreamed she was walking
along the beach with The Teleprompter Jesus.
Many scenes from her life flashed across the sky.
In each scene, she noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints.
Other times she only saw one set of footprints.

This bothered Julia because she noticed that during the low points of her life,
when she was suffering
from underemployment, student loan debt, and excessively high insurance copays,
she could only see one set of footprints.


So Julia said to The Teleprompter Jesus:
“Your programmers promised me, O Teleprompter Jesus,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
were you not there for me?


The Teleprompter Jesus replied,
“The times when you have only
seen one set of footprints
is when I carried you.”

Go, and live a better life, knowing that Barack Obama and the Chicago Gang are there for you, should you stumble....

On Prayer, Japan, and Bumperstickers

Because of this site, I've got Facebook friends all over the world that I've never met. Since the libertarian cause seeks to be a very big umbrella, I've corresponded with Rastafarian marijuana enthusiasts, Bible-quoting homeschoolers, transgendered gay rights activists, gun fetishists, anti-war activists, free market economists, property rights devotees and more than a few people who don't like going outside because of all those black helicopters that follow them around.

Because of the horrible destruction in Japan this morning, a lot of my Facebook buddies are asking everyone to pray for the people of Japan. 

Why? 

Should I ask God to prevent any more destruction?  Or should I ask God to not cause any more destruction? 

How much involvement on God's part are we assuming here?  Does God only intervene when enough of us ask him sincerely enough?  Can God be trusted to do the right thing without us having to nag him about it, kinda like I sometimes have to be reminded to set the recycling out on Thursday mornings? 

I have a standing joke with two of my employees about work and bumperstickers.  There are some people who go through life figuratively wearing this bumpersticker:

Things are beyond their control.  Life happens to them.  They are victims.  People wake up in the morning just to take advantage of them.  Most of their lives are predestined. 

And then there are those joyous souls who obviously have a different philosophy. 

These people exercise some serious "scene control".  They either control their own destiny, or believe that they do.  They believe that they have a free will, that they are responsible for their actions and the consequences. 

Which bumpersticker do you think God would put on his Cadillac?  Does he just set things in motion and let them play out?  Or does God make things happen? 

A Prayer For The Texas Rangers

Dear God,

I know that I am a sinner. 
I have no business asking you for anything. 
One of my earliest blog entries was based on a pun on the name of your servant, Oral Roberts.  I called it something funny just to get a lot of hits.  It's still getting them. 
Anyway, I'm sorry.  Please hear my prayer, and I'll delete it.   

Tonight, The Texas Rangers will face the despicable New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. 

The Yankees have won the World Series 27 times.  Until we put away The Devil Rays a few days ago, we'd only won one playoff game.  Ever. 

The Yankees have had Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin, and Mickey Mantle on their roster. 
The Rangers once had Mississippi taxidermist Ned Yost. 

I know that the Ballpark in Arlington is built on stolen land.  I know that George W. Bush threatened to pull the team out of Arlington unless he got a sales tax increase and a $205,000,000.00 subsidy.  I know he bought the team for $86,000,000.00 and then turned around and sold it for $250,000,000.00   I know that he never properly thanked the taxpayers. 
But the Yankees are worse.  They've won it all so many times that they now personify evil. 

I know that when Major League Baseball had their last big strike/lockout about 15 years ago, and I had to lay off about half the staff of my close-to-the-ballpark retail store as a result, I swore I would never again care about this silly game.  I know.  I know. 

This is about The New York Freakin' Yankees.  All God-Fearing people in this great Republic hate The New York Freakin' Yankees. 

Anyway, I'm not asking for much, God.  It just wouldn't be right.  We are all sinners, but can't you agree that some teams are worse than others?  I mean, seriously....

I'm not going to ask for a victory over the Yankees in the ALCS, and I wouldn't dream of asking for the Rangers to win it all. 

But is there any way you could arrange for Josh Hamilton to hit the game-winning RBI in World Series game seven?  That wouldn't be asking for too much, would it? 

The pictures of typical Yankee fans came from here.  The picture of She Whose Name Is Not Spoken came from here. 

Andy Barron - The Egocessary Prayer Candidate for Texas Governor

Since so many of you begin your Sunday morning devotions with a visit to this site....

Our text for today comes from the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, verse 5:

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Please put aside your bibles, and turn to your internet.  Visit the site of Dr. Andy Barron, who is running for Texas governor.  Dr. Barron's first priority is as follows:

Prayer as a priority - Since 1962 when prayer was eliminated unnecessarily from public schools there has been a steady decline in morals of our society.

The good doctor gives us more specifics on his Issues page:

■Prayer and Religious Speech Protected Under 1st Amendment



■Establishment Clause Requires the Government to be Neutral Toward Religion, and Does Not Justify the Exclusion of Religious Speech


■Legislative Prayer Is a Permissible Acknowledgment of Widely Held Religious Beliefs in this Country


■The Rights of Students to Pray at School


■The Rights of Students to Pray at Graduation


■Equal Access allows individuals and groups to use government facilities for prayer and worship on the same basis that other individuals and groups are given access.

By all accounts, Dr. Barron is a great guy.  He has already accomplished more good in the world than I ever will. 
Unfortunately, he is focused on reviving one of the problems that our nation's founders were trying to escape. 

Dr. Barron grew up in Texas and went to Baylor.  The organizations he belongs to are predominantly Protestant, so let's assume he's a Protestant.  

Dr. Barron and other Christian Protestants can pray any time, anywhere.  In between this paragraph and the previous one, I prayed a simple prayer.  "God, please let this be a great post, and if it's okay with you, please let it be emailed around the world.  Please help Kathie Glass be elected Texas governor.  I want a pony.  Amen." 
You can't stop me from praying, at least in the Protestant sense of the word.  You can't stop me, and I can't stop you.  The legislatures can legislate all they want, and it doesn't do a bit of good. 

But there's another kind of prayer, the kind that Jesus was irked about in this morning's Bible reading.  Dr. Brent Beasley (of my own Broadway Baptist Church) calls this "Egocessary Prayer"  (That's a play on words with the phrase "intercessory prayer", where you ask God for blog hits, election results and ponies).  "Egocessary Prayer" is the kind I grew up hearing in school, at graduation services, before football games, and before most public events.  It basically means "praying out loud in public". 

For instance....
Before a Mississippi private academy football game, a preacher gets on the microphone and asks everyone to bow their heads, and asks God to bless (so and so).  Then the preacher thanks God for (so and so), and asks that He keep our young men safe on the football field while they are trying to kill each other. 
Then the preacher outlines the plan of salvation, not because God is fuzzy on the details, but because the preacher's congregation needs to know that the preacher is earning his pay and trying to convert the Catholics and Episcopalians. 
Bonus points are given for length, style, use of verbs from The King James version, and for passion.  I once heard the equivalent of a double reverse backflip triple-axle, when a preacher at a graduation service shoveled in something about the superiority of full-immersion baptism. 
And then finally, the preacher says "we ask these things in your son's name, Amen."
Then you can go on with your football game, graduation, or city council meeting.

What will happen down in south Texas when someone is asked to lead a public school prayer, and a priest decides to take advantage of the teachable moment and educate everyone on how to pray with a rosary?  (Note to Yankees, Europeans, and Aussies: No one living north of Waco can imagine this ever happening.)
Is Dr. Barron prepared to purchase storage facilities for Muslim prayer rugs? 
Is there time before a high school graduation to perform the "Festival of Ramen", the only way known to appease The Flying Spaghetti Monster?  Will the schools have to make reasonable accomodations for all the tongs, salad sporks, colanders, and cheese graters?  And if you think kids coming to school in gang colors are a problem, just wait until those who have been Touched By His Noodly Appendage show up in full pirate regalia. 

There are only 2 reasons for Egocessary prayer, as opposed to praying silently:

1) To show off.
2) To evangelize. 

There's no point in the first one, and The Founders were opposed to the second.  End of story. 

One last thing about the Barron candidacy, check out this video.  It's only 30 seconds long. 

Regardless of how you feel about Andy Barron as Texas governor, regardless of how hard you work to get him elected, or whether you do everything in your power to prevent him from becoming governor, none of that matters. 
You don't matter. 
Polls don't matter. 
Effort doesn't matter.
Planning doesn't matter. 
Andy Barron wasted his time becoming a doctor/dentist.  If people's health/teeth were going to improve, it was going to happen anyway. 

Please check out the video. It's only 30 seconds long.  I don't know why I'm bothering to ask you to watch it, since if you watch it, it was bound to happen anyway. 



Aren't you glad you got it over with?

The "True Grit" trailer

They're doing a remake of "True Grit".

Lord have mercy, I hope they don't mess this up. 
Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn.
Matt Damon as whoever it was that Glen Campbell played.
Barry Pepper as Ned Pepper. 
Directed by The Coen brothers. 
Please, please, please don't mess this up. 

A Libertarian Contract With America

The Republicans have released their "Pledge To America".  If they honor any of it (except the pledges to continue blowing money overseas) I'll be amazed. 

The Democrats haven't released any summary of their goals and objectives since it is hard to predict the direction of an ongoing train wreck. 

One cool thing about being a Libertarian is that our platform doesn't really change. 
I own me, you own you. 
 Leave everyone alone as much as possible. 
Government should provide some infrastructure, some defense, plus enforce contracts and referee in disputes. 
That's it. 

Let me propose the following Libertarian Contract With America.  (Yes, this could probably use some crowdsourcing.)

1)  If Libertarians are elected in sufficient numbers, they will repeal ObamaCare.  They will lower medical costs for all Americans by allowing a free market approach to medicine.  Things are costly when they are scarce, and any healthcare proposal that doesn't begin with eliminating scarcity is doomed to failure. 

2) If Libertarians are elected, they will ensure that The United States is the most secure nation on earth.  However, the United States will no longer ensure this security for Europe, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, or any of our other economic competitors.  Our boys and girls will come back home. 

3) Since we will no longer be defending the borders of South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, or Europe, we will no longer need 50% of our military capability.  Our government will give some of this savings back to the American taxpayers, and apply some of it to our national debt.  Even if we cut defense by 50%, we will still have the largest military on earth. 

4) The Libertarian Party will shut down a random Cabinet-level department, partly to prove that it is serious, and partly for the sheer fun of it.  The Department of Energy has more than 100,000 employees and does nothing but consume energy.  That would be a good place to start. 

5) The government will audit the Federal Reserve and publicize the findings.  The government will limit The Fed's ability to print money to pay off government debt. 

6)  Anyone wanting a bailout will have to consult his brother-in-law.  Ditto for earmarks, grants, subsidies or other forms of pork. 

7)  As American taxpayers have a sentimental attachment to public education, we will provide parents with an education voucher for their children.  Public schools will have to compete for these vouchers since this will be their only source of funding. 

8)  Since I own me and you own you, it makes no sense to continue locking recreational drug users into steel cages with rapists and murderers.  "No harm, no foul" will be the order of the day.  The violence along the Canadian border ended when our government legalized alcohol sales, and the same approach will end the violence along our border with Mexico if marijuana prohibition is ended. 

9)  The government will no longer have an opinion on who can or cannot marry, as long as he or she has reached the age of consent.  Marriage is a religious issue.  Civil Unions are a government issue and will be available to any adult partners or groups willing to be united civilly. 

10)  Throughout history, the nations with the highest levels of trade were the nations with the highest levels of prosperity.  Therefore all protective tariffs, quotas, and import taxes will be reduced to the lowest possible levels.  When Target has a sale on jeans, we don't worry about the impact on Wal-Mart, or worry about protecting Wal-Mart from unfair competition.  The same philosophy will apply to all manufacturers and other businesses.  Protecting business equals shafting consumers.   

11)  The government will support your right to shop where you want to shop.  The government will support the rights of businesses to charge whatever they want to charge, as long as it doesn't violate a pre-existing agreement.  The government will support the rights of workers to unionize and also support the rights of employers to kick out the unions and hire someone else. 
It's called "freedom of contract", and these financial transactions are none of the government's business unless one side or the other doesn't follow through on its promises. 

12) As minimum wage laws set an arbitrary minimum threshold for employment, thereby making it illegal to hire anyone whose labor is not worth this amount, minimum wages will be abolished.  The government will no longer saw the lower rungs off of the employment ladder. 

13)  Abortion rights will be left to each state.  No federal funds will be used for abortions, or any other medical procedures. 

14)  Anyone who has paid into Social Security, Medicaid, or Medicare will be given a "cash out" option that he or she can use for retirement, for immediate needs, or to take to Vegas.  Those wishing to remain in the system can do so.  (The money IS still there, right?) 

15)  Anyone wanting to bring ghosts, goblins or gods into a school will have to start a school of his own.  Anyone wanting to pray to these spirits can do so on his own time.  Silently. 

There.  That should do it.  Does anyone want to run those savings past the Congressional Budget Office?  Would we then have some money available to save and create jobs ? 

Don't bother with church this Sunday. Go here ! !

A lot of you begin your Sundays at this site, so that you can achieve the proper frame of mind for worship services at 11:00 a.m.
This morning, don't bother going to church.  You can get your kneeling, bowing, groveling and praying out of the way right here ! 

Please stand at your computer, turn in your lectionary to the reading entitled "Hear Our Prayer, Obama", and read with me:



You may be seated.

Now please turn to the back of your hymnal to responsive reading number 26, "The Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore Vow Of Service To Our Lord."



I know that you will want to greet Ashton & Demi in the narthex and thank them for their continuing commitment to our worthy cause.  Whatever that is this week. 

Our services will end today with a performance from the childrens' choir.



Please stand for the Benediction:

May Obama bless you and keep you,
And may he make his face to smile upon you
And may Barack shower stimulus toward you.
May he lift up his countenance to you,
And give you peace.

Amen.

Pics came from here and here. 

On the harmful effects of Global Cooling

From the Los Angeles Times:

Unusually cold temperatures in Southern California continued, with Los Angeles International Airport setting a record low on Friday.

LAX got to only 67 degrees, breaking a record set in 1926, according to the National Weather Service.

Can we say "coolest summer ever" for L.A. ?  Or is it too early? 

Fort Worth's summer has been downright pleasant so far. 

I hope this isn't anything we need to start worrying about.  A lot of people have spent a lot of money and time lobbying Congress to achieve this kind of weather, lobbying for carbon emission quotas, cap and tax schemes, perpetutal motion machines, and fans blown by unseen fairy flatulence. 

Unfortunately, none of those schemes are in place.  Yet.  It would be a shame if we got the good effects before the good causes were put into place by our government.  Less-informed people might start thinking that there was no relationship between our behavior and the weather. 

For tens of thousands of years, superstitious people have believed that when we anger The Gods, it causes changes in the weather.  The spring rains don't come.  The corn harvest is puny.  It must be because of something that we did. 

Therefore we do rain dances, throw virgins into the volcano, make chicken sacrifices to The Corn God, put a carbon-trading scam in place, purchase a Prius, or pray.  They are equally effective. 

If earth continues cooling, people will stop feeling guilty and will stop making sacrifices to The Government The Weather Gods.  Well, God is not mocked. 

Senator James Inhofe will be punished for allowing his family to build this obscene structure during Washington D.C.'s Global Cooling scare last year.  (Luke 17:2  "It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.")  You can look it up ! 

 
Pray for heat.  Pray, pray, pray.  All bad things should always be our fault.  Repent.  Sacrifice.  For we are guilty, guilty, guilty of doing things that are bad, bad, bad. 

I'm gonna go sacrifice a goat.  Have a good day !   (But don't you dare feel good about it.)

A Litany For The New Orleans Saints

Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Who Dat ? ?? Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Who Dat ??? Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Who Dat ??? Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints.

Senator Max Baucus pleas for more Biprartrishahnslip

This is senator Max Baucus (D-Insurance) on the senate floor, doing his job.
At my workplace, the government has provided regulations that prevent employees from working while intoxicated.

Please spend 5 1/2 minutes watching Senator Baucus, the clown who happens to chair the senate finance committee.
Please spend the rest of the day praying for the continued health of the republic.



One other thing....I'm sure you noticed how often he attempts to say the word "Bipartisan", as if there's something noble about two opposing sides reaching across the aisle to screw the diminishing number of taxpayers.

Did anyone else notice, way back in the 1990's, that the words "partisan" (evil) and "bipartisan" (all things good, godly, and wholesome).... did anyone else notice that those words weren't in common usage until the Newt Gingrich Republican Revolution gave power to the GOP for the first time in decades?

Just wondering.

Pray For Obama

Idea shamelessly stolen from a friend of Denny.

Here's a link to Psalm 109:8 if you can't Google it.

I don't want to associate myself with any of the verses that follow #8, BTW.

Kicker Gratitude

The Fierce Urgency Of NOW (before everyone figures it out)

This is from David Freddoso, at Beltway Confidential:

By all appearances, the House is about to vote on a very long bill of which it has no completed official copy.

And it's going to have more impact on American manufacturing than any other legislation considered this year.

Texas Republican Reps. Joe Barton and Louie Gohmert have just asked the chair whether there exists a complete, updated copy of the Waxman-Markey carbon-cap bill.

The short answer: No.

"If a bill for which there is no copy were to actually pass this body," Barton asked, "could the bill without a copy be sent to the Senate for its consideration?"

The short answer: Yes. They did it with the stimulus package.

Through a series of parliamentary inquiries, the Republicans learned that the 300-plus page managers' amendment, added to the bill last night in the House Rules Committee, has not even been been integrated with the official copy of the 1,090-page bill at the House Clerk's desk, let alone in any other location. The two documents are side-by-side at the desk as the clerk reads through the instructions in the 300 page document for altering the 1,090 page document.

But they cannot be simply combined, because the amendment contains 300 pages of items like this: "Page 15, beginning line 8, strike paragraph (11)..." How many members of Congress do you suppose have gone through it all to see how it changes the bill?

None. But it's going to change your life more than you can imagine.

Global Warming is apparently so urgent that we can't even wait until members of Congress know what they're voting on.

Yes, and that's because public opinion is shifting on whether or not the whole thing is a scam. Couldn't we go back to changing the weather through prayer? Or throwing virgins into volcanoes? Making sacrifices to the corn god?

If we're going to use superstition to change the weather, is carbon cap the only thing still under consideration?

Picture of superstitious people throwing human sacrifices into a volcano in an attempt to influence the gods came from here.

The Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee has voted to cease its relationship with Broadway Baptist Church

This was posted on the Baptist Press website a few hours ago. Comments in italics are mine.

Southern Baptist EC recommends ceasing relationship with church over homosexuality
Posted on Jun 22, 2009 by Michael Foust
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--The Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee recommended in a unanimous vote Monday afternoon that the denomination cease its relationship with Broadway Baptist Church, a Fort Worth, Texas, congregation that has been the source of controversy over its stance on homosexuality.

The Executive Committee's recommendation will be considered by SBC messengers during the annual meeting Tuesday or Wednesday.

I know people whose parents wouldn't allow them to go to movies, because movies were "sinful".

At issue is whether the church is in violation of Article III of the SBC Constitution, which states that churches "which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior" are not in friendly cooperation. Broadway Baptist has approximately five open homosexual members, including two male couples, according to church leaders. Some of the homosexuals serve on church committees.

You may have heard of a dominoes game called "42". Baptists used to view card games as sinful. A couple of Texas kids were busted playing Whist back in 1887, and were punished by their parents. The parents didn't have any problem with dominoes, so the kids invented the game of 42.

The controversy over the church began last year when the question arose as to whether the homosexual couples should be pictured in a church directory. In the end, the church voted 294-182 to publish a directory without family portraits but with candid shots of members involved in various ministries and activities. The Executive Committee got involved after a messenger at the '08 SBC annual meeting made a motion that the convention declare Broadway Baptist not to be "in friendly cooperation" with the denomination. The motion was referred to the Executive Committee.

One of my grandmothers loved to play cards, especially Solitaire. This was back in the 1930's, when preachers went door to door, visiting their "flocks". My grandmother always wore an apron when she played solitaire. That way, if the preacher walked up on the porch and looked in through the screen door (this was pre-air conditioning), she could immediately rake all the cards from the table into her apron.

Various Executive Committee workgroups and subcommittees studied the issue during their September and February meetings but delayed action to further study the issue. Although members of Broadway Baptist appeared at the February meeting, none appeared at Monday's meeting. Some members of the workgroup and subcommittee said in February they would welcome a statement from the church on homosexuality so as to clarify its position on the issue. The church, though, chose not to pass any such statement.

Dancing used to be forbidden at Baptist universities. At Baylor University (in Texas), the ban wasn't lifted until 1996. When Baylor's president danced with his wife, it made the New York Times.
Stephen Wilson, a member of the Executive Committee and vice president for academic affairs at Mid-Continent University, emphasized to Baptist Press that the denomination encourages churches to reach out to people struggling with homosexuality. The issue with Broadway Baptist, though, is over a church allowing members who are homosexual and unrepentant.

When I was in college, I worked in at least one church that wouldn't allow divorced people to have their 2nd marriages performed in the church. The Bible is fairly clear on the issue of divorce.
So people would re-marry elsewhere, and then join the church. Dunno why the wanted to do so under those terms.

"If churches are ministering to homosexuals, they are doing nothing more than what our own convention's task force has asked us to do," Wilson told Baptist Press. "But in Broadway's case … the church was in effect saying that it was OK to have members who are open homosexuals."

Texas used to have "Blue Laws" - an elaborate legal code prohibiting certain items from being sold on Sundays. The intent was to shut down all commerce on Sundays, a clear violation of church/state separation, and in 2009 there are still a few remaining Sabbath prohibitions aimed at keeping the day semi-holy.
In 2009, there's not a Luby's Cafeteria in North America that doesn't have a customer surge immediately after church on Sundays.

The Executive Committee's recommendation says that the committee "recommends that the cooperative relationship between the Convention and the church cease, and that the church's messengers not be seated, until such time as the church unambiguously demonstrates its friendly cooperation with the Convention under Article III."

When Broadway Baptist Church built its magnificent French Gothic-style sanctuary in the 1950's, someone decided to portray the Seven Deadly Sins in the bottom of the east stained glass window. Seven is an odd number; therefore they needed another sin to balance the window. In the 1950's, alcohol was the Baptist 8th deadly sin. So along with the pig of gluttony, the fires of lust, the peacock of pride, etc., there is a bottle of bourbon (?) and a shot glass.

From casual observation in the year 2009, I only know three members of Broadway Baptist Church who do not drink at all. The rest of us wouldn't have turned down any of the wine at The Last Supper.

Wilson noted that some outside observers criticized the Executive Committee for delaying action at two previous meetings. He, though, said he had no regrets and that "it has always been our hope there could be reconciliation."

In the Baptist churches where I grew up, women weren't allowed to be deacons. In most of today's Baptist churches....oh, wait.....never mind. (Broadway has women deacons, BTW.)

"This was not a rush to judgment. We actually wanted -- from the bottom of my heart -- for this to be resolved by the local church where the convention wouldn't have to be involved in any way," said Wilson, who serves as chairman of a workgroup that studied the issue. "… I think [in February] there was a feeling that maybe this could be solved without having to go through the step that we had to do today."

That church where I worked during college had a minister that I respected a lot. But he once told me that he didn't approve of any contemporary or pop-style music in church because its roots were in .... Africa.

The church's interim pastor, Charles Johnson, appeared before an Executive Committee workgroup at February's meeting. Since then, the church has called a new pastor, Brent Beasley.
I used to live next door to an old guy named Mr. Nichols who came to Texas in a wagon train in the late 1800's. Fascinating old man. He mowed his own yard until I took over the job. He would never let me mow his yard (at no charge) on Sundays. He said "it just didn't look right". Many of you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Prior to the February meeting, the church sent a letter to the Executive Committee, which stated in part: "Broadway has never taken any church action to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior. Broadway Baptist Church considers itself to be in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention and has every intention of remaining so." It further stated, "While we extend Christian hospitality to everyone -- including homosexuals -- we do not endorse, approve, or affirm homosexual behavior."

But Wilson said the church's actions ran counter to what it claimed in the letter.

I remember when the Family Christian Stores retail chain decided to open for business on Sundays. The press release claimed that with so many churches operating their in-house bookstores on Sundays, they had to dishonor the Sabbath day in order to survive. Or something like that.

"[I]t was more from what they were actually doing in practice where the conflict was," Wilson said. "While they didn't officially endorse it, they were allowing members and also people in leadership that were homosexual."

I'm old enough to remember preachers who occasionally spoke about the old-time Calvinist doctrine of Infant Damnation. That is, if you have a child, even an infant, who dies without accepting Jesus as savior, the child goes to hell forever. (Mark Twain once quipped that the weather was "hotter than the Presbyterian Hell for dead babies".) Then some wimp invented an idea called "the age of accountability", a doctrine that gave the kid a free pass into heaven if he or she died young. I don't hear much about Infant Damnation any more.

David Lowrie, pastor of First Baptist Church in Canyon, Texas, and president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, told BP he had hoped Broadway Baptist would do more to make clear it opposes homosexuality. He said he had discussions with church leaders and that his involvement was "more as a pastor than as the president" of the BGCT. Lowrie said he told church leadership "that they needed to take a step beyond just making a public declaration" in a letter.

Baptists used to have another doctrine called "the autonomy of the local church". It meant that each church answered only to God and no one else. I haven't heard much in the last few weeks about the autonomy of the local church.

"They needed to actually express those convictions in some practical way," he said. "They, for whatever reason, weren't able to do that. … I felt that there were things that they could have done to minister to those within their church fellowship that struggled with those issues and other issues."

I know some of the gay members of Broadway Baptist Church. I don't think they struggle any longer with the way that God, or heredity, or environment, made them. They seem reasonably content with it. That's just my opinion, and no one else's. I've intentionally highlighted the word "struggle" in this post. It's almost like the author can't admit there are people who are "homosexual", the way other people are redheaded or left-handed. He has to say THOSE WHO STRUGGLE WITH HOMOSEXUALITY. Not "homosexuals".

He said he thought a ministry within the church to help people with "unhealthy lifestyles" would have helped clarify the matter.

Within the gay and lesbian community, these are called "re-closeting ministries". I think that's one of the funniest phrases I've ever heard.

The pastor who led the church during the church directory controversy -- Brett Younger -- resigned in June 2008 to take a position at McAfee School of Theology in Georgia. He left the church after a vote to oust him failed, 68-32 percent. But the desire by some to remove Younger had less to do with the issue of homosexuality and more to do with a host of other issues, church members said.

None of these issues concerned playing cards, going to movies, dancing, alcohol, remembering the Sabbath Day and keeping it holy, divorce, or infant damnation.

Younger seemingly approved of the acceptance of homosexuality in church life. He delivered a sermon Dec. 2, 2007, explaining both sides of the debate over whether homosexuality is a sin. In the end, he said, God's people will "serve together in the unity of God's diversity."

A damning statement if I ever heard one. As if God tolerates anything like diversity. God's people, and God's doctrines, are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Always have been the same, and always will be the same.

Michael Foust is an assistant editor of Baptist Press. And in 20 years, he's going to be embarrassed by this article.

Broadway Baptist, The Southern Baptist Convention, Racism, and Praying For Barack Obama To Die

I'm taking a break from the normal Sunday programming.
See the little "search blog" field in the top left corner? People are wearing it out, wanting info on Broadway -Baptist -Southern -Baptist -Brett -Younger -Gays -Lesbians -Church -Directory -Ousted -Convention.
People are sending me emails about this piece in yesterday's Star-Telegram.
I've sworn off of this before, but here goes....

This Star-Telegram article deals with three issues that the Southern Baptist Convention will be dealing with next week: 1) A proclamation heralding Obama's election as a sign of racial progress, 2) my own Broadway Baptist Church, and 3) a former 2nd Veep of the Southern Baptist Convention who is praying for Obama to die.

I'll try to tie all of this stuff together into a neat package at the end of the post.

Fort Worth's Broadway Baptist, Obama's election on Baptists' agenda
By JIM JONES
Special to the Star-Telegram

An effort to expel Fort Worth’s Broadway Baptist Church from the denomination because of its stances on homosexuality and an Arlington pastor’s proclamation of President Barack Obama’s election as a milestone of racial progress will be considered at next week’s Southern Baptist Convention.

This is why I've started telling people that I was raised as a Moonie. Or a Scientologist, or a Druid. Anything less embarrassing than Southern Baptist.




The Rev. Dwight McKissic of Arlington, who says he is a "Bible conservative Republican," can’t imagine fellow Baptists not approving his resolution on "Barack Hussein Obama and Racial Reconciliation" at their meeting Tuesday and Wednesday in Louisville, Ky.
"If Baptists don’t approve this, it will render their 1995 apology for racism hollow, and mean we still have a huge problem with race," said McKissic, pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington. "This is not about Obama’s politics. It’s about America itself. It’s about fulfilling Martin Luther King’s dream that we judge a man by the competency of his character and not by the color of his skin."

(Ahem....throat clearing and stammering....) Dr. King's quote is about "the content of character", not the "competency of character". Please continue.

His resolution says Obama’s election "provides a new opportunity for people of faith to facilitate racial reconciliation and heal the wounds and scars of the past." It urges Obama "to promote liberty and justice for all people, including the unborn."

Ok, so we have a resolution in place where we will congratulate ourselves for electing an African American president. Please stay with me. I'm going somewhere with this.

Broadway Baptist

....Convention delegates are also expected to decide whether one of Fort Worth’s most venerable congregations, Broadway Baptist, remains in the denomination.
The Rev. Bob Sanderson of Wendell, N.C., criticized Broadway’s stands on homosexuality at last year’s convention and urged that the church be declared "not in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention."

It's not "Bob Sanderson" who did this, but Bill Sanderson of Hephzibah Baptist Church. The Star-Telegram is suffering from budget cuts, and this mistake is understandable.
Soon after Brother Bill pulled this stunt, I went to the Hephzibah Church website and explained to Brother Bill that I've known 3 people with his level of homophobia, and that two of them eventually came out of the closet.

Immediately afterwards, Hephzibah Baptist Church took down the Comments section of their website. I continue to hope that Brother Bill is examining his heart.

The matter arose after Broadway members debated whether to allow photographs of same-sex couples in a church directory. The photographs were rejected in favor of group pictures.


A church statements says that one reason for not allowing photographs of gay couples was to emphasize that the church is in line with the Baptist constitution, which does not include churches that "affirm, approve or endorse" homosexual behavior.

As far as I know, Broadway doesn't affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior. Or heterosexual behavior. Or any sexual behavior. I don't think we've ever had a meeting where we affirmed The Missionary Position, Coitus Interruptus, Birth Control, or even Old Testament-style Circumcision.

Broadway has been linked with the Southern Baptist Convention for 127 years, but many of its members support an alternative moderate convention, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The Baptist Executive Committee will meet Monday and recommend whether Broadway should continue as a cooperating member. A final decision will be made by a vote on the convention floor.

Obama

In contrast to McKissic’s resolution on Obama, the Rev. Wiley Drake of Buena Park, Calif., who was elected second vice president of the convention in 2006, has stirred controversy by saying he is praying that Obama will die unless he repents.
For more details on Brother Wiley, plus the subject of "imprecatory prayer" and my rant on various preachers "praying for Obama to die", you can hit the link.

The remarks were made June 1 on Alan Colmes’ show on Fox News Radio. Drake, an Obama critic known for his headline-grabbing resolutions at Baptist conventions, said he had voiced "imprecatory prayers" against Obama. Imprecatory prayers are based on Psalm 109, in which the Psalmist prays against an enemy, stating, "Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow."
Several Southern Baptist leaders, including McKissic, have repudiated Drake’s statements. They’ve also criticized Drake for declaring that he had voiced similar prayers against Dr. George Tiller, the abortion doctor who was shot to death May 31 while attending church in Wichita, Kan.
"What Drake says is deplorable and despicable," McKissic said. "Nobody who believes in the Bible ought to advocate that position."

Well, this guy thinks otherwise, and lays out a boatload of examples of imprecatory prayers from the Bible, plus this one from another notable source:

We should pray that our enemies be converted and become our friends, and if not, that their doing and designing be bound to fail and have no success and that their persons perish rather than the Gospel and the Kingdom of Christ.
- Martin Luther

Wow.
That's the big picture for the Southern Baptists next week at their annual meeting in Louisville. It should be interesting.
So what does all this mean? And why did you read this far? Thanks for your patience. I'm getting there.
We Southern Baptists don't have a good record on race relations. Why? Well, the Bible tells me that's how it ought to be.
We've used the Bible to justify slavery. Hit the link to read excerpts from "Noah's Curse", a book on how Americans used scripture to justify owning others. Here's Jefferson Davis on the subject:

(slavery) was established by decree of Almighty God... it is sanctioned in the Bible, in both Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation... it has existed in all ages, has been found among the people of the highest civilization, and in nations of the highest proficiency in the arts.

We've used the Bible to justify racism. Ever heard of "The Chosen People"? If you still don't believe me, just ask a Canaanite. If you can find one who was allowed to live.
Today, the overwhelming majority of us are offended by these attitudes. So we have re-interpreted the scriptures in question, re-upholstered them, had them taxidermied, mounted them on the wall, and given them new symbolic meanings. Good for us. Let the resolutions congratulating ourselves for electing a black president roll forth.
Next, here are a few of the comments about homosexuality, from readers of the Star-Telegram article:

I don't know much about ""imprecatory prayers", but I do know it is fine to pray that the righteousness of His word be upheld and vindicated; and His word says, in at least 33 separate and distinct locations in both old and new books, that homosexual acts are a sin and an obomination....

and:

The Bible specifically addresses the issues that are on the table against BB as SIN! However in this age of tolerance and compromise, ala Pres.Obama, I can see why BB would chose to avoid scripture and follow the culture of a vocal miniority.

I wish I'd written this one:

Fatwas: They're not just for Muslims any more !

Can we now agree that parts of the Bible really do condemn homosexuality, just like other parts of the Bible really did condemn wearing clothing from multiple fabrics, eating shellfish, and gathering firewood on the Sabbath ?
Just like other parts of the Bible justify slavery and racism?
Within 50 years, Baptists will look back on their gay-bashing ancestors in the same way we now look back on slave owners and segregationists. First, we will re-interpret the Bible to fit reality. Then we will pat ourselves on the back, issue proclamations apologizing for homophobia, and pretend that we have always been leaders in The Tolerance Parade.
One other thing....Broadway Baptist Church gives out food and clothing to the homeless. They give people shelter on the coldest and hottest Texas nights. What does it mean if the Southern Baptist Convention kicks out Broadway Baptist Church but doesn't kick out Reverend Wiley "I pray that Obama dies" Drake ???
They're going to use scripture to justify prejudice against gays and lesbians, apologize for using scripture to justify prejudice against African-Americans, and then ignore the scriptures that justify praying for the death of a president.

Picture of the T-shirt I want for my birthday came from here. The Brokeback Pastors pic came from here, and requires some context (hope you guys aren't upset).