tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post4861120432052436394..comments2024-03-28T05:17:04.006-04:00Comments on southern orders: WOW! I WOULD SAY THIS IS ANOTHER BOMBSHELL FOR AMERICANS WHO THOUGHT WE LIVED IN AMERICA!Fr. Allan J. McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16986575955114152639noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-69926539869751277032014-10-18T02:00:32.374-04:002014-10-18T02:00:32.374-04:00I come late to this thread.
The story as reported...I come late to this thread.<br /><br />The story as reported by the FoxNews reporter seemed suspect on its face so I did a little research. In less than 5 minutes I discovered a rather different account:<br /><br />http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/10/16/3580636/houston-pastors-subpoenas-religious-freedom/<br /><br />Tellingly the above linked article contains the following passage:<br /><br />“Not all conservatives agree that the outrage is justified. The American Vision is an organization that has been designated an anti-LGBT hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, but its Director of Research, Joel McDurmon, believes the subpoenas are reasonable. ‘Once you file a lawsuit,’ he reasoned, ‘you open up yourself and potentially your friends and acquaintances to discovery.” Though he also agrees the original subpoenas were “unnecessarily broad,’ McDurmon is bothered by all of the fear-mongering, which he worries might only be for fundraising purposes. ‘This is not an attack on all Houston area pastors,’ he asserted, calling it ‘irresponsible’ to suggest otherwise.”<br /><br />Now I have done no further research and so have no basis for reaching a definitive judgment on the merits of the types of claims made by the FoxNews reporter or by some commentators in this thread. Moreover, perhaps the above “rebuttal” is just as biased and distorted as the Fox report. But this is already enough to suggest the wisdom of not allowing oneself to be manipulated by hysterical reporting designed to whip up the readership and instead to undertake a calm investigation and evaluation of the facts. Thus, not only does the subpoena involve only five pastors and seem aimed at discovering any instructions the pastors may have given regarding the collection of signatures for the petition but the scope of the subpoena has today been narrowed. By all means attack the Houston policy on its merits, but do so based on the facts. <br /><br />Why do people allow themselves to be manipulated and whipped up by media hype (when the main thing they want to do is to sell their product to gullible consumers)? It is happening over the synod, it is happening over ebola, it is happening over ISIS, and it is happening over this. Now what was that phrase about not cooperating in evil (I assume that lies, misrepresentations, and the deliberate creation of hysteria and fear-mongering are evils)? Not only is it wrong to participate in this, it is unwise because it reduces credibility of the reporter and of those further propagating the report. Consequently, when there really IS a “there” there no-one will believe it (except of course those who believe everything in these sources anyway) because we all remember, or should remember, the story about the boy who cried wolf.<br /><br />Those who are really worried about losing their freedom should try to retain their independence of mind and critical thinking abilities so they can resist the excesses of government manipulation, corporate manipulation, and media manipulation. If one allows oneself to be manipulated by such forces, one has to that extent abdicated one’s freedom.<br /><br />Anonymous 2noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-20874579086772621562014-10-15T20:01:37.668-04:002014-10-15T20:01:37.668-04:00JBS, Maybe we should start calling it the "De... JBS, Maybe we should start calling it the "Decoration of Independence." You know, if you forget all the BS hype about the War Between the States being all about slavery and take a look at state's rights issues, the South was really right. There is entirely too much government in this country. Our politicians are drunk on power and privilege and have become a self-perpetuating menace to freedom and independence. State governors need to begin asserting their full powers and pushing the issues.Genehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06672484450736725268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-5553735079117913952014-10-15T18:18:25.760-04:002014-10-15T18:18:25.760-04:00Does this include the ones preached in Arabic?Does this include the ones preached in Arabic?rcghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09131930849106490711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-66755867155685321812014-10-15T17:34:22.205-04:002014-10-15T17:34:22.205-04:00Gene,
I'm not sure if even the Declaration of...Gene,<br /><br />I'm not sure if even the Declaration of Independence is still an "acceptable" document.Rood Screenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09816036539243214384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-58800320623893747782014-10-15T17:10:55.652-04:002014-10-15T17:10:55.652-04:00After having survived (barely) a Civil War 150 yea...After having survived (barely) a Civil War 150 years ago, this story makes you wonder how the USA can survive the relentless secular assault, magnified by the Obama Administration and the federal courts. Increasingly, you can tell if a state is secular or more/somewhat religious by how it votes for president. Gallup Organization did some polling in 2013 of the most to least religious states. The top 10 "very religious" states were all in the South, save for Utah, and all 10 backed Romney. ("Very religious" was defined as religion being an important part of one's life and attending worship usually at least weekly.) The 10 least religious states included 5 of the 6 New England states (all but Rhode Island), 3 states in the western US (Nevada, Oregon and Washington) and Hawaii. All 10 of the least religious states backed Obama last time. Even with increasingly "blue" metro Atlanta, Georgia ranked as the 7th most religious state. Of the top 10 religious states, only one, Louisiana, had a large Catholic population (say over 25% Catholic).<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-89139761797046240702014-10-15T16:35:27.230-04:002014-10-15T16:35:27.230-04:00If the mayor is interested in what is being said i...If the mayor is interested in what is being said in the churches, perhaps the mayor should go to the churches and listen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-39368929810841858492014-10-15T15:28:13.221-04:002014-10-15T15:28:13.221-04:00Or, get a good number of your church members who s...Or, get a good number of your church members who support you to show up at the church armed behind barricades and say, "Ok, come and get them."Genehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06672484450736725268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-36833676357750396262014-10-15T12:49:25.800-04:002014-10-15T12:49:25.800-04:00I would say you can kiss my ass and what are you g...I would say you can kiss my ass and what are you going to do about it if I don't give them to you?Cameronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-56208103652371386132014-10-15T09:01:08.076-04:002014-10-15T09:01:08.076-04:00Well 99% of Catholic priests have nothing to fear ...Well 99% of Catholic priests have nothing to fear from the government. I'm pretty sure they aren't preaching against the evils of homosexuality, abortion, etc. so priests of god have no fear. You are all safe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-78677665068270448172014-10-15T08:57:36.602-04:002014-10-15T08:57:36.602-04:00Classic behavior.
Those who decry 'homophobi...Classic behavior. <br /><br />Those who decry 'homophobia' (hating people for difference) are themselves the greatest offenders.<br /><br />Merely beg to differ on the claim that sodomy is healthy and ipso facto you are accused of 'hating' the person who is engaging in one of the most dangerous of all sexual practices.<br /><br />See, because pointing out the biologically obvious as a warning from contracting all manner of pathogens = hatred. But giving the person a high five and encouragement to self-destruct is "love". Got it?<br /><br />So it follows that those who claim the legalization of sodomy won't slide into its mandatory promotion and a mandate to agree with the movements' every desire are also going to commit actions that prove they are either lying or clueless about how the world works.<br /><br />Of course they first demand 'equality' but it's applied as special favoritism. Then it's taught as harmless. Then it's mandated that everyone agree....or else. Then they insist on attendance and subsidies for their behavior and subsidies for health care...and then they'll demand inquisitions to ferret out 'secret' homophobes.<br /><br />It's as predictable as night from day.<br /><br />But ultimately what will happen is as follows: the science will win out and we'll prove beyond all doubt that sodomy is simply dangerous and thus the ideations and desires to commit it are irrational and counterproductive to human flourishing and that far from being praised those with these ideations need tender, loving, care and therapy to resist these irrational urges.<br /><br />It'll take 50 years and grave damage to tens of millions of people will occur but in the end people will look back aghast that this movement was ever a 'thing' just as we look back aghast at the Know-nothings or KKK.JusadBellumnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-85875884292440302712014-10-15T08:45:05.491-04:002014-10-15T08:45:05.491-04:00What some pastor should do is copy, in everyday sp...What some pastor should do is copy, in everyday speech, the sixth chapter of Ephesians as a sermon and turn it in. He would immediately be branded a terrorist, an enemy of the State, arrested, and grilled by the NSA.Genehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06672484450736725268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-38538209578446625962014-10-15T08:39:57.849-04:002014-10-15T08:39:57.849-04:00Sieg heil!Sieg heil!Genehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06672484450736725268noreply@blogger.com