The Ground Zero Mosque

What a difference a few months make. Since my last post, Christopher Hitchens has been diagnosed with throat cancer and the tenants of Islam are suddenly part of the public discourse via the Ground Zero Mosque.

The news of Mr. Hitchens' illness depresses the hell out of me. I am hoping he beats it and continues to challenge the religious wingnuts for many years to come.

In regards to the mosque, however, I'm rather conflicted. Since I'm a "person of color" myself, it's probably my natural inclination to lean left and support cultural relativism, tolerance and all those other liberal slogans. While my position on cultural relativism has entirely reversed itself in recent years, I can't help but feel a lingering sense of guilt for abandoning the underdog and joining the wolf pack.

There are two nagging questions that continue to haunt me when I think about the mosque debate; and they are as follows:

1. How would I feel if it was a church or synagogue being built instead of an Islamic "religious center"?

2. Do I really believe the mosque will directly or indirectly lead to some act of terrorism?

At this point, these are my answers:

1. I would not give two shits.

2. No, I do not. And if this is what fuels my ill-will towards the mosque, I may as well go on a crusade to shut down all the other mosques in the city.

Let's face it: the mosque is being built because there's obviously a demand for it. And that's where the "problem" ultimately lies. Those of us who are irked by the Ground Zero Mosque should be focusing our attentions towards nixing the need for these types of woo-woo religious centers and increase the demand for knowledge and wisdom that only comes from an open mind and the letting go of antiquated ideologies -- and this is precisely why we need Hitch to stick around.

White House Responds to Robertson Comments

White House Calls Robertson Haiti Devil Comments "Stupid"
The White House has called Pat Robertson's recent incendiary comments about the Haiti earthquake being a result of a Satanic pact, "stupid". "It never ceases to amaze, that in times of amazing human suffering, somebody says something that could be so utterly stupid," said Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. Anyway, I'm looking forward to watching FOX News this weekend and hearing the right-wing rebuttal to Gibb's remarks. They'll probably accuse him of being "un-American" for trying to silence Robertson and bring up the 1st Amendment.


Polygamist Cult Leader Arrested
In Israel, police have arrested the leader of an alleged polygamist cult and are accusing him of enslavement, rape and incest. Goel Ratzon (r.), 60, is believed to have been living in Tel Aviv with 17 women with whom he had up to 40 children. Ratzon's followers believed him to be the Messiah and he thanked them for their devotion by controlling every aspect of their lives and enacting punishment for any perceived transgressions. Ratzon denies the allegations and claims the women were with him voluntarily.


Mom Accused of Starving Kids Was in a Cult, Claims Brother
In New York, the brother of the woman on trial of starving her children has testified that his sister was brought up in a "cult-like" religion that prohibited its members from direct contact with the outside world. "It was an almost cult-like existence. We weren't allowed to watch TV, go to the movies, or vote," said Frederick Phillips, describing the lifestyles of members of the Brooklyn-based Church of the Brethren. Although he and his sister, Estelle Walker (l.), eventually left the church, she went on to join a religious commune and "became even more religious".

Priest to Enter Plea in Sex Abuse Case In Wisconsin, a former priest accused of molesting boys will enter a plea today. James Blume taught classes at a local parish in the 1970s. Although Blume currently lives in Florida, he was brought back to Wisconsin under the state's "fleeing sex offender" law.

Former Priest Faces Second Sex Abuse Allegation
In Orlando, a former priest is facing a second lawsuit that alleges he sexually abused an underage altar boy more than 30 years ago. Jose Mena is accused of performing sex acts on an altar boy in the mid-1970s. Mena has faced similar allegations in recent years from several different dioceses. His whereabouts are unknown at this time.

Pat Robertson Blames Haiti Quake on "Pact to the Devil" & Sarah Palin Talks God

Pat Robertson: Haiti Quake Result of "Pact to the Devil"
In the wake of any disaster, the last thing we need is for some opportunist piece of shit to claim it was a deliberate act of God and he did it to punish the victims. Officials are estimating that the Haiti earthquake may have killed more than 100,000 people. The U.S. and nations around the world are pledging their unqualified support. Enter Pat Robertson (l.), who's saying the quake was God's punishment for the republic's "pact to the devil". On his weekly TV show, Robertson explained that the Haitians "were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.' True story. And so, the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.'"

Rapist Sharia Cops Won't Face Islamic Law
In Jarkata, the three Sharia cops suspected of gang raping a female suspect will not be charged under Islamic "Law", but under the Criminal Code, which means a more lenient penalty if found guilty. If convicted for rape under the Criminal Code, the cops could receive a maximum of 12 years. If convicted under the Islamic "Law" they supposedly enforce, they could have received 100 to 200 lashes or a maximum prison sentence of of 200 months. This is absolute bullshit!

Men Receive Lashes for un-Islamic Romances
In Somalia, two men were publicly flogged by religious police for engaging in un-Islamic behavior. The men confessed to flirting and having a secret marriage, respectively, and received 15 and 39 lashes each in front of a large crowd of onlookers. “The punishment was only to show that people will be held responsible for violating Sharia,” proclaimed a senior official. “We are here to correct deviant social behaviour and force the people to implement Sharia to the full.”

Canadian Priest Charged with Rape
In Canada, a 79-year-old priest has been charged for sex offenses dating back more than 40 years. Meurig Pari Lloyd was arrested after a woman recently contacted police on allegations that the priest abused her when she was between the ages of 8 and 15, beginning in 1967. Lloyd was charged with two counts of rape, gross indecency, having intercourse with a female under 14, and one count of indecent assault.

Families Suing Diocese Over Handling of Sex Abuse Claims
In Australia, six families are suing a Catholic diocese over its handling of sex abuse allegations at a local school. The former principal was found not guilty of failing t report the allegations.

And Finally...Surprise, surprise! Sarah Palin Talks about God!
I guess if you want to get a job over at FOX News, you need to constantly profess your Christian faith. In one short week, the right-wing network had Brit Hume, their "senior political analyst", proselytizing to Tiger Woods and then they announce they're hiring fellow Jesus slave, Sarah Palin to help them further pollute the mind of middle America. Considering Palin's limited knowledge of, well, everything, it only makes sense that she crows about one of the few topics she can speak quasi-coherently on: God. In an interview with Glenn Beck (ugh, another one), Palin proclaimed "There is nothing more important in my life than my relationship with God and my faith and in this past year especially -- past year and a half -- I have been so driven to my knees to pray for His guidance, for His wisdom, for His grace and for His Strength."

Seriously, is there some crazy scheme going on to turn FOX News into a 24-hour version of the 700 Club? What the fuck is going on!?

France's Veil Ban Moving Forward & Avatar Panned by the Vatican

Legislation Filed for French Veil Ban
In France, legislation has been filed to ban Muslim women from wearing veils that cover their faces in public. Lawmakers have held hearings for six months on the issue. They will advise parliament whether it believes a law banning such garments is needed by the end of the month.



British Govt Bans Radical Islamic Group
In the UK, the British government has banned a radical Islamic group from staging a march to honor Muslims killed in Afghanistan. Predictably, the group, Islam4UK, and its enablers are crying foul. The head of Islam4UK, Anjem Choudary, says that by banning his group, the British government is undermining freedom of speech in Britain and discriminating against Muslims. Yawn.


Faith Healing Couple Charged in Son's Death
In Portland, a fundamentalist Christian couple that rejects modern medical treatment in favor of prayer is being charged with criminal negligence in the death of their teenage son in 2008. Jeff and Marci Beagley are also the grandparents of another child who died after her parents refused to seek proper medical treatment for her illness. Both families are members of Followers of Christ Church, which relies on faith healing to treat their sick. The case against the Beagleys is further complicated by the fact that their son had agreed with his parents' decision.


Nigerian Televangelist Arrested For Fraud
In Nigeria, a popular televangelist, Prophet Israel Ola-Ogundipe of Celestial Church of Christ, was arrested and charged with alleged stealing, obtaining money by false pretenses and forgery. Sounds just like the ones we have here!


Scamming Pastor Pleads Guilty
In Queens, NY, a pastor who scammed more than $50,000 from Ecuadorian immigrants has pleaded guilty second-degree grand larceny. Gregorio Gonzalez, 57, ran a storefront church and promised to help his victims expedite various immigration related matters. Gonzales is expected to serve two to six years in prison and then be deported.



And Finally...Vatican Pans Avatar!
File this under "Don't they have something better to do?". Apparently, when the good folks at the Vatican aren't busy shuffling child-raping priests around from church to church, they go to the movies. The Vatican newspaper and radio station have panned Avatar for, according to their read of the material, suggesting that worship of nature can replace religion — a nutty idea that The Pope has admonished. Further, the Vatican film critics called the 3-D blockbuster simplistic and sappy, although they did like the special effects. Funny, I felt the same way about The Bible.

Sharia Cops Arrested for Rape & Mark McGwire's God Connection

Sharia Cops Suspected of Gang Rape
In Indonesia, members of their silly Sharia police, responsible for upholding Islamic "Law", have been arrested for an alleged gang rape. Three officers are suspected of gang raping a female detainee at a police station during her interrogation. Two of the suspects have been arrested while the other is on the run.


Australian Government Gives $60 Million to "Cult" Schools
In Australia, the government is giving more than $60 million USD worth of funding to schools run by the Exclusive Brethren, a religious sect many regard as a cult. According to a local paper, the Exclusive Brethren is a 'fundamentalist Christian sect that lives by the doctrine of separation from mainstream society. Although these schools teach the required curriculum, some say that certain novels are banned and chapters on sex and reproduction are omitted from science textbooks. Members of this group don't vote or use technology and are not allowed to eat in public restaurants.


DA Investigating Sex Abuse Allegation Against Roman Catholic School Official
In Pennsylvania, a local DA is investigating allegations of "inappropriate touching" by Joseph Casciano (r), a superintendent of schools for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton. The investigation was prompted after the alleged victim recently notified the diocese about the abuse and they, in turn, contacted the DA's office.




Former Pastor Arrested for Ripping Off Immigrants
In New Jersey, a former pastor for the Salvation Army was arrested today after a Grand Jury indicted the man on 14 counts of theft by deception. Pastor Enoc Tito Sotelo (l.) is accused of concocting a bogus green card scheme that bilked immigrants out of thousands. If convicted, Sotelo faces up to 70 years in prison.


And Finally... God --Not 'Roids-- Responsible for McGwire's HR Record!
It's become sickeningly predictable at this point: Some public figure gets caught doing something sinful/illegal/unethical/immoral/hypocritical, calls a press conference/interview and then invokes God in some way, shape or form. If these jerkoffs are so goddamn religious, it makes you wonder what the were thinking while they were conducting their misdeeds with The Big Guy looking on.

Anyway, so Mark McGwire (l.) has finally admitted to using steroids -- BUT he doesn't credit the juice for giving him the ability to hit home runs. Instead, McGwire says "I believe I was given this gift by the man upstairs.” Since I doubt Jose Canseco --who allegedly used to have the honor of injecting 'roids into McGwire's ass-- was on the upper floor during the interview, we'll assume the disgraced slugger meant God.

However, if it was, in fact, God's doing in McGwire's case, it does make you question His priorities. In 1998, when McGwire broke Roger Maris' single season home run record on September 8, one has to question why God put all his resources into the McGwire rather than, say, prevent the senseless murder of Matthew Shepard the following month or stop the Eschede train disaster in Germany on June 3, which killed 101 passengers.

I guess God really likes baseball.