Foes attack event as intolerant ("Justice Sunday" protests)

[Rose Siding]

More than 700 people joined religious leaders and Democratic politicians at two rallies yesterday to denounce Christian conservatives' use of a Louisville church as a platform to advocate prohibiting filibusters against judicial nominees.
...
The larger of the two rallies, designed to counter a telecast from Highview Baptist Church last night, took place at Central Presbyterian Church near downtown Louisville. More than 600 people came to hear Baptist, Episcopal, Jewish and ecumenical leaders from around the country criticize what they described as an effort to paint dissidents as anti-religion.
...
At the rally at Central Presbyterian, the Rev. Jim Wallis of the United Church of Christ, who wrote the book "God's Politics" and is editor of the Sojourners Christian-ministry magazine, urged like-minded congregations to "wake up" to what he called a Republican-led "religious war" intended to usher in a "theocracy."

The "religious right," Wallis said, has tried to "steal our faith" and turn it on its head.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050425/NEWS01/504250365/1008

[formerrepuke]

1. 'Nice to see a coalition of religious groups finally confronting fundies..

[Avalux]

2. Tax exempt status

ANY church that televised Frist's Justice Sunday event inside it's walls should have it's tax exempt status yanked. How do we get a list of all the churches? And how do we press this issue?

[Bluzmann57]

5. Pretty sure that I saw a link to this

on Randi Rhodes' website. www.therandirhodesshow.com. Went there yesterday and it linked to the website which showed which churches were having it and which tv stations were showing it. Thankfully, no tv around here, but I think there was some sort of Baptist church in Moline which had it on closed circuit or something like that. Anyway, I imagine the link is still on Randi's site.

[Avalux]

25. thanks!

I found it. :hi:

[booksenkatz]

10. Can someone explain to me why they are not considered PACs?

Maybe my definition of a PAC is incorrect...?

And BTW, they should be taxed. When a church is on fire, I'm pretty sure they call the fire department, don't they? When there's a guy in a mask robbing the church secretary, don't they call the police? If they're using the infrastructure, then I don't see why they cannot be taxed. Maybe all of our taxes would be reduced if the religious folks paid their fair share, even if they paid at a reduced rate!

And lastly, why are my questions in this post considered an attack on religion???
:crazy:

[burn the bush]

16. I agree with you. I think maybe the tax exempt status is being abused

by this church and mnay many organizations. I think it should be removed completely. I think the gov. uses them as front companies to launder money through. I think all tax exempt status should stop immediately.

[burn the bush]

14. yes, they should.

[Tigress DEM]

28. bushit offered to get around that rule for campaigning....

suppose the same groups that accepted his "exemption" then have it now. Still, doesn't hurt to advertise who is abusing the system - even if they do it "semi-legally".

[Greylyn58]

3. I keep hoping that the Repugs have finally over-reached

what with DeLays problems, this "little" mess with Frist, Bolton's nomination problems and the pResident unable to convince most people that SS is in trouble.

Let the tide be turning in our favor!! PLEASE!!!!

[xchrom]

4. i hope they start showing up with signs outside

of their fundy churches.

[callous taoboy]

6. The foes are just getting warmed up and are

watching this closely. I think that the people of faith who understand our democracy, who get why separation of church and state is critical to our survival as a democracy, are waiting to see if this movement peters out on its own. If it ramps up even more be assured that people of every social/political/religious stripe who GET what this country is about will be ready to pounce and squash this movement of the extreme radical right.

[Tux]

7. Glad to see

Jim Wallis involved and other religious leaders of other faiths. Now is the time to unite and keep theocracy at bay if not remove it completely.

[grytpype]

8. The Christofascists aren't done until they can force us to kneel to Jesus.

... at gunpoint.

[katty]

12. Justice Sunday - sounds like a hanging in the old south

[grytpype]

13. Here's a pic from the Just-Us Sunday after-party

[saigon68]

15. AND THEN this one as the crowd broke up-- CAUTION EXTREME VIOLENCE

[Az_lefty]

17. Every time I see that pic I'm just floored...

the looks in that crowd...their acting like a lynching was just a Sunday evening social event.

[saigon68]

20. IT WAS A SOCIAL EVENT.

Lynching 1930

A mob of 10,000 whites took sledgehammers to the county jailhouse doors to get at these two young blacks accused of raping a white girl; the girl’s uncle saved the life of a third by proclaiming the man’s innocence. Although this was Marion, Ind., most of the nearly 5,000 lynchings documented between Reconstruction and the late 1960s were perpetrated in the South. (Hangings, beatings and mutilations were called the sentence of “Judge Lynch.”) Some lynching photos were made into postcards designed to boost white supremacy, but the tortured bodies and grotesquely happy crowds ended up revolting as many as they scared.


http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0309/lm18.html

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

26. I still can't believe this took place only

30 miles from the small town I was raised in (just north of Huntington).

Frightening. Shocking. Embarassing. Insulting.

I DO recall that Huntington still had a "no blacks after sundown" law well into the late 60s. I belive there are still few, if any, African Americans there to this day.

[saigon68]

33. There are still quite a number of amerikans

who still want to "whiten up" the place.

[burn the bush]

21. yeah the one man pointing shows anger but the rest of the people are

fuckin giggly at the camera. Isn't that one woman pregnant? I wonder what these guys were suppose to have done that could make people feel that this is ok? I can't think of anything short of child molesting and killing that would even rile a crowd of people up to do this. I wonder how many of them have nightmares now for what they did to these poor guys. Do you know the story? I imagine they were most likely innocent but I am curious as to what crime they were accused of.

[Tigress DEM]

29. Read post #20

[burn the bush]

18. it will have to be at gunpoint

you know, this does scare me because of all the things going on, the one thing I know is that I will not be forced to live in Jesusland and I will not leave America.

What I'm saying is that I think this is something that really could cause an actual civil war in our country.

[oneold1-4u]

27. "cause an actual civil war"

Many of the Xtians of today would still go to public lynchings and want their pictures taken, like this, to show to all that they did the "right thing" for jesus' and god's redeeming vengeance!
They are actually becoming brave enough in todays political atmosphere to start where this crowd left off, and yes it will be these condoned, and unchallenged actions that will turn family against family, and neighbor against neighbor. People of this mindset do not understand that this regime is not building a theocracy for the salvation of man but for taking the "coin" of the land and ultimately the world!
I could easily believe in "many gods" before their purported "ONE"!

[Tigress DEM]

30. The real pain is that using Jesus to justify their crimes is evil.

Jesus didn't sit back in the comfort of the pharisee's homes, althought he did visit Nicodimus who was not your average pharisee.

He went out to the people, blessed the blind, uplifted the poor, healed the sick, spent his time with sinners, whether they were tax collectors or prostitutes and gave them the courage to live a better way.

The most angry that Jesus got was when money changers were in the temple making cash off of God's people.

I can just imagine MY Jesus weeping for the people being hanged and writing the names down of all those who say they know his name and putting them on the "You go to Hell" side of His tablet.

If his return happens during GWII's administration, some fur will fly believe you me.

Christians who believe with their heart, but have one lick of common sense do NOT condone Supremecists or B***.

[jazzjunkysue]

23. Ok, That image is just so dusturbing for so many reasons..

[BanzaiBonnie]

9. The American Taliban

is attempting to co-opt religion in the same way they took over the Republican party. Same sort of tactics --- same power plays --- same whining about how abused they are ---what discrimination they suffer. What crap! They are bully boy abusers who will resort to anything to get their way.


The danger with cults like this is that they will go to any length to support their cause. But I'm preaching to the choir here. You all know this.

What we need to do is educate, educate, educate. Everyone must understand how to recognise a cult and the dangers of a cult. For power and glory of themselves, cult leaders will lead others to death and destruction.

[burn the bush]

19. we need to start calling the religious wrong the American Taliban more

often. That is putting it in terms that even the blind church following rednecks can understand.

[katty]

11. FINALLY Religious groups getting it??!!!

geez, it took long enough to get these groups out there protesting the evangel cultists

[dmallind]

22. I Agree - and kudos to them

I won't be hypocritical - I have made the point to almost all my religious acquaintances and in any debates I've had that this is exactly what moderate theists need to do. Otherwise their protests that "GFalwell doesn't speak for me" and "All Christians aren't like Fred Phelps" ring hollow. If these are the people who receive the donations and get the large followings the only assumption is that they DO speak for a lot of believers. The only way to counteract that is to vocally support and fund the more reasonable (not necessarily progressive or liberal - just not reactionary and hateful) preachers and churches.

Good start - I hope they keep it up.

[Tigress DEM]

31. I think they have been "getting it" for some time, but to work together...

is another thing. It's wonderful at any rate.

[jazzjunkysue]

24. The hardest sell: Dump your values for mine. This can't succeed.

These idiots don't realize that no one responds positively to a challenge of their values. Most americans still don't know this campaign is underway, but when they find out their own personal values are being systematically threatened, they will not react well. I heard a caller on AARadio this morning say she is very upset with her party for trying to hijack religion.

[Tigress DEM]

32. I guess when the bushits went over the top with the "KNEEL to ME"

....

silly grin. :crazy: