Pastors pledge political unity on social front (An American Tale)

From today's Cincinnati Enquirer:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050904/NEWS01/509040360/1056

COLUMBUS - Christian pastors made it clear here last week that Ohio will remain a pivotal political battleground to advance their opposition to abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, pornography, strip clubs, gambling and "activist" judges.

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He encouraged fellow pastors to circulate petitions calling for fair and swift confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. He also asked church leaders to help register 400,000 new Ohio voters as part of the Reformation Ohio project. His group has goals parallel to the Ohio Restoration Project, led by Rev. Russell Johnson of Lancaster.

Repeating his opposition to same-sex marriage, Parsley stressed the need to protect traditional marriage between a man and a woman. "I will sound the alarm about tortured and angry homosexuals,'' he said, drawing standing ovations from an audience of more than 1,300.

Quoting from his best-selling book, "Silent No More,'' Parsley also expressed concern about the world's growing Muslim population: "I will rail against the idea that the God of Christianity and the god of Islam are the same being.''

MORE....

I have a message for Reverend Parsley:

You know, it's a good thing that not all people of faith are so busy preaching hate.

Take my neighbor, for instance. (For the sake of protecting his privacy, I'll just call him Mr. Smith.) He's a man of deep faith. He, his wife and two small children live on an income of just over $14,000 a year.

Yes, Mr. Smith is a working man and a Vietnam vet. He's on his feet all day, working hard to put food on the table, even though the spinal arthitis that has left his body stiffened makes each day an exercise in living through pain.

To help make ends meet, he wanted to start a hauling business, collecting others' throwaways and junk, something his two young sons (who just started 7th grade this year) could help with in order to earn a little spending money. To help him start out, I sold him my pickup truck for one dollar and felt privileged to do it.

Mr. Smith and his family spend their spare time volunteering in their community. They help out at the local food bank, the Salvation Army, the PTA. Each summer they host a neighborhood block party, cooking donated hamburgers and hot dogs for the neighborhood children (many of whom cannot afford anything resembling a trip to an amusement park) and to raise money for charities. Over the past few years these recipient charities have included the Boys and Girls Club, Salvation Army, Loaves and Fishes (a local food bank), money to fight Childhood Diabetes, among others.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith's door is always open to children from the neighborhood, and Mrs. Smith is the neighborhood "mom". Her porch is always filled with children of all colors and faiths, and rarely have I seen her dinner table set without an extra place for one or two young and hungry guests.

Oh, and only one of their sons is their biological child. Their other son was adopted from a friend who died of cancer when her baby was small. The boy still takes medication for a health problem he had at birth.

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast this family wanted to help but could offer little but prayer. Yesterday, when talking to Mrs. Smith, she intimated that after they had paid their monthly bills a couple of days ago, they had ten dollars left over. They gave all ten to hurricane relief.

Yes, Rev. Parsley, this is a family of faith in action. This is an American family.

You say, quoting from your best-selling book, Silent No More, "I will rail against the idea that the God of Christianity and the god of Islam are the same being.''

Maybe you're right, Rev. Parsley. For you see, Mr. Smith, that neighbor of mine, he is a Muslim. A black man and Muslim in Amerikka who considers this lesbian and her partner as part of his own family.

Go ahead and tell me their God is not your God. Preach some more hate. If there truly is a God, I know who's got His ear -- and His heart.

This is a true story.

am doing my part.

BITE ME, "reverend".

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Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/liberalchristians.htm

now those are Americans---the crowd I'm surrounded by with their damn flags, ribbons, lapel pins and other group markers? Not so much...although they tell you they are all the time.

We'll see if it merits a response.

I think this is a front. I think they know that they have the voting system so rigged that they can dial in any numbers they want. This is just an attempt to make a fake case of support for republican ideas, so there people will look like they will have at least some support in there state so when elections are challenged there will be doubt,

http://www.ohiorestorationproject.com/

If you do a Google search you'll find out just how scary and how powerful this group really is in Ohio. And check out their "goals" listed on the website.

I'm out of Ohio now, after a lifetime. I moved to Rapid City, SD, a few months ago to take a job, and haven't looked back once. My only regret is having to leave my son behind for now, and missing my family and friends who are all there. But that is IT. Ohio has been under the control of the backwoods yahoo fundie repukes for a decade now, and is reaping the results accordingly. And the sheeple complain about it, but keep fucking voting the idiots in. Central and Southern Ohio now have total control of the entire state politically, and I'm glad I don't have to be around to suffer the results anymore. Nearly an entire lifetime there and I'm so happy to be out. Even SD is an improvement over OH, believe it or not.

... is just a peek into where this country is headed, folks.

To be honest, I'm not sure how long I will have the will to keep fighting.