Thursday, March 20, 2014
Via JMG: Judy Shepard On Death Of Fred Phelps
Via JMG: Westboro Founder Fred Phelps Has Died
Kansas television station KSN reports that Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps has died.
The Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., who founded a Kansas church widely known for its protests at military funerals and anti-gay sentiments, has died according to his son Tim Phelps. Phelps, 84, was being cared for in a Shawnee County facility, Westboro Baptist Church spokesman Steve Drain said Sunday. Members of the Westboro church, based in Topeka, frequently protest at funerals of soldiers with signs containing messages such as “Thank God for dead soldiers,” and “Thank God for 9/11,” claiming the deaths are God’s punishment for American immorality and tolerance of homosexuality and abortion.Updates to follow shortly. (Tipped by JMG reader TJ)
Via Daily Dharma
Bursting the Bubble of Fear | March 20, 2014
To willingly reside in our distress, no
longer resisting what is, is the real key to transformation. As painful
as it may be to face our deepest fears, we do reach the point where
it's more painful not to face them. This is a pivotal point in the
practice life.
—Ezra Bayda, “Bursting the Bubble of Fear”
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Via JMG: Oregon AG Files Brief: Ban Serves No Rational Purpose And Harms Citizens
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum tonight filed a response brief
in the same-sex marriage case, declaring, "The state defendants in this
case recognize that the ban on same-sex marriage serves no rational
purpose and harms Oregon citizens. This case presents that rare case in
which there simply is no legal argument to be made in support of a state
law." Last month Rosenblum announced that she would not defend the lawsuit.
Oregon United For Marriage reacts via press release: "We are literally counting down the days until all loving and committed couples in Oregon have the freedom to marry, and we are thrilled that the attorney general is on the right side of history. No one should be told it is illegal to marry the person they love. Freedom means freedom for everyone."
Later in the brief, Rosenblum says this: "Other state attorneys general and governors have reached similar conclusions about the defensibility of state laws, and responded by simply declining to appear in defense or withdrawing and joining forces with those challenging the laws. The Oregon state defendants believe it is more appropriate to remain as parties to this litigation to ensure that this Court has the benefit of the careful legal analysis that the state defendants have undertaken."
The lawsuit was filed in October 2013 by local attorneys on behalf of one unmarried Oregon couple and another couple who married in Canada. The suit is separate from the petition drive to place a repeal of the marriage ban on the ballot. That campaign has been put on hold pending the ruling in the lawsuit. Oral arguments in the lawsuit are scheduled for April 23rd.
Read today's brief in full at my Scribd account.
Reposted from Joe Jervis
Oregon United For Marriage reacts via press release: "We are literally counting down the days until all loving and committed couples in Oregon have the freedom to marry, and we are thrilled that the attorney general is on the right side of history. No one should be told it is illegal to marry the person they love. Freedom means freedom for everyone."
Later in the brief, Rosenblum says this: "Other state attorneys general and governors have reached similar conclusions about the defensibility of state laws, and responded by simply declining to appear in defense or withdrawing and joining forces with those challenging the laws. The Oregon state defendants believe it is more appropriate to remain as parties to this litigation to ensure that this Court has the benefit of the careful legal analysis that the state defendants have undertaken."
The lawsuit was filed in October 2013 by local attorneys on behalf of one unmarried Oregon couple and another couple who married in Canada. The suit is separate from the petition drive to place a repeal of the marriage ban on the ballot. That campaign has been put on hold pending the ruling in the lawsuit. Oral arguments in the lawsuit are scheduled for April 23rd.
Read today's brief in full at my Scribd account.
Via http://purpleunions.com: USA, Oregon: AG Says Marriage Equality Ban Unconstitutional, State Ready to Marry Same Sex Couples
In a strongly-worded 35 page brief, Oregon Attorney general Ellen Rosenblum indicated the state is ready for marriage equality.
Edge Boston reports:
Find more articles and gay wedding resources in Oregon.
Edge Boston reports:
Oregon’s attorney general told a federal court Tuesday why she believes the state’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages violates the federal constitutional rights of homosexual couples. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum added that Oregon is prepared to implement gay marriages if a federal judge strikes down the ban. Rosenblum announced last month that she would not defend the state’s same-sex marriage ban in court…. Allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry is not a redefinition of marriage, the attorney general wrote. Instead, she said the plaintiffs in this case “seek the same right to marry that the state offers opposite-sex couples and not a right to any newly invented form of marriage.”Oral arguments in the case are due in mid-April, so we could have a ruling by May
Find more articles and gay wedding resources in Oregon.
Via Daily Dharma
Resting Meditation | March 19, 2014
Many people are doing shamata
meditation. This is a kind of resting meditation, also called 'calm
abiding.' This is good, but in Buddhist training you must go deeper than
this. It is important to go deeper into emptiness—not nothingness, but
into understanding emptiness as the nature of mind. This is where wisdom
and compassion come from.
—Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, "Trust Through Reason”
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Via JMG: PERU: Evangelist Michael Brown Exports Anti-Gay Hatred To South America
Jeremy Hooper reports for GLAAD:
The sad trend of American anti-LGBT activists traveling across the globe in order to "warn" them from making the pro-LGBT "mistakes" of America continues. The latest example comes from Peru, where vehemently anti-LGBT activist Michael Brown recently spoke to local members of congress, as well as passed out copies of his propaganda book, A Queer Thing Happened to America. This new trend is chilling, frankly. From Jamaica to France to Russia, and many map stops in between, a who's who of American anti-LGBT activists, feeling defeated and increasingly marginalized here at home, are seizing the chance to stir the pot in any nation that might be willing to see them as soothsayers. It is, to the letter, the strategy we saw in Uganda a handful of years ago, when Scott Lively and other Americans started dropping into the nation and telling locals how downright awful we LGBT Americans are. We all know how that one played out.
PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Michael Brown claims gay activists want Christians thrown into prison. Michael Brown claims that Hillary Clinton is controlled by Satanic homosexuals. Michael Brown claims that the Bible is 100% true except for the parts he doesn't like. Michael Brown leads a hate march of hundreds of Christians to disrupt Charlotte's gay pride parade. Michael Brown debuts his book with a video using small children to ridicule gay families. Michael Brown claims he's "honored" to be featured on the SPLC's "hit list." Michael Brown claims he's "outraged" to be featured on the SPLC's "hit list." Michael Brown denounces the "vulgar" post labels on JMG.
posted by Joe Jervis
Monday, March 17, 2014
JMG HomoQuotable - George Takei
Que tal ser criativo na páscoa?
Para a receita de pão de cenoura você irá precisar de:
- 4 xícaras de cenouras cortadas em rodelas
- 2 ovos
- 1 xícara de água morna
- 2 colheres de sopa de fermento biológico seco
- 3/4 de xícara de óleo
- 1/2 xícara de açúcar
- 1 colher de sopa de mel
- 2 colheres de chá de sal
- 8 1/2 xícaras de farinha de trigo
Veja a lista de compras aqui: http://bit.ly/10tmVnZ
Em uma panela com água cozinhe a cenoura até ficar macia, e então drene a água e bata a cenoura no liquidificador ou em um processador até obter um purê. Se você quiser um sabor mais defumado para o seu pãozinho, pode assar a cenoura no forno ao invés de cozinhar na água. Para fazer no forno, coloque as cenouras em rodelas em uma assadeira e adicione 1 colher rasa de azeite, para besuntar as cenouras. Leve em forno pré-aquecido em 180°C e asse por 15 minutos ou até ficarem macias. Depois é só fazer o purê.
Ainda no liquidificador ou no processador, adicione os ovos e 1/2 xícara de água, batendo até o purê ficar bem cremoso.
Numa tigela grande, coloque o fermento biológico seco e o restante da água, mexendo até dissolver totalmente o fermento. Despeje então o purê de cenoura e, na sequência, adicione o óleo, açúcar, mel, sal e 5 xícaras de farinha, misturando e amassando com as mãos. Adicione mais farinha conforme achar necessário até obter uma massa de pão macia e lisa.
Polvilhe a sua bancada com um pouco de farinha e sove a massa por 6 a 8 minutos, para que ela obtenha um pouco de elasticidade. Se você tiver uma batedeira com o(s) gancho(s) para bater massa de pão, também pode usar. Em seguida, coloque a massa em uma tigela grande levemente untada com óleo ou spray para untar, cubra com um pano úmido ou um filme plástico e deixe descansar por cerca de 1 hora, para dobrar de tamanho.
Divida a massa em bolinhas pequenas. Com ela é possível fazer 48 pãezinhos, mas a quantidade varia conforme o tamanho das bolinhas de massa. Coloque as bolinhas de massa em uma assadeira untada de óleo ou spray para untar e cubra novamente com um pano úmido ou filme plástico, deixando descansar por mais 1 hora. É importante não deixar uma bolinha de massa muito próxima a outra, pois elas vão dobrar de tamanho nesta etapa.
Passada 1 hora, os seus pãezinhos já estão prontos para assar. Para fazer o pão do coelhinho, como é a da ideia da foto, pegue uma tesoura e belisque a massa fazendo as orelhinhas. Em seguida, usando uma esteca ou um palito de churrasco faça os olhinhos, apertando a massa.
Leve então os seus pãezinhos para assar em forno pré-aquecido a 180°C por 18 a 20 minutos ou até ficarem dourados.
Se achar que são muitos pãezinhos para se fazer de uma única vez, após as bolinhas terem dobrado de tamanho, leve a assadeira para o congelador e deixe os pãezinhos congelarem. Depois de congelados, você pode colocar todos em saco plástico e deixar no congelador para fazer a hora que desejar.
Fonte: http://
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Via JMG: Franklin Graham Endorses Putin
"America’s response to Putin’s law was sadly predictable. President
Obama intentionally included homosexuals in his official U.S. delegation
to Sochi. Then his attorney general stole headlines from the opening
weekend with an announcement to the Human Rights Campaign (a major
gay-rights group): As far as the federal government is concerned, there
is no longer any difference between traditional and same-sex
marriage—even in the 33 states that outlaw those marriages. It’s obvious
that President Obama and his administration are pushing the gay-lesbian
agenda in America today and have sold themselves completely to that
which is contrary to God’s teaching." - Franklin Graham, writing for Decision Magazine.
Reposted from Joe Jervis
Via JMG: Fred Phelps Reportedly Near Death
I’ve learned that my father, Fred Phelps, Sr., pastor of the “God Hates Fags” Westboro Baptist Church, was ex-communicated from the “church” back in August of 2013. He is now on the edge of death at Midland Hospice house in Topeka, Kansas. I’m not sure how I feel about this. Terribly ironic that his devotion to his god ends this way. Destroyed by the monster he made. I feel sad for all the hurt he’s caused so many. I feel sad for those who will lose the grandfather and father they loved. And I’m bitterly angry that my family is blocking the family members who left from seeing him, and saying their good-byes.Hemant Mehta has more at the Friendly Atheist:
I just got off the phone with Nate and he confirmed what he had written. The rumors had been flying for several weeks, he said, but after a conversation with some of his fellow “excommunicated” family members, he found out that the rumors were true. He elaborated on that final line, too, saying that the Phelps family is now blocking anyone who is no longer with the church from seeing him, including Fred’s sons, daughters, nieces, and nephews. Why was he kicked out of his own church? Did he have a change of heart near the end of his life? There’s no definitive answer to that and Nate has heard different things (so any explanation is pure speculation right now).Over on Twitter, some are calling for a picket of Phelps' funeral, but Mehta and others suggest that the better response might be to ignore it completely. Rod Dreher writes at American Conservative:
Can you imagine having come to the end of your life, very nearly to the moment in which you will meet your God and be reckoned with, and all you have to show for it is … that? I’ve always thought the Westboro Baptist Church people were despicable, but there is something about the thought of that old man lying on his death bed, forsaken, the victim of his own sins, that makes me pity him. One tear of repentance from the vicious old preacher will open the floodgates of the divine mercy he spent his life trying to deny to others. I pray for that tear. And I hope no one pickets his funeral, giving to his family the mercy they do not deserve.
Labels: Fred Phelps, hate groups, religion, Westboro
Via Daily Dharma:
What's So Great About Now? | March 16, 2014
Mindfulness, accompanied by clear
comprehension, differs from ordinary awareness. Rather than seeing the
conventional features of objects more clearly, mindfulness goes beyond
them to perceive something quite specific—the ultimate characteristics
common to all formations, good or bad. There are only three of these:
impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non-selfness. (Note that beauty
isn't among them.) These traits are unwelcome—unsatisfactory. So the
more mindfulness one has, the clearer dukkha becomes.
—Cynthia Thatcher, “What’s So Great About Now?”
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