Via JMG: KENTUCKY: Anti-Gay Clerk Files Religious Discrimination Suit Against Governor

 

The Liberty Counsel is suing Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear on behalf of renegade county clerk Kim Davis. Via the Lexington Herald-Leader:

Late Tuesday, Davis filed a lawsuit against Beshear in federal district court. She blamed the governor for instructing all 120 of the state's county clerks to comply with this summer's U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage. Beshear's stance left dissenting county clerks vulnerable to lawsuits, including two that she currently faces, filed by groups of her constituents, Davis said. U.S. District Judge David Bunning is expected to rule in these cases in coming days. "The Commonwealth of Kentucky, acting through Governor Beshear, has deprived Davis of her religious-conscience rights guaranteed by the United States and Kentucky constitutions and laws, by insisting that Davis issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples contrary to her conscience, based on her sincerely held religious beliefs," Davis' lawsuit says.

The suit also names the head of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, which changed the marriage license forms to gender-neutral.

The Liberty Counsel has issued a press release:

“Governor Beshear is unlawfully picking and choosing the conscience-based exemptions to marriage that he deems acceptable,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. When Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway refused to defend Kentucky’s natural marriage laws after “pray[ing] over this decision,” Governor Beshear did not command that he perform his duties, but hired private attorneys to pursue the appeal. “In no uncertain terms, Governor Beshear’s policies and directives are intended to suppress religion—even worse, a particular religious belief,” Liberty Counsel’s complaint points out. “Thus, although Attorney General Conway was given a pass for his conscience about marriage without any threats of repercussion, clerks like Davis are being repeatedly told by their Governor to abandon their religiously informed beliefs or resign.” “Simply put, Governor Beshear is making secularism a litmus test for holding office in Kentucky,” said Mat Staver. “The governor is forcing clerks like Davis to choose between following the precepts of her religion and forfeiting her position, on the one hand, and abandoning one of the precepts of her religion in order to keep her position, on the other,” Staver concluded.

The ruling in the ACLU's suit against Davis is expected next week. (Tipped by JMG reader Allen)

Labels: ACLU, Christianists, hate groups, Kentucky, Kim Davis, Liberty Counsel, Obergefell, religion, Steve Beshear

Reposted from Joe Jervis

I Kissed A Boy - Kar Karaoke

VIa JMG: TEXAS: AG Ken Paxton Ordered To Appear In Court Over Marriage Recognition

The San Antonio Express-News reports:

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia has ordered Texas officials to appear in court next week to determine if the state should be held in contempt for failing to recognize same-sex marriage. Garcia issued the order Wednesday in response to a request from a Conroe police officer who says the Texas Department of Health and Human Services refused to amend his spouse’s death certificate to reflect he was married. The death certificate lists him as single. Garcia instructed the state on Wednesday to immediately amend the death certificate of James Stone-Hoskins to add John Allen Stone-Hoskins as the surviving spouse. John Stone-Hoskins, a former police officer who lives in Conroe and is dying from cancer, asked Garcia to hold the department and the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in contempt. Garcia ordered Paxton to appear before this Court next Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Paxton was arrested and booked on multiple felony securities fraud charges on Monday.

Labels: assholery, Ken Paxton, Obergefell, Texas

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via "The Bully Effect" / FB:

From a GLBTqB amigo...

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 05/08/2015

“O êxtase se torna permanente quando o amor não sai do seu coração por nada. Porque o êxtase é uma manifestação do amor; o resultado de você estar amando de forma desinteressada. Mas, me refiro ao amor de verdade, aquele que não pede nada em troca. Esse amor é que proporciona a alegria divina, a alegria sem causa.”

“El éxtasis se vuelve permanente cuando el amor no sale de tu corazón por nada. Porque el éxtasis es una manifestación del amor; el resultado de estar amando de forma desinteresada. Pero me refiero al amor de verdad, aquél que no pide nada a cambio. Este amor es el que proporciona la alegría divina, la alegría sin causa.”

"Ecstasy becomes permanent when love no longer leaves your heart for any reason. Ecstasy is the manifestation of love itself. It’s the result of selfless love. The love I am referring to is true love, the kind that doesn’t ask for anything in return. This love is what provides divine joy, also known as joy without cause."

Today's Daily Dharma: Emotional Acceptance Is Vital

Emotional Acceptance Is Vital

When we open to our feelings as they arise, we create the causes and conditions of mental and physical health. This is what acceptance-based inner awareness entails; it is not a practice to put off, any more than breathing, sleeping, or consuming nourishment.   - Josh Korda, "Flowing Feelings"

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 04/08/2015

“Desapegar do resultado das ações e do desfecho das situações da vida é fundamental para a felicidade. Até porque não é possível controlar a vida. Ao encarnar, a alma escolhe determinados desafios mas, ao encarnar, o corpo esquece disso. Determinadas dificuldades são justamente para acordar seus potenciais e talentos. Cada problema é uma oportunidade de evolução, uma forma de trazer à tona o seu melhor - um verdadeiro presente divino.”

“Detachment to the results of our actions and the outcomes of life situations is the key to happiness, for it’s impossible to control life. While incarnating, the soul chooses certain challenges to appear in its life, but, once incarnated, the body forgets about having made these choices. Certain difficulties arise simply to awaken our potential and talents. Every problem is an opportunity for evolution, a way of bringing out the best in us. Challenges are a true gift from God.”

Via Join the Coffee Party Movement / FB:

Today's Daily Dharma: Good Impatience, Bad Impatience

Good Impatience, Bad Impatience

Impatience can be very good by helping us not put up with tyranny, but it can distort our view of what is possible and how to bring about change. We have to cultivate patience so that our perception isn't distorted.   - Paul Ekman, "The Best and Worst of Us"

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 03/08/2015

“Estamos aprendendo a não resistir ao amor, ou seja, aprendendo a nos tornarmos canais puros dele. Embora conscientemente esse seja o nosso maior desejo, tememos nos tornar esse vazio que é inundado pelo amor. Porque quando isso ocorre, experimentamos o êxtase divino, no qual a ideia de eu desaparece. Essa experiência se assemelha à morte. É por isso que nós pensamos tanto. O pensamento compulsivo é o maior mecanismo de defesa. Ele nos mantém ocupados e nos dá uma sensação de segurança.”

“We are learning how not to resist love in order to become pure channels of love. Even though this is, consciously, our greatest desire, we fear turning into this emptiness and allowing ourselves to be inundated with love. When this does occur, we experience divine ecstasy, in which the idea of the self disappears. This experience is similar to death, which is why we choose to think so much instead. Compulsive thinking is the greatest defense mechanism: it keeps us busy and gives us a sense of security.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Low-income Buddhism

Low-income Buddhism

Those of us in the lower class have no real disposable income, no truly 'free' time, and we have to keep up a break-neck speed just to break even. We get up early to sit before heading to a job that we can tolerate only because we sit. We meditate before bed to alleviate some of the daily stress that would otherwise keep us up all night. Economically and spiritually, it's always a battle just to stay put.   - Brent R. Oliver, "White Trash Buddhist"

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Dr. Barry Kerzin on compassion (Part 1: What is happening in the mind and heart?)

TEDxPhoenixvilleSalon - Barry Kerzin - Happiness

Via https://pixabay.com/ and FB:

Via JMG: ISRAEL: 16 Year-Old Girl Stabbed At Jerusalem Pride Dies Of Her Wounds

Haaretz reports:

Three days after being critically wounded by an ultra-Orthodox man that went on a stabbing rampage at Jerusalem's Gay Pride Parade, Shira Banki, a 16-year-old Israeli teen succumbed to her wounds Sunday afternoon. Five other people were wounded in the attack. Police confirmed that the suspected stabber is Yishai Schlissel, a Haredi man from Modiin Ilit who stabbed three participants in the 2005 Gay Pride march. He was recently released from prison after serving a 10-year sentence. Banki was a high-school student from Jerusalem, studying at the Hebrew University High School. She took part in Thursday's parade to show solidarity with her LGBT friends. She is survived by her parents and three siblings; her family decided to donate her organs.

Shira's family has issued a statement.

"Our magical Shira was murdered because she was a happy 16-year-old – full of life and love – who came to express her support for her friends' rights to live as they choose. For no good reason and because of evil, stupidity and negligence, the life of our beautiful flower was cut short. Bad things happen to good people, and a very bad thing happened to our amazing girl. The family expresses hope for a less hatred and more tolerance."

Labels: hate crimes, Israel, Jerusalem Pride, religion

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via The Advocate Magazine / FB:

New Order- Restless (Official Audio)

JMG ISRAEL: Rallies To Be Held Nationwide In Aftermath Of Jerusalem Pride Stabbings

Via Haaretz:

Rallies to protest Thursday's stabbing attack at Jerusalem's Gay Pride parade and the arson attack in which a Palestinian child was killed will be held in major Israeli cities on Saturday night. A rally in Tel Aviv already planned to mark six years since two people were killed in a shooting at Bar Noar, a Tel Aviv gay youth center, will be turned into a protest against violence following Thursday's stabbings. At 7:30 P.M a Peace Now rally will be held at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, and from there the participants will march to Gan Meir, where another rally is scheduled to take place. Opposition leader and Zionist Union head Isaac Herzog is scheduled to speak at the Rabin Square rally, as well as Meretz leader Zehava Galon, Zionist Union MK Amir Peretz, former Shin Bet chief Carmi Gilon and more. The Jerusalem rally will begin at 9:30 P.M. in Zion Square. A protest will also take place at 8:00 P.M. in the northern city of Haifa, and at 8:45 P.M in the southern city of Be'er Sheva.

During yesterday's arraignment the deranged attacker declared that he does not recognize the authority of Israel's legal system as he was acting under orders from God.

RELATED: Yesterday the New York Post published an op-ed which denounces the resurgent claims of "pinkwashing" that appeared on social media after Israeli politicians and religious leaders unanimously expressed outrage about the attack. An excerpt:

Their voices arrived this week both loudly and swiftly, often cloaked in the veil of “pink-washing” — the academically vogue assertion that Israel uses its pro-LGBT record to obscure its Gaza blockade and West Bank occupation. Transgender activist Pauline Park declared Thursday on Twitter: “Jerusalem LGBT PrideParade attack by Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Assailant undermines Zionist Pinkwashing Propaganda.” “Will the Zionists continue their pinkwashing campaign?” asked another on Twitter.
Indeed, across the #pinkwashing spectrum, posters insisted that Israel is actually unsafe for its LGBT citizens, that it’s far from a liberal haven and that Netanyahu’s good wishes are merely political showmanship. As with most socio-political-cultural conflicts, the truth is at once far simpler — and more complex. Indeed, much as in other Western democracies, Israel’s open society can cultivate extremists who may act out with violent results. Yet despite their horror, these egregious examples do not render those societies fundamentally violent.

Labels: gay Pride, hate crimes, Israel, Jerusalem, religion

Reposted from Joe Jervis