Opit's LinkFest !

Christian Right, Targeting Gay Kiss, Is Ad It Again By Bill Berkowitz, 2012-04-20 14:38:56
<-- Section: Dominionism in the military, Topic: All Topics -->
The Broadway tune goes "Love Makes the World Go 'Round." For the Christian
Right, "Controversial ads make the cash registers sing." Less than two
months after launching its pathetically unsuccessful campaign to get the
retailer JC Penney to dump Ellen DeGeneres as their spokesperson, the
American Family Association's OneMillionMoms is attacking Urban Outfitters
for its April catalog featuring an image of two young women kissing.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "The company's president and
CEO, Richard Hayne, is a known conservative and he donated over $13,000 to
the Rick Santorum campaign." Hayne also donated $10,000 to Republican Meg
Whitman's failed California gubernatorial run. Inquiring minds want to
know: Why would an conservative Christian group that calls itself
OneMillionMoms and has only 40,000 members, be taken seriously?

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/4/20/143856/075

----Of Grudem, Green Dragons And Dr. Seuss: The Religious Right's War On Environmentalism By Rob Boston, 2012-04-20 12:21:35
<-- Section: Front Page, Topic: Environmental Issues -->
Sunday is Earth Day, a time when a lot of us will be thinking about how we
can better care for our planet to ensure it remains habitable for future
generations. Well, not all of us. Some people will be thinking about how
the Bible says it's all right to pretty much do whatever we want with the
Earth and not worry about a thing.

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/4/20/122135/302

----Invisible Children Touts Ties To NOM & Proposition 8 Funders By Bruce Wilson, 2012-04-20 12:07:07
<-- Section: Front Page, Topic: All Topics -->
"A-1 Self Storage was one of the original donors who helped the founders
of Invisible Children travel to Uganda and make the documentary Invisible
Children: The Rough Cut which led to the creation of Invisible Children,
Inc the 510 C 3 non-profit organization... The contributions of A-1 Self
Storage have been crucial to the growth and success of Invisible Children"
-- quote from current Invisible Children web page
[http://dev.invisiblechildren.com/our-network], crediting the Caster
family business A1 Self Storage with providing crucial funding that
launched Invisible Children. The Caster family was one of
[http://zinniajones.com/blog/2012/04/nom-in-panic-after-whistleblower-leak
s-major-donors-john-templeton-knights-of-columbus-mitt-romney-and-more/]
the biggest donors funding California's Proposition 8 and has just been
exposed as one of
[http://zinniajones.com/blog/2012/04/nom-in-panic-after-whistleblower-leak
s-major-donors-john-templeton-knights-of-columbus-mitt-romney-and-more/]
the biggest funders, in 2008, of the virulently anti-LGBT rights National
Organization For Marriage. Today, Friday the 20th, two national human
rights efforts will hold awareness events in American schools. One, the
Gay, Straight, and Lesbian Education Network (GLSEN
[http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/home/index.html]) will hold its
annual Day Of Silence [http://www.dayofsilence.org/], to raise awareness
about anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. The other effort,
Invisible Children [http://www.invisiblechildren.com/], is also holding an
event today, called "Cover The Night" [http://www.kony2012.com/]. While
IC, behind the KONY 2012 viral video, states
[http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/2012/04/09/justice-for-some-is-not-just
ice-for-all/] that it is pro-LGBT rights, the organization has extensive
ties [http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/4/16/223727/559] to the hard,
antigay politicized evangelical right; in fact, Invisible Children's own
website states that the organization was started with "crucial" seed money
from one of the top funders of both California's anti-same sex marriage
Proposition 8 and the anti-gay rights group the National Organization For
Marriage.

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/4/20/1277/44008

----Invisible Children's "Cover the Night" is April 20 - on LGBT "Day of Silence" By Rachel Tabachnick, 2012-04-19 11:41:51
<-- Section: Front Page, Topic: All Topics -->
Invisible Children has an extensive history of funding and promotion by
anti-gay rights entities, summarized in this article. The annual Day of
Silence [http://www.dayofsilence.org/resources/],initiated in 1996, has
been observed in schools across the nation in an effort to protest the
bullying and harassment of gay and lesbian students. Since 2000, the
annual event has been sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight
Education Network (GLSEN), and since 2005 Religious Right
organizations have sponsored very visible and widely-criticized efforts to
counter this event. This year the Day of Silence is competing with a
different type of event - Invisible Children's week
[http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/2012/04/04/cover-the-night-engage-your-
leaders/] of activities closing with "Cover the Night," also on April 20.

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/4/19/114151/936

----Invisible Children: A Trojan Horse for the Religious Right By Bill Berkowitz, 2012-04-19 07:39:54
<-- Section: Dominionism in the military, Topic: All Topics -->
In early March, Invisible Children burst onto the world stage with its
KONY 2012 video promoting its "Stop Kony" campaign. The video focused on
Joseph Kony, the Uganda warlord and leader of the Lord's Resistance Army,
a guerrilla group with a long and violent history that includes turning
kidnapped children into child soldiers. The KONY 2012 video went
mega-viral; surpassing 100 million views in six days and breaking previous
records set by Susan Boyle's April 2009 appearance on the television
program "Britain's Got Talent," which hit that mark in 9 days, and Lady
Gaga's Bad Romance video, which took 18 days to surpass 100 million views.
Not long after the organization became a social media phenomenon, its
co-founder Jason Russell was captured on video running naked along a busy
San Diego street, cursing and ranting about the devil. That video also
went viral. While the video, and Russell's mental breakdown, have been
extensively reported on, Invisible Children's broad connections to the
Religious Right have not received much media attention.

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/4/19/73954/2781

----Bully Pulpit: Religious Right Howls Over Student `Day Of Silence' By Rob Boston, 2012-04-17 13:03:40
<-- Section: Front Page, Topic: Gay Rights -->
This Friday, students all over America will choose to remain quiet in
school. They'll be participating in the Day of Silence
[http://www.dayofsilence.org/], an annual event designed to protest the
bias and bullying that often silences gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered students. The premise behind the event is simple: Students
attend classes but do not speak for the entire day. The Day of Silence
isn't sponsored by the schools. It's run by students, often through a
Gay-Straight Alliance Club that many schools now have. (Ironically, these
clubs exist thanks to a federal law backed by Religious Right groups
[http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/equal-access-how-the-religious
-right-helped-launch-gay-straight-alliance], which were eager to get
Christian clubs into public schools.)

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/4/17/13340/9334

----KONY 2012, Invisible Children, and the Religious Right: The Evidence By Bruce Wilson, 2012-04-16 22:37:27
<-- Section: Front Page, Topic: All Topics -->
[UPDATE: also see Invisible Children Touts Ties To NOM & Proposition 8
Funders [http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/4/20/1277/44008] and
Invisible Children's "Cover the Night" is April 20 - on LGBT "Day of
Silence" [http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/4/19/114151/936], by Talk
To Action contributor Rachel Tabachnick.] Since the eruption of
Invisible Children's record-breaking KONY 2012 viral video in early March,
a considerable body of evidence has emerged which ties the nonprofit, and
its leadership, to the American Protestant evangelical right. This is a
summary of that evidence - which includes the recent revelation
[http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/2012/04/24158/], by LGBT rights group
Truth Wins Out, that in 2007 Invisible Children officially applied
[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&amp;q=cache:M81VALKPKwQJ:www.barnabasg
roup.org/uploads/document_library/tbg-files/TBG%2520Ministry%2520Report%25
20-%2520Invisible%2520Children.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&src
id=ADGEESin2TX6NAVOkA_5ffQNB9I8k_kdXSC1lq9wrtSjyojzRkJ3012rH_6-Kfcj4lK29Qm
SfCMRiCi9LFrml9bZhys9cg-QBrb1JPdeCKDZYj2RCSTeOa9pimkkR69pMBbs80TaHBhH&
sig=AHIEtbQ8UO84PGXkT3wtDpLNn-sBj_QxkA] to be one of the Christian
ministries supported by an evangelical right-wing nonprofit called the
Barnabas Group.

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/4/16/223727/559

----

---------------------------------------------------------
This is the Weekly digest for Talk To Action [http://www.talk2action.org].

Comment

DANBUZU # Sunday, April 22, 2012 8:23:11 PM
Nowhere in the bible is it said or implied that the bible is the word of God. As a matter of fact, the bible is not even in the bible. Scriptures referring to the word of God never refer to the bible. For example, Moses says: “The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram.’” (Genesis 15:1). It was not the bible that spoke to Abram. The word of God came to him before any scriptures were written and before the bible was compiled. Therefore, neither the scriptures nor the bible can be the word of God.

John says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and with-out Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3). This immediately disqualifies the bible as the word of God. Just think how incongruous it would be to substitute “the word” in John’s verses for “the bible.” It would read: “In the beginning was the bible, and the bible was with God, and the bible was God. The bible was in the beginning with God. All things were made through the bible, and without the bible nothing was made that was made.”

However, the bible was not with God in the beginning; and the bible is not God. The bible did not create the world. It was not even in existence at the creat-ion of the world. The first Christian bible was not published until 1516.

Living word

John says: “I saw heaven opened,and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True … He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:11-13). John did not see the bible: he saw Jesus.

Hebrews also proclaims: “The word of God is living and powerful.., and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). Certainly, this is not referring to the bible. The bible contains dead letters. It cannot discern the thoughts and intents of its readers. But that is Jesus’ speciality. Jesus says: “I am He who searches the minds and hearts.” (Revelation 2:23). It is Jesus, and not the bible, that is the word of God.

A definitive feature of the word of God is that it has and gives life. John says of the word: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4). But Jesus maintains there is no life in the scriptures. He says to the Jews: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40).

The Jews searched the scriptures in the mistaken assumption eternal life could be obtained by reading them. But alas, they could find no life in them because the life is in Jesus. God himself is eternal life and it is vain to seek the living among the dead. (Luke 24:5).

The scriptures are signposts identifying Jesus as “the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). But in order to inherit eternal life, we have to come to Jesus himself, and not just read the bible.

Divorced from God, the letter in the bible kills, but the spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6). Jesus says: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63). It is the word that Jesus speaks, the word that comes directly from the mouth of God, which gives life. It is God’s spoken word and not the inspired written word that is the word of God. Jesus says: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).

Living bible

This explains why Jesus had no secretary, and why he asked no one to record his words in a book. Jesus did not promise that God would inspire the compilation of his words into a bible for future reference. Instead, he promises his disciples that: “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (John 14:26).

This makes the Holy Spirit our living bible. He delivers the word of God to us directly at critical junctures in our lives as required. John confirms this: “You have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, in your hearts, so that you don’t need anyone to teach you what is right. For he teaches you all things, and he is the Truth, and no liar.” (I John 2:27).

Thus, if the word of God was with God in the beginning, where is it now? One thing is for sure, it cannot be in a bible. Even Moses, the law-giver, tells us where to find it. He says: “It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” (Deuteronomy 30:12-14).

New Testament

Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, God has placed his word in our hearts and minds. Indeed, that is the promise of the New Testament. God says: “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

Thus, the word of God is delivered to us direct-ly by the Holy Spirit and not through a bible. Jesus says of the Holy Spirit: “He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but what-ever He hears He will speak.” (John 16:13). This means the Holy Spirit will never cont-radict the words of Jesus in the bible.

The bible reveals the word of God came to some people in the past. Thereby, it encourages us to establish similar relationships with God today. John says: “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (I John 1:3-4).

Reader Supported News

Supreme Court: Organizations Can't Be Sued for Torture
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, shown delivering a speech at the University of Pennsylvania this month, spoke for the court in Wednesday's decision. (photo: Alex Brandon/AP)
David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times
Intro: "Foreign political organizations like the Palestinian Liberation Organization and multinational corporations cannot be sued for the torture or murder of persons abroad, including Americans, under the terms of a 1991 US anti-torture law, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously Wednesday. Only individual perpetrators of such crimes can be held liable"


Bernie Sanders | Transforming Our Energy System
Sen. Bernie Sanders, Gov. Peter Shumlin, Reader Supported News
Excerpt: "For the nation, like Vermont, moving forward aggressively in energy efficiency and sustainable energy is a win, win, win proposition. We protect our environment by cutting greenhouse gas emissions. We save homeowners and businesses money on their heating and cooling bills. And, in the middle of a recession, we create jobs here at home."
READ MORE

Pentagon Chief: We're Within an Inch of War Almost Every Day
Jeremy Herb, The Hill
Intro: "Defense Secretary Leon Panetta offered a blunt assessment of the threats facing the United States on Wednesday, saying the potential for another war breaking out remains high in places like North Korea."
READ MORE

Ted Glick | From Me to We, a Book Review
Ted Glick, Reader Supported News
Ted Glick reviews Bob Doppel's book, "From Me to We, the Five Transformational Commitments Required to Rescue the Planet, Your Organization, and Your Life."
READ MORE

Study Links Autism With Industrial Food, Environment
Katie Rojas-Jahn, Renee Dufault, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Intro: "The epidemic of autism in children in the United States may be linked to the typical American diet. The study explores how mineral deficiencies - affected by dietary factors like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) - could impact how the human body rids itself of common toxic chemicals like mercury and pesticides."
READ MORE

Live Coverage: Occupy Worldwide
Reader Supported News Special Coverage
The seed planted on September 17th in New York City has grown into a national and international movement. Occupy Wall Street has branched out with hundreds of groups organizing Occupy protests in their own communities. Reader Supported News highlights some of the more significant actions from around the country here. Share this page with your friends and associates and check back often for the latest developments.
READ MORE