Christian Taliban: Fundamentalism 3, Sanity 0

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K. In Jesusland, the natives are getting restless. Tired of keeping their snake rituals, tent revivals and other spiritual mumbo-jumbo to themselves, they've begun inserting their beliefs into our lives, with disastrous results. Within the last few days, we've learned of three prime examples, each representing an ugly victory for the forces of hate.

North Carolina church excommunicates Democrats

Yes, you read that correctly: The East Waynesville Baptist Church has asked Democratic members of its congregation to leave (hat tip Daily Kos). From the Associated Press:

The minister of a Haywood County Baptist church is telling members of his congregation that if they're Democrats, they either need to find another place of worship or support President Bush.

Already, the Reverend Chan Chandler has ex-communicated nine members of East Waynesville Baptist Church. Another 40 members have left in protest.

During last Sunday's sermon, he acknowledged that church members were upset because he named people, and he says he'll do it again because he has to according to the word of God.

Chandler could not be reached for comment today, but says his actions weren't politically motivated.

For those of you so inclined, here's the video (more mirrors here). Just in case, I'll copy the transcript below:

ANCHOR: [One local church is showing those who don't] support President Bush the door. Nine members of East Waynesville Baptist say their minister spearheaded an effort to get them excommunicated. They say the dividing issue is abortion and homosexuality. They say that the pastor, Chan Chandler, believes if you supported John Kerry or the Democratic party, you were against the church.

FORMER MEMBER: He told us that if we didn't support George Bush that we need to resign our position and get out of the church or go to the alter and repent and agree to vote for George Bush.

ANCHOR: About 40 other church members have left in protest. The minister declined an interview with News 13 but told us that the actions were not politically motivated. There are questions whether the bylaws were followed when the members were thrown out.

Unbelievable. Not politically motivated? There's your indication of how stupid Chandler thinks his flock is, that they would think the deliberate excommunication of people of a certain political persuasion wasn't politically motivated. Which begs the question: Shouldn't the church lose its tax-exempt status? I think so.

Diocese employee: L.G.'s judge should be denied communion

From the Palm Beach Post:

An employee of the Diocese of Palm Beach said
Thursday that Palm Beach County Juvenile Court Judge Ronald Alvarez, a Catholic, should be denied communion for allowing a 13-year-old foster child to have an abortion.

Don Kazimir, who works for the diocese's Respect Life Office, which opposes abortion and the death penalty, called Alvarez's office Wednesday to ask which church the judge attends. Kazimir said he wanted to speak with Alvarez's priest, who he said might have a problem with a Catholic judge agreeing to an abortion.

Alvarez was angry about the call. It is wrong, he said, for the church to try to intimidate a judge into putting his faith above the law.

"This isn't a religious state yet," he said.

Kazimir was disappointed by Alvarez's decision in the case of L.G., the 13-year-old who became pregnant after running away while under state care. Although officials from the Florida Department of Children and Families objected to an abortion, Alvarez ruled this week that the girl had a right to choose.

L.G. subsequently ended her pregnancy.

Did you catch what Alvarez said? "This isn't a religious state yet." Brilliant, yet chilling. Turns out this guy has some powerful convictions:

Alvarez has been a Catholic for five decades. He attended parochial school for eight years and more recently attended special annual Masses to bless the judiciary.

In the mid-'90s, he was assigned to a civil case alleging sexual abuse in the diocese. The plaintiff asked Alvarez to recuse himself because he was Catholic, and Alvarez agreed.

But though he once attended a local parish, Alvarez said he has not attended church for about three years. He said he could no longer be a part of an organization that covered up abuse by priests and quietly transferred child molesters to new churches.

"That really bothered me," he said.

His mission in juvenile court, he said, is to protect children who have been abused. "And I just couldn't reconcile that," he said.

Alvarez still considers himself a Catholic but said it wasn't right for the church to call him on his decision.

Why do these batshit religious wingnuts always call out people who, as it turns out, are just as devout? People like Alvarez and Sen. John Kerry practice a more sincere faith than that practiced by people like President Bush. They found their faith at an early age; Bush found his in middle age after a drug binge.

Cincinnati high school cancels its commencement speaker over her pro-choice stance on abortion

In other, more local, news, a Cincinnati parochial high school has uninvited its commencement speaker, Kansas* Gov. Kathleen Gilligan Sebelius – a pro-choice Democrat and daughter of former Ohio Gov. John Gilligan – because of concerns about her views on abortion. From the Cincinnati Post:

Excited to have an alumna who has achieved so much public success, Hyde Park's Summit Country Day School invited Kansas Gov. Kathleen Gilligan Sebelius to be this year's commencement speaker.

But the independent Catholic school uninvited her after talking to Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk about the Democratic governor's support for abortion rights.

"We initially nominated her because we were proud of her career successes," Carol Boyd, the school's spokeswoman, said today.

"After further consideration, we rescinded our invitation."

Sebelius was gracious in the face of the ignorant decision:

"Obviously, I am personally disappointed by the decision of some at not only my alma matter, but that of my parents and siblings, regarding my long-scheduled speech to the student body there," the statement said. "It's discouraging when politics and partisanship are allowed to intrude on something so personal as my relationship to a school that has given me so much.

"Regardless of this unfortunate decision, I will continue to remember my days at The Summit as some of the proudest of my life, and most influential in shaping my values and principles as an adult and a public servant."

As we've learned from the Microsoft case, the more we allow the Christian Taliban and the radical Republicans to push their faith onto our public discourse, the worse our country's fascist slide continues. When the wrong squeaky wheels get all of the grease, we are all the losers. I don't like where I see my country headed and I'm reminded of the words of Pastor Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

First it was the non-religious people, then it was the religious non-Republicans, then it was ... For those of you out there who think "It can't happen here," I say this: Yes it can. Yes it can.

* I didn't even touch on Kansas, where Evolution is on trial or Maryland, where a true activist judge "blocked a county school system from instituting a health curriculum that includes discussions of homosexuality." Why? "U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams agreed with two groups that sued contending such discussions gave preference of religions that are tolerant of homosexuality over those that reject it." What the hell is going on? I'm not sure why we're so in love with the bad old days, but that's where we're headed. Better finish that beer before a government man takes it away from you. Prohibition here we come!