"religious right" leaders believe "unless you attend my church, accept my God and study my sacred text you cannot be a moral person."

"What could be more bigoted than to claim that you have a monopoly on God?"

Yepper.

Jewish Leader Blasts 'Religious Right'

"And don't wonder why He hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that's the case, don't ask for His help because he might not be there," he said.

So much for that "kind, loving God." You remember... Jesus?

Televangelist Robertson warns town of God's wrath

And yet after decades locked out of his home, the government told him he could never return unless he could prove the most obvious, yet least provable fact: that he was jailed because he was black.

I don't know what to really call this, it's just something that is important enough to link to.

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | An American journey

No other American industry, no other branch of commerce would have this kind of special protection from civil law. Not drug makers, hospitals, doctors, farmers, or food processors. Not knife makers, car companies, tobacco companies, brewers, distillers or firecracker makers. Just the gun industry

And this morning, it passed.

CBS News | The Gun Lobby's Dead Aim | August 1, 2005�21:30:16

Prominent US preacher Pat Robertson said that recent natural disasters around the world point to the end of the world and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

Hey God? Could you do us a favor and recall this guy? He's starting to spout wacky talk.

Recent natural disasters point to return of Jesus Christ: US evangelist Robertson

After news broke that local law enforcement officials were investigating complaints that Louis Beres, longtime chairman of the Christian Coalition of Oregon, had molested three female family members when they were pre-teens, The Oregonian in Portland went out and interviewed Beres' family members.

Two told reporters that Beres, indeed, had molested them. All three said they have been interviewed for several hours by detectives.

"I was molested," said one of the women, now in her early 50s. "I was victimized, and I've suffered all my life for it. I'm still afraid to be in the same room with [Beres]."

Yep, God told me to molest my kids, and it was obviously in His plan, because that's how I became head of the Christian Coalition.

Or, just to make sure I understand this correctly, Muslim fundamentalists blow themselves up, Christian fundamentalists molest little girls and Catholic fundamentalists molest little boys. And who is our next contestant?

Local Christian Coalition Official Did Molest, Family Members Tell 'The Oregonian'

The appeal is a turf battle of sorts, not a constitutional showdown. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft, a favorite among the president's base of religious conservatives, decided in 2001 to pursue doctors who help people die.

Hastening someone's death is an improper use of medication and violates federal drug laws, Ashcroft reasoned, an opposite conclusion than the one reached by Janet Reno, the Clinton administration attorney general.

Fundamentally an interesting case. This could go in any direction. The court has previously said this is not a "right" but that is not the same as saying the government has a compelling interest that justifies overriding the Oregon statute.

High Court Weighs in on Assisted Suicide

At the heart of the ADL's complaint is a decision by the Southern Baptist Convention executive committee to ask its missionary boards to study the idea of recognizing the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship as "an evangelistic mission to Jewish people."

Whoops! I wonder how this will effect their relationship with Israel.

CNN.com - Jews condemn Southern Baptist effort - Sep 29, 2005

skullaria wrote:
""The United States has lost control of their budget at a time when racking up deficits has been authorized without any control (from Congress)," Breton said.

"We were both disappointed that the management of debt is not a political priority today," he added."

Hell yeah, I agree. Bush is really bad - he's not a tax and spend liberal, he just spends and then doesn't tax - and like, where the hell is all this money going to come from?

[Oh my god, something is wrong! I've agreed with Ibenez twice!]

RE: Greenspan tells France that the US has LOST CONTROL

Only 20 to 25 percent of Americans are scientifically savvy and alert. Most of the rest don't have a clue.

At a time when science permeates debates on everything from global warming to stem cell research, people's inability to understand basic scientific concepts undermines their ability to take part in the democratic process.

American adults in general do not understand what molecules are (other than that they are really small). Fewer than a third can identify DNA as a key to heredity. Only about 10 percent know what radiation is. One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth, an idea science had abandoned by the 17th century.

Also scary from the article, "Lately, people who advocate the teaching of evolution have been citing Dr. Miller's ideas on what factors are correlated with adherence to creationism and rejection of Darwinian theories. In general, he says, these fundamentalist views are most common among people who are not well educated and who "work in jobs that are evaporating fast with competition around the world."

Scientific Savvy? In US, Not Much