Recently an excellent article came to my attention throught the amazing Feministe blog. This series about an "ex-gay" ministries seminar attended by a gay man. It's a series that is still being updated, and so far it is one of the best I've read in regards to "infiltrating enemy territory for recognisance", otherwise known as checking out the other side's viewpoint. He handles the heavy material matter well with an even look at both the psuedo-science and rhetoric being spewed by those who are putting on the seminar, as well as the anguish, confusion and pain that those who attend these seminars experience.

He discusses the language that is used by groups like Focus on the Family and Exodus to promote their agenda. Like any involved field of study (no matter how reputable) they have developed a vocabulary to define their world view. They define any kind of gay interaction as being pathological, and the only way out of that pathology is through Jesus. People are not gay, only their actions. It's a delicate line of Newspeak, almost the definition of blackwhite. It is also insidious and can be terribly damaging to people.

He described a large portion of the people there being family members and friends of lesbians and gays. I imagine many of them were there to learn to how to help change those who they love, or at least get an idea if their own idle prejudices are well-founded (I'm not comfortable with that, so it must be bad or at least unnatural and unhealthy). That was what shook me, is that these are not hate-filled homophobic asshats (for the most part, there were exceptions I'm sure) these were vulnerable people looking for answers to very real and difficult questions. What they got was nothing more than well- planned doublespeak, anecdotal 'evidence'*, and religious salesmanship. 

*I don't remember what blog it was from, or what commentor said it, but the multiple of anecdotes does not equal fact.

It's wonderful to discover that one of the men your father revere's make's such well-thought out statements as

"In "A Christian Manifesto," he warned against wrapping Christianity in the American flag, but added, "None of this, however, changes the fact that the United States was founded upon a Christian consensus, nor that we today should bring Judeo-Christian principles into play in regard to government." Schaeffer was one of the first evangelical leaders to get deeply involved in the fight against abortion, and he advocated civil disobedience and the possible use of force to stop it. "It is time we consciously realize that when any office commands what is contrary to God's Law it abrogates its authority," he wrote."

Just....fuck. I hoped and hoped that my dad might be a little more realistic then my mother about political things. Like understanding that freedom of religion means freedom of ANY religion, not just the freedom to practice some bland flavor of X-tianity.

Other great points from these people include:

"Charles Colson accepts one hundred people annually into his yearlong "worldview training" courses, which include meetings in Washington, D.C., online seminars, "mentoring," and several hours of homework each week. "The program will be heavily weighted towards how to think," Colson's Web site says. It's intended for those who work in churches, media, law, government, and education, and who can thus teach others to think the same way."

And here I thought I knew how to think! Guess not, or maybe I just don't kow how to think the 'right' (ha ha terrible pun) way. Seems as if the course is intended to brainwash help you learn to think the godly way. For instance apparently these people know god's opinions on everything!

"The documents outline a complete political program, with a "biblically correct" position on issues like taxes (God favors a flat rate), public schools (generally frowned upon), and the media and the arts ("We deny that any pornography and other blasphemy are permissible as art or 'free speech'")."

But isn't speaking for god kind of blasphemous? Guess it's okay if it's done for furthering the interests of the religious right.

Another gem statement here;

"Only Christianity offers a comprehensive worldview that covers all areas of life and thought, every aspect of creation. Only Christianity offers a way to live in response to the realities that we find in this world. Only Christianity."

Please explain these
70,000 Year old Human Rituals
Mini Solar System Could Reveal Hidden Dimensions

I'm sure they would probably have issue's with these people seeing as how I doubt they think in the pre-approved way. Especially considering they probably follow (Le GASP!) Evolution! The theory that's full of holes (says the sieve to the bucket ).

Are you between the ages of 19-29 and aren't married? Well then the government is here to let you know they've got a plan for you! No sex (unless your married of course)! Eh?....Eh, eh? Not gonna go for it are you? Not with such wonderful convincing statements like these?

"For condoms to be used correctly, over 10 specific difficult steps must be followed every time. This tends to minimize the romance and spontaneity of the sex act. (Choosing the Best, p. 25)."

10 steps? Really? Let's see here, I'm gonna try to break it down as much as possible
How to use a condom
1) Open little foil package
2) Remove condom
3) Throw foil package and little torn off bit to the side
4) Figure out which is the topside
5) Roll down over erect penis
6) ENJOY!!
So the most we got was 6...and none of them could be categorized as difficult, trying maybe (ever have an issue with getting it open? Yeah me too) but not exactly difficult. And then of course there are these kick ass condoms, which I am hoping catch on here as they are currently only available in Africa (i think anyway).

"Women need affection while men need sexual fulfillment; women need conversation while men need recreation companionship; women need honest and openness while men need physical attractiveness; women need financial support while men need admiration, and women need family commitment while men need domestic support" (WAIT Training, p. 199).

Where to start? How about the fact that this is educational materials with some pretty amazing grammar, 'recreation companionship'? 'women need honest'? Great proofreading skills on whoever designed that material. Every statement is a broad, misogynistic generalization of both men and women that  equates us with television stereotypes. Women don't want sex only love, have an inherent NEED to talk and require ca$h and babies, STAT! Men just want sex, an active buddy who also happens to be totally HAWT and tells him how manly and super amazing he is while doing his laundry. Good to know.  Please remember this isn't some fundie pamphlet either, these are actual materials they are using to teach abstinence-only ed in schools and now apparently to us slutty 20-somethings.
Now we come to the all important question of why? Why do we need to be teaching abstinence to a group that over 90% has had sex before, likely more than once!

"Government data released last month show that 998,262 births in 2004 were to unmarried women 19-29, the ages with the most births to unmarried women."

Unplanned pregnancy, (which they mean as anyone who has a baby and isn't married). According to the government, if you are an unmarried person under 29 the best way to prevent pregnancy is abstinence. Which is true, just not realistic. Do we really need to be telling adults lies to intimidate them into not having sex? Because I don't think that will work. Does our government really need to be in on our sex lives anyway? Now for the real kicker, because really we all knew how the BushCo government felt about fucking (if you're anything other than a married strictly heterosexual couple), they will be spreading this misinformation with $50 million.
I know, I'm excited too.
Hat tip to Mark Morford and Travels with Floyd as well as Feministe for the great video

The fundies are coming the fundies are coming! I often feel like riding through the streets Paul Revere style and screaming that at the top of my lungs. They are slow, and they are sneaky, but they are coming for us. If you are

not christian(or not the right kind whatever that may be)
gay
bisexual
a woman
a minority
an immigrant (here legally or not)
jewish
muslim
liberal
etc...

It seems to get worse every year. The crazy team just keeps getting crazier, and our ability to keep them out get's weaker and weaker. I'm just waiting for them to come to my door with pitchforks and torches to burn me, my roomates and our demon kitties(because the more familiars the stronger the witch!) at the stake.

I wonder what they think of the part in the constitution which seperates church and state...

Best. Quote.Ever.
"Ultimately does consciousness exist in all feedback at every level of nature? I say yes.......I mean everything is made up of atoms. Ultimately atomic particles are made of wisdom, and wisdom is the product of thought – and thought is the result of consciousness. God is truly in everything! His thought is everywhere…and ultimately, thought is the originator of everything that’s around us -- including us....and thought ultimately responds from feedback. Feedback can be physical, mental, or spiritual....and ultimately God is in harmony with Himself."

supersport, Internet Infidels [Comments (39)] [2006-Aug-01]

James Wolcott: Roving Hands

Fundies Say the Darndest Things

I wonder where wisdom is on the periodic table??
Oh wait...
But seriously, go to the site, you will either cry with fear that these people are the ones who have the government's ear, or laugh riotesly at there stupidity wisdom