Conservative columnist David Brooks’ has a piece on gay marriage in today’s New York Times (The Power of Marriage). After reading such nuggets as “Anybody who has several sexual partners in one year is committing spiritual suicide” and “Marriage joins two people in a sacred bond” and marriage is a “sacred vow till death do us part”, it is interesting to find this conclusion:

The conservative course is not to banish gay people from making such commitments. It is to expect that they make such commitments. We shouldn’t just allow gay marriage. We should insist on gay marriage. We should regard it as scandalous that two people could claim to love each other and not want to sanctify their love with marriage and fidelity.

His idea is that if conservatives are really against “the culture of contingency” which, they think, treats marriage as shacking up with somebody until something better comes along, then they ought to do everything they can to ensure that the bonds of marriage and family are strengthened and extended as much as possible. I don’t agree with the conservative cultural analysis, but I think it’s pretty interesting to note that, based on conservative principles like the ones cited by Brooks, a pretty good argument can be made for legal recognition of gay marriage. This highlights the fact that those who object to gay marriage don’t really do so to protect “family values” or “the sanctity of marriage”, but to codify their often religiously-inspired prejudices into law.

ringtones metalocalypse

Even with this information, the State of California recently passed siberian ringtones orchestra trans phone law that requires drivers over the age of 18 to use a hands-free device while using the phone in the car.

What with all the JFK 40 retrospectives going on, BeliefNet has a bit of a JFK speech from the 1960 campaign — an address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association on September 12, 1960. Worth a look. Recall that JFK was running against some fairly serious anti-Catholic bigotry from the Protestant majority, especially in the south. A few excerpts:

I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute–where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote–where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference–and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him.

I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish–where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source–where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials…

That is the kind of America in which I believe. And it represents the kind of Presidency in which I believe–a great office that must neither be humbled by making it the instrument of any one religious group nor tarnished by arbitrarily withholding its occupancy from the members of any one religious group. I believe in a President whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the nation or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office…

I want a Chief Executive whose public acts are responsible to all groups and obligated to none–who can attend any ceremony, service or dinner his office may appropriately require of him–and whose fulfillment of his Presidential oath is not limited or conditioned by any religious oath, ritual or obligation.

Hey, sometimes theists get it right. Go figure.notebook the quotes moviesex underwater moviestheater movie united artistmovie studio vegasdownload zemanova veronica moviechicks music movie whiteswapping wife moviesxxx movie downloads Map

What a nice toon. From the oddly nasty but worthwhile Christianity is Bullshit site.
feathers canyonville 7 casino oregon incasino 3d objectscanyon winners andrews american casino tournamentaladdin casino nevadaaccount gambling merchant affiliate guidecasino 7 cedersabilify gamblingameristar vicksburg casino Map

In 2001 some humanists from New Jersey (yea Joisey!) started up a holiday called HumanLight. Here’s the idea:

In Western societies, late December is a season of good cheer and a time for gatherings of friends and families. During the winter holiday season, where the word “holiday” has taken on a more secular meaning, many events are observed. This tradition of celebrations, however, is grounded in supernatural religious beliefs that many people in modern society cannot accept. HumanLight presents an alternative reason to celebrate: a Humanist’s vision of a good future. It is a future in which all people can identify with each other, behave with the highest moral standards, and work together toward a happy, just and peaceful world.(http://www.humanlight.org/)

I can’t see myself participating in any HumanLight celebrations. It all seems a little hokey. I picture everyone sitting around, reading the Humanist Manifesto aloud, and listening to “Imagine” on a continuous loop. And check out the HumanLight emblem on the web page — wimpy enough for a “Bright” to love (although we could toughen up the holiday with some of Mr. Costanza’s “feats of strength”). On the other hand, I sort of like the idea of a positive, secular holiday to compete with the religious ones. So what do others think of HumanLight? 100 loans churchreal 100 loan commercial estate100 loan financing homefinancing loan 100100 approved loans guaranteedloans 1000 day pay11 loan cash payday16 payday 11 canada loan money12 payday articles 17 loantexas 18 payday 12 loan credit

A man identified as Matt Turk — 6′4″ 225-pound punter for the Miami Dolphins –was was the subject of an assault report made to Davie police (a Miami suburb) by 22-year-old law student Miriam Parsa

Parsa said the man, wearing a flowered shirt and jeans, asked her about her religious denomination. Her response: What if I’m an atheist?

She said the man displayed a bracelet engraved with the initials WWJD — short for What Would Jesus Do? [and responded] “What would Jesus think about what you said?”

Parsa said she asked rhetorically whether Jesus would approve of the man being drunk on a Sunday.

”Apparently he did not like her answer because he slapped the glass she was drinking from out of her hand,” the Davie police incident report states. The report says his hand hit her face and the glass fell to the ground and shattered. The man walked away and drove off, she said.

Thank you Jesus, for your guidance in living the Xian life. Dolphins punter hit me, woman says

Since it’s in the news, I just thought I’d share one my all-time favorite pieces from The Onion. I may have even shared it here before, but hey, it’s pretty funny. And topical: Church group offers homosexual new life in closet

Amid the howls of irate British protestors, Shrub met with Queen Elizabeth II and PM Tony Blair to attempt a strong arm at more support for the current crusade in Iraq.

President George Bush today declared that the British and American peoples were united in an “alliance of values”.

In a set-piece address in London’s Banqueting House, Mr Bush said that the alliance remained “very strong”.

“More than an alliance of security and commerce, the British and American peoples have an alliance of values. And today this old and tested alliance is very strong,” he said.

“The fellowship of generations is the cause of common beliefs. We believe in open societies ordered by moral conviction,” he said.

“We believe in private markets humanised by compassionate government. We believe in economies that reward effort, communities that protect the weak, and the duty of nations to respect the rights and dignity of all.

I guess he meant that he believes in open societies, so long as they adhere to his own brand of “moral conviction.”

I especially liked the reference to the compassion of big bidness, barely watched by an indifferent–oops, I meant compassionate–government. Nice irony, Shrub!