Jesus supports gay rights, Anglican priests say

South African Anglican priest Jo Mdhlela says that Jesus supports gay rights. His church doesn't like it, it has been reported.

But Mdhlela compares to denying equal rights to gays is equivalent to supporting apartheid.

Jesus is challenging churches," he told his congregation. "Jesus is saying if you said apartheid was unjust then you must say laws discriminating against homosexual people are unjust."

South Africa backs the official Anglican line that gay priests may be ordained as long as they remain celibate. But Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane has distanced himself from conservative African bishops who say being gay is wrong.

His famed predecessor Desmond Tutu said he was "ashamed to be Anglican" when the church rejected proposals to reform its stance on gay clergy in 1998, according to a new biography, and has compared homophobia to apartheid.

Compare that to comments by Lagos Archbishop Peter Akinola, Africa's leading opponent of gay clergy: "I personally think that this is an attack on the Church of God, a Satanic attack.

"I cannot think of how a man in his senses would be having a sexual relationship with another man. It is so unnatural, so unscriptural. Even in the world of animals, dogs, cows, lions, we don't hear of such things."

Studies have shown that the more homophobic a man, the more likely he is a closet homosexual.

Jesus Christ | Christian | Anglican Priest | Homosexual | South Africa | Born Jesus

Artists fill in pages of Pat Robertson and Friends coloring book

Powells.com booksellers have commissioned 56 artists to color pages from their new Pat Robertson and Friends coloring book. You can find the link to the colored pages from their site.

Publisher Comments:

Fundamentalists, politicians, journalists and criminals... meet them all in this easy-to-understand guide to the world of Pat Robertson.

The Pat Robertson and Friends Coloring Book transforms some of Robertson's most outrageous public pronouncements on the weather, politics, national defense and weight lifting into graceful, easy-to-color illustrations. The book includes cameos from many of Robertson's conservative allies and a Table of Apocalyptic Predictions That Did Not Come True.

According to Pat Robertson 75 to 80 percent of the illnesses in the United States are psychosomatic, and George W. Bush promised there would be no casualties in the Iraq War. Artist Kevin Stone illustrates these and other quotes from Barbara Bush, Jerry Falwell, Ann Coulter and many others in the Pat Robertson and Friends Coloring Book. Also included is a Pat Robertson Paper Doll, and commentary from Mackie Blanton.

"But why should we hear about body bags, and deaths... Or, I mean, it's, it's not relevant. So, why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?" — Barbara Bush, March 18, 2003

"Did you know that Pat Robertson, through rigorous training, leg-pressed 2,000 pounds?" — The Christian Broadcasting Network Website

"Now, further evidence that the creators of the series intend for Tinky Winky to be a gay role model have surfaced. He is purple — the gay-pride color; and his antenna is shapped like a triangle." — Rev. Jerry Falwell, on Teletubbies, December 13, 2005

Jesus Christ | Christian | Christianity | Religion | Pat Robertson | Born Jesus

Southwestern Baptist Seminary forbids speaking in tongues

Using the baseball metaphor of "you don't wear a Yankees uniform when you play for the Mets," the Southern Baptist Convention's Southwestern Seminary President Paige Patterson defended his resolution banning Baptist seminarians from speaking in tongues or talking about it in their sermons.

Patterson submitted the resolution to trustees Tuesday, it has been reported.

It states: "Southwestern will not knowingly endorse in any way, advertise, or commend the conclusions of the contemporary charismatic movement including private prayer language. Neither will Southwestern knowingly employ professors or administrators who promote such practices."

Pentacostal and charismatic Christians say speaking in tongues is a distinctly Biblical thing to do. Patterson and the Southern Baptists disagree.

"I have opposed (speaking in tongues) for all of these years because I think it's an erroneous interpretation of the Bible," he said.

"Southern Baptists traditionally have stood against what we feel like are the excesses of the charismatic movement. All we're doing is restating where we've always been."

Dissident voices responded by saying, "Sed euismod pede a lectus ornare aliquam. Phasellus suscipit enim aliquet risus. Maecenas posuere, sapien vitae venenatis porttitor, lorem mauris dictum metus, quis hendrerit nisi nunc ac sem. Vestibulum tempus lorem a lectus. Ut vulputate. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas."

Jesus Christ | Christian | Christianity | Speaking in Tongues | Southern Baptists | Born Jesus

Pope Benedict goes all moral on us: Deviant love no longer acceptable

The Burning Taper has already covered Pope Benedict's rant yesterday about "deviant love" better than I can, so I'll just point to the article "No More Deviant Love for You!" and let you bask in the blasphemy of that Freemason known as the Widow's Son as he mocks the pontiff for moralizing against gay marriage while he covers up for hundreds of homosexual and pedophile priests.

Image: Does this hat make me look gay?

Pope Benedict | Christian | Christianity | Sex | Deviant Love | Born Jesus

Act of God? Storm puts cross in Jesus's hands

A recent storm left a trail of fallen limbs in its wake.

WXIA-11 in Atlanta reported a story from Bufflao, New York where two limbs fell into the shape of a cross, into the hands of a statue of Jesus in a closed Catholic school's yard.

Locals proclaimed it a miracle, a sign "there is a higher power."

Six people died as a result of this storm, and the statue lost all the fingers on one hand.

The power of the human mind to see what it wants to see is truly amazing.

Watch the news report.

Jesus Christ | Christian | Christianity | Supstitions | Act of God | Born Jesus

Vatican to release cartoon of Pope John Paul II's life

Cartoon Jesus from South Park will soon have a new friend to play with in Cartoonland.

The Vatican announced today it will release this week a cartoon about the life of the late Pope John Paul II.

Depicting the life of Karol Wojtyla, the hour-long program shows the future pope from his humble beginnings in Poland to his death last year at age 84.

The cartoon is titled John Paul II — The Friend Of All Humanity. It has been dubbed into seven languages.

I wonder if Cartoon Pope will bless — or eat — the cartoon crop from Veggie Tales....

Jesus Christ | Catholic | Christianity | Pope John Paul II | Cartoons | Born Jesus