Non Fluffy Wicca

Because under Powell's stewardship, a new and undefined standard of "decency" sent a chilling effect throughout all broadcast media. The idea that one organization can, without legislative authority or even real guidelines, determine what can be seen and heard by Americans, is quite a scary idea. And given the bent of an Administration that would telephone anti-choice groups during a demonstration against a woman's right to control her body, guess where the multi-million dollar fines would fall.

FCC Chairman Michael Powell to resign in March, break out the
champagne and party platters, media...

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell has
announced his resignation "some time in March," according to a
release. Powell has lead the charge enforcing "decency" on the
public airways, and in 2004, the FCC fined broadcasters 7.7... [Morons Dot Org]

Posted by mikki at 05:08 PM | Permalink

Canada: Inmates at a Winnipeg prison have found a use for the Bible - it makes excellent rolling papers.

The provincial jails are supposed to be tobacco-free, but enterprising inmates have come up with their own smokes - a combination of leaves from tea bags and Nicorette gum that is boiled, dried and rolled in the thin pages of the New or Old Testament.

And the Gideons have promised to provide more Bibles to burn when the prisoners run out.

Holy smokes! Prisoners using Bibles to make cigarettes - AZ Central, 21st January 2005.

Posted by mikki at 12:33 PM | Permalink

If this Pagan Prattle story is actually true, I think that the advice of giving solely to secular charities is well taken.

India: A beautiful example of self-styled Christians completely ignoring the reported words of Jesus has come out of a tiny village in Tamil Nadu which was badly affected by the recent tsunami:

Jubilant at seeing the relief trucks loaded with food, clothes and the much-needed medicines the villagers, many of who have not had a square meal in days, were shocked when the nuns asked them to convert before distributing biscuits and water.

Heated arguments broke out as the locals forcibly tried to stop the relief trucks from leaving. The missionaries, who rushed into their cars on seeing television reporters and the cameras refusing to comment on the incident and managed to leave the village.

Note that if you donate to the Tsunami fund run by the Disasters Emergency Committee in the UK, your money is divided up between the participating charities, including a number of Christian ones who, while probably not engaging in this kind of behaviour, are definitely hypocrites who ignore the reported words of Jesus in Matthew 6:1-4.

Villagers furious with Christian Missionaries - Yahoo News (via Pharyngula), 16th January 2004.

Posted by mikki at 12:32 PM | Permalink

Someone please tell me this is a joke. What is wrong with these absolute nutcases?

Accusing the sponge of appearing in a "pro-homosexual video,"
the religious right appears to have sunk to a new low...

Focus on the "Family" and the American "Family" Association have
a new target in their never-ending war on gays: Spongebob
Squarepants. Yes, they're bound and determined to oppose a
cartoon sponge. James Dobson told the guests at a formal dinner
to... [Morons Dot Org]

Posted by mikki at 10:06 AM | Permalink

Gee, let's waste more taxpayers money trying to push a misguided and stupid agenda of the Christian right.

A suburban Atlanta school district Monday decided to appeal a federal judge's ruling that it must remove from biology textbooks stickers that refer to evolution as "a theory not a fact." [CNN.com - Law]

Posted by mikki at 12:08 PM | Permalink

From The Pagan Prattle

United States: Fantasy writer Will Shetterly has written a short story called The People Who Owned the Bible and blogged it under a Creative Commons license. Most amusing.

Then Jimmy Joe Jenkins's DNA proved he was the primary descendent of the translators of the King James Version of the Bible. At first, Jimmy was satisfied with ten percent of the price of every KJV sold and 10 percent of every collection plate passed by any church that used the KJV. But when some churches switched to newer translations, Jimmy sicced his lawyers on all translations based on the KJV. That got him a cut of every Bible and every Christian service in English. Some translators claimed their work was based on older versions and should therefore be exempt, but none of them could afford to fight Jimmy in court.

So the churches grumbled and paid Jimmy his tithe, except for the Mormons, Christian Scientists, Seventh Day Adventists, Quakers, and Unitarian Universalists. Jimmy said their teachings hurt the commercial value of his property and refused to let them use the Bible. All of those groups dissolved, except for the Unitarian Universalists, who didn't notice a change.

Go. Read. Enjoy.

The People Who Owned the Bible - a story - it's all one thing, 10th January 2005 (via Boing Boing).

Posted by mikki at 08:19 PM | Permalink

United States: Christian thugs allegedly attacked a New York man with a metal pipe because of his Satanist beliefs. According to Daniel Romano, his attackers had been harassing him comstantly for over a month and been spreading malicious gossip about him.

Paul Rotondi and Frank Scarpinito, both 18, allegedly pounced on Romano, who wears black nail polish and an inverted crucifix symbolizing his rejection of Jesus, as he walked to meet his mother at a laundermat.

They spread rumors around the neighborhood that I eat babies and go down to the docks, pick up hookers and kill them, Romano told the Daily News. Ignorance often costs a lot of people their lives.

Romano claims to be a member of the Church of Satan, though the local head of that organisation says that is not true, cast doubt upon the whole story and suggested that Romano is nothing more than a spooky kid. Which contrasts interestingly with something Rotondi is claimed to have said to the police:

You are going to find my prints on there,he told cops at the 104th Precinct stationhouse, referring to the pipe. But then he insisted, I did not hit anyone with it, authorities said.

Meanwhile, Rotondi and Scarpinito have been charged under hate crimes legislation, which appears to apply to all religions without discrimination, whether or not they are members of a church, much to the distress of their lawyer.

This is an abuse of the hate crime law, he said. What's next - the nerds, the preppies ...? Where are you going to draw the line?

Qns. Satanist catches hell - New York Daily News, 12th January 2005.
[The Pagan Prattle Online]

Posted by mikki at 12:21 PM | Permalink

A federal judge has ruled that evolution disclaimer stickers
must be removed from textbooks in Cobb County, Georgia...

U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper has ruled that Cobb County
schools must remove their disclaimer stickers from biology
textbooks, saying "Adopted by the school board, funded by the
money of taxpayers, and inserted by school personnel, the
sticker... [Morons Dot Org]

Posted by mikki at 12:18 PM | Permalink

From Morons.org. You really have to wonder what's going on when you read stuff like this.

While thousands of hours of recordings go untranslated, the
military has been discharging translators for being gay...

It's a case of screwed-up priorities.

Between 1998 and 2004, the military discharged 20 Arabic
speakers and 6 Farsi speakers for being gay, even as national
security depends on translating Arabic transmissions and the
demand for additional... [Morons Dot Org]

Posted by mikki at 12:16 PM | Permalink

So did Tom Delay really mean to say that the Tsunami hit the area of Southeast Asia, killing all those people, because they didn't listen to Jesus? I wonder how he explained the Christian tourists who were also killed.

United States: Tom Delay chose his reading from Christian scripture carefully for Tuesday's Congessional Prayer Service (how is that allowed under the Constitution anyhow?), and had an important message for those affected by the Asian tsumami - you are dead because you are not Christians:

More bigotry in the name of religion

A California Catholic school is under fire from some parents for
admitting the adopted sons of a gay couple.

We've all heard stuff like this before. Too many times.

Last week in Arkansas gay would-be foster parents won a
significant victory in the courts. Happy times! This week, from
a state you might not expect, comes some fresh ignorance that
proves we... [Morons Dot Org]

Posted by mikki at 03:09 PM | Permalink

From Morons dot org. Really makes you wonder, eh?

Move over, Miss Cleo; Pat Robertson brings us predictions for
2005, direct from the mouth of God...

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Matthew 7:15

Pat Robertson isn't known for his subtlety. After the September
11 terrorists attacks, for example, he joined Jerry Falwell
in... [Morons Dot Org]

Posted by mikki at 03:08 PM | Permalink