ALERT: DISTINGUISH BETWEEN "RELIGIOUS CONSERVATIVES" AND "RELIGIOUS FASCISTS"

¨There has to be a distinction between "religious conservatives," and "religious fascists." Those who seek to deny others basic civil rights, and cast aspersions on assorted minority groups such as gays and illegal immigrants are religious or secular fascists. People like Franklin Graham, Ken Hutcherson, Ralph Reed, and their ilk are not "religious conservatives" but "religious fascists," as I see it. I am a religious conservative, as I believe in the contextual rendering of Scripture, the virgin birth, the Resurrection, etc.  I think that it's crucial that we make that distinction.  True Christian Conservatives do not seek to in any way judge or defame others!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/10/us/politics/christian-conservatives-failed-to-sway-voters.html

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2012/11/uganda-poised-to-pass-kill-gays-bill-as.html#disqus_thread

Even non-Christians know that Christians are to address the injustices of society, and care for the poor and unfortunate who are down on their luck; Christians should be able to be counted on to help others, and not to seek to judge or exclude others from good will and good works. Indeed, they well know that Christians are called upon by Jesus to love other people and not to judge them!

Yet, they and we are constantly bombarded in the media and in all too many churches with the propounders of a false gospel of legalism that is no Gospel; with those who show no love, but seem to delight in engaging in faulty biblical exegeses to justify condemning their fellow human beings; with those who would much rather erroneously select some obscure verse out of Leviticus to condemn others and seek to deny LGBT people civil and sacramental rights than do the work of a ministry that seeks social justice for all of God's children; by a gospel that has as its litmus test genital placement rather than the exercise of love toward all of God's creatures; with those who embrace the most reactionary elements in society and do so in the name of God, rather than heed the words of Jesus that we are to care for the least of His children; with those who are haughty, smug, and arrogant, rather than witness the expressions of the meekness and humility Jesus admonishes us to have in dealing with other fellow human beings and with the things of God.

There is a judgment! And the professing Christians who, by their ignorance and/or avarice and/or twisted psyches cast aspersions on the Gospel of grace, the unconditional love of Jesus toward all of God's children, thereby turning away countless intelligent, decent, sensitive people from God, will drink the dregs of that judgment to the very last drop, for, "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones." (Luke 17:2)

Thanks to The Rev Dr. Jerry Manker, sidebar

http://christianglbtrights.blogspot.com/2012/11/there-has-to-be-distinction-between.html

OUR DAY OF REST: What a lovely day of snoozing it has been

A day of rest featuring ¨Fido¨ de Gonzalez

I don't remember when we did it before.  I mean, I don't remember when this household slept the day away. It certainly wasn't recently because we have so much to do and say on the weekend.  Juan Carlos calls it spending the weekend in his ¨ jaula¨  or cage in English.  It's a voluntary way to spend the weekend in our little house -- he does it gleefully, as do I, and of our own individual accord, but this weekend was even better -- we relaxed entirely, slept, watched some movies and ate snacks.

¨Coban¨ de Kossoy (he and his new brother ¨Calvin¨ will be visiting soon)

We have four dogs of our own.  We also have the dogs of our friends, the famous Kossoy Sisters, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27ll_Fly_Away, who often stay with us, when the sisters fly away...we convert into being ¨Camp Gonzalez¨ and joyfully all the dogs get along and we sing in perfect harmony just like them on stage...it's really fun.  

One of the fertile Cockatiel boys

Did I mention that we have various tropical birds, including a sometimes squawking parrot name Pancho (who hates me) and beautiful Cockatiels. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockatiel of many varieties (that are so well cared for by JC that they have lots and lots of babies).  Then there are my favorites, the Doves.  The Doves that coo-me-awake in the morning and say good-night the same way.  I love the Doves.  Recently one of the Dove couples, Mr. and Mrs. Swell Dove, had a baby.  This baby had deformed legs and can not walk.  Mr. and Mrs. Swell Dove cared for their baby and now baby dove is a big dove that lives pretty much on her own scooting around on the floor of one of the dove jaulas...she's a fine dove and seems happy as can be.

It's almost time to go to bed...what a wonderful weekend it has been.
Thank you for being our friends

Here's looking at you kid!

¨Honey¨ wishes you sweet dreams too

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: No Scientific Basis for Banning Same-Sex Marriage

American Psychological Association Files Brief with the U.S. Supreme Court

Claims No Scientific Basis for Banning Same-Sex Marriage

The American Psychological Association in Washington, D.C, is the world’s largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States.  It is the world’s largest association of psychologists. Donald N. Bersoff, PhD, JD, said that the association has a long history of supporting equal access to legal marriage based on years of scientific research. “There is no scientific basis for denying marriage to same-sex couples particularly when research indicates that marriage provides many important benefits.  The research shows that same-sex couples are similar to heterosexual couples in essential ways and that they are as likely as opposite-sex couples to raise mentally, healthy, well-adjusted children.”

What the Briefs State

“Like heterosexual couples, same-sex couples, form deep emotional attachments and commitments.  Heterosexual and same-sex couples alike face similar issues concerning intimacy, love, equity, loyalty and stability, and they go through similar processes to address those issues. Empirical research demonstrates that the psychological and social aspects of committed relationships between same-sex partners largely resembles those of heterosexual partnerships.”

The briefs cite empirical scientific evidence that demonstrate that “homosexuality is a normal expression of human sexuality, is not chosen and is highly resistant to change. There is no scientific basis for concluding that gay and lesbian parents are any less fit or capable than heterosexual parents, or that their children are any less psychologically healthy and well-adjusted.”

How Conclusions Were Drawn

The briefs do not focus on one single study, but on general patterns.  They rely on the best empirical research available.  The studies in the brief were critically evaluated to assess their methodology, including the reliability and validity of the measures and tests employed, and the quality of data-collection procedures and statistical analyses.

Amicus Briefs Argue

“Friend of the Court” briefs filed in the cases of “Hollingsworth v. Perry”which challenges California’s Proposition 8, and U.S. v. Windsor, which challenges the federal Defense of Marriage Act, state that denying recognition to legally married same-sex couples stigmatizes them.

Other Leading Mental Health Orgnaizations that Filed Briefs

The other mental health organization who filed the Windsor and Perry briefs were:  The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, California Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychoanalytic Association, National Association of Social Workers, the New York City and New York State Psychological Association, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the California Chapter of NASW, and the California Psychological Association. 

http://gayagenda.com/american-psychological-association-files-brief-with-the-u-s-supreme-court/

FROM THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN: Japanese lesbian couple marry at Tokyo Disney

For the full story, visit http://japandailypress.com/tag/koyuki-higashi

¨A lesbian couple, who held the first same-sex wedding at Tokyo Disney Resort, has made headlines around the world after they tweeted photographs of their celebrations last Friday.

The New York Times reported that Koyuki Higashi and her partner of one and a half years, Hiroko tied the knot in front of 30 well-wishers on Friday. Higashi, 28, is a stage actress turned gay rights activist after coming out less than three years ago. Although her partner did not reveal her full name as some of her family members are not fully comfortable with her sexuality, she hopes that her wedding will help create a public discussion around same-sex marriage which Japan does not recognise. Her Twitter account has since been inundated with congratulatory messages and positive comments.

When Higashi contacted the resort in May 2012 about the possibility of holding her wedding there, she was told that she would be able to marry her partner provided they were dressed "like a man and a woman". She posted their condition on her blog which soon attracted public criticism and the couple was told a week later that they could both wear wedding dresses.,,¨ please read it all: 

http://www.fridae.asia/newsfeatures/2013/03/05/12257.japanese-lesbian-couple-marry-at-tokyo-disney?n=sec

ANTI-SEMITIC HUGO CHAVEZ: Long the Bane of Venezuelan Jews, Chavez Is Gone. Now What?

Over the past 14 years, Venezuelan Jews have been leaving the country in droves. When Chavez was elected in 1999, there were more than 20,000 Jews living in Venezuela. Today the community is estimated to have fallen to less than half that number.

¨For more than a decade, Venezuelan Jews have been holding their breath, subject to the whims of a mercurial president who used his bully pulpit to intimidate, rail against Israel and embrace Iran.

There was the police raid of a Caracas school in 2004, allegedly to search for evidence in the high-profile murder case of a prosecutor. There were the demands by President Hugo Chavez when war broke out between Israel and Hamas in December 2008 that his country’s Jews rebuke Israel for its conduct in Gaza. There was Chavez’s warm alliance with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. There was the use of state radio to spread anti-Semitic canards.

Most recently, there were revelations that Venezuela’s intelligence service, SEBIN, was spying on the country's Jewish communty. 

While Chavez never explicitly threatened the Jews of Venezuela, his frequent harassment and staunchly anti-Israel positions kept them continually on edge. Afraid to criticize their president, the Jewish community found itself in a predicament that took on a frightening resemblance to the one faced by Jews in another staunchly anti-Western, anti-Zionist country: Iran.

But even with Chavez gone, felled by an undisclosed form of cancer at age 58 just weeks into his fourth term, Venezuelan Jews aren’t quite ready to exhale.

For one thing, Chavez leaves behind a country wracked by violent crime and mired in economic turmoil. For another, Chavez played such a commanding role in Venezuelan life and politics that nobody is quite sure what will happen to the country.

Perhaps most notably for Venezuela’s Jews, far fewer of them are still around to find out...¨ please read it all:

http://www.jewishexponent.com/long-the-bane-of-venezuelan-jews%2C-chavez-is-gone-now-what

Thanks to Uriel Heilman, JTA

THE ARCH-HOMOPHOBE OF NIGERIA: Over and over again, Nicholas Okoh blames, condemns and demonizes LGBT Christians for corrupting church/society

I think Archbishop Okoh is a tiresome, complaining and feckless lot of a preacher.  +Nicolas constantly bellyaches/pontificates about the terrors in Nigeria/beyond of a deadly Okohstyled gay agenda.  Never/ever has +Okoh offered a solution or a path to peace and/or loving neighbors (all, muslims too) other than excluding, demeaning and the damning of his perceived ¨evil people¨ to Hell.   The man, in my mind, incites fear, hatred and violence both at home and abroad and seems to be working on becoming an accessory to crimes against humanity.  Does Anglican +Nicolas initiate emotional/spiritual instability amongst Nigerians/others and is he a slothful clergyperson who harms fellow citizens at church/beyond when spewing self-righteous nonsense?  Leonardo Ricardo Nigerian Anglican Primate Stirs Homophobia Tuesday, 5 March 2013, 1:52 pm Press Release: The Peter Tatchell Foundation

Anglican Church Of Nigeria Backs Harsh New Anti-Gay Law

London - 4 March 2013

The Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, has condemned homosexuality and gay marriage, saying: “The basics of Jesus Christ will continue to be our teachings and we will not depart from it....The basics of Christian marriage is between man and woman."

British human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, has criticised the Primate, who heads the Anglican church in Nigeria, accusing him of "stirring up prejudice against gay people in Nigeria."

Okoh spoke during the ordination of three Anglican Bishops - James Olusola Odedeji (Bishop of Lagos West), Simeon Oluwole Borokini (Bishop of Akure) and Geoffrey Enyinnaya Okorafor (Bishop of Egbu) at the Cathedral of St. Jude Ebute Metta, Lagos.

During the service, Okoh described homosexuality and same-sex marriage as great evils and works of the devil that must neither be condoned nor allowed to exist in Nigerian society. He has previously condemned the “homosexual lifestyle”, describing it as “the way of death.”

The Nigerian Anglican church supports the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill, which is currently before parliament. It proposes some of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world.

See here: http://bit.ly/Vz5CjA

According to The Guardian newspaper of Nigeria, Okoh told the assembled Sunday congregation:

“You are already aware of the evil wind blowing across the Western world, by way of the homosexual agenda. They want to push it down everybody’s throat. Whether you like it or not, the government is doing so and the church is doing so. And as far as they are concerned, it is a matter of human right. But God’s right is not discussed. I want to say that you have a responsibility to this church, not to allow any influence from any quarters to corrupt our church,” the Primate said.

“The Biblical understanding of marriage will continue to be the basis of our teaching; we will not change that position. So, no matter what they tell you, no matter where you go and who your friend is, please, resist the Devil and all his works, and he will flee from you.

“I want to encourage our clergy, particularly those of you who have attachment with the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe and America, don’t bring that influence in here. It is the responsibility of your Bishops to know where you go, who you relate with, and the influence around you. It may not be helpful to you to align with those people,” he said.

See here: http://bit.ly/XkRRpG

MEET JUDGE PAMELA CHEN: The U.S. Senate on Monday evening made history when it confirmed the first openly gay Asian-American for a seat on the federal bench.

Judge Pamela Chen was confirmed to the bench on Monday by a voice vote in the Senate. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

By a voice vote, the Senate confirmed Pamela Ki Mai Chen, a lesbian, for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. President Obama first nominated her a judgeship in August and renamed her along with others at the start of the 113th Congress.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, who recommended the nomination to Obama, praised the Senate for confirming Chen in a statement and said her background will serve her well on the federal bench.

“Ms. Chen’s wealth of experience and devotion to public service make it clear that she will be an excellent judge,” Schumer said. “Ms. Chen has proven time and again that she is a leader and a pioneer in the legal field. I have every confidence that she will serve her jurisdiction well.”

Shin Inouye, a White House spokesperson, echoed that sentiment over the confirmation of Obama’s judicial nominee.

“The President welcomes the confirmation of Pamela Ki Mai Chen,” Inouye said. “She will serve the American people well from the Eastern District of New York bench.”  there is more: 

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2013/03/04/senate-confirms-first-openly-gay-asian-american-to-federal-bench/

DANCING WITH THE SAINTS: Patronales are celebrated in villages throughout Guatemala

These small wooden replicas of REAL LIFE dancers, wearing colorful wooden masks and strikingly colorful costumes, are a traditional part of  patronales celebrations in Guatemalan villages throughout the campo (wood dolls courtesy of Casa de los Gigantes, Antigua)  

The patronales celebrations honor the patron saint of the village.  He or she saint is  paraded about  joyously (and often the people carrying the saint pay to lift and walk with the ¨onda´ platform  on their shoulders)  and live music is played all-day-into-night.  

The masked folk dancers (usually men) dance continously in conga-like lines and weave themselves throughout the crowd as well as perform specific cermemonial dances in the town square.

Always fire crackers are heard throughout the day of the patronal celebration and always there are  colorful fuegos artificiales lighting the sky in the evening (the wealthier the village the more fire works displayed).

Village church interiors are most often lavishly decorated with flowers, banners, streamers and worshippers light candles and  pray on their  knees on the raw/rough tile floors.

MAY SWEET SIESTAS ADD TO YOUR DAY: Dreaming of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

A glimpse: Ellen´s San Cristobal de las Casas dreamy bed

In January a lively group of us jumped into a new four wheeler and sped off to Chiapas, Mexico.  Four of us heading north of the border, on a beautiful day, it was a perfect journey.  We traveled up and up to/through the northernmost mountains of Guatemala and then down, down, down and crossed the border into the southern Mexican State of Chiapas---more beautiful scenery greeted us on our way as day turned into night on the road to San Cristobal de las Casas, our destination, up Mexico way.

We spent five days exploring San Cristobal de las Casas.  It was a treat in every way.  The landscape was varied, lush, hauntingly beautiful and sometimes daunting too.  The people were welcoming, friendly, energetic, productive, creative and it was VERY SAFE in San Cristobal de las Casas and Chiapas is blooming and booming.

Much of our time was spent visiting the indigenous open markets, little stores, brilliant and boldy decorated churches, public buildings, hotels and restaurants and even the famous Jaguar House too...vivid imagines are remembered by me with hundreds of colorful Mexicano momentos flickering through my mind.

We had a very happy trip to Old Mexico.

A few days after returning to Guatemala, one of our companions, Ellen, decided she wanted me to paint her bed.  The bed is a lovely piece of furniture and although distinctive and elegant it needed, according to Ellen, a little cheering/livening up...so, over the last month, I painted Ellens bed into my version/vision of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico...ole'

The newly redecorated bed was installed in Ellens bedroom yesterday.  It was a bit of a surprise and a BIG HIT! Here is a corner of the headboard for you to see.

Today, we went to a lovely brunch at the Santo Domingo Hotel, here, in Antigua, Guatemala.  We celebrated the sweet memories of San Cristobal de las Casas that are embracing Ellen today and I am wishing Ellen the fondest of memories to be enjoyed in yet another way:

Sweet dreams, dear Ellen, fellow adventurer and great friend!

Leonardo Ricardo
Leonard Clark Beardsley
Sacatepequez, Guatemala
Central America
Sunday afternoon

Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian President, Apologizes To Gay Community During Reelection Speech (VIDEO)

¨Ecuador's President Rafael Correa kept his word to the gay community and apologized a second time on Sunday, after his re-election, for homophobic comments made last year.

At the time, the Ecuadorian leader had used the word "faggot" to insult a reader who had criticized his government on a local newspaper's Facebook, referring to him with the same term. Correa later explained he had used the word in an attempt to call his offender a "coward," according to the Spanish news agency EFE.

However, after the LGBT community in the country demanded an explanation, the president apologized in writing and ensured he was not doing it to win votes but because he was genuinely remorseful about the incident.

After winning his third term in office, Correa took a few minutes out of his re-election speech to reassure the country that his government has a genuine commitment to defend everyone's dignity and equality.

“We are diverse but never unequal,” he said.

please read it all,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/22/rafael-correa-gay-community_n_2743906.html?ir=Gay+Voices&ref=topbar

Thanks to Huffington Post, sidebar

Thanks to  By Zuania Ramos