Woman sees likeness of Jesus on iron

Until this week, Mary Jo Coady had never given her iron a second thought. Then she saw a likeness of Jesus staring back from its not-quite stainless steel bottom.

Startled, Coady called in her daughters, both of them college students, and they saw what she saw. Then she took a picture and posted it on her private Facebook page, giving friends and relatives the same test. Everyone saw Jesus, she said.

“So I said, ‘OK, I’m not crazy,’ ’’ recalled Coady, a 44-year-old who works as a secretary in a medical office. After a challenging couple of years in which she let her Catholic faith wane, Coady found that the image had given her a spiritual boost. So she chose to share it with some others.

“This was just a good, uplifting thing for me, and it just made me reaffirm my faith and beliefs, and I’m not embarrassed to say that,’’ Coady said yesterday. “I believe in God, and I think that was a sign saying good things will come, and things will get better.’’

Link: Look! It's Jesus! Amazing Holy Visions in Everyday Life at Amazon.com
Link: Look! It's Jesus! Amazing Holy Visions in Everyday Life at Amazon.co.uk

God Hates You, Hate Him Back!

With people like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens leading the way, more and more books discrediting the idea that a single sentient being created everything around us are being devoured by atheists tired of being labeled as un-godly and silenced legally, socially and culturally by the prevalent creationist systems lying behind the world’s most powerful (and arguably most violent) governments.

The problem with all these books, as the author sees it, is these books are brilliant if you have mind for science, and/or a genuine interest in theology, but for a majority of people they are cumbersome to read. While making them popular with the intellectual elite, they are for your average literary hobbyist, complex, and far from entertaining.

CJ Werleman, Australian-born author of “God Hates You, Hate Him Back” says, “I believe people learn more when they find reading a pleasure, and with an entire genre of anti-religious texts sprouting up all over the place, I hadn’t come across any title that just laid out the entire Bible in a manner that for me was pleasurable. And the scriptures of the Bible are wonderful stories that are just begging to be told with a giggle.”

CJ, who witnessed first-hand the religiously motivated terrorist atrocities in Bali in 2005, continues, “The objective of the book is to provide the reader with a thorough understanding of the Bible, from end-t0-end, while also demonstrating that the ‘God’ people worship so readily and unquestioningly is a vengeful bully, with a monopoly on evil. Which I guess is primarily why the Devil had no reason to publish his own book.”

CJ hopes that his approach of using the source of the creationists’ belief-system to make a compelling argument against worshipping such a malevolent patriarch can bridge the gap between superstitious belief and rational understanding by at least shaking believers out of their hypnotized state of relying on “faith over logic”.

Many critics of atheism claim that the fanatical fervor displayed by Dawkins and his ilk, betrays their cause. Similarly CJ believes labeling believers as infantile or moronic is counter-productive in leading religious folk to rationality, and ultimately secularism.

“The best device we have for secularism or atheism is the Bible itself. When you have all the Biblical assertions laid out in front of you, it is almost impossible to continue holding onto the beliefs created by a tribe of nomadic goat herders, who believed the shovel to be emergent technology!”

CJ adds, “Essentially this book demystifies The Bible by using plain speak and humor. I show the reader what it is that pleases God invariably baby killing, and ethnic cleansing. While also demonstrating that not only was Jesus an overtly racist false prophet, and not very nice to his mother, his biography was crudely hammered together by people who never met him.”

When asked what he hoped to achieve with his book, CJ quipped, “I hope my book provides one small stepping stone on humanity’s journey away from ancient beliefs that retard social progress and promote human conflict rather than solidarity.”

Link: God Hates You, Hate Him Back! at Amazon.com
Link: God Hates You, Hate Him Back! at Amazon.co.uk

Mrs Betty Bowers: Less is Mormon!

America's Best Christian, Mrs Betty Bowers, calls out Mormons and schools all Americans on the unconstitutional craze of doling out civil rights by popular vote.

The Times misses the point

The British Humanist Association has followed up last year’s successful Atheist Bus Campaign with an Atheist Billboard Campaign.

The billboards display some of the labels routinely applied to children that imply beliefs, such as ‘Catholic’, ‘Protestant’, ‘Muslim’, ‘Hindu’ or ‘Sikh’, together with labels that people would never apply to young children such as ‘Marxist’, ‘Anarchist’, ‘Socialist’, ‘Libertarian’ or ‘Humanist’. In front of the shadowy labels are happy children, with the slogan, “Please don't label me. Let me grow up and choose for myself.”

The BHA believes that labelling children as if they innately “belong” to a particular religion, while ascribing incompatible beliefs to infants who “belong” to other religions, can only serve as an obstacle to understanding between children around the world. It’s not a difficult concept to grasp, but it’s clearly beyond the understanding of The Times.

You see, the children in the billboard just happen to have Christian parents. In an article entitled “Children who front Richard Dawkins’ atheist ads are evangelicals”, the paper quotes Brad Mason, a pastor whose kids happen to be the ones featured in the ads.

“It is quite funny, because obviously they were searching for images of children that looked happy and free. They happened to choose children who are Christian.”

Gerald Coates, the leader of the Pioneer network of churches, which Mr Mason and his family used to attend before they moved to Dorset, said: “I think it is hilarious that the happy and liberated children on the atheist poster are in fact Christian.”

Words fail me!

Link: You wait for one, then… Atheist buses hit the streets

Texas bans all marriage by mistake

In its haste to ban gay marriage, it appears that Texas may have inadvertently banned all marriage in the Lone Star State.

When Texas voters and the state Legislature approved a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, the amendment included the following clause designed to ban civil unions and domestic partnerships: "This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage."

One thing that is "identical… to marriage" is, of course, marriage. And Texas Attorney General candidate Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Democrat, is arguing that the current Attorney General, Republican Greg Abbott, made a "massive mistake" in allowing the language.

"You do not have to have a fancy law degree to read this and understand what it plainly says," she said. She called on Abbott to acknowledge the error and consider apologizing.

Gospel music rocked by scandals

The world of Christian music has been rocked by news of a soap-style love triangle.

Tye Tribbett is one of the top gospel artists in the USA. Earlier this year his wife found out that he was having an extramarital affair with the baby mother of ‘one of his best friends’, both of whom sing in Tye’s choir.

When Tye’s adultery came to light, gospel rapper Da’ T.R.U.T.H. offered to counsel the couple. Incredibly, Da’ T.R.U.T.H. then went on to have an affair with Tye Tribbett’s wife Shante.

Confused? Well, here’s the recap in a nutshell: Tye cheated on his wife with a choir member who was his good friend’s baby’s mother. Da’ T.R.U.T.H., Tye’s mentor, then cheated with Tye’s wife.

Until recently Tye Tribbett has been highly critical of the moral values of mainstream artists such as Beyoncé and Omarion. He also called on people not to wear clothes by rappers Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z because they “carry their spirits.”

Earlier this year, Da’ T.R.U.T.H.’s label-mate, gospel rapper Ambassador, also admitted to a ‘moral failure in his marriage’.

It’s all going on in gospel. Who would have thought?

Donnie attacks Tonéx, leading to accusations of hypocrisy

In September we reported that multi award winning gospel artist Tonéx had come clean about his sexuality. Now Tonéx has come under attack — from "ex-gay" [sic] gospel artist Donnie McClurkin.

McClurkin admits that he is attracted to men; however, he claims that he chooses not to act on his gay feelings. "I don't eat sugar, but it doesn't mean that I don't want sugar" the singer declared, comparing his homosexuality to his diabetes.

In a series of videos, McClurkin attacks Tonéx, calling him a "perversion". He says that gay people are "vampires", and calls gay youth "broken and feminine".

McClurkin goes on to turn his hate toward lesbians: "These young girls are just as bad as the boys in homosexuality, you don't see it. They can hide, but there are some evil young hard butch girls."

McClurkin's rant has provoked outrage, with the singer being accused of hypocrisy.

"Quite rich coming from McClurkin. If anyone has seen him or the young men in his inner circle, well, let's say the observation about 'feminine men everywhere' is spot-on", says columnist Rod McCullom.

McClurkin is a member of the rabidly anti-gay Church of God in Christ which, ironically, is well-known for attracting many closeted black gay men. COGIC is also embroiled in numerous lawsuits, criminal investigations and internal church investigations around sexual abuse.

Link: Tonéx comes out

Savage Love

Internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice columnist Dan Savage explains the benefits that knowledge of the bible can have in tackling religious extremists.