Religion & Spirituality

“Today the consensus across a wide range of health and mental health providers is that such therapies are not effective and are not needed for people. ”said Clinton W. Anderson, PhD, associate director of the APA Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns Office.

Zack Ford,  Think Progress

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Dr. Anthony Duk, Ex-gay therapist

Jan 28, 2013 | Anthony Duk is one of the practitioners of “ex-gay therapy” who is challenging California’s new law banning offering the treatment to minors. He spoke with American Medical News about the suit and explained that yes, his patients have been unsuccessful at changing their sexual orientation, but they’re to blame, not the “therapy”:

"With this bill, what’s really at stake is the definition of masculinity as well as the entire basis of civilization,” he said. “When men don’t act like men, you have a breakdown of traditional family roles and weakening of the entire human race.”

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• It's time we love people for who they are and let them love who they want.
• Pope Benedict Takes Anti-Gay Marriage To New Level In Christmas Speech

Rollie Williams, Upworthy

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January 15, 2013 | Apart from being one of the funniest people in the world, Ellen DeGeneres is a champion for gay rights. She wonders why people are afraid of being influenced toward homosexuality when, clearly, homosexual people aren't influenced into heterosexuality. Ya don't make any damn sense, homophobes.

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Related

Pope Benedict Takes Anti-Gay Marriage To New Level In Christmas Speech, Nicole Winfield, Associated Press / Huffington Post 

• People dispute the idea that they have a nature, given to them by their bodily identity, that serves as a defining element of the human being," he said. "They deny their nature and decide that it is not something previously given to them, but that they make it for themselves.
• The manipulation of nature, which we deplore today where our environment is concerned, now becomes man's fundamental choice where he himself is concerned," he said.

• In Jesus’ justice system, offenders are allowed to live and are called to conversion.  They are encouraged to rehabilitate, and are held accountable.  
• There is no death penalty, because the death penalty is an act that says, “There is nothing more that God can do with this life."
• American Prisons: Slavery By The Backdoor    

Eric DeBode, Catholic Agitator 

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October, 2012 | The story of Zacchaeus sums up many key themes which run through Luke’s gospel:  the high are brought low, the lost sheep are gathered, justice happens outside of court by repairing harms done, the “child of Abraham” is welcomed back, and the outsider and the unclean are recognized as key to the project of salvation. 

Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, which meant that he got really rich by running a shady business; he collected taxes for the occupying Roman state, and he was despised by his fellow Jews. 

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Related:

American Prisons: Slavery By The Backdoor, Chris Gambrell, YouTube

The government will keep inventing more laws to make criminals out of good people.

Join the effort to send 1,000,000 letters or emails to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) in support of their stand in support of the ordination of women as Roman Catholic priests. 

Bob Wedl, Evergreene Digest

This article is made possible with the generous contributions of all reader supported Evergreene Digest readers like you. Thank you! 

December 17, 2012 | The December 3rd National Catholic Reporter (NCR) has written an editorial in support of the ordination of women as Roman Catholic priests.  This is just one more major group that is lining up to contest the rules of the Catholic Church hierarchy which argue, by their action and papal decrees, that women are not worthy of serving as priest ministers of the Catholic faith.  The response to that editorial has been overwhelmingly positive...and why would it not be?

As a supporter of the WomenPriest effort, I am asking you to join the effort to send 1,000,000 letters or emails to the NCR in support of their stand.  Also, forward this email to as many people as possible...and asking them to forward it to as many people as possible...etc.

You may send your email to NCR...or by US mail at: National Catholic Reporter, 115 E. Armour Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64111. You may also want to copy your bishop. 

Peace and justice to you at this time of wonder and joy.