The Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Hein calls Pam's House Blend: "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy."
He is "praying that Pam Spaulding will "turn away from her wicked and sinful promotion of homosexual behavior."
(CCLM's web site, 10/15/07)
Ex-gay "Christian" activist James Hartline on Pam:
"I have been mocked over and over again by ungodly and unprincipled anti-christian lesbians."
(from "Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline," 9/4/2006, written from the "homosexual stronghold" of Hillcrest in San Diego).
"Pam is a 'twisted lesbian sister' and an 'embittered lesbian' of the 'self-imposed gutteral experiences of the gay ghetto.'" -- 9/5/2008
Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality heartily endorses the Blend, calling Pam:
A "vicious anti-Christian lesbian activist." (Concerned Women for America's radio show [9:15], 1/25/07)
"A nutty lesbian blogger." (MassResistance radio show [16:25], 2/3/07)
Pam's House Blend always seems to find these sick f*cks. The area of the country she is in? The home state of her wife? I know, they are everywhere. Pam just does such a great job of bringing them out into the light.
--Impeach Bush
who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights in Africa are limited in comparison to other areas of the world, with the BBC estimating that homosexuality is outlawed in 38 African countries. In 13 nations homosexuality is either legal or there are no laws pertaining to it.
In Mauritania, Sudan, and northern Nigeria, homosexuality can be punishable by death. In Uganda, offenders can gain a maximum of a life imprisonment for homosexual acts.
To be completely honest, I'm not sure how to write up this lunacy... but Mike Hein , er, "the Christian Civic League staff" seems to SERIOUSLY have it in for Kennebec County Democratic Chair Rita Moran- and has for quite awhile now.
With its colorful exterior, Apple Valley Books is certainly the most cheerful looking store in the small town of Winthrop, Maine. Painted yellow and blue, the storefront resembles a toy store more than a bookstore, and the colorful colors cry out "Come in! Have fun and enjoy our wares!"
Okay, sounds nice enough so far... almost like an endorsement for the place.
Uh-oh...
The customer opens the door to see a brightly-lit, well-kept store. There on the right, however, is an unusual sight. Atop a tall bookshelf sits a large horned devil. The visitor quickly passes by, past rows of bookshelves with nondescript books, and nothing remarkable meets the eye until the section marked "Teenage."
Curiously, the top three shelves of this "Teenage" section offer one paranormal-themed book after another.
This section is arranged so that an unsuspecting teen is easily lured into occult literature.
On the opposite side of the store, New Age materials are mixed in carelessly with Bibles and a few other Christian books.
Close to the counter, where the owner sits, is a section dedicated to the occult. There one finds scores of books on how to practice witchcraft and cast spells. In a word, the section is about ritual magic.
Eeks! The Horror!(btw, "ritual magic" is 2 words, numbnuts...)
Hate to tell these schmucks at CCL that Augusta's 'Barnes & Noble' has the same selection and more... or that the same Augusta area contains a Wal-Mart, mixing displays of "inspirational books" in the same building as "Twilight" movies, books, knock off merchandise, etc... and they also had a big section of Halloween merchandise!
Don't get me started on the nearby iParty store...
Travel an hour or so up I-95 to the Bangor area and you come to a high school full of witches- in fact, I am a 3rd generation alumni of the school!
Yet I have never heard of a single protest regarding the Brewer Witches by CCL/MFPC... an oversight, I'm sure.
Visitors to Rita Moran's bookstore will see that the occult is mixed in with the ordinary so as to almost be imperceptible. In the same way, the forces of darkness operate unnoticed in our civic life disguised as "marriage equality" (homosexual marriage) or "freedom of choice," (abortion) and few citizens are brave enough to call these practices what they really are - evil.
Perhaps it is time to look at politics in Maine with a more discerning eye. The very least we can do is to ask that our political leaders - including those who support abortion and homosexual marriage - stop offering books about witchcraft and vampirism to the public, especially our precious young people.
What next? Boycott of Disney/ The Disney Channel for its Halloweentown series or Time Warner Cable for broadcasting the movies ever year?
I noticed that Fisty didn't send out this latest screed against Moran to the Blend, like he did the previous presser- nor has he followed up on his candidate's incredibly damaging follow-up to the Ugandan story.
A wonderful writeup on Dirigo Blue regarding Hein a Christian Civic League Staff Member's foray into the occult. Some snips:
My guess is that Hein the "staff member" is not allowed to go the grocery store, for surely he would not be able to differentiate between the 100% frozen juice concentrates and those whose principle ingredient is fructose. Or that he would err by purchasing cans of refried beans containing lard for that Mexican Night his wife planned for their vegetarian friends. Items at a supermarket have their contents labeled to help a shopper ensure they purchase what they want; book are not too different.
Somehow Barnes and Noble, a national chain, does not create the same fear in Hein the "staff member" as Apple Valley Books does, despite that you can purchase all the same titles there. In fact Godless won the 2004 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. And then think of the books that Hein doesn't mention: the Harry Potter series, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, etc.
Time for my own endorsement- I hearby award the Christian Civic League/ Maine Family Policy Council and all associated with the patented 'Pam's House Blend "Batsh*t Crazy" tag...'
I recently sent you a copy of an article from a Ugandan newspaper. The point of the article was a warning to fellow Africans about the "moral confusion" being imported from western civilization. The article also pointed out how this moral confusion is often disguised as "human rights" with this statement: "The so-called human rights activists have hijacked the driver's seat and are sending nations into the sea of permissiveness in which the Western world has already drowned."
Someone forwarded my email to a gay blogger who, of course, was offended and twisted my email into an endorsement of the death penalty for homosexuals. With no concern for accuracy or originality, the ranting of the one blogger has been copied by others and widely distributed. These are people who have a twofold purpose. They will say and repeat anything in order to promote homosexual behavior while denigrating anyone who dares disagree with them.
While I thank the bloggers who have given my emails much wider distribution that I could have done, I want to clarify a couple of points.
1. I have made two mission trips to Uganda. Both of them were for the purpose of training Pastors/Church leaders. I have no interest or influence in the political affairs of Uganda.
2. The Uganda Parliament is considering legislation to prevent homosexual behavior in their country. The legislation calls for extreme measures, including the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality".
The stated purpose of the bill before their parliament is "strengthening the nation's capacity to deal with emerging internal and external threats to the traditional heterosexual family. This legislation further recognizes the fact that same sex attraction is not an innate and immutable characteristic. The Bill further aims at providing a comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect the cherished culture of the people of Uganda, legal, religious, and traditional family values of the people of Uganda against the attempts of sexual rights activists seeking to impose their values of sexual promiscuity on the people of Uganda.
There is also need to protect the children and youths of Uganda who are made vulnerable to sexual abuse and deviation as a result of cultural changes, uncensored information technologies, parentless child developmental settings and increasing attempts by homosexuals to raise children in homosexual relationships through adoption, foster care, or otherwise."
In an attempt to achieve these goals,the bill includes a new crime, "aggravated homosexuality", which would be punishable by death or life imprisonment. A person would be guilty of "aggravated homosexuality" if: "the person whom the offense is committed is below the age of 18 years" ; "the "offender is a person living with HIV"; "the offender is a parent or guardian of the person against whom the offense is committed;""the victim is a person with disability"; "the offender is a serial offender."
Personally, I agree that these are serious and grievous offenses but I do not believe they should be punishable by death or life imprisonment. The homosexual activists and bloggers are claiming that Ugandan officials, with the endorsement of American Christian leaders, are calling for the execution of all homosexuals. They are not to be believed. But deception and confusion serves their purpose.
3. I urge the homosexual activists/bloggers to recommend alternative measures to prevent the sexual abuse of minors and disabled persons. It would be helpful if they spent some of their energy and resources to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
4. Lastly, while they insist on making everything about homosexuality, I do not share their obsession.
They seem determined to portray me as some kind of extremist, but the reality is that they came to Maine to redefine marriage and I responded to that challenge. If that means I am going to remain a target for their wrath, so be it. And if they attack Maine again, I will gladly join those who desire to protect our important values, undeterred by their slander.
Where to start, where to start... more below the fold.
I have just recently returned from two weeks in Uganda, ministering the Word among village pastors and Churches.
It was a refreshing change of pace from the last year spent on the "marriage referendum".
My trip to Uganda took me away from email, cell phones and the internet (also from electricity, running water, etc.). But I was able to see the Spirit of God working apart from the many distractions that we are faced with every day in Maine. I visited almost 20 remote villages and spent time with the believers. One of the common sentiments expressed there was that "in order to have a healthy village, there must be a strong and healthy church". That is one of the important lessons we have been learning here as well.
We will have more to say about that later.
But as I work my way back into ministry here at Emmanuel Bible Baptist Church (Plymouth) and with the Maine Jeremiah Project, I wanted to share the following article I found in Uganda's largest daily newspaper. I had tucked it into my journal and found it yesterday as I reviewed some of my scribbling.
I think it speaks for itself, but I hope you will wonder, as I do, where our own culture lost its way.
One Sunday morning, I was going to church when I met a lady who was so skimply dressed, one would think she was a sex worker. I initiated a conversation with her, only to find out, she was going to church.
I sarcastically told her she was smart and God would hear her prayers, but not those of the people who were going to sit near her. To my surprise, the lady responded with a verbal tirade: "It is my right to dress the way I want. Who made you judge over those whose prayers God answers?" she shouted.
This whole concept of human rights grates my nerves. It has made people un-african, mean and self-centered.
One can now shamelessly stand up and tell you: "I do as I please. You have no business in my affairs." A sodomist can now swear to you that what they do in the privacy of their bedroom does not concern the public.
No wonder when a brilliant MP comes up with a Bill against homosexuality, the human rights activists baptize him an enemy of the people.
It is high time politicians, religious leaders, cultural leaders and all concerned Africans woke up and defended the African heritage against the moral confusion of Western civilization. This civilization is eroding African moral pride.
The so-called human rights activists have hijacked the driver's seat and are sending nations into the sea of permissiveness in which the Western world has already drowned.
Every evil that has penetrated our society comes disguised as a human right and is watered by a group of elites who have attained education in the West. These elites have come back to impose on us practices that our forefathers deemed abominable.
You find them holding conferences in five-star hotels and lecture rooms delivering speeches aimed at breaking marriages in the name of human rights activism.
These activists force their unsuspecting disciples into believing that everything the West does is right. That is why they always refer to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
When the world gets compressed into a small global village in the name of globalization, it does not mean that the African should throw away what belongs to him.
Not every human right is a right, and not every right is a human right. As Africans, we should defend our heritage even when human rights activists are misleading our society.
Hey Bob! A lil "FYI":Uganda's anti-LGBT bill is NOT your garden variety hypocrisy of "Love The Sinner: Hate The Sin". We're talking HUMAN EXTERMINATION, as well as jail time for those who try to protect the LGBTs in Uganda.
But of course, you're perfectly fine with this- aren't ya?
"Refreshing change of pace"- not exactly the phrase I would use to describe hanging out with people who want to kill LGBT people... but it certainly does give insight into Reverend Bob Emrich's mindset.
Despite a very foggy and soggy morning, many made the drive to Augusta earlier today to have breakfast at the Cony High School Civil Right Team's Diversity Day fundraiser.
In fact, when I got there at 8:15 all of the restaurant's parking spaces were taken and I had to park next door at the Comfort Inn!
Walking in, I was greeted by a few of the CRT members and met April Fenton-Hulett, their teacher/advisor. A delightful woman... I asked her quietly how turnout had been, both of supporters and protesters-
And was told that NOT A SINGLE ONE SHOWED UP. NOT ONE.
And that not a single supporter had brought a sign- they ALL came simply to have breakfast and support the kids.
The 99's manager, Ken Stinchfield, was talking with a local police officer (that "99" paid for themselves, to be there for the event! Talk about unwavering support!) and 2 Kennebec Journal reporters, who later sat down for breakfast themselves. I later thanked Ken and chatted with him; it was nice as one parent to another to discuss the value of Maine's Civil Rights Teams- he said that they have held similar events for other schools and will continue to do so.
She was equally pleased by the large turnout and extremely positive outpouring of donations and support the students were receiving- the kids were seeing and learning first-hand that while we Mainers come from very diverse backgrounds, we come together to help each other for a common goal.
She introduced me to Tom Harnett- he and I sat down to chat for awhile as well and he related stories of his work with Maine's GSAs, CRTs, etc, as well as the recent campaign and what happens next.
The Cony High School Civil Rights Team is holding a fundraiser breakfast Sunday, 15 November, at the 99 Restaurant at 281 Civic Center Drive in Augusta. The breakfast begins at 7:30 and runs until 9:00, with proceeds going to help defray costs of the Team's Diversity Day presentations.
The Cony Civil Rights Team holds its Diversity Day as a way to expose their fellow students and families to the various cultures in the Augusta community. The face of Maine is changing, and past Diversity Day events have featured presentations pf traditional Pakistani dance techniques and on what it's like growing up as a Franco-American.
The Team also addresses gay rights issues, which will explain why the Family Policy Council (formerly the Christian Civic League of Maine) is planning to protest the fundraiser.
Now let's see what "Big Dawg" Hein has to say!
The League has learned that an announcement by Cony High School in Augusta says that a local family-friendly restaurant, the 99 Restaurant, will host a fundraiser Sunday morning for a so-called "Civil Rights Team," which among other things, works to normalize homosexuality in the minds of impressionable young school children.
Yeah, because certainly a gang of threatening adults MFPC sheeple intimidating everyone over eggs does such a GOOD job of normalizing harassment in the minds of impressionable young school children, right Mikey?
"So-called"... as if he's never heard the phrase before. Bad Dawg, lying to your sheeple like that!!!
Many people are offended by the fact that the fundraiser will be held at the 99 Restaurant in Augusta, a restaurant which markets itself as "family-friendly." The past activities of the Civil Rights Teams' Diversity Day at Cony High School have been nothing less than outrageous, and have not only portrayed homosexual activity by minors in a positive light, but youth transgenderism as well.
According to the November 12th announcement on the Cony High School website, the Civil Rights Team will hold the event at the 99 Restaurant (281 Civic Center Drive, Augusta, ME 04330-8033, (207) 623-0999) on Sunday morning, at a time usually devoted to Sunday worship (from 7:30am until 9:00am).
The corporate officers and local General Manager were both contacted several days before the fundraiser with objections from the League about the event, but the restaurant both coporately and locally refused to re-consider their hosting of the homosexual youth fundraiser.
It is regrettable that a business which wishes to be known as family-friendly is allowing an event which has the potential to cause moral harm to many of our precious young people. A real injury is done when young people, who lack knowledge and experience of the real world, give their whole-hearted trust to people in positions of authority - their teachers - who in turn give them a false opinion regarding homosexuality and practices which cause devastating spiritual and physical harm.
Apparently Frank Schubert and Brian Brown are tiring of their ineffective -meat puppet/ messenger, Roman CAtholic Diocese of Portland loaner Marc Mutty and using Oregon native/FRC Tony Perkins' buddy, Rev. Bob Emrich instead.
And as has become the norm in Maine, Yes on 1 has continued its horrendous and disgusting tactic, begun in its Calvary Chapel Christian Academy staff ads, of creating a dangerous position for LGBTQ students within schools (imo a CLEAR violation of the 2005 "Maine Won't Discriminate" Law!) by now focusing even CLOSER on the schools.
More specifically, previously proposed education within the schools for the safety of LGBTQ students.
There is an irony, as the Matthew Shepard Bill is now heading for the White House for passage into law, that Yes on 1 and their supporters are trying to not just deny over 1100 rights to Mainers, but to put children in our schools at risk for becoming victims of hate crimes.
What are they afraid of?
Why are they trying to hurt kids in Maine's public schools?
Are they trying to eliminate the good that has come from GLSEN and the many GSAs around the state, the various Civil Rights Teams that have served to help students understand their fellow classmates' lives and create an ambassadorship within the classes of understanding, compassion, fairness and respect?
I do not understand this at all and as a parent, it scares the hell out of me...
Dear Question 1 Supporters,
One local television channel last night reported on an issue we have brought to your attention, but too many Mainers likely know nothing about. It focuses on one of the most damaging consequences of the failure of Question 1, namely that homosexual marriage will become part of the teachings in Maine public schools.
WGME-13 informed its viewers about the state-sanctioned Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Youth Commission's recommendations to push the gay agenda to children in kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as introducing LGBT-focused books to infants through five-year-olds enrolled in Head Start programs.
Some of the recommendations by the LGBTQ Youth Commission include:
Identifying an "LGBTQ Youth Advocate" in every school building (Pre-K-12,),
Providing support for LGBT educators, school staff, volunteers and parents to be "out" in order to serve as role models for the youth they serve,
Creation of a Rainbow (the visual anthem of homosexuality) Star System, through which schools can attain Rainbow Stars by moving steadily from legal compliance to exemplary practice, and
Hiring a Gay Straight Alliance advocate in every secondary school, presumably at taxpayer expense
Yes on Question 1 campaign chairman, Marc Mutty, exposed the fact that – surprise, surprise – people on the LGBTQ Youth Commission are some of the very people behind the No on Question 1 campaign! Our opponent’s pushback was weak and predictable and, frankly, unpersuasive to the damage the Youth Commission report does to their cause.
Last night’s broadcast pulled the curtain back on the undeniable connection between the gay activists who want young children, including toddlers, to be exposed to homosexual relationships and understand them to be the social norm to those pushing for the next incremental step of teaching that "marriage" between two men is the same as marriage between a man and a woman and appropriate for teachers to instruct.
As we enter the final stages of the campaign to restore traditional marriage in Maine, your donation to keep our messages on the air are more critical than ever. We are battling hard, 24/7, and we are on a winning path. But we remain huge financial underdogs compared to the No on 1 campaign, who are raising millions from gay marriage activists in every corner of the nation.Every dollar we raise is being poured into our media and grassroots activities.Please consider a contribution today. It is urgently needed. Sincerely,
The head of the state's conservative Christian lobbying group has stepped down after nearly 20 years with the Maine Family Policy Council, formerly the Christian Civic League of Maine.
Michael Heath, 48, of China resigned Monday to do consulting work. He said Tuesday that his first project would manufacture and distribute solar cookers in Africa.
Heath said he decided to quit after returning from a two-week trip earlier this month to the United Republic of Tanzania in central East Africa on the Indian Ocean. He accompanied his wife, Polly Heath. A Christian singer, she was invited to perform there two years ago when the couple visited neighboring Kenya.
"I'm 48 and approaching my midlife crisis," he said in phone interview Tuesday. "I feel it's time to do something else. I'm excited about the opportunities that are presenting themselves for consulting in board development, fundraising and other aspects of networking. People in Africa are facing a whole different set of things unrelated to the very important and critical issues I've worked on here."
The Bangor Daily News article reports that Heath's desire to work on poverty issues is just part of a new trend with evangelicals. Well I say good for him; he's probably one of the only professional anti-gays who has seen the writing on the wall. It's time for a new line of work.
When the dust settled, Ole Mikey managed to land a sweet national gig with an organization, the name of which sounds "somewhat familiar"...
See what you think.
Michael Heath Resigns
Michael Heath has quit his post as director of the Maine Christian Civic League amid a flurry of controversy. He made the announcement on September 28.
Heath led the successful (for now) February repeal of the gay rights law passed by the legislature May of 1997 and signed by Governor Angus King.
Within a month after the vote, Heath came under fire from Civic League board members, who accused him of keeping financial records from being made public. Heath denied the charges.
However, we haven't heard the last of Heath. He's accepted a position with another right-wing organization, the Family Research Council, a national group based in Washington, D.C. No word on Heath's replacement.
Family Research Council, Family Research Council...now, WHY does that name sound so damned familiar?
Did you check out our opponents' new TV ad yesterday?
If you did, I'm sure you are as angry as I am about their cynical and fear-mongering claims regarding Maine schools. They don't want to talk about treating loving, committed same-sex couples equally through marriage, so they distort, change the subject and incite fear.
But here's where you come in. We're coming up short on our budget to keep it on the air next week.
Right now, we're just $8,243 short of our goal for next week's ad buy—but we need the money in the next 24 hours or our ad will stop airing on some key stations. Can you help us buy next week's air time?
Our positive message about respecting families and protecting marriage equality will resonate with the voters of Maine—as long as we can get it in front of them.
Please watch the ad and chip in to help set the record straight.
Thanks for your support—together, I know we can win this!
Jesse Connolly Campaign Manager NO on 1 / Protect Maine Equality
PS—Did you miss yesterday's email with the other side's new TV ad? You can still watch it here.
It's not even a good commercial- obviously not filmed in Maine, the points they are trying to make are muddled, and right down to the music, it consists of nothing but pure scare tactics and "EEKS PROTEKT TEH CHILDRUN!" mentality.
Then click on the links below! Plenty of ways for folks to help others get to Maine, inlcuding donating your frequent flyer miles... the opportunites to help are amazing!
http://www.travelforchange.org/
No on 1 Maine
TravelForChange seeks to enable volunteers and supporters to help out with the No on 1 Maine Marriage Equality campaign by
1. Recruiting people to come organize in Maine; 2. Providing a platform for sponsors to donate through airline miles or fund travelers; 3. Organizing rideshares for equality.
Come to Maine
Volunteer for Equality We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to come to Maine and organize for equality on the ground. We will match volunteers with sponsors. Come for the week or drive for the weekend. Find out more »
Be A Sponsor
Donate Your Miles Share your airline miles or buy a ticket to sponsor volunteers to come to Maine. Find out more »
Contribute
Donate Contribute to Travel for Change so we can get more volunteers to Maine. To donate via Act Blue, click here.
They still will NOT allow their shindig to be open to the public, but at least local media can peek in at them and ask a few quick questions before they are booted out of the Augusta Civic Center.
~Louise~
Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine to Respond to Marriage Equality Opponents' Rally at the Augusta Civic Center
NO on 1 to host first of a statewide series of "community conversations" at 6:30 p.m. TONIGHT at South Parish Congregational Church in Augusta
Portland, Maine (Sunday, September 13, 2009)---
Representatives of the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine (SFMM) will be available at the Augusta Civic Center this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. to respond to the media availability by speakers at Stand for Marriage Maine Rally later this evening.
The NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality campaign also announced that it will hold the first of a series of "community conversations" around the state this evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at South Parish Congregational Church, 9 Church Street in Augusta. The purpose of these community conversations is to engage Mainers on this important question of fairness and equality.
"We have challenged the sponsors of tonight's rally to open it to the Maine media and the general public, as our community conversation will be this evening in Augusta" said NO on 1 campaign manager Jesse Connolly.
"Their 4:00 p.m. 'media availability' is the only opportunity Maine media will have to question the speakers SFMM has flown in from out of state to oppose the marriage equality rights of loving Maine couples and families. We are grateful to the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry for speaking out today to show that thousands of Maine people of faith and their leaders support marriage equality and will vote no on November 3rd."
Who: Members of the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine
What: Response to Speakers at Rally to Oppose Marriage Equality
Where: Second Floor of the North Wing of the Augusta Civic Center, Hallway Outside of the Maine Lounge
When: 4:00 p.m. TODAY (Sunday, September 13, 2009)
and
Who: NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality
What: Community Conversation on Marriage Equality
Where: South Parish Congregational Church, 9 Church Street, Augusta
When: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. TODAY (Sunday, September 13, 2009)
Karen Ocamb is a SoCal journalist who covered last summer's Prop 8 referendum contest. As the Question 1 debate heats up in Maine, her analysis is important.
September 11, 2009
The Religious Right is Swiftboating Same Sex Marriage in Maine
By Karen Ocamb
News editor, Frontiers in LA
"God has no grandchildren," the evangelical ex-Marine father of my late friend Chip Howe said, explaining how he surrendered judgment and came to accept Chip's homosexuality. Chip, a Lieutenant in the Navy during the Vietnam War, was supposed to get married and provide his parents with grandchildren. Chip's father thought being gay meant that would never happen.
That was in 1990, before there was any real hope for marriage rights for same sex couples. Though Chip had known love before he died, he never got to experience the fruition of his constitutional right to pursue happiness - marriage and a family of his own.
The story is instructive because Religious Right professionals have succeeded in making it appear as if all people of faith are antigay and anti-marriage equality. Worse yet, they are using religion as an excuse to perpetrate lies and deception - to swiftboat same sex couples in the name of God, when in fact they are just advancing another end-justifies-the-means political scheme.
That's what happened in California and that's what is now underway in Maine as opponents of same sex marriage fight to prevent Maine's marriage equality law from taking effect though a referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot.
State Sen. Larry Bliss (D-South Portland) got to the heart of the issue in his Sept. 8 op-ed response to Rev. Bob Emrich's Aug. 26 Maine Voices column advocating passage of the anti-gay Question 1.
Bliss wrote:
"Do we want a Maine where Rev. Emrich and his supporters tell the rest of us who can be a family and who can love whom? Marriage equality upholds traditional Maine values of personal freedom and equality by respecting the right of every Mainer to marry the person he or she loves. That's the Maine I live in. Those are the values I hold dear."
Watch Out Maine
But that's not the Maine residents will recognize in the next two months as the Proposition 1 political campaign heats up.
This Sunday, Sept. 13, for instance, Maine Jeremiah Project's Emrich and the National Organization for Marriage with their Stand for Marriage Maine coalition (S4MM) are holding a rally featuring some of the big guns in the Religious Right professional world - Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council (FRC), Pastor Chris Clark from San Diego, and via video, Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson.
The purpose of the rally is to galvanize their conservative Christian base and help organize an army of volunteers and a network of churches to "Impact Maine Culture," as described on the Maine Jeremiah Project website. Apparently the media is not being allowed into the event.
California also experienced a pre-election onslaught of out-of-state Religious Right professionals - including Perkins and Dobson - for a massive rally in San Diego dubbed TheCall. (Religious Right watcher Bruce Wilson, who is straight, later described on the Huffington Post how TheCall's organizer Lou Engle is tied to violent Religious Right extremists.)
Perhaps the most widely publicized religious involvement in California's Prop 8 battle was by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), more commonly referred to as the Mormon Church. Protect Marriage/Yes on 8 campaign manger Frank Schubert said members of the Mormon Church eventually contributed "somewhere in the $20 million range, so about half of what we raised - which we were very grateful for."
In fact, on Nov. 3, 2008, blogger hekebolos published a leaked internal memo on Daily Kos that seemed to indicate that Mormon leaders had been working to prevent marriage equality in California and Hawaii since 1997, recruiting local California Catholic bishops to serve as the front for the operation. The story was later picked up by blogger Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin, which expanded the reach to Arizona.
Not all Mormons backed Prop 8 or appreciated what the church did in their name. Famous former San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young, for instance, who is a descendant of Mormon founder Brigham Young, opposed Prop 8, posting "No on 8" signs in front of his Palo Alto home and his wife Barbara contributed $50,000. And many non-Mormon residents of Utah worried about whether a growing backlash over Mormon involvement might impact the state.
The rest of Karen's extraordinary post below the fold....
Please click whenever you see the green and white No On 1" emblem shown here and give what you can- every little bit is needed and every little bit helps! :)
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A beautiful bit of parsing out and exposing the lies of both Portland Diocese loaner Stand For Marriage Maine's Marc Mutty and Rev. Bob Emrich in this morning's 'Portland Press Herald'.
In his other life, as director of public affairs for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Marc Mutty has spent years navigating the complex legislative currents that run through the State House. It's the kind of job that requires a keen understanding of what a given law says - and what it doesn't.
But these days, Mutty is chairman of Stand for Marriage Maine, the group that is working to repeal Maine's same-sex marriage law. And if his latest fundraising pitch is any indication, Mutty's new gig has a lot more to do with fear than facts.
Indeed it does... so let's see how Nemitz tackles this.
You read that correctly. According to the leader of Stand for Maine Marriage, a man who undoubtedly knows better, the law passed by the Legislature in May makes "gay sex education" mandatory in classrooms statewide.
In case you didn't get it the first time, Mutty goes on to warn, again in bold-face, that "if marriage is redefined to be genderless, then same-sex marriage must be taught as being the same as traditional marriage."
And finally, the money pitch: "We need your immediate contribution of $100, $50 or even $25 to keep homosexual education out of Maine's classrooms."
All of which raises an intriguing question: Who really wrote this - and what have they done with the old Marc Mutty? Mutty was out sick Thursday and thus unavailable to explain what's causing him to see things in Maine's same-sex marriage law that, from any reality-based angle, simply aren't there.
Sick... yeah. Moving right along...
But the Rev. Bob Emrich of the Emmanuel Bible Baptist Church in Plymouth, a member of Stand for Marriage Maine's executive committee, said the group stands by Mutty's claim that the same-sex marriage statute will require "explicit homosexual instruction in the classroom."
One problem. Emrich and Mutty are wrong. Nowhere in the law do the words "school" or "classroom" even appear.
And if you're looking for phrases like "explicit homosexual instruction" hidden in some obscure statutory subsection, trust me - it's not there. Not even in code.
So, Pastor Bob, what gives?
Well, according to Ole Bob, Maine has a state mandated "comprehensive family life curriculum" and that the teachers would have no choice but to include discussion of same sex marriage in their classrooms.
A bald-faced lie and Nemitz says so:
For starters, Maine doesn't "mandate" a "comprehensive family life curriculum" for its schools.
Rather, Maine Revised Statutes Title 22 requires the commissioner of education to work with local family planning programs to develop "comprehensive family life education services" that any school district can choose (or choose not) to incorporate into its curriculum.
The statute also says that if any family-life education takes place in a school, "a parent may choose to not have (his or her) child participate" in the program.
As for "marriage" - heterosexual or homosexual - the word never appears in the statute. Not once.
Ditto for Maine's Learning Results, the broad standards upon which school districts build their curricula.
The simple truth is that school curriculum decisions in Maine are made not by the state, but by local school boards. And those school boards, being elected and all, answer directly to parents.
As someone who has been to a few of those school board meetings, I can attest that this is true in Maine.
Here's the thing- the opposition knows that honesty with the Maine voters and a real discussion based on facts will result a loss for them, as it should.
That's why the majority of those polled are showing overwhelming support for the marriage equality law here in Maine.
Which brings us back to the truth - or disturbing lack thereof - in Mutty's misguided fundraising appeal.
In a statement issued via e-mail Thursday, Jesse Connolly, campaign manager of No on 1/Protect Maine Equality, predicted that Maine voters will "see through these cynical campaign tactics" by Mutty & Co. as the debate heats up in the coming weeks.
"This is an attempt to divert attention and raise unfounded issues," said Connolly. "Question 1 has nothing to do with schools and no one is voting on curriculum in November."
Connolly is right - and anyone who's taken the time to carefully read Maine's same-sex marriage law knows it.
Including, of all people, Marc Mutty.
Below the fold, another story of public dishonesty for the sake of raising money against marriage equality...
Anyone hear about members of clergy protesting this?Yeah, I THOUGHT not...
Few guys can claim the backing of Starfleet officers when they stand at the altar, but Brad Siegel of Lyman is not your typical groom.
Siegel and his fiancee, Kate Erwin, will tie the knot Sept. 13 at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute in the ultimate "Star Trek"-themed wedding. The ceremony will be held on a replica of the Starship Enterprise bridge, which is part of a traveling exhibition that will be at the museum until Sept. 20.
Initially, the couple, who moved to Maine in December, hoped to marry at a "Star Trek" replica in Las Vegas. But while they were making wedding plans, the attraction was demolished.
Resigned to planning a traditional wedding, Siegel, 53, and Erwin, 34, happened to learn that the Franklin Institute, which is near Erwin's hometown of Phoenixville, Pa., was holding a contest to let one couple host their wedding inside the exhibit.
Siegel and Erwin entered, along with 15 other couples, and on July 21, the results of the public online vote, which followed the selection of the top three by a celebrity panel, revealed that the Mainers had won.
They were ecstatic and quickly began planning their big day.
"Everything we wanted to do in Las Vegas at the original 'Star Trek' exhibit, we can do in Kate's hometown," Siegel said.
Let's check out some of today's steaming pile writings, shall we? It's entitled "Same-sex marriage would be harmful to society"... good to see Ole Bob is keeping his bigoted and hateful mind closed as usual !
If we do not veto this proposed law, it will radically redefine marriage, one of society's oldest and most fundamental institutions. The changes that would result would be so fundamental and far reaching that we certainly should not tamper with it lightly.
... The truth is no society has ever given anyone an unqualified "right" to marry. Instead, they have always regulated marriage entirely for the benefit of society.
Oh, but "Think Of The Children!" (TM)
Children are literally the future of any society. A society that fails to do everything it can to protect and support children is literally risking extinction. This is why societies have always given marriage special status and benefits. They have found out the hard way that anything that encourages men and women to have and rear children within the bounds of a married family benefits society. Anything discouraging that relationship harms society.
So, the fundamental question, the issue really at stake in this people's veto vote, is whether legalizing homosexual marriage would harm this time-tested institution of marriage and thereby harm society as a result. Clearly it would.
It would take a social institution that has always been primarily child-centered and radically redefine it into something completely different, a new institution of genderless marriage. Because it is biologically impossible for two individuals of the same sex to produce children, this new genderless marriage institution would make "marriage" nothing more than an official recognition of two people's professed love for each other.
And certainly we can't have THAT, can we?
Okay, all you elderly newlyweds or childless couples (by biology or by choice)- listen up here!
Because you are NOT able/willing to procreate, YOU ARE HARMING THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE AND BY EXTENSION, DAMAGING ALL OF MAINE'S CHILDREN.
You should be deeply ashamed of yourself and immediately acknowledge that your "marriage" is actually a selfish relationship of convenience; marriage is only for those heterosexual couples who ARE or HAVE procreated!
You PERSONALLY are ruining the very moral fabric of Society. How dare YOU???
Still no word of Peter LaBarbera's scheduled, then cancelled, then rescheduled supposed visit to Maine this month... still looking for some truth for the "TRUTH TOUR 2009!!!!!!! he and Mikey Heath went on and on about, back in May.
Maybe that's what Mikey and wifey are looking for in Tanzania, as they can't find any here in Maine.
Anyhoo...
Maine Jeremiah Project Director will be participating in the following event and we encourage you to join us:
Stand For Marriage Rally
Guest speakers include:
Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council
Dr. Kenyn Cureton, VP of Church Ministries, FRC
Pastor Chris Clark, East Clairemont Baptist Church, San Diego.
Jordan Lorence, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund
Bishop Richard Malone, Portland Diocese
Charla Bansley, Concerned Women for America of Maine
Pastor Bob Emrich, Maine Jeremiah Project
Representatives from Stand For Marriage Maine
Special video message from Dr. James Dobson
DATE: Sunday, September 13th
TIME: 6 to 8:30PM
LOCATION: Augusta Civic Center
Join us as we encourage & equip one another to Protect and Promote Marriage in Maine.
If you need overnight accommodations, the Holiday Inn at the Civic Center has agreed to give a discount ($70 instead of the usual $109-119) if you ask for the Maine Jeremiah Project rate when you call (207-622-4751) or use this web link to make your reservations online.
Tickets are required and may be obtained free of charge via email at
mjp@midmaine.com
It's interesting that SFMM is denouncing "out-of-staters" coming in to help, in light of actions taken back last winter:
Stand for Marriage Rally - Augusta, Maine
Join us as we rally to defeat same-sex marriage in Maine!
When:
Sunday, February 15
6 - 8 PM
Where:
Augusta Civic Center
76 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330
Who:
Tony Perkins - Family Research Council
Charla Bansley - Concerned Women for America of Maine
Michael Heath - Maine Family Policy Council
The Hon. Rich Cebra - Maine House of Representatives
Bob Emrich - Maine Jeremiah Project
Admission is free, but ticket is required. To obtain tickets, visit www.mainemarriage.net
Second verse... same as the FIRST!!!
Looky what I found- a video of Family Research Council's Tony Perkins, addressing to Mainers last winter. Take a look:
Well, it takes two to play "Capture The Flag", Tony!
Perkins' words kinda goes against Ole Reverend Bob Emrich's screed regarding marriage's functions and what this is all about here in Maine, huh?
Yesterday must have been a "fun day at the office" for the Portland Press Herald staff, as the paper published 2 columns on the same topic- but on opposite sides of the fence.
Both sides in the same-sex marriage debate can agree on one thing: This November's referendum seeking to overturn Maine's marriage equality law will be decided on voters' deeply held values.
For those who believe that you should live and let live, treat others as you want to be treated and that you should keep government out of private lives, the only vote can be "no."
Last spring, Maine became the fifth state to legally recognize marriages between partners of the same sex. It was the first to pass it through the legislative process without being forced into it by the courts.
That's important, because a change this big should not be imposed from above. Maine's Constitution puts the ultimate authority in the hands of the people, so this year we will be in the position of asking a primarily heterosexual electorate to pass judgment on whether same-sex couples should be able to forge legal relationships that will recognize them and their children as families.
Sure, this is new. But the values behind it - fairness, privacy, tolerance of people who are different than you - are not new and have long traditions in Maine.
The Legislature and the governor did the right thing when they passed this law and Maine voters should do the right thing as well. In November, we should vote "no" on Question 1.
There are many beautifully made points regarding marriage and recognition in the piece; I recommend a full reading of the piece.
Below the fold, a column from the other side of the debate by a card-carrying member of the Mike Heath fan club...
Travel an hour or so up I-95 to the Bangor area and you come to 
And that reminds me:
Sure didn't take long for 
I'm sure that the 
