Hate goes back to school.

You can tell it’s time for the kids to head back to school.  You can tell by the amount of stupid the parents are sending out there…

“Devil” shirts send kids home
GAINESVILLE, Fl (Gainesville.com) 26 August – More children from the Dove World Outreach Center arrived Tuesday at area public schools with shirts bearing the message [...]

“Registering for Peace.”

by Tobin Jacobrown
(YES!) August 6 - On Wednesday, the 29th of July, I filed a lawsuit against the federal government declaring that, because of my religious beliefs, I should not be required to register for the draft unless it could be officially recognized that I claim to object to all war. 
I grew up believing not only [...]

“Dance Party Erupts During Quaker Meeting for Worship.”

Probably NOT my Meeting this morning, but wev…

(H/t Stasa.)

“Quakers make the right decision.”

by Rosemary Hartill
(The Guardian/UK) August 3 – Following the decision by the Religious Society of Friends on Friday to become the first historic church to say “yes” to same-sex marriages, Saturday’s Guardian ran an editorial entitled In Praise of .. the Quakers. It highlighted the long history of Quaker trail-blazing – in the reform of [...]

This isn’t a football blog, but…

So, Michael Vick has been reinstated by the National Football League.  Meaning he’s clear to play if some team will have him.
We heard this on the network news the other night, and Mrs. Agitator, who usually ignores most of the news broadcast, turned to me and asked, “What team in the league would risk signing [...]

“Is the United States a Christian nation? Let’s look at the Bible…”

by Richard T. Hughes
(Philadelphia Inquirer) July 12 – Newt Gingrich has news for Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine, whose recent book, The Great Awakening, proclaimed the demise of the Christian Right:
“Christian America” is alive and well.
Gingrich has created an organization called Renewing American Leadership, dedicated to the work that Jerry Falwell [...]

Retreating again.

Later today, I’m off again to the New Jersey Pine Barrens, for the second and final retreat part of the ongoing journey that has been my Spiritual Formation Group these past nine months.  I am looking forward to it, of course, and the weather forecast is looking good for a fine couple of days, but part [...]

Sick sad world, v. 1.

I give up.
Gun-loving pastor to his flock: Piece be with you
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) June 4 – A Kentucky pastor is inviting his flock to bring guns to church to celebrate the Fourth of July and the Second Amendment.
New Bethel Church is welcoming “responsible handgun owners” to wear their firearms inside the church June 27, a [...]

Well done, New Hampshire.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) June 3 – New Hampshire legislators approved a measure Wednesday that would make the state the sixth to allow gay marriage, and Gov. John Lynch said he would sign it later in the afternoon.
He had promised a veto if the law didn’t clearly spell out that churches and religious groups would not [...]

On silence.

I’m for it, by the way. 
Mostly.
Silence, Prayer, and Other Activities by Christopher Brauchli
(CommonDreams) May 2 -

“All I want out of you is silence, and damn little of that.”
— A Whaler’s captain addressing a crew member. Zephaniah W. Pease, The History of New Bedford
It is time for an update on silence. It’s back. A quiet [...]

Why they hate us.

U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan Told to “Hunt People For Jesus… So We Can Get Them Into The Kingdom.”
(RebelReports) May 4  – New video evidence has surfaced showing that US military forces in Afghanistan have been instructed by the military’s top chaplain in the country to “hunt people for Jesus” as they spread Christianity to [...]

HUH?

WASHINGTON (CNN) April 30 – The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey.
More than half of people who attend services at least once a week — 54 percent — said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is “often” [...]

What I thought about at Meeting yesterday.

Today is the tenth anniversary of the infamous massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.
Yesterday was the fourteenth anniversary of the bombing of the Murrah federal Building in Oklahoma City.
Like you, I remember both of these days very clearly.  I remember first the feelings of bewilderment and confusion, then sadness, then anger, then total [...]

Blogging Against Theocracy… sorta.

Today’s the day I’ll post for the now-annual blog-a-bration known as Blog Against Theocracy.
I wasn’t going to do this this year because I haven’t been in much of a mood to post about anything these last few days, and because, frankly, I thought I didn’t have much to add to the conversation.  I still kind of [...]

Thank you, Vermont.

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) April 7 – Vermont on Tuesday became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage — and the first to do so with a legislature’s vote.
[And all of Western civilization collapsed around your ears.  Did you hear it?]
The House recorded a dramatic 100-49 vote, the minimum needed, to override Gov. Jim Douglas’ veto. [...]

IOWA!

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) April 3 – Iowa’s Supreme Court legalized gay marriage Friday in a unanimous and emphatic decision that makes Iowa the third state — and first in the nation’s heartland — to allow same-sex couples to wed.
Iowa joins only Massachusetts and Connecticut in permitting same-sex marriage. For six months last year, California’s [...]

Yes, I’m a bad Quaker.

I was recently visiting the blog of one of my favorite Quaker authors, J. Brent Bill, and I found a post that started out like this:

“So you’re a Quaker?” I get that question a lot since I travel a good bit schlepping my books. People always seem a bit intrigued — as if surprised any [...]

Be(ing) a citizen of the world.

I hope this will make sense.  A whole lot of things are running through my enfeebled brain at the moment, so I hope I can pull it all together.
I recently received my March issue of my favorite Friendly publication, Friends Journal, which I dove into with gusto, as is my habit.
As usual, the first thing [...]

Footprints, v. 2.0.

One night, a man had a dream.  
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with God.
(It might have been a beach in the Virgin Islands or Bermuda, but more than likely, it was at the Jersey shore.   We’ll go with that.)
Across the sky flashed the scenes that made up the man’s life. For [...]

My Alternative Invocation.

My contribution to  The Alternative Invocation….
Unprogammed/liberal members of the Religious Society of Friends like myself don’t traditionally go in for out-loud prayer.  Sometimes during meeting for Worship, Friends will feel led to rise and give vocal ministry, and that ministry may come out in the form of a prayer.  I once referred to one of Thomas [...]