October 15, 2010 | 9:35 am

Life in the city that Westboro Baptist calls home

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Follow me on

After its Supreme Court appearance last week, Westboro Baptist Church got the dispatches treatment from The New York Times and newish Kansas City bureau chief A.G. Sulzberger. Yes, that Sulzberger.

It’s an excellent article on Topeka’s tense relationship with its most-reviled community members. Here’s a sampling:

Fred W. Phelps, whose operation is at the center of the case before the highest court now, arrived here a half-century ago to work as a preacher for a local Baptist church. Now a self-described prophet of God’s wrath, Mr. Phelps has solicited outrage with his venomous protesting at military funerals all over the country — including the burial of a young Marine in Maryland that prompted the case before the Supreme Court — as well as burning the Koran and enlisting his grandchildren to stomp on the American flag.

Mr. Phelps is regarded here as the ultimate example of an irritating local gadfly. But he and his sprawling family, which make up nearly all of Westboro Baptist Church, have been at the heart of decades of local debate about the proper limits of the First Amendment when speech is meant to be as purposefully inflammatory as it is here.

Even now, as they have crisscrossed the country seeking to provoke media attention, the Phelpses remain a fixture at public parks, government buildings, other churches and graveyards here carrying homemade signs intended to communicate — with their signature subtlety — the view that the acceptance of homosexuality has doomed America.

“They believe free speech tops everything,” said Mayor William W. Bunten, sitting at his desk in City Hall last week. “We do with some exceptions, and one of them would be taking signs and standing outside a funeral home and associating someone’s death with God’s hate for homosexuality. I believe it should be banned. I see it as bullying.”

Sulzberger goes on to quote the governor saying he thinks Phelps and his flock’s speech should be, at least at times, muzzled. And I guess there have been some efforts to get them to shut up or get out of town—obviously, to no avail.

October 14, 2010 | 9:06 pm

Bill O’Reily gets walkout treatment on ‘The View’

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Just tuning into Bill O’Reilly’s appearance on “The View” today. It appears that a show I can’t stand, filled with hosts I can’t bear, has become even more unwatchable.

After the “thinnest kid at fat camp” said that “Muslims killed us on 9/11,” co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar, whom I believe are both Jewish, walked off the set in protest.

This set the talking heads in motion, and Keith Olbermann took the chance tonight to call O’Reilly a “bigot.” (Where have I heard that before?) I don’t agree, and for the same reasons that Mediate points out. Take a look:

The source of the consternation on The View was O’Reilly saying, “Muslims killed us on 9/11″ in voicing his opposition to the so-called Ground Zero Mosque. Is that enough to reasonably call him a “bigot and Islamophobe”? Of course not. As we said before, unless you’re a truther, the statement “Muslims killed us on 9/11″ is literally technically true at a basic, and yes, dangerously oversimplified level.

O’Reilly’s sentence lacked nuance, but it wasn’t bigoted, nor did it prove Islamophobia. Behar walked out precisely because of such blanket statements – she thought O’Reilly was making one himself, but at least she didn’t level such a serious accusation as personal bigotry at him. And in doing so, Olbermann made himself more worthy of a “Worst Persons” spot than the man he gave that “Worse” title to tonight. Video of the segment below.

Spot on. It was Muslim extremists who killed Americans on 9/11, and usually a more general category—Muslims—is unfair and dangerous. It may not be Islamophobic, but it certainly can reinforce Islamophobia.

2 Comments — Leave your comment

October 13, 2010 | 10:39 pm

Catholic bishops blame Israel for Christian flight in Mideast

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Christian exodus from the Middle East is a pretty old story at this point. But it’s been resurrected this week because the Vatican is convening a summit on the subject. Has Christianity in the cradle of Christianity reached a crisis point? And is the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict to blame?

The AP says maybe and probably:

Some bishops have singled out the emergence of fanatical Islam for the flight. But others have directly or indirectly accused Israel of discriminating against Arab Christians and impeding solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In fact, the working document of the two-week synod accused the Israeli “occupation” of Palestinian territories for creating difficulties in everyday life for Palestinian Christians, including their religious life since their access to holy sites is dependent on Israeli military permission.

Pope Benedict XVI called the two-week synod, which continued Wednesday, to try to encourage Christians in the largely Muslim region, where the Catholic Church has long been a minority and is shrinking as a result of war, conflict, discrimination and economic problems.

This isn’t the first time that Benedict’s Vatican has involved itself with the conflict in the Mideast. Israel is treated as the guilty party—as if peace was a one-sided process.

Israel has certainly made, and continues to make, mistakes that stunt the peace process. But they aren’t responsible for Super Rats, and the Palestinians have hardly been peacemakers. (It’s not even clear who wants peace.) Further, I’m pretty sure it was Palestinian gunmen who blew up the Gaza YMCA after Israel left the Gaza Strip.

2 Comments — Leave your comment

October 13, 2010 | 12:32 am

Chilean miners: Gotta have faith*

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

*UPDATE: As of 12:33 (Wed., Oct. 13) pm 20 miners have been rescued.

The rescue of Chilean miners is under way, and four of the 33 trapped miners are already tasting freedom and sucking in fresh air for the first time in two months.

One of the miners still waiting his turn 2,000 feet below the Earth’s surface is Jimmy Sanchez, who earlier today sent up a letter, reported by Time showing what has at least given him strength during their incarceration:

“There are actually 34 of us,” wrote Jimmy Sanchez, 19, the youngest trapped miner, in a letter sent up from the shelter on Tuesday through one of the narrow tubes that have been the men’s lifelines, “because God has never left us down here.”

The Christianity Today LiveBlog has more on that and the faith that sustained many of the miners:

Early on, they set aside a space to pray daily, and religious groups have converged on the mine to serve the miner’s spiritual needs. Once a supply line was established, Seventh-Day Adventists sent down mini-Bibles with magnifying glasses; the Jesus Film Project loaded 33 MP3 players with an audio adaptation of the famous JESUS film. A crucifix was sent down in August, and it’s said that miners also requested statues of Mary and the saints. The miners signed a flag which was presented to Pope Benedict this weekend.

Christian leaders of various denominations have come to the San Jose mine; the Guardian is rather bemused by all the activity, describing a “surge in religious fervor” as the rescue operation takes shape.

Baptist Press reports that two miners have “made professions of faith” since their entombment started. Pastors are also ministering to the families of the miners, who have camped out nearby.

“In the midst of this catastrophe, God is in control, and it is the Lord who has kept their family members alive,” says Marcelo Leiva, pastor of Vallenar Baptist Church in Vallenar, Chile.

You definitely have to have faith. And considering what they’ve been through, it’s not the least bit surprising that two miners professed faith that wasn’t previously there.

Now for getting the remaining 29 out alive. Godspeed.

*UPDATE: As of 12:33 (Wed., Oct. 13) pm 20 miners have been rescued.

0 Comments — Leave your comment

October 12, 2010 | 10:22 am

Iverson on his way to play in Istanbul

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Speaking of sports, as I often do, Allen Iverson is in “serious talks” with a Turkish basketball club. And we’re not talking about practice.

The United States and Far East might not want him, but it looks like the Near East does. Which would be good for AI because Turkey straddles the line between Mideast traditions and Eurotrash aspirations.

Here’s the story from ESPN:

“We are in very serious negotiations with [Besiktas],” Iverson’s manager Gary Moore told Yahoo! Sports. “Istanbul is beautiful from everything we’ve learned. It’s not that far from the U.S., and the competition is good, which makes it all attractive.

“Allen wants to play basketball.”

Besiktas coach Burak Biyiktay confirmed that the Istanbul-based club has offered Iverson a one-year contract, telling The Associated Press that the former NBA MVP would bring a “new vision to the team.”

“Iverson is a great trademark and would be the biggest name to come to Turkey,” Biyiktay said.

What’s the hang up? Iverson wants the amount the team can fine him for individual infractions capped at 1 percent of his one-year $1.5 million contract, which, according to Terrell Owens, is like playing for less than free.

I’m not entirely surprised that Iverson is already anticipating lots of fines. Practice, player conduct issues, even games. Who knows if he would even survive a season in Istanbul—see Grizzlies (2009-2010) and 76ers (2009-2010).

0 Comments — Leave your comment

October 12, 2010 | 9:49 am

Al Qaeda’s American editor

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Samir Khan was not just another North Carolina kid. Pretty much from the day his family moved from New York, the Muslims in Charlotte knew that Khan was different. And not a good different.

“I remember we went to eat at this place called Wolfman Pizza, and he was sort of talking to me about his ideas on some things,” says Adam Azad. He met Khan shortly after he moved to North Carolina, and found Khan a little off-putting.

Azad recalls that during their first conversation, all Khan wanted to talk about was political Islam.

“I thought he was a little overzealous. He kept asking questions about our local mosque, and he was critical — why don’t they talk more about injustices going on around the world and stuff like that,” Azad says.

Azad, in his early 20s at the time, tried to counsel him: “I remember the exact thing I said to him: I said, you know, Samir, in this world you can’t take a hard and cold stance on everything — everything is not black or white.”

He says Khan was quiet and glowered in response.

“I could tell that he wasn’t receptive to what I was saying,” Azad says.

That appears in Dina Temple-Raston’s length report on Khan today. It’s the second in an NPR series this week on America’s little jihadists.

What makes Khan interesting is that after he gained international attention with a pro-jihad blog that railed against the U.S. and cheered gory pictures of murdered American soldiers. Last year, Khan left the United States for Yemen. He is not believed to be the editor of Al Qaeda’s online English-language magazine.

Listen to Temple-Raston’s report here.

0 Comments — Leave your comment

October 11, 2010 | 6:51 pm

Favre: sorry or sorry he got caught?

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Celebrities have the oddest way of saying they are sorry. Think Tiger Woods three months later. Or Brett Favre, who apparently has more than just poor performance on the field to atone for.

From ESPN:

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre apologized to his teammates for being a distraction during a meeting Monday morning and told them he is prepared to play “lights out tonight” when Minnesota faces the New York Jets, sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, who was also Favre’s teammate in Green Bay, told ESPN’s Michele Tafoya it was very similar to the emotion Favre showed in December 2003 when he led the Packers to victory in a Monday night game the day after his father died.

The NFL is aggressively investigating allegations that Favre sent inappropriate messages and photos to a former Jets employee, a source familiar with the league’s review told Mortensen.

That’s not contrition, that’s for sure. And the reference that Longwell made to the day Favre’s father died is so absurd it is offensive.

ESPN has been following Deadspin on this one. And the language “inappropriate messages and photos” don’t really do it justice. Read here and here to hear the whole sordid tale that launched an NFL investigation and led to Favre’s “apology” to teammates.

0 Comments — Leave your comment

October 11, 2010 | 3:09 pm

Happy Columbus-Might-Be-Jewish Day

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

This being Columbus Day, it’s that annual time of year when Jews speculate about whether Christopher Columbus was Jewish. Now I know that Christopher Hitchens turned out to be both an atheist and a Jew, but I tend to be disinclined toward believing that someone given the most Christians of names is not at least nominally Christian. But if you’re looking to be convinced otherwise, the Rogue Jew gives a good rundown of the case of Columbus’ Jewishness (via Bloggish).

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield asks the more important question: Why should anyone care? He attempts to answer that:

First, if any of the stories of Columbus’ Jewishness are accurate, they remind us that we can be many things at the same time, and that having those multiple, even conflicting, identities can be a real advantage under certain circumstances. Columbus, according to the Jewish versions of his biography was a Catholic-Jewish-Spanish-Italian, and in all likelihood it was being all of those things at the same time which positioned him to be who he was. His boundary crossing identity was certainly pivotal historically, and probably psychologically, in propelling him toward a life of boundary-crossing.

Second, if there really was a connection between his decision to set sail in August 1492 and that day being on or about Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av (a day classically associated with destruction and bad fortune for Jews), he figured out how to turn a tragedy into a triumph. That’s no small spiritual lesson for any of us.

Third, while the implications of his “discovering” the New World would takes generations to unfold, the shores upon which Columbus landed would turn out to be the healthiest, safest and most vibrant Jewish Diaspora communities in the history of the Jewish people. Columbus’ journey, like most of ours’ could not be fully appreciated within the context of his own time. He planted seeds which would take years to bear fruit. I hope that among the things people celebrate today is the fact that our own lives are like that as well.

Bottom line: Columbus accomplished something pretty amazing, and so it’s not surprising that Jews want to identify him as a member of the tribe. This is the reverse-Bernie-Madoff effect, which I previously discussed in a post about alleged Craigslist killer Phillip Markoff.

Then again, there are some Americans who think that Columbus was not such a great guy.

1 Comments — Leave your comment

October 10, 2010 | 3:32 pm

Humor from the pulpit

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Christian comedy is nothing new. I blogged a few years ago about the state of Christian stand-up, and my GetReligion colleague Bobby Ross wrote about it for the AP back in 2004. More recently, the Birmingham News had an article about Alabama’s secretary of state moonlighting as a Christian comedian.

But the workshop held Friday at Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan was a bit unique. The “Humor in Ministry” workshop was led by the Rev. Susan Sparks, pastor of the Madison Avenue Baptist Church and Rabbi Bob A. Alper, self-styled as “the only practicing rabbi in the world doing stand-up comedy intentionally.”

Paul Vitello of The New York Times writes:

They discussed the often-overlooked humor in some passages of the Bible, including Jesus’ use of irony and exaggeration, and the ribaldry in the Book of Esther. They reviewed the basic etiquette of being funny at a funeral. (“It has to be very carefully done,” Rabbi Alper said.) They talked technique — how it helps to edit sermons, to stay topical and to use small words.

But both Ms. Sparks and Rabbi Alper took pains to assert — as almost all comedians who talk about comedy do — that being funny is a serious business.

“Being a comedian and being a minister are basically about the same thing, which is making people feel less alone,” Ms. Sparks said. “I think of it as a rhetorical tool that can reach people in a way that no other rhetorical tool can reach them.”

Ms. Sparks, 48, has made double careers a trademark of her life. Before entering divinity school in 1999, she worked for 15 years as a corporate lawyer while moonlighting as a country singer and comedian. (When she gave up her legal practice, she gave up country singing.)

Now that’s subtle irony.

1 Comments — Leave your comment

October 10, 2010 | 1:00 pm

Atheists gather in LA to mock ‘ignorant’ religious yokels

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

I’m in Vegas for the weekend. Had to get out of Los Angeles. Too much hedonism there.

Think I made the wrong choice? Not according to my quick run at the poker table yesterday. Or according to this story from the Los Angeles Times. It turns out that Los Angeles played host this weekend to a conference for atheists, agnostics and other skeptics:

Religion was dismissed as “nonsense” and “superstition”; those who believe were described variously as “ignorant” and “stupid.”

Fellow nonbelievers were not spared, however, as lines were drawn between “new atheists,” who encourage open confrontation with the devout, and “accommodationists,” who prefer a subtler, more tactical approach.

Such a debate “would have been incomprehensible 10 years ago,” said Tom Flynn, executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism, which held its 30th anniversary meeting at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. But the 9/11 attacks and a growing interest in atheism have emboldened the in-your-face wing of the movement and led to internal debate and dissension.

That rift cracked open recently when Paul Kurtz, a founder of the secular humanist movement in America, was ousted as chairman of the Center for Inquiry, a sibling organization to the Council for Secular Humanism. One factor leading to his ouster was a perception that Kurtz was “on the mellower end of the spectrum,” Flynn said.

The tension was evident at the Biltmore, where about 300 nonbelievers from across the United States and Canada gathered for three days of lively and, at times, gleefully blasphemous debate. (“I have a personal commitment to committing blasphemy every day,” biologist P.Z. Myers said.)

Myers is no doubt a committed true believer in nonbelief. Remember his desecration of a communion wafer?

Strategy is an old debate among the anti-religion crowd that I’ve been writing about for a few years now.

Not everyone is Richard Dawkins (aka Dicky Dawkins). Others choose a more subtle, even proven, tact of old-school outreach. Success for either has been modest.

That this rift has ruptured is an interesting, though not entirely surprising, development. Though, aside from Kurtz’s ouster, I wonder how much wider the chasm has really grown.

5 Comments — Leave your comment

October 9, 2010 | 10:44 pm

Yoga isn’t the same as Christianity?

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

I can’t explain why this is getting attention, but the Rev. Al Mohler, the head of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has made a point of saying that yoga isn’t the viable pathway to God. Christians beware.

Via the AP:

Mohler said he objects to “the idea that the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine.”

“That’s just not Christianity,” Mohler told The Associated Press.

Mohler said feedback has come through e-mail and comments on blogs and other websites since he wrote an essay to address questions about yoga he has heard for years.

“I’m really surprised by the depth of the commitment to yoga found on the part of many who identify as Christians,” Mohler said.

Yoga fans say their numbers have been growing in the U.S. A 2008 study by the Yoga Journal put the number at 15.8 million, or nearly 7 percent of adults. About 6.7 percent of American adults are Southern Baptists, according to a 2007 survey by the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Mohler argued in his online essay last month that Christians who practice yoga “must either deny the reality of what yoga represents or fail to see the contradictions between their Christian commitments and their embrace of yoga.”

True as that may be, I think it’s easy to answer that question—and it doesn’t require Christians seeking an alternative path to God. It’s the former part of Mohler’s statement.

Let’s be honest, most if not all Christians who do yoga aren’t “practicing” it. They’re not training to be yogis. They are exercising. It’s not a lot different than when I go to the gym and lift weights or play basketball. Just because people exercise religiously doesn’t mean they’ve turned it into their religion.

1 Comments — Leave your comment

October 8, 2010 | 10:28 pm

Palestinian rock-throwers get run over

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

This is why kids shouldn’t play in the street.

Not sure how Torch found this video, but it looks like some rock-throwing Palestinian kids picked the wrong Subaru to mess with. It’s hard to tell if he or she was trying to swerve around the kids or through them. Not surprised the driver didn’t stick around to check on the kids and make his or her case.

4 Comments — Leave your comment