ARKANSAS: Pro-LGBT Church Banned From Eureka Springs Easter Parade

Ozarks First reports:

Eureka Springs Celebrate Jesus Easter parade made its way through downtown Saturday afternoon, but one church was left on the sidelines. First United Methodist of Eureka Springs applied to be in the parade, and was initially accepted. One week before the parade, however, they were told they were no longer welcome. Church member Suzie Bell believes it's because of their stance on the LGBT community. "They wanted to know what our banner was going to say, and it said "Jesus loves all. They had decided that they did not want us in the parade, and that we weren't welcome." Bell said. Bell says the Methodist Church has recently become a "reconciling congregation" meaning they are publicly welcoming of the LGBT community. Bell says that is the reason they weren't allowed in. "It was based purely on our love and acceptance of the LGBT community." Bell said.

A spokesperson for the parade issued a statement.

"This day isn't a day of pointing fingers or playing the blame game. This parade is to honor our Lord and Savior and for praising God for sending His only Son who willingly went to the cross, died and rose on the third day that when we repent of our sins and accept Him. We have the promise of eternal life with the Lord. But more that that He carries us each day that we are on this earth. We are all sinners redeemed by the grace of God. We believe that the Bible is the un compromised Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit. Regardless of what has been stated in the papers. We do not have anything against the Methodist Church. After all my uncle was a Methodist minister. Nor do we have anything against the homosexual community. When I worked downtown I had homosexual people that I considered my friends and still do."

Ozarks First notes that the statement does not actually give a reason for banning the church.

Because He Nailed It

Britain's Portswood Church has launched a rather bizarre Easter campaign on social media with the title "Because He Nailed It." I thought this was a spoof when I first saw it.

Media Matters: Right Wing Rodeo

"The week's worst moments in conservative media."

Concentration Camp Christ

To mark Easter, Jews For Jesus have created a short film which depicts a cross-dragging Jesus being sent to the gas chambers by Nazi guards at a concentration camp. They write:

Jesus has often been wrongly associated with the perpetrators of the Holocaust. In reality, he is to be identified with those who were the victims. As a Jew, if he were in Europe at the time, Jesus may well have suffered the same fate of the six million who perished in the concentration camps. Jewish teaching promotes the idea that the death of Jews in the Holocaust accomplished kiddush ha Shem, the sanctification of God’s name. How much more then, the Bible tells us, Jesus’ death was intended by God for kiddush ha am, the sanctification of the people. Through him we can be made right with God.

Source.

Scripture Candy

The Jelly Bean Prayer Bag is only $6.99. One presumes that Jesus' Blood is cherry-flavored.

The gourmet jelly beans with meaning! Each individual bag features "The Jelly Bean Prayer," a beautiful prayer that shares what each colored bean represents. There are 8 different jelly bean flavors and approximately 17 individual packets inside the large bag. Great for Sunday school lessons, Easter baskets, or any time of the year. *Each packet is not guaranteed to contain all 8 flavors.

The company has quite a line of products. Source.

Tweet Of The Day- Bishop Gene Robinson

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Press Release Of The Day

The "antisocial networking site" Battlecam claims that later today it will broadcast America's first-ever public crucifixion.

The controversial crucifixion will be captured live from the BattleCam.com website and broadcast live on KILM in Los Angeles The uncensored globally distributed internet feed will be available exclusively in FilmOn.TV. Robert Garrison aka Mr. Eyelidz is a 30 year old self-confessed sado-masochist from Florida and a devout member of the anti-social networking site BattleCam.com.

Mr. Garrison will be nailed to a giant wooden cross with 12 inch iron nails whilst being broadcast on live television, in Los Angeles this coming Easter Sunday March 31st at 7.00 PM In keeping with biblical accounts, local Jewish celebrities such as Zolar Glen a regular on Howard Stern and BattleCam, will actually hammer these nails through the hands and feet of Mr. Eyelidz.

Mr. Eyeliz will then be left impaled on the cross for several hours in public view at the FilmOn.TV Studios, where passers by can make their opinions heard on live TV. A gospel choir will be singing many popular Easter Sunday songs as well as chant Psalm 22 which starts with the immortal words "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Battlecam claims to have previously broadcast an assisted suicide. Source.

Gay Marriage Easter Bunnies

From Gayle's Chocolates.  (Via JMG reader John)

Atheism Banner Stolen In 48 Hours

A banner promoting atheism was stolen less than 48 hours after being placed in an Illinois public park alongside other signage promoting Easter.

“It is so dismaying to see mob rule prevail,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “This vandalism amounts to censorship and suppression of minority viewpoints.” City officials have said they are treating the park as a public forum, and therefore any religious display is allowed. “This crime against our banner shows the harm when a local government purports to create a ‘public forum’ for religion on government property,” Gaylor added “The only viewpoint that is going to be heard in Streater is a Christian viewpoint. There are tax-exempt Christian churches throughout Streater where it is appropriate to place Christian crosses and displays. A public park is not one of them.”

Gay Family To Confront President At Today's White House Easter Egg Roll

A gay family attending today's White House Easter Egg Roll said they planned to confront the president about a pending executive order to ban workplace discrimination at companies that do business with the federal government.

Jarrod Scarbrough and Les Sewell will travel from Albuquerque to Washington D.C. with their 8-year-old daughter to ask President Obama to sign an executive order that would prohibit workplace discrimination by any federal contractor on the basis of sexual orientation. "I work for a federal contractor, and there's a piece of paper sitting on President Obama's desk that would give me a little more security for my family," said Scarbrough, who works for United Healthcare, in a statement." The legislation has been given the green light by the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor and is awaiting the president's approval.

The event is already underway and clips are just arriving on YouTube. No word yet on whether the gay family got to meet the First Family.

Tebow Preaches At Easter Service

Jets quarterback Tim Tebow delivered a 30-minute sermon yesterday to over 15,000 Texans gathered in a meadow for an Easter service. Ow my ears! That gaydar bell is loud today.

Quote Of The Day - Anne Rice

"Happy Easter, Gay People of the World: you have indeed risen in the last few decades from centuries of persecution and oppression. May this be a great holiday for you all wherever you are. You are winning the battle for equal rights. And your victory over discrimination and hate is a victory for all oppressed persons. Happy Easter!" - Anne Rice, posting to her Facebook page. (Tipped by JMG reader Fritz)

Krücifix

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Today In SF: Hunky Jesus Contest

San Franciscans, don't forget today's legendary party in Dolores Park, where the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence will present their annual Hunky Jesus contest. Festivities begin at noon, the contest commences at 3PM. Tomorrow we get to enjoy the outraaaaged reactions from Bill Donohue! Here's a clip from Hunky Jesus 2011.

Word Cloud

Artist Crispin Jago has also done pieces on Islam and Judaism.

Christ, The Faggot

Kittredge Cherry writes in Huffington Post:

Every community presents Jesus in their own way. There is black Jesus, Asian Jesus, female "Christa" -- and now queer Jesus to set people free and heal some of the damage done in Christ's name. Many, including me, see the queer Christ Jesus as a blessing that builds faith by embodying God's wildly inclusive love for all. Others attack our ideas as blasphemy. The debate is usually framed as freedom of speech (for LGBT people) vs. freedom of religion (for conservative Christians). But LGBT Christians also have a right to religious freedom. We refuse to concede Jesus to people who act like they own the copyright on Christ, then use him as a weapon to dominate others. Nobody knows for sure whether the historical Jesus was attracted to other men or felt like he was female inside. Some progressive Bible scholars do argue that Jesus had a homosexual relationship.

Emotionally investing in the sexuality of a mythological figure seems rather pointless to me, but Cherry points out that artists who've dared to make paintings such as the one above are routinely threatened with death, so obviously it's extremely important to some people. To her point, here's a comment from a Newsbusters column about her essay: "Some say we should pray for such deviants. I say it would be refreshing to execute Ms. Cherry but, only after she has been forced to watch her entire family be tortured to death."

An Easter Message For The Kiddies

Friendly Atheist notes: "Silly rabbit, resurrection is for Jesus."

Church Sign Of The Day

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Holy Water-Walking Zombie, Batman!

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NOM Hates Easter Sacrilege!

Therefore we love it:

On the eve of Easter, a religious group is coming down hard on the Fells Point bar Ale Mary's. Why? Well, its name for starters. And all of the other things the church-themed bar does for kitsch value. They decorate with photos of nuns. They post their draft list on a hymn board. They offer Father Luies Grilled Wings and Father Tom's Fried Ice Cream Sundae. And, possibly their most serious transgression according to the group: the bar's "chalice" club where people can get their beer served in a chalice. The group 500,000 Against Ale Mary's* isn't amused. In fact, they're highly offended.

[JMG: *200 members]