Gay SF Supervisor Bevan Dufty Introduces Resolution Condemning Church Vandalism

Yesterday openly gay San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty introduced a resolution that condemns the vandalism of the Most Holy Redeemer Church.

WHEREAS, Most Holy Redeemer Church, a Catholic community established in 1900 and located within the heart of San Francisco's Castro District, is widely known as a Gay-friendly parish; and

WHEREAS, For over 20 years the community of Most Holy Redeemer Church has sustained an active AIDS support group providing direct care to persons with HIV disease and assistance to those who love and care for them; and

WHEREAS, Most Holy Redeemer Church established a Peace and Social Justice Group to reflect upon and address issues of justice both inside and outside the church, particularly in response to sexism, homophobia, racism, and the willful failure to protect the poor and underserved; and

WHEREAS, The Community Life Committee of Most Holy Redeemer is made up of various organizations in the parish that form the faith and build a deeper sense of community for all ages and interest groups in the parish and the extended local community regardless of religious affiliation; therefore, now be it

RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco does hereby condemn the recent intimidation of Most Holy Redeemer Church and its parishoners through acts of vandalism, specifically the defacing of its exterior with spray-painted graffiti that included the names of church leaders and the depictions of swastikas; and therefore, be

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco commends the significant accomplishments and contributions made by the faith community of Most Holy Redeemer Church to the City of St. Francis.

Hey Catholic League, hey Bill Donahue, looky here! Gay leadership in the city government IS condemning acts of vandalism against the church. Will you notice and acknowledge Bevan Dufty's action?

TRAILER: Holy Ghost

A Christian movie starring Lenny Kravitz and the former lead guitarist from Korn? Here's today's press release:

Funded by 2,500 investors who surged to support Director Darren Wilson’s Kickstarter campaign, HOLY GHOST raised a record-breaking $360,000 in just 45 days to become the #1 most-funded, faith-based film in Kickstarter history. The film’s producers, who turned to fans to fund HOLY GHOST, are now asking 25,000 of their most deeply dedicated fans to crowd-market and promote it with the launch of a new #HolyGhostExperience social media campaign. “Our fans crowd-funded HOLY GHOST, and now they’re our mass marketing and promotion team around the world. That’s why #HolyGhostExperience has gained instant traction, because tens of thousands are working to bring this project across the finish line,” said Braden Heckman, CEO of Wanderlust Productions. “Every day the HOLY GHOST team is working with supporters to spread the word by setting up events, signing up their friends, and engaging within their spheres of influence to give as many people as possible the opportunity to experience this movie.”

Tagline: "We want to make God famous."

ILLINOIS: Leviticus-Quoting Catholic Priest Busted For Indecent Exposure

A Catholic priest who strongly opposes same-sex marriage has been arrested for exposing himself at an Illinois gas station. From the Chicago Tribune:

Monsignor Aaron R. Brodeski, 44, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of public indecency stemming from an incident on March 27 at the Road Ranger Gas Station, 4980 S. Main St., said Winnebego County Sheriff Deputy Chief Dominic Iasparro. After a warrant was issued for Brodeski's arrest he turned himself over to police and was accompanied by his lawyer this morning. He was ordered held in lieu of $2,000 bail. After posting 10 percent of the amount he was released from the Winnebago County Jail. Brodeski is assigned to the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Batavia according to police and the church's Website. According to Iasparro, Brodeski was at the gas station in the evening of March 27 when he allegedly exposed himself inside the gas station and later exposed himself while he was in a vehicle in the parking lot.

Before the news of his arrest broke in the press, Brodeski had been placed on leave.

Monsignor Aaron Brodeski of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Batavia is on a leave of absence while the Rockford Diocese investigates an allegation regarding his conduct. Bishop David Malloy informed parishioners of this at Masses last Sunday. The bishop did not say of what Brodeski has been accused, nor who has accused him. He did, however, tell parishioners the conduct "in no way pertains to anything having to do with minors, parish funds or anything pertaining to Holy Cross Parish or School," according to the statement he read.

Brodeski writes a column for his diocesan newspaper. Here's a gem from November 2013.

Genesis 2:24 - In this passage we see the plan and design of God for marriage. I believe this is the most important Scripture to consider when trying to understand the problem with homosexual marriage. By looking at the natural design and intention of God in creating male and female we discover that marriage is made for the joining of two people of the opposite sex. I think that sometimes this fact is so obvious that it is often overlooked. Leviticus 18 deals with laws relating to sexual behavior. Verse 22 says, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination." This passage is not so much about homosexual marriage as it is about homosexual sex. The passage could not be more clear.

In 2003 Brodeski's diocese fired its music director for being gay. Brodeski had something to say about that too.

When the choir rose to sing at Holy Family Catholic Parish in Rockford, Ill., it was not part of the program. It was a protest. The firing of a gay music director has split the congregation at Holy Family, the largest Roman Catholic church in this industrial city of 150,000. After the choir's unscheduled performance Sunday, some parishioners wept, while others applauded. Just as many applauded after the Reverend Aaron Brodeski completed a homily on staying true to church teachings, including those that reject premarital sex and homosexuality. A few walked out during the sermon.

Brodeski is also an anti-porn crusader. From February 2014.

“The bottom line is this,” Msgr. Brodeski says. “The brain, created by God, is made in such a way that when a husband and wife come together in an intimate relationship, chemicals are released (in the brain) that create a deep bond. “Those chemicals can be distorted,” he explains, “when porn is looked at — especially the graphic sex acts that are out there.” The brain, he continues “starts to release ... endorphins and (other) chemicals (and) creates a high. It leads to a false sense of sexual union, and it becomes an addiction.” The porn addiction, like other addictions, “creates loneliness and isolation and confusion. It makes it difficult for (addicts) to look at the opposite sex in a normal way. They walk around feeling guilt and shame. It has a huge effect on marriages. We’re starting to see it already, and it’s going to get worse,” he says.

(Tipped by JMG reader Brandon)

Unholy Water

After members from a Florida church "anointed" a section of highway with "holy oils," a group of atheists arrived with "unholy water" to unbless the road.

Glen Copple, an associate pastor at Northside Christian Church in Lakeland, said Saturday's symbolic cleanup of holy oil by the Humanists of Florida was a "ludicrous" event that solely sought publicity. "I find it absolutely ludicrous that the atheists who say they don't believe in God have to erase something that they don't believe in," Copple told FoxNews.com. "They were just desperate for a little attention for their cause. Only two of them showed up, it wasn't a big gathering." Armed with brooms, mops and "unholy water," atheists with the Humanists of Florida gathered on Saturday to symbolically remove holy oil that Polk Under Prayer put down on Highway 98 near the Pasco-Polk county line last year, Bay News 9 reported.

Even though this has nothing to do with Catholics, from a thousand miles away, Bill Donohue has an opinion: "They acted in the grand tradition of atheist groups by going negative. Having no positive statement to make, it wants to obliterate speech it disagrees with. While the atheists are within their legal rights to attack the Christian message, it shows once again their proclivity to intolerance. Bullying is what defines them."

I've got some holy water for Donohue right here.

Catholic Church: We Need More Exorcists

More than fifty Catholic bishops and priests are in Baltimore this weekend for a training event on how to perform exorcisms.

Signs of demonic possession accepted by the church include violent reaction to holy water or anything holy, speaking in a language the possessed person doesn't know and abnormal displays of strength. The full exorcism is held in private and includes sprinkling holy water, reciting Psalms, reading aloud from the Gospel, laying on of hands and reciting the Lord's Prayer. Some adaptations are allowed for different circumstances. The exorcist can invoke the Holy Spirit then blow in the face of the possessed person, trace the sign of the cross on the person's forehead and command the devil to leave. The training comes at a time when many American bishops and priests are trying to correct what they view as a lack of emphasis on the Catholic teaching about sin and evil after the Second Vatican Council, the series of meetings in the 1960s that enacted modernizing reforms in the church. Many in the American hierarchy, as well as Pope Benedict XVI, believe that the supernatural aspect of the church was lost in the changes, reducing it to just another institution in the world.

NIGERIA: Multimillionaire Pastor Sends Planeload Of "Holy Water" To Cure Ebola

Multimillionaire faith-healer T.B. Joshua has sent a planeload of "holy water" to Sierra Leone because it will cure ebola. Via Vocative:

Sierra Leone just got a big gift from a strange man. To help the West African country fight the escalating Ebola crisis, Nigerian Christian preacher Temitope Joshua says he has sent the Sierra Leone government 4,000 bottles of his patented holy anointed water and $50,000 in cash in a private jet, which also cost $50,000 to charter. Sierra Leone will, one would assume, take every penny it can get to stem the Ebola outbreak, which has claimed more than 1,000 lives worldwide, with the majority of the victims in West African countries. Such odd largess does certainly beg the question, though: Who the hell is this guy? For starters, Joshua is a millionaire. Forbes reported that with an estimated net worth of $10 million to $15 million, Joshua is one of the richest pastors in Nigeria. He’s also one the most controversial. He’s the founder and head of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), and has been dubbed a prophet by some. Joshua has claimed for years that he has healing powers that can tackle a myriad of incurable diseases such as cancer and HIV—and that he can peek into the future.

Hemant Mehta weighs in at Friendly Atheist:

This isn’t just ineffective, it’s harmful. It’s possible that people suffering from the disease — who need to be quarantined and given whatever scientific treatment options are available — could “anoint” themselves with the water, wrongly think they’re cured, and then go out in public again, spreading the virus even further. I never thought I’d say this, but Joshua would be doing more for Ebola patients by praying for them, only because it would have no effect on them whatsoever.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG:  Four people were killed in Ghana in 2013 in a church stampede to get "AIDS-curing holy water" from T.B. Joshua. In 2011, three women died in London after pastors from Joshua's church convinced them to throw away their HIV medications.

Cindy Jacobs: Pray For SC To Choose A Christian Who Will Impose Biblical Law

"We Declare and Decree that: South Carolina will be guided by Holy Spirit. South Carolina will hear the voice of the Lord as to the one He has chosen and vote with courage and wisdom. South Carolina will point the Nation toward the rising up of the Lord’s anointed for the Office of President. South Carolina will lift up the one who will make all choices based on God’s Word as revealed in Holy Scripture. South Carolina will be the state which releases a new 'David Anointing' on the one chosen to seek after God’s heart and kill the goliaths in SC and America. No more compromise of your revealed values and standards in your Word. South Carolina will chose one who will support and defend Israel." - Wackadoodle "healer" Cindy Jacobs.

RELATED: Jacobs also has a special prayer for South Carolina's polling places, which are apparently where Satan reigns.

Oh Lord Jesus, we pray and put your precious blood over this property, building and people. We seal it with your powerful, cleansing, redeeming blood. We put a waterfall of your blood flowing down over every door, window or spiritual entryway. We bath and cleans each person who enters with your precious blood. In Jesus Name we claim and cleans this property for the Lord’s Holy purpose. In Jesus Name, we take authority over all demonic forces of Satan and bind them into silence and inactivity. In Jesus Name, we refuse any communication between spirits unless directed by the Holy Spirit.

Feel The Power Of The Holy Ghost!

Watch below as Nigerian Pastor Chris Oyakhilome slays hundreds with the invisible power of the Holy Ghost. Oyakhilome has been denounced by African HIV/AIDS groups for claiming that he can faith-heal away all diseases.

Christ Embassy's website claims that Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, the proprietor of this church, can faith-heal HIV. ETV's 3rd Degree has been outspoken against AIDS quackery and denialism and so it is disappointing that the station runs Christ Embassy adverts, which are quackery and a threat to public health,' says Nathan Geffen, TAC Treasurer. Many religious organisations are playing a critical role in the fight against HIV and TB in South Africa, raising awareness, providing spiritual and emotional support to people with these conditions and thereby helping them to adhere to the medications which cure TB and suppress HIV in the blood to restore people's health. This is not the case with Christ Embassy. By claiming to heal life-threatening conditions, Christ Embassy is leading people to believe that they no longer have to adhere to treatment or seek appropriate medical care.

RELATED: Oyakhilome is affiliated with fellow Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua, a multimillionaire who recently sent a planeload of "holy water" to Sierra Leone because it will cure ebola. Four people were killed in Ghana in 2013 in a church stampede to get "AIDS-curing holy water" from Joshua. In 2011, three women died in London after pastors from Joshua's church convinced them to throw away their HIV medications.

Vatican Advisor Edward Peters Tells Marriage Equality Supporters That They Should Not Receive Communion

Edward Peters is a Detroit professor and the Vatican's US legal advisor. He's also the father of NOM's Thomas Peters.  This weekend the elder Peters warned Catholic supporters of same-sex marriage that they should not attempt to receive Holy Communion at Mass or else they'll be "rebuked or sanctioned."

Peters said that Catholic teachings make it clear that marriage is between one man and one woman. And so, "Catholics who promote 'same-sex marriage' act contrary to" Catholic law "and should not approach for holy Communion," he wrote. "They also risk having holy Communion withheld from them ... being rebuked and/or being sanctioned." Peters didn't specify a Catholic politician or public figure in his post. But he told the Free Press that a person's "public efforts to change society's definition of marriage ... amount to committing objectively wrong actions." Peters, an attorney and the Edmund Cardinal Szoka chairman at Sacred Heart, was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 to be a referendary of the Apostolic Sinatura, which means he helps advise the top judicial authority in the Catholic Church.

The elder Peters has previously said that prominent Catholic politicians such as Rep. Nancy Pelosi and NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo should be denied communion for their support of gay marriage.

Yesterday Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron echoed Peters' words, saying that it would be like "perjury" for pro-gay Catholics to receive communion.

"For a Catholic to receive holy Communion and still deny the revelation Christ entrusted to the church is to try to say two contradictory things at once: 'I believe the church offers the saving truth of Jesus, and I reject what the church teaches.' In effect, they would contradict themselves. This sort of behavior would result in publicly renouncing one's integrity and logically bring shame for a double-dealing that is not unlike perjury."

Holy Ghost! - Bridge & Tunnel

Brooklyn synthpop duo Holy Ghost! today released the third video from their critically-raved album, Dynamics, which got lots of play due to their first single, Dumb Disco Ideas. Holy Ghost! opened for New Order on their recent tour. (The video's splash screen may appear blank.)

Oh, The Punnanity!

Burn, baby, burn. Porno inferno.

Until Sunday, the Rev. Mark Eldredge joked that his Westside church had one of the largest pornography collections in Jacksonville. Members of Christ Church Anglican discovered reel upon reel of '70s- and '80s-vintage X-rated movies recently when they took over the old Playtime Drive-In on Blanding Boulevard a few weeks ago. The Playtime showed X-rated movies in the '70s and early '80s, prompting police raids and protests, before switching to more traditional fare.

But for Eldredge and the 300-member congregation, ridding their property of the film was no joking matter. It was so serious, they built an entire service around it Sunday afternoon, complete with a ceremonial burning and a "holy hose-down" with water from a Jacksonville Fire and Rescue truck blessed by the priest.

"You guys can be a part of making this land holy," Eldredge told his flock before he used a brass candlelighter to ignite a bonfire containing unrolled reels of film. "To have a piece of property and take it from unholy to holy is awesome." As the film burned, three Jacksonville firefighters stood by. Then Eldredge blessed the water in their truck, and they cleansed the property by hosing it down.

Seriously, that stuff could have been sold to collectors and made thousands for the church to....oh, I don't know.....feed the homeless?

(Tipped by JMG reader Chris in SF)

ITALY: US Embassy To The Vatican Recognizes LGBT Pride Month

President #Obama proclaims June as #LGBT #Pride Month— “let each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity.” http://t.co/2c3jaet7ah
— U.S. in Holy See (@USinHolySee) June 3, 2014

Former NOM communications director Thomas Peters is ever so pissed. From his post at Catholic Vote:

It’s nice to see where our tax dollars are going. One wonders if a rainbow flag was flying from our embassy in Rome today. Or if the embassy staff was distributing literature in St. Peter’s square today to promote awareness of homophobia and transphobia. A post like this by our embassy prompts the question, is it the position of our embassy that the Holy See is guilty of homophobia when, say, it opposes the redefinition of marriage, or is the Holy See transphobic in their eyes when it refuses ordination to a woman who undergoes sex reassignment therapy? Is the embassy saying the church does not support all youth, including those who are questioning their sexual identity? Is the embassy saying the church is intolerant?

(Tipped by JMG reader Lynda)

IOWA: Newspaper Editor Sues After Being Fired For Using The Word "Gaystapo"

An Iowa newspaper editor is suing on the grounds of religious discrimination after being fired for using the word "gaystapo" on his personal blog. Via the Des Moines Register:

Bob Eschliman, former editor of the Newton Daily News, filed a complaint this week with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission office in Milwaukee arguing that he was terminated May 5 because of his religious beliefs. If the dispute isn't resolved to Eschliman's satisfaction, he could sue in federal court to seek financial damages. In late April, Eschliman, 41, a member of Christian Reformed Church of Newton, wrote a personal blog post criticizing the "Queen James Bible," a website that rewrites the Christian Bible to be friendlier to gays. Eschliman accused "the LGBTQXYZ crowd and the Gaystapo" of trying "to make their sinful nature right with God." Jim Romenesko, who hosts a widely read online blog about the news media, reported on Eschliman's post and questioned whether Eschliman, in light of his publicly stated views, would be able to fairly cover issues involving gays. Shaw Media, a Dixon, Ill., company, suspended Eschliman with pay and eventually fired him. Eschliman's attorneys claim that violated his constitutional rights of religious expression. Newton Daily News Publisher Dan Goetz declined to comment Wednesday.

Eschliman, who is is being represented by the Christian Liberty Institute, writes in his suit:

On April 28, 2014, I penned a theologically based article stating my sincerely held religious beliefs about efforts by some to criticize and remold my faith through what I believe is false teaching. In my article, I quoted at length from a variety of sources, most prominently, from the Holy Bible. That blog post described my sincerely held religious beliefs regarding Holy Scripture and the definition of marriage. My comments on my blog were personal in nature and reflective of my sincerely held religious beliefs. Furthermore, I felt compelled by my sincerely held religious beliefs to share my Biblical view with the few folks who read my blog. I would like to have obtained a religious accommodation for my sincerely held religious belief to share my Biblical view with the few family members and friends who read my blog. Shaw Media directly discriminated against me because of my religious beliefs and my identity as an evangelical Christian who believes in Holy Scripture and the Biblical view of marriage.

And another martyr is born. (Tipped by JMG reader Ed)

Red-Caped Catholic Loons Petition Pope Francis Against Same-Sex Marriage

From the Red-Caped Catholic Loons:

Dissident Catholic pressure groups -- aided by the liberal media -- are feverishly working to dismantle vital Church teaching on marriage and family at the next Synod on the Family in Rome. In fact, they are bombarding the Holy Father and the Synod Fathers right now with messages of revolt against traditional moral values as they clamor for "change, change, change" inside the Church. At this critical time, we must defend the truth and ask the Holy Father to protect the future of the family. TFP Student Action is joining forces with over 20 more pro-family groups around the world to collect as many signatures as possible before the next Synod starts. This prayerful petition is a worldwide effort. Everyone is invited to sign. May God reward you.

From the petition:

Holy Father, In view of the Synod on the family to be held in October 2015, we filially address Your Holiness to express our fears and hopes regarding the future of the family. Our fears arise from witnessing a decades-long sexual revolution promoted by an alliance of powerful organizations, political forces and the mass media that consistently work against the very existence of the family as the basic unit of society. Ever since the so-called May 1968 Sorbonne Revolution, a morality opposed to both Divine and natural law has been gradually and systematically imposed on us so implacably as to make it possible, for example, to teach the abhorrent "gender theory" to young children in many countries. Catholic teaching on the Sixth Commandment of the Law of God shines like a beacon in the face of this ominous ideological objective. This beacon attracts many people -- overwhelmed by this hedonistic propaganda -- to the chaste and fecund family model taught by the Gospel and in accordance with natural law.

Tradition! Family! Fecundity!

VIRGINIA: Teacher Resigns After Anointing Students With "Holy Oil"

A fifth grade public school teacher in Norfolk has resigned after the school received complaints that she'd been "anointing" students and their desks with "holy oil."

The fifth-grade teacher worked at Jacox Elementary School. Administrators said they learned about the teacher's behavior after it was reported by a parent. Interim Superintendent of Schools, Michael Spencer, sent a memo on Wednesday to members of the School Board: "In early June, a parent reported that a fifth-grade teacher at Jacox Elementary School allegedly was using inappropriate religious practices in her classroom. I interviewed the teacher, and the Office of Pupil Personnel conducted an investigation. The teacher admitted that she had rubbed 'holy oil' on students and their desks during the school day. She was immediately removed from the classroom, and she resigned as of June 30."

The school district says it's against their policy to perform voodoo on the children.

Jesus Created The United States

"If Jesus Christ had never been born, you would not be reading this column. If Jesus Christ had never been born, there would be no United States of America. After Jesus left this earth, Christianity spread from the Holy Land to modern-day Turkey to Greece and Italy and then covered the rest of Europe. In fact, Christopher Columbus wrote that his discovery of the New World was inspired by '...the Holy Spirit, because he comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy Scriptures.' Indeed, if it were not for Christmas, we would not be living in the greatest country and most generous country in the history of mankind." - Tim Wildon, head of the American Family Association.

Holy Ghost! - Okay

I spent the summer blasting Dumb Disco Ideas, the first single from the new Holy Ghost! album. Here's their follow-up, which is much more in their typical retro 80s electro style. Think early Human League or OMD.

RELATED: Holy Ghost! remixed Working The Midnight Shift for the coming Donna Summer tribute album.

Vatican Recognizes "State Of Palestine"

Via the Associated Press:

The Vatican has officially recognized the state of Palestine in a new treaty. The treaty, which was finalized Wednesday but still has to be signed, makes clear that the Holy See has switched its diplomatic relations from the Palestinian Liberation Organization to the state of Palestine. The Vatican had welcomed the decision by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012 to recognize a Palestinian state. But the treaty is the first legal document negotiated between the Holy See and the Palestinian state and constitutes an official recognition. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is due to see Pope Francis on Saturday before the canonization of two new saints from the Holy Land a day later.

Teabagistan will go nuts.

GHANA: Four Die In Church Stampede For Holy Water From "AIDS Cure" Preacher

Four people in Ghana were crushed to death in a church stampede to get "holy water" from evangelist TB Joshua, who claims to be able to heal AIDS via prayers and encourages HIV+ followers to stop taking their medications.

Thousands of people flocked to the evangelical church for "holy water", which they believed had healing powers, leading to the crush. "All of us were caught by surprise. No-one knew the crowd will be so huge," said police spokesman Freeman Tetteh. The church is run by prominent Nigerian preacher TB Joshua. He is one of the wealthiest and most popular evangelical clerics in Africa and his Synagogue Church of All Nations claims it can perform miracles, such as curing blindness.

Joshua also claims to have prophesied the Boston bombings and the outcomes of high-profile soccer matches. Last year thousands of his followers abandoned Facebook because of a rumor that he had prophesied that those with accounts would become "infested by demons." Joshua then issued a statement blaming the rumor on Satan.  Below is one of the many "AIDS cure testimonies" on his ministry's official YouTube channel.

The Holy Spirit Speaks Through Frothy

"When you're aware of our Lord and His presence in your life everyday, when you're moving through the crowds, when you're giving speeches and me as Rick's wife, I'm watching him, and the whole time he's speaking so often, I'm just there praying for him, asking the Holy Spirit to speak through him. And I feel like God's hand of protection is upon us." - Mrs. Frothy Mix, speaking to the Christian Broadcasting Network. Apparently the Holy Spirit thinks about anal sex a LOT.