Orthodox Jews Take A Public Stand

The leaders in the local large Orthodox Jewish community go to great lengths to keep out the outside world, discouraging nonbusiness use of the Internet and encouraging strict filters to keep the ungodly out when members must use the Web.

But last month, several rabbis and other elders did something astounding for them: They took a public stand on a political issue, declaring their opposition to same-sex marriage in the state.

"This really hurts us," said Rabbi Osher Lieberman, a key figure in the community in the suburbs about 30 miles east of Trenton. "To say (it's) immoral is not enough." He said community members are being encouraged to do whatever they can to make sure lawmakers don't vote to recognize gay marriage.

In a state that leans a bit left, the conservative rabbis are one of a handful of groups taking a passionate – and maybe surprising – role in a debate that's likely to be decided by January. The newly political rabbis have joined a coalition including Roman Catholic bishops, evangelicals and some black and Latino leaders.

The other side of the debate, anchored by a well-organized, well-connected gay rights group, is getting a boost from heterosexual liberals.

When Republican Chris Christie unseated Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in the gubernatorial election last month, it gave gay-rights activists more urgency to try to achieve their long-held goal of getting a same-sex marriage bill through the Legislature before Christie takes office Jan. 19.

The reason is simple: Corzine supports the bill. Christie says he would veto it. Hear Chick's tape book, LET'S TAKE A STAND.

Argentina Blocks Gay Marriage

In another blow for gay marriage activists, an Argentine judge put a hold Monday on a lower court's decision to permit the first gay marriage in Latin America.

The official court Web site said national judge Marta Gomez Alsina ordered the wedding blocked until the issue can be considered by the Supreme Court.

Jose Maria Di Bello and his partner, Alex Freyre, set plans to wed Tuesday based on an earlier ruling by a city judge in Buenos Aires. They will probably attempt to proceed with the ceremony, but it will have no legal standing.

"They are shocked and saddened by the news, but still have hopes that the wedding will go forth as planned," said Maria Rachid, president of the Argentine Federation for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals who coordinated the team of laywers that filed the couple's suit.

Two weeks ago, a city judge, acting with the blessing of Buenos Aires' mayor, ruled the couple had been unconstitutionally denied a marriage license and gave them permission to wed.

"We have a huge responsibility on our shoulders," Freyre told the AP in discussing the implications of the couple's effort. "People are suffering because of these limitations."

In 2002, Buenos Aires became the first Spanish-speaking city to allow same-sex civil unions. As critics had warned, it was only the first step to a slippery slope the quickly led to demands for full fledge gay marriages.

Argentina's national legislature opened debate last month on a bill that would change a civil code provision defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. A new marriage law would mean gay couples could enjoy all the rights of a married couple like the right to adopt children, inherit wealth or share a health care plan.

The couple, who met at an HIV awareness rally, wanted to marry on Dec. 1 because it is World AIDS day. See Chick's SIN CITY,

Gay Marriage Loses in New York

The Gay marriage bill was comprehensively defeated in New York State senate yesterday. Even the opponents of the same sex marriage in New York State senate had not anticipated their margin of victory will be so big. Supporters of gay marriage were defeated by the margin of 14 in the New York State Senate.

The opponents celebrated the decisive victory on a proposal to legalize the same-sex marriage on Wednesday.

The New York Assembly needed 32 votes to pass the gay marriage in relatively liberal state and they failed by an unexpected margin of 24 to 38 where other chamber of legislator had already approved the bill thrice and the Democrat Governor supported it. The strong defeat in a liberal state proves that the momentum on the issue has now shifted to the other side. See Chick's THE GAY BLADE.

One Sided Jobs Summit Begins

President Obama begins a Job's Summit to address the growing numbers of unemployed. The current level of recently unemployed is over 10%, and chronically unemployed tops 17%. The new panel of "experts" consists of labor unions and well known liberal Nobel Prize winners. Conspicuously missing is the chamber of commerce and business groups-- the very people who hire folks and create jobs. The Administration seems determined to stack the deck to make certain that no one will suggest lowering taxes, a classic incentive to job's growth with historical results. Instead, taxes will jump in 2010 as Bush tax cuts expire, and a three fold increase in spending assures dramatic tax hikes in the future, especially if government takes on nationalizing health care expenses. See Chick's THE MAD MACHINE.

Swiss Resist Islamic Influence

Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on minarets on Sunday, barring construction of the iconic mosque towers in a surprise vote that put Switzerland at the forefront of a European backlash against a growing Muslim population.

Muslim groups in Switzerland and abroad condemned the vote as biased and anti-Islamic. Business groups said the decision hurt Switzerland's international standing and could damage relations with Muslim nations and wealthy investors who bank, travel and shop there.

"The Swiss have failed to give a clear signal for diversity, freedom of religion and human rights," said Omar Al-Rawi, integration representative of the Islamic Denomination in Austria, which said its reaction was "grief and deep disappointment."
About 300 people turned out for a spontaneous demonstration on the square outside parliament, holding up signs saying, "That is not my Switzerland," placing candles in front of a model of a minaret and making another minaret shape out of the candles themselves.

"We're sorry," said another sign. A young woman pinned to her jacket a piece of paper saying, "Swiss passport for sale." The vote passed by a wide margin of 57% supporting the ban. See Chick's MEN OF PEACE?

Christian Leaders Plan Civil Disobedience

Conservative Christian leaders unveiled a declaration Friday calling on Christians not to comply with rules and laws forcing them to accept abortion, same-sex marriage and other ideals that go against their religious doctrines.

The declaration urges Christians to practice civil disobedience to defend their convictions, even though some signers of the document backed away from the strong language.

The Catholic Archbishop of Washington, Donald W. Wuerl, was among the first signers of the Manhattan Declaration. He appeared at a news conference in the District on Friday to announce it, even as the Church was considering a city-proposed compromise on its same-sex marriage measure. Church officials say the bill, as it stands, would require faith groups, such as the church-run Catholic Charities, to extend benefits to married same-sex partners, an example of what the declaration's authors see as a violation of religious liberty law.

"We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them," the declaration says. It lists the "fundamental truths" as the "sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and the rights of conscience and religious liberty." See Chick's WHO KILLED CLARICE?

Witch Doctors Trade In African Albinos

Over the past two years -- according to a new report from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies -- at least 56 albinos in the two countries have been murdered, and their body parts used by witch doctors to make charms and potions. The last known killing took place on Oct. 21, when albino hunters attacked 10-year-old Gasper Elikana in northern Tanzania. A gang of men hacked the boy to death in front of his family and neighbors -- who were wounded trying to protect the child -- before fleeing with his severed leg.

In the face of such brutality, thousands of albinos have gone into hiding, including 300 children being sheltered by the Red Cross at police-protected schools. "This is a great source of shame for the region," says Isaac Mwaura, national coordinator for the Albinism Society in neighboring Kenya, and an albino himself. "These are people who lack melanin, who are vulnerable, who nature has not treated so kindly. To then attack them and deprive them of the right to live is simply barbaric."

What sparked this outburst of targeted violence is still unclear. Some have blamed local folklore, which says albinos are endowed with mystical powers. "People think that we don't die and many other things that aren't true," says Mwaura. "Albinos are seen as a cure, because they possess something out of the ordinary."

However, Andrei Engstrand-Neacsu, one of the authors of the Red Cross report, says traditional beliefs aren't solely to blame. He notes that the murders started in 2007, around the time of a mining and fishing boom in northern Tanzania, when many people launched new business ventures. Superstitious entrepreneurs desperate to succeed may have bought "good luck" albino trinkets from witch doctors. "This is mostly an economic activity carried out by criminals who have seized an opportunity," he says. "They have found people sufficiently stupid to believe that by using magic potions made of albino body parts they could become rich or more powerful."

What's certain is that buyers -- most of whom are believed to be Tanzanian -- are willing to pay a high price for these horrific charms. Police have reported albino limbs being sold by witch doctors for $200, while a full "albino kit" -- consisting of limbs, nose, tongue, ears and genitals – costs $75,000. That's an astronomical sum in a country where almost 60% of the population lives on less than $1 a day, and it has led many experts to conclude that the demand for these goods comes from the upper-echelons of Tanzanian society. See Chick's comic, EXORCISTS.

Animal Sacrifices Begin

Hindus in Nepal start their giant animal sacrifice celebration, killing tens of thousands of oxen, chickens, and other cattle. They use a traditional tool that slowly kills the animal, often cutting off their rear legs to prevent them from escaping. Some of India has outlawed animal sacrifice, but like many of their religious traditions, (including women setting themselves on fire after their husbands die) law enforcement turns a blind eye to it. See Chick's THE TRAITOR.

Atheists Promote Godless Christmas

The American Humanist Association unveiled its holiday ads on Monday, and they feature a bunch of smiling revelers wearing Santa caps in a pitch that looks like just about every other holiday come-on, complete with red-and-green color scheme. But the giveaway is the jolly message broadcast in capital letters:

"NO GOD?. . . NO PROBLEM!"

The slogan is followed by a more traditional Christmas sentiment, "Be good for goodness' sake," but with this kicker: "Humanism is the idea that you can be good without a belief in God."

That statement seems true enough, though there is certainly no end to the argument between believers and non-believers as to whether you can be good without God, or whether God is in fact the reason for everything that is bad or good.

But apart from issues of trademark infringement -- matters best left to Santa's lawyers -- the latest ad campaign from the AHA raises the question of whether you can be good without Christmas, or something like it.

The AHA is billing the ad campaign as "a new kind of holiday tradition" and says the ads will run on trains and buses in Washington, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The "Godless Holiday" pitch kicks off in Washington over the Thanksgiving weekend with banners inside 200 buses and on the outside of 20 more, and in 50 metro cars. It will then ramp up in early December, along with the rest of the holiday rush.

The ad campaign is aimed not at soliciting donations -- it does not point you to any charity, though if you like it you can join the AHA -- but rather to letting non-believers know they are not alone at the holidays. "We . . . want nontheists to know there is a community of like-minded individuals out there they can connect with," says AHA head Roy Speckhardt.

But the campaign is also in keeping with the trend of atheists, agnostics, secularists, humanists and the range of unaffiliated Americans known to sociologists as the "Nones" (a growing category of perhaps 15 percent of respondents who choose "no religion" when asked by pollsters) to hop a ride on the polar express that is the Christmas holiday. See Chick's THE GREAT ONE.

Kennedy Bannded From Communion

Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin has banned Rep. Patrick Kennedy from receiving Communion, the central sacrament of the church, in Rhode Island because of the congressman's support for abortion, Kennedy said in a newspaper interview published Sunday.

The decision by the outspoken prelate, reported on The Providence Journal's Web site, significantly escalates a bitter dispute between Tobin, an ultra orthodox bishop, and Kennedy, a son of the nation's most famous Roman Catholic family.

"The bishop instructed me not to take Communion and said that he has instructed the diocesan priests not to give me Communion," Kennedy told the paper in an interview conducted Friday.

Kennedy said the bishop had explained the penalty by telling him "that I am not a good practicing Catholic because of the positions that I've taken as a public official," particularly on abortion. See Chick's WHO MURDERED CLARICE.

Christians Begin "Pray For Obama" Campaign

The slogan "Pray for Obama Psalm 109:8" has suddenly appeared on bumper stickers, T-shirts and, of course, online message boards. It's a hot Web search term. But what appears to be a statement of support turns out to be just the opposite.

Verse 8 of Psalm 109 says: "Let his days be few, and let another take his place of leadership," according to the New International Version of the Bible.

Diana Butler Bass of the religion blog Progressive Revival described it as "a sort of right-wing Christian equivalent of the old '01.20.09' stickers looking forward to the end of the Bush era."

While an American Civil Liberties Union official expressed concern about any hostility toward the president, she didn't criticize the slogan in an interview with The Christian Science Monitor because Verse 8 is only about removing him from office.

The verses that follow are a different matter.

"May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow."

"May his children be wandering beggars ... "

"May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor."

"May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation."

Of course, those are not the verses sited, so bringing them up is really an attempt to spin the debate in another direction. But for Democrats to complain about Republicans being too disrespectful toward the President (after they spent eight years comparing Bush to Hitler), just goes to show that the old adage is right: What goes around comes around.

US President Bows To Japanese Emperor

President Barack Obama's deep bow to Japan's emperor this weekend symbolized a culture clash -- East versus West and Right versus Left.

Conservatives were incensed by the way the president greeted Emperor Akihito in Tokyo on Saturday. Unlike in April, when the White House insisted Obama's bow to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia wasn't a bow at all, even though videos of the bow clearly show that it was.

In a Los Angeles Times blog post titled "How Low Will He Go?," Andrew Malcolm predicted Obama "could receive some frowns back home" for bowing to the emperor. The response among conservative commentators went way beyond frowns.

"He means to teach Americans to bow before monarchs and tyrants," railed Power Line's Scott Johnson, who charged that Obama is sending a message that the U.S. "now willingly prostrates itself before the rest of the world." Obama has spent much of his first year in office traveling abroad and apologizing to other nations and cultures.

Some were especially angry that the man the president bowed to is the son of Emperor Hirohito, who led Japan during World War II. RedState's Mark Impomeni -- whose blog post included iconic photos of the Iwo Jima flag-raising and Japan's surrender along with the picture of Obama's bow -- called the president "an embarrassment" who's "bent on dishonoring" the service and sacrifice of Americans who fought against Japan.

See Chick's THE WICKED MAGISTRATE.

Obama Tries To Stop Fort Hood Debate

In an apparent attempt to reduce criticism over lax surveillance of Islamic radicals in the armed forces, President Barack Obama urged Congress Saturday to hold off on any investigation on the Fort Hood shootings until other agencies have completed their probes into the shootings. A public investigation is likely to embarrass liberals who have called on law enforcement to closely watch soldiers who espouse right wing dogma, while threatening discrimination charges for efforts to investigate anti-American radicals with left wing connections.

Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, was charged on Thursday with the shooting spree at Fort Hood last week. Army investigators have said Hasan is the only suspect and could face additional charges. His strong Islamic and anti-American views were well known by other servicemen, but higher ups refused to investigate him out of fears of reducing "diversity". Hasan campaigned for Obama in the last election but was angered when the new President failed to return troops after taking the White House. See Chick's MEN OF PEACE?

UPDATE: The investigation is going forward, but the President has ordered the FBI and Army not to cooperate with it. This is in stark contrast to the cooperation that was expected with the 911 and New Orleans Hurricane investigations.