Tag: church and state - Page 50

February 15, 2006

Ohio Board of Education does the right thing – finally

On Tuesday, February 14th, at the monthly meeting of the Ohio Board of Education, it voted 11 to 4 to remove the lesson plan that allowed Intelligent Design to be taught in public schools.

Of course the issue is not closed. I would be foolish to think so, but it is less likely now that the same lesson plan could be approved again. However since four board member’s terms end at the end of the year, real science supporters need to pay attention and make sure that religious conservatives don’t back door us again.

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February 15, 2006

Air Force backs down to religious conservatives

In August the Pentagon issued guidelines meant to protect religious liberty by discouraging public prayers at routine events and warned superior officers that personal expressions of faith could be misunderstood as official statements.

Religious conservatives organized a response and pressured the Pentagon to revise the guidelines. The new version was issued last week.

Proselytizing is not exercising your religious beliefs. Going to church or prayer is practicing your religion. Proselytizing is being a pain in the ass by telling someone, whether they want to hear it or not, about why they should join your church or religion.

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February 9, 2006

Mayor who supports public display of Nativity scene issues resolution honoring Darwin

HCCO sent letters to the mayors of several Central Ohio cities and asked for a proclamation recognizing February 12th as Darwin Day in their city. Mayors issue proclamations as way to give special recognition to various groups and ideas. It is common practice for a mayor to issue one in recognition of the National Day of Prayer.

One of the responses was a surprise.

Mayor Robert L. McPherson of Reynoldsburg, OH was the first mayor to declare Darwin Day.

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January 22, 2006

Tapes reveal Intelligent Design supporters on Ohio Board work to censor opposition

Democracy is great.

Our government and its agencies are required to have open meetings where one can observe the process and give input. If you have an issue you are passionate about you can use that forum to express your views and the body you are addressing may listen and consider your views.

That’s how its suppose to work, unless your issue is real science and those who support fake science like Intelligent Design (ID) try to censor you.

That’s what happened at the January 10th meeting of the Ohio Board of Education when the topic of removing a lesson plan favoring fake science came up.

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January 21, 2006

Rev. Rod Parsley comes outside his lush estate to give his side in IRS electioneering complaint

**Rev. Rod Parsley of the World Harvest Church in Ohio**

I guess the PR people at World Harvest Church were a bit upset at all the face time fellow electioneering minister Rev. Russell Johnson, senior pastor of the Fairfield Christian Church in Lancaster, was getting over the IRS complaint filed by clergy from 31 denominations this week. Rev. Rod Parsley, the founder and senior pastor of World Harvest, and television heart throb to shut-ins, came outside his lush estate in Canal Winchester, to speak to the unwashed of the media. A PR flack had previously made comments about the complaint.

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January 18, 2006

Blackwell, Johnson, Parsley hit back at IRS complaint

Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth Blackwell, Rev. Russell Johnson, pastor of Fairfield Christian Church and chairman of Ohio Restoration Project, and Rev. Rod Parsley, of the World Harvest Church in Columbus, hit back at a complaint filed with the IRS by 31 mainline clergy members over Johnson and Parsley using their churches to electioneer for Blackwell. In the Dispatch article today, it noted that Blackwell was the only governor candidate invited. Betty Montgomery, another candidate, who supported the gay marriage ban, wasn’t invited. Johnson said she wasn’t invited because she is “pro-abortion.”

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