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Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" Indefinitely Suspended for Rambling Against Gay Sex

December 18, 2013, 5:53 pm
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I'm one of the few people in the USA who has never watched Duck Dynasty, though I understand that it is the most watched reality TV show in the history of reality TV shows. I learned earlier today of a new GQ interview with one of the Duck Dynasty stars, Phil Robertson, where he went on a minor anti-gay ramble:
“It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”
Later in the GQ article, Robertson quoted anti-gay Bible passages and compared gay relationships to bestiality and said that he believes that same-sex relationships are morally wrong.

Robertson later issued an apology through A&E (who broadcasts his reality TV show). Basically, he confirmed that he believes that same-sex relationships are sinful, but he loves gay people like he loves all people.

Not everyone came out against Robertson's statements. Fox New reporter Todd Starnes issued a series of supportive tweets about "intolerant, Anti-Straight groups" and the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer immediately began defending Robertson, Duck Dynasty, A&E, and Wal-Mart.

Now I learned to night that Phil Robertson has been indefinitely suspended from Duck Dynasty:
We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson’s comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series ‘Duck Dynasty,’” the company said. “His personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely.
What a speedy progression of events! I just learned of this whole situation during my lunch hour. I finish my work day, exercise, grocery shop, and feed the little ones and then find out roughly five hours later that he's been canned!

Personally, I think it's a lot made out of nothing. We've all heard worse statements from people who've never gotten in trouble. I mean, the Duggars alone campaign politically against LGBT people and families all the time and the eldest son is a leader of the Family Research Council! Granted, we're talking about different cable networks, but even gay-friendly Bravo features Real Housewives who love their gays -- but only when they do their hair and (literally) wear their high heels.

I could care less about Robertson's thoughts on gay sex vs. het sex. It doesn't bother me. My guess is that viewers of the show weren't surprised by his comments either. Personally, I wish he hadn't been suspended indefinitely. Now the anti-gays have an unwitting martyr and we LGBTs look like creeps because Phil Robertson thinks that vaginas are desirable.

Hopefully, this situation will eventually turn itself around after folks have had a chance to seriously reflect.
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Sonic Jumps in SONIC SUPER DIGEST #5!

December 19, 2013, 6:55 pm
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I bought SONIC SUPER DIGEST #5 a few weeks ago and finally got around to reading it. It was hidden in the back of my work tote! SONIC SUPER DIGEST is actually the one Archie Comics comic book featuring Sonic the Hedgehog that I consistently read. It's been a great resource for me to catch up with the little blue guy, his friends, and his enemies. Earlier issues of this title have been filled with reprint stories. But SONIC SUPER DIGEST #5 led off with a brand new story based of the "Sonic Jump" video game. "Sonic Jump" just happens to be the one Sonic iOS mobile game that I possess, so I was definitely excited to get my hands on this issue -- except for the fact that I lost in in my work tote until tonight!!

But I'm obsessing...

When I first learned of this issue, I assumed that the entire issue would have a "Sonic Jump" theme. That was a faulty assumption. Instead, "Sonic Jump" is a five-page story featuring a one-on-one vertical chase between Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Eggman. The not-so-good doctor has kidnapped a cage-full of animals and evades our favorite speedster by floating away into the sky.

Fortunately, this area of the Green Hill Zone is filled with floating chunks of land. That gives Sonic the opportunity to chase after Dr. Eggman. But what happens when he runs out of floating chunks? Could new stories featuring "Level Two" be in order?

The rest of SONIC SUPER DIGEST #5 features reprints of Sonic stories covering all eras of the title character's 20 year history. It's a great opportunity for novice fans like me to read up on Sonic's past adventures and figure out what's behind the hype. Definitely, check it out!
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New Mexico Just Became Marriage Equality State #17!!

December 19, 2013, 8:12 pm
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Good news! The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled unanimously earlier today that same-sex marriage is legal across that state -- effective immediately!!:
We conclude that although none of New Mexico’s marriage statutes specifically prohibit same-gender marriages, when read as a whole, the statutes have the effect of precluding same-gender couples from marrying and benefiting from the rights, protections, and responsibilities that flow from a civil marriage. Same-gender couples who wish to enter into a civil marriage with another person of their choice and to the exclusion of all others are similarly situated to opposite-gender couples who want to do the same, yet they are treated differently.

Because same-gender couples (whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, hereinafter “LGBT”) are a discrete group which has been subjected to a history of discrimination and violence, and which has inadequate political power to protect itself from such treatment, the classification at issue must withstand intermediate scrutiny to be constitutional. Accordingly, New Mexico may neither constitutionally deny same-gender couples the right to marry nor deprive them of the rights, protections, and responsibilities of marriage laws, unless the proponents of the legislation—the opponents of same-gender marriage—prove that the discrimination caused by the legislation is “substantially related to an important government interest.”
This makes New Mexico the 17th Marriage Equality State! What a great Christmas present to that state's gay and lesbian couples!
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University Heights, IA, City Councilor Accused of Shoplifting // Updated 12/20/13: Rosanne Hopson Guilty of 5th-Degree Theft

December 20, 2013, 6:25 am
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(Originally written on 10/11/13): University Heights, IA, is this tiny little town smooshed within the city of Iowa City. Its population is about the size of my hometown (about 1,000), but with no scenic country view. It has a reputation for being a speed trap. Otherwise, it's mostly residential.

I was listening to KCJJ radio yesterday morning when I first heard police reports that 55-year-old Rosanne Colosimo Hopson, a member of the University Heights City Council, was arrested and charged with 5th Degree Theft Wednesday evening. According to news reports, Hopson was shopping at the Waterfront Hy-Vee grocery store when loss prevention officers noticed her eating dried fruit from a bag. They report that she put the bag in her purse when she was done and failed to pay for the fruit with the rest of her grocery.

The value of the bag of dried fruit is $0.49.

Hopson claims that the empty bag of fruit, which she admitted to sampling from, must have accidentally fallen into her purse. If convicted of this charge, Hopson faces up to 30 days in jail.

KCJJ reported online that sources within Hy-Vee suspects Hopson of similar thefts in the past and had been trying to catch her for a while.

Hopson is current up for re-election and has been serving on the University Heights City Council since 2011.

Updated on 12/20/13: Rosanne Hopson finally had her day in court -- and she was found guilty of fifth-degree theft for stealing a $0.49 bag of dried fruit:
Police say Hopson attempted to leave Waterfront Hy-Vee with a 49-cent bag of dried fruit in her purse.

Hy-Vee loss prevention officers told police that Hopson took a bag of dried fruit from the store’s bulk section and snacked on it while she shopped. Hopson paid for the other items in her shopping cart but not the bag of fruit, which was found under a napkin in her purse, according to police.

During the bench trial, Hopson said the alleged theft was an accident and she never intended to steal the dried fruit.
KCJJ Radio reports that Hy-Vee loss prevention officials had suspected Hopson of similar thefts in the past and had been trying to catch her in the act.

Hopson will undergo a sentencing hearing on 01/24/13.

Hopson was elected to the University Heights City Council in 2011. She lost her re-election bid last month. She will remain in office until the end of 2013.
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Some Final Thoughts on the "Duck Dynasty" Kerfuffle

December 20, 2013, 6:26 am
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I really hate stuff like this Phil Robertson/"Duck Dynasty" story. They end up polarizing and it just seems like a bunch of opportunistic people attempting to glob onto the story and make it into an anti-Christian message and free speech. Because it's every network's obligation to give a reality TV to anyone who wants one. And of course, everyone from Fox News' Todd Starnes to Sarah Palin to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal are totally behind Phil Robertson's Christian message about the desirability of vaginas while seemingly also supporting his belief that black people loved living in the Jim Crow-era south.

I actually found myself discussing this issue tonight with a guy on an online discussion board who asserted that he has no problem with any of Robertson's statements, including these racist assertions:
Phil On Growing Up in Pre-Civil-Rights-Era Louisiana -- “I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field.... They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”
"I wouldn't mind working for an open racist, if he didn't act on that racism negatively," I was told by this 20-year-old white guy. "If a man can defend his beliefs, then I will respect him, no matter how wrong I think he is."

I told the guy that I'm the father of a multiracial son and would never tolerate working for an "open racist." I mean, c'mon...

Speaking of my 13-year-old son, even he is wise enough to recognize that Jim Crow-era black people weren't content to toil in the plantation fields throughout their lives -- especially while being legally prevented from voting, from shopping at most stores, from drinking out of certain drinking fountains, from attending good schools unmolested, from getting well-paying job that he'd actually prosper at, and from interacting with white people.

And then there is the racist assertion that the black folks who would have hoed cotton in the fields are now all sitting around collecting welfare benefits. Because all black people sit around collecting a welfare check.

But now people are ranting about A&E interfering with Robertson's free speech rights, ignoring the fact that public figures are routinely fired for unwisely expressing their free speech rights. I mean, where were Palin and Jindal when MSNBC got rid of Alec Baldwin and Martin Bashir after each of those men exercised their free speech rights? Where were Palin and Jindal when TLC booted Crazy Tony from the "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" reality TV show for dancing around a highway wearing a gorilla costume? Don't his free speech rights count?

And where is my obligatory reality TV show? I want one and unless some cable network reaches out to me with a television proposal very soon, I will be forced to issue a public complaint about the restriction of my own free speech rights. That's a ridiculous idea, but that's how people are coming across with this story.

I guarantee that Phil Robertson's free speech won't be curtailed for long. He will have tons of speaking gigs where he will be able to share his story, his faith, his fascination for vaginas, and his belief that gay people are heartless and faithless. And my guess is that he will eventually return to the program at some not-to-distant-point-in-the-future as part of some hyped publicity scheme.

The cynical part of me believes that this is all part of some corporate hype effort to draw more eyes to this reality TV show and to create more buzz for the show and for the show's stars. And that gay people were at the center for this new culture war front. And it bugs me that we likely fell for it.
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Nero and Ms. Lion at Daycare -- 12/20/13

December 20, 2013, 3:08 pm
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Both dogs got sent to doggy daycare today. Nero was super excited when I dropped him off. Ms. Lion was shivering. Looks like she continued to shiver, because they draped her in a blanket! At least she doesn't look freaked out like she normally does when we take her to Lucky Pawz! Check it out:


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Is Utah the 18th Marriage Equality State??

December 20, 2013, 3:50 pm
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OMFG... I absolutely did not see this one coming. Earlier this afternoon, a federal judge in Utah struck down Utah's ban on same-sex marriage, asserting that it violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantees of equal protection and due process!:
"The state’s current laws deny its gay and lesbian citizens their fundamental right to marry and, in so doing, demean the dignity of these same-sex couples for no rational reason," wrote U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby. "Accordingly, the court finds that these laws are unconstitutional."
Needless to say, neither Gov. Gary Herbert nor Utah's Attorney General's Office are pleased with this decision. They immediately began complaining about Judge Shelby being an "activist federal judge" and stating that they are drafting a motion seeking a stay on today's ruling, as well as an appeal.

Meanwhile, dozens of same-sex couples are lined up in Salt Lake City in an effort to get legally married before any stay motions are hypothetically approved. Utah allows couples to officially marry and receive their marriage licenses all at once. This couple is reportedly the first same-sex couple to legally marry in Utah.

This will not be an easy win. The Utah government will fight this battle tooth-and-nail all the way to their highest courts. But Pandora's Box has been opened. Utah no has numerous same-sex couples who have successfully applied for and received legal marriage licenses. That cannot be taken from them.

This is indeed an exciting day!
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Methodist Minister Defrocked After Getting in Trouble for Officiating at his Gay Son's Wedding

December 21, 2013, 5:04 am
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Last month, United Methodist Church minister Rev. Frank Schaefer was convicted by a church jury for officiating at the wedding of his oldest gay son. The private wedding took place in 2007 in another state, but a complaint was filed by a member of his church weeks before the six-year statute of limitation for filing such complaints. Rev. Schaefer hadn't made a big deal out of the wedding, but it wasn't a secret either. Since he refused to promise to avoid same-sex wedding in the future (three of his four children are gay), a church trial was held and Rev. Schaefer was convicted of disobeying the Methodist Book of Discipline.

Following his conviction, Rev. Schaefer was suspended from ministerial duties for 30 days. During those 30 days, he was to "take time to prayerfully discern new calling to LGBT persons" and he was to meet with the Board of Ordained Ministry. He was told that he would be permanently stripped of his ministerial orders if after 30 days he decided that he could not follow the Methodist Book of Discipline 100%.

Rev. Frank Schaefer was formally defrocked by United Methodist Church officials on Thursday, December 19, 2013, because he officiated at the wedding of his eldest son:
In an interview afterward, Mr. Schaefer said that as he got into the car to go home, his wife noticed he was shaking. “For 20 years, I’ve served this church, and it has now put me outside,” he said. “I find myself totally shunned, excluded. It just felt awful.”
      
He said he would not consider leaving the Methodist Church for a denomination that has changed its teaching on homosexuality.
      
“It’s not that easy when a church is your spiritual home,” he said. “All my children have been baptized in the United Methodist Church. I don’t know how to be a minister out of the United Methodist Church.”
It sounds like Rev. Schaefer is gonna have to learn because I don't see the UMC changing its decision anytime soon, despite his appeal of the decision.
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Archie & Friends Become "Holiday Heroes" in ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #246!

December 22, 2013, 6:12 am
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I recently heard that Archie Comics had stepped up in a big way with its support for the Toys For Tots program by donating over one million dollars worth of children's book to the program. Toys For Tots is a not-for-profit charity organization dedicated to providing Christmas toys to needy children:
"We couldn't think of a worthier or better charity to donate our books to than Toys For Tots," said Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater. "We are extremely proud to encourage children to discover reading who may not have the opportunity and hopefully enrich their lives through our characters."
This story was in the back of my head when I read a new story in ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #246 titled "Holiday Heroes." This story was written by Alex Simmons and penciled by Jeff Schultz. It tells the story of how Kevin, Betty, and Jughead recruit Archie and Chuck to collect and deliver new toys to needy kids:


Archie is a reluctant volunteer, but quickly gets into the spirit. But will the day be ruined when their last toy delivery gets ruined by a nasty water leak? Maybe not -- Archie has a plan!

"Holiday Heroes" was a lot of fun. It showed the Riverdale Gang at their best -- doing a good deed for a good cause, while overcoming a major obstacle.

I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure that this was the first time that Kevin Keller showed up in any of Archie Comics' digest comic books. Usually I see him running around with Veronica, so it was actually good to see him teaming up with the rest of the gang for a change.

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Nero and Ms. Lion at Daycare -- 12/21/13

December 22, 2013, 1:40 pm
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Nero and Ms. Lion spent the weekend at Lucky Pawz while the rest of the family (minus the cat) traveled north for a family wedding. Ms. Lion looked miserable on Friday, but looks like she's much happier in these Saturday pics. Nero, as usual, always loves to play with his friend. Check it out:


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Alabama Community Upset After Hiring All-Male Drag Troupe to Perform at their Community's Christmas Parade

December 23, 2013, 6:20 pm
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The community of Semmes, Alabama, is all worked up after one of the performance groups that they hired for their annual Christmas parade showed up to complete the terms of their employment. The Friends of Semmes hired, among other acts, a dancing group consisting of black drag queens to march in the Semmes Christmas Parade. The group is called The Prancing Elite and they're pretty good performers, judging from this video:

According to this news report, parade goers were "outraged" and appalled" by the Prancing Elite. Others were concerned about children being tainted by the performance:
The captain of the troupe, Kentrell Collins, said he believed the offer had been made in good faith, and that the representative for the Friends of Semmes to whom he spoke knew who she was hiring. “I said we’re all over 21 and we’re guys. She was so excited. She was like I didn’t know they had any groups like that in Mobile,” Collins told Fox 10 News...

The members of “The Prancing Elite” sympathized with those who were offended. “We do want to apologize if we offended anybody who did not know who we were before today, but still at the end of the day, we only just came to dance and we did get invited,” troupe leader Collins said.
It's already been announced that the Friends of Semmes will not be allowed to book performance groups at next year's Christmas Parade. Instead, the local city council will assume that responsibility.
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The Navajo Nation Clarifies: Our Gay Marriage Ban Still Exists!

December 23, 2013, 6:30 pm
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New Mexico might have marriage equality, but the Navajo Nation is still a marriage inequality tribe!:
In June 2005, the Navajo Nation Council enacted the Diné Marriage Act to recognize marriages "contracted" outside of tribal lands but that law says same-sex marriage is "void and prohibited." Navajo law also does not recognize polygamy or marriage between family members. "The purposes of marriage on the Navajo Nation are to promote strong families and to preserve and strengthen family values," the law states.

Deswood Tome, an advisor to Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly, said New Mexico's legalization of same-sex marriage does not affect tribal law. The Navajo Tribe is a sovereign nation and while it respects the laws of other states and agencies, it has established its own law regarding same-sex marriage and that remains in place until the council decides otherwise, he said.
This is the flipside of other recent news stories where American Indian tribes -- including the Coquille Indian Tribe in Oregon, the Santa Ysabel Tribe in California, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington State, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma -- have recognized same-sex marriages within their own tribes even though the surrounding state bans recognition of such marriages.
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Black Santa Shot by Pellet Gun During Toy Giveaway!

December 24, 2013, 2:57 pm
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Fox News might doubt the legitimacy of Black Santa, but one such Santa found himself shot twice in the back earlier today at a Christmas toy drive!

The Santa was shot twice in the back by a pellet gun from a nearby home in Washington DC. Unfortunately, the police were limited with their response because they couldn't enter any of the neighboring homes without a search warrant. Black Santa was sent to the hospital because of the pellets was still stuck in his shoulder.

But the toy drive continued -- without the aid of a Santa!
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Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2013, 9:59 am
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Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

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Senator Tom Harkin: Working Families Need Congress' Help

December 26, 2013, 4:57 am
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Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa speaking last week:


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Chick-Phil-A Day

December 26, 2013, 6:32 pm
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Lots of people have apparently pledged to wear camouflage and eat at Chick-fil-A on Tuesday, January 21, 2014, to show their support for Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" and his free speech rights. They are calling it "Chick-Phil-A Day."

These supporters want to support Robertson's right to assert his preferences for vaginas over anuses, as well as his religious beliefs against gay relationships. They are upset because A&E chose to "indefinitely suspend" him from the show -- even though Robertson continues to appear on new episodes of the program and even though A&E doesn't mind airing "Duck Dynasty" marathons throughout the Christmas break.

But these same folks are also planning to go to Chick-fil-A to support his right to say this about Jim Crow-era southern blacks... right? Because that was part of the infamous GQ article that people are flocking behind:
Phil On Growing Up in Pre-Civil-Rights-Era Louisiana -- “I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field.... They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”
Chick-fil-A has nothing to do with this effort. Neither does Phil Robertson. But Chick-fil-A will benefit monetarily from this event. And we LGBTs will be treated to yet another day when our Facebook feeds are filled with images of "friends" flocking to Chick-fil-A to support their "freedom of speech" against us.

Something to look forward to, eh?
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Phil Robertson's Suspension from "Duck Dynasty" Lifted

December 27, 2013, 5:33 pm
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A week ago Wednesday, Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" got some attention for quoting anti-gay Bible verses and for asserting that vaginas are where it's at (and for talking about how blacks were happier under Jim Crow -- but few seem to care about that) in a GQ article. I learned of this during my lunch hour and by the time I got home from work, he'd been "indefinitely suspended" from Duck Dynasty by A&E.


Earlier today, A&E defined the terms of his suspension:
As a global media content company, A+E Networks' core values are centered around creativity, inclusion and mutual respect. We believe it is a privilege for our brands to be invited into people's homes, and we operate with a strong sense of integrity and deep commitment to these principles. 
That is why we reacted so quickly and strongly to a recent interview with Phil Robertson. While Phil's comments made in the interview reflect his personal views based on his own beliefs and his own personal journey, he and his family have publicly stated they regret the "coarse language" he used and the misinterpretation of his core beliefs based only on the article. He also made it clear he would "never incite or encourage hate." We at A+E Networks expressed our disappointment with his statements in the article and reiterate that they are not views we hold. 
But Duck Dynasty is not a show about one man's views. It resonates with a large audience because it is a show about family … a family that America has come to love. As you might have seen in many episodes, they come together to reflect and pray for unity, tolerance and forgiveness. These are three values that we at A+E Networks also feel strongly about. 
So after discussions with the Robertson family, as well as consulting with numerous advocacy groups, A&E has decided to resume filming Duck Dynasty later this spring with the entire Robertson family. 
We will also use this moment to launch a national public service campaign (PSA) promoting unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people, a message that supports our core values as a company and the values found in Duck Dynasty. These PSAs will air across our entire portfolio.
Keep in mind, Robertson was suspended for 1 1/2 weeks. Production was already halted during that time period due to Christmas. My understand is that at least one new episode of the reality TV show aired during that time period with Phil Robertson in it. A&E also had back-to-back marathons of the program throughout the Christmas break.

I know I was being cynical for suggesting that this whole dust-up was manufactured by the network, by the production team, and by the Duck Dynasty family, but I don't believe that I am wrong about that. It ensured a nice culture war reaction right before Christmas when lots of people were looking for Duck Dynasty products to purchase from Wal-Mart and lots of time to watch something on cable TV. They got lots of people talking about the show. And the entire family will return to produce new episodes early next year.
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Senator Mike Lee Sponsors Bill Preventing the IRS from Punishing Churchs for Refusing Gay Weddings -- Even Though No Church Is Forced to Marry Any Couple Regardless of Gay or Straight!

December 28, 2013, 9:26 am
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Senator Mike Lee (R) of Utah introduced a bill called the "Marriage and Religious Freedom Act," which would prevent the IRS from denying tax-exempt status to any person or group that refuses to perform gay marriages -- because absolutely zero churches and/or religious officials have lost their tax-exempt status for refusing to officiate at the weddings of gay and lesbian couples (or any couple, for that matter) during the past decade of same-sex marriage in America:
"What we're talking about here is the freedom of religious belief, the freedom of a church, for example, to adhere to its own religious doctrine so that it cannot be discriminated against by the government," the Utah Republican said in an interview with Newsmax.

Lee said the federal government's failure to protect religious liberty — citing Obamacare mandates for contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs — was a key motivation for him to introduce the "Marriage and Religious Freedom Act," which protects clergy from being punished if they refuse to perform gay marriages.

"This is something that the overwhelming majority of Americans would support and the overwhelming majority of Americans would be disappointed if they discovered Congress would be unwilling to pass something like this," Lee said.
On the other hand, we have seen social and political conservatives trying to outright ban willing chaplains from having the option of officiating at the weddings of same-sex couples. We have had clergy defrocked for officiating at the same-sex weddings of friends and family members. We have had clergy defrocked for simply attending same-sex weddings.

But this bill is needed because of some nonexistent threat that gays will force Catholic priests to marry them.

The "Marriage and Religious Freedom Act" has the support of groups such as the National Organization for Marriage, Heritage Action, Concerned Woman for America, and the Family Research Council.
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No Easy Choice -- Defrocked Methodist Minister Forced to Choose Career over his Family

December 29, 2013, 3:20 pm
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(Rev. Schaefer and Son)
I'm having one of those afternoons where I can't think of much to write about except "Duck Dynasty" and I really don't want to write anything more "Duck Dynasty" this weekend! Instead, I was prompted to revisit the story of Rev. Frank Schaefer of Pennsylvania who was recently defrocked from the United Methodist Church after he got in trouble for officiating at his gay son's wedding six years ago (read here and here for background).

Two weeks ago when news broke that Rev. Schaefer was indeed defrocked, I made a simple comment following this article on the Religion News Service website:
How sad. Rev. Frank Schaefer was defrocked by the United Methodist Church (the church that I grew up in) because he officiated at the wedding of his oldest son. How terribly sad.
I ignored a response by this Frank guy who usually makes the rounds when these topics are brought up, but was intrigued by a guy named Duane Lamers who commented:
Mr. Trouten, it can be argued that Schaefer did not officiate at the wedding of his son because marriage is between a male and a female. Perhaps if he had devised some other recognition for this cohabitation, he might not have incurred suspension.
Which prompted an obvious response by me:
It could be argued that he didn’t officiate at his son’s wedding, but he actually did and that is why he was defrocked.
I understand what Mr. Lamers was trying to communicate -- that there was no actual wedding because marriage can only exist between a man and a woman (despite the fact that there are married gay couples throughout the world, as well as plural marriages throughout the world also). But obviously the wedding occurred or else he wouldn't have been convicted of disobeying the Methodist Book of Discipline for officiating at the wedding and he wouldn't haven't been defrocked as a result of that conviction!

But did you know that Methodist ministers aren't just prohibited from officiating at same-sex weddings? Apparently, Methodist ministers are banned from just attending gay weddings!

I was at a wedding last weekend -- an opposite-sex wedding. I don't want to get anyone in trouble for any misunderstanding!!. Later during the reception, I got to chatting with the Methodist minister who officiated at this particular wedding.

Somehow, the subject of my own wedding came up and he was a little surprised to learn that I had a church wedding. He was less surprised when he learned that I'm no longer a member of the United Methodist Church, but instead the United Church of Christ.

That led to a shift in the conversation about Rev. Schaefer getting defrocked. That's when I learned about the "no attending gay weddings" rule from this particular Methodist minister. We discussed how difficult it really was for Rev. Schaefer to promise to avoid future same-sex weddings given that most of his children are gay adults. "Really, there's no choice," the minister told me. "You choose your child."

Do you reject your child or do you stay away for your career? That is the painful divide between real life relationships versus rigid institutional dogma. It will be interesting to see which side wins out in the end.
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"Afterlife With Archie #3": Who's Infected?

December 30, 2013, 4:08 pm
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You might remember this November 2013 blog article about AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE #2 where I finished with the following image. Basically, we readers were teased with the question of which member of the Riverdale Gang is already infected with Sabrina's zombie spell? Here were the choices: Archie? Veronica? Betty? Moose? Midge? Dilton? Chuck? Reggie? Or Kevin?

Archie's online fans were polled and here are the results:


Moose is clearly in the lead with 28% of the vote followed by Reggie and Midge with 14% and 13% of the vote, respectively.

I also believe that Moose is the one who's infected. He had a lot of contact with Jughead and most of it was off-panel. I could say the same thing about Archie, but I really don't see him becoming a zombie in the near future. But my second choice remains Betty. What do you want to be that Zombie Ethel scratched our favorite Good Girl? Plus, the second story arc is titled "R.I.P. Betty," which kind of hints at her demise.

Who's you choice? Do you agree with me and the majority of Archie fandom about Moose's infection? Or do you march to a different drummer's beat?
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