CovCath H.S. in Northern Kentucky Linked to Incident at DC Anti-Abortion Rally

Multiple news outlets are reporting (here, here, and here) evidence and accounts that a group of local students from Covington Catholic High School were involved in an incident Friday  January 18th at the March 4 Life event, an anti-abortion event in Washington, D.C.

Video exists that shows students taunting a Native American Elder who was attending an Indigenous Peoples protest against Genocide, that also was taking place in Washington, D.C.  on Friday.

Saturday morning, multiple videos went viral on Social Media.

The simple truth of it, the kids doing the taunting, while some wore "MAGA" hats, were despicable.  There is not been a full confirmation that all of those involved were from CovCath, but in the videos multiple individuals are wearing Covington Catholic clothing.

Few are defending this group of kids at this point, but more will come once parents start trying to spin things.  This should be an incident that the parents use to teach their kids and hope they can learn from it.  I think some parents will do that.  Unfortunately, some will not, and will either condone or make excuses.

Learning from one's mistakes is how we grow as people.  Parents letting their shitty kids get away with this crap and face no consequences, that is the entitlement that drives people apart.  I fear that too many of these kids learned this type of behavior from their parents and those parents think it's appropriate to be horrid and mocking to people who look different.  I hope they can learn.

A Case of Bad Journalism From WCPO

The bad journalism from WCPO has two parts. On WCPO's site they have a story about an alleged act of vandalism where "anti-religious" graffiti was painted on two church buildings. So, what's the problem with that? Well, the first part of the problem is in the video portion of the story. That video report does not provide any specifics of what the graffiti stated, only the reporters claim from the Minister who the reporter stated would not tell them what the graffiti said, because the words were so "harsh". No pictures were provided of the graffiti and clean up had occurred on at least one of the structures shown on video. W therefore don't know that is was "anti-religious." We have on claim of something we don't have proof actually happened. The motivation for the vandalism may have been more directed at the actions or beliefs of this church, not against religious in general.  Most crimes are not randomly chosen. It is portrayed as "anti-religious" but this could have been a religious person who just didn't share this church's beliefs.

That does not mean it didn't happen, it just means there could be more to the story and the motivation for why someone targeted this church could have backstory that would give context. Reading their website, this would not be considered a mainline Christian church, it is what I would classify as Pentecostal, so there are possible conflicts with this Church that could be a motive for the vandalism that would not be "anti-religious." The minister went on to claim that he "sensed" this came from a random person. Why does it matter that it was a random person who he senses has no connection to his church? We don't have enough information to judge what the graffiti words stated to know if there could be a connection or reasons this church was targeted. The Church stated they did file a police report, but would not press charges if they get an apology. I sense they may have an idea who the vandal may be, so if that is the case I hope they passed that on to the police and are not using this as a means to gain attention with the media.

So, the second problem is with the online story. In the link above after the video section, there is an article that mostly rehashes the video story. There is a big addition, however, that links this action to the hate crime that occurred at Hebrew Union College where a Swastika was painted on the school's sign. If we don't know what the graffiti on West Chester church stated, how can anyone link these stories by saying both are instances of "religiously targeted graffiti?" We know one was a hate crime, we don't know if they other was, so why link them? It is a bad journalism and WCPO needs to remove that linkage from the story. They also should have reported what the police report stated, assuming it included detail of the graffiti or pictures. If they didn't get the police report prior to running the story, then they failed a third time for this story, not even confirming basic facts.

Bigotry Wins a Battle in a Local Catholic High School

It is sad, but not a surprise that the Cincinnati Archdiocese bowed to local and national pressure from anti-Muslim groups and parents.  Archbishop Dennis Schnurr cancelled a potluck dinner at Mother of Mercy High School in Westwood between students and local Muslims. The dinner was to be Ramadan meal and was meant as a way for students to learn about and meet local Muslims in hopes to better understanding the religion and the people who practice it. Instead, the event at the school was cancelled and a different Catholic group in University Heights will hold the event, without the school's involvement.

Teaching that bigotry wins is the result of this incident. That will create more bigotry. What is worse is that some parents, like Kelly Jennings, are teaching bigotry directly by acting to prevent this event. I just don't understand the fear and ignorance of fools like Jennings. They appear to live in bubble, with just a single tube of information flowing in and scared stiff that adding more sources will pop their mythical safety net.  This lingering bigotry is so foolish, yet so hard to break.

Damon Lynch III's Church to Leave Over-the-Rhine

I find it very surprising that the New Prospect Baptist Church is leaving Over-the-Rhine. I am surprised that Damon Lynch III would do that. From a pure practical perspective, the article lays out a case for the church, which appears to want a more big box church facility. That's not something you would find in OTR. I thought, however, that part of the Church's mission was to reach the trouble youth of the inner-city, which places them right where they need to be. Are they abandoning that mission or are do they see that mission being more of an issue in other neighborhoods in the City? On the other hand are they looking to capitalize on the demand for property in that part of OTR?

I am really not sure what to make of this. What does it say about the neighborhood? We are days away from the 10th anniversary of the killing to Timothy Thomas and the Riots of 2001 and a church that was at the epicenter of those events announces they are leaving the neighborhood. The neighborhood is on the upward rise. I want to live in a diverse neighborhood, and New Prospect leaving makes it less diverse. Or does it? As the article points out, most of the people going to the church don't live in OTR, so does this really affect much at all?

Creation Muesum Founder Banned from Home Schooling Convention For 'Ungodly' Comments

The delusional mistaken founder of the Creation Muesum, Ken Ham, had been banned from a homeschool convention to take place in Cincinnati next week.

He was banned for making "ungodly and mean-spirited" comments about another speaker at the convention who believes the biblical story of the fall of Adam and Even can be viewed as an allegory. The speaker Ham spoke against is Peter Enns of the Biologos Foundation. Here's the description of the group from its website:

The BioLogos Foundation is a group of Christians, many of whom are professional scientists, biblical scholars, philosophers, theologians, pastors, and educators, who are concerned about the long history of disharmony between the findings of science and large sectors of the Christian faith

Ham is clearly an extremist, but it takes a special kind of extremist to attack people who are trying to promote harmony between groups who share sometimes conflicting views. That kind of extremism has lead to violence in the past. This convention was wise to ban Ken Ham.

Perceived Gay Couple Denied Admission to Creation 'Museum'

Read up on the two men denied entrance to the Creation 'Museum' for a Date Night event because security guards believed they were Gay. This is an event that they had spent $71 each for tickets and didn't get a refund.

The Creation 'Museum' is the same organization that is seeking state tax-breaks for building a Biblical theme park. I am thinking there is clear problem with discrimination and as you might guess, non-Christians (Gay-Christians I would surmise as well) are not welcome to visit this establishment.  The Commonwealth of Kentucky should not be in the business of helping religious and Gay bigotry prosper.

Don't tell the Kentucky Enquirer this happened, they might have to improve their embarrassing coverage of the farce that is the Creation 'Museum.'

PETA Loves a Butterless Jesus

The Oxford Press reports that PETA, the pro-animal rights group, has offered to rebuild the "King of Kings" statue located at the Solid Rock Church in Monroe. The statute known better as Touchdown Jesus and Big Butter Jesus, burned down recently after being struck by lightning. PETA sent a letter to the church leaders proposing a new statue of Jesus holding a lamb with an inscribed message reading "Blessed Are the Merciful. Go Vegan."

No word yet from the Church.

You can't make this stuff up.

Protest for Equal Marriage in Cincinnati, 11/15/08

From the wonderful Barry at QueerCincinnati...

A protest in favor of equal marriage will occur at Cincinnati's City Hall on Saturday, November 15 at 1:30p.m. Local students, activists, and community members lead this event as part of a day of national protests in reaction to the passage of Proposition 8 in California, re-banning equal marriage in that state.

The local movement is being organized by Cameron Tolle, a junior at Xavier University and Vice President of the Xavier LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified, queer/questioning) Alliance, with the assistance of students from the University of Cincinnati and Miami University, along with several community members. Organizers state that the goal is not to overturn Proposition 8, but to create a national movement and create awareness for the effects that anti-gay legislation has on the local community. The protest will occur in conjunction with other groups from around the country at the same time as part of an initiative launched by JoinTheImpact.com; local organizers are in contact with many of these other coalitions as a way of building unity. In the first two days of organization, almost 300 people have stated they will be in attendance; 500 people are expected to attend the event.

"Last week, voters in California, Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas allowed hate to infiltrate into our political system and classified the LGBTQ community as second-class citizens," Tolle says. "We cannot sit back and watch this happen. We have to let our communities know that we oppose hatred under the law in all forms. In Ohio, we live in a state that has already declared inequality by banning equal marriage and failing to include crimes against LGBTQ individuals under state hate crime laws. We cannot let this hatred under the law perpetuate any further."

JoinTheImpact.com is a national initiative that was created in reaction to the anger felt by many who believe in equal marriage rights after the passage of California's Proposition 8. It is a loose coalition of activists and organizations who seek to bring positive change in the fight for equality. The movement, less than a week old, is drawing hundreds of thousands of hits a day to its websites. Almost 40 localities have announced protests in correlation with the initiative. More are expected to join in the coming week.

According to the website, the goal is to "come together for debate, for public recognition, and for LOVE! ... [to] move as one full unit, on the same day, at the same hour, and...show the United States of America that we too are UNITED CITIZENS EQUAL [sic] IN MIND, BODY, SPIRIT AND DESERVING OF FULL EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW."

Local organizers are hopeful that the protest will spur discussion and movement towards positive change in the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana region. Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana all currently have laws banning equal marriage rights; Ohio and Kentucky have constitutional amendments, passed by voters in 2004, to the same effect.

You can't buy publicity like this.

Jerry Springer the Musical is opening at New Stage Collective tonight. So, naturally, we get tons of protestors...

(Yes, the same ones that protested Know's Corpus Christi a few years ago.)

For me, my thought is "If you don't want to see it, don't see it," however the group America Needs Fatima sees it differently. America Needs Fatima (not a link to them, but a background on their group) is an ultra-conservative, Catholic group that it seems most Catholics think is fringe and freaky. Freedom of speech and all of that, but hey-- they're getting the show more publicity than it could ever pay for.

And, why yes, those ARE jackboots. I'm so glad you asked.

Cincinnati: More Progressive Than You Think?

I'm a little reluctant to post this for fear of starting a religious flame war in the comment thread. But as a born-and-raised Presbyterian (the son, in fact, of a Presbyterian pastor), I can't pass up this story.

Tuesday night, the Presbytery of Cincinnati (roughly the equivalent of a diocese, but governed democratically rather than by a bishop) voted to send an overture to the General Assembly (the Presbyterian Church's national governing body, which meets once every two years) to permit the ordination of openly gay and lesbian pastors, elders, and deacons. The Enquirer's coverage is here.

It's certainly not surprising that a presbytery is sending such an overture to the General Assembly. This is a battle that the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been fighting for years. Many believe the issue will ultimately force some sort of formal schism in the church. Some, in fact, are openly working towards such a schism. (It's not easy for a congregation to separate itself from the Presbyterian Church, though; each individual church's property is held in trust by the presbytery in which it sits, so any congregation that "left" would also leave behind its building. If there's a schism, expect lots of nasty battles in secular courts on this issue--the Methodists are already fighting them.)

Is is surprising, however, that the overture is coming from the Presbytery of Cincinnati. This is a city that hasn't always been gay-friendly (think about the now-repealed Article XII). Just a few years ago, the Presbytery of Cincinnati defrocked Steven Van Kuiken for performing same-sex wedding ceremonies. (You can read City Beat's article on the resulting aftermath at Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church, where Rev. Van Kuiken had been pastor, here.)

I really like it when Cincinnati surprises me like this.

Archbishop Divides 'Bodies' In Half

The Cincinnati Archbishop deemed the 'Bodies' exhibit at the Museum Center "unseemly and inappropriate" and has decreed that local Catholic Schools should not organize field trips to the exhibit. What makes no sense is that the Archbishop instead leaves it up to the parents:

If parents, as the primary educators of their children, believe that it has educational value, they should be the ones to take their children to see it.”

So on one hand the local Catholic Church has condemned the exhibit as unseemly, but then they defer ultimate moral judgment to the parents. This is just not logical. If it is OK for Catholic school kids to go the exhibit with their parents permission, why does it matter that the Catholic school doesn't organize the trip? If it is not good to go through school, why would it be OK to go with your parents?

If nothing else, hopefully this will help the exhibit gain more attendance. If they church condemns it, more people are likely to want to go to it.

Jesus' Birth Was Virginal, Not Premature (Warning: Grinch-Like Post Ahead)

Every year, we're told by our various media outlets of a baby Jesus figure being stolen from a nativity scene. This year, we heard that same old news at least twice: once when it happened in Mason, and once when a Cincinnati attorney donated a replacement Jesus for a suburban Miami creche. (I'm not sure why he didn't just replace the Mason Jesus and save himself a long-distance phone bill. I suppose he wouldn't have gotten himself on CNN for doing that.)

I'm sick of hearing these stories.

Blaming the victim is usually wrong. But these nativity-scene owners are at least partially to blame for the kidnapping of Jesus. If they had just held to tradition, baby Jesus might still be safe and sound. It always used to be the case that the baby Jesus figurine/statue/what-have-you wasn't placed in the nativity scene until Christmas Eve. Until then, the manger sat empty. Tradition is a good thing a lot of the time. Displaying a completed nativity scene prior to Christmas Eve is (in my opinion) one more symptom of a general failure to remember the "reason for the season." (The Miami Jesus was stolen sometime before December 5, for you-know-who's sake.) The act of laying the Jesus in a manger on the night before Christmas helps to focus our attention on the religious nature of the holiday. A nativity scene shouldn't be an accessory to a Christmas tree and plastic reindeer (or worse yet, one of those awful inflatable globes with a scene inside).

In fact, every time I drive past a nativity scene with a prematurely-displayed Mary's child, I fantasize about stealing it, only to surreptiously return it late on Christmas Eve. Stealth, however, has never been one of my gifts, so I have no doubt that I'd be caught either taking Jesus or giving him back. With my luck, I'd probably be tased before being taken into custody.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Nativity Scene on Fountain Square

I don't know when this was put up, but a very permant looking structure is displaying a Christian Nativity scene on Fountain Square. I took the above picture today just before 1 PM. I could find no signage indicating who put it up, who paid for the very significant (close to permanent) structure, or why it is even there. A Menorah was up during Chanukah, which all stems back to preventing the KKK from putting up a cross on Fountain Square. In prior years Christian groups got together and put up a cross, preventing the KKK from doing so. That cross was very much non-permanet, like the Menorah. This year it appears to be to be different, unless I don't remember it being there last year.

This display is a more prominent place than the Menorah, which was placed behind the tree. This display is very up front on the Vine Street side of the Square. I really personally believe all of these displays violate the Constitution, but courts have ruled that the short term displays can be permitted. What I find most objectionable here is that this Nativity scene was not constructed as a short term display. A landscaper was likley used to build it. The display can be removed, and I am sure it will be, but at whose expense? That is the other problem, who paid for it? I think it should be the policy of the city to have any religious display accompanied with a reasonable notice, preferable a sign, stated who got the permit and who paid for the display.

If any city or 3CDC money or services where used and not reimbursed, then favoritism and thus a violation of the law would have occurred.

I will be waiting people to chime in here and say "What the big deal." Well, I have the legal right to pay to have a statue of Zeus (or phallic symbol or a wood carved Homer Simpson) displayed on Fountain Square on my religious holiday. I have to the get the right permit, clear the size, safety, and insurance concerns with the Fountain Square management. If I can't, which I would bet there are things that would be blocked, and I don't mean just the phallic symbol, then that is a "big deal." When religion or certain religions get favored over other religions or the lack of religion by the government or its representative, then a violation of the 1st Amendment has occurred. If the constitution and the 1st Amendment specifically aren't a "big deal," I would then bet you voted for Bush.

UPDATE: Bill Donabedian, Manager of Fountain Square, has confirmed the following:

• A private organization put up the Nativity Scene
• There is a sign stating such.
  
• This was done last year as well.
• The display will be removed after the 25th.
  

What The Fuck Is This?

How much pandering can one newspaper do with a special section like this? I have to wonder what kind of idiots, and I don't say that lightly, are editing the paper. Are there creationists who are pushing this crap? Or did someone think it would be a great idea to try and attract the extreme fringe of the fundamentalist movement who are delusional enough to believe that the Earth is only 6,000 years old.

What is next? Are we going to read a special section for those who still think smoking doesn't cause cancer? Will Holocaust deniers get attention? The Flat Earth Society is also looking for their front page story too.

Shoe's on the Other Foot

Michelle Incanno of Springboro was offended by this saying on the side of a Starbucks coffee cup

"Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."

If I am able to keep my cool over the many religious comments I have to endure in my life, then I think Michelle can swallow a cup full of someone questioning the existence of her deity.

Side note:Questioning the existence of "God" is not a religious exercise, other than the inference made in this argument that the concept of a "God" could exist.

Ask Donald Murphy About Mixing Religion and National Parks

From comments we get word that the incoming Freedom Center CEO has a soft spot for letting religious documents adorn National Parks. Was he asked about that before he was hired? In a side note, the Freedom Center doesn't seem to be very up front about the new CEO's salary.

Crazy Republicans

Can the extremists in the GOP get any more extreme?

UPDATE: Clark Street has more.

Bill Maher Visits Nutty Creastionist 'Museum'

Sacha Baron Cohen is likely very proud of the methods used by Bill Maher in filming a documentary on religion. Maher's tactic was especially interesting because it happened just outside of Cincinnati in Kentucky at the Answers in Genesis facility. Ken Ham, the creator of the Creationist 'Museum', was reportedly not pleased with Maher. Go figure. I nutty creationist is likely confronted with the nutty ideas he has and the guy gets pissed off.

I am eagerly awaiting the documentary.