Sharia law and tweens getting married

To me, the most astounding part of this story about a mother trying to arrange an annulment for her eight-year old daughter is the quote from the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia: "A girl aged 10 or 12 can be married. Those who think she's too young are wrong and they are being unfair to her." I would hate to knock someone for having crazy, paternalistic, misogynistic, pedophiliac views when they are based on religious doctrine. Oh right, no I wouldn't mind at all. Wingnut!

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Really? with Emma (apologies to Seth)

Really, Archbishop Sobrinho? God wants a nine year old girl to carry to term a pregnancy caused by rape at the hands of her stepfather? Really? When she's too small to even carry twins to term and probably would have died? And really, to excommunicate the doctors and the girl's mother but not the guy who RAPED his nine year old stepdaughter? Nice touch.

I applaud the doctors for their bravery and defiance and am glad to see the light this is shedding on the problem of sexual violence and the abortion ban in Brazil.

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A priest in South Carolina has told his parishioners that they should not take communion if they voted for Barack Obama unless they confess their sin of cooperating with "intrinsic evil". No joke. The evil of which the good father speaks is abortion. Barack Obama is pro-choice and is, therefore, evil.

Although one might be tempted to dismiss this self-aggrandizing proclamation as typical wingnuttiness, the problem is this type of hateful speech promotes violence. The priest calls abortion an "abomination that cries out to Heaven for vengeance". Some weak-minded crackpot is devising his plans for holy war as we speak.

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And Your Point Is? Right to Life of TC ad - Planet JH 6/25/08

I'm not sure why we continually need to be informed when the fetal heart starts beating, or when blood begins to flow, etc. Should this make a difference to me? The fetus, tiny body, mass of cells, whatever you want to call it, is living inside someone else's body. Forcing the woman to continue to carry it when she does not want to is completely offensive to personal freedom.

The whole "tiny babies" thing is getting really old for me. Lots of folks have latched onto this turn of phrase lately, including that wingnut Dobson from Focus on the Family. His critique of one of Barack Obama's recent speeches was terribly judgmental for a professed Christian.


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God wanted this?

You've probably heard the news about the 401 Fundamental LDS children taken into protective custody by the State of Texas. The children were removed from a compound run by the family of Warren Jeffs, the "prophet" leader of the sect currently serving two consecutive prison terms of five years to life for his conviction on two counts of being an accomplice to rape. The State had received reports of abuse from former members and children inside the compound, including that a 15 year old child bride had given birth.

A brief commercial interruption: Haven't read Under the Banner of Heaven yet? Read it.

The sect is claiming the State has violated their right to freedom of religion by taking the children. What is free about forcing 15 year old girls to marry and have sex with men more than twice their age? This "religion" isn't about freedom - it's about power. More specifically, it's about men having power over women under the guise of religion. "God told me to." How very convenient that their "God" has told them to take as many wives as possible and to procreate ad nausea and to beat and molest children and threaten anyone who speaks out or complains with eternal damnation. Sounds like a pedophiliac's/sadomasochist's wet dream until you slap the religion label on it and now it's an oppressed minority just trying to "lead a righteous life". What child exposed to such hellfire and damnation rhetoric and abuse since birth could freely choose anything?

Here's hoping these children get access to some high quality medical and psychological care. They have been brainwashed and traumatized for years.

However, this brings me to my problem with religion. As a reviewer of Krakauer's book notes more eloquently than I could: "What makes one person's claim of revelation from God valid, and another's nonsense?" Exactly. Obviously most people dismiss Warren Jeff's revelation as total BS. But is that only because it is so outside the mainstream?

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Right to Life Ad - Planet Jackson Hole 3/12/08

Having actually had the benefit of comprehensive sex education in school, I know that a woman becomes pregnant when a sperm fertilizes one of her eggs, most commonly as a product of unprotected sex. Whether you believe this is a result of divine intervention, hormonal compulsion, or individual determination is your choice.

Welcome to the United States of America, where the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a national religion.

You are free to practice one of the many religions present in this country just like I am free to believe most of those religions were the invention of patriarchal white men and have very little to do with leading a moral life. You, however, do not have the right to force your beliefs on the rest of us by attempting to codify your religious dogma into secular laws.