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New Civilization News: Who Is Davis Mac-Iyalla And Why Is He Here? |
Category: Religion 23 comments 22 May 2007 @ 13:19 by danac : I SeeRowan Williams is still unwilling to smack Akinola's hands: "I'm hoping and praying that we shall have no more actions that polarize the Communion between now and Lambeth 2008. This is the point I have already brought to the Canadian House of Bishops which we are trying to get across to the American House of Bishops." http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002397.html#c721343 22 May 2007 @ 16:01 by vaxen : Gee... You mean to tell me that even Anglicans have the TEC? How'd you get so Scientological, anyway? I liked the comments about singing the songs of Zion and how are you going to do that now... and Lambeth. Pre and Post and... Schism is as schism does. Maybe you should all convert, again, and become slightly more Catholic? Wouldn't that just solve et coagula every little thing? Oh, Nigeria is on AFRICOMs' hit list, you know, so is this Lambethically prophetical. Lambaste and Lambeth? How limbic... 22 May 2007 @ 16:10 by jazzolog : The 14th Lambeth Conference will be next year. Davis hopes to crash it, if need be, with possibly Desmond Tutu in tow. Who knows whether the Episcopal Church even will be involved in these goings on by then? A little bible study might be helpful in the argument as to just how inclusive Jesus was during his time here. 22 May 2007 @ 21:05 by vaxen : Well... Which version are you referring too, jazzolog? Which version of Yeshua, and which version of the TeNaCh + Brit He Hadasha (Not considered a part of the over all TeNaCh). Yeshua appears in Yeshayahu, for the first time, yet is pre-configured in Yehoshua (Not part of the canonical Pentateuch yet in the Septuaginta). We are dealing with myths and proto myths, here, not an actual, living, human, flesh and blood, being. Mystes, and Ruhot, and ideas, manifesting - as they always do... Primates? That is an interesting term, now, when we consider Africa. And still no one queries as to our involvement in Africa Command AFRICOM. Our next military excursion after we have 'safed' Eurasia according to PENACs' renderings... Of course with Russia gaining a strong foothold in Easter Asia the stakes are going to rise... all a part of the plan concocted in 1952 by the Ford Foundation, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Guggenheim Foundation, to merge the USA with the USSR via extreme rewrite of history through the absolute control of 'education.' Oh, 'The Plan' is much older than that, to be sure, but it was firmly solidified in that year... And, you might ask, just what does that have to do with Anglicans, Episcopalians, Catholics, Africa? Good question. If Britain wants to help Africa’s poor, it must stop acting like an emperor, The Guardian - UK, 20070417. [16065] "The IMF is a plutocracy whose loan conditions continue to condemn developing countries to a vicious cycle of misery." George Monbiot Tuesday April 17, 2007 The Guardian The disease that afflicts all British governments is an inability to let go. Unable to accept the end of empire, they cling to past glories. However much they speak of modernity and democracy, they cannot help managing other people's lives, preserving foreigners - often at gunpoint - from the mistakes they would make if they were allowed to govern themselves. === Africa: Elite Fuelling Continent's Woes, Say Activists The Monitor (Kampala) 23 April 2007 Posted to the web 23 April 2007 Tabu Butagira West Nile Rising opportunism of the elite class and dirty tricks of the western world are breeding corrupt African dictators leading to run-down economies and mass suffering. Nii Akuetteh, the executive director of the US-based Africa Action that works for social justice, said unpopular leaders build ethnic blocs and bribe opponents with economic perks to maintain political supremacy in the quest for life presidency. He said most elections across the continent were a sham because the democracy notion is considered alien to Africa. "People think democracy is alien to Africa, which is not true because democracy is about respecting those governed and African societies emphasise respect. The power to govern must come from the people," he said. In a rejoinder, Brian Kagoro, the regional policy advocacy manager for ActionAid Africa International said the underdevelopment in Africa was a result of indigenous kleptomaniacs who succumb to the "model missionary" notion of the global north nations. Model missionary approach. "The state of underdevelopment in Africa is a result of bad governance, external interventions and distortions". === Oh there is much more that is very relative to AFRICOMs position. And do study the British (Anglican/Episcopalin) position on African Genocide. Getting rid of 'inferiors' is an old tradition amongst good Anglico-Episcopal folk...and they've tons of ways within which to do this. Primates? Prelates? Dogon? Dog Star? Hermes Trismagistus and the blue winged dingbat. Good luck jazzolog...but, don't be fooled. There are millions of homeless right under your own nose. And the aid moneys given to projects such as the above, your article, will never ever reach the people. Not even the 40% left over after transportation costs. That will be equally divided amongst the...plutocrats, as they laugh, and Africa dies...the death of IFA sans ORO. 23 May 2007 @ 09:54 by jazzolog : The Fueling Of The Woes Vax' posts can keep us scurrying...and here particularly, perusing the Pentateuch as Pentecost nears. And how many pennies will the Pentecost cost? Let us proceed with one of Vax' recurring urgencies: Follow The MONEY! Amy Goodman reminded us on her radio program Democracy Now! last week where our oil comes from. Currently the States imports more oil from Africa than we do from Saudi Arabia. Chief among those nations is Nigeria. In fact, Nigeria is the 5th largest supplier in the world to our pumps. And you wondered what could Nigeria have had a civil war about! Goodman interviewing John Ghazvinian, just back from Nigeria and author of the book Untapped: The Scramble For Africa's Oil~~~ AMY GOODMAN: John...talk about who is profiting from the drilling in the Niger Delta? JOHN GHAZVINIAN: Yeah, this is at the bottom of the issue, basically, is that for more than forty years, international oil companies have, you know, pumped billions of dollars worth of oil out of Nigeria. $400 billion has gone into the pockets of the Nigerian government, and most of that money, frankly -- a lot of that money -- has been salted away into foreign bank accounts by corrupt politicians and then, of course, has gone away, disappeared in the form of profits to multinational oil corporations. Who has not seen the profits from oil exploration is probably the real question, which is the people of the Niger Delta. You have people living in stone age squalor, in mud huts, you know, in swamps with no roads, no electricity, no running water. I spend a lot of time in the Delta, and I’ve seen the way people live there. And, you know, through their backyards you have thousands of miles of pipelines, ultra-modern, multi-million-dollar, air-conditioned, state-of-the-art facilities going up, and people just haven’t seen any benefits from the oil exploration. And over time, that has turned into a fairly nasty sort of militant insurgency, as I think shouldn’t surprise anyone, really. http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/05/17/1350254 So if Archbishop Akinola has so much influence in political matters there, who do you suppose would be a wise funnel for investment? Donations in, dividends out. A month before the General Convention of the Episcopal Church met here in Columbus, Jim Naughton warned "a small network of theologically conservative organizations will be on hand to warn deputies that they must repent of their liberal attitudes on homosexuality or face serious consequences. The groups represent a small minority of church members, but relationships with wealthy American donors and powerful African bishops have made them key players in the fight for the future of the Anglican Communion." Naughton's article is titled Following The Money, and begins~~~ "Millions of dollars contributed by a handful of donors have allowed a small network of theologically conservative individuals and organizations to mount a global campaign that has destabilized the Episcopal Church and may break up the Anglican Communion. "The donors include five secular foundations that have contributed heavily to politically conservative advocacy groups, publications and think tanks, and one individual, savings and loan heir Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr., who has given millions of dollars to conservative causes and candidates. "Contributions from Ahmanson and the Bradley, Coors, Olin, Scaife and Smith-Richardson family foundations have frequently accounted for more than half of the operating budgets of the American Anglican Council and the Institute on Religion and Democracy, according to an examination of forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service and an analysis of statements made by both donors and recipients. "The AAC and the IRD have worked together in opposing the Episcopal Church's consecration of a gay bishop with a male partner, its practice of ordaining non-celibate homosexuals to the priesthood, and its willingness to permit the blessing of same-sex relationships. Their campaign has entailed extensive international travel, heavily subsidized conferences and the employment of a professional staff and consultants to coordinate and publicize their efforts. "Most recently the groups have organized several of their international allies to pressure the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to remove the Episcopal Church from the Communion, and to replace it with a significantly smaller and more conservative Church that would be headed by bishops with longstanding ties to the AAC." http://edow.org/follow/index.html Yesterday the ABC (Archbishop of Canterbury) indicated his invitations to the Lambeth Conference next year (rather early) and will NOT be inviting to participate EITHER the Right Reverend V. Gene Robinson OR the Right Reverend Martyn Minns, who is engaged in creating a conservative competitor to Episcopalianism in the U.S. {link:http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1624066,00.html} http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2007/0705/rowan_williams_0522.jpg Hmmm. This morning my contact in Edinburgh sent along an item that declares the Church of Scotland is happy to announce it openly welcomes gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transexuals to its altars and Eucharist. {link:http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1417625.0.0.php} An instant ago my friend summed it up best with the reminder, "Think of the issues faced when trying to seat squabbling relations together at a family party!" 23 May 2007 @ 14:32 by a-d : read the article I just posted about "Sociopaths" (in my opinion it also covers the "psychopath"- version of the BULLY) How long are we gonna let BULLIES hide behind their ridiculous Organisations. Religious This & Religious That.... religious ma'ass!!! "Religion" is PSYCHOLOGY! What kind of PSYCHOlogy will mankind continue to bow to???..... rather than heal oneself; each and every one! TO THY OWN SELF BE TRUE! JUST BE! LIVE & LET LIVE! If u can dream up more ways to say it, feel free to add them here! THANKS Jazzo, for this very important article. It did expand my views and Understanding of a few "things" in the world! Vax.... right on, Thanks! 23 May 2007 @ 15:00 by vaxen : Yes! The horrible trail of blood, murdered innocence/innocents, caused by this age old chimera. Don't you think it high time that all peoples everywhere awaken to the inexorable grief caused by the international banking set? Of course Jesus' confronting the 'money masters' in the synagogue, or temple, is what really did him under. But they've a tight hold on human minds everywhere, and all else, so what hope, that starving humanity will ever wake up to how they are being enslaved, is there? Will you and Dana be present, jazzolog, in Columbus on June 13th? And do these pompous fools really matter to you? Rowan looks like a snooty ass indeed. Maybe you could all get together and send him a nicely bound copy of "The Golden Ass of Apuleius?" That should rankle his oh so sacred feathers. A story worth watching, indeed. And what of the Gaelic Church in Scotland? They complain that the young want nothing to do with them, and are educating themselves in all things internet hoping to establish an online presence to sway the young. In other words...the 'church' is dying? In 'the revelation (Of Yonatan)' believers are told to come 'out of her.' The her referenced is, of course, the mighty whore of Babylon, the earthly...church, who proffers a much tastier dish (All the fornications of the world) for the young who want nothing of the sophistry of the outdated, out moded, 'kirk.' It certainly will be worth keeping an eye on jazzolog to see how this stories' path wends... 23 May 2007 @ 17:40 by jazzolog : That Was Last June, Vax and yes, we were there. My job was to ask each delegate what his/her diocese was and direct that person to the proper booth to check in. Most of them would not take my word for it or else claimed to know better than I where to go. Telling Episcopalians what to do was one of the hardest jobs I ever attempted. 23 May 2007 @ 20:47 by vaxen : Leave it to me to glitch out the time matrices! I'll have to pay better attention to what my navigator is telling me. When so much is at stake, reputations on the line, I guess it would be hard to concentrate on anything really worth while. I mean the so called 'church' is already so schismatic that rare be the thoughtful being that wants anything to do with it whatsoever. Anything come out of it at all? Anything of worth? Church still divided, obescent unto Canterbury, by the en-thralled, still an issue? Oi, with so much else one could place ones' attention upon...we get this? Thanks for the intention, jazzolog. === Non sequitor. Or is it? Here is another example of how Bush cares little for most Americans. The failure to have redress for the average American is a subtrefuge of Democracy and shows again how the Republican Party is being recast as the obescent servant of corporations abandoning the rights of individual Americans. Will history note George Bush as the big government spender and corporate plutocrat? 24 May 2007 @ 09:49 by jazzolog : Election Fraud In Nigeria? Anything But Straight: Nigeria’s Frequent Flyer By Wayne Besen Thursday, 03 May 2007 According to international election monitors, the April 21 vote in favor of Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua was rigged, threatening the very freedom and stability of this oil-rich, but corrupt nation. Braving threats of a brutal governmental crackdown, thousands of courageous Nigerians took to the streets on May Day to protest the political charade that passes for political liberty. Clearly, these demonstrators could benefit if they stood side-by-side with a moral leader who demanded an end to corruption and called for new elections. Such a man would be regarded as a true national hero who could lead Nigeria from a kleptocracy to genuine democracy. Anglican Archbishop Peter J Akinola is perfectly situated to step in and fill this role. Not only is he a local powerbroker, he is also the leader of the largest province in the worldwide Anglican Church. This offers Akinola a unique international platform to draw attention to the electoral sabotage that is ripping apart the very soul of Nigeria. But, instead of staying in Nigeria this week to bring his convulsing country together, he is flying to the comfy confines of Virginia to tear the Anglican Church apart. While his country is on the verge of a Constitutional conflagration, the Nigerian archbishop is burning with rage because in 2003 the Episcopal Church installed openly gay V. Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire. While the political elites in Abuja will use guns to maintain dominion over voters, Akinola will be lording over a ceremony in Old Dominion to install church rector Martyn Minns as the bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, a subsidiary of the Nigerian church. Basically, conservatives who think the Episcopal Church is too liberal, are refusing to submit to its authority, and instead have opted to align themselves with Akinola. What I find outlandish is that Akinola and his Anglican apostates get all bent out of shape about a gay bishop in sleepy New Hampshire, but fall asleep at the wheel over real problems faced by Nigeria, and Africa as a whole. Is Robinson's sexual orientation more important than the heartbreaking fact that two million Africans die from AIDS-related illnesses each year, according to Nuhu Ribadu, the Chairman of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission? Does a New England homosexual take precedence over the nearly 3,000 African children who die each day from malaria? Is the gay issue a bigger moral concern than the 40 million African children who are not currently in school? Or, what about the fact that Nigeria has profited to the lavish tune of a half trillion dollars from oil revenues in less than fifty years - and yet, seventy percent of Nigerians live in abject poverty with exiguous incomes of less than one dollar a day? (Presumably, these peasants are not the ones sitting in the pews of Akinola's lavish church). Akinola would have you believe that he must come to America to save us from our decadence. Yet, according to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, Nigeria is awash in premarital sex and has STD rates that would make a red light district hooker blush. In Nigeria, there are 2.9 million people with HIV/AIDS, including 930,000 AIDS orphans. In the past twelve months, 78-percent of men and 29-percent of women, 15-24, have had sex with a casual partner. A 1990 Demographic and Health survey reported that 38-percent of women in Southwest Nigeria were in polygamous marriages. I bring this up not to point a finger at Nigeria, but to try to comprehend why Akinola is flying to America, when sexual practices condemned by his church are flying off the charts in his home country. It seems that the good Archbishop is a moral coward who basks in the media spotlight abroad, while refusing to spotlight the devastating problems that plague his own country. Indeed, when confronted with these life and death issues, all Akinola seems to want to prattle on about is his homosexual hang-up. "To opine that, unknown to humans, God had hitherto created some people to be homosexuals and lesbians (i.e., sexual orientations) is tantamount to creating God in our own image and introducing a cancerous element into the fabric of the African understanding of marriage and family," Akinola once said. "Homosexuality and lesbianism, like divorce, breed a society of single parents which gives rise to a generation of bastards," the Archbishop has also said. If Akinola were a real leader, he would be at home fighting disease and tyranny, while leading the opposition against an illegal election. Instead of demonstrating such cojones, Akinola is leaving his countryman to fight this battle, while he jets to America to obsess about Bishop Robinson's cojones. Could Akinola have his priorities any more backwards? Finally, if these renegade American church leaders want to submit to Akinol's "leadership," then they owe it to Nigeria's beleaguered citizens to take an active role in their society. To simply become Nigerian in name only - while ignoring the country's daunting problems - is to be profoundly disrespectful and behave like, well, Peter J Akinola. http://www.fcnp.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1207&Itemid=35 Anything But Straight is the name of the column Wayne Besen, a gay rights advocate, writes in newspapers and on the Internet. http://www.waynebesen.com/ Falls Church (Virginia) News-Press serves a region whose Episcopal diocese has moved to embrace Akinola's position. 24 May 2007 @ 18:15 by vaxen : Akinolas position... and probable 'passion' as well. I mean, after all is said and done, there has always been a lot of Tsk Tsking about Jesus' passion for Jonathan. Heh, heh... Gay used to mean happy. Now it is just a hardy blow. ;) Passion? Akinolas' passion? Oil. my man, oil! And I do not mean Vaseline... 25 May 2007 @ 09:52 by jazzolog : Ilona's Essay On Davis Mac-Iyalla I mentioned earlier that my daughter had been particularly moved by hearing and meeting Davis last Sunday. She had begun work on an honors history assignment in which she needed to interview a participant in a newsworthy event and write a report on the results. She had planned to talk with someone in the media at the time of Watergate, but decided to ask Davis instead. She's 15 and, with her permission, here is her account~~~ Davis Mac-Iyalla Fights for his Rights by Ilona Carlson Imagine a life in which you do not have the lawful right to openly express your lifestyle, primarily your sexuality. You must live your entire life pretending to be something you are not and for that you must learn to be able to sacrifice your happiness to escape legal imprisonment. You may not speak to those you share interests with and are denied the right to love whom you wish--you may not even speak of your lifestyle. Even your religion is denied you because it is that religion that has placed you in such jeopardy. This is the life of a homosexual in the African nation of Nigeria. One man is determined to stop the criminalization of homosexuality in Nigeria and thus change the lives of thousands of LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender) people who face religious persecution and legal prosecution. His name is Davis Mac-Iyalla. He is the leader of a movement to “open doors for change and bring equality for [his] brothers and sisters.” This is no easy task. He has already received death threats and been forced to take exile in Togo, and even there he has been followed. It’s important to know the religious argument of the Church of Nigeria to understand why this is taking place. The Church of Nigeria is part of the Anglican denomination---the so-called “Anglican Communion“, a loose confederation of national churches with full autonomy in communion with of the Church of England and its Archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop (and primate) of the Church of Nigeria is Peter Akinola. Following the election of Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, as bishop of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church (the United States’ Anglican church), Akinola declared “that a satanic, secularist, materialistic, self-centered spirit was behind the acceptance of homosexual practice and its promotion by certain Western Christians.” In fact homosexuality is “an assault on the sovereignty of God,” and furthermore “a Satanic attack on God’s church,” according to Akinola. He said that Western corruption was what caused people to be homosexual---that it came over with the slave trade, colonization and missionaries. (And South Africa, which just recently passed a series of bills that support homosexuals, is not part of Africa, according to Akinola). It is thus not a surprise to see that Akinola has tried to push though a poisonous piece of legislation outlawing homosexuality, making same-sex relationships a crime, but also a crime for gays and lesbians to gather together or to talk about gay rights punishable by five years’ imprisonment. It is a surprise, however, to learn that Western conservatives are financially supporting and praising Akinola like the Second Coming. He has gained power by taking wealthy conservative American (Episcopal) churches under his jurisdiction, causing a possible split in the Anglican Communion. This began with the 1998 Lambeth Conference, which discussed homosexuality and concluded in an atmosphere of enmity and prejudice that the bishops gathered would “commit [themselves] to listen to the experience of homosexual people.“ Unfortunately, they rejected homosexual practice as “incompatible with Scripture.” Furthermore they were, and continue to be, unable to “advise the legitimizing or blessing of same-sex unions, nor the ordination of those involved in such unions” (from the resolution written at the conference). Davis Mac-Iyalla is working hard to change this. He founded the Support Project in Nigeria, which was the first gay organization in Nigeria. This later evolved into Changing Attitude Nigeria (CAN) which took notes from Changing Attitude England and has expanded to five thousand members throughout Nigeria. This threatened Akinola, who denied the existence of the group as well as denied that there were any homosexuals in the Church of Nigeria altogether. When Mac-Iyalla was finally able to get his story published, it “opened the door for battle.” Akinola published a press release denying that Mac-Iyalla was a member of the Church of Nigeria and that “anyone relating to Davis (David) Mac-Iyalla does so at his or her own risk.” He also summarized Mac-Iyalla’s life as the following: “[Davis] has finally been traced to be the same person who defrauded the then dying Bishop of Otukpo [(Ugede)] under the guise of marrying his daughter. Iyalla then closed down his own C & S church and took up an appointment which his then proposed father-in-law from whom he fraudulently obtained some church documents. On the death of the bishop mid 2003, Iyalla broke off the engagement and made away with large sums of money including salaries due to some staff. Since then he has not been seen in Otukpo where is wanted by the Police. He claims he was sacked and victimized for his homosexuality and uses that guise to further defraud unsuspecting foreigners.” That is, of course, a complete fabrication. Davis Mac-Iyalla said that this disclaimer actually, in fact, helped him. “Without the disclaimer, people wouldn’t know that the archbishop is lying,” Davis said with a laugh. Mac-Iyalla met Bishop I Ugede of Otukpo at a meeting in 2001 of the Church of Nigeria. Ugede told Mac-Iyalla about his dying congregation at the cathedral of Otukpo because the congregation disliked Ugede as “not the bishop of their choice.” Ugede invited Mac-Iyalla to come and aide him in Otukpo. Mac-Iyalla asked his mother and she told him that it was the right thing to do---to go and help. Davis was subsequently licensed as a lay leader and then began to work for the bishop. When the bishop died, Davis was forced to leave the school that he had created during his work in Otukpo because of quite a few serious allegations of which he was accused by the diocesan board, which asserted he had too much power for a lay leader. He was later removed along with all of the other clergyman that were appointed by the late bishop. Mac-Iyalla then began work for “total inclusion of LGBT people in church and society.” Mac-Iyalla is now doing a tour of the United States, which began at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Athens, Ohio. He says that the most important thing now is to bring awareness to the fact that LGBT people do exist in Nigeria and that they have nowhere to turn. They cannot go to their government, nor to anyone else because they fear being arrested for being homosexual supporters. “Once you try to speak for yourself, that is when you start to be targeted,” Mac-Iyalla told me in an interview he granted following his talk here. The parish held an afternoon gathering at which he spoke last Sunday, May 20th. He stood at the lectern reading from his text---warning us before hand that he might speak quite quickly, as is the culture of Nigeria. He spoke of how he realized his sexuality at the age of fourteen. He had noticed that he was attracted to his friends in school, and when he tried to be with girls, it didn’t work. He told his mother and she was supportive, although she knew what he would face because of it. His first real job was at a primary school which he soon left to begin work in Otukpo. After he lost his job in Otukpo, he began to work for human rights for LGBT people. Davis got together with a few others and decided to “start something.” They formed Support Project in Nigeria and began to have meetings. This grew into CAN which he directed. He worked hard to get recognition as the archbishop denied the existence of gays, himself, and the group. His story was finally reported by the Nigerian newspapers, the Vanguard and the Daily Sun in 2005. The archbishop worked even harder to get rid of him. Davis’ response? “I will not quit, the harder it gets the more motivated I am. I refuse to stop or quit.” After their first meeting of CAN, Mac-Iyalla was cornered, beaten by police and thrown into a jail cell without food or water for three days. Because he was the leader, he was allowed to leave and find someone who would be willing to pay his bail. This infuriated him further. He hosted another meeting for what was growing to be 1,600 gays and lesbians. Nigerian newspapers covered the meeting as did a surprise visitor: a reporter from the New York Times! When a legislative bill banning even the mere mention of homosexuality was introduced, Mac-Iyalla became more mobile---and is now in the United States. “This bill makes us outcasts in our own church and society. I must bring total inclusion of my LGBT brothers and sisters in our church and our society,” he said, bearing a somber face. Mac-Iyalla hopes his time in the United States will bring aid to his ailing brothers and sisters in Nigeria who cry for rights. He wants people to realize it is not purely religious anymore. “Those who don’t want to listen don’t understand that is it more political than religious [now].” In fact, he said, “Money, politics and power control the Church of Nigeria, not faith.” Perhaps his story will help to stop the power-hungry archbishop and bring an end to this discrimination. He also hopes that people here will begin to do things to help. What can we do? He says we can help by simply opposing homophobic violence here at home (in school and in town). We can write letters to human rights organizations and to newspapers, bringing awareness to others. We must all become peacemakers, and then we can bring the fundamental rights promised in the Nigerian Constitution to the LGBT citizens of Nigeria. 25 May 2007 @ 20:18 by Quinty @72.195.137.102 : Very good and what a contrast to our (my) attitudes when we (I) were her age. Though my friends and I were disgusted by the brutality shown gay people (in the fifties) and thought (I did at least) that what others do in bed doesn't really matter, so long as it's among consenting adults, speaking out in this manner for gay rights was completely foreign to us. And that wasn't just me. Gay people have suffered enormously and have been subjected to incredible cruelty. We are living in a time of change. Hurray for Ilona, who has the guts and the moral sensitivity to write about this subject in the manner she has. 26 May 2007 @ 17:54 by vaxen : Nigerian Scams And just how much does our lovely ''gay activist'' stand to make on this little number? Seems to me that you, the American 'Episco-pal communion' is once again being duped. Not that I care, in the least, mind you...for there are infinitely greater concerns knocking at Americas doors and Americans pocketbooks like: Debt based money systems and the reasons for perpetual warfare. Real slavery. But to fall for this? ANd here we have Quinty appologizing for himself yet again. And Shamus goes to the head of the class one more time. ;) From Rena Konan Medical student Of The University Abidjan Ivory Coast West Africa Dear, I know that my message will come to you as a surprise since I don’t know you in person or met with you before, but I am of the believe that you would be obliged to come to my assistance after hearing about my situation. I was, until recently, a Medical student of the University of Abidjan, Ivory Coast West Africa. I am the only Son of late Mr Frederick Drogba Konan. My father was a very wealthy cocoa merchant based in Abidjan, the economic capital of Ivory Coast. He was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outing to discuss on a business last year. When my mother died on the October 1987, my father took me so special because I am motherless. Before the death of my father last year, in a private hospital here in Abidjan. He secretly called me on his bed side and told me that he has a sum of US$ 16,500,000 left in account in a bank here in Abidjan, that he used my name for the next of kin in deposit of the fund. He also explained to me that it is because of this wealth that he was poisoned by his business associates. 1)I am honourably seeking your assistance to provide a bank account where this money will be transferred to. 2)You will serve as the guardian of this funds since I am a Boy of 20 years. 3)You will make arrangement for me to come over to your country after the money has been transferred to you. I am willing to offer you 15% of the total sum as compensation for your effort/input after this successful transfer of this fund to your nominated account overseas. I have plans to do investment in your country, like real estate and industrial production. This is my reason for writing to you. Please if you are willing to assist me please indicate your interest. Now permit me to ask these few questions:- 1. Can you honestly help me as your SON 2. Can I completely trust you? 3.To serve as a guardian of this fund since I am only 20years. 4. What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you after the money is in your account? 5.To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my education and also to secure a resident permit in your country. Besides, I'm corresponding with you from my country here in Cote D'Ivoire, West Africa and moreso there is great political war going on here in my country, that is the main reason why I contacted you to help me in getting me and my only inheritance out of this country so that I may not lose my life and the inheritance to war in this country, infact I'm facing difficulty at the moment in this country. Furthermore,Dear please indicate your options towards assisting me as I believe that this transaction would be concluded within seven (7)days you. Finally if you have any question as regards this transaction contact me so that I will send you documents of this fund. Note that the confidentiality of this transaction would be highly appreciated in replying soonest Thanks and best regards. Rena Konan === The "Nigerian" Scam: Costly Compassion Nigerian advance-fee fraud has been around for decades, but now seems to have reached epidemic proportions: Some consumers have told the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) they are receiving dozens of offers a day from supposed Nigerians politely promising big profits in exchange for help moving large sums of money out of their country. And apparently, many compassionate consumers are continuing to fall for the convincing sob stories, the unfailingly polite language, and the unequivocal promises of money. These advance-fee solicitations are scams. And according to the FTC, the scam artists are playing each and every consumer for a fool. Here's the play book: Claiming to be Nigerian officials, businesspeople or the surviving spouses of former government honchos, con artists offer to transfer millions of dollars into your bank account in exchange for a small fee. If you respond to the initial offer, you may receive "official looking" documents. Typically, you're then asked to provide blank letterhead and your bank account numbers, as well as some money to cover transaction and transfer costs and attorney's fees. You may even be encouraged to travel to Nigeria or a border country to complete the transaction. Sometimes, the fraudsters will produce trunks of dyed or stamped money to verify their claims. Inevitably, though, emergencies come up, requiring more of your money and delaying the "transfer" of funds to your account; in the end, there aren't any profits for you to share, and the scam artist has vanished with your money. === http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/nigeralrt.shtm 26 May 2007 @ 18:22 by quinty : Since you have mentioned my name Vax I'm going to respond. No Vax, I didn't offer a display of weakness with my comments. Perhaps, though, a little of growth? For my attitudes toward homosexuality in the fifties (when i was a teen) pretty much reflected societal attitudes. Which, as we all know, have changed and have become more accepting. So you take that "confession" as an opportunity to dump on me. No Vax, it is you who tore me down, not I myself. For such changes in personal and societal attitudes may be an expression of growth, rather than of the sniveling inferiority you suggest. Do I take exception at displays of pride and superiority? Yes, god knows there is enough of it. And, yes, I have an aversion for any personal display even hinting of that. I have known far too many incompetents and phonies who have made their way to the top. Now Vax, allow me to introduce you to my Masonic order? Or is it the Shriners? I forget which one it is. We have a secret handshake and our own Keys to the Temple. Without them there is no enlightenment. Do you have such a set of keys? Remember, they have to be my keys. Not yours. Understand? 26 May 2007 @ 18:47 by vaxen : I'll bet, even wager on it, that you also forgot the secret handshake. Am I blue... I made the keys, Quinty san, and can assure you that the Order of Solomon the King has nothing at all on me and that I, indeed, do possess the fabled 'Keys of Solomon.' But, then, I must ask: "So what?" Hochmah, Binah, Daat. Do, dear Quinty, introduce me to, ah, your order. Heh, heh...bet you forgot its' name. No matter...I accept you just as you are. Wanna come to our next 'clam' bake? Deridria, Deridria... Who are you confessing to? Our lovely Nigerian gentleman who is soon to become very rich thanks to a lot of duped Episco-pals? Or is your confession to me in the hopes of retraining with the crew, and getting back in to that little row boat? Or are you confessing to your higher, or lower, self because the little man from Nigeria caused you to feel a sense of guilt and shame at past actions or lack thereof? I'm sure he'll forgive your lack of sensitivity, with enough American thalers in his tow. However, seeing as how you've overcome your lack, at this late date, I'm sure that all is forgiven you thus...no need of your confession at all. Smile, be happy, enjoy... I can assure you that our Nigerian friend will just as soon as he deposits all those bucks into his suisse bank account. Hell, he'll probably be Nigerias next strong man, albeit speaking with a lithp, and a bit limp wristed, in a pink Tutu. And no this is not an oblique reference to Desmond! More information about Nigerian scams is available from the U.S. Secret Service: http://www.secretservice.gov/ . http://www.secretservice.gov/images/header1.jpg Frustrating, isn't it? Hey, but don't worry so much, They're all Primates over there. ;)~ "He's so pretty, he's so witty, he's so pretty, and witty, and gay..." - Ba Da Bing "Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." -- William Pitt, Speech on the India Bill, Nov. 18, 1783. Shana Tova Ve Mevurechet Lecha quinty san... 26 May 2007 @ 19:21 by quinty : Well, rhetorically you keep one on his toes. Since you know how to punish those who waste their subtleties. Look, I don't know a thiing about this man from Nigeria, tutu or no tutu. What I do know a little about is Ilona's essay, which I read. And having remarked upon those admirable sentiments find myself now entwined in an embroglio dealing with (a) keys, and (b) tutus. This was not what I had anticipated when I woke up this morning. Frankly I was more concerned with a dogwood tree which is behaving in a peculiar manner. (I won't bore you with the details.) Though if the tree acquires a tutu I will photograph it and mail it to you. If you wish. Maybe the National Geographic would have it? As for keys, fine, I'm glad you know whose keys you have. I'm sure you will use them wisely. How large are these keys? Do they fit your britches? How large are your britches? Are they large enough for all the excess weight they carry? Stupendous! You don't like gays. You like gays. I don't care. I'm going to go see what Common Dreams offers.... 27 May 2007 @ 01:31 by vaxen : Hahahaha There ya go! I'd love to have a photo of such a dog tree. Please do bore us with those details as they are probably highly relevent considering the alien abductions now taking place all over the world. The dogwood is blooming all over these hills and this has been the worst season ever for allergies. Burning nose, throat and just a real battle to breath going on in these mountains. Chemtrails and aliens. Great mix. So, yes, I'd love to hear about your dogwood tree. The keys are multiples of frequencies which open hidden doors. WIth these keys britches and bteeches are made then fitted frequentially. Multiversal sized britches good in any world. Since they carry no weight at all size becomes irrelevent yet...they can expand and shrink as needed. shrine O.E. scrin "ark of the covenant, case for relics," from L. scrinium "case or box for keeping papers," of unknown origin. A Shriner (1884) is a member of the Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (est. 1872) http://www.karlaturner.org/ 27 May 2007 @ 04:48 by jazzolog : Ilona's Essay Travels On From: Josh Thomas Date: May 26, 2007 10:41 PM Subject: Re: one more reason to love my youth group To: "R. William Carroll" Bill, Ilona did a fantastic job. Please tell her that Davis has read it and thought it was very, very good. And congratulate her parents for us. They have a wonderful girl. Thanks, Josh On May 26, 2007, at 7:00 PM, R. William Carroll wrote: > A fifteen year old member of our youth group interviewed Davis for a > school assignment and took notes and listened to the audio tape of his > talk. > > Here is her perspective. I have her permission and her father's > permission to share it broadly. > > http://anglicanresistance.blogspot.com/2007/05/ilona-carlson-on-davis-mac-iyalla-visit.html > > Peace, > > Bill > > -- > Seeking and serving Christ in all persons. > The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. > The Rev. R. William Carroll, Ph.D., Rector > 64 University Terrace > Athens, OH 45701 > 740-593-6877 > www.chogs.org > gsrector@gmail.com 9 Jun 2007 @ 10:14 by jazzolog : The Bishop On Moyers And Tour Update I hope you had the chance to watch Bill Moyers Journal last night, whether or not you got word Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katherine was going to be on. (Yankee Episcopalians use that term "presiding bishop" to further differentiate from England's "archbishop." Presidents mean things are supposed to be more democratic, doncha know.) The interview was quite long (20 minutes) and the setup for it seemed to indicate Jefferts Schori had just testified before Congress about global warming or was about to. She was a marine biologist before becoming a priest. At any rate for that reason or some other, she didn't seem entirely comfortable before the cameras. Of course too the issues discussed were among the most difficult for a representative of any religion to field: the ongoing challenge of science, the history of women in spirituality, same sex involvement, and the possible breakdown of inclusive unity within a church. Her answers, however, were absolutely amazing and true inspiration, whatever your spiritual path I think. It's all at Bill Moyers' site, with a profile of Katherine, a history of Episcopalian response to Anglican dogma on sexuality, and links to the transcript and video~~~ BILL MOYERS: What can you and Peter Akinola, the Archbishop of Nigeria, your counterpart, what can you all collaborate on? BISHOP KATHARINE JEFFERTS SCHORI: I think with the help of our colleagues, we can collaborate on more than either of us might expect. He has said quite clearly that he doesn't want the help of the Episcopal Church in any kind of mission work in Nigeria, which is incredibly sad. It also removes us from being able to learn about his context-- to learn about Christian evangelism in a-- in a culture where Islam is so present and vocal. It- prevents both of us from being converted by the conversation. BILL MOYERS: Do you see any hope of that changing? BISHOP KATHARINE JEFFERTS SCHORI: God has a way of keeping us at things like this. Even when some of us would find it more comfortable to depart. BILL MOYERS: What is God asking you to do? BISHOP KATHARINE JEFFERTS SCHORI: I think God is asking us to build a society where people can live together in peace with a sense of justice. Where people can develop their gifts to the fullest, where people can, in some sense, recover their presence in the garden. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/06082007/profile3.html Meanwhile, Davis Mac-Iyalla continues his tour of the United States. This past week he's been in Chicago, and the Tribune gave him a writeup Monday. {link:http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/west/chi-episcojun04,1,373878.story?coll=chi-newslocalwest-hed} Mostly however this doesn't seem to be the stuff for media attention, and so it's necessary to turn to the blogs or other sites for how things are going. Josh Thomas continues to write for his Daily Office, even though he's guiding Davis around at the same time. Here's an update from Tuesday that even includes a photo from our meeting with Davis in Athens. That's our priest, Bill Carroll, in the maroon T-shirt. "The goofy fellow in the middle is Josh Thomas of dailyoffice.org." http://dailyoffice.org/supportdavismaciyalla.html http://dailyoffice.org/images/552_AthensGroup.jpg Next week Davis heads for New Jersey where the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church will be holding 4 days of meetings to consider the relationship with the Anglican Communion. http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_86613_ENG_HTM.htm "He will be an invited guest of the Council's National Concerns Committee." http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_86312_ENG_HTM.htm The full schedule of Davis' tour is a pdf here http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/DavisI.pdf 29 Apr 2016 @ 07:06 by Bandar Togel @103.12.162.4 : brilliant! I would like to share this ar Togel Online Singapore Togel Online Hongkong Bandar Togel Singapore Bandar Togel Togel Online Terpercaya Bandar Togel Online Terpercaya Togel Online Agen Togel Online Terpercaya Agen Togel Online 5 Aug 2016 @ 05:10 by Online Programming Assignment Help @111.88.141.4 : Online Programming Assignment Help Incredible post and I figure I'm likewise a devotee of web journal remarking as it has various advantages. 28 Sep 2016 @ 11:25 by Black Magic Specialist Baba @115.252.123.86 : Black Magic Specialist Baba i like this post Other entries in Religion 6 Oct 2015 @ 03:38: NEW AGE: LUCIFER’S PREFERRED RELIGION, REPLACES GREAT RELIGIONS 11 Dec 2008 @ 21:17: Bless the beasts and the children 27 Aug 2008 @ 08:32: Theology of the Other 27 Feb 2008 @ 09:48: CHURCH CRIMES: WHO EXPOSES? 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22 May 2007 @ 10:08, by Richard Carlson