Apparently unsatisfied with everything ELSE the Catholic Church has to deal with, Pope Benedict XVI decides to stick his crucifix where it doesn't belong and meddle in the affairs of Anglicans -- by inviting those displeased with Episcopalian acceptance of homosexuals to COME OVER TO THE DARK SIDE join with Rome.

( Text for the link-phobic )

A rather good article, I feel, though its appeal may be to a relatively fairly narrow audience (consisting entirely of people who A. know jack about either CoE or Catholicism, and B. actually care) followed by surprisingly insightful comments:

Is it just me, or does the picture suggest a vampire rising from its coffin? asks riggbeck.

speaking as an excatholic he is welcome to them! although they'll probably find that there are more gay priests in the catholic church rather than in the one they are leaving! observes jamijery.

This is all very interesting and informative, but I'm sorry to say that for 90% of the population, this will have no bearing on their lives. So sayeth NapoleonKaramazov in what I think is a fairly accurate estimation, begging the question "Why, then, is Duende bothering to post this?" Because I am extremely bad at math.

...Snarking aside, some of the comments actually ARE good ones:

This is very similar to Stephen Bates' article yesterday. Again, I fail to see the problem with the Vatican's proposal. A way has been found to allow a number of people who are currently Anglicans - call them Anglo-Catholics, High Church, or whatever - to move to the Catholic Church in a fashion which will make them happier than they currently are. In their absence, people in the Church of England who wish to make more changes in terms of women bishops, gay cleargy, etc, will find it easier to make those changes. Where is the problem in this? Only if you see RC / Anglican relations as some sort of zero-sum game, where the Anglo-Catholics have to be kept locked into the Anglican communion in order to keep the numbers up. --Suleyman

The Catholic Church is seen to be modern. In one breath the Pope has spoken superstision about homosexuality, and in the next, condemned Israel for bulldozing Palistenian homes. Tell them that no-one MAKES homosexuals do what they do. Do you? The idea of fearing anything let alone God seems dubious to most of the previous commenters. Fear isn't the issue regarding the accused. The only criticism about this compromise has come from rash hackers like Lucy Mangan who have distracted from whose own questionable practices, based on personal nuerosis and egocentricities, which bare no relavance to the INCREASINGLY neccessary role of a high profile, NON VIOLENT body in today's society. --GraemeFord

The usual parade of rage-inducing ignorance and thought-inducing conspiracy theories follow. ("There is no such thing as an Anglican church there are only a bunch of jumped up hypocrites who cow-towed to the divorce demands of a fat king. If you are a Christian you either follow true Protestantism or you admit you are a catholic and follow the pope, there can be no half-way house." ...What?)

As for myself, a former member of both churches, I think that is Rome wishes to corral all the bigoted homophobes into the same pen regardless of (basically irrelevant, in this case) differences in doctrine, they have my blessing -- it only makes them that much easier to avoid.

12-Year-Old 'Bride' Dies Giving Birth.

( Snippet under cut. )

_{On a side note, it makes me quite angry that such children are referred to as 'brides' instead of, oh, I don't know, 'victims', maybe?}

One of the last famous moderate to liberal figures in the Southern Baptist Convention calls it quits because of the SBC's theological stance towards women.

From Ms. Magazine:

Former President Carter Leaves Baptist Church

Former President Jimmy Carter issued a statement Sunday announcing he is severing all ties with the Southern Baptist Church due to their treatment of women. A devout Southern Baptist for more than sixty years, Carter left the church in 2000 because of ideologically differences where the religion justifies the subordination of women. His announcement comes after the Elders, a group of world leaders with which Carter is affiliated, released a statement on the issue of discrimination against women and girls by religion. In his statement, Carter calls "on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women."

Interestingly, the announcement that Ms. Magazine cites was not made in a U.S. newspaper or magazine, but The Guardian in the UK.

The words of God do not justify cruelty to women

I have been a practising Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service. This was in conflict with my belief - confirmed in the holy scriptures - that we are all equal in the eyes of God.

More, including denunciation of sexist and discriminatory practices in other Christian denominations as well as Islam at the link.

Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion".

Day camp made up of mostly black kids pays for membership in a private swim club. Upon showing up to swim, they're promptly kicked out and their membership is suspended. According to the swim club president, "There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club."

Read comments at your own risk.

This may come as a shock to some of you, but G. Gordon Liddy is, in fact, an asshat. Today's asshaberdashery: declaring that Obama's pick for the new Supreme Court justice, Sonia Sotomayor, is unfit for the court because she might be menstruating during judicial conferences, which would make her decisions suspect.

I only wish I were kidding.

Well, golly gee whillakers, Mr. Liddy! I never thought about it like that before, but now that you mention it, I guess we womenfolk ought to just let you menfolk make all the decisions for us, since you're obviously all so sane and reasonable.

Unsurprisingly, Jezebel is not impressed. I, personally, would like to hear what Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsberg have to say.

So... the Sh!trly's up to his shenanigans again, possibly.

I've found it difficult to not automatically skim his comment responses, or look at his post.

ETA: Wait, hang on, that last paragraph did not make sense. Now it does.

Remember this awesome girl? Sad case, seriously impressive girl and judge. That was in Yemen; this one's in Saudi Arabia.

There are two major differences: first, that her mother actually sought the divorce for her (her father was the one who sold his daughter arranged the marriage); and second, that the marriage was completely legal, and still is. As the article states:

There are no laws in Saudi Arabia defining the minimum age for marriage. Though a woman's consent is legally required, some marriage officials don't seek it.

Women's rights groups within the country and the US is pressuring Saudi Arabia to set a minimum marriage age of 18 for girls. Unfortunately, they're running into roadblocks among the Usual Suspects:

Saudi Arabia's conservative Muslim clergy have opposed the drive to end child marriages. In January, the kingdom's most senior cleric said it was permissible for 10-year-old girls to marry and those who believe they are too young are doing the girls an injustice.

I'd like to tell that guy to please never, ever use the word "injustice" in connection with the female gender again. EVER. I do not think it means what he thinks it means.

ETA: By popular demand, a link to the actual news story! You people are so picky, I swear.

I suppose this is a reminder of how far the LGBT community in the West has come.

( Some background )

( The actual unfunny part )

You think this is bad, though? At the very least she’s Singaporean. At least in Singapore there’s a rather thin veneer of intellectual respectability that gives Our Friendly Neighbors the ability to sneer at their brutish uncivilized cousins across the Tebrau Strait.

Just an update on this post.

Cop who stopped NFL player in hospital lot resigns.

Somehow, I don't think he's actually learned anything. He acts like resigning will just make everything okay.

This one's just sad.

NFL running back Ryan Moats was taking his wife to the hospital to be with her mother as she died. Understandably, as they'd basically just gotten word to get down there, he ran a red light.

Enter Officer Robert Powell. He kept Moats in the parking lot of the hospital until his mother-in-law died. Fortunately, Moats' wife was able to get out and be at her mother's side while she passed--but without her husband there to comfort her. The officer apparently pointed a gun at Moats and his family, threatened to arrest him and didn't budge even when someone from the hospital confirmed Moats' story.

The officer's now been placed on administrative leave, and the police department has apologized to Moats. Fat lot of good that does now.

I don't know how reputable this is. But... I'm just... I'm shaking with rage.

Women should be hit for wearing sexy clothing in public, one in seven believe

One in seven people believe it is acceptable in some circumstances for a man to hit his wife or girlfriend if she is dressed in “sexy or revealing clothes in public”, according to the findings of a survey released today.

A similar number believed that it was all right for a man to slap his wife or girlfriend if she is “nagging or constantly moaning at him”.

The findings of the poll, conducted for the Home Office, also disclosed about a quarter of people believe that wearing sexy or revealing clothing should lead to a woman being held partly responsible for being raped or sexually assaulted.

KILL

Small update to the ugly case of judges taking bribes to send kids to juvie prison.

As we all knew had to happen, the families of the victims have filed suit against both the judges and the youth facilities making the bribes.

The lead plaintiff is Florence Wallace, whose 14-year-old daughter Bernadine was charged with making threats after getting into an argument on MySpace. The lawsuit said the teenager was not advised of her right to an attorney and was pressured to plead guilty. She was taken from Ciavarella's courtroom in shackles and spent time in PA Child Care and at a youth wilderness camp.

As a result of the judges' corruption, parents were forced to pay for the "wrongful incarceration" of their children, the suit said. Some parents had their wages garnished, public assistance benefits taken and social security benefits seized.

IMHO, the prisons ought to reimburse those parents for everything they spent. Then the judges can put every one of those kids through college. Unfortunately, nothing can make up for what these families suffered.

I knew from the moment I saw this that it couldn't end well.

As expected, racewank ahoy! Mainly concerning affirmative action.

I wouldn't have thought of posting this anyway, but then I saw gonadsnstrife's comments and I'm really not sure if he (she?) is kidding or not. Either way, it made me headdesk. Not treating different races/women/gays/etc at second-class citizens is not in any way the same as Harrison Bergeron. :/

*wipes up*

MI Republicans want to stop black people who lost their homes from voting.

ETA: Republicans flip-flop and the Michigan messenger refuses to back down refuses to back down