A Beacon of Hope and Unity in the Middle East
Who says there is no hope for peace in the Middle East? Here's a very heartening development, as bitter enemies reach across the divide to join hands in a common cause. Surely such faith-filled cooperation
between the "People of the Book," the "Children of Abraham," the "Fanatical Devotees of a Bronze Age Sky-God Cult" will be the way forward from the current hell of war and strife, leading the world into a new earthly paradise where human beings are not allowed to seek warmth, affection, contact and pleasure from one another, except in the severely restricted circumstances dictated by fanatical devotees of a Bronze-Age Sky-God cult. (The picture at right shows some good godly folk setting fires in the streets, offering up the fragrant aroma of, er, cardboard boxes and wooden crates to pleasure the nostrils of the Most High God.)Of course, those other People of the Bookers – the Bush-Base American Christianites who have made sexuality the great, throbbing focus of their heated, panting faith – should also be standing shoulder-to-shoulder, cheek-by-jowl, arm-in-arm, thigh-pressed-firmly-but-chastely-to-thigh with their fellow Sky-God cultists in Jerusalem. Perhaps they could send a representative to the protests, some prominent figure of great spiritual power and high political connections, to show that America stands with the rabbis and mullahs in the holy crusade against warmth, affection, contact and pleasure.
Hey, how about that Ted Haggard to lead the delegation? We hear he's at loose ends these days. As it were.
*(For more on the core of the Bush Base's faith, see this story from AP: Pastor who allegedly raped woman possessed by "lesbian demon" is indicted. Via our own Atlantic Free Press.)*
Excerpts from the Telegraph story:
Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem have found common ground in their fierce opposition to a gay rights rally due to be held in the city this week. Ultra-orthodox Jews burn rubbish yesterday during a protest against the rally in Jerusalem in support of homosexuals’ rights
Leaders from both faiths have united to denounce the parade, which has prompted nights of street protest by ultra-orthodox Jews, who regard homosexuality as an "abomination", and death threats against those taking part. After Israeli police found and defused a bomb bearing the message "sodomites out", orders were given for 12,000 officers to deploy across Jerusalem during the march, which is planned for Friday...
The city's Islamic leadership is opposed to the parade, with Tayseer Tamimi, the head of the Palestinian supreme council of Sharia litigation, leading Muslim opposition. "This march tries to destroy the moral and spiritual values for youths," he said. "All religions discredit gays because it is against the decent human nature created by God."...
"This isn't the gay pride parade but the disgrace parade," said Yaakov Cohen, an MP from the United Torah Judaism party. Ben Yizri, an MP for the ultra-orthodox Shas party, part of Israel's ruling coalition, said: "We believe God will be very upset."
UPDATE: Well, the rabbis and mullahs got their way (along with the Pope, who, afraid of being left behind in the intolerance sweepstakes, hiked up his skirts and came out, as it were, to denounce the perverts as well). There was no march of homosexuals through the streets of the holy city to cause those strange tinglings in the he-manly faithful. Instead, the event was converted, as it were, into a indoor rally held today in a "sterile government district" two miles out of town, surrounded by 3,000 police officers, with the usual minatory helicopter swooping overhead, the Guardian reports. Some 5,000 people attended: "the majority of the crowd were straight, and had come to express their solidarity with the gay community and their opposition to the religious right in Israel." More here: Gay Rally in Jerusalem Held Under Tight Security (Guardian).Leaders from both faiths have united to denounce the parade, which has prompted nights of street protest by ultra-orthodox Jews, who regard homosexuality as an "abomination", and death threats against those taking part. After Israeli police found and defused a bomb bearing the message "sodomites out", orders were given for 12,000 officers to deploy across Jerusalem during the march, which is planned for Friday...
The city's Islamic leadership is opposed to the parade, with Tayseer Tamimi, the head of the Palestinian supreme council of Sharia litigation, leading Muslim opposition. "This march tries to destroy the moral and spiritual values for youths," he said. "All religions discredit gays because it is against the decent human nature created by God."...
"This isn't the gay pride parade but the disgrace parade," said Yaakov Cohen, an MP from the United Torah Judaism party. Ben Yizri, an MP for the ultra-orthodox Shas party, part of Israel's ruling coalition, said: "We believe God will be very upset."