This Would Never Happen On Craigslist Kabul

I don’t know if there are any holy men or women in my readership, but, just in case, I’d like to direct you to this ad on Craigslist:

looking for a priest to bless new home

Hi, I’m not sure this posting will be found by a qualified priest, but I’m looking for someone to bless my new home. I have been searching for a Hindu priest mainly but honestly, any religious denomination is fine. Preferably I’d like to hold the ceremony within the next week.

I think this is a little risky. Any denomination? What if a Trekkie answers your ad?

looking for a priest to bless new home [Craigslist]
Religion: Star Trek [Galactic Guide]

Out, damned spot

Back when I was in school, there were teachers I didn’t like. Of course, that’s how school (and life) works.

Some of these teachers I didn’t like my parents also didn’t like. And they may have silently grumbled or complained or whatever. I don’t really know what they did. What they didn’t do was take out an ad in a local paper hoping to get that teacher barred from teaching.

Wait, it gets better: The reason for the ad wasn’t because the substitute teacher does a bad job. She could be Peggy Hill-quality for all I know. No, the reason he wants her barred is because she used to be a he. Lady Macbeth used to be Sir Macbeth.

At least by the NBC 10 story about her, there seems to be no real problem with her teaching. But Mark Schnepp, parent of an Eagleswood, N.J., high school student, doesn’t want his child taught by no man-turned-woman. He also wants his kid to live in a giant protective plastic bubble where he can teach little junior to be an asshole in peace.

Fair enough. Mr. Schnepp has every right to do that. He has every right to say this teacher shouldn’t be instructing his kids. However, he doesn’t think that Lady Macbeth has any right to teach his kid. You see, he’s an expert in the First Amendment:

Schnepp, who is a Methodist, said that Macbeth’s sex change is against his religion and the school board is violating his rights if Macbeth enters a classroom.

Freedom of religion, indeed! In fact, Schnepp’s fight is just like when Jesus took that ad out in the Nazareth Times-Herald saying all the prostitutes should be stoned to death.

Transgender Teacher Angers Eagleswood Parent [NBC 10]

You kind of expect this thing more from Scientology

Ah, yes, these are how things work nowadays: Draw a cartoon, have people protest, burn some places down. And whatever. I don’t light fire to South Bend, Indiana, every time I see the Notre Dame Fighting Irishman, but to each his own.

Personally, now that the Inquirer has run the cartoon next to a story about the uproar over the photo, I want to know what Sylvester Johnson thinks of it. In related news, a group of protestors gathered outside 400 N. Broad today. Naturally.

And naturally the Inquirer has splashed the coverage on the front page of Philly.com, because this is what you do when you do something you know is going to anger people: You bend over backwards to meet with them and then run coverage of the event but you (of course) don’t apologize. (Not that the Inquirer should. In fact, if I edited the paper I’d probably put a drawing of Muhammad fellating Jesus on the front page. But maybe that’s why I’m not the editor.)

The money quote from the Inquirer article:

One demonstrator, 54-year old Aneesha Uqdah of Philadelphia, argued that precedent exists for newspapers to withhold some information to prevent harm: “If a woman was a rape victim, you wouldn’t publish her name,” she said.

Coming soon: Protests over Google Image search’s numerous results for the prophet’s name.

Addendum: After thinking about it, I realized I feel the same way about this as I do about Matt Donegan. He said stupid stuff, and these cartoons are stupid (and people have a right to be angry), but I don’t think anyone should be fired (like the editor of a French newspaper was). But, then again, “Oh, really, people got upset at a drawing of Muhammad with a bomb for a turban? How shocking!” But at least no one’s been killed in the Matt Donegan fallout.

Muhammad cartoon in Inquirer draws protest by Muslims [Inky]
Cartoon protests turn deadly [CNN.com]
Mohammad | Muhammad [Google Image Search]
Nov. 30, 2005: Drawing conclusions

Democracy by Internet poll

A poll from the front page of CBS 3:

Oh, better reverse that court ruling, then.

CBS 3
Yesterday: State beats Church in blowout

Reaching a milestone

We’ve hit critical mass here, people. I’m excited. Yes, not even four months into the launch of this blog, we have our first comparison of me to Hitler. It’s not direct, but it’s close enough to warrant mention. As we all know, the probability of a comparison to Hitler on the Internet approaches 1 as time goes on. First, something I wrote on the the original post last week about the guy handing out condoms at the church:

Eh, you know, there’s nothing like a good publicity stunt. And there’s really nothing like a good publicity stunt that will piss off a bunch of old Catholics minding their own business and going to church. (I’ve seen a lot of angry old Catholics in my life, and it’s a fun sight.)

Not exactly my best work. But, you know, it was worth it due to this anonymous comment left on the post yesterday:

Second, do some word replacement here: “David Lynn, the webmaster of FreePoliticalSpeech.com, is dressing as a rabbi and handing out ‘Holocaust denial’ tracts at the synagogue on Saturday morning.” After all, “there’s really nothing like a good publicity stunt that will piss off a bunch of old Jews minding their own business and going to synagogue. (I’ve seen a lot of angry old Jews in my life, and it’s a fun sight.)!”

Which one is “hate speech” deserving of imprisonment, being called “fascist hater,” and having the ADL and FBI have files on you, and which is kewl — the Catholic-bashing or the Jew-bashing?

Shit. First I’m a self-loathing Catholic, and now I hate Jews? Putting your opinions on the Internet is tough work.

Dec. 8: Condomania at the church!
Yesterday: Condom story expands
Godwin’s Law [Wikipedia]

Condom story expands

Whoo! I wasn’t able to make it out to the condom party outside the Basilica on Sunday, but apparently it was pretty much a dud.

Well, that’s not really fair. It was a publicity stunt, and the Daily News wrote about it, so it worked, in theory. But the DN’s story pretty much said the guy was ignored. And nobody took any condoms. Not only that, but the lone protester, David Lynn — webmaster of FreePoliticalSpeech.com — is a Penn grad! I had no idea we had so much in common.

The heckling, too, seemed a little more angry that I expected, but, you know, the one parishoner’s quote made everything worth it:

“What gives him the right to do what he is doing?” asked Darrin Declementi, of South Philadelphia. “He has no right to judge other people.”

Declementi then entered the church, where the priest told him how evil two dudes who have sex together are. Who has the right to judge, indeed.

Condoms in hand, lone protester heckles worshipers at cathedral [DN]
Dec. 8: Condomania at the church!

Condomania at the church!

With a last name like “McQuade,” it’s no surprise that I’m really excited about a coming event I got a press release for today. David Lynn, the webmaster of FreePoliticalSpeech.com, is dressing as a priest and handing out condoms at the Basilica on Sunday morning.

“In addition, the grand jury’s report makes clear that even priests are not always honest about their sex lives,” Lynn was quoted in the press release. “People who might have sex with their priests need to understand this, and practice safe sex with their clergy — you never know where their hands have been.”

Eh, you know, there’s nothing like a good publicity stunt. And there’s really nothing like a good publicity stunt that will piss off a bunch of old Catholics minding their own business and going to church. (I’ve seen a lot of angry old Catholics in my life, and it’s a fun sight.) But calling for safe priest-lay people relations? Now there’s one I haven’t heard before.

Oh, and kiddies: sadly, this free condom hand out is for adults only. But Lynn doesn’t specify if you have to be Catholic! (Or if you have to be looking for a relationship with a priest.) So if you’re a human adult and looking to get your groove on, hey, here’s a chance for some free protection.

Full release after the jump.

More »

Crime does pay!

An ad in today’s Metro:

Whoo! They’re back! We’ve seen this before, in both November and October. The bottom of this one (which I didn’t scan in) is the same as before, just without typos, so clearly these people have gotten a little better.

Far be it from me to mock anyone trying to turn his or her life around, but, well, something about Damien’s story just seems a little weird. It’s a little hard to read, so I typed it out below:

My name is Damien; I was an alcoholic. I lived on the street. I joined a gang (one of the worst in America). I stole or ate leftover food, sold drugs, and I went to jail four times for attempted murder. I was determined to change. I went to the Universal Church, and got the help I needed. I did a chain of prayer, and now I’m free. Come to the Universal Church; you can change too!

Shit. He was in jail four times for attempted murder and is now a free man? Forget his church — I want to meet his lawyer.

Nov. 17: Expect to see Donovan McNabb at this service
Oct. 17: Advertisement from today’s Metro, presented entirely without comment (honestly, because there’s just too much to mock)

Only Darwin can save him now

Because, really, what would Jesus do?

Professor beaten for evolution views [AP via KYW 3]