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"Rotten Tomatoes UK can exclusively reveal that Kevin Smith's next project - a horror movie - is called "Red State". Up until now Smith has revealed little about the film other than the fact it's a horror movie and it'll be decidedly less joke-y than his back-catalogue. But, in addition to the title, Smith was keen to give us a head's up on the plot of the film. If you've seen any of his "An Evening With..." DVDs, you'll know how much fun it can be to sit down in an audience and listen to "Clerks II" director Kevin Smith...

A New Jersey school district's depiction of school hostage takers as Christians has prompted the launch of a new campaign – using the name that the school created for its terrorists, "The New Crusaders." The website was launched even while the furor continued over the "drill" in which school and municipal officials said the "right-wing fundamentalists" were shooting up a school and taking hostages because they didn't believe "in separation of church and state" and they were upset over an issue of prayer at school. WND reported that Chris Manno, the superintendent of the Burlington, N.J., district, praised the exercise...

Is the Clerks and Dogma creator next going to attack middle America, Conservatives, Republicans and Christians in an upcoming movie? It certainly seems so with a recent interview he gave that appears on the moviefan website called Rottentomatoes.com. Smith, known for his irreverent skewering of conventional mores, seems to be in the midst of production on a horror movie based on a "Fred Phelps" styled character. UK audiences recently saw documentary journalist Louis Theroux spend time with members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, a controversial church group made largely of members of the Phelps family and run...

The head of a national, Texas-based pro-family group says a recent hostage drill at a New Jersey high school, which portrayed conservative Christians as terrorists, is reflective of a dangerous philosophy that has become prevalent in many parts of America, where it is having negative effects on education. A local paper reports that a drill at Burlington Township High School in New Jersey involved police portraying mock gunmen, described as "members of a right-wing fundamentalist group called the 'New Crusaders' who don't believe in the separation of church and state." The fake gunmen were said to have been "seeking justice...

Evangelicals' Work in Africa Criticized By KATY POWNALL (Associated Press Writer) From Associated Press March 01, 2007 2:51 PM EST ALER, Uganda - "Telephone to Jesus. Hello?" the children of Aler refugee camp sing, their bare feet thumping the ground as they dance wildly in their concrete chapel. Most camp residents have never used a phone, but they are learning about Jesus. The Rev. Franklin Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, smiled as he watched the children - members of a club run by Samaritan's Purse, the Christian missionary organization he leads. Christian evangelicals have been coming to Africa...

The Discovery Channel should cancel a scheduled airing of a film about a purported Jerusalem grave of Jesus Christ, and should apologize for presenting such "an unsubstantiated claim," according to family values organizations. Robert Knight, director of the Media Research Center's Culture and Media Institute, told WND that the film, "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," is just the 2007 version of an annual attack on Christianity right around the time of Easter, the time at which the Christian church remembers Jesus' Resurrection. "It always seems to happen just before Easter," he said. "It's as if there's a script going around,...

Filmakers and researchers on Monday unveiled two ancient stone boxes they said may have once contained the remains of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, but several scholars derided the claims made in a new documentary as unfounded... ...Stephen Pfann, a biblical scholar at the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem who was interviewed in the documentary, said the film's hypotheses holds little weight... Pfann is even unsure that the name "Jesus" on the caskets was read correctly. He thinks it's more likely the name "Hanun." Ancient semitic script is notoriously difficult to decipher... William Dever, an expert on near eastern...

It's too bad the brash-mouthed babes of John Edwards's campaign blog resorted to gutter-speak to make their points. Their points were lost in the netherworld of right- and left-wing truculence and in the jousting, jabbing, and parrying so prominent in today's nonstop news cycle. It's too bad because the points they meant to make were worth considering. Last month, Edwards's campaign hired two women, described by salon.com as "outspoken, potty-mouthed feminist bloggers, Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan" to blog for the campaign website. They were hired to lure lefty Democrats into the Edwards camp. As is so often the case...

There is scant reporting on the anti-religious zeal with which many atheists promote Darwinism. February 12 used to be known in classrooms across the nation as Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. But over the last decade, an increasing number of schools and community groups have decided to celebrate the birthday of the father of evolution instead. The movement to establish February 12 as “Darwin Day” seems to be spreading, promoted by a evangelistic non-profit group with its own website (www.darwinday.org) and an ambitious agenda to create a “global celebration in 2009, the bicentennial of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the...

It's one thing for Chip Reid or David Gregory to give Mitt Romney a hard time over his abortion position change, as I documented here and here. But on this evening's Hardball, Chris Matthews took it to a fiery new level, and Pat Buchanan got into the act. Matthews: "This is like the kind of conversions you had in Spain in the old bad days where if you were Jewish, you were Christian the next day or you were burned alive!" The screencap shows Chris Matthews giving Pat an approving finger as the paleo-con posed and answered his own...

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A second blogger working for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards quit Tuesday under pressure from conservative critics who said her previous online messages were anti-Catholic. Melissa McEwan wrote on her personal blog, Shakespeare's Sister, that she left the campaign because she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the level of attention focused on her and her family. "This was a decision I made, with the campaign's reluctant support, because my remaining the focus of sustained ideological attacks was inevitably making me a liability to the campaign," McEwan said Tuesday night. Kate Bedingfield, a spokeswoman for the Edwards...

The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwan's posts personally offended me. It's not how I talk to people, and it's not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it's intended as satire, humor, or anything else. But I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake. I've talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone's...

Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy will be the guest of honor next month at a major fundraiser for one of the lead homophobic organizations in Indiana, the Indiana Family Institute. The IFI is affiliated with super homophobe James Dobson and his extreme right, anti-gay Focus on the Family. But what's even worse, the Colts appear to have endorsed the fundraiser, apparently permitting their logo to appear on the event's official flyer, and permitting the coach to appear in the flyer in uniform and on the job. Yes, in America you have the right to be a homophobic bigot and lend...

ASU student objects to sensitivity exercise By David Discobing, For the Tribune January 21, 2007 Arizona State University senior Ryan Visconti was told “his kind” wasn’t welcome — that he was an abomination and an unforgiveable sinner. He pleaded to join the “church,” which was set up Jan. 10 as part of diversity training for ASU dormitory employees. The role-play training took place Jan. 11, one week before the start of the spring semester. Assigned the identity of a gay Hispanic, Visconti’s persistence during the training got him nowhere. A woman with a Southern accent told him there was nothing...

An Amherst-based group will lead a new effort to examine whether Jesus of Nazareth existed in history. The Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion is billing its scholarly investigation the "Jesus Project," and it plans to take the work of the controversial "Jesus Seminar" a step further. The "Jesus Seminar," which formed in 1985, focused on what sayings in the New Testament were truly spoken by Jesus and what deeds he actually performed, but in the end it didn't question his existence. Amid much fractious debate - as well as dismissive criticism from many Christians - the group of...

American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America Chris Hedges reviewed by Prof. Jon Wiener Free Press / 256 pages / $25 American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America is a call to arms against what Hedges sees as the efforts of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and the operators of Trinity Broadcasting Network, among others, to turn the United States into a Christian nation. ...In American Fascists, Hedges reports in fascinating detail what goes on inside the churches, conventions and meeting halls of the Christian right. He attends a "Love Won Out" conference in Boston,...

Burma's military leaders LONDON, UK (ANS) -- A shocking new report about a range of tactics used by the military regime in Burma to suppress Christianity is about to be released in London. Called “Carrying the Cross: The military regime’s campaign of restriction, discrimination and persecution against Christians in Burma” it cites a document, allegedly from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which has been widely circulated in Rangoon with the headline “Programme to destroy the Christian religion in Burma.” It begins: “There shall be no home where the Christian religion is practised.” The report will be launched at a...

Tuesday January 9, 2007 Printer friendly version Email to a friend -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New York: Steal the Baby Jesus, that's OK, Kick the Menorah Go to Jail NEW YORK, January 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Sunday, the New York Times ran a story about two 20-year-olds, and an 18-year-old, who were arrested for stealing statues of baby Jesus from nativity scenes over the past two years. They hit the New York-suburban communities of Suffern and Haverstraw several times in 2005 and 2006. The police said they will not charge them with committing hate crimes; each is being charged with 14 counts...

Back in the 1970s, in the Dean Martin Roast era on TV, comedian Don Rickles could get away with saying most anything about anyone. Nothing was safe from his jokes – be it race, gender, religion, professions, personal behavior – nothing. He was billed as a “putdown artist.” He could make jokes about blacks, and Muhammad Ali would be the first to laugh. He could crack wise about alcoholics, and Dean Martin would erupt. He could ridicule those wearing toupees, and Frank Sinatra would dissolve into fits. Rickles, along with all of his guests, knew what it was to rib...

Before we pack away Christmas for the year, perhaps we should reflect on what it means to some of those of the liberal persuasion.If you Google for "liberal Christmas cards" the first site you will be directed to the bizarro world that is Progressive Holidays: The sentiment inside the last bizarre card reads: "George W. Bush terrifies me. Happy New Year!"The card with the night photo of a tree in the snow celebrates the winter solstice. The card with the people bowing down before a demon says: "Happy Holidays."The site offers seasonal bumper-stickers too: One can almost understand their juvenile...

Best Buy has announced they will be using "Happy Holidays" this coming Christmas shopping season, and they will not be using "Merry Christmas." Dawn Bryant, a spokeswoman at Best Buy Co. Inc., says their advertising will not be using the term "Merry Christmas." "We are going to continue to use the term holiday because there are several holidays throughout that time period, and we certainly need to be respectful of all of them," Bryant said. Send email to dawn.bryant@bestbuy.com Reference article: http://www.forbes.com/business/services/feeds/ap/2006/11/09/ap3161404.html

HOUSTON — A few short weeks ago, Garden Guy was just a mom-and-pop landscaping business that promoted itself as "making Houston beautiful since 1991" and promised to treat its customers with respect and honesty. Since then, though, the business has been vilified around the world as a bunch of bigots because its Christian conservative owners refused to do work for a gay couple. Michael Lord and Gary Lackey, a gay couple requesting bids for a landscaping job at their new house, received a polite _ and, well, honest _ e-mail from Sabrina Farber, a co-owner of Garden Guy: "I need...

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CHICAGO (Reuters) - A fresh wave of atheistic books has hit the market this autumn, some climbing onto best-seller lists in what proponents see as a backlash against the way religion is entwined in politics. "Religion is fragmenting the human community," said Sam Harris, author of "Letter to a Christian Nation," No. 11 on the New York Times nonfiction list on October 15. There is a "huge visibility and political empowerment of religion. President George W. Bush uses his first veto to deny funding for stem cell research and scientists everywhere are horrified," he said in an interview. Religious polarization...

A fresh wave of atheistic books has hit the market this autumn, some climbing onto best-seller lists in what proponents see as a backlash against the way religion is entwined in politics. "Religion is fragmenting the human community," said Sam Harris, author of "Letter to a Christian Nation," No. 11 on the New York Times nonfiction list on October 15. There is a "huge visibility and political empowerment of religion. President George W. Bush uses his first veto to deny funding for stem cell research and scientists everywhere are horrified," he said in an interview. Religious polarization is part of...

The Gay Police Association (GPA) has been reprimanded for an ad which implied Christians were responsible for a huge rise in violent attacks on homosexuals. The advert, placed in The Independent newspaper under the banner "in the name of the father" showed a Bible and a pool of blood. It was a one-off, used to back up the GPA's claim that the association had recorded a 74 percent increase in homophobic incidents, where the sole or primary motivating factor was the religious belief of the perpetrator. The association said the accompanying text made clear Christians were not the only group...

We can now see the theme of the Democrat October Surprise or rather October Surprises. They are designed to keep church going folks from voting at the polls this November. The first October Surprise, launched prematurely because of an overanxious Blog run by a RAT operative, was Foleygate. Supposedly because Mark Foley had gay non-sex via e-mail and IMs, this is supposed to keep outraged religious folks from supporting Republicans. Unfortunately, as I stated, Foleygate broke several weeks too soon and is already fading as a factor. The second October Surprise was the "convenient" October publication (even though he...

This just in- the Phelps clan has unbelievably sunk even lower with their reported plan to picket the funerals of murdered Amish children.

The chief of Al-Qaïda in Iraq calls with the removal of Westerners - the chief of the Al-Qaïda branch in Iraq invited his partisans to remove Westerners in this country in order to exchange them against the release of an Egyptian monk held in the United States, in an audio recording put in line Thursday on Internet. "I invite each moujahidine in the country of the two rivers (Iraq) to better do of sound during this blessed month (of the Moslem fast of the Ramadan)", affirmed Abou Hamza Al-Mouhajer. "Can Allah enable us to capture some of the dogs...

Several years ago, I wrote a column praising a sweet and talented Welsh girl named Charlotte Church. A singer of arias and sacred songs, she possessed an uncommon sense of modesty and decorum in the skin-baring age of Britney Spears. Charlotte had the face and voice of an angel. Her signature piece was "Pie Jesu" (Blessed Jesus). Her favorite keepsake was a rosary blessed by the pope. Or so she said at the time. Now, alas, the once-charming Charlotte is the new face of skankdom. And you won't believe what she's saying about the pope. The 20-year-old entertainer has rebelled...

(AP) Mel Gibson's apology for making drunken anti-Semitic remarks isn't enough to redeem him, actor-producer Rob Reiner said. The actor also must acknowledge that "his work reflects anti-Semitism," particularly the 2004 hit movie "The Passion of the Christ," Reiner told Associated Press Radio.

This lady tells Franklin Graham, who proves daily he is a very small man, a very small man, that he is full of shit. via the best blog on the net: http://mainstreambaptist.blogspot.com/ from: http://ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=7762Franklin Graham Bashes 'Godless' Schools A Kentucky educator criticized evangelist Franklin Graham for bashing public schools in a letter promoting a program aimed at equipping youth to share their faith. Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, began a June letter promoting a new ministry called "Dare to be a Daniel" like this: "Are you saddened as you watch our country's public schools systematically...

An error in judgment I remember several years ago, 1997, when the skinheads planned to come to town to hold a music festival. In response, Hate-Free TC was born and, along with it, the wonderful idea of a Unity Festival - a musical festival for the entire Traverse City area, to show our unity and respect for the diversity we embrace. The skinheads wanted national attention, which they got. That is why they planned their concert during the Cherry Festival. The Unity Fest was held in the City Opera House. It was a great success! And Hate-Free TC is still...

          > ALL TIME BOX OFFICE         WORLDWIDE GROSSES #1-100 - #101-200 - #201-300 - #301-302(in millions) Rank Title Studio Worldwide Domestic / % Overseas / % Year 21 The Da Vinci Code Sony $750.0 $217.3 29.0% $532.7 71.0% 2006 22 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe BV $744.8 $291.7 39.2% $453.1 60.8% 2005

BERLIN — Prosecutors plan to keep an eye on Madonna's weekend concert in Duesseldorf to see if the pop diva repeats the mock crucifixion scene that has drawn fire from religious leaders. Johannes Mocken, a spokesman for prosecutors in Duesseldorf, said Tuesday that a repeat of that scene during Sunday's concert could be construed as insulting religious beliefs. The stunt, which has been included from the outset of her worldwide "Confessions" tour, has been criticized as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church. Representatives for the singer, who will be 48 on Wednesday, have said the scene is...

A comparison of peoples' views in 34 countries finds that the United States ranks near the bottom when it comes to public acceptance of evolution. Only Turkey ranked lower. Among the factors contributing to America's low score are poor understanding of biology, especially genetics, the politicization of science and the literal interpretation of the Bible by a small but vocal group of American Christians, the researchers say. “American Protestantism is more fundamentalist than anybody except perhaps the Islamic fundamentalist, which is why Turkey and we are so close,” said study co-author Jon Miller of Michigan State University. The researchers combined...

Some acts cite legit reasons for leaving, but members of NOFX, Thursday talk of tension between bands. For most bands, landing a coveted slot on the Warped Tour is like finding a golden ticket. But this year, bands have been dropping off the annual summer tour's 11th installment like flies. From First to Last bolted just three weeks into the festival so frontman Sonny Moore could undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his vocal cords. Then, Gatsby's American Dream dropped out. "There's no juicy gossip to report, we just need a break to be with our families at this...

Latest video shows alleged Balkan war crimes Another video has been broadcast in the Balkans which purports to show war crimes committed against ethnic Serbs in Croatia in 1995. It appears to show members of Bosnian paramilitary groups brutally interrogated a Serb prisoner who is later killed. The fighters are also shown vandalising an orthodox church. This latest images - from nearly two hours of videos - were broadcast by Croatian television. The previous amateur video, allegedly involving Croatian fighters as well as those from Bosnia-Herzegovina, was transmitted by Serbian TV last week. The violence took place in the self-declared...

Christian Reviewer Rants About Liberal Hollywood LOS ANGELES -- Christian film reviewer Ted Baehr is no fan of this past weekend's top movie at the box office. Web Site: See Baehr's Review The Movieguide.org publisher said Will Ferrell's "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" is "a racist, bigoted work that ridicules the Bible Belt, Southern white men, Christianity, Jesus Christ, the family, and American masculinity." Baehr said the lead character's mocking prayer to baby Jesus shows anti-Christian bigotry and wonders why Hollywood isn't treating Will Ferrell like it's treated Mel Gibson, who has apologized for his anti-Semitic outburst. "Don't...

Variety reviewer Robert Koehler (formerly of the L.A. Times) recently reviewed a new documentary titled "Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater." The main driver behind the project is his granddaughter, C.C. Goldwater, and it's scheduled to air on HBO on September 18. The list of interviewees underlines it's not a big right-wing project: it includes Walter Cronkite, Ted Kennedy, Al Franken, Helen Thomas, James Carville, Bob Schieffer, Andy Rooney, Julian Bond, Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, John Dean, and erstwhile Goldwater Girl Hillary Rodham Clinton. A few righties appear (Richard Viguerie, George Will) and some more centrist GOP types do, too...

First Dean, and now Lileks to my defense. Thanks to both. James is the Atticus Finch of the blogosphere, so it would have been fun to read, even if it hadn't been about me. As for Andrew Sullivan, I used to read him regularly and have repeatedly invited him on the program. He has repeatedly refused, though he has committed to appear for two hours when his book comes out, provided we talk only about the book. His attacks on various writers are in something of a rotation, and generally proceed from some fact not in evidence. His most recent...

Monday, July 3, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MUCH ABOUT HISTORY Atheist who sued priest over Jesus' reality fined But author refuses to pay judgment, saying it violates intellectual liberty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: July 3, 2006 1:00 a.m. Eastern By Joe Kovacs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com An atheist who gained worldwide fame when he sued an Italian priest, claiming Jesus Christ never actually existed, has been fined by an appeals court in Rome. But Luigi Cascioli vows never to pay the $1,900 judgment against him. The fact he was given the maximum fine is "an abuse of authority against every right of intellectual expression...

WASHINGTON -- A Christian-themed movie about a football coach's faith in God is finding an audience in Congress -- not so much for its inspirational message, but for the PG rating it received. House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and other lawmakers are demanding explanations after hearing complaints that the movie "Facing the Giants" was rated PG instead of G due to religious content. The Motion Picture Association of America claims the controversy arose from a miscommunication with the filmmakers. It says religion was not the reason for the rating. "This incident raises the disquieting possibility that the MPAA considers...

Earlier this year, Britain’s Channel Four aired a two-part special entitled “The Root of All Evil.” No, it wasn’t about money, greed or materialism. Nor was it about racism and other forms of hatred. The “root” was religion, specifically Christianity. The special featured Oxford professor Richard Dawkins, arguably the most famous apologist for the Darwinian worldview. While Dawkins may be an expert on Darwin, it’s clear that he knows little about history, especially the history of Christianity. Besides the old saw that religion causes violence—as opposed to peaceful atheism, as practiced by Stalin and Mao—Darwinists charge Christianity with promoting superstition...

State slaps local biz for Christian skate times.Accord - Holy roller skaters are in hot water with the state Division of Human Rights. Skate Time 209 offers residents a new wooden roller skating rink and a fancy skateboard park. In its hunt for customers, the business has "tot" skates and "tween" (ages 6-13) skates. There are family nights and adult disco parties. And there are "Christian skate times" on Sunday afternoons, Skate Time's ad in the April 19 Ulster County Press said. That ad is evidence of a human rights violation, according to the state Division of Human Rights. A...

It's always a bit of a shock when God shows up in church. There's not much in Scripture to suggest that God's particularly interested in church of any kind, and Jesus, with his deliberate flouting of religious laws, had a notable impatience with the enterprise. And yet, as Christians, we hope and pray that it will happen. The election of the Right Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, bishop of Nevada, as the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States appears to be a hint that something's going on beyond the usual human bickering, self-congratulation, scapegoating and piety that...

The valedictorian of Foothill High, Brittany McComb, decided to share her faith voluntarily at her graduation cermony. However, before she could get to the part that meant the most to her, Christ, her microphone went dead. Her speech was in no way endorsed by her school, however the school directly participated in censoring her free speech. The First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for...

Narrow focus draws 'PG' rating for Baptist-backed film By TERRY MATTINGLY Scripps Howard News Service 07-JUN-06 The Motion Picture Association of America is crystal clear when it describes why its "PG" rating exists _ it's a warning flag. "The theme of a PG-rated film may itself call for parental guidance," states the online explanation of the rating system. "There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. ... The PG rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children....

Parishioners attending morning Mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church on Tuesday encountered spray-painted Satanic messages on the church facade and stairs, which the Rev. Mark Stetz said was likely tied to Tuesday's date: 06-06-06. "I think it's a very broad attack on God," Stetz said, noting that it's the most severe attack he's seen at the church in a half-decade. The messages included "666" and "Christian Holocaust." Police are investigating the vandalism as a hate crime, said police spokesman Zach Friend. It was the third time in six months that the church has been the target of vandals. Previous vandalism...

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- "The Da Vinci Code" banked an estimated $29 million at the box office on its first day in theaters, an industry official said Saturday, positioning the film to turn in the strongest opening weekend for any movie this year.