A capella version of And Am I Born to Die (Idumea) from the lead singer of Stolen Shack (me), my album featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered. I learned this tune from my good buddy Micah, who learned it off of Doc Watson’s first solo album…

This hymn means a lot to me, and in my mind is a political and religious statement. “And am I born to die, to lay this body down, or must my trembling spirit fly into a world unknown…” That is the cry of the oppressed, the cry of the scared soldier, the prayer of the terrified soul… Are certain people ‘destined’ to die, or can we help to create a world where children are safe from harm?

In her amusing and frank blog, The Dude Abides, Cathleen Falsani talks about her book “The God Factor.” She gives me a lot of hope that Barack Obama could be the next president of the United States. That is the way things go, isn’t it — like a pendulum? I think we deserve a serious swing! President Bush and his cronies have so alienated and abused their constituents that I think we could ‘even’ have a midwesterner, and a black liberal as president! Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

The reason I believe Kerry didn’t win wasn’t because of his charisma. He had plenty, as did Gore. But not the right kind. He wasn’t a Baptist. The only victories the liberals have had have been from dyed-in-the-wool Christians, Clinton and Carter… Can’t we learn our lesson, and find a Christian liberal that could stand up to the intensely oppressive right-wing regime? Barack, after reading Falsani’s blog entry, seems to be the perfect candidate!

Here is Falsani, from her blog, quoting an interview from a couple of years ago that is in her book, The God Factor.

Here’s one of my favorite things Barack told me from that chapter in The God Factor:
The God Factor

“The most powerful political moments for me come when I feel like my actions are aligned with a certain truth. I can feel it. When I’m talking to a group and I’m saying something truthful, I can feel a power that comes out of those statements that is different than when I’m just being glib or clever.

Is that the power of the Holy Spirit? I asked him.
“I think it’s the power of the recognition of God, or the recognition of a larger truth that is being shared between me and the audience. That’s something you learn watching ministers — what they call the Holy Spirit. They want the Holy Spirit to come down while they’re preaching, right? Not to try to intellectualize it, but what I see there are moments that happen within a sermon where the minister gets out of his ego and is speaking from a different source. And it’s powerful. There are also time when you can see the ego getting in the way, where the minister is performing and clearly straining for applause or an amen. And those are distinct moments. But I think those former moments are sacred.”

Obama is a real force to be reckoned with!

Lars Clausen, Guinness World Record holding, unicycle riding, Lutheran pastor turned author, is a true champion of saying the unsaid.

His first book, One Wheel, Many Spokes (www.onewheel.org) was a great witness, and chronicled his journey through all 50 states in the name of native America — supporting the people of Alaska who had been his congregation.

In that book, Clausen delved into personal issues, and opened up his life to the reader… But his second book, Straight into Gay America, is far more intimate, far more vulnerable, and provides a window into the mentality of our nation today on the issues of homosexuality and personal freedom.

Clausen details his conversations with the liberal and conservative, with normal and ‘important’ people, and he opens up the wounds of his own personal journey, his own personal closet, as a straight unicycling Lutheran ex-pastor.

This is a story you MUST READ!

Enough said. Visit Lars at www.straightintogayamerica.com, or purchase the book at www.bloomingtwigbooks.com/shop

For a FREE E-BOOK of Straight into Gay America, please visit www.bloomingtwigbooks.com/siga/straightintogayamerica.html

Join the journey for Equal Rights!!

STRAIGHT INTO GAY AMERICA:
MY UNICYCLE JOURNEY FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
by Lars Clausen

Read the Free E-Book Straight into Gay America

From anti-gay preacher Jerry Falwell to the gay-rights directors of HRC, PFLAG, and Soulforce, Clausen’s personal journey as a Lutheran pastor forces difficult choices between the exclusionary status quo of his church and the inclusive commitment of Jesus.

In Straight Into Gay America people share their lives with the Guinness World Record-holding pastor who unicycles 1,000 miles for equal rights. Through roadside encounters and overnight stays, this is the story of everyday people living through the most polarizing political and religious battles of our times.

Please put this story in the hands of our LGBT
and allied advocates for equal rights:

USER-FRIENDLY WEBSITE:
Press Release - Book Announcement - Excerpts
www.straightintogayamerica.com

Purchase Straight into Gay America from www.bloomingtwigbooks.com

A word from Soulforce:
“Lars Clausen shares Soulforce’s commitment to ending Spiritual Violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered people. Straight Into Gay America will bring our churches and our nation another step closer to the day of Equal Rights.”
Mel White: Soulforce.org

Chuck Currie wrote an entry in his blog about the priorities of the United States.

Yes, we have centered the Axis of Evil on Iran.

Yes, we are considering entering Iran, bombing them, hoping to stop their nuclear program.

And yes, our conservative American Christian regime is teaming with Iran against the gays.

I guess it all depends on your definition of evil!

Here’s a clip from Chuck’s blog:

At the same time the United States is having an internal debate about whether or not to bomb Iran (or take some type of military action) to stop their nuclear program the US is siding with Iran in a debate at the United Nations to “deny UN consultative status to organizations working to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people,” according to Human Rights Watch:

“In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, a coalition of 40 organizations, led by the Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights Watch, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, called for an explanation of the vote which aligned the United States with governments that have long repressed the rights of sexual minorities.”

Check out Chuck’s Blog Here

A site I encourage all who read this to visit is: http://www.nrcat.org

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is another incredible organization (started up less than a month ago) dedicated to fighting against torture. Torture is a reality of our present day military and covert operations all around the world.

We are battling terrorism, and acts of terror. What is more full of terror than the acts committed to the Abu Ghraib detainees, stripped of their dignity, their identity and often their entire lives.

We condemn rapists to death in Texas, but our Texas-run government condones (or doesn’t not condone) the sexual abuse, religious persecution, and brutal torture of American-held detainees across the world. And not only is this action condoned, it is taught. We do everything the best here in America.

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture has included in their new website a complete guide to leading discussions about torture with your study group, family, lecture, or anything else. They confront the subject tastefully and gently. They have included the PDFs at no cost, for both leaders and participants.

When I was in touch with the founder of the young organization, Dr. George Hunsinger of Princeton Theological Seminary, he wrote: (more…)