Take that, Mel

This is a little old (three weeks or so), but John Dominic Crossan on The Passion:

Here is the hard question: What have you, Mr. Gibson, as a conscientious Christian who knows very well that the passion story has repeatedly grounded lethal anti-Jewish prejudice, done to cauterize that potential venom in making this film? My answer: Nothing, actually. He has, in my judgment, shown careless irresponsibility, culpable negligence, and even depraved indifference to the dangers of anti-Semitism here and abroad. If you juggle with dynamite you are accountable for collateral damage.

Yeah, that’s it. Is Mel Gibson anti-Semitic? I don’t know. Alex doesn’t know. Probably Mel doesn’t know. There’s some evidence either way. But the effect of his Jesus movie is most certainly anti-Semitic, and he knew, or should have known, that it would be perceived that way, and rather than doing something about it embraced the controversy as a marketing tool.

This is wrong.

N.Y. ministers charged for marrying gay couples

It’s one thing to move against government officials for issuing illegal marriage licenses. (I don’t think that the licenses should be illegal, but they are. The cost of civil disobedience is to be punished for breaking the law.) Going after ministers for performing religious ceremonies is something else entirely, and is probably a violation of the separation of Church and State.

UPDATE: Yeah, “probably” was weak. I can’t imagine how it couldn’t be a violation of separation of Church and State, but the government’s always been weird about religious marriages. Consider, for example, the supression of “traditional” Mormon sects. But I think any Federal appeals court would throw these cases out.

This is disturbing

Hasn’t she got Marge ones!

Marge Simpson will appear in Maxim.

Really, Jackson Browne?

Prince, Seger, Harrison Set for Rock Hall

I mean, it is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, right? I don’t have anything against Browne as such, but he ain’t rock & roll.

OutKast will induct Prince. Now, that should be fun.

No Homosexuals in Mayberry, right?

King: From ‘Mayberry’ to state’s top cop

Long interview with notably insane new Alabama Attorney General Troy King. Or “Troy King” — as revealed here yesterday, “Troy King” is actually Roy Moore in disguise. A reading of the essays written by the real Troy King in the early 1990s shows an easily detectable repressed homosexuality; the real Troy King no doubt is currently living in San Francisco, happily married to a dermatologist named Steve.

“Troy King”, meanwhile, better watch out or he’s going to be kicked out of the GOP for saying that “[G]overnment has (a) very important role to play. … People in government are here to protect the public trust.” I know you’re new, but aren’t you on the talking points email list yet? Fortunately, “Troy” gets back on the GOP reservation very quickly. He thinks that the people of Alabama have a right to express their faith. They do, as individuals, dummy. It’s when some Alabamians want to express their faith by having the state put up giant reminders to everyone who may or may not share that faith that we have a Constitutional issue.

Gwen’s fun office

Abuse suspect worked for Sykes

A man who fled the country to avoid child sex abuse charged is a former aide to rogue Birmingham city council member Gwen Sykes. She fired him before he ran for it; you have to be seriously messed up for Sykes to get rid of you.