Terry Firma, though born and Journalism-school-educated in Europe, has lived in the U.S. for the past 20-odd years. Stateside, his feature articles have been published in the New York Times, Reason, Rolling Stone, Playboy, and Wired. Terry was the founder and Main Mischief Maker of Moral Compass, a now-dormant site that pokes fun at the delusional claim by people of faith that a belief in God equips them with superior moral standards. He was the Editor-in-Chief of two Manhattan-based magazines until he decided to give up commercial publishing for professional photography... with a lot of blogging on the side. These days, he lives in an old seaside farmhouse in Maine with his wife, three kids, and two big dogs.
Today, claims Trestin Meacham (pictured left, below), he completed two weeks of fasting. That’s a milestone worth pondering. You see, Meacham, a Mormon in Utah, has decided that no food shall pass his lips as long as gays are allowed to get married in Utah. He believes that Utah can nullify the recent federal court ruling [that allowed same-sex marriage] by simply choosing not to follow it. “Jefferson made clear that the courts are not the supreme arbitrators of what is and what is not constitutional. The states also have power,” said Meacham. Read more
Menachem Stark went missing two nights ago, after he left his office in Williamsburg, NY, … from which he ran his seedy empire — which once included the notorious Greenpoint Hotel on Manhattan Avenue, a flophouse so decrepit and drug-filled, the feds seized it in 2005. … Stark’s irate tenants complained of squalid living conditions, and opponents of his development projects indicate he had several enemies. … Read more
I just learned that the self-described prophet, faith healer, and televangelist Kobus van Rensburg, a fixture on South Africa’s evangelical scene, has joined the choir invisible. His earthly departure is a bit odd for a man who spent his whole adult life preaching that with Jesus on your side, and with enough faith, you’re literally immortal. According to his ministry life and death is a choice, and people can choose to live forever without dying at all. Alhough van Rensburg had been battling cancer for a long time, and his doctors had given up hope, his true-blue followers were convinced that their prophet would never kick the bucket — and that if he did, his faith and their prayers would swiftly resurrect him. Read more
I wanted to put together a list of all the places where Americans are allowed to pray unhindered, but it occurred to me that I should just present a picture for slower readers. Here it is. I hope this is clear enough: Prayer is one hundred percent permissible everywhere. In every home. In every office and factory and shopping mall. In every church, mosque, and synagogue. Also, in every car, bus, or train; in every park and every forest; and (get this) in every school and every government building. If you’re a believer, you may pray quietly any time, any place — plus, if you’re not in a well-frequented library, a classroom, or a theater, you may even talk to your God out loud. But that’s not enough for millions of Christians. They support what 10 god-bothering South Carolina lawmakers propose to do with House Bill 3526: push communal prayer onto the daily program of every public school: Read more
