Weekend Travels and a Must-Read Book

Happy Friday.

I'm going to be spending the weekend packing in a lot of hours in the car, traveling to and fro.


Having a weakness for cheese, I'm excited that I'll be stopping by an excellent frommage factory and picking up some yummy for home.

Even though I'll be in the car, I won't be doing as much driving as I will be enjoying some delicious hours with a pile of books that I'm taking with me. Among those in my list and pertinent to you, the readers of this humble little blog is one read that is getting more fascinating by day.

Religion Gone Bad by Rev. Dr. Mel White is a fascinating look into the fundamental Christian movements war on gays and lesbians in America, led by James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and Pat Buchanan.

White is well qualified to lead this discussion. He's an evangelical pastor who's worked at the highest levels of the fundamentalist movement for over 20 years with the likes of Robertson, Dobson, Falwell and others.

• Among some of the more scarier revelations in the book (pun intended) -
  In August 2004, Dobson used one of his Focus on the Family broadcasts to compare the ethics of embryonic stem-cell research to "Nazi medical experiments on prisoners." (pg 87)

• In October 2005 - Dobson made it known that he had a private "conversations" with Karl Rove about Harriet Miers, the woman nominated by Bush to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and that during the conversation he was trusted with information ..."that I probably shouldn't know." The media had a field day. The Democrats and even some Republicans demanded to know why Dobson had more information about the president's nominee than they did. (pg. 88)

If things like that don't make you shudder, well, I'm not sure what would.

I've said time and time again, as a spiritual person I will never advocate to criticize anyone's personal beliefs. I am a very staunch supporter of a very clear separation between church and state, it's clear that the mainstays of the Republican Party have become anything but.

But back to my travels. There's several other lighter books on the list to be read, and a good time with friends and family.

Here's hoping you have an enjoyable weekend!