Thalamus Center - Early Childhood Psychological Development Growing Up Gay

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Protecting Children - Edith Bunker “All in the Family” - "Thalamus Center"

The Thalamus Center project is about

Protecting Children by education about Human Sexuality.

There is a scene in an old TV series called “All in the Family” where Edith Bunker is experiencing menopause and she does not know what is happening to her. Edith’s daughter Gloria is explaining to her the symptoms of menopause. Edith feels bad that her daughter has to tell her about menopause. Photo

Edith expresses her frustration and sadness about her lifetime lack of knowledge about human sexuality. (A video clip, click on the quote, below)

“When I was a young girl, I didn’t’ know what every young girl should know. Now, I‘m going to be an old lady, and I don’t know what every old lady should know.” Edith Bunker, “All in the Family”

Edith is not alone even today. Much of the opposition to same sex marriage is likely to a great degree related to feelings and confusion about many aspects of human sexuality exactly like Edith, on the part of millions of people, for women as well as for men, everyone.

Ignorance about human sexuality is extremely harmful to children.

All In The Family

Edith's Problem

Related links: click here

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Malawi High Court denies bail to gay couple over safety concerns - Afrique en ligne

The Malawi High Court on Thursday denied granting bail to the southern African country's first openly gay, citing safety concerns.

Twenty-six-year-old Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, have been in jail since their arrest on 27 December following their traditional engagement ceremony a day earlier.

The couple was set to be Malawi's first openly wedded gay couple if their planned wedding in the new year went ahead.

The lower court charged the couple with three counts of buggery or unnatural acts between males and 'gross indecency', felonies, contrary to the country's penal code that can see them in prison for up to 14 years on conviction. Photos

'In the current circumstances, the state is validly concerned about and intere sted in the applicants' safety and justified to be wary of releasing them into the community, at least for the time being,' said judge Rowland Mbvundula.

Reading a ruling in his chambers of the High Court, attended by the couple's law yer, Mauya Msuku, state lawyer Tilly Lokomwa and eight journalists, Mvundula said 'in a word, on the facts and material before me, the order sought by the appli cants is withheld.'

Earlier, Msuku argued that the issue of safety should 'not arise at all since the two had been staying together and carrying on as husband and wife prior to their appearance in court' without known problems from the community.

Read complete article - Afrique en ligne

Who’s Gay?? Does It Matter? - Ritch C. Savin-Williams

Chair of Human Development at Cornell University

Ritch C. Savin-Williams

Chair of Human Development at Cornell University Read more

Ritch C. Savin-Williams is professor of clinical and developmental psychology in the Department of Human Development at Cornell University. He received a master's degree in religious studies and the Ph.D. in Human Development from the University of Chicago, where he studied the development of dominance hierarchies in adolescent groups at summer camp. Later research projects included examining behavioral and experienced domains of self-esteem and adolescent friendships. Read more - www.queertheory.com

Who’s Gay?? Does It Matter? Ritch C. Savin-Williams – on PDF - Click here

HAWAII - State House Fails To Guarantee Equal Rights To All Hawaii Families - Human Rights Campaign

January 29, 2010

HONOLULU – Equality Hawaii, the state’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, and the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, today denounced the Hawaii State House for failing to take up and pass HB 444 SD1, the state Civil Unions bill. The bill would have provided that the equal rights and responsibilities of married couples in Hawaii are afforded to thousands of non-married couples in the state. The House voted by voice vote to postpone the bill indefinitely, effectively killing the bill for the session. Photo

“We’re sorely disappointed that the Hawaii State House refused to take action on the Civil Unions bill,” said Tambry Young, Co-Chair of Equality Hawaii. “Today, the House put its own political interests before the interests of Hawaii’s families and that’s bad policy and bad politics. We pledge that this fight is not over, and we will continue in our efforts to see true equality in our state.”

The decision by the House comes on the heels of swift action in the Senate which saw the bill pass by an 18-7 vote on January 22. House Speaker Calvin Say suggested earlier in the week that the House may not be willing to reconsider the bill if the majority could not garner enough votes to override a possible veto from the Governor. The Governor has never made a veto threat on the topic of Civil Unions. Read complete article - Human Rights Campaign

Related links:

Hawaii's civil union bill is shelved - Gay NZ

Maui lawmakers' reactions mixed - Melissa Tanji - Maui News

House won't vote on civil unions - Honolulu Star-Bulletin

The inhumanity of “protecting marriage” – by Timothy Kincaid – Box Turtle Bulletin
Galileo Condemned As Heretic - Misinterpretations Of The Bible - Homosexuality? Kids Are Being Hurt!!!

Bishops consider Murphy report fallout in Maynooth – By PATSY MCGARRY, JAMIE SMYTH and JASON MICHAEL – The Irish Times

January 22, 2010

Eighteen Irish Catholic bishops attended an extraordinary general meeting at Maynooth this afternoon to discuss the Dublin Archdiocese report.

It came before a meeting next month between Pope Benedict and the Irish bishops in the wake of the Murphy report and also the forthcoming pastoral letter from the pope to the faithful of Ireland. Photo - CNN.Com

Among those attending were Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan and Bishop of Kildare Leighlin Jim Moriarty.

There were 33 bishops and auxiliary bishops eligible to attend.

Bishop Moriarty offered his resignation to the pope on December 23rd last. Bishops Walsh and Field offered theirs on Christmas Eve. It has yet to be confirmed by the Vatican that the resignations have been accepted. Read complete article - By PATSY MCGARRY, JAMIE SMYTH and JASON MICHAEL – The Irish Times

Related links:

Irish Catholic Church covered up child abuse, report says – CNN.Com - November 26, 2009

Pope 'obstructed' sex abuse inquiry – by Jamie Doward – The Observer - 2005

Sex Crimes And The Vatican is on BBC1 - 2006

Bishops use 'bunker talks' to devise deeply flawed strategy - By John Cooney – January 25, 2010 – Independent.ie

Pope 'led cover-up of child abuse by priests'| News | This is London - 2006

Pope, Irish bishops plan summit on child abuse - Huffington Post - Shawn Pogatchnik - ‎Jan 20, 2010‎

Pope 'obstructed' sex abuse inquiry - by Jamie Doward – guardian.co.uk - The Observer - 2005

Confidential letter reveals Ratzinger ordered bishops to keep allegations secret

Pope Benedict XVI faced claims last night he had 'obstructed justice' after it emerged he issued an order ensuring the church's investigations into child sex abuse claims be carried out in secret.

The order was made in a confidential letter, obtained by The Observer, which was sent to every Catholic bishop in May 2001.

It asserted the church's right to hold its inquiries behind closed doors and keep the evidence confidential for up to 10 years after the victims reached adulthood. The letter was signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was elected as John Paul II's successor last week.

Lawyers acting for abuse victims claim it was designed to prevent the allegations from becoming public knowledge or being investigated by the police. They accuse Ratzinger of committing a 'clear obstruction of justice'. Read complete article: by Jamie Doward – guardian.co.uk - The Observer - 2005

Sex Crimes And The Vatican is on BBC1 - 2006

Bishops use 'bunker talks' to devise deeply flawed strategy - By John Cooney – January 25, 2010 – Independent.ie

Pope 'led cover-up of child abuse by priests'| News | This is London - 2006

Pope, Irish bishops plan summit on child abuse - Huffington Post - Shawn Pogatchnik - ‎Jan 20, 2010‎

Bishops consider Murphy report fallout in Maynooth - Irish Times - Patsy Mcgarry, Jamie Smyth - ‎Jan 22, 2010‎

Vatican orders (1) Absolute Secrecy (2) Throw Out Anyone Who Breaks Secrecy Of Child Sexual Abuse

Aug. 6, 2003

Sex Crimes Cover-Up By Vatican?

By Dan Collins – CBS Evening News

Secret Document Told Bishops To Conceal Allegations Against Priests

(CBS) For decades, priests in this country abused children in parish after parish while their superiors covered it all up. Now it turns out the orders for this cover up were written in Rome at the highest levels of the Vatican. Photo - Vatican's Foreign relations

CBS News Correspondent Vince Gonzales has uncovered a church document kept secret for 40 years.

The confidential Vatican document, obtained by CBS News, lays out a church policy that calls for absolute secrecy when it comes to sexual abuse by priests - anyone who speaks out could be thrown out of the church.

The policy was written in 1962 by Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani.

The document, once "stored in the secret archives" of the Vatican, focuses on crimes initiated as part of the confessional relationship and what it calls the "worst crime": sexual assault committed by a priest" or "attempted by him with youths of either sex or with brute animals."

Bishops are instructed to pursue these cases "in the most secretive way...restrained by a perpetual silence...and everyone {including the alleged victim) ...is to observe the strictest secret, which is commonly regarded as a secret of the Holy Office...under the penalty of excommunication." Photo Vatican's staircase

Larry Drivon, a lawyer who represents alleged victims, said, “This document is significant because it's a blueprint for deception.” Read complete article - By Dan Collins – CBS Evening News

Hawaii state house members turn down civil unions - By Ben Gutierrez – Hawaii News Now

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Barely two weeks into the 2010 Hawaii Legislative session, the hot-button issue of civil unions for same-sex couples is essentially dead.

The state house voted Friday to indefinitely postpone any action on the measure. Photo

While dozens, especially white-shirted opponents of the civil unions measure, lined up early to pack the House chamber, House majority Democrats met behind closed doors to decide what to do.

Shortly afterward, House Speaker Calvin made the motion that House Bill 444 "be postponed indefinitely."

House members approved the motion on a voice vote, drawing cheers from opponents, and angry chants of "roll call! Roll call!" from gay activists and other supporters.

Outside the chamber, the anger continued, with opponents chanting, "shame on you! Shame on you!"

"They're not Christians. They can't be Christians and deny others rights," said Carolyn Golojuch, a civil unions supporter and the Civil Rights chair of the Hawaii Democratic Party.

"Fear and bullying tactics superseded integrity and common sense," Alan Spector of the group Equality Hawaii said. Read complete article - By Ben Gutierrez – Hawaii News Now

Hawaii nixes same-sex civil unions bill – by - Mark Niesse - Washington Post

Friday, January 29, 2010

Pope to priests: Go forth and blog - By ARIEL DAVID – The Washington Post

The Associated Press

Saturday, January 23, 2010

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI has a new commandment for priests struggling to get their message across: Go forth and blog.

The pope, whose own presence on the Web has heavily grown in recent years, urged priests on Saturday to use all multimedia tools at their disposal to preach the Gospel and engage in dialogue with people of other religions and cultures.

And just using e-mail or surfing the Web is often not enough: Priests should use cutting-edge technologies to express themselves and lead their communities, Benedict said in a message released by the Vatican.

"The spread of multimedia communications and its rich 'menu of options' might make us think it sufficient simply to be present on the Web," but priests are "challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources," he said. Read complete article - By ARIEL DAVID – The Washington Post

Helpful links:

(Benedict XVI) head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) from 1981-2005 - called the Holy Office of the Inquisition, oversees Catholic doctrine and combats or suppresses heresy. It is the same office that condemned Galileo as a heretic because Galileo insisted that it is the earth that revolves around the sun and not the sun that revolves around the earth, which this Holy Office of the Inquisition claimed was in opposition to the bible. Photo

Galileo Galilei 1564-1642 - Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza [IMSS]

After 350 Years, Vatican Says Galileo Was Right: It Moves By ALAN COWELL, Published: Saturday, October 31, 1992 – The New York Times

A PBS miniseries: Secret Files of the Inquisition, tells a story of epic proportions and powerful themes of Holy Wars and Crusades, of torture and terror, of the struggle for human rights and dignity. Based on previously unreleased secret documents from European Archives including the Vatican, Secret Files of the Inquisition unveils the incredible true story of the Catholic Church’s 500-year struggle to remain the world’s only true Christian religion. For over half a millennium a system of mass terror reigned. Thousands were subject to secret courts, torture and punishment.

Pope 'led cover-up of child abuse by priests' – London Evening Standard – standard.co.uk - KIDS ARE BEING HURT !!!

This is about the reckless endangerment of children in a calculated, purposeful strategy to protect the institutional Church – The Christian Science Monitor

Ireland Child Sexual Abuse - Commission of Investigation, Dublin Archdiocese, Catholic Diocese of Cloyne

The Firm -Tom Cruise - 1993
Enemy of the State - Will Smith - 1998
WATERGATE (AGAIN)?
True Love For All People

Impending rules on gay priests create Catholic divide – by Charles Honey – The Grand Rapids Press – October 8, 2005 * Benedict XVI -> SILENCING TRUTH

Threats, Silence, Harm and Disposal of Catholic Personnel Supportive of LGBT Adults and Children - Ratzinger/Benedict XVI’s Directives To Hierarchy

Benedict XVI Continuous History of Homosexual Activity, a partial list