Good news for secularists in Anchorage, Jerry Prevo's church will no longer host high school wrestling event due to public prayer.

Prevo on the left.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

The Anchorage Baptist Temple’s school will not host this year's state wrestling tournament for small high schools, as it has in the past, after the Alaska School Activities Association asked it to stop its practice of including a public prayer in the event. 

An attendee of the 2013 event had complained to a national church-state separation watchdog group, which told the ASAA that as a public entity it couldn't sanction prayer at a school extracurricular event. 

Removing the prayer "was a show stopper for us,” said Tom Cobaugh, the administrator of the private Anchorage Christian Schools, the Anchorage Baptist Temple's education ministry. “That’s who we are.” 

The prayer issue made its way to the pulpit of the Anchorage Baptist Temple Sunday morning, when pastor Jerry Prevo used it in his sermon as an example of what he described as a “battle against prayer” in public schools. 

For seven years, Anchorage Christian Schools hosted the wrestling championship for small schools in its gymnasiums, Cobaugh said. The school, which shares an East Anchorage campus with the Baptist temple, serves about 650 students from preschool to high school.

This is yet another victory for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. They have been advocating on the side of secularists and Atheists for a number of years now and have managed to achieve some rather impressive wins.

I particularly like this one as Jerry Prevo of the Anchorage Baptist Temple is an especially disruptive and dangerous member of our community. He has almost single-handedly manged to oppress our LGBT community, and has had very unfortunate and pernicious influence on our politics.

Seeing him lose in this way does nothing but fill my heart with joy. And I hope it is only the first of many defeats that are coming his way.

In response to the Boy Scouts new accepting attitude toward gay scouts the Anchorage Baptist Temple kicks them to the curb.

(Source)

Courtesy of KTUU:

 A group of local Boy Scouts learned Tuesday they will no longer be allowed to use facilities at the Anchorage Baptist Temple. A school on the church's campus is currently home base for Troop 1316, but their last meeting will be Thursday. 

The church informed scout leaders their relationship will end September 1, and the last meeting of the troop will be Thursday. 

What prompted the move is a decision earlier this year by Boy Scouts of America to allow openly gay members. 

Pastor Jerry Prevo said in an email to Mark Schneider, whose 12-year-old son is a longtime member of the troop, that Boy Scouts have "'tucked and run' from taking a stand since I was a scout." 

"ABT has not changed," Prevo wrote. "The Boy Scouts have." 

Prevo believes allowing scouts to meet in the building is akin to an endorsement of homosexuality, he wrote in the email. He pointed to Leviticus 18:22 and 1 Corinthians 6:9, verses of the Bible commonly cited by Christian opponents of homosexuality. 

Schneider does not entirely agree with the new Boy Scouts' policy, but he believes ABT is putting kids at the center of an issue that should be left to adults. 

"The noise of this issue has overcome what scouting is," Schneider said. "It's not just about camping and going out and learning to start fires. It's so much more than that, and it's completely lost in this one issue and the screaming back and forth." 

What is worst about the situation, Schneider believes, is that the core group of eight kids who have been members of the troop for years will dissolve if they are unable to find a new organization to function as a sponsor. And the message it conveys is amiss of a key Christian value, he said. 

"Jesus didn't walk with the rich, the wealthy and the pure," Schneider said. "If you don't want sinners in your building, why did you build (a church)?"

"ABT has not changed, the Boy Scouts have." Well that is certainly the truth.

Jerry Prevo has a long and sordid history of fighting to oppress the gay community in Alaska and was a driving force (Along with his lap dog Mayor Dan Sullivan) in defeating an ordinance that would have ended discrimination against the LGBT community in Anchorage.

He is a hatemonger from way back and has had an inordinate amount of influence over Anchorage politics for decades. Something that I hope we will see come to an end in the very near future.

I wish that the Boy Scouts would do more, such as allowing gays to serve as scout leaders, but this step has, at the very least, allowed those who were not terribly aware to identify which Christian leaders are following and espousing the Biblical message of Jesus Christ, and which ones are using the power of their pulpit to push their hateful agenda onto others.

By the way for those just now tuning in, that second part is describing this guy in the gray jacket to a T.

I can only imagine how much more beautiful Alaska would be if we could get rid of this ugliness.

You may remember this unbelievable douchebag as the guy who believes that homosexuality is caused by demons and has used exorcisms to pray the gay away.

Just one of the truly ugly parts of this great state.

(H/T to my friends over at Bent Alaska,)

Courageous Anchorage lawmaker decides to show local homophobic Baptist minister Jerry Prevo, that he is NOT above the law.

Jerry Prevo in the Anchorage Assembly chambers. That heavyset man on the right is his bodyguard. I kid you not.

From the pages of ADN:

An Anchorage lawmaker is asking the Alaska Legislature to undo a 2006 change in state law that stopped city governments from taxing church-owned homes occupied by religious school teachers. According to the municipal assessor's office, only one Anchorage church currently benefits from the 2006 amendment to the state tax code, and it's the same church that sought the amendment: the Anchorage Baptist Temple. 

Rep. Berta Gardner, a Democrat who represents Midtown, submitted the undo legislation on Monday as House Bill 305. The measure is co-sponsored by another Anchorage Democrat, Rep. Lindsey Holmes. 

"People support public services, we pay our taxes, and it just makes you really cranky to know you're also paying taxes for teachers at private religious schools," Gardner said in a phone interview from Juneau. 

The Daily News reported in January that the Anchorage Baptist Temple owns 14 houses exempt from taxes because they are occupied by ministers or teachers at the megachurch, including its chief pastor, the Rev. Jerry Prevo. 

Because none of the properties had been recently assessed, it was impossible to know precisely how much the exemptions were costing the city. Old assessment records indicate the total is more than $50,000 a year. 

The newspaper story also reported that evidence which emerged during the 2011 divorce trial of Prevo's son Allen, also a minister at the Baptist Temple, revealed that Allen had a secret agreement to purchase his home. The city is now investigating whether that deal, and similar agreements with three other pastors, violate state law that requires the church to own a property before it can be exempted. A city spokeswoman said this week that the investigation was nearing completion.

I applaud the introduction of this bill by Berta Gardner, and hope that she is prepared for the vitriol and hatred that is about to come her way.

You see Prevo is not a Christian in the tradition of Jesus Christ, he is a megalomaniac who does not believe that rules or laws pertain to him, and who uses his influence and fortune to punish those who dare to stand up to him.

In fact the reason that Prevo was able to get this sweetheart deal was that then state senator Lyda Green attached it to a bill in 2006, as she was directed to by then Senate President Ben Stevens, son of the late Senator Ted Stevens.

So like I said, Prevo has friends in high places. Low places too for that matter.

Personally I believe that churches should pay taxes just like any property owners.  After all they expect the police to protect them from crime, and the fire department to protect them from fire, so why can't they pay their fair share?

Especially somebody like Prevo whose congregation have made him a very wealthy man indeed.

So do we buy Bristol's explanation for why she is the only one NOT losing weight on DWTS?

From Digital Spy:

The 19-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin has been rehearsing daily with professional partner Mark Ballas for the 11th season of the ABC competition, which continues tonight.

Speaking to Access Hollywood, she joked: "I haven't really noticed a change in [my body]. I think most people lose weight because they are too stressed out to eat and I haven't had that problem!"

Does THAT make any sense?  Here is a young woman on national television who is surrounded by super fit and attractive women, some who are both substantially older AND more fit than she is, and she does not even TRY to modify her eating habits?  It is not like Bristol has been overweight her entire life, like Kelly Osbourne was or anything. And didn't Osbourne lose quite a lot of weight during her time with the program?

Look putting all of my cards on the table I have heard way TOO many sources tell me this young woman was pregnant to think otherwise. My only question is whether or not she is STILL pregnant?  And if she is, how in the hell did she get on the show?

And if she DOES still have a bun in the oven, that would also go a long way to explain this statement:

The teenager was also asked if she had been receiving any extra attention from men following her success on the dancefloor, to which she replied: "No! And I'm too busy to do anything like that right now. No interest!"

Hmm no interest in men, and wants to eat all of the time.  Well since she is not Rosie O'Donnell I am guessing that "Bristol the Pistol" might still have one in the chamber. If you know what I mean.

(That was just a joke Rosie, you know I'm a fan.)

Boston judge rules federal marriage ban to be unconstitutional. And local hatemonger Jerry Prevo issues warning about a performance by a recently out of the closet Christian singer.

From CNN:

U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro ruled that "as irrational prejudice plainly never constitutes a legitimate government interest," the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the protection under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

Tauro ruled simultaneously in favor on two separate lawsuits that were filed by the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) on behalf of eight same-sex married couples and three widows, and by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage has been permitted for over six years.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley called the ruling "a victory for civil rights." Coakley, who attended court Thursday for the ruling, told reporters, "All citizens who are married in Massachusetts should be treated equally."

Tauro ruled that in DOMA it was "only sexual orientation that differentiates a married couple entitled to federal marriage-based benefits from one not so entitled."

He added that "the relevant distinction to be drawn is between married individuals and unmarried individuals. To further divide the class of married individuals into those with spouses of the same sex and those with spouses of the opposite sex is to create a distinction without meaning,"

Score one for common sense and real American justice.

On a similar note our local gay bashing Baptist minister is losing his mind over an appearance in Anchorage from a recently out of the closet gay Christian singer.

WARNING

A popular ex-Christian song writer and singer will be performing at the Metropolitan Community Church, a Homosexual Church, this weekend.

Here is the article of his coming out.

September 12, 2008 4:24PM

Ray Boltz Comes Out

Mark Moring

Ray Boltz, who sold about 4.5 million records before retiring from Christian music a few years ago, came out of the closet Friday to announce that he's gay.

In an interview with the gay magazine The Washington Blade, Boltz said he came out to his family and some close friends in December 2004, but only now decided to go public with the news.

"One reason Boltz decided to come out now might be because he's performing Sunday at Jesus Metropolitan Community Church in Indianapolis, and then next Sunday, Sept. 21, at the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C. Both congregations are a part of a denomination that embraces the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community.

AND NOW HE IS PERFORMING HERE IN ANCHORAGE.

BEWARE

PASTOR PREVO

The all caps comes to us courtesy of the extremely frightened Jerry Prevo. (I did not even have to add them for emphasis.) 

Obviously the Reverend "Look out a gay!' Prevo is quite disturbed that a gay Christian singer dares to actually perform in HIS city.  But surely this is not the first time such a thing has happened. Why do we think that THIS particular gay singer has Prevo's panties in a wad? (And yes of course he wears women's underwear. I am pretty sure that ALL homophobic preachers do. It is like part of their uniform or something.)

I wonder if his intense discomfort could have anything to do with a certain post by this intrepid blogger back in October of 2009, in which the following was revealed:

When Mr. Clarey finally pried his lips off of Jerry's ass, the stage was taken by a middle aged man, with a powerful voice, who sang a very beautiful song to honor Pastor Prevo called "Thank You". I was actually quite moved, but not for the same reasons as the rest of the crowd.


What the congregation at large may not have been aware of is that the writer of that song, Ray Boltz, just came out of the closet last year and admitted that he was gay. (Damn it! They are everywhere!)

Oops!  How embarrassing!  So of course Prevo has to loudly proclaim his revulsion with Ray Boltz's appearance.  How else can he make sure that people do not believe that he even remotely supports dudes who like dudes?

Sadly so long as small minded people like Jerry Prevo exist, and use the Christian religion to provide cover for their hate and prejudice, helping our LGBT community attain the same rights enjoyed by everybody else will always remain an uphill battle. (H/T to Alaska Commons for calling my attention to this homophobic rant from the always perfectly groomed Jerry Prevo.)

Remembering the summer of hate in Anchorage.

Jesus I can't believe it has already been a year since that all happened.

My daughter was here and she and I made this video of what it was like to be among the protesters outside the Loussac Library during the Assembly meetings. (Sorry that some of the words are hard to read, my daughter was not used to putting things on YouTube and did not realize how it impacted the quality. But overall she made an EXCELLENT video!)



Well I guess I know where I am going this weekend.

Hopefully someday soon our city will put aside its hateful prejudicial ways and embrace ALL of the people who live and work among us.

One gay young man's story of abuse, prejudice , and believe it or not, exorcism in the Anchorage Baptist Temple.

RJ: I returned to Alaska and, since I had no place to stay, I told my father it was just a phase, moved back with him, and back into the closet. I tried to pray my gay away. I begged God. I would have given anything to be straight.

Editor: Is this when the exorcism took place?

RJ: Yes. I went back to ABT. They had been studying Bob Larson's "Deliverance" exorcism ministry. They had a class to teach how to cast out demons on Friday nights. There was a questionnaire to determine if I had done something to open a portal which leads to demonic possession. The questions were things like did I try to control the weather, change stop lights, read horoscopes, use tarot cards and, of course, have sex with a man.

Editor: What happened at the exorcism? Who was there?

RJ: The exorcism took place at ABT. There were others there as well. I sat down and started crying. The Board of Directors, deacons, classmates, and family prayed over us. They anointed us each with oil and tried to cast the demon out.

Please visit my friends at Bent Alaska to read the rest of this brave young man's incredible tale.

As some of you may know I have written about the Anchorage Baptist temple a number of times in the past.  Including a description of my visit to the belly of the beast.

We have a lot of things to be ashamed of in Alaska.  Sarah Palin, more than our share of corrupt politicians, Sarah Palin, the horrible way we treated the indigenous people of this land, Sarah Palin, the shooting of wolves from helicopters, Sarah Palin, just to name a few.  But perhaps one of our biggest sources of shame is that the Anchorage Baptist temple is the biggest, and most influential church in our state.

ABT is right about one thing, we are indeed sinners.  But not because of the lust in our heart, or the times we take the Lord's name in vain, or for loving somebody of the same gender.  No we are sinners for allowing a horrible place like the Anchorage Baptist temple to continue to poison the minds of our young people in their so-called "Christian schools" and send them out into our community without the ability to understand, or accept, or love those different than themselves.

Dan Sullivan devotee and offspring of Anchorage Baptist Temple hypocrite vs Anchorage Assembly veteran. Gee that's a tough choice.

My friend John Arronno has the skinny over at the Alaska Commons.

Make no mistake, just because Clary now attends Changepoint church  instead of the Anchorage Baptist Temple (Yeah, like that is a big difference!) he is still part of Jerry Prevo's movement to take over Alaska politics and to make sure that "God's law" takes precedence over "man's law".

You an read more about this guy over at Bent Alaska.

Christian group claims that hate crime legislation threatens their religious freedom.

A Christian group in Michigan has filed a lawsuit alleging that a package of hate crimes laws named after murder victim Matthew Shepard is an affront to their religious freedom.

Far from the intended purpose of severely punishing criminals who commit unspeakable acts against a persecuted minority group, the religious activists claim the laws are a guarded effort to "eradicate" their beliefs.

Filed by the Thomas More Law Center -- which bills itself as the religious answer to the American Civil Liberties Union -- the complaint claims that protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people "is an effort to eradicate religious beliefs opposing the homosexual agenda from the marketplace of ideas by demonizing, vilifying, and criminalizing such beliefs as a matter of federal law and policy."

The first thing that I have to say is that not ALL Christians share the same animosity toward the gay community that this group does.

The second point is that if your "religious freedom" is endangered by laws protecting a minority group you may want to seriously re-examine your brand of Christianity.

I may not have a good attendance record when it comes to church, but I am still relatively certain that the theme of Christianity has always been to love your fellow man and not to pass judgement. It would seem to me that this law would fall right in line with that philosophy.

Of course you would never learn that if you attend a church like the Anchorage Baptist Temple.

The Alaska Commons reports on the future for the LGBT community in Anchorage and, just in time for Halloween, provides another look inside ABT.

After the uber-successful "Diversity Dinner" some have wondered what the LGBT crowd has in store next. Clicking the title of this post should answer that question for you.

As many of you know about a month ago I attended an anniversary service at the Anchorage Baptist temple. I had asked if any of my LGBT friends wanted to attend with me, and did not find any takers. Here John Aronno explains his hesitancy.

I couldn’t imagine walking into that “church”. Alaska Commons is not an anonymous blog (probably an oversight, in retrospect) and ABT has made their disapproval of me very well known. This site, and my email inbox, now has a devoted, albeit small, group of trolls who threaten and denigrate me at every opportunity (I had an op-ed in the Northern Light a couple weeks ago about the concept of holding doors open for people and driving safely, and got blasted for that!). We’ve had to go unlisted, and have had a few public issues. Even one earlier this evening, at Fred Myer, where a man locked eyes with me and stood in my way, demanding an apology.

Weird times.

It is always difficult for me to understand how an organization that claims to base it's set of values on the teachings of Jesus Christ can encourage this kind of behavior. But they do.

And if you don't believe that then you need to take a moment to watch this frightening YouTube video that John put together.



"Crushing the enemy under our feet". No you did not hear that wrong.

I was sitting in the audience when they were singing that song and watched the congregation, with heads lifted toward the heavens, belt out that song with both conviction and passion.

They DO believe with all of their hearts that they are fighting a battle against the devil, and that the LGBT community are his agents here on earth.

Is it any wonder that I found no takers to accompany me on that Sunday? Who could blame them?

I on the other hand? Well that is a different story altogether.

The Conservatives have finally realized that Jesus was a damn hippy and have decided to cut ALL liberal passages out of Bible. NO I am not kidding.

The wing nuts over at Conservapedia, you know the fascist version of Wikipedia, have decided to strip the Bible of all of that "love your fellow man", "compassion", and "social justice". Below are their ideas for ways to make the Bible more "conservative-friendly".

As of 2009, there is no fully conservative translation of the Bible which satisfies the following ten guidelines:[1]

Framework against Liberal Bias: providing a strong framework that enables a thought-for-thought translation without corruption by liberal bias

Not Emasculated: avoiding unisex, "gender inclusive" language, and other modern emasculation of Christianity

Not Dumbed Down: not dumbing down the reading level, or diluting the intellectual force and logic of Christianity; the NIV is written at only the 7th grade level[2]

Utilize Powerful Conservative Terms: using powerful new conservative terms as they develop;[3] defective translations use the word "comrade" three times as often as "volunteer"; similarly, updating words which have a change in meaning, such as "word", "peace", and "miracle"

Combat Harmful Addiction: combating addiction by using modern terms for it, such as "gamble" rather than "cast lots";[4] using modern political terms, such as "register" rather than "enroll" for the census

Accept the Logic of Hell: applying logic with its full force and effect, as in not denying or downplaying the very real existence of Hell or the Devil.

Express Free Market Parables; explaining the numerous economic parables with their full free-market meaning

Exclude Later-Inserted Liberal Passages: excluding the later-inserted liberal passages that are not authentic, such as the adulteress story

Credit Open-Mindedness of Disciples: crediting open-mindedness, often found in youngsters like the eyewitnesses Mark and John, the authors of two of the Gospels

Prefer Conciseness over Liberal Wordiness: preferring conciseness to the liberal style of high word-to-substance ratio; avoid compound negatives and unnecessary ambiguities

Thus, a project has begun among members of Conservapedia to translate the Bible in accordance with these principles. The translated Bible can be found here.

You can read the rest of the Conservapedia description right here.

Perhaps a few days ago I might have believed that these morons represented only the most fringe lunatics of the conservative religious right. But that was before I spent yesterday attending the services at the Anchorage Baptist Temple I have become aware of the large number of seemingly regular people who readily applaud gay bashing from the pulpit, and who seem completely unaware of the compassion for others that was the foundation of Christ's teaching.

I have little doubt that when, and if, these vile individuals remove the love and compassion from the Bible, that Jerry Prevo will not only accept the validity of the new books, but that he will bring it to the pulpit and choose to preach only from it for the remainder of his life.

The information age, and scientific discovery have badly wounded Christianity, but it will take simple minded hate-mongers like this to finally destroy it. All TRUE Christians should stand up for their religion before it is too late.

Indiana Gryphen and the Temple of Baptists.

Today I visited the Anchorage Baptist Temple which served as ground zero for the anti-homosexual fervor that swept through my city this summer as the Anchorage Assembly voted to pass Ordinance 64 which would have provided the same rights for the LGBT community to live and work in Anchorage that everybody inside this monstrous building took for granted.

Of course that was before Prevo's lapdog, and our current sorry excuse for a mayor, Dan Sullivan vetoed it.

This Sunday was a special Sunday at ABT because it was the 38th anniversary of Jerry Prevo's ministry. Yep thirty eight years of putting down homosexuals and begging for handouts. How could I miss it?

The huge parking lot was fairly bulging with cars, and I found myself amazed at just how many people are members of this church. And as you can see for yourself from the picture, the building itself is ginormous!

Inside the building was opulent and I could almost smell the money wafting through the ventilation system. Inside the auditorium itself, I was amazed at the vaulted ceilings, professional lighting, and huge stage that would be the absolute envy of theater companies anywhere in Alaska.

Even the PAC in Anchorage had nothing on this place.

They had four, count them four, large Digi Power 72 cameras placed strategically throughout the auditorium to record and broadcast Prevo's sermon for those Baptists too sick to attend, but perhaps not too sick to write a check.

When I sat down Prevo was just wrapping up his morning service and was oddly enough talking about how nobody thought he would ever amount to anything, and look how famous he had become with all of his accomplishments, delivered as some sort of message on the importance of humility. Yeah I did not get it either.

The 11:00 session started off with a song containing a strong military flavor that invoked images of "soldiers of light" and the "crushing of enemies". It made me wonder if they were confusing Jesus with Rambo?

After that Glenn Clarey took the stage and started the beatification of Pastor Prevo. According to Mr. Clarey Jerry was just barely this side of the "walk on water, make water into wine" guy that I thought this place was built to worship. (One very interesting fact that was mentioned is that, according to a Focus on the Family study, "fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry every month, or 2-3 a day. When I heard that my first thought was, "See these people can be helped".)

Then Mr. Clarey launched into how proud they all are to have a minister like Jerry Prevo who did not abandon his flock and who "bravely" fought against the "homosexual ordinance" this summer. Oh yeah suppressing human rights is heroic indeed!

After that my sensibilities were assaulted with a video homage to Pastor Jerry, which ended with yet another reminder of his "victory over the homosexuals". (They simply could not seem to stop talking about this subject!) This was followed by a standing ovation from the congregation. (Now I know why none of my gay friends wanted to come with me.)

Afterward we were exhorted to give Prevo a "love offering" to show our appreciation for all of his hard work and sacrifice. (You know bashing those gays really works up a sweat.)

When Mr. Clarey finally pried his lips off of Jerry's ass, the stage was taken by a middle aged man, with a powerful voice, who sang a very beautiful song to honor Pastor Prevo called "Thank You". I was actually quite moved, but not for the same reasons as the rest of the crowd.

What the congregation at large may not have been aware of is that the writer of that song, Ray Boltz, just came out of the closet last year and admitted that he was gay. (Damn it! They are everywhere!)

After the song, while still wiping his eyes, Prevo took to the podium, and without a hint of irony, started talking about the recent funeral of George Sullivan (our current mayor's father) and HIS brave stand against the homosexuals. He then followed that up by making the statement "If YOUR pastor did not stand up against this homosexual ordinance last summer, you should fire him!" This was followed by a standing ovation from the mostly middle aged, slightly chunky crowd. (Just how close is that damn exit door anyhow?)

So not only is Jerry Prevo openly promoting hatred toward the gays, he is promoting the punishment of any other Christian minister who does not agree with him. Wow! Now THAT is some set of balls on this guy!

For the meat of his sermon today Prevo chose to preach on, and I kid you not about this, "The Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs". Apparently a story that I have read over a hundred times to thousands of young children is actually a Christian morality play. Who knew?

Anyhow, according to Prevo, the sin that the pigs engaged in was not "building their lives with the right stuff". Now what is the "right stuff" you may ask? Well apparently it is constant church attendance, adherence to the Word of God, and tithing. Yep apparently if you give God protection money, by way of tithes, he will take care of you and provide you with material things like "good wine", "good food", and "prosperity".

If you fail to do that then you will be "blown to hell" by the Wolf/Satan.

I looked around to see if anybody else found this analogy as ridiculous as I did and I did manage to see a few furrowed brows trying to make sense of Prevo's bastardization of a children's story to make a point about morality and giving money to his church. (Well good there are some thinkers in the crowd.)

As he was wrapping things up (and that soft spiritual music started wafting through the speakers) Prevo reminded any visitors that they could come back to the VIP room and he would meet them face to face.

What? You can actually meet and talk to the gay bashing Jerry Prevo face to face if you want? Do I dare?

Are you new here? Of course I was going to stay and meet Pastor Jerry!

In the VIP room there were doughnuts and yet another video extolling the virtues of the Anchorage Baptist Temple and Jerry Prevo, and ending, I kid you not, on his work to suppress gay rights. (I guess that leaves no doubt as to exactly HOW Prevo defines his ministry.)

I shook a few hands and gave my name, my REAL name, to a number of junior pastors who were quite pleasant and very cordial. (Not one of them batted and eye or seemed to recognize me by name, which means I guess even members of ABT don't listen to Eddie Burke's crappy radio show.)

I then noticed Jerry Prevo enter the room and slowly made my way over to him.

After he had greeted a few other newcomers, he turned his attention to me.

Now Prevo's reaction was somewhat different then that of his junior pastors, he DID recognize me. And that was very evident by the look that came over his face. When I gave my real name, he asked me how he knew me, with one suspicious eyebrow raised. I mentioned that I had interviewed him at the Assembly meeting back in August. Oh, he said and followed up with "and what brings you here"?

Now I am not one to be rude to somebody in their home without provocation, and I did not come to start trouble, so I simply said I had come to check out his church and congratulated him on his sermon. (I know, but I was trying to be non-threatening.) Prevo's face, which had appeared a bit troubled, relaxed and he warmly smiled and said "well I hope you will join us again sometime". He then patted me on the shoulder and walked off to greet other new visitors.

As I made the long walk back to my car I thought to myself, I wonder how long before Prevo puts two and two together and realizes who he just talked to, and I wonder how different my reception might be if I take him up on his offer and decide to infiltrate his temple in the future.

Well THAT is an adventure for another time.

Is church attendance more important than saving your business? Saving your marriage? Caring for your children? Jerry Prevo thinks it is.

The Reverend Prevo, of mega church Anchorage Baptist Temple and "hating the gays" fame, tries to convince his congregation that they must come every Sunday and give him their money in order to have a happy life.

And the egomanaical shall lead them. Is that in the bible?

In his mind apparently the only conduit to happiness and eternal salvation is through his ministry.

What is it the the Bible says about false prophets?

2 Pet 2:2 [NIV] Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

2 Pet 2:3 [NIV] In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

Sometimes I have to wonder if the people in this "church" have even bothered to read the book they claim to hold so dear?

This Sunday at 11:00 ABT is going to celebrate 38 years of Jerry Prevo's particular hateful brand of Christianity and its impact on my state and its people. I think I may have to show up to this little soiree and see for myself just how self delusional these people really are.

(By the way if you click the title of this post it will take you to the Alaska Commons where you can read their take on Prevo and his minions. And I let me offer them a hat tip for bringing my attention to this unsettling video.)

Jerry Prevo would like to invite you to come celebrate 38 years of oppressing human rights in Anchorage, Alaska.

You know there are a lot of things of which I am proud.

I am proud that I helped children overcome adversity, learn to read, and set them on the path to becoming educated, well rounded adults.

I am proud that I taught women to defend themselves against those who would victimize them.

I am proud that I have lived my life trying to put the needs of others before my own. I am by no stretch of the imagination perfect, but I do try to be better tomorrow than I was yesterday.

And then there are the things I am not so proud of.

The times when I used aggression against assholes instead of words, when I carelessly broke somebody's heart or let one of my friends down, and not being there for my daughter when I was working two jobs and in a constant state of exhaustion. The memory of those lapses still makes me sad.

So I cannot imagine how badly I would feel if I had spent the majority of my life fighting to keep the rights that I take for granted from others on the grounds that they do not love in a manner I find acceptable. Or that I had used the teachings of Jesus Christ to lend gravitas to my prejudice and hate.

No I could never take pride in that.

But then I am not Jerry Prevo.

Perhaps next Sunday, as Jerry prepares to celebrate his many, many years of fighting against human rights, it would be instructive for him to look up from his podium and witness an audience full of the very people he has spent a lifetime oppressing.

I am just saying.

(H/T to Alaska Commons for the picture.)

Into the belly of the beast, an LGBT member's experiences at the Anchorage Baptist Temple.

Ah the Anchorage Baptist Temple. If you are visiting Anchorage in search of the most backward thinking, close minded inhabitants imaginable, THIS is where you start. From here the only way to discover more Neanderthal thought patterns would require a road trip to Wasilla.

Now I have ventured into the dark depths of ABT a number of times in my life. (They do have quite the Christmas pageant, as you would imagine.) But for the last twenty years or so I have kept my distance. I will, however, admit to the occasional viewing of the ABT television broadcast for a few minutes on a Sunday afternoon, just to remind myself how evolved I am by comparison.

So I was stunned, stunned I say, to discover that local LGBT member, and amateur anthropologist, Marcin Druzdzel had dared to venture into the den of homophobia that is the Anchorage Baptist Temple.

Surprisingly Marcin was able to escape without being offered as a sacrifice to their gay hating "God". And Marcel was even able to write about the close call on the SOS Anchorage website.

This mindset that I am so appalled and scared of, the stubbornness the Pastor was instilling in the congregation, has many implications. They are taught to believe that they are the only right ones, and that leaves no room for compromise, as there is only one way to earn God’s salvation–God’s way. This puts them in a black-and-white mindset that undoubtedly transfers into the rest of their lifestyle. How can they compromise in politics, or come to mutual agreements with coworkers at their earthly jobs if they feel like only they are entitled to the truth, and that they are on the path of righteousness? How can they be tolerant of other beliefs? They can’t… any time they refer to the First Amendment, it is an effort to either shield their views from criticism or to try to push them on other people.

(You can read more about Marcin's adventures by clicking the title.)

Now let me once again point out that I have nothing against anybody's personal religious beliefs. My bitch is with those who feel compelled to inflict their set of values on other people. And with those who manipulate their children into disregarding facts in favor of embracing superstitions.

Jerry Prevo's church is the most active Christian political lobby in the state. He constantly uses his supporters and their money to influence local politics and politicians without any concern over losing his tax exempt status. He has been shielded for over thirty years by politicians who he keeps in his hip pocket, like Ted's son, Ben Stevens who actually passed a law to make ABT owned housing exempt from city taxes. (One can only imagine how much the city would have earned if Pastor Prevo did not have friends in such low places.)

So I applaud Marcin Druzdel's courageous safari into the "Temple of Doom". And hope to hear more of Marcin's adventures in the future.

By the way, in answer to Mayor "best friends with Pastor Prevo" Sullivan's so-called "Diversity Dinner", the LGBT community has scheduled their own dinner called the "True Diversity Dinner" scheduled for September 25 at the Snow Goose restaurant.

There will be a number of speakers, including my blogger buddy Shannyn Moore, as well as some great food and fascinating people. If you are in the Anchorage area come on by, at THIS diversity dinner ALL are welcome.