http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7700710.stm

Pope Benedict XVI has approved the new guidanceThe Roman Catholic Church has issued guidance for future priests to have psychological tests to weed out those unable to control their sexual urges.A senior churchman said a series of sex scandals had contributed to the rewriting of the guidelines.The authors said screening would help avoid “tragic situations” caused by what they termed psychological defects.The guidance says the voluntary tests should also aim to vet for those with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies”.Among other traits that might make a candidate unsuitable for the priesthood, the advice lists “uncertain sexual identity,” “excessive rigidity of character” and “strong affective dependencies”.The document also makes reference to heterosexual urges.Seminarians should be barred if testing makes it “evident the candidate has difficulty living in celibacy: That is, if celibacy for him is lived as a burden so heavy that it compromises his affective and relational equilibrium”, it says.

I am loving this from several angles:1) How stupid is it to make these tests, and have them be voluntary? Is some wanna-be priest going to elect to take a test that may force him out of the priesthood, in front of his family and friends? Is he going to WANT to take a test if he ALREADY has thoughts about raping kids? “Gee Mom, I know I’ve been training for years to be a priest, but I elected to take a test and it said I have questionable sexual tendencies”. Yeah. They’ll be lining up to take it.2) How much does this show that the Holy See has absolutely no intention of solving the problem, allowing priests to skip the tests, and STILL not allowing them to marry? This is why there aren’t enough priests! Priesthood sucks — and people know it. Not brain surgery.3) What the hell does “excessive rigidity of character” and “strong affective dependencies” mean, anyway? Aren’t priests SUPPOSED to be rigid and affect many lives? What kind of people are they looking for here?

I just got off the phone with D. Paul Monteiro, the Deputy Director of Religious Affairs for Obama for America, who expressed concern over Carl Silverman?s report and wanted to set the record straight. Mr. Montiero denied the statement saying it was someone else’s, but recordings were made and are being reviewed. We also have some statements from the Obama Camp coming our way, so please stay tuned.

The following is from Carl Silverman (No relation, but a well-known atheist activist and friend). The viewes expressed herein are not the views of American Atheists — we don’t directly support political candidates, but we do urge people to make calls and complain when assholes run off at the mouth.

Friends,First let me say that, despite what you are about to read, I still encourage everyone to vote for Obama. As we all know, we must focus on the Supreme Court.Nevertheless…..My wife and I went to the “Presidential Forum” http://www.christian-life.com/calendar/forum.htmllast night (Wednesday 10/29/08) at the Christian Life Academy, a megachurch here in Camp Hill, PA, expecting to be offended by the McCain-Palin surrogates. The event was being recorded/televised, probably for podcasting on the Christian Life website, but I’m not sure. I have listed the participants at bottom of this page.I submitted a question, specifically for the McCain-Palin people. Here’s the question, as asked by the moderator, who only slightly rephrased it from the original:”With at least 8% of Pennsylvanians being atheists, agnostics, and humanists, what are the McCain-Palin campaign going to say tonight to attract any undecided voters from that group of Pennsylvanians?”McCain’s National Evangelical Director, Marlys Pompa, said that McCain was going to be a president of all the people, people “of all faiths and no faiths.” She mentioned the “wonderful melting pot” of America, and generally emphasized the inclusiveness and unity of a McCain presidency. She, of course, did not mention Palin.The moderator then proceeded to ask another question, this time directed to the Obama campaign, but the Obama representatives insisted on responding to my question first.Don Miller, an author and social conservative who delivered a prayer at the Democratic convention, said, “Senator Obama has a policy director and an advisor for many different faiths. He has nothing on atheists or agnostics. There’s not this grand effort for the Democrats to reach out to a group of pagans to try to get them to vote for Senator Obama.”D. Paul Monteiro, Obama’s National Deputy Director for Religious Affairs, then said, “Senator Obama has a twenty-year history, a twenty-year testimony” and described Obama’s support for Bush’s “faith-based partnership program” and how Obama said “no” to those who distributed flyers at the Democratic National Convention urging him, on the basis of church-state separation, to oppose public funding of faith-based initiatives.Then, referring to Sen. Obama, Monteiro proclaimed, “This is not some crazy wacko atheist trying to make sure that your children grow up to marry trees.”Yes, Obama’s aides not only gloated that they were not actively seeking the votes of atheists, agnostics, and pagans, but delivered a slur of such an egregious nature that, if targeted against Christians or Jews, would have likely been fatal to Obama’s campaign. I can’t imagine Barack himself making such a grossly insulting statement.In addition, there was a dispute over whether Obama supported or opposed discriminatory hiring by publicly funded faith-based programs. David Barton, founder of the WallBuilders organization, claimed that Obama opposed discriminatory hiring, but Obama’s National Evangelical Coordinator Shaun Casey claimed that was untrue. To my recollection, based on Obama’s past statements, Barton was correct and Casey was wrong.In the future, I think atheists and other rationalists should create their own political party, not in the hopes of winning in this “Christian nation,” but at least to act as a spoiler against any candidate who does not treat us with the same respect to which believers feel they are entitled.Again, please vote for Barack, if only because Palin must be stopped.Feel free to forward or publish this message, but only IN ITS ENTIRETY.Carl H. SilvermanCamp Hill, PA[apologies if this email is poorly formatted]Copyright 2008, Carl H. Silverman. All rights reserved, except permission is granted to forward (or publish) this message in its entirety.

There is the post to the unedited Oreilly show. He was OK. Never knew Hagan, never helped her. but they took this old footage and used it against her.Unethical bigoted liars.http://www.vimeo.com/2105815

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_10/015426.phphttp://beltwayblips.com/video/dole_s_promise_ad_on_hagan/I used to like Liz Dole, until she turned into “HateZilla”

October 29, 2008WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE WEAK GET RIDICULOUS…. Recent polling shows Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) trailing in her re-election fight in North Carolina against Democrat Kay Hagan, so it stands to reason that she’s getting a little desperate.I didn’t think she’d get this desperate.Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s latest advertisement suggests her Democratic opponent,Kay Hagan, is a godless heathen.”A leader of the Godless Americans PAC recently held a secret fundraiser for Kay Hagan,” the 30-second spot says, showing footage of the group’s members talking about their atheist beliefs on cable news.”Godless Americans and Kay Hagan. She hid from cameras. Took godless money,” the ad concludes. “What did Kay Hagan promise in return?”At the very end of the ad, a voice sounding like Hagan’s says: “There is no God.”Seriously, Dole used a Hagan impersonator to make voters think she’s an atheist.It’s hard to know where to start with an ad this deplorable. First, Hagan is actually a Sunday school teacher and an elder in her church. Second, the fundraiser in question was co-hosted by 40 people, one of whom is on the board of an atheist political action committee. Third, there’s nothing scandalous about non-believers.And fourth, what the hell is “godless money”?Hagan held a press conference this morning with her family and pastor to denounce the ad, and announced that if Dole didn’t pull the ad, she would seek a cease-and-desist order.Even in a campaign cycle filled with sleazy, deplorable attacks, Dole has disgraced herself in a way few thought possible.

American Atheists has no official comment right now. But you can have your own.