Inclusivity Brings Church Back from the Brink

Glendale United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee has been revised. Nine years ago, only 12-25 people attended weekly services. Now the number is 125. 

Steven Adair, a church leader who has attended the church all his life, knew that changes had to be made or Glendale would eventually close.

“I watched my church die a slow death in front of my eyes for the first 30 years of my life,” said Adair, leads the communications outreach at Glendale among other duties.

A welcome message is read out loud every Sunday:

“We at Glendale United Methodist Church want you to know that no matter where you’ve come from or where you are going; what you believe or what you may doubt; what you are feeling or just not feeling; what you have or don’t have; and no matter the color of your skin, who you love or how you identify — all of you are welcomed into this community of faith by a God who loves you and knows you by name.”

Glendale made itself visible as a friend of LGBTQ people by participating in the annual Nashville Pride parade and festival.

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/inclusivity-brings-church-back-from-the-brink?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv4_a1demo0ecs1j8o&fbclid=IwY2xjawTgcO1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFPNmVTZmxuMzJzcjU5U2w1c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgy8PY_lk7eAtAIk82yZK5WV5dyIesnS0h1q9Wfq-HnC6ylehfPQcGnZuvGq_aem_AzqCkQaK3DSQ479YvHG31g

Mormon Retention Among Young People is Decreasing

From another source: “While Mormon retention looked solid in the early 2000s, in the years since, as Millennial Mormons moved through emerging adulthood, they began exiting the LDS church in dramatic, unprecedented numbers,” according to sociologist Christian Smith. 

In his recent book, Smith stated that “Why Religion Went Obsolete,” the LDS church was once “legendary for its impressive retention rates among young people.” 

As our population is coming to grips with how hierarchies keep people engaged, perhaps this is an example of how more younger people are rejecting hierarchical religions along side other hierarchical institutions. 

https://religionnews.com/2025/12/10/us-gen-zers-and-millennials-are-leaving-the-lds-church-data-confirms/

UN Human Rights Chair Opposed by Countries of Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu.

Men considered by some to be the three most dangerous in the world - Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu - lead countries that oppose the appointment of UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk for a second term. 

Men who are so intent on building hierarchies with themselves on top, such as Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu, are predictably opposed to efforts to call out countries and people who refuse to treat people with dignity and respect. 

The 27-nation European Union stated that is wholeheartedly supports the reappointment.

https://apnews.com/article/turk-human-rights-chief-united-nations-61dc91622d141da0aba689e6436ea47c

Advice: Don't Engage with White Supremists

Advice about the Patriot Front:

"Their message to America, especially on the Fourth of July, is to reinforce the idea that America was founded as a whites-only nation. That is their goal, that’s what they hope to achieve in the end, that is their end state.

"If you are a random passerby and happen to be in their vicinity, I would recommend that you don’t engage unless you are within earshot of law enforcement or authorities or have somebody else with you and have a plan to leave the premise if you need to. But otherwise, the best course of action is to not engage with these folks."

For many of us who could encounter any hierarchy-building Trump supporter, we have decided staying away is the best recourse, including family members and former friends.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/who-are-the-masked-men-who-marched-in-dc-with-confederate-flags/4126668/

Rapinoe: Women National Soccer Players Have More Experience in Dealing with Outside Issues Than Men

Megan Rapinoe, a star of the Women's National Soccer Team, compared the experiences of the women's and men's teams when dealiing with interference and negativity from Trump.  She said:

“So, not only does this [men’s] team not have like a core of older players who are used to that, but none of these players talk about anything, ever, like, for the most part. I think in men’s football, just like in general, there’s not a lot of players who are choosing to use their platform or to, you know, broaden their scope of pressure and responsibility.”

Rapinoe also suggested U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino’s teams often thrive as underdogs and argued it might actually have “been better for us to play without” Balogun.

“But I think in general they didn’t handle the pressure of the quarterfinal well,” Rapinoe added. “I don’t think they handled just all of the circus that was around their team very well.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/megan-rapinoe-world-cup-donald-trump-us_n_6a508de5e4b08b2da6898a24/amp

Bill to Build the Smithsonian American Women's HIstory Museum Fails after Republican Prejudices Prevail

The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum has been years in the making — and now, transphobia is threatening to derail the whole thing. 

By a 204-216 vote, House Democrats pulled support after Republicans ammended the legislation to require that transgender women be excluded. 

Democrats cautioned that the amended version of the bill also gives Trump too much sway over the museum’s design and location. 

Despite the roadblocks to its physical construction, digital exhibitions from the women’s history museum are available online now, as are classroom resources for teachers and a state-by-state guide of women’s history in America. 

https://19thnews.org/2026/05/smithsonian-american-womens-history-museum-bill/

"Women on Waves" Brings Reproductive Services in International Waters

Just like states that circumvent casino laws by floating ships in international waters, “Women on Waves,” a Dutch non-profit, provides safe medical abortions and reproductive health services to women in countries where abortion is heavily restricted or illegal.

"Women on Waves" sails a ship into international waters (usually 12 nautical miles off the coast of a country with strict abortion laws). Because national abortion bans only extend to territorial waters, The ship operates under the jurisdiction of its flag state because national abortion bans only extend to territorial waters. Women brought onto the ship undergo medical evaluations, and receive abortion pills.

In Malta, the group has placed several abortion key safes across the country. The safes contain abortion pills. Women who are less than 9 weeks pregnant and in need of an abortion can email the organization to get the location and the code of the safes.

https://www.womenonwaves.org/en/

Republicans Again Show Their Support for Hierarchies with Opposing Same-Sex Marriage

Acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has flattened after more than two decades of steadily increasing support, with an ongoing decline among Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.

A May poll showed that only 37% of Republicans believe that same-sex marriage should be legally valid, and 35% thing gay and lesbian relationships are "morally acceptable."

Someone has to bring up the rear, and those people seem to be attracted to the Republican party. Since most of the change is due to dropping acceptance among Republicans, hierarchy builders know where to find each other. 

https://apnews.com/article/gallup-poll-same-sex-marriage-morality-e12acb151446ac1b7970c0825bf1d072

Olivia Book Breaks Barriers in Ballet

Olivia Book was promoted to the corps de ballet of Ballet West in Salt Lake City, making her one of the first professional ballerinas with a limb difference. She has a congenital limb difference — her right arm is smaller than her left. 

In recent years dance has been rethinking its relationship to diversity in areas like race and body type.

Bradford Chin, an assistant professor of dance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said that Book's promotion allows us to question how we conceptualize what a healthy body looks like and how we approach the idea who is a qualified dancer.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/arts/dance/olivia-book-ballet-west-limb-difference.html

Hegseth Shows His Sexism and Racism in Blocking Promotions

In a move that disproportionately targets women and minority officers, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently blocked the promotions of at least seven Navy officers who had been selected by a board of senior Navy admirals.

In a slate of 22 nominees to be one-star generals, two of the seven blocked were women and two are Black men. Additionally three white men were blocked.

No female officers were included on the new one-star list, which was released publicly in late May, despite the fact that women make up about 21 percent of the active-duty Navy. of the active-duty Navy. The list appears to include only two nonwhite officers, even though sailors who identify as racial minorities make up about 38 percent of the active-duty Navy.

Mr. Hegseth’s removal of the officers from the one-star list is highly unusual, said the current and former defense officials. Hegseth’s actions are the latest in a series of firings and personnel interventions that seem to be driven by his anti-diversity politics rather than the performance of officers. 

Once Hegseth is gone, and people who deserve promotions are promoted, anyone who is claiming that women and Blacks are being promoted more than they should be better shut up.

What if all the women and Blacks decided to leave the military? Where would the military be and its sexist and racist leader?

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/us/politics/hegseth-navy-promotion-list.html

Arkansas Celebrates Its Commitment to the Religious and Sexual Orientation Hierarchies

Arkansas is trying to pretend that anyone but heterosexuals don't exist and keep the sexual orientation hierarchy alive and well.

Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has proclaimed June 2026 as "Fidelity Month" as a backlash to Pride Month.  

The proclamation says Arkansas' commitment to spiritual and civic institutions is central to the state's identity and argues that "cultivating fidelity to God, family, community, and country contributes to human flourishing and supports a healthy, stable, well-organized society."

Of course the God they mention has the characteristics of the religious hierarchy they have created with their "God" on top, and the society they promote praises people they place on top of their hierarchy. 

No surprise coming from Republican Sanders. 

https://www.newsweek.com/arkansas-declares-june-fidelity-monthwhat-does-it-mean-12015517?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawSK2hNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF0bjZpOGd3WXJqQndPN1RCc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsYM57Kxyc9HAScFiEMH9Dii_mxZBhQsl-w8xYhLzi1KYqO4lZr2oSqg3h_a_aem_2WSxnR54yzKGORR9BClnHg#Echobox=1780308931

Paraguay's Vallejo to be Fined after Sexist Remark at French Open

Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguy said his French Open match, a loss to a home favorite teenager, should not have been umpired by a woman. 

He lost to France's Moise Kouame in the second round Thursday 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) after 4 hours, 56 minutes.

Vallejo: "This sort of match needs to be umpired by a man. It's very difficult for a woman to do it. It has to be refereed by a man, because it's a very demanding crowd and you need a lot of strength to go against the crowd."

The French Tennis Federation and Roland Garros organizers released a statement Friday calling Vallejo's comments "unacceptable."

"The competence of an umpire is not determined by their gender, but by their professionalism and ability to officiate at the highest level," the organizers said.

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/48908577/after-french-loss-vallejo-critiques-umpire-wanted-man-chair

MAGA in Full Force - Destroying Black Graves and Painting "Trump" and "DeSantis" on Broken Stones

Seventeen gravestones in an historic Black cemetery were damaged in Florida. Headstones were knocked down, and "Trump" and "DeSantis" were spray-painted in red letters on tombs. Vandalism in the Old Memphis Cemetery included open graves, cracked concrete, and glass bottles.

MAGA is desperate, and actions like this show they have lost their ability to act humanely. The hate and bigotry put out by people building hierarchies is extreme, as they move farther and farther from center of the see saw. 

https://www.kptv.com/2026/05/16/truly-disrespectful-17-graves-vandalized-historic-black-cemetery-with-trump-spray-painted-tombs/?fbclid=IwY2xjawR2FzBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEwZEU5ZXR2ZmlTSk1ZYXJXc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkz2ypV2_LrcfirHfB5YtO11FrK1bYYhAhP56-AsPWZvgTulIZegLQ9T43eK_aem_zRliUZTKy4yu6G-tEqsEjA

Go Tennessee - Adding Fuel to the Argument to be the Worst State in the USA

With the Voting Rights Act, some states were required to draw districts where minority residents made up most of the population, and offered a way for minority voters to challenge certain districts as undermining their political power. 

The Supreme Court has negated that law, and deep-south Tennessee has jumped immediately to use race to change its congressional districts so that the minority voters power will be diluted by Whites. 

The new map will indeed split apart a dense cluster of Democratic voters in the Ninth District — which supported Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 by a wide margin — into three Republican-leaning districts. 

This move proves again that since Republicans can't win by being fair, they will do anything to stay in power. Nothing is off the table when you have to rationalize away your support for the hierarchies that a man like Donald Trump champions.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/05/08/us/politics/tennessee-gop-map-black-voters.html

Will Vivek Ramaswamy See a Light When it Happens to Him?

A primary opponent of Vivek Ramaswamy, Casey Putsch, received about 18 percent of the vote in the Republican primary in Ohio for governor while assailing “third worlders,” invoking “blood and soil” language used by Nazis and attacking Ramaswamy as an “Indian boy [who] cosplays an American.” 

To a town hall full of young Republicans, Vivek Ramaswamy, the winner and also the name-caller for "woke" candidates, did actually acknowledge the existence of racism as he mentioned many of the hierarchies that plague the United States. 

“The number one factor that determines whether you achieve your goals in life … is actually you,” he said at a May 1 event. “The number one factor that determines whether you achieve your goals in life … is actually you,” he said at the May 1 event. “It’s not the Jews,” Ramaswamy added. “It’s not the White people. It’s not the patriarchy. It’s not the Black people. It’s not the foreigners.”

Apparently he is trying to steer his party away from the extremist fringes that have flared up in his own race. Good luck with that with a President who convinced so many of them to support him because he promised to build and support hierarchies. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/05/08/vivek-ramaswamy-racism-ohio-governor/?utm_campaign=wp_the7&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F4741d03%2F69fdc00be9f14b167bc865d0%2F69238be2e72028703ff640f9%2F33%2F98%2F69fdc00be9f14b167bc865d0

Virginia Megachurch Donates over 1 Million Dollars So Neighbors Won't Be Evicted

Nearly 450 tenants suddenly faced eviction in Alexandria, Virginia after the agency overseeing the city's public housing was found to owe $1 million in back rent. 

According to the agency, it lost more than $1 million in unpaid rent from 445 of 1,000 public housing units, citing job market challenges, a rising cost of living, and lingering economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Rev. Howard-John Wesley and the people of Alfred Street Baptist Church answered the call by donating $1 million to cover the back rent of residents in need.

“People [want] to be connected to something bigger than themselves,” Wesley told NBC Washington, “and in the midst of the days and times in which we live which seem to be so callous and cruel to people who are impoverished, here’s a way to make a difference.”

In a time when Christian Nationalists are trying to claim they alone know the meaning of Christianity, maybe it is past time for them to take a look elsewhere. 

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/virginia-church-million-dollar-donation-stops-evictions?ck_subscriber_id=2584165745&utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=These+existing+drugs+could+treat+Alzheimer%E2%80%99s+-+21365988&fbclid=IwY2xjawRPxg5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeNRd1_MArw8MM3rbIxmSY9J90jzmZBEDd6Vjq9HEXuWXE1j3vXMxLlHhMmn4_aem_2dA51kHHlpuc68yvz9p3-w

MAGA Supporter Caitlin Jenner Contacts Trump about Passport with M Gender

Caitlin Jenner, a MAGA supporting transgender woman famous for her Olympic decathlon triumphs as male Bruce Jenner, has asked President Donald Trump for help. Jenner began publicly identifying as a woman in 2015. 

Jenner told the conservative talk show host Tomi Lahren after she received a passport renewal with the sex mark M, "What do I do? This is a safety factor. I can't travel internationally anymore. I can't use my passport." 

Jenner, an ardent supporter of Donald Trump, enjoys imposing hierarchial restrictions on other people. But when the problems hierarchies cause apply to her – not fair. All of a sudden, she thinks that this Trump policy has not been really thought out, obviously because it personally affects her. She is not considered to be a trans advocate, and has, in fact, stood against many issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.

And she still loves Trump and loves what he is doing. But apparently not to her. 

https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/caitlyn-jenner-asks-trump-help-impact-trans-passport-policy-11843350

Philz Coffee Changes Course, Protest Works

The Bay Area-based coffee chain, Philz Coffee, confirmed Friday it will keep Pride flags at locations after previously planning to update decor for "a more consistent, inclusive experience."

"I made a mistake, and I am sincerely sorry. To our team members, to our customers, and to the LGBTQIA+ community that has been with us since the very beginning, the confusion and hurt we caused around our new policy for Pride flags failed you,” Philz Coffee CEO Mahesh Sadarangani said in a statement.

Philz Coffee's decision to reverse course comes after backlash and an online petition urging the company to keep Pride flags.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/philz-coffee-pride-flags-staying/4070627/

People on Top Will Change Their Stance if They Benefit

Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders shared a video of Trump's opposition to a war in Iran. In 2020, Trump objected to any potential new U.S. wars in the Middle East. 

“We’ve spent $8 trillion in the Middle East, and we’re not fixing our roads in this country?” Trump said in the clip.  “How stupid — how stupid is that? And we’re not fixing our highways, our tunnels, our bridges, our hospitals, even, our schools, even? It’s crazy.”

But now with Trump's attack of Iran, when he wants to do the opposite to his previous stance, no problem, what he said before is irrelevant. Typical of people on top of hierarchies, whatever benefits them at the time is what guides their actions. Lies and misconceptions are just part of the game of hierarchies.

Trump previously vowed to "drain the swamp" of corruption in Washington, D.C., and to “Make America Great Again” by opposing foreign conflicts and prioritizing domestic infrastructure projects. We all know how that is turning out. 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-slams-iran-war-trump-was-right_n_69a6e358e4b076ac5d63ae5a?ref=bffbhuffpost&ncid_tag=fcbklnkushpmg00000063&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=us_main&fbclid=IwY2xjawQUaZVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFjRFNvMDFHU2RZbnVpYTRtc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHga0IUdfSJ6Y3M_En6Illj27_RD1zccYMpUV6EvEJ3cU8WUO4LnjcYNxE8R-_aem_itLzuKdmDm7eZr2aYEWsiQ

More On Our Hierarchical Religion War

Troops from the United Staes have logged more than 110 complaints with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation concerning comments saying the Iran War is allowing Trump to bring about "Armageddon."

Without any clear message coming from the White House with regard to the purpose of the Iran war, U.S. military commanders have turned to Jesus, apparently telling American troops that the war is “biblically sanctioned.”

https://newrepublic.com/post/207270/military-leaders-iran-war-donald-trump-jesus-armageddon?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SF_TNR&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwY2xjawQUZd5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFjRFNvMDFHU2RZbnVpYTRtc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjvfolWg8LoAnmUilptPqpcxnpxqZzavYHvg9-3gHV76HxCOxyB0EmSz9J2r_aem_d-dlytBcv3rDP00MFz22KA