About the Author, Leah L Burton
You may email Leah at:
Born in Ketchikan, Alaska (aka “NoWhere,” Alaska) Territory, in 1957, daughter of an Alaska State Trooper, which resulted in frequent moves among various communities throughout the state. I say community because “town” would be a huge stretch when describing some of the places we lived.
Alaska is vast in land mass, but very much a “small town” in its social relationships. Because of my father’s work as a State Trooper and his political involvements and associations, I had the opportunity to meet many different influential people who left their mark on Alaska in a variety of ways. He ultimately retired after serving as a Cabinet Member as Commissioner of Public Safety under two different governors – Governor Jay S. Hammond and Governor Walter J. Hickel, both Republicans.
As a child, my siblings and I played in the Governor’s Mansion and the halls of the Capitol Building in Juneau – Alaska’s capitol when we were “stationed” there. I learned at an early age that respect goes, where respect is due, regardless of your status. I appreciated that the opinions and lives of the clerks at the customer counter in the capitol were just as important to me as those of the governor’s office.
Further molding my expanding views, our family spent a “tour” overseas when my father took a position with the Agency for International Development, requiring him to live in Vietnam for two years, placing our family in Taipei, Taiwan.
Living overseas contributed to the development of a world view beyond the majority of my peer group in Alaska. The exposure of living there at the end of the Vietnam War contributed to a greater global comprehension and consideration of things outside Alaska’s remote sense of self.
We are all challenged to accept how integral our relationships are with respect to the rest of the world. This contributes to living in our local “bubbles” with regard to how far-reaching our associations are to other countries, states and even neighboring counties, cities and towns. Our inclination is to think regionally – not globally.
In the late 1970s I worked on the British Petroleum side of the “North Slope”, the northern-most region of Alaska where the Prudhoe Bay oil field is located. During that time it was transitioning from a construction project to a production machine. In the two years I was there, I had access to, and learned a great deal from industry people, that were managers of oil fields worldwide, on how the discovery, development and production of oil has immense socioeconomic impacts on us all. This was yet another experience that contributed richly to my growing personal library of knowledge.
I also found time to become a mother, with the inordinately important job of raising a child in this world. A job I take with convicted seriousness, even now that she is in her 20s and a new mother herself.
As a young adult I studied Social Psychology at the University of Alaska in Anchorage. Concurrent to those studies, I jumped into politics as a citizen lobbyist on important issues affecting Alaskan families, then transitioned later to that of a paid Social Justice lobbyist for Children & Family interests, and “played” in those same capitol hallways that I frequented as a child, only now I was engaged in a different game – political chess.
In addition to my work as an author on my upcoming book, “ReBiblican Politics: It is Dominion They are After!”, I currently serve on the Board of Directors of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation fighting Christian Dominionism in the U.S. armed forces. I am also privileged to work with the California Council of Churches which represents the interests of 1.6 million mainstream Christian membership spanning 51 denominations where we collaboratively work to provide information about the dangers of extremism in Christianity and to secure a separation of church and state.
Because of the influence of political Christian Dominionists – it is no longer simple partisan politics of Republican vs. Democrats – it has become – Freedom vs. Theocracy. I am a frequent guest speaker and radio guest on the topic of Dominionism in American politics.
Hey, I like that “Another blogger against theocracy” pic on your margins! I so want one for my blog! Where can I find it…or can I swipe your pic and use it?
Thanks, Lucky
Were you ever successful copying the bloggers against theocracy image? Please let me know if you were not.
Whoops, not sure I did this right.
I really like that “another blogger against theocracy” pic on your margins! I so want one for my blog!
Where can I get one like it…or can I swipe yours and use it?
Thanks, Lucky
Recent books in this area that I have enjoyed are "The End of Faith" by Sam Harris and Susan Jacoby's "The Age of Unreason" and "Freethinkers."
Another good book is "Divine Destruction: Wise Use, Dominion Theology, and the Making of American Environmental Policy" by Stephenie Hendricks, Melville House Publishing, 2005 ISBN 0-9766583-4-8 (http://www.mhpbooks.com)
You realize, of course that the Arabic translation of God's Own Party is…Hiz'b Allah(Hezbollah) heh, heh
Really…?
… not infidel… but imbecile… whatever…
…get a grip… upon your own anatomy…
Leah, you will be a great asset to MRFF. Your response to an email that Mikey received drew me to your blog. Whatever your educational background is it seems to have prepared you well and I want to hear your opinion regarding the difference between 'separation of church and state', freedom OF religion, and freedom FROM religion. Thanks for your time.
I apologize for taking so long to respond….it has been chaos here but I absolutely want to address your question. I need to make that a blog post…but in the meantime my email is leah@godsownparty.com….please make contact with me there.
Thanks Leah for your comments on Alan Handleman today. You bring a lot of insight and intelligence to the table. I was the last caller on the same show and have a Master's from a Lutheran Seminary. Sarah's rant is typical of an uninformed fundamentalist. She brings this theology of wrath to politics and lately to the Tea Party. Funny, she never talked about the Tea Party until she was invited. She is a woman desperate for attention and sadly she gets it. Worse, she gives Christianity a bad name. Worse, she doesn't know the difference.
I am so glad to hear from you! Please contact me….leah@godsownparty.com I look forward to speaking with you more…I was very excited to hear you call in, and was hoping you would make contact.
Warmest regards,
Leah
just got a call from allan handelman to see if you are available today. he is on the road, i dont have your contact number. if you get this message before 330p, please call if you are available between 4 and 7 today.
pd
I am always happy to be on Allan's show…looking forward to it.
"Daughter of an Alaska State Trooper" huh? When you are Allen Handelmann's show, he makes it sound like you come from a prominent Alaskan family. Quite the contrary. Your daddy was a glorified traffic cop. HAHAHAHAHA
This is one of those times when I am reminded of the negative side of the internet and the way nameless, faceless nothings can hide in cyberspace and make comments such as this without any consequences. I've know Leah's father since I was a little kid, and I can tell you two things, he's a good man who contributed greatly to the State of Alaska, and "screw you" would have never said such a thing to his face. Now I hope whatever it is enjoys it's pathetic little existence skulking around in the shadows.
Whatever negative energy propels these bilious ones, for them I have just one sentence:
Suit yourselves, but understand that Ignorance is Not Bliss!
No ignorance is truly NOT bliss…people just soothe themselves with that thought and then one day reality shatters everything.
And that "glorified traffic cop" spent every working day of his career putting himself in harm's way to keep scum like you safe.
That's a pretty good operational definition of "glory" — so, despite your obvious 2-digit IQ, vile "value" system, and puerile sarcasm, you actually told the truth there.
I imagine the sensation was quite novel — and I don't think you can expect too many repeats of it, if this represents your "thinking" (term obviously used very loosely) process in general.
You have stated this as well as I could expect. The vitriol that has become synonymous with this "New Conservative" knows no boundaries. It would be easier for them to articulate what they are FOR than what they are against…
smartalek is not as smart as it thinks, is it? It needs to have its gallbladder checked, there is too much bile flowing into its brain, rotting reasoning facilities.
I apologize for my unusual snark, but sometimes the vile bile is just too much to ignore.
Leah, as always, I wish you Strength!
Leah likes to call herself an independant, but looking at these articles it appears she has alligned herself with the Far Left.
Leah is still an independent…which allows me the option to vote for any Party. It is not so much the "far left" as it is aptly put by Bill Maher, "At some point in this country the left moved to the center and the right moved into a mental institution."
Frankly, I am no fan of either Party. What I believe in is anti-extremism and separation of church & state – and that leaves me with no choice but to vote 'D'. It was not my efforts that turned the Grand Ol' Party into a theocratic 'God's Own Party'. Nonetheless, Nice to hear from you! Great to have responses generated from the radio Shows that I appear on. Have a very Merry Christmas
Just because she is exposing the workings of the Far Right and their attempt to turn our country into a plutocratic theocracy, Leah is aligned with the Far Left—how sad for you and your lack of concern for her efforts to get back to separation of church and state.
Hi Leah,
Thanks for your blog! I really enjoy it, albeit it's depressing on account of the sad state of affairs the nation is in. I think the only way we will have a true separation of church and state, is if churches and those who work for them start paying taxes like everyone else. How come this hasn't been proposed as a budget-fixing solution? Glad to know that there is such an adamant voice for reason and common-sense as yours in America today. Keep up the good work, and please ignore all these internet trolls that like to haunt your blog, they are pathetic.
Cheers,
Marcos
Greetings, Marcos and thank you for the supportive and uplifting message! What a pleasure to hear your thoughts. I agree, we must revisit the IRS laws that allow the offending churches to essentially launder volumes of money and funnel it all to oppressive proselytizing activities here and abroad without paying a cent in taxes. We can thank some very nasty rule-breaking scientologists for strong-arming the IRS some years ago in their effort to remain a tax-free "church". There has been much written about that and we do need to see legislation proposed to fix it.
Aaaahhh…but here's the problem. Many of our "smaller government" repubs and blue dog dems enjoy the huge financial support that they receive from these "individuals" and to change the law would shrivel up that money stream. It is why we don't stand a snowballs chance in hell of getting them to pass campaign finance reform unless WE make it an enormous issue.
When the idiots are running the asylum – we can't expect them to set standards to self-police. These are yet more reason to encourage everyone to vote and turn this collection of entrenched politicians around. On BOTH sides. Thank you, Marcos!
Good Morning, Leah and Marcos: Happy to see both your comments. There are so many thoughts flying around in my brain, I am having a hard time organizing them. Here is one:
I absolutely agree that all organized religions, sects, cults, whatever should not be allowed tax exemptions except for the piece of property upon which they worship. No exceptions. That would go a very long way to curbing excesses of amassed wealth, and which would also follow the dictum of "Separation of Church and State".
A major change in the tax code to level the playing field between the "worker bees" and the power of the wealthy aided by Worldwide Stock Markets and International Corporations (which includes religious organizations) would almost instantly curb the craziness of social upheaval brought on by the various theocratic, authoritarian, corporatist factions who instill fear and loathing in those of lesser means and education.
Depressingly, this is a long way from happening, but I have to keep that small fire of optimism going.:
There will be a Spring after a long Winter.
So good to hear from you! And to hear that you are still fueling even that small fire of optimism. Don't let it go out…we need you. I do believe that it is possible to achieve separation of church & state. They have been so successful at chipping away at that wall that it will take persistence on our part to build it back up again – but I do believe.
BTW Leah, I do follow God Discussion. There is just something about the way to sign in that I cannot figure out, thus no comments, but avid interest nevertheless.
I will share your difficulties with Deborah. I have had the same problem in the past and I cannot remember the fix.
Thank you, Leah,.I enjoy our conversations whenever they happen and would like to continue along the path of tolerance and understandings… Love and Peace… Ing
Leah,
It's a pleasure to find your site. I attempted to resist the a statewide homeschooling association in Florida in 2008 that quietly added "in accordance with Judeo-Christian principles" to the bylaws of a group that was supposed to to represent ALL home schoolers. The right wing Christian Board of the Florida Parent Educators Association (www.FPEA.com) hijacked the group. There's more to the story if you are interested, but perhpas most telling is a current website quote from the now-current Chairman: "It is an honor to be the current District 10 Director. I pray that your homeschool experience be filled with rich, lasting memories as your children grow into the leaders of tomorrow for our families, communities, state and nation.. "
The Dominionists are out there, and they are continuing to creep their way into every committe, board and Council they can find.
Tom in Florida
For the life of my I can't understand why Allan Handelman had you on his program today to discuss the Obama Administration's decision not to release the Bin Laden corpse photos. I must be unaware of your foreign policy credentials.
Because the topic seemed to have escaped you, it was not about Foreign credentials…my focus was on domestic politics and behavior about an American triumph conceived and accomplished under a very composed, mature and brilliant President who took tremendous risk in ordering this mission as the Commander-in-Chief – and his follow-up decision to NOT display a gruesome photo as a trophy. Sorry you missed it!
I love your work here, Leah.
Keep'em on their toes!!
Thank you, Mark! It is a full time job, that is for sure. Your support is very much appreciated.
I know how much work there is entailed in running a blog. I used to run Proud Atheists, but between work, the blog and other commitments it became tiresome. I had to take a break from blogging, but I plan to return! You can bet your ass!!
I certainly DO understand the fatigue, Mark. I am so glad to hear that you will be back after a break…we need you. It will take ALL of us to stop this madness. Thank you for all that you do.
Courage and Strength to you both, whether you find it in written word or in the order of the universe.
Well…I started a new blog today. It's quite empty and rough, but it's called, No Godz
Checked out your new blog Mark looks good. Cant wait to read more .
1. The pt 1 wilkerson page video links are broken
2. this text color is waaaaaaay too light
Just read "In Garden of Beasts" and I see some similarities between 1930's Germany and US now. Am I overly alarmed? Does anybody else see same similarities?
This blog is very good. Dominionism is scary, you know, like crazy people roaming around among your children and friends. The more people understand, the better. Thank you, Mike
Leah:
I just listened to the vidio of Frank Schefffer, wow!! why don’t we hear more of him?
It is one of the most challenging frustrations in getting this message out, that so much information is already out there for all to read, listen to and view…but getting major media to pick up on it is like pushing a boulder up a hill. I will pass your comment on to Frank.