Tulsa mayoral candidate Anna Falling is making a creationism exhibit at the Tulsa Zoo the centerpiece of her campaign, taking precedence over more traditional issues like violent crime, city budgets and infrastructure problems.

“It’s first,” she said to calls of “hallelujah” at a rally outside the zoo. “If we can’t come to the foundation of faith in this community, those other answers will never come. We need to first of all recognize the fact that God needs to be honored in this city.”

Falling, who has founded several Christian nonprofit groups and is a former city councilor, also said the next mayor needs to appoint people to boards, authorities and commissions who will “honor God.”

“We will also look for people who want to characterize the origins of both man and animals in a way that honors Judeo-Christian science that proves God as the creator,” she said.

When asked whether she meant that she would recruit Christians to serve the city, Falling said she was talking about “people committed to their churches.” When asked whether she meant Christian churches, she said, “churches, yes.”

I suspect folks who attend synagogues or mosques are simply out of luck.

From Falling’s blog:

What are we doing today to recognize the Creator and call upon Him to intervene in our city struggles? How are we to pursue the Creator’s plans for us – plans to prosper us and not to harm us? Unless God’ s people come together in this city to under gird our leaders and our city in prayer – we will continue to decline as a community.

More in the video below:

You can find out more about Anna Falling or leave her a comment on her blog.

Over 200 people gathered on Sunday for a second kiss-in supporting gay couple cited and detained on LDS property last June. Some protestors clashed with members of the anti-gay/pro-religion group America Forever, who were on hand pushing their pro-religion, anti-gay message. From the Salt Lake Tribune:

After 20 minutes of shouting between members of America Forever and protesters at Sunday’s event, several gay couples moved to the plaza for kissing and hand-holding, along with straight couples such as Peter Saunders, a Salt Lake City software designer, and his wife of 37 years, Gerda.

“There’s no need for controversy and hatred, especially in a beautiful environment like this,” said Saunders, raising his right arm toward the temple.

LDS Church members in support of the protest, and troubled by their church’s support last fall for California’s Proposition 8, also made a showing. One handed out fliers promoting an online petition for reconciliation between the church and the gay and lesbian community. Another, 25-year-old Brigham Young University graduate Kate Savage, attended with her boyfriend, Tristan Call.

“It’s as if the doctrine of the importance of families we’re taught is used to destroy other people’s families, and we don’t understand that,” Savage said.

Counter-protesters led by America Forever’s Sandra Rodrigues held their ground, even if unsuccessful in preventing protesters from entering church property. “This is a staged scenario,” Rodrigues said. “These people just want to embarrass the church.”

Clips from the protest below.

At a meeting with the Catholic media prior to his trip to Italy and audience with Pope Benedict XVI , Obama spoke of the difficulty he is having reconciling his faith with LGBT issues:

“For the gay and lesbian community in this country, I think it’s clear that they feel victimized in fairly powerful ways and they’re often hurt by not just certain teachings of the Catholic Church, but the Christian faith generally. And as a Christian, I’m constantly wrestling with my faith and my solicitude and regard and concern for gays and lesbians.”

For many Catholics and people of faith there is no “wrestling” or struggle. No inner turmoil. Gays are either to repent and abstain from their “lifestyle” or burn for all eternity.

Sure, many will accuse Obama of being two-faced, or criticize him for playing to both sides of the issue. But hopefully some will appreciate his honesty about the struggle. I suspect we would be a lot farther along in the gay civil rights movement if more individuals, more people of faith, also carried that struggle in their heart.

Pastor Patricia McKinney of the Manifested Glory Ministries Church in Connecticut appeared on CNN to defend the practice of exorcising demons in her church, and in this particular case a homosexual spirit. Excuse me, but what century are we living in?

Oh… maybe it’s this century…