The Sacramento Bee: Using schoolkids to promote religion is a shameless ploy
Spiritual Politics: Why Arab states are banning Ridley Scott’s Exodus
On Faith: 10 Things Every College Student Needs to Know About Religion
The Inquisitr: Michelle Duggar’s Big Secret? Anti-LGBT Reality Star Has Openly Gay Sister
Friendly Atheist: How Christians Reacted After Ex-Pastor Ryan Bell All But Confirmed He’s an Atheist
Americans United for Separation of Church and State: World Of Trouble: A U.S.-Based Movement Seeks To Forge A Global Alliance For Faith, Family, And Fundamentalism
Warren Throckmorton: The Title of Mark Driscoll’s New Non-Profit is Trademarked by Two Other Organizations
The New Civil Rights Movement: 17 Year Old Transgender Teen Leaves Suicide Note Blaming Her Christian Parents
Several interesting links here, Ahab. I especially noted the one about the transgender teen who committed suicide. So sad and so uncalled for the way she was done by her parents. Hard for someone like myself to grasp.
ReplyDeleteYou see, my parents were fundamentalist Christians, but not as judgmental as that teen's parents. My brothers and I did some things along the way that greatly grieved, even embarrassed them (drugs, alcohol, hedonistic behavior), but never was there anything but love and understanding toward us from them. My mom is still alive at 81 and still a fundy xian - but she is not that way at all; and she still amazes me with her ability to love and embrace people even when she feels their lifestyle is against God's will. My dad, God rest him, has been gone 17 years now, and I miss him. His love knew no bounds, again, even toward those whose lifestyles he didn't approve of. I have always tried to follow their example.
Having said that, some of the comments there were very troubling to me. I see a hatred of Christianity that astounds me coming from people so outraged about hatred. Why is one hate more tolerable than another? People are not consistent, it seems. Hate will destroy a person as well as hurting those around them.
Doug -- I think the anger comes from the fact that many LGBTQ people have endured condemnation and hate from fundamentalist Christians.
DeleteI grieve for Leelah, and for all the kids whose lives are made harder by their parents' beliefs. There will be many more tragedies like this until transphobia ends.
I do understand the anger. But how is what several of those commentors doing any different from what they are condemning, i.e., attacking an entire group that thinks differently?
DeleteMaybe things will be a little better next year. We can hope and work toward that goal. Even as I have gotten older and more cynical I haven't given up yet.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Jono -- In some ways, the world is getting brighter. Let that bring you comfort in 2015. Happy New Year, Jono!
DeleteI see a hatred of Christianity that astounds me coming from people so outraged about hatred. Why is one hate more tolerable than another?
ReplyDeleteBecause being transsexual is harmless and not worthy of hatred. An ideology which impels people to drive their own children to suicide (and has led others to do much worse things) is worthy of hatred.
Ask yourself whether it is sane to compare the Nazis' hatred of Jews with others' resulting hatred of Naziism, and you'll have the answer to your own question.
Truth be told, I meant to type "hatred of Christians" instead of what I did type. Of course I don't think hatred of an ideology is comparable to hating other human beings. My bad for carelessness there.
DeleteSo as to you example of Nazism, of course it makes sense to hate it, especially for its racism. But the question is, should we then treat Nazis the way they treat others? Would the victors in WW ll have been justified had they rounded up all the Nazis and placed them in camps under horrendous living conditions until they they were burned in ovens?
One of the commentors I referred to recommended that "all christians should be banned from any kind of Public service around children! No Teaching,No Medical,No Bus driving, nothing around children!"
Is that hatred of an ideology or hatred of a group of people who may (but certainly not all of them) hold bad philosophy? Is that so different from the Nazis hating Jews, not because of their actions, but because they were Jews? In fact, that is exactly how the Nazis acted towards the Jews at first, forcing them out of public jobs.
No, I don't have an answer to my question. Can hate be defeated with hate?
Truth be told, I meant to type "hatred of Christians" instead of what I did type. Of course I don't think hatred of an ideology is comparable to hating other human beings.
ReplyDeleteWell, of course I was responding to what you actually wrote, and the distinction is an important one. Hating religion does not mean hating religious people, and I've always insisted on the difference. To use an analogy I've used before, fighting against the AIDS epidemic does not mean hating AIDS victims. Some religious people are genuinely evil, but the majority are basically under the influence of a kind of mental infection that was imposed on them when they were too young to have the mental tools to resist it.
So no, it doesn't make sense to hate Christians as a group nor, in most cases, to discriminate against them. But I think objecting to hatred of Christianity is unreasonable given the damage it has done to so many people.
I think this blog post has some good insights on this point.
Fascinating piece from On Faith. If more people were truly educated about religion (especially their own), this world would be a better and much more peaceful place.
ReplyDeleteAgi Tater -- I agree. People's lack of education about their own religion, much less other world religions, is an impediment to being a world citizen. Some of that ignorance is willful, unfortunately. If we could replace that ignorance with knowledge, the world would be better for it.
Deleteanother of your endless lists of must reads...You keep me busy...thank you and hopefully we will see this all the new year...because there is an endless supply of the stupid I fear.
ReplyDeletePeyton -- Stupid never takes a holiday, so I never want for blog material. Happy New Year!
Delete