I love reading stories like this. It reminds me that the U.S. hasn't cornered the market on crazy. http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/ireland_explodes_in_laughter_over_anti_gay_sounds_of_sodomy_campaign
Now, on a similar topic (Christian campaign, but not equality-related), have you ever heard of the Purity Bear?
I usually prefer to keep an open mind to both sides of any given debate, but when ludicrous nonsense like this comes along it's hard to respect their side as a valid opinion.
It would seem religious extremists (not just Muslims) have a bigger claim to the crazy market than the U.S.
Grizzly, I believe After a long search I've finally found it!! Here's the vid: http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/82216007/ Here's the Huffington Post article criticising it: (in fact there're articles all over the web criticising it - I assume that's why it was so hard to find the vid cus the original uploader probably thought better of it) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emma-gray/purity-bear-abstinence-virginity-pledge_b_1229069.html
I like extremists like these, they condemn others when they are literally no better or worst than the "sinners". Talk about hypocrites. Ps. Any religious radical / or diehard \ is crazy.
I'm not keen on dehumanising religious radicals like that by simply dismissing them as "crazy". It's no better than what the radicals are doing against whatever group they choose to target.
Bigotry at it's finest. Religion spawns the most reprehensible individuals. I know not all religious people hold these ridiculous view points but a mass majority do.
I wouldn't say "vast majority" (I imagine when you said "mass" that was a typo). Truth is, only the looneys are news-worthy, so they're all you hear about. I grew up in church and my own mum is a preacher. I can say it's definitely not the vast majority. The vast majority means well, though the vast majority are also less critical of their religion than I would like. But I assure you, the "vast majority" does not hold to these looney views. Even if there're echos of these views, they're far less extreme. Do a lot of Christians believe gay sex is a sin? Yeah. Do all these Christians want gays to burn in hell? No. And those who do wish that shouldn't call themselves Christians because Christ would be ashamed of them. Well, at least these kinda extremists are not amongst the churches I've come across in England. (well, I wouldn't stay in such a 'church') Can't speak for all the world lol. Most people are just quietly following their religion and doing community work, really.
How much do you know of Islam? Or Christianity even. I have read both the Bible and the Quran from cover to cover. I have a very close friend whose father is an Imam, and a second uncle whom is a Bishop. Most radicals and diehard religious people are worst sinners than the "sinners" they try to condemn. They are so fanatical that they can't even see the insanity of their behavior. Thousands of Christians seem to conveniently forget Jesus's earth shaking quote "he is without sin cast the first stone". No one, absolutely no one and even Jesus for he is said to have murdered his childhood friend, is perfect yet you willingly condemn other people for their beliefs & desires. Hypocrite doesn't even begin to describe it. Anti-gay for example. Yet priests molest little boys endlessly - I believe the Pope himself was accused in his sitting before been "elected" - and you even have entire religious communities siding behind priests turning against the victims by calling them liars. I won't say anymore. Most people don't like the truth.
I'm pretty sure you already know this but there is a distinct difference between the religious people in London and the US. Many religious folks in Europe are very accepting of other people's view points and way of life. Here in America, things a little different. I forgot what state but someone tried to pass a law prohibiting gays from entering certain places. When I heard that I felt I was back in the Jim Crow era. Where I live, sometimes I feel like I'm surrounded by idiots. Hell, my parents are against gay marriage they cringe at the thought. And if we're being frank they are a step away from becoming bigots.
Being a Christian myself and rather heartbroken that the church isn't more self-critical, I understand your outrage. It's the same outrage that made me cry when I read the various sexual abuse accounts committed within churches and covered up by their ministers and when I see "Christians" condemning gays to hell, denying divorcees from the communion table, attacking women who dare attempt an abortion. It's the same outrage that makes me feel utterly dislocated when I enter my own church and listen to all the same teachings I have believed in all my life and still continue to live by - and I hear them and now I think of it from a different angle, and no one amongst me seems to ask the same questions. I'm still a Christian and I continue to believe in and follow Christ - but I'm no longer sure about the church, and I'm no longer sure how far good-intentions and some measure of a lack of awareness or ignorance can stretch to cover our sins. What you have said about Christians is, quite unfortunately, the truth. I thoroughly believe that if anyone should repent, it is the church and us who call ourselves Christians who should do so first. I am increasingly convinced that the situation of the Pharisees and Gentiles back in the Gospels is still the exact mirror of the situation we're in now. Only the unbelievers are now the "Gentiles" and the Christians are the "Pharisees", the ones said to belong to God and follow His will, and condemn others. But Jesus sat with the sinner, with the prostitute, and He saved the Gentiles. The Pharisees He condemned. However, none of this addresses my comment before. I do not wish to become like the religious fanatics, condemning people to death and only able to do so because somehow I have dehumanised them. Isn't that what religious fanatics do? They dehumanise their target group and then in so doing justify the violence they wreck upon them. I will not do that, that's all, and I do not think you should, either. Religious fanatics are humans and they're somebody's mother, father, husband, wife, sister, brother, best friend. Just as the religious fanatics' target groups - in this case, gay people, are somebody's beloved. It isn't grace if you deserved it, and it isn't mercy if you deserved it, and grace and mercy are the greatest teachings of my God. That I will hold to. Misguided and hateful though religious fanatics are, I hope I am never blinded by the same hatred they have in their hearts, lest I think of myself as more righteous than I am.
Yeah, I do know that. I like to think that perhaps it's only because I'm not in the US, and thus all the news that travel across the ocean are obviously bad news - good news don't get spread usually. But yeah, I've developed quite a negative impression of the US thanks to this... I'm not 100% sure if I'm justified in feeling that way - I try to give it the benefit of a doubt. The US is huge, after all. But yeah... I probably would not like to live in the US for this reason!
Garage bands across the anglophone realm are rushing to register Sounds of Sodomy as their band name. Of this I feel very sure.
This is a good point. It's very important to remember that American media is not America itself. I could create several respectably sized countries out of the population here that is tired of the media panic-knob constantly cranked into the red. I could create several more respectably sized countries out of the population here that wants to know how/why any intelligent person of sound mind would accept Elizabeth Hasselbeck as a valid "journalist". What we need is to bring Russell Howard to America for a bit to have him do an American version of his Good News show. I want him to be given all the linguistic freedom he is allowed in the U.K. Let him have at the cultural zeitgeist here for a bit and we'll see if people in power don't behave just a wee bit better. (I love Russell Howard. My favorite British manboy.)
While I agree with what you say. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" struck me as a more relevant quote than "he is without sin cast the first stone."
You are not incorrect in what you say. I lived in the USA for 14 years and the various religious groups do tend to be a lot more in your face about their religion in the USA than in GB or Australia and that is before you get to the bible belt. I lost count of the number of people who refused to have anything to do with me once they discovered I was atheist. Those people had no grasp of the concept that you are defined by your actions, not by your faith.
@Wreybies - I have no clue who Russell Howard is lol @Gawler - that's a pity about those who refused to associate with you because you're an atheist. One seriously wonders what they think they're achieving by that. In what way is it "loving" or Christ-like!?
I can't stop thinking about the choices they didn't go with, all the other senses. Touch, sight, smell...taste? Surely children should be protected from these too.
Expect a thread on this later. These self congratulating liberal crusaders are getting tiresome-sitting on their computers, searching for ridiculous examples of bigotry just so they can condemn it and feel good abou themselves for being so humane. Yawn, yawn, yawn.
