Being out in public
By Mustang Bobby
As expected, some people are not happy that the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that banning same-sex marriage in the state was unconstitutional. Rod Dreher at beliefnet laments,
First, being a "public Christian" does not mean being a pompous, arrogant, and sanctimonious prick. A lot of people who profess their faith in public are supportive of the basic concept of Christianity, which, according to the words attributed to Jesus Christ, is to "love thy neighbor as thyself." And a lot of Christians, including a lot of denominations, support the basic concept of constitutionally protecting all citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation, from discrimination and granting them the same rights as everyone else. And these Christians welcome gays and lesbians into their congregations and celebrate their marriages and families. So I guess the "public Christians" this lawyer is talking about are just the loud-mouthed asses who hijacked the faith and proclaimed themselves to be the true believers. But isn't there something in the bible that warns against false prophets?
Second, as the Anonymous Liberal notes, if Mr. Dreher's friend thinks it's tough to be a "public Christian," he should try being publicly gay. Even in enlightened cities or workplaces where discrimination against gays is illegal, there's still the stigma against being out in public, or "flaunting it" with such outrages as putting a picture of your partner on your desk or talking around the water cooler about your Friday night date with someone of the same sex. Smiles become fixed and awkward laughter ensues. Compared to the public displays of Christian faith that are accepted as the norm -- Christmas decorations, desktop nativity scenes, iconic jewelry -- being gay in public is still considered cutting-edge. Most of us still have memories of what it's like growing up gay and remember all too well the scorn, derision, and outright hatred we got from the so-called "public Christians."
So forgive me, Mr. Dreher, if I really don't give a popcorn fart about you and your offended sensibilities about not being able to publicly speak out against your fellow citizens and having to take responsibility for your bigotry and medieval superstitions. I know you're shocked at the radical idea that all citizens are entitled to the equal protection of the law, but that's how we do things in a country that aspires to democracy, not theocracy. If someone gets fired for calling someone a "faggot" the same way they would if they used the N-word around African-Americans, well, that's just the price they pay for being a "public asshole."
(Cross-posted from Bark Bark Woof Woof.)
As expected, some people are not happy that the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that banning same-sex marriage in the state was unconstitutional. Rod Dreher at beliefnet laments,
This morning, I had breakfast with some guys, including a lawyer. We weren't aware of this decision, but we talked about this issue. The lawyer said that as soon as homosexuality receives constitutionally protected status equivalent to race, then "it will be very hard to be a public Christian." By which he meant to voice support, no matter how muted, for traditional Christian teaching on homosexuality and marriage. To do so would be to set yourself up for hostile work environment challenges, including dismissal from your job, and generally all the legal sanctions that now apply to people who openly express racist views.
First, being a "public Christian" does not mean being a pompous, arrogant, and sanctimonious prick. A lot of people who profess their faith in public are supportive of the basic concept of Christianity, which, according to the words attributed to Jesus Christ, is to "love thy neighbor as thyself." And a lot of Christians, including a lot of denominations, support the basic concept of constitutionally protecting all citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation, from discrimination and granting them the same rights as everyone else. And these Christians welcome gays and lesbians into their congregations and celebrate their marriages and families. So I guess the "public Christians" this lawyer is talking about are just the loud-mouthed asses who hijacked the faith and proclaimed themselves to be the true believers. But isn't there something in the bible that warns against false prophets?
Second, as the Anonymous Liberal notes, if Mr. Dreher's friend thinks it's tough to be a "public Christian," he should try being publicly gay. Even in enlightened cities or workplaces where discrimination against gays is illegal, there's still the stigma against being out in public, or "flaunting it" with such outrages as putting a picture of your partner on your desk or talking around the water cooler about your Friday night date with someone of the same sex. Smiles become fixed and awkward laughter ensues. Compared to the public displays of Christian faith that are accepted as the norm -- Christmas decorations, desktop nativity scenes, iconic jewelry -- being gay in public is still considered cutting-edge. Most of us still have memories of what it's like growing up gay and remember all too well the scorn, derision, and outright hatred we got from the so-called "public Christians."
So forgive me, Mr. Dreher, if I really don't give a popcorn fart about you and your offended sensibilities about not being able to publicly speak out against your fellow citizens and having to take responsibility for your bigotry and medieval superstitions. I know you're shocked at the radical idea that all citizens are entitled to the equal protection of the law, but that's how we do things in a country that aspires to democracy, not theocracy. If someone gets fired for calling someone a "faggot" the same way they would if they used the N-word around African-Americans, well, that's just the price they pay for being a "public asshole."
(Cross-posted from Bark Bark Woof Woof.)
Labels: gay marriage, religious right
posted by Mustang Bobby at
7:26 AM
5 Comments:
Geez, how can we be Public Christians if we can't advocate burning witches, homosexuals, Jews, heretics and atheists?
Faithnet, indeed, and what scaly, slimy and smelly things wriggle around in that net when you pull it out of the water and into the light.
"Traditional teaching" is code for power and nothing else.
It's funny that the people who may be forced to restrain their bigotry and snotty waterhole mockery see this as persecution of their "faith," because that simply redefines faith as something ugly and barbaric.
By
Capt. Fogg, at 10:28 AM
1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
6Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
7To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
10Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
11For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
12That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
13Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
14I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
15So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
By
Unknown, at 3:29 PM
33Frodo gave his finger for you.
34Beyond here there be dragons.
35Mairsydoats and dosidoats and littlelamsydivy.
36Akiddleydivy too wouldn't you?
By
Mustang Bobby, at 8:03 PM
It's hard enough to understand how a Jewish faith healer became a Roman God, but that someone who never saw him could become the voice of God by falling off a jackass, surpasseth all understanding.
So I asked God directly and he said he was more concerned with keeping trillions of galaxies from spinning too fast and Rush Limbaugh from exploding to give a shit who did what and with which and to whom.
By
Capt. Fogg, at 9:53 AM
So I went to the Hebrew texts and it's pretty obvious that David and Jonathan had a romantic relationship that David says exceeded any love he could have for a woman and he even describes fellatio -- and of course God loved David. The texts talk of him as God's begotten son.
So what then do we make of the Greek texts from centuries later? In Hebrew and Aramaic, we traditionally translate YHWH as Lord even though the Torah only uses the word lord (Ba'al)for pagan gods. So we have a fake Jew, brought up in the Attis cult who falls on his head and becomes a professed Christian using calling a dead Jew the only begotten son and heir to David and we translate the Greek word for God into the same English word we use for God: "Lord" and we get people swooning over this massive three name Monte in some kind of hysterical rapture and lo - we can't tell David from Jesus or God or Saul of Tarsus, but the whole pastiche was actually written by God who consists of YHWH, the Angels, a dead guy who couldn't be related to David because his father never sired him, but somehow actually is his son, but is human but isn't and died but didn't and is resurrected but couldn't actually die --- and then there's some sort of bird and because of all that we're supposed to be ruled in our private and public lives by people who chant and swoon and quote from a book they wrote, edited, re-wrote and redacted and mistranslated. . .
If there were nothing else to make me a misanthrope, this insanity, this delusion, this fraud would be enough.
So then I asked Jesus - and he said "leave people the hell alone, give away all your shit and live the communist life like me."
Faith? You gotta be kidding.
By
Capt. Fogg, at 10:23 AM
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