05/01/2012
one of my friends on facebook posted a video clip of dan savage speaking at a high school journalism convention over the weekend. savage is speaking out against bullying, but he goes into detail about the bible and how people use the bible to justify their hatred for gay people. a bunch of kids walked out on him as he stated that for centuries, the bible was used to back slavery and they countinued walking out as he urged them to stop being so blind about shit.
a bunch of parents are crying out for an apology, but why? because he supports gay rights? because he’s tired of people being beaten or killed because they’re gay? because there are so many other things in the bible that society completely looks over but we’re caught up on the gay thing when, honestly, it’s not anyone’s business what anyone else’s sexuality is?
it makes me really, really angry. newt gingrich can tell a gay man that he doesn’t have any place in gingrich’s political agenda and he should vote for someone else, rush limbaugh calls a woman a slut, but dan savage can’t support gay rights without people demanding an apology?
one of the father’s of the students at the convention said that savage’s speech wasn’t age appropriate. what is age appropriate to take a serious look at human rights and the general well being of society and how we all interact if 14-18 isn’t? shouldn’t that be critical knowledge for someone being thrown into a diverse world?
i don’t mean to bash the bible and people can read into it on whatever level they choose to. if you’re religious and you think homosexuality is terrible, that’s cool. but if you’re not being damned to hell for it then you should probably keep your mouth shut. it becomes a problem when people who claim the bible and claim love and peace start beating and bullying people who don’t have the same views as they do.
it makes me SO angry.
i once had a serious conversation about religion with a good friend who claimed nothing more than, "love your neighbor as yourself" as the basis and most important part of christianity. i have a hard time finding people, christian or not, who live by this standard when it is is fundamentally crucial to survival and happiness.
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I couldn’t agree with you more. ~WEAVER
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down with the patriarchy
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The hate and hypocrisy you’re talking about is the exact reason why I reevaluated and denounced Christianity for myself. It seems ridiculous to me that Christians can pick and choose what they want out of the bible, and a large number hone in on the messages that divide humanity and spread hate, and completely ignore other useful messages (what about the parable that mentions not looking for a speck in your neighbor’s eye when you have a plank sticking out of yours? If that wasn’t a message to just focus on yourself and don’t worry about judging others, I don’t know what is!). I think that religion does MUCH more harm than good, and now I think the best people can do is live and let live. The world would be a much better place if people weren’t so intent on “spreading the message”. Why not just believe what you want quietly, and let others do the same? The problem now though is that politics are too wound up in religion. It is scary that the people who control our country have such a narrow minded view of the world, and of people who are “different” from them. So I do see the need for open minds to speak out. I think Dan Savage did a good thing. It’s refreshing to hear about this
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and it’s nice to read your viewpoint on the matter 🙂 I’m going to favorite you.
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