korakaghaz:

I don’t see how shouting “ACCEPT THE GAYS ACCEPT THE GAYS” at religious people and pounding it into their faces until they acquiesce is going to achieve anything. Homosexuality is still hushed in many parts of the world (whether in Utah or Bangladesh or Russia or wherever). Subsequently, education on why non-normative heterosexuals should be given an equal position in society, why their rights should be sanctioned in constitutions and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and why people can fall under a LGBTQ category and still be religious is going to take time. Societies have to learn why homosexuality is not a mere ‘lifestyle choice’ that can be exorcised away. We can’t just force people to believe what we want them to believe. We can’t just ban religion. It defeats the whole purpose of tolerance and equality that we’re striving for to begin with.  

So… are you straight, or just ignorant?

Sweetie, education and *awareness* is all good and fine, but PEOPLE ARE FUCKING SUFFERING RIGHT NOW. Suicide. Murder. Beating. Corrective rape. Harassment. Brainwashing. Corrective sexual harassment. Outright legal discrimination.

It’s time for a little action. 

Fuck religion. If they don’t want to be vigorously fought against, they shouldn’t be driving children to suicide. 

From Reuters.

An Egyptian court on Wednesday sentenced a 17-year-old Christian boy to three years in jail for publishing cartoons on his Facebook page that mocked Islam and the Prophet Mohammad, actions that sparked sectarian violence.

Gamal Abdou Massoud was also accused of distributing some of his cartoons to his school friends in a village in the southern city of Assiut, home to a large Christian population and the hometown of the late Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda.

“Assiut child’s court ordered the jailing of Gamal Abdou Massoud … for three years after he insulted Islam and published and distributed pictures that insulted Islam and its Prophet,” the court said in a statement seen by Reuters.

The cartoons, published by Massoud in December, prompted some Muslims to attack Christians. Several Christian houses were burned and several Christians were injured in the violence.

Human rights lawyer Negad al-Borai said the jail sentence was the maximum penalty under Egyptian law for such a crime.

Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the country’s 80 million population, have long had a difficult relationship with Egypt’s overwhelmingly Muslim majority.

Tension between Muslims and Christians has simmered for years but has got worse since the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak. Christians have become increasingly worried by a surge in attacks on churches, which they blame on hardline Islamists, though experts say local disputes are often also to blame.

Bigotry disguised as concern. How cute.

redmeatforthesoul:

Brethren, it is not enough for us to defend the very biblical contention that homosexualityis a sin. Our calling is higher than that! We are called to pursue homosexuals to urge them to repentance, to urge them to fall on the mercy of our loving Lord. We must do what it takes to move toward the unlovely with love and help them to say no to the sin that has so entangled them. And yet our calling is still higher. For I am not merely saying that we should be ready for homosexuals should they enter our church. I am saying that there are already people in this church who have struggled, are struggling, or will struggle with homosexuality.Will they feel safe enough to confess this sin to their brethren so that they may more effectively battle against their particular expression of idolatry? Or will they feel as if they needto maintain their distance and alone struggle with the sin that is entangling them? This is not the way of sanctification. Sanctification is a community proposition. It is not accomplished apart from one’s relationship to the believing community. This is why Paul commands the Philippians to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. It is a corporate mandate. For, he says, it is God who is at work in you-plural, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians2:12-13; see also Ephesians 4:11-16).

What must our attitude be toward the one who loves the Lord and at the same time is fiercely wrestling with his or her own sinful inclinations? We must be like Jesus who ate withtax collectors, sinners, and whores. And who, in fact, was maligned for his very association. Yet Jesus never blurred the line between sinful and righteous behavior, between what was acceptable to God and what was abominable to him. On the one hand, Jesus says, “I do not condemn you.”And on the other hand he says, “Go and sin no more.” And he says each with equal authority and emphasis. And Jesus never condescended to the sinner, he was never hypocritical. We might think that if ever any man had a warrant to be condescending to sinners it was the Lord Jesus. But he is mindful of our frame, he identifies with us in our weakness, he was tempted in all ways as we are. And knowing what it is to be tempted he does not condemn us, but comes to our rescue. Whether or not we have adopted a Phelpsian spirit may only be a question of degree.Whenever we find ourselves on that road, we must make haste to turn back. The church’s attitude toward the homosexual must be rooted in the gospel. There is forgiveness with God that he may be feared. God not only saves homosexuals who have never come to know him, but he also restores men and women who have fallen back into the sin of homosexuality.

God is faithful to forgive all those who come to him with a broken and a contrite spirit. If we are ever to be the church in its internal life and in its external witness, then we must adorn the doctrine of our saving God in every respect. I am inclined to agree with the man who says that The church should…welcome and hold the attention of those who struggle with homosexuality but have never been part of the church. With such people we can add that the church should minister by surprising them with love, a sense of family, and the absence of self-righteous judgment. It should offer truth in such a way that it is convicting, attractive, and radically different from anything else the homosexual has ever heard.

And for the brothers and sisters in Christ who may be feeling as if there is no hope, let me encourage you that there is indeed hope for you, too. It’s the same hope that we extend to the unbeliever—it is the hope of the gospel.The apostle who says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God…” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)…is the same apostle who says, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11)

The basic assumption that homosexuals must struggle is a false one. There is only a struggle when one is created.

You know, rather than make assumptions whose truth doesn’t exist outside biblical statements, you could look at what actually happens. Rather than bending observed reality to fit your beliefs, you could bend your beliefs to fit reality. 

What’s your evidence that homosexuality is, in fact, evil? What’s your evidence that there is inherently a struggle, that it inherently is sinful, that there is inherently something missing spiritually?

You state that you mustn’t be condescending to gays… and then you say you should be with them like Christ was with tax collectors and prostitutes, comparing yourself to Christ and gays to the social scum of the time. You say homosexuals should be welcomed, but then you go on at length about how they have to be changed and cured.

No, sorry dude. You’re just a homophobe trying to hide your bigotry. You are no better than an admitted homophobe- except they’re at least honest and transparent about it. 

atheistsconfessions:

[submit your atheist confessions here]

As a bill that worsens the penalty for homosexuality wends its way through Liberia’s legislature, an anti-gay Christian group has published a hit list in which they vow to track down every gay person for brutal punishment.

The fliers include this threat: “Let these individuals be aware that we are coming after them soon. We urge them to also begin saying the Lord’s Prayer.”

The fliers distributed over the weekend in parts of Liberia’s capital were signed by the Movement Against Gay’s in Liberia, or MOGAL. The group said those involved in promoting gay rights “should not be given space to get a gulp of air.” “Having conducted a comprehensive investigation, we are convinced that the below listed individuals are gays or supporters of the club who don’t mean well for our country,” the fliers read. “Therefore, we have agreed to go after them using all means in life.” No individual members of MOGAL signed the flier. But Moses Tapleh, a 28-year-old resident of the main community where the flier was distributed, said he was affiliated with the group and stressed that its threats should be taken seriously. “We will get to them one by one,” Tapleh said. “They want to spoil our country.” Asked what specific action might be taken against those on the list, he said they could be subjected to “dangerous punishments” including “flogging and death.”

One of the persons named on the list said he has already received death threats by phone. Last month Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, refused to consider decriminalizing homosexuality, but said she would not sign the new bill to worsen the penalty to ten years in prison.

Yeah, I agree. 

I can get the purpose of the whole interpretation thing, but logically it makes no sense. 

It’s totally understandable that they’ve seen logic, and that they’ve realized that being gay isn’t evil. It’s also understandable that they think of such attitudes as disgusting, which they are. And finally, it’s understandable that they don’t want to hold any beliefs that are vile and unjust. 

What doesn’t make sense is that their religion is directly against homosexuals. It’s not just vague about the issue, it’s most definitely quite clear.

From the Bible itself to non-canonical writings, from the history of Judaism through the history of Christianity, the Abrahamic religions are anti-gay. Period. There’s absolutely no question.

But- why pretend otherwise? It makes no sense. There’s not a single rock for them to stand on. They have no accepting verses from scripture, or tales of love from the early Christian Church.  

If your religion is clearly against logic and human decency, abandon your religion. Attempting to change a 4,000 dogmatic tradition just doesn’t cut it. 

Want a religion that’s queer-okay? Found one. You can’t teach a dog new tricks. 

youmightbeanatheist:

(Personally, I can’t wait until everyone does this. Can’t go around killing people based on scriptures you haven’t read.)

atheistme:

How about you turn on the news for like 5 minutes. 

Or maybe, read a history book.

Educating yourself will really do wonders.

Coming off as an arrogant asshole is more morally sound than trying to kill people who disagree with you. 

pagannews:

The United States is a majority Christian nation, with members of the religion’s various denominations making up nearly 80% of the American population. Nonetheless, in many conservative Christian communities the idea that Christians are somehow “oppressed” refuses to die. It has been pointed out many times that often what these groups consider “oppression” in fact consists of a refusal to grant Christians special privileges, or the idea that Christians (and only Christians) should somehow be able to air views that some find offensive and still remain free from criticism. However, this recent storyshows that there may be more to it than that. An Assemblies of God group in Pennsylvania is accused of staging mock kidnappings and interrogations of students, ostensibly to prepare them for what they might encounter during missionary work in other countries.

Lanza said there were about 17 students at the meeting and the mock kidnappers covered the students’ heads, put them in a van and interrogated them. Neither the students nor their parents were told about the raid beforehand, he said, though it was discussed with the parents of one youth who might have health issues.

Read more at Augoeides

atheistsconfessions:

[submit your atheist confessions here]

Religion is like a penis (updated version)

You all are missing the point. 

It’s like that says “you think the 1940s were magical, you must be white” or w/e.

You think religion is a peaceful, beneficial thing to society? You must be a straight man.

It’s not that being a non-gender/sexual minority makes your opinion less valid or makes you necessarily evil, but it’s not exactly up to the non-gsm folks to decide whether or not organizations that are currently heavily targeting gender/sexual minorities are ok or not.

suckmesleezi:

Umm, thats a helluva acronym but, how exactly is marriage oppressive? Can we change the way we look at marriage? Marriage for all intents and purposes is a legally binding contract between two people that you have to get a license for ( pay a tax) to get. Thats all, if you are in an oppressive marriage, you obviously married the wrong person… So break that contract and get a divorce. How exactly is being married oppressive without your express consent to being oppressed? 

Marriage is not a legal institution. Marriage is a religious institution. It was intended to keep women in check- to keep them in domestic servitude and reproductive. 

The traditional idea of marriage is an insult to women, queers, and non-religious people everywhere. 

pagannews:

You know what else your ancestors did?

Wiped out other religious and cultural groups of people.

Practiced incest.

Raped probably at a higher level than we do now.

Enslaved other cultures.

Enslaved people from their own cultures.

I understand that we Pagans have this thing, this obsession with our ancestors. But what your ancestors did was not always good or okay. Stop using them as your excuse to appropriate cultures when not only is that a completely flimsy argument, but you are using it as an argument while ignoring the inherent violence behind the acts of your ancestors. If they adopted the faiths of another group of people, it was because they had either completely decimated them and then taken them in as slaves but were being *so kind* as to incorporate some of their beliefs, OR they had been decimated and enslaved themselves.

Yes, you CAN practice whatever you want. But if you’re going to post online about how you are not one drop native but you appropriate ALL the cultures, you are going to be called out on it.

Your ancestors can not be your racist shield, they can not protect you from your own bad choices nor from the people who would call you out on them. And while you have the freedom to practice what you wish, you do not have the right to not be mocked or derided for it.

And if one more person tells me I’m just giving Christians fuel for the fire when I post these things, I swear I will call upon Eris to smite us both for her own amusement. Your racism is giving them more fuel than my trying to stop racism. You have to talk about these issues to fix them.