"Duck Dynasty", Christianity, and freedom of speech

Let me just say right now that I don't watch Duck Dynasty. I can almost guarantee you that I wouldn't watch it even if I got the channel it comes on, not being a fan of reality tv.

I do, however, support people's right to say anything they want, even if I personally don't like or approve of what they say. I also have to say that I haven't read the full GQ profile of Mr. Robertson, although I did read the quotes where he seemed to  compare homosexuality with bestiality and where he spoke about living in pre-civil rights Louisiana. (About that: Maybe that was his experience. But he shouldn't act as if it were the experience of every person at that time and place.)

Re: Homosexuality = bestiality/pedophilia -- I took that to mean that homosexuality is a sin, just as bestiality and pedophilia are. Which, if you read the Bible, it is. The Bible calls it an abomination and (if you don't like Leviticus) in Romans it does say that homosexuals are not going to heaven.

A lot of criticism I've read today has regarded Jesus being loving, which he is. But he also judged. He told the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultry, "Go and sin no more." He called them out on their sin! That's what people seem to hate these days -- they don't want to be called out on their sin. They say, "Look at the plank in your own eye before looking at the dust in mine." And I think Christians should be willing to do that. We should be transparent about our sins. And you know what else? We should make damn sure we've truly repented of those sins. I've done stuff that I've repented of, and I truly believe that God helps me every day to go and commit those particular sins no more. But I still stumble. I'm still human and that's what we do. But with God's mercy, love, and help, we can do better. We won't be perfect; only God (and the human Jesus) are/were perfect, but we can definitely be more Christlike.

I also uphold the right of anyone who feels that Mr. Robertson was wrong to call him out on it. Boycott A&E; boycott the show itself. That's also free speech. I don't believe anyone is infringing on Mr. Robertson's right to free speech by doing so.

Let me also say this. Do I think homosexuality is a sin? Yes, I do. Do I think homosexuals are going to hell? If I believe Romans, yes they are. Would I make those beliefs public? If asked bluntly, yes. Would I treat gays differently based on those beliefs? NO. I have two gay men that I love and think of as my family. Do I think marriage equality should be law? YES!!! Because whatever fundamentalists think, this is NOT a solely Christian nation. Nor is this a theocracy. We CANNOT force people who don't believe in the Bible (or hold different beliefs about what the Bible says) to conform to laws that are Bible-based.

There is at least one sin (adultery) that does harm to more people than homosexuality does, and yet it's legal. Why is that? Why should we make an act that does no harm (except perhaps spiritually) illegal while an act that causes pain to many is still legal? Huh? I don't understand.

Well, time for me to get off my soapbox. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

My thoughts

"UK Government Source: Teachers May Face Firing for Refusing to Teach Gay Marriage"

As with any other job where you work with the public (and teaching children is "working with the public", unless you work at a private religious school or home school), you can't discriminate. If the law says you must teach about various types of families, you have to teach about those families, or you can find another job.

(Knowing regrettably little about the fight for equality in the UK or in the rest of the European Union, I'm coming at this from the perspective of an American. If anyone reads this who knows more about the laws in the UK or the EU, I'd love your input!)

Look, gays and gay families are here to stay. They're not going away just because some folks wish to ignore them and pretend they don't exist. Gay couples will get married (or have civil unions, domestic partnerships, or whatever) and adopt children or have their own whether the Religious Right likes it or not.  That's a given.

You see, I've read and heard (and agree) that part of "freedom of religion" is freedom from religion -- we're all free to believe, or not, in a Higher Power (whether it's God, Allah, Krishna, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster (for all my Pastaferian friends ;-)). As much as my Christian friends don't want to hear it, this is not a Christian Nation. Even though some of our laws coincide with biblical laws (e.g., "thou shalt not kill" and "thou shalt not steal"), those laws are in place to protect the rights of other Americans (i.e., the right to life and the right to their property).  Whose rights does not allowing gays to marry and have children protect? The rights of Christians not to have to see "those people" going around acting as though what they're doing is completely natural and normal? Sorry, but it is normal and natural -- for them. Gay people deserve to be able to be with the ones they're in love with, just like straight people do. (And if the thought of gay sex grosses you out, here's an novel idea -- do what I do and don't think about it! See how easy that was?)

I will say that I sometimes have sympathy for Christians who can't deal with the thought of gay rights or gay equality. I was right there with you up until about the time I was 25 or so. I was raised Southern Baptist, as a lot of you know, and a lot of you know that Southern Baptists are some of the most conservative folks around! (For all that they hate Catholics, they sure have some of the same ideas!) Then I moved to Dallas and met some gay people. And I discovered that hey! They're really no different than straights. Not one of them have ever tried to "recruit" me into the "gay lifestyle" (for lack of a better phrase), and I've grown to love some of them like my own family. There are rare occasions when I wonder if what I'm doing is "right", if maybe I'll end up going to hell for "doing what's right in my own eyes", but if I do, I know that a lot of other people will be there with me. I'm just trying to treat people the way I'd want to be treated, and that includes fighting to give them the same rights that I have -- the right to marry the person that they love, the right to raise children, the right to go where they want and do what they want without fear of being attacked (verbally and/or physically). As long as it's not harming anyone else (and it's not), it's nobody's business what they do or where they go.

Would love some feedback

I just read a story on Huffington Post, and some of the comments got me to thinking. We're called not to judge ("Judge not lest ye be judged"), and yet we're also called to call sin sin. Now in my opinion, the kind of judging Christ was referring to was like "You're going to hell" for this or that. Some things are evil and sinful. If we're not to judge, how can we call the Holocaust evil? How can we say that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were evil men?

In this post, I'm not talking about gay rights or gay marriage, even though the HuffPost article was. I believe, as do a lot of other people, that God created some people gay, just like he created some people straight or bi or transgender. (I actually met a male-to-female transperson last year, and had no problem referring to her by her chosen gender identity.) I;m just speaking in general terms about how my view of any given topic can be right for me and yours can be right for you, and no one has a right to judge another. Well, we do judge each other all the time.

For example, I appreciate all the humanitarian things Angelina Jolie does, but I don't like her because 1. She stole Brad Pitt from Jennifer Aniston, and 2. She's a spoiled b!tch. From all I've read about her, in her personal life, it's her way or no way. You can't be that way in a relationship, and even though Brad was wrong in what he did, I think he's a saint to have put up with her for 7(?) years. (Of course, he does have his kids to think about, too, and I can totally understand his wanting to stay with her for their sake.)

And then there are all the hypocritical Republicans (Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, to name two). Newt because not only has he been married three times, but he cheated on Wife #1 with Wife#2, and on Wife #2 with Wife #3. And yet allowing gays to marry would "destroy the sanctity of marriage". WTF And of course with good ol' Mitt, when he was governor  of MA, there was Romneycare. Yet when we get Obamacare (which is exactly the same thing as Romneycare), suddenly he's against it. Why, unless it's just because Obama's a Democrat? It kinda disgusts me how the Republicans shoot down everything our President tries to do just because he's a Democrat. (The Democrats do the same to the Republicans, of course, but at least the Democrats aren't trying to send us back to the 50s or something. I'm talking about how they're against abortion -- I believe that sometimes it's necessary to have an abortion, like if the mother's health/life is in jeopardy, or even in cases of rape or incest. (Todd Akins's talk about "legitimate rape"? *gags* Where do people -- MEN -- like that get off?!) And they're being against birth control. It's up to the COUPLE to decide when they want to start a family, how many kids they want, etc. It's sickening how some people want to control a woman's body.)

If these people are so concerned about the "sanctity of marriage", why not outlaw divorce (except in isolated cases, such as infidelity or abuse)? Get rid of the "irreconcilable differences" bs (which as far as I can tell, means that on spouse refuses to "reconcile" themselves to the fact that the other is cheating on them every chance they get). (Yep, listen to me, the wise, NEVER-BEEN-MARRIED guru... lol.)

I think I may have just found a new church to try out. It's in all-inclusive church (White Rock Community Church on Garland Rd.... has anyone been there? Anyone know anything about it?) Yes, it's kind of far away, and I may continue church-shopping for one closer, but for now I think I'm going to check that one out (next Sunday -- unfortunately it's too late to make it to services this week. Of course I could try to go on Wednesday night, or one of their Friday night services.) I never thought I'd be interested in going to church again, but I really need the fellowship. I'm tired of never going anywhere or doing anything. Also, maybe if I start networking with people, I can find a job/a place to live. I won't get my hopes up, but it is a possibility. I can talk to the pastors there and see if they can help me out.

Well, again, if anyone has any feedback, I'd love to hear it!

Musings on God and Christianity...

...a macho sky daddy whose existence is factually- unsupported by any evidence one can see, hear or touch...

I read this description of God in the comments section of a blog just now, and I wonder... yes, God's existence is "factually unsupported" by any tangible evidence (except for the Bible, and as I've read so many other people say, you can't "prove" the existence of God using the Bible, since it's the supposed word of someone who's existence can't be proven (I have a headache now)). I'm not saying that's what I believe... in fact, I don't. What's wrong with having faith in something you can't see, hear, feel, touch?  What's wrong with believing that there's a God who created us? (Or, for some of us, who caused the lightning strike millions of years ago that started the cycle, and then "let nature take its course" (no pun intended))? Yes, there are Christians out there who aren't very Christ-like. They're hypocritical, they're mean, they're bigoted, and they do horrible things in the name of our God and our Jesus. But that's no reason to bash all Christians, for the actions of a relative few. (Those few just get better press and give true Christians a bad name.)

I was raised Southern Baptist, which, if any of you all don't know about them, they're the most conservative of all the Protestant denominations. I left the Southern Baptist church behind in my mid-twenties, and have had no great desire to go back since (especially knowing their view on homosexuality). I have thought over the years about finding an inclusive church... Episcopalian, Methodist, etc., but haven't really bothered looking. I prefer to think of myself as "spiritual" rather than "religious", and to me that means you can worship God where ever and whenever. You can sit in a park in the midst of God's creation and quietly read your Bible and pray. (Maybe not sing, unless you don't mind getting weird looks...) My point is, you don't need to sit in a church pew on Sundays and perhaps the occasional Wednesday night to worship. I agree that it's good to fellowship with other Christians, but again, you can do that anytime and anywhere. "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them," Jesus said.  (Matthew 18:20) Doesn't that prove that you can "have church" anywhere that a small group of believers are gathered?

...an unprovable mythology from ancient, unenlightened times in human history. As long as religion is given a free pass to destroy lives, we will never escape the dark ages.

Another comment from the same blog entry I referenced above. Again, there's no way to "prove" the existence of God (and no way to disprove it either), but that's where faith comes in. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING FAITH IN A HIGHER POWER. And it is not religion (Christianity specifically) that destroys lives; it's the abuse of the Bible. We are called to speak the truth in love, but for a lot of Christians, where's the love? We can condemn what we see as sin, but  for so many, it's only condemnation. No one can feel the love that we're supposed to exhibit.

And I wish Christians would stop condemning each other to hell for their beliefs!!! Again, not all Christians do this, but I've come across several who've told me that I'm going to hell for my support of gay rights and same-sex marriage. You do not get to tell me I'm going to hell. Only God can send me there, and if he chooses to, there's not much I can do about it. I'm not trying to be flippant about it (it scares the you-know-what out of me; who wants to burn for eternity?), but I'm trying to live my life as I think God would have me to. I think we'll all be surprised when we get to heaven at who he lets in and who he doesn't.

Well, this blog entry is long enough (I didn't intend to write a book here!), so I'll end it now. I'll be posting some more in this vein later, maybe even today. It's nice to be able to get my thoughts out there, even if not many people read them.