What Planet Do You Live On, and What's the Weather Like There?

[Note: I can't log into blogger using Google Chrome, so I'm stuck using Explorer. Blech! Anyway, I'm used to blogger spellchecking as I write the same way MSWord does, and as far as I can tell, I'm going to have to copy/paste this post into Word, do the spellcheck and then copy/paste it back. Charmingly, running the spellcheck in blogger while in Explorer just highlights the misspelled words, and if I knew how to spell them, I wouldn't have misspelled them in the first place. Anyway, fucking blogger.]

Every now and then, I come across a post from a fundy so removed from reality as I experience it that I have to ask, "What planet do you live on and what's the weather like there?"

Now, I could rip apart every word of this post, I mean, she refers to homosexuals as "sodomites"*, but what made me wonder if the internet now extends to alternate realities was this:

First, God reveals Himself to all mankind. We are all born with a knowledge of
God and a desire to seek and to serve Him. This is why it is so easy to guide a
child into a saving knowledge of God and a life of service to God. This is the
desire God puts into a child. However, the first step one takes down this road
is rejecting God. This is compounded when parents place their children into a
sociological morass called the public school. In the public school, Christ is
only mentioned as a part of a swear word, as a study of mythology or when the
Catholic persecutions are purported to be in the name of Christ (Christ never
encouraged anyone to convert another by force or at the edge of a sword).
Christianity is, in many schools, mocked and ridiculed by the evangelistic
secular humanist and her religion: evolution.

"Sociological morass?" I can't decide if the author, Randy Ross, is referring to all those brown kids rubbing up against his kids' delicate white skin, or maybe all the poor people spreading poor cooties or what. (If you've started with the word "sodomite" I'm just going to ahead and assume that you're a racist as well.) I mean, really, children being expected to interact with other members of society who may be the slightest bit different from them. It's outrageous!

As for Christ only being mentioned as part of a swear word, can you imagine? I can't. I have no idea what, exactly, Randy thinks goes on in public schools, but I can assure you public school teachers are not instructing students in new, blasphemous swear words. Honestly. It's so utterly ridiculous, I can't help but laugh, but I think he may sincerely believe this to be true. He really may believe that if he sent his kids to a public school, they would come home with a spelling list that included "fuck" and "Jesus H. Tap-Dancing Christ!".

That's what actual people in America actually believe about America. They live right next door to you and they vote.

My work will never be done, will it?

*It's Christian love, baby!

**I'd probably be a bit more successful in life if I channeled my talents into marketable avenues.

Back Away From the Keyboard, Ma'am

I don't often get outraged. It's just not something I do. It takes a lot of energy for one thing, and I like to save mine for fun stuff, and I have a bizarre sense of humor, so you're more likely to amuse me than outrage me. So, maybe I just don't understand this post because I have an abnormally low sense of outrage. (Like a low WBC count or something.) Or, maybe some people need to back away from the keyboard and take a few Xanax before their heads explode.

The backstory to this is, and honestly I don't even know if this is true, because I don't really care, is that on passports, parents will be listed as "Parent 1" and "Parent 2"* rather than "mother" and "father". Now see if you can reconcile this minor wording change with the vitriole it engenders:

I'm outraged by this. I am not either "parent one" or "parent two" to my beautiful daughters. I AM THEIR MOTHER. And I have the legal right to be recognized as such by every national, state, and local agency that ever has the authority to collect any such information from me.

I'm actually not sure you have a defined legal right to have agencies refer to you as "mother". I actually asked my boss. He laughed, shook his head and walked away. I did a quick check in the Constitution. Nothing there.

Anyway, wtf do you care? Does this person think that, due to a wording change on an official document, our entire society is going to stop using the word "mother"? Does she think motherhood itself will disappear and possibly also her children?

Look, here's reality. We're living in it, whether you like it or not. (Frequently, I do not.) There are people raising children who do not fall into the role of mother and father. Hey, I was one of them for years. My husband and I raised my niece for a number of years**. We were not "mother" and "father". We were parental figures, to be sure, just not mother and father. But that's not what our friend is so outraged about. Can you guess what it is she so outraged by?

If two gay men are raising one or the other's biological child or a child they've adopted, or a child they paid a reproductive prostitute to manufacture for them, they can call themselves the child's "fathers," plural, until the cows come home. The child still has one father. And if two lesbians are raising a child as stated above, they can also insist on being "Mommy One" and "Mommy Two" to the poor child they are raising. The child has one mother--either one of them, or a woman who gave the baby up for adoption, or a reproductive prostitute who was paid to manufacture a child for them. No human being on the planet has more than one actual father and one actual mother; no human being has ever been born as the result of the genetic combination of two sperm cells or two egg cells.

Ah, Teh Gai. Feel the Christian love, so indistinguishable from hate. Watch as it drips down your screen like maggots from a bloated corpse. Luffly, isn't it? Here's the thing: I could buy her argument that adoptive gay parents are not mothers and/or fathers, except that I guarantee you she would say no such things about heterosexual adoptive parents, who are also, technically, not mothers and/or fathers to their children. Adoptive heterosexuals are mothers and/or fathers, adoptive homosexuals are not.

And god(s) forbid anyone mistake her for a gay person, which, in her bizarre world, could possibly happen with the new Parent 1 and Parent 2 designations. I have a suggestion, oh hateful one: carry around pictures of your children emerging from your vagina, as well as a picture of you and your husband having sex. Show them to everyone who sees these passports so they do not mistake your for a homosexual person. Have "I am not a faggot" tattooed on your forehead so the rest of us, who have no reason to see your childrens' passports, will know as well. Quite frankly, I would appreciate knowing exactly who to stay the hell away from.

*Who did not immediately think of Thing 1 and Thing 2? I want to be Parent 1 or Parent 2 and I want my passport photo to clearly show the special sweater I will buy for just that occasion. See, I'm amused, not outraged.

**Proudest Parent 2 moment: my niece texted me during the Eagles game yesterday (yes, I am still weeping bitterly) to beg me to update her on the game because her mother had changed the channel. I love that kid.

Let's Define a Few Terms

Day after day after day I read blog posts and articles written by people who define their religion by their bigotries. "I'm not a homophobe, I'm a Christian." "I'm not a misogynist, I'm a Christian." "I'm not hateful, I'm godly."

For one thing, thank you. Thank you for making your entire religion so revolting I don't have any doubts. It's easier on me that way. The Slacktivist gives me doubts occasionally, so filled is he with generosity and love for his fellow man. He makes me think*. You do not.

You make me grateful for my atheism. Good job.

Good job to Chuck Colson, who can be counted on to make me feel good about my lack of ability to believe.

For the past year, we’ve talked a lot about the threat to religious freedom in America.

You've talked. I've been over here nattering on about equal rights for all the women and gays and atheists.

We’ve talked about Christian adoption agencies closing rather than being forced to place children with same-sex couples.

No, those are adoption agencies who decided it would be better to leave children in group homes and foster care than give them to couples who would love and raise them simply because of a burning hatred for those couples. Get it right. Gays didn't make anyone shut down adoption agencies, adoption agencies chose to hurt, or at least stop helping, children instead of giving up their hatreds. Don't mistake hatred for nobility.

We’ve talked about health care professionals having to choose between their consciences and participating in immoral medical practices.

No, those are doctors and nurses and pharmacists who have decided they know better than women- always women, never men- what those women should do with their own bodies. They know whether or not a woman can afford or wants to be pregnant, they know exactly what every woman should do with her body far better than she does. Don't mistake arrogance for professionalism.

We’ve talked about the Administration playing fast and loose with the notion of religious freedom-choosing instead to talk about freedom of “worship.”

It took me a second, but he's referring to Obama using the phrase "freedom of worship" instead of "freedom of religion", ignoring the fact that Reagan, Bush the Elder, Eisenhower and Lincoln all used the phrase "freedom of worship" and nobody clutched any pearls. Don't mistake sophistry for meaning.

But these threats to our first freedom pale in comparison to the threat posed by a single court case now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

It's the gays again, isn't it?

The case is Perry v. Schwarzenegger, in which federal Judge Vaughn Walker overturned California’s Proposition 8 restricting marriage to one man and one woman. Judge Walker not only overturned the will of the people of California, he put all religious believers on notice: Their faith means nothing in the eyes of the law.

Actually, it’s even worse than that. The judge found as fact that “Religious beliefs that gay and lesbian relationships are sinful or inferior to heterosexual relationships harm gays and lesbians.”

If this judge’s decision is upheld by the Ninth Circuit and eventually the Supreme Court, the religious beliefs of hundreds of millions of Americans will be seen as harmful in the eyes of the law.

Yes, because the most important thing about Christianity is it's homophobia, just as Jesus said . . . wait, he didn't say that? He said the most important thing is loving your neighbor as yourself? Huh.

Why is it that I know that and Mr. Colson doesn't?

Judge Walker also concluded that, quote, “Many of the purported interests identified by proponents are nothing more than a fear or unarticulated dislike of same-sex couples.” End quote. So, according to Judge Walker, if you believe marriage should be reserved for one man and one woman, you are a homophobe and a bigot.

Well, yes, actually. I guess this is hurtful to you, but yes, that's exactly what it is. There's really nothing else I can say about that. The sky is blue, water is wet, you are a bigot.

Such legal reasoning not only charts the course for destroying religious liberty, it paves the way for societal chaos. Arguing against so-called same-sex "marriage" is not "gay bashing." It is an argument for preserving traditional marriage. I've spent 35 years ministering in prisons and have seen the tragic results of broken homes. I know the disaster that awaits if so-called same-sex "marriage" is allowed to further devalue marriage and weaken the traditional American family.

What do broken homes have to do with same sex marriage? Nothing, really, but Chuck has seen people in prison- prison!- and you should be afraid!

Fortunately, Chuck doesn't really have any answers, just a video and the Manhattan Declaration. I think we'll be okay on the Chuck front.

*I think Fred would be as good a person had he never heard of Jesus, but he does make belief attractive.

Reaping What Others Sow

hatred, bigotry, traditional, marriage, gay, same sex, dna, ufi,

Since the beginning, traditional marriage advocates have claimed that preventing gays from marrying has nothing to do with bigotry against gays. "We like the gays! They're our friends! We just don't think they should get to marry."

Bullshit.

Now that bigotry is law in Maine, the true face of traditional marriage has come out into the open. It's not pretty.

goinbroke of kingfield, ME

Nov 11, 2009 9:37 AM

Does anyone know where we can get window stickers that indicate that this particular business is not homosexual friendly? think of it as an anti-rainbow flag. It's about time we "came out" and let the homosexuals from away know how Mainers feel about seeing their sick side show act in our cities and towns.

See above, goinbroke. We did that for many years in this country, to blacks, hispanics, and the irish to name a few. It's something we used to be ashamed of. We still should be ashamed.

Chinook of portland, ME

Nov 8, 2009 9:41 PM
goinbroke of kingfield, ME Nov 8, 2009 8:51 PM

Bob, ... ...Also the next time you are in a business or a resturant and are waited on by some flaming gay guy or lesbian, ask for another server. Simple enough as the customer has the right to be "uncomfortable" as they say. Nothing personal just go away. Mainers can vote with their pocketbook and the homosexuals will get the message and leave. This happens all the time in San Francisco.----------

(What does a "flaming lesbian" look like? I'm unable to picture that.) So, people in San Francisco leave restaurants when the waiter is gay? All the time? Nobody eats out in San Fran, I guess. Also, if you ask for another server in that situation, I sincerely hope the cook wipes his ass with your food, because spitting in your food doesn't quite seem enough.

I very much fear that gays in Maine will soon be reaping what people like the DNA, UFI, the Catholic Church, the Mormons, et al. have sown: hatred. The bigots have won, and now they feel free to put up "No Gays Allowed" posters and refuse to interact with them in public. We can all guess what happens next, and I will be holding each and every one of you bigots personally responsible.

UPDATE: Are you missing valuable opportunities to express your bigotry while barbecuing, walking your dog or just breathing? Then buy one of these lovely MAN + WOMAN ONLY tshirts, aprons or doggy shirts!

Somebody keep me away from the internet before I do myself harm.

Bigots

Tell me this guy isn't the victim of bigotry.

Just Waiting for the Chance

Fox News allowed a racist message to scroll across the screen during the New Year's coverage. Can't say I'm surprised or anything, but what the hell is wrong with people? Did this Republiscum enleash a whole segment of society that was just waiting for the chance to say "negro" in public? seriously?

Hello! Can we stop hating people for ridiculous shit they couldn't change about themselves even if they wanted to? Please?

Once More With Feeling

"Allah" is simply the arabic word for "god".

Let me put this another way.

If I am in Mexico, I don't point at a dog and say "dog", I say "perro". I am not referring to any other animal, but if I said "dog", the Mexicans wouldn't have any idea what I am talking about. (Yeah, I'm pointing, but perhaps I am referring to the color of the dog, or the size of the dog, or the location of the dog. They wouldn't know.)

"Allah" does not refer to any specific god, any more than the english word "god" refers to a specific god. After all, I could use the word "god" to refer to Shiva or Krishna as easily as the christian deity.

Now that we have that cleared up, let's see what prompted it: a question on the RaptureReady bulletin board entitled Arabic Bible Version.

Shining Brightly: We recently purchased an Arabic/English Bible. However, upon reading the Arabic, I discovered to my horror that in reference to God it says Allah!!! You can handicap stupidity by the number of !s alone.

Allah: Derived from an old Semitic root refering to the Divine and used in the Canaanite El, the Mesopotamian ilu, and the biblical Elohim, the word Allah is used by all Arabic-speaking Muslims, Christians, Jews, and others.

This is a very popular version published by the International Bible Society. Does anyone here know of an alternative to this? Such as using the generic term for God "rabona". I cannot find the word "rabona" anywhere. If this is a generic term of "deity", it doesn't get used much. Probably because they're all using allah.

It is highly disturbing and misleading for the Arabic speaking world to read about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as Allah. Our God does have a name, but it is certainly not Allah. Do you typically refer to god as any of these? God has lots of names in the old testament, none of them are "god". Unless the poster is referring to "Jesus"? That's an anglicization anyway. The Hebrew for that is "Yeshua". Any help gratefully received.

A couple of respondents actually pointed out what I did, even adding that Arabic-speaking Christians referred to god with that word prior to the birth of Islam.

Antitox thinks that Arabic-speaking Christians are easily confused as to which religion they belong to: I think it is incorrect because today's arab/mideasterner is going to think of the Islamic god as Allah. That means the jihadist's god Timothy McVeigh was a Christian. Are all Christians domestic terrorists? is what they are going to refer to, not the God of the Bible. Ya know, unless they are christian. It just doesn't fly; it'll be too misleading, confusing, etc. This guy undoubtedly got all bent out of shape about Obama's name, too.

Faithmarie actually gets more disturbing than that: There is nothing to get upset over or is there? dumdumdum ...... BUT allah is not the word for god. It is a pagan gods NAME that existed before islam existed. Allah had three daughters. He was the moon god , I believe, that is why they kept the cresent moon. Mohammed kept the name from the pagan religion . Illah ( I don't remember the spelling) That is why the muslems say there is no Illah but allah. Illah= god.

Hey, why do christians celebrate the birth of Yeshua on December 25? Historical evidence definitively proves that he was born in March. Why do christians celebrate easter 40 days after the first full moon after . . . whatever? Why would it be a revolving date? You know why? Because when the christians moved into european pagan territory, rather than attempting to entirely replace the various pagan traditions with christianity, they simply placed the christian traditions right on top of them. Hence Christmas instead of the old winter solstice festival and Easter instead of Beltain (the spring equinox celebration and the most important pagan holiday of the year. pagans celebrated every phase of the moon, and ended up having celebrations about once every other week, but Beltain was the highlight of the year.)

This whole crescent moon thing with the three daughters is Jack Chick crap (WARNING: that link will bring you to the most hateful, bigoted shit you've ever seen. Seriously, Jack Chick makes the Grand Dragon of the KKK look like an open minded liberal). Yes, that was a belief system in place prior to Islam in those regions. It has less to do with Islam today than the old pagan traditions with christianity today.

So it is a BIG difference.no, there's not, but continue Christians will use allah because of the MANY years of persecution they have suffered. or because it is the Arabic word for god. Besides alot two freakin' words are nominal christians as in America. Even if Arabs are christians, they're not really christians. the only real christians are US christians.They are very big replacement theology, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA see above christians in Syria and Lebanon. That is the only countries I have experience with.America's word for god is god for all other gods but to use a capital G for God we are referring God The Father. they use a capital "a" to refer to their guy. capital "g" beats capital "a" why? Allah is NOT the same god as the Christian God. It is demon god. WHo thirsts for blood. vampire! allah is coming to suck your blood (bela lugosi voice)

Nobody even tries to correct this.

I am indeed intolerant of your intolerance

Well, conservative martyrdom has reached its logical conclusion: the accusation that liberals are being intolerant of their intolerance, thus proving that liberals are more intolerant than conservatives are, and are, in fact, hypocrites.

Bullshit.

For background, I am riffing off the latest post by Jesurgislac, in which (s)he examines the backlash of the Mormon support of Prop 8. My post was specifically motivated by a "secret" sent into postsecret. The text of the postcard reads "I hate that people who are prohomosexual are good and tolerant, but antihomosexuals are evil and ignorant."

You know what, sorry little friend, but you are evil and ignorant. Hating a person for the sexual orientation they were born with is evil and ignorant. It reveals nothing about homosexuals, who are no concern of yours, and everything about your tiny, fearful soul.

Truth is, bigotry, like violence, is a double-edged sword with a razor sharp blade. Every time you swing it, you will damage yourself as much, if not more, than your target. You fill your own world with fear and hatred, and if you had your way, you would get rid of all the homosexuals, then all of us who support them, then our friends and families, and eventually you would be left with the one person who truly frightens you: yourself.

I'm sorry for your fear, oh bigoted one, but I cannot tolerate it. I have my own fears, but they have taught me to love and to live and grab the future with both hands. I will not bow down to your fear, I will not tolerate your hatred and I will spend the rest of my life confronting you, showing you a mirror and daring you to look in it. I will defend to the death your right to say what you will, but I will say what I mean: you are an evil, ignorant bigot and your time is done.

When I am queen, you will be first against the wall, and your opinion will be of no consequence at all.