Where the fuck did I put that soapbox?

[bubosquared]

My friends list is all aflutter about the Virginia situation (best explanation I've found here), and um. I don't even know what to say. I read that article and the I just ... sat here, blinking at the whole thing. Unbelievable. And there's similar laws on the ballot in other states, now?

(Hey, fellow Belgians, think we can convince our governement to grant asylum to any gay (or even just non-married) West Americans who want to flee here because of these fucking insane laws? Maybe we can trade 'em. One Vlaams Blokker for every gay American refugee.)

And excuse me while I rant for a moment, but I am SICK and TIRED of seeing so-called "CHRISTIANS" using the Bible as a tool to JUSTIFY THEIR OWN FUCKING BIGOTRY! Show me where Jesus said anything about homosexuality, or same-sex couples, at all. Show me where Jesus said "Remove the mote from your brother's eye before you remove the beam from your own." Show me where he avocated repression and hatred and petty nietpicking of his own words! SHOW ME or STOP CLAIMING TO BE CHRISTIAN, because YOU HAVE BECOME THE PHARISEES!

*deep breath* Right, then.

Comments

[i-amthecosmos.livejournal.com]

"Become" the Pharisees? They've been the fucking Pharisess for ages now. At least since the Moral Majority. I have a great book called High Weirdness By Mail that listed fun organizations to bug for free stuff. The author wisely listed the Moral Majority under "Hate Groups". No shit.

I'm surrounded by this shit every day of my life. I live in one of the most conservative, backward parts of the country. I fully expect the same type of law to get passed here. I'm mad as hell but still somewhat resigned.

I just don't know what it would take to get people to stop being assholes.

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

"Become" the Pharisees? They've been the fucking Pharisess for ages now.

Well, for relative values of "become", obviously. (Hi, Paul, I'm looking at you here!) And yet people wonder why, eight years after converting to Christianity, depite having worn my silver crucifux pendant almost every day for the last five years, despite the fact that my faith means a lot to me, despite all that, I'm still not baptised, nor am I a member of any organised religion. Why? Because of people like this, because it's nigh impossible to find even a church where I can go and worship and celebrate my faith without someone telling me I'm a lesser human being either because I'm a woman, or because I'm gay, or both. I mean, fuck, I feel awkward even talking about my faith at all in public, because fuckwads like these have tainted the message of love and tolerance that I'm reading in the Bible.

And 'yknow, if you'll pardon the tangent, in addition to wanting to see the Bible these people are apparently reading, I'd also like to see proof, any proof, that my abiilty to legally marry my hypothetical girlfriend has any effect whatsoever on, for example, my parents' marriage. (The truly ironic part of course being that I'm the Christian in the family.)

At least since the Moral Majority.

There's actually an organisation called that? *boggle*

I just don't know what it would take to get people to stop being assholes.

Round up everyone with a shred of decency and common sense and move to Mars?

[i-amthecosmos.livejournal.com]

Moral Majority-Jerry Falwell's old pressure group. He's since changed the name to something less annoying and it's not the big presence it used to be. They did stuff like pressure lawmakers for various conservative things, try to get 7-11's from selling porno mags, ect. The whole group seemed really smug and repressive.

Since they went after affirmative action and gay rights like crazy, calling them a hate group isn't a stretch.

[wimmeke.livejournal.com]

I was thinking two seconds: Well, the old testament... Not Jesus, but then yes, that's what the Pharisees believed in too. And I would believe the Jews still do today. Those people claiming that Jews rule the US of A, will have something to say about this again. But yeah, I agree with you Jesus meant it differently and he's at least the one Christians are supposed to believe in. If you would believe the current re-written roman version of the New Testament, you would come to believe Jesus was Gay. Those Egyptian scrolls however seem to hold the books written by Jesus' wife.

Om het over het Vlaams Blok te hebben, ik zie die liever niet rondhangen in het enige land met kernwapens dat ze effectief al eens tegen mensen heeft ingezet. Die krijgen daar ook stemrecht weet je, en er lopen er genoeg die op zo'n programma zouden willen stemmen.

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I mean, it's far from clear what exactly Jesus said and taught and did, but most sources do tend to agree on the whole "love they neighbour" thing. (The scrolls you're referring to would be the Gospel of Mary Magdalen, incidentally. :) Nothing gets under my skin quite like so-called Christians quoting the Old Testament. Grrr. Grrr, I say!

Also, good point. Extremists + nukes = bad idea.

[kecik.livejournal.com]

you're too cool to not add!

yee-haw

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Hee! Why thank you! *friends back* I should warn you, though, that my usual content is mostly life angst, work (/job search) stress, and fandom.

Though I've been saying for a while now that I want to write more about my faith and related things. Hm.

[kecik.livejournal.com]

and please be warned that i'm an emotional minefield just waiting for another explosion to happen.

if i happen to radiate too much depression into your friends pages, feel free to break up with me. or you could try giving me a warning first.

i'm so depressing.

Anon due to no LJ

[(Anonymous)]

Hello, Ooktavia here,- followed you over from Penknife's journal. I recognised your name from my time lurking in the Crystalwank at FW.
Ppl should remember that the Bible has been used to "prove" certain things should or should not be done for a *loong* time. After all, in the 18th and 19th centuries, the OT was used to justify slavery. And the opening up of the American West (Ah, Manifest Destiny, how I love thee),AND the scramble for Africa. We here in the jolly UK used similar excuses for activities in India. I don't see anyone *now* saying Christians should be violently invading other countries to bring them to Jesus whilst co-incidentally lining our pockets... do you?
Anyways, I ramble, this is your space, I will go now.
I will leave you with one of my favourite hymms (sorry. But's it's short) which sums up my feelings on the Bible at times.

Your holy hearsay is not evidence
Give me the Good News in the present tense
What happened nineteen hundred year ago
May not have happened, how am I to know

The living truth is what I long to see
I cannot lean upon what used to be
So shut your Bible up and show me how
The Christ you talk about is living now.
Sydney Carter.

There. Hope this doesn't count as spam or anything, I have no journal, so I worry about breaking ettiquette even more than spelling the word.
Ooktavia

Re: Anon due to no LJ

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

I recognised your name from my time lurking in the Crystalwank at FW.

Oh, you recognised my name, eh? ;D

Ppl should remember that the Bible has been used to "prove" certain things should or should not be done for a *loong* time.

Too true. And that's really one of the things that annoy me about the religious right, because a) they're quoting mostly Old Testament, and b) I'm too tired and tipsy to look up the exact reference right now, but unless I'm very much mistaken, Jesus himself preached against those who followed every commandement to the letter, but not to the spirit.

Er, anyway, topic: There's also the witch burnings, the Spanish Inquisition, and in more modern days, the spread of AIDS and the continuation of poverty because the Catholic Church claims god hates condoms.

I don't see anyone *now* saying Christians should be violently invading other countries to bring them to Jesus whilst co-incidentally lining our pockets... do you?

Well, not out loud, no. (Sorry, I'm a wee bit bitter today.)

And thanks for the hymn, I like it, especially the last two lines. ^_^