Lately I have seen a huge increase in attacks towards homosexuals. Particularly in the hardcore religious institutions who are leading the charge.

Most of these people cherry pick verses from the bible to state their reasons for doing so (I feel there is more to it). I’ve even heard ministers on television saying to their followers that they would kill gay men if they ever crossed them in the street. Where is all this hate suddenly coming from?

Lately, the people I meet who call themselves Christians have become some of the most mean and hateful people I have ever come across, its like they have the right to judge anyone because they belong to a man made institution that places itself between the people and God.

My Grandfather (who is a Baptist minister) has started mass mailing anti-gay and anti-Muslim propaganda out to his various churches, is there an agenda being carried out here? This has all started happening very quickly.

Where and why is this sudden rush of mob-like mentalities taking form?, its like religion has been hijacked by hypocritical, hateful fundamentalists and used as a tool for pushing their own twisted interpretations of the teachings of the Bible, and I come to the conclusion that their goal is being the creation of a Christian theocracy. The books that have been written by unknown religious scholars are used as their proof, but the books of first hand testimonies to Jesus’ life and message have been completely ignored.

While I don’t believe in organised religion I still do believe in a higher power, and I respect the teaching of Jesus above everything else written in the bible because of its outright liberal like "goodness", but look what has become of the Christian faith and the people who call themselves its followers, they have become hateful hypocrites who target one group after another.

No one gave them the right to persecute anyone, or use gay people as tools in creating a climate of fear and desperation. You talk of agenda? Take a look closer to home, I feel this is started to get out of control and is affecting society in a negative way.

I have nothing against religion, im only against the people who distort it and use it for their own twisted reasons.

I understand exactly what you mean. Never before have had so many problem with the people of the Christian faith...and as you said...it is not a problem with religion or Christianity...it is those that claim to follow the faith....it's like many of them have become possessed by hate or something. You have people that sin up a storm, preaching about other people sinning, you have people butting their nose into other peoples bedroom, people actually using their religion which teaches love. tolerance and turn the other cheek.....to hate and belittle other human beings...it's no wonder no one finds this faith one of their choosing too much any more. You have people here at ATS that just seem obsessed with it and trying to demean them.....it's all so very sad! The thing is...they don't even see that they have become so hate filled and nasty!

[edit on 12/4/2004 by LadyV]

Originally posted by LadyV
I understand exactly what you mean. Never before have had so many problem with the people of the Christian faith...and as you said...it is not a problem with religion or Christianity...it is those that claim to follow the faith....it's like many of them have become possessed by hate or something.

That's a very tolerant, balanced, politically correct view of the problems with Christianity I once shared. Saying it's not the practice, it's some of the people.

It's increasingly difficult for me to feel that way though. I never for one minute believed there was a culture war (no matter how loud millionaire Republican televangelists cried martyrdom) until now. There really is a war going on. Tolerant Christians and everyday secularists are losing.

Why? Because we keep dismissing the crazies as just a few crazies. They've organized 100 million strong as a political movement to overthrow democracy for theocracy.

I realize it's self defeating to hate them, because they want you to hate them. It's the whole fundamentalist persecution complex, but God they're just awful people. Seriously mentally ill people.

And they're in charge now. It's not some minority either. I'm not sitting in some blue state ivory tower speculating on this. I'm in the middle of red state nowhere surrounded by the most vitriloic hateful "Christians" you ever did see. A church on every corner that substitutes for Republican headquarters. Might as well throw the Klan in there too.

They're quite sick in the head. It's like a populist movement for one group only. And they're really killing themselves. Voting against their own self interests, home schooling, cliquing up into self defeating xenophobic situations with work and education. Blocking mass media. Not reading. Getting all their information from each other.

Believing everything they are told.

I can't believe the young people I see into it. It's like a cult. I'm pretty much talking about my local Baptists here, but I'm sure it's no anomoly. And no it has nothing to do with morality, though that's the talk. They still drink, get pregnant at 14, all the same stuff as you'd expect some "heathen" to do...possibly in higher numbers given some data I've seen about red states welfare, federal funding, divorce, abortions, etc. I mean they don't go to college. So life start at 15 with a job at WalMart and a kid.

But the hate. The shared hate of everything. Man they hate and they let you know it. But they love our President.

I am a non practicing moderate christian.
I do not support radical christianity, and NEVER have used religion as any basis for saying "no thanks" for our culture adopting gay issues.
BUT,
Might i point out how much negative, hateful attacks are being made against these fundamentalist groups? Who is leading these attacks?
the pro "gay agenda" folks.
They have been waging this name calling tactic against religion for a while now, and i think they are reaping the backlash of the larger group of "bible thumpers" over the smaller #'s gays/supporters.

The radical "gay agenda" pushers are trying to demonize religions and essentially blackmail them into selling out their principals, or risk looking like "bigots". This is wrong, and any religion thats soo willing to give up their core ideals seems weak willed at the least, and certantly doesnt express devotion to their faith.

Phobic epidemics are running BOTH directions on this issue.

[edit on 31-12-2004 by CazMedia]

Caz, we all know about your gay agenda, we have 33 pages of you and two other bigots going on about how gays are evil, taking over the world, spreading like a virus, getting to our kids, making them gay, taking over society.......... Anyways, you keep your "gays are evil and have an agenda" on your the Gay Agenda page and the rest of us will refrain from laughing.

Anyways, it is strange, love, tolerance, WE GONNA KILL YOU! For being black, gay, jewish, arab, hispanic, female, poor, liberal, and anything else that goes against being a good god fearing bigoted redneck hick Bush loving war mongering loving christian.

Might i point out how much negative, hateful attacks are being made against these fundamentalist groups? Who is leading these attacks?

I don't see there being any attack, attack is a word used by Fundamentalist groups that are put into question.

Where and why is this sudden rush of mob-like mentalities taking form?, its like religion has been hijacked by hypocritical, hateful fundamentalists and used as a tool for pushing their own twisted interpretations of the teachings of the Bible, and I come to the conclusion that their goal is being the creation of a Christian theocracy. The books that have been written by unknown religious scholars are used as their proof, but the books of first hand testimonies to Jesus’ life and message have been completely ignored.

I actually think that it's always been there, it's just that more and more
people everyday have access to the internet. Some new wiz bang
Televangealist seems to crop up everyday.
I'm of the belief that it's all part and parcel of the New World Order,
One World Religion if you like.

They're quite sick in the head. It's like a populist movement for one group only. And they're really killing themselves. Voting against their own self interests, home schooling, cliquing up into self defeating xenophobic situations with work and education. Blocking mass media. Not reading. Getting all their information from each other.

I would think the "sick in the head" is the result of years of Brainwashing.
Mind you thats just my personal opinion.
In the end though, Greed, Arrogance and just sheer Stupidity will be the
undoing of these poeple.

Interesting I've just read the 'thank God for the tsunami and 2000 dead swedes' thread.

Who do you think is going to be more of a threat to peace, stability and freedom of speech on all levels. When even pepublicans are expressing concern about fundamentalist influence within the political sphere. I think the so called gay agenda pales into insignificance.

so what- now the gays are bad because they had fundamentalists and the fundamentalists are bad because they hate gays?

hooray- everyone hates each other...i dont think America has ever seen THAT before. Let's look at history, shall we? This is the same situation as the rampants racism and race hate crimes we once had. Except we've taken out the blacks and put in the gays.

No kids, this isn't a culture war anymore...this is a crusade.

And the saddest part of it is when I go to school every morning and get barrated by the community church Christian youth group kids who call me evil because I don't believe that Jesus is my savior. Every day when the Gay Straight alliance club at my school is not allowed to meet, but th Christian clubs take over the auditorium, announcements, cafeteria, and countless classrooms to hold services.

Sure, look at the talking heads on TV to make your decision on this conflict. But if you really want a tale, look at the youth.

They're as bad as the adults, and it's only getting worse.

hooray- everyone hates each other...i dont think America has ever seen THAT before. Let's look at history, shall we? This is the same situation as the rampants racism and race hate crimes we once had. Except we've taken out the blacks and put in the gays.

Definately a sad time in history no matter what nation is involved.
I liken it to the Divide and Conquer rule.
Maybe I'm wrong, but it's just a thought.

Scat, the Straight Gay Alliance? Ok... thats new on me. Closest I got to that was making freinds with a lesbian and her freind, who at first I thought was a male, went by Ray, dressed like a guy, so forth, until I saw her in a male work out top and it's like dang, can see what Amber sees in her.(That is a joke, her name was Rachel, she went by Rae, not Ray)

Anyways, you have the christian fundamentalists and everyone who is a sinner, I mean female, middle class, black, poor, likes freedom, works for a living, hispanic, asian, jewish, arabic, and anything else not waiting for god to bitch smack you for not loving Bush(I mean the president, why I capitalize the B)

It is strange, with Clinton you had the getting head is evil crowd and the other 99.9999999% of the people.

But with Bush you have the republicans, the democrats, the rich, the rest of the country, the old money never had to do physical labor unless you count smiling for the camera at a charity event your parents are doing so they don't look like complete scumbags, the people who make this country run, the people who support war and are ready to declare it on any country that has oil, the people who actually fight in the wars, and well, ignorant people who voted for a president who has created a economy worse then the great depression, and the people who wanted to give a douche bag a chance cause they figured he could do better, well, anything could, but he was the other guy so they voted for him.

James attacks,

Caz, we all know about your gay agenda, we have 33 pages of you and two other bigots going on about how gays are evil, taking over the world, spreading like a virus, getting to our kids, making them gay, taking over society.......... Anyways, you keep your "gays are evil and have an agenda" on your the Gay Agenda page and the rest of us will refrain from laughing.

Anyways, it is strange, love, tolerance, WE GONNA KILL YOU! For being black, gay, jewish, arab, hispanic, female, poor, liberal, and anything else that goes against being a good god fearing bigoted redneck hick Bush loving war mongering loving christian.

I see your stalking, harrassing, and slanderous allegations against me are continuing, despite my repeted requests, on multiple threads, that you stop asttacking me, and discuss the issues at hand. This has occured on multiple threads where i have asked you to stop. Your post here is a prime example of this tactic, which i believe is harrassment of another member, and has already been brought to the attention of several mods.

I have asked you to PROVE your LIES that you spew against me...to cut and paste for all to see where ive said things that you allege such as,

gays are evil, taking over the world, spreading like a virus, getting to our kids, making them gay, taking over society..........

Posting things of this nature is SLANDER, it is false, and is aginst ATS policy.

By using this message board, you agree to the following:
1.) You will not post any material that is knowingly false, misleading, or inaccurate.

I am questioning the validity of your slander against me, calling it both false and misleading....You knowingly post such material to harrass me and demonize me, as you never offer anything to the discussions but this rhetoric.

2.) You will not behave in an abusive and/or hateful manner, and will not harass, threaten, nor attack anyone.

Please explain how falsly accusing myself and other members of being "bigots" is not both abusive and harrassing?
Again how is this behaivior not obvious to you, other members and MOD's when applied to your seccond paragraph where you blanket all christians and Bush supporters as you call them,

bigoted redneck hick

and painting them as

WE GONNA KILL YOU!

and

war mongering

Enough is enough here. Its high time someone called you out for the lying, reverse bigot you are.

I have begun to compile a complete history of this behaivior that you have harrassed me with (i will not speak for others, but it is evident to them as well) to provide for the MOD's that have requested this information for review.

Your post on THIS thread is the perfect example of the tactic of reverse discrimination, slander, and "fundamentalist-aphobic" behaivior i allege has been going on, perpetrated by the "gay agenda" against organized religions, in order to try and paint them as hate filled people. Religions HAVE been being demonized in this fashion in order to attempt to blackmail others that disagree (and happen to constitute a large if not majority concensus in places) into giving up or selling out their core beliefs, so that they are not shunned, or labled as bigots or homophobes.

This tactic used by the pro gay agenda is NOT going to get more people to support such a negative approach for their cause, and indeed drives moderates away from supporting it.

It will not work for you either james, so i suggest you stick to the topics and stop attacking the speaker with your slander.