Anti-Bullying Speaker Curses Christian Teens

Of course Fox News would report this and turn it into something negative. Figures a gay man is made out to look like a bad guy in a right wing "Article."

Dan Savage is one of the few honest American heroes left in this country. Let people cover their ears and ignore the truth...the rest of us will continue marching on.

reply to post by Partygirl


It's pretty disgracefull for Dan Savage to turn an anti-bullying event into his own little soap box targeting religion and christianity in general.

However, he's not wrong when with his assertion that religion discriminates and in large part promotes bullying towards LGBT people.

There is a selective use of the bible ( by some christians) to rally against certain group of people, when in fact if you did follow everything listed as 'rules' in the bible, our society would be akin to that of the crusades.

Beyond that, I think it's again, quite gross that he would use this event as a means to attack Christians, and students no less. Mind you I haven't been able to watch the video; just read a transcript and things may be taken out of context.

Either way, poor showing for his group, bad for the community in general. He wasn't entirely wrong though.

~Tenth

I think he's might actually be KGB or CIA since these groups do have an interest in the demoralization of humanity.

reply to post by Partygirl


I am not sure of the venue or the atmosphere of the conference, and to that I concede "when in Rome... ".

However, everything he mentioned is appropriate and correct. The Bible is an irrational doctrine written by uncivilized (borderline illiterate) bronze-age men, which outlines a dogma that has no place in a rational, free thinking society. The Bible (and arguably other religious documents) is the primary source of anti-gay (LBGTQ) sentiment in this country. The Christian right has institutionalized hate.

The Bible is filled with half-baked myths and tales about some truly grotesque behavior from both men and gods. It should not be used as a guideline for behavior in a modern society. Nobody has ever lived in a fish for three days, nobody has ever turned into a pillar of salt, there are no seven headed dragons, no boat ever held all of the species of fresh water fish found on planet earth (not to mention everything else), there has never been a flood covering the whole earth, there are no angels, there are no golems, there is no devil... etc.

You might say that I am the one pushing hate here, but this is simply push-back. I was raised Christian (Southern Baptist... ), and I rejected it because it is full of irrational garbage. And not only is it filled with irrational garbage, it teaches ignorant people that this irrational garbage is the one and only way to live their lives. It creates a culture which is intolerant (you could make a strong argument here that I am the one being intolerant, and I am) and ignorant to reality.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. This is the 21st century, get with the program.

/rant

Yea this guy read the bible cover to cover. I too once read the bible cover to cover. When I was done, I set it down and a little inner voice asked me "so what did you learn"? I couldn't think of a single thing.
The next day I began reading again. Though this time with great care and discernment. Inside that book I found great peace. Indeed, my entire life changed. This man may have read the Bible but he really didn't "read" it.

When I was young I was also bullied. I was full of anger for many years, and even considered going back to that small town and do a job on the guy that caused me so much grief. Believe I am more than able and had great desire to get even. But something changed me...just a little..enough..
That very same bible this bullied fellow cursed is the one that caused me to overlook, forgive, and move ahead with my life. It is always best to forgive, and do that which is just good and right.
You cannot purge hate with hate. Anger will only breed anger. Neither love nor peace can result from them.
To this man who has obviously been deeply hurt and damaged I would say.
If you try to read the Word of God with the spirit of anger in your heart, the only thing you will gain is to become a more prolific reader; You will gain nothing from it.
DH

Originally posted by Afterthought
I think he's might actually be KGB or CIA since these groups do have an interest in the demoralization of humanity.

I don't know what's worse...

You actually believing that or the fact someone starred that comment.

reply to post by Turq1


"Dan Savage attacked the Christians because they are against gay marriage."

I too would attack anyone trying to impose his backwards excuse for morality on me too. That's the difference. Most of us just want to be left to our own opinions. We don't try to force Christians to change THEIR lives because of what we think. American Christians by contrast demand an authority to impose their opinions on us. Some gay couple getting married hurts NO ONE, not ONE IOTA and none of you zealots can demonstrate otherwise. Yet you will try to say others are the one trying to impose their vews on you, when their views don't require you to alter your lives. You just don't want others to do as they please. You are weak and fascist, so you don't think you should have to see those you do not approve demonstrating any affection. I say, to heck with you. Grow a pair and mind your own business. Your version of Jesus is offensive to me, but I don't deny your right to live as you please so long as you mind your own business. Your Jesus loves only a select group, bows and blesses greed and discards the poor and others who don't choose to think like he does. Your Jesus is a fiction and were it true would be a wretch of a human worthy of the end that befell him.

I am not religious, but believe in a historical Jesus who was a very good man with exeptional courage, with far greater access to his fullest power as a human, with deep empathy and love of exactly the sort of people that modern Christians hate. The historical Jesus would LOUDLY reject modern Chrsitians as intolerant bigots and worshipers of wealth. I refuse to see why the rest of us need to be "tolerant" of your attempts to legislate your beliefs on us. Your whiny "tolerance" arguments are without reason; the analogy would be like telling Jews of the late 1930's in Germany that they should be tolerant of the Nazis trying to marginalize (and ultimately trying to destroy) them. Screw that. That's not tolerance, that's submission and I will NOT submit to your fascist, reason-averse, science-denying, war mongering zealots. The day this modern Christian scurge evolves out of the body politic, will be a joyous day for people of real faith (or no faith) all around the world.

Originally posted by Clearskies

Originally posted by kaylaluv


Christians are also - in favor of - slavery and the stoning of women.

I KNOW this to be true, because it says so in the Bible. Can you deny that?

That is the Old Testament. We also don't sequester ourselves away during menstruation
or marry our dead husband's brother, anymore. Romans believed in slavery and pedophilia, should we bully Italians?

Exactly. Jesus never, ever condemned homosexuality. Those who are "True Christians", i.e., those who follow the true teachings of Jesus do not believe that homosexuality is a sin. It is only homophobic "Christians" who use the Old Testament as their justification to be hateful to gays, or to try to prevent gays from having their civil rights protected. I wish this Savage guy had approached it from that angle, instead of the way he did it -- but I totally agree with his basic message.

reply to post by SeventhSeal


At the end of the day, most people will always believe whatever they want anyways.
You find no value in my previous post, that's fine. No skin off my back.

Originally posted by happyhomemaker29

Originally posted by Danbones
reply to post by graphuto

 

The christians in the OP took offence to the victim and the exposer of christian gay bullying
instead of dealing with the so called fake christians that do it

so again another proof your arguement is a non contender

What would you have us do? Denounce them and the evil they spread? We do that. And unless it happens directly near us, it's not like we can go up the individual and tell them to stop spreading hate. When it happens near us, we do. When we see it, we speak up. We are the minority in terms of spreading love, not hate. I'm sorry if you came across those that do spread hate. But being sorry for someone else's actions doesn't mean I can stop them personally in the future.

No, that is not true, you do not deal with those within at all, you hide behind the other leaders of the organization and let them decide how to best save face.

You say that you speak up, but are you speaking out against the obvious evils that have been commited by a church that has shown itself to be reproachable? When this man said that there are all these problems and suggested that you sort them out, what was it that you focused on? Did you hear his message at all, or did you percieve an attack?
Interesting.

reply to post by Holodomor


Holy crap! That was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Turnabout is fair play. I've known some xians to be vile in the name of their god. The speaker was being kind compare to the xians I speak of. Tragically, the xians will use this as a rallying point to once again foster belief as reality through chanting numbers.

I'm a bit more subtle than this guy, but hopefully I'm helping to rescue humanity, the gullible children, from religion.

Curses Christian Teens? Christians under attack? I don't think so. Maybe he shouldn't have said B____IT but like others have already said, he was pointing out the hypocrisy of the bible and how some Christians use the Bible as an excuse to spread hatred and bigotry. And like others said, these students got up and walked out the moment he started to point out the hypocrisy. I guess the truth can sometimes be too hard for people to swallow, and they have to get up and walk away.
This video reminds me of that hypocrisy.

But the problem is extremists from both sides DO try to impose their views onto others. Teaching gay history in schools, demanding kindergartners read books about gay families etc. I don't even need to regurgitate all the things that SOME Christians do. It goes both ways. Why do we ALWAYS let the extremists set the agenda and determine the dialog? Why can't we leave some things to our home life and just live and let live?

It seems these days that someone ALWAYS wants to be the winner and shut up the person with the differing view point. This is a road to hell for all of us. Our society will crumble if we allow this kind of intolerance from either camp.

There is not just one way or the other way. Why do you let the lunatic right/left paradigm determine the direction of our national conversation? We have a choice to live and let live here people. Anyone who pushes us beyond civility is the one we ought to all be questioning.

reply to post by Partygirl


HEADLINE: CHRISTIAN MAN DENOUNCES GAY TEENS AND ADOPTED CHILDREN

- I agree!
- Yeah, that's his right to freedom of speech!
- Yeah, screw those kids!
- God Bless Amurika

HEADLINE: MAN ATTACKS CHRISTIANS

- Omg! How dare he!
- Who does he think he is?
- Oh, I bet is the tables were turned he wouldn't like it!
- Damn liberals.


Ahahaha. You guys crack me up!

Originally posted by Afterthought
reply to post by SeventhSeal

 

At the end of the day, most people will always believe whatever they want anyways.
You find no value in my previous post, that's fine. No skin off my back.

Valid point. Just as long you're aware that the thought of Savage being part of such things is an insane and ridiculous theory.

Originally posted by MsAphrodite
But the problem is extremists from both sides DO try to impose their views onto others. Teaching gay history in schools, demanding kindergartners read books about gay families etc. I don't even need to regurgitate all the things that SOME Christians do. It goes both ways. Why do we ALWAYS let the extremists set the agenda and determine the dialog? Why can't we leave some things to our home life and just live and let live?

It seems these days that someone ALWAYS wants to be the winner and shut up the person with the differing view point. This is a road to hell for all of us. Our society will crumble if we allow this kind of intolerance from either camp.

There is not just one way or the other way. Why do you let the lunatic right/left paradigm determine the direction of our national conversation? We have a choice to live and let live here people. Anyone who pushes us beyond civility is the one we ought to all be questioning.

But don't you see, if everyone treated homosexuals with respect, dignity and full equality, there would be no need to have certain "gay tolerance" curricula in schools. The intolerance of gays came first - then the gays (or those fighting for gay rights) came after to fight the intolerance.

Originally posted by voidla
reply to post by Partygirl

 

HEADLINE: CHRISTIAN MAN DENOUNCES GAY TEENS AND ADOPTED CHILDREN

- I agree!
- Yeah, that's his right to freedom of speech!
- Yeah, screw those kids!
- God Bless Amurika

HEADLINE: MAN ATTACKS CHRISTIANS

- Omg! How dare he!
- Who does he think he is?
- Oh, I bet is the tables were turned he wouldn't like it!
- Damn liberals.


Ahahaha. You guys crack me up!

Christians bash gays every day of the week. If a well known Christian celebrity bashed the gay community, it wouldn't even be posted on ATS.

Shows you what ideologies the majority of members here follow...sadly.

Originally posted by Partygirl

If you set yourself up as a voice of tolerance, you have a special obligation to be tolerant to everyone, even those you disagree with.

Couldn't agree more -tolerance should definitely be a two way street.

Is anyone else curious how much Dawkins paid him to do this?

Originally posted by Eurisko2012

Originally posted by technical difficulties
The only actual problem was his language (which he seems to use everywhere he goes). Everything else he said was spot on. People ignore a lot of stuff in the bible that is wrong, and yet still follow the homophobic verses. He wouldn't be criticizing the bible if people did use it as an excuse to hate gay people (which I wouldn't be surprised if some of the people calling him a bully did).

Just look at his body language.

He smeared the Holy Bible, cursed like a demon and enjoyed himself doing it.

He gave a meaningless apology at the end but nobody believes him.

He pointed out inconsistencies in the way "christians" apply the teachings of the bible, and how it is interpreted, things I myself as a Christian see, the "cursing" he did would only be offensive to the most thin skinned individuals who had never been exposed to life in general. The apology at the end was no more empty, or genuine than those given by the christian community at large for the atrocities perpetrated in the name of God over the history of mankind.

Manufactured outrage and indignity must be embarrassing to have.