5/3/12
Dan Savage's controversial comments about homophobia in the Bible at a high school journalists' conference
About two weeks ago, Dan made the following remarks to high school journalists during a convention called "Journalism on the Edge." Well, for some, Dan's comments were on the edge and many offended students left his presentation. Judge for yourself:
Read here for the resulting backlash from Christian groups.
Later, Dan apologized for his language and a few comments he made that day. However, The Economist artfully defends his overall thesis:
Yes, nobody calls Christianity an abomination. Christian fundamentalists leaders don't like that society is now confronting them over their fear and bigotry about gay people. Hence they claim they are being bullied. They feel threatened by the rise of women, people of color, and now the gays. A GOP legislator's wife in North Carolina said yesterday, she is afraid for "the caucasian race". Change is hard for some people, but discrimination and hatred is hard for all people.
Read here for the resulting backlash from Christian groups.
Later, Dan apologized for his language and a few comments he made that day. However, The Economist artfully defends his overall thesis:
Mr Savage's apology did not stop the outrage machine. Some seem to have taken particular delight in hurling Mr Savage's epithets—bully and basher (of Christians and Christianity, rather than gays)—back at him. The American Thinker harrumphs, "Evidently, bullying is one of those things that is defined by the 'victim'." Well, yes: in fact it is. Bullying is the strong picking on the weak, not the other way around (the other way around is satire). One could make the argument that in the case of Mr Savage's speech, he was the strong one, and the high-school students were "victims", but that would be weak tea indeed. Mr Savage is one person, not a movement, and of course those students whom he gave the vapours were free to leave. Not everyone has such freedom. Gay teens, not Christian teens, kill themselves at higher rates than the general populace. Nobody calls Christianity an abomination. One blogger accused Mr Savage of "Christian-bashing" for pointing out the Bible's position on slavery. A writer for a Focus on the Family site said that "using profanity to deride the Bible...is obviously a form of bullying and name-calling." In fact it is neither: Mr Savage, however intemperate his language, was arguing, not name-calling. That is a crucial distinction, and one that too often eludes the showily devout. If the Bible is in fact the word of God it can survive a few arguments about context and application.
Yes, nobody calls Christianity an abomination. Christian fundamentalists leaders don't like that society is now confronting them over their fear and bigotry about gay people. Hence they claim they are being bullied. They feel threatened by the rise of women, people of color, and now the gays. A GOP legislator's wife in North Carolina said yesterday, she is afraid for "the caucasian race". Change is hard for some people, but discrimination and hatred is hard for all people.
5/2/12
Inter-related quotes of the day...
Madeline Albright: "Women are really good at making friends, but not at networking. Men are good at networking, not making friends."
My friend, Doug Powell: "Gay men excel at both!"
With more acceptance by society, gays become more visible in the rich tapestry of American life...
...in small and large ways. Check out this story about a comic strip where a gay couple goes to the prom. Progress!
Zen in one paragraph
Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.
- William Saroyan
Jack Reese, a 17-year-old Utah student, takes his own life after years of bullying. More blood on the hands of the Mormon Church & GOP
Yes, an Ogden teenager takes his own life after being bullied for years. We need to fight for kids like Jack, wherever they live.
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