The Bible and Love and Christians

[frogboy4]

Bullying is tough. On one hand young people don't want to "tattle" on one another and I agree with that sort of policy, but there's a point when an adult must be notified and certain regulations must be in place.

My ex-boyfriend never received his high-school diploma because of an atmosphere of constant bullying for being too small, a figure-skater and of course gay. He was and still is an adorable person, but the heck he went through for it must have been unimaginable. He simply got lost in a sea of students and never felt that he could speak out. This happens far too often and kids kill themselves over it. My fella restricted his future by not receiving a complete education and that's wrong too.

Any time a politician wants to limit gay rights in this country, they're telling our gay youth that they are not valued. That they are not whole and most convert and live what to them is a lifelong lie in order to receive equal opportunity. It fuels bullies and justifies their hatred. Hatred doesn't need justification to exist, but it does help it grow!

There's a San Francisco preacher who is spewing all sorts of venom about how gays are bringing about tomorrow's alleged rapture. He's a goofball, but there are people who really do believe that sentiment in their hearts and enforce it on an entire group of people therefore rendering gays as a lower class of human being.

I don't know how to remedy the bully problem in schools except to shine the light on bigots and show the world that hatred may be a right in this country, but it is also toxic and it is not okay. I think going all Rip Taylor on people like Newt is good start!

 

[Drtooth]

Glen Beck hasn't just been racist and homophobic, he's also has a history of sexist remarks that are downright creepy. It's strange how he still has such a strong following.

If I explain his following, I'll go on a rant. Long story short, he structures his nutzo libertarian/Mormon fundamentalist babble so it sounds like he's an outsider talking about conspiracies that just aren't so. And a bunch of very angry people who will believe anything like it. Shortest way I can explain. I don't care for people like Rush or O'Reily... but Beck is a dangerous madman who flings diseased poo at everyone, cries like a baby like he's the injured party, and then defends every time he puts his whole leg in his mouth with "I'm not perfect." He reminds me of every bully I encountered in my entire life during school, among other things.

Any time a politician wants to limit gay rights in this country, they're telling our gay youth that they are not valued. That they are not whole and most convert and live what to them is a lifelong lie in order to receive equal opportunity. It fuels bullies and justifies their hatred. Hatred doesn't need justification to exist, but it does help it grow!

There's a San Francisco preacher who is spewing all sorts of venom about how gays are bringing about tomorrow's alleged rapture. He's a goofball, but there are people who really do believe that sentiment in their hearts and enforce it on an entire group of people therefore rendering gays as a lower class of human being.

The world's gonna end because gays exist? Well, the world's not worth it then, is it?

There really isn't much anyone can do with these kind of people except ignore them. Don't give them a platform, don't listen to their mindless biblical literalism rhetoric that serves as a cheap excuse for their old timey views... it's not constructive or even Christian to do that. They're taught that the wickedest people are the false prophets that put words into the mouths of religious figures to further their agenda.

As I said before, if people stop wanting to look like evil, homophobic nutjobs, stop LISTENING or hanging out with them. If you dress like a hood, listen to the same music as a hood, and hang out with hoods, you're considered a hood, especially by police. Why would anyone want to be guilty of crimes they didn't commit because of the way they act and the people they hang around?

Where are the left leaning religious leaders and biblical scholars that argue these points? Why aren't they speaking up about anything? And why don't people listen when they do?

Party members need to ditch the extremists, religion needs to ditch those who use the word for their views... people need to move on and marginalize stereotypes.

 

[RedPiggy]

And how good it feels when someone has the guts to say, "I'll be your friend no matter what the bullies say." Though those were perhaps the tamest bullies I've ever seen! And frankly in real life, they don't back down that easily. They just start bullying the person who's befriending the victim. It's easy to say "stand up to bullies" but kids need to understand that it's not going to be easy.

Indeed. Even Kermit, facing off against Hopper, was joined by all his friends for the obligatory "together we stand" kind of climax ... and Hopper STILL wanted him dead. It was only when Animal outclassed Hopper in the girth department that Hopper ran off. Here we have classic "Code of the Wilderness" (as Dinosaurs would've put it) in action: "bigger eat smaller". Hopper only abandoned his position on his perceived food chain when met with someone above him on that chain.

I would be inclined to believe all bullying is like that. However, the most powerful "Good Samaritan" moment I've ever seen was the two bullies in my urban middle school one year. They attacked everyone, including staff, and stole from students and faculty alike. But it was when my father tried to engineer having my brother and I taken away from our mother that they, the two bullies with seemingly no redeeming qualities, hugged me. I still tear up just thinking about it. It was such a powerful illustration of the real meaning of a good heart and that's why my bedroom is decorated with images of characters who have been both villains and heroes, to remind me that people are more complicated than it appears.

It doesn't QUITE make up for the fact I was bullied ever since starting in Kindergarten, but it accomplishes quite a lot.

The world's gonna end because gays exist? Well, the world's not worth it then, is it?

Yeah, the world can survive multiple extinctions, including getting waylaid by a massive space rock, but it can't survive some glitter throwers. That's logic for you.

Where are the left leaning religious leaders and biblical scholars that argue these points? Why aren't they speaking up about anything? And why don't people listen when they do?

And yet, I've seen complaints here about Lisa Simpson, who almost ONLY wants to talk....

Extremists on both sides are the ones that shout without doing much. Waving a sign does not save whales or gays or little African children. Helping them does. I've lived a life too filled with cheap talk and hypocrisy to value "talk" much at all. I'm orienting with a "super nurse", according to the higher ups, but she either is more ignorant than I am or she's just flat out lazy. I asked to be pulled off orientation and just work on my own. I don't need lazy morons to work under.

 

[Bannanasketch]

I disagree with you about Glenn Beck but I'd like to see some links on his remarks that you consider "homophobic." And remember to keep it in context. Liberals have a way of taking remarks by conservatives out of context and twist the words to make it seem like they're the bad guys.

On the issue of bullying, I am against ANY type of bullying. No one should be bullied becuase of race, genner, sexual orientation, or religion. If you disagree with a certain view that a person has, that gives you absolutley no right to go after them. It saddens me that there are suicides because some jerks went and bullied a kid that was gay. I will stand up against ANY bullying because no one should have to go through that.

 

[Drtooth]

I disagree with you about Glenn Beck but I'd like to see some links on his remarks that you consider "homophobic." And remember to keep it in context. Liberals have a way of taking remarks by conservatives out of context and twist the words to make it seem like they're the bad guys.

And conservatives do the same with liberals... welcome to politics.

Now, I'll give conservatives their Rush Limbaughs and Bill O'Reillies... I don't care for them, I don't care for a good fraction of what they say, but they have a right to their audience and a right to what they have to say. I do NOT care one iota for Beck's style. To be perfectly clear, he's NOT a republican, he's a libertatian... while libertarians do share some threads with the Republicans, they also don't agree with them either. Now, I can agree or disagree with what the Reps say, but I don't care much for what libertarians have to say. I do NOT like his fake crackpot conspiracy theories, I do NOT like how he cries like a baby in a purely manipulative spectacle, and above all, I do NOT like how he puts his foot in his mouth, fakes an apology for it, and precedes to put it back in.

I do not like how the left is extremely snarky either... I want it to be perfectly clear, as a middle man, I don't like anyone on any side that has to go out of their way to get a point across, either bullying their fanbase to believe what they want them to believe, or little passive aggressive toothless dinks trying to defend themselves.

I DO like people like Ben Stein who can argue a point without being loud, annoying, venom spewing, or just plain showboaty. I don't always agree with what he says, but I can see what his point is.

I don't like Fox News, I don't like Air America... I don't like anyone paid to tell me what to think, right or left... I want the real issues and I want to make up my own mind about them. I want the extremists marginalized so we can come to common ground and listen to what everyone has to say in a calm, rational, adult demeanor. And no one popular, left or right, is like that.

 

[Bannanasketch]

For someone who claims to be a middle man, you sure speak out a lot more against the right than you do about the left...

 

[Drtooth]

For someone who claims to be a middle man, you sure speak out a lot more against the right than you do about the left...

Doy... because the left:

Is too wimpy, pathetic, scared, passive aggressive, and over all trying oh so hard for people to like them to do anything important. Seriously, if it comes to equal rights, minimum wage increases, taxing the people who deserve to be taxed, helping the poor, educating the young, preventing getting involved in crazy international conflicts, giving the American public decent health care if they can't afford it, they FAIL miserably... but when they can take cupcakes out of the hands of grade schoolers, and pull happy meal prizes out of fast food restaurants they can do no wrong.

To quote some failed TV show, "I'll make fun of Democrats when they actually DO something!"

 

[CensoredAlso]

I would be inclined to believe all bullying is like that. However, the most powerful "Good Samaritan" moment I've ever seen was the two bullies in my urban middle school one year. They attacked everyone, including staff, and stole from students and faculty alike. But it was when my father tried to engineer having my brother and I taken away from our mother that they, the two bullies with seemingly no redeeming qualities, hugged me. I still tear up just thinking about it. It was such a powerful illustration of the real meaning of a good heart.

Oh yeah you're absolutely right. Many of the bullies in my life eventually came around and were friendly. Mainly I think because they saw that I stayed true to myself despite their efforts. That and I got a boyfriend eventually, which I think made them respect me more, lol.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Seriously, if it comes to equal rights, minimum wage increases, taxing the people who deserve to be taxed, helping the poor, educating the young, preventing getting involved in crazy international conflicts, giving the American public decent health care if they can't afford it, they FAIL miserably

They're pretty good at promoting abortion though. Always seems to be enough time for that.

Whatever you think about abortion, there still should be more alternatives. There are women's shelters that support the woman before and after birth without immediately resorting to abortion. They actually do offer women choices, unlike some places which claim to be for choice but only seem to promote one.

All and all, I'd say both the right and the left are equal in their moral hypocrisy. That's why I can't in good conscience vote for Newt or Obama.

 

[Drtooth]

They're pretty good at promoting abortion though. Always seems to be enough time for that.

Whatever you think about abortion, there still should be more alternatives. There are women's shelters that support the woman before and after birth without immediately resorting to abortion. They actually do offer women choices, unlike some places which claim to be for choice but only seem to promote one.

That's a VERY toxic debate with no winner on either side. Again, I say if anyone REALLY gave a crap about young life, they'd make sure that said kid grows up to have opportunities and give the parents a helping hand. With certain religious types, the only time life is sacred is when it IS a fetus. Once the thing's out of the mother, they could give a rat's butt about the thing.

Now, in cases of incest or rape, especially rape, it should always be an option. And it should never be off the table if complications arise in pregnancy and both of them are going to die anyway. Extreme cases, no matter what, need an emergency clause. Even if it's forced into an abusive relationship with some scumbag who demands sex, there should be that option. I DO NOT think the same of some tart bouncing around partner to partner doing it when there's so many options, sure... but the violent or extreme cases need it as an option.

It's a very gray area and I don't side with either side on any side of the debate. Above all, I believe if human life was so goldurn sacred, we wouldn't be dropping bombs on women and children to settle dumb arguments between idiotic leaders of countries. We wouldn't shoot each other over being in rival gangs, stab each other to steal 10 bucks off of someone, beat people to death over sneakers. Face it, those who claim to value life often don't. It isn't a light matter, and it's fraught with paradoxes that just can't be settled. We don't exactly live in a Utopian society. I have the same view on Veganism... why should we show restraint with animals when we'd kill and eat our own if we could?

Aside from that, they're good at promoting it, but they SUCK at defending it.