And lastly an appeal

[sparkindarkness]

...to Christians and other members of Organised Religions where the leaders seem to be are bigoted arseholes.

You need to speak up. Loudly and in great numbers. Not just for gay people but for yourselves and your churches and for your god. The vocal arseholes who are trying to speak for you paint the picture of a deity that is hateful, disgusting and bigoted. If you think your god deserves better then you need to drown these people out.

More than that, the LEADERS of your churches are chanting the same tunes. These are not fringe elements. These are not loose canons. These are not some crazed loud mouths. The leaders of your churches are singing in the homophobic choir. They are saying that gay people are less, that we are inferior, that we are not due respect or rights.
These Churches (and I am using churches to refer to the organisation rather than individual believers) have put an endless amount of effort into homophobia. Whether it’s as large as the Catholic Church’s international crusade and medieval outlook towards anything gay or as internal as the Anglican Church’s conniption fits over gay bishops, whether it’s as open as the Southern Baptist’s unrestrained loathing or as local as the Church of Latter Day Saint’s unforgivable donation to the misleading and dishonest pro-Proposition 8 campaign in California, these are just some examples for the common homophobia that unites the majority of Christian churches (and other organised religions are most certainly no better, just lack the same degree of influence in the western world).

Together they represent the biggest force of homophobia there is. They are a POWERHOUSE of homophobia and really by far the major reason why homophobia is still considered acceptable. I do not believe for a second homophobia would be so entrenched, so powerful and so ACCEPTABLE if there weren't so many cheerleaders behind pulpits and in pews. I do not believe homophobic violence, homophobic discrimination and homophobic political campaigns would have the same momentum, power, severity or frequency if it were for the weight of so many churches pushing them forwards. In short, if it weren't for the energy the churches plough into homophobia, my life and the life of gay people throughout the western world would be a hell of a lot better, safer, happier and more secure.

These churches are hurting us. They are actively attacking us. They are trying (and succeeding in too many cases) to destroy our lives.

And, my poor, decent, good, respectful, honest and kind Christian friends - they are speaking for you. And they are speaking for your god.

If you are better than this or you believe your god is better than this then you need to speak up. You need to be heard. You need to make it clear that the church authorities are wrong, that you don’t agree with them, that, in this, you don’t think they speak for god or are doing your god’s work. Not for me, not for gay people - but for yourselves, because you and your faith don’t deserve to have this label of hatred applied to you

I’m feeling and have been feeling a lot of hate coming from Christian churches - because there is a lot of hate from these churches directed at me and mine. I do not believe in or follow your god - but I do believe that your faith deserves better than to be a vehicle for prejudice. I do believe that your faith deserves better than to become watchword for prejudice and hate. I do believe your faith is better than the way the churches are painting it


***All of this can most definitely be applied to Islam (in spades and over and over for that matter) and, to a lesser extent, Judaism - but they do not have the power and influence in western society that Christianity has

Comments

[moondancerdrake.livejournal.com]

I'd give than a big ole amen!

[gnarlycranium.livejournal.com]

Tall order. These same people are cruel idiots on many, many, many more issues than simply this one. I have one friend with fundamentalist Baptist parents and one with fundamentalist Lutheran parents-- fucking nightmare, all of it.

[helbling.livejournal.com]

Many are already doing so in the UK (my - Catholic - priest once delivered an impromptu homily on how everyone was equal in god's eyes, no sin is bigger than another, and all the hate needs to stop because he was so incensed by some piece of homophobia he'd seen in the local paper) but trying to reach across any large body of water to influence the higher-ups is next to impossible.

I so want to ask these people if they actually *understand* what the American founding fathers were on about when they wrote about the separation of church and state, or whether they disagree with a chief principle of those that founded their country. But I fear that were I ever in a position to do so, I'd get about half a sentence in before the overwhelming rage would take control, and then bad things would happen and I'd end up needing bail.

Maybe I just need to start a collaboration between sane Christians to set up a really big (neon, sparkly, un-fucking-missable) sign that reads 'get off our side, you're making it look bad!'

As if the centuries of oppressing various folks hadn't already done enough damage to our rep, they have to continue it. *headdesk*

[gnarlycranium.livejournal.com]

I can save you the time and bail money by telling you their answer: they disagree with the chief principle. There is no such thing as a separation of church and state, the founding fathers never intended that, nothing in the constitution or bill of rights actually says a word about it, and the US was founded as a white Christian nation. That's what they actually, seriously believe.

[helbling.livejournal.com]

I believe the only possible answer I can currently give is 'ARRRRRGH'. Ironic that most of them are against gun control, when they're the ones that would so benefit from a bullet to the brain.

[gnarlycranium.livejournal.com]

Cause the thing is-- where are we going to GET laws, if not from religious edicts? There IS no morality without religion. All morality and ethics and all things good or right or true in the universe are and must be rooted in and entirely sprouting from the word of God. Man is a hideous pathetic sinful wormy creature who can't decide anything properly for himself. So the whole idea of separating church and state just makes these people go BWAH? and braincramp.

In one class in community college we had an assignment where we were supposed to interview someone with beliefs different from our own. Half a dozen people in my class interviewed athiests-- in all cases, THE FIRST SERIOUS CONVERSATION these people had ever had with an athiest, in fact they said they'd never even MET one before (bullshit!)... and across the board, they were stunned and shocked and amazed and flabbergasted, because said athiests seemed like NICE PEOPLE. And they had never heard in their lives that anyone could possibly have morals without getting them from the Bible. The idea of personal conscience, social responsibility, common sense, all of this is just alien. THESE PEOPLE FUCKING SCARE ME.

[tanarill.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly certain that the problem is not the majority of people. It's the tiny but vocal minorities that piss us off.

Anyway. There are already a number of counter-proposals going into effect, which I support. Eventually, this will make it to the supreme court which, I really really really hope, says "Screw you, this is unconstitutional, suck it."

[cough] Here's hoping.

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

one of the main reasons I haven't left the CofE entirely is so I can keep writing to the Synod and to the AB and so on saying 'as a member of your church, I am furious ...' Doesn't get anywhere, but - you've got to try.

[allthepettylies.livejournal.com]

Today, I went to my parents' church to translate for a German Missionary/Pastor who has set up a mission/church/saafe house in Russia. I was pleased to have someone other than family from my homeland to talk to, but the fact that I was going to be preached to bothered me.

I quickly learned that he is not like Christians here at all. He actually argued (through me) with the pastor of my parents' church because the (American) pastor was homophobic and disgustingly rude to gays, and criticized him for voting for the ammendment against gay marriage.

It was an inspiring moment, especially considering these two pastors have been friends for years, but Nicohlai wasn't about to tolerate bigotry and bullshit.

<3 There are those campaigning for us in the Churches.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Hallelujah! Pass out the common sense!

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

I just wish people would think and embrace their own compassion - and logic. An all loving being would not wish such pain to be caused...

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised it can't influence the higher ups locally - CoE and CAtholic round here, neither are exactly making any strides against hate or even to stem the flow of their own hate.

These people only like human righst when it works in their favour - and they're quite willing to misinterpet, twist, ignore or lie to make sure the world fits what they want it to fit - these are, after all, the same people who say homosexuality is a choice and (in extreme cases) mankind and dinosaurs coexisted.

*donates bail money*

Maybe I just need to start a collaboration between sane Christians to set up a really big (neon, sparkly, un-fucking-missable) sign that reads 'get off our side, you're making it look bad!'


And that's what's needed! Lots and lots of sensible christians to slap the stupid - even if the stupid ignore you at least you tell us non-christian victims of religious based homophobia that the vast majority of christians don't want us dead or locked up or sacked or otherwise oppressed and persecuted. That alone would mean so much.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

It shows you how powerful the indoctrination and propaganda is - atheists are evil, you need god to be good - if you don't have god you are evil, tainted etc. Anyone questioning god is evil and doing satan's work

It is frightening

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Which is why i make this desperate try. If it's a tiny vocal minority giving the majority a bad name then the majority need to stand up and scream them down.

And they're not... and they're leaders seem to be on the minority's side. And the majority? Doesn't seem to be all that bothered by that fact. And that worries me.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

I just wish there were masses of people doing the same thing

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

I just wish there were more of them. Is the idea of a vocal minority giving the rest a bad name? I mean, that majority is awfully few and silent it seems