Anybody really think we're that much more advanced than extreme Islamic societies?

[Hugabear]

Next time anyone is tempted to say that we're a lot more advanced than strict Islamic societies, remember that it wasn't that long ago that homosexuality was considered a mental disorder, and even criminalized in many parts of this country.

[GoneOffShore]

1. But, but, but we have NOTHING to fear from the Religious Right!!!!

Everybody keeps telling me that and I believe them!!11!!!

[Indydem]

2. Oh really?

Criminalized by being drug out in the street and stoned to death?

Criminalized by being "buried alive under a pile of stones and (having) a wall was pushed on top of them by a tank."?

Criminalized by receiving lashes with a whip (200 or 2000 depending on the circumstance)?

Get some fucking perspective.

[Hugabear]

5. There are extremist Christians who absolutely would indroduce the death penalty for homosexuality

And if you watched the video that I posted, it points out that people WERE given lengthy prison sentences (even a life sentence in one case) for the "crime" of homosexuality.

[Indydem]

9. No, you are wrong.

There may be extremist Christians who would propose all SORTS of shit.

But one wackadoo, hell 100 wackadoos, do not a society make.

You are distorting the actions of a few into the views and policies of the entire society.

Homosexuality will never be a capital crime in America. If it wasn't 50 years ago, it's not going to change.

Fear that fundamentalist Christians could EVER amass that kind of power is absurd and baseless.

People who live in fear of the coming religious tyranny and try to compare evangelicals to sharia or islamic fundamentalist societies are seriously mentally unhealthy and should get themselves checked out by a health care professional.

[Hugabear]

15. I shouldn't be worried extreme fundamentalists are running for office, trying to change our country?

And if you say that it could NEVER happen here, then you are just as wrong - and completely blind to history.

[Throd]

24. I'll say it. It will never happen here.

Homosexuality with never be punishible by death at the hands of the US government.

[cali]

16. this shit is such a stupid red herring.

there are REAL dangers from the xian right right now. Let's talk about them, not the faux shit that you're tossing out. We're not going backward in terms of LGBT issues. We are going back in terms of women's reproductive rights.

[SWTORFanatic]

25. An assault on one is an assault on all.

[cali]

27. and your point is?

[SWTORFanatic]

28. The right wanting us to say no this isn't an attack on x or y or z is

textbook divide and conquer. The right is attacking women's reproductive rights right now but same gay rights are next. We need to all stick together and not act like one cause or the other is more important or probable.

[Indydem]

30. So what if they attack them?

They will never amass enough popular support to do anything about it. All the can do is yell at the wind. They are completely out of step with most Americans and no matter how much they run their idiotic traps they aren't going to be able to make being gay a crime.

There are people on the DU and amongst the left who attack capitalism. Do you honestly think that will ever amount to anything? Again, out of step. You can't build a popular movement out of an unpopular idea. No matter who is in the White House, or who controls what body of whatever legislature, they'll never be able to amass enough support to do what you fear.

Your being scared of something that cannot happen is irrational.

[Motown_Johnny]

23. There is a very small percentage of the country who would do that

but it is by no wild stretch a reflection on our society as a whole.

[Throd]

3. I do.

[etherealtruth]

4. While you point to a shameful history here (and there are many examples)

I definitely know we are far more advanced than societies that use (often perverted) religious doctrine for governance.

We are not perfect and have so much work to do ... but do you really equate the two?

[leftstreet]

6. False comparison. The US isn't an extreme Christian society

You could compare religious beliefs, but not governance

[Hugabear]

7. So our government did not punish people for being homosexual?

Because they absolutely did

[leftstreet]

10. I thought you meant current societies n/t

[Indydem]

12. And at one point our "gpvernment" drowned "witches"

That doesn't mean that is the current state of affairs, or ever will be again.

You are irrational and looking for a point of sensationalism.

[cali]

13. so tell me about all the executions of people because they were gay

in the last couple of hundred years.

[cali]

18. Uh, comparing the past with the present is absurd.

You're pretending that the present doesn't exist.

[quinnox]

8. yea, we are a hell of a lot more advanced than most of them

sorry if the truth bothers you. The Islamic based states are backwards beyond belief.

[cali]

11. It's a spurious comparison.

But of course when it comes to women and LGBT folks we're far more advanced than a strict Islamic society. I mean duh. And a 50 year old video of Mike Wallace is not an effective tool to try and prove we're no more advanced on these issues.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

14. Yes. nt

[NoPasaran]

17. Yes we are more advanced than extreme Islamic societies

And as your little clip demonstrates, we're even a tad in advance of where we were ourselves 45 years ago.

[cali]

19. make that far advanced. We've made real strides.

[Motown_Johnny]

20. Did you hear about that 14 year old girl who was shot in the head

just because she advocates for girls being educated?



What was your question again?

[cali]

21. good point.

[bhikkhu]

22. Literacy rates are one critical measure, particularly among women

?w=550&h=379

...where the problem areas are almost entirely Islamic societies. Not to malign them unfairly, as there was a time when Christiandom (there was once such a thing) treated women as chattel, but any measure of advancement should be based upon human rights, as per the UN declaration :

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood".

You can't have an advanced society if half of the people in it are denied an education, and then (it follows) denied any opportunity to participate in society in a role other than bearing children.

[snagglepuss]

26. Absolute utter balony. No one in the US is being hanged or stoned for being gay.

The change in attitude in the US towards gays now is vastly different than it was in 1967. Furthermore the US is just one nation in the Western world, other Western countries like Canada which recognize gay marriage speak to the superiority of societies which guaratee the separtion of church and state. Societies under the thumb of sharia law haven't changed in the last 700 years let alone 30 years.

[BootinUp]

29. I don't think we are much more advanced than Ötzi the Iceman nt