Religion saved his life. Now he's using it to bring about change.

[UrbScotty]

The rapper completed his undergrad degree in Biblical counseling at Boyce College and he says his education influenced music. His rhymes often offer counsel on how to deal with the culture as a Christian, giving his fans a way to connect what God has to say about life with how we experience it.

On his latest album, Forward, Flame raps about everything from the Ferguson protests and police brutality to the Constitution, and Christian identity. And he’s not afraid to be blunt. .

“I wanted to raise awareness to the change going on in our nation, especially with the younger generation,” the rapper explains.

Flame’s music suggests Christians have a responsibility to be involved in change and conflict resolution.

https://www.guideposts.org/positive-living/christian-rapper-flame-talks-about-his-new-album-forward

[Humanist_Activist]

1. The problem with religious musicians is they are always a mixed bag, from his latest album:

[div class="excerpt" style="margin-left:1em; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius:0.4615em; box-shadow:-1px -1px 3px #999999 inset;"]Putting pressure to redefine what marriage is
Certain things should only happen in the marriage bed
Between a woman and a man it's so discouraging
But we gonna stand on the word, cause it's inerrant man
We know the end, so we ain't gonna fear though
Just keep showing love even though they think that we the weirdos
We know the end, so we ain't gonna fear though
Just keep speaking truth even though they think that we the weirdos

Excerpt from his song Move Forward from his album "Forward".

http://genius.com/Flame-move-forward-lyrics/

Not to mention this isn't the first time he raps about homosexuality:

[div class="excerpt" style="margin-left:1em; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius:0.4615em; box-shadow:-1px -1px 3px #999999 inset;"]To forgive us for our sins
And He can restore the void in a woman
And He can restore the men to men from homosexual sin

This is actually the end of a much larger excerpt from his "Our World: Fallen" the song is called Desires in Conflict.

http://www.lecrae.net/media/lyrics/our-world-fallen

I'm not saying that everything is bad, I would say his perspective as an inner city kid from St. Louis is valuable, as is his music pertaining to police violence, race and Ferguson. But outside of that, he's a typical conservative and bigoted Christian. I do find it interesting that this article you chose didn't mention the mentions of homosexuality and other criticisms that articles such as this pointed out.

[beam me up scottie]

2. I don't like the kind of change he's trying to bring about there.

Ugh.

[Act_of_Reparation]

3. You can't prove religion directly saved his life.

[UrbScotty]

5. Can't prove that it didn't!

[Act_of_Reparation]

7. Burden of proof.

You has it.

[UrbScotty]

8. He said it. That's all the proof open-minded people need. (nt)

[Lordquinton]

11. An open mind is like a fortress with it doors unbarred

And it's gates thrown open.

[Angry Dragon]

15. that must mean you agree with what republicans say

because they said it so it must be true


even Reagan said to verify

[UrbScotty]

16. Are most Republicans open-minded? I don't think so. But that's just me. (nt)

[Act_of_Reparation]

26. I believe you are confusing "open-minded" with "gullible".

There's a difference.

[UrbScotty]

27. So where's your proof that it didn't save his life? (nt)

[Act_of_Reparation]

28. You don't need proof to accept a null hypothesis.

I am not obliged to disprove your claim, beyond citing the lack of proof supporting it.

You are making a positive claim, and therefore you have the burden of proof.

[AtheistCrusader]

37. We can prove he's a bigot.

[trotsky]

44. But he's a *deeply religious* bigot, so apparently that's OK. n/t

[AtheistCrusader]

45. And his deeply religious bigotry saved his life, apparently.

[Warren Stupidity]

47. you also can't prove that fluffy pink unicorn farts didn't save his life.

I'm certain that they did. Those farts are powerful!

[UrbScotty]

53. I ca probably prove that FPUFs don't even exist.

At least more easily than one can prove the (non-)existence of God.

[Warren Stupidity]

54. no it is pretty much the same problem.

but I am more interested in why you think this homophobic bigot "flame" is praiseworthy.

[UrbScotty]

55. I'm interested in people's overuse of non sequiturs to distract from efforts to fix Ferguson (nt)

[trotsky]

4. Great example.

No thanks, I'm not interested in praising people whose religion involves homophobic bigotry. You can admire this guy all you want.

[cleanhippie]

6. Everyone needs a hero.

Some don't seem to care what kind.

[UrbScotty]

9. Yeah, because non-religious people are NEVER homophobes! /sarcasm

[gcomeau]

14. Yeeeah... you get to use that response...

...if you ever see trotsky holding up any non-religious homophobe as a role model and creating an OP about them.

Until then, nice straw man.

[UrbScotty]

19. I get to tell the truth whenever I want. It's a free country.

Freedom, of course, runs counter to Marxist ideology espoused by, for instance, this person.

And trotsky would never post anything to make atheists/agnostics look bad.

[gcomeau]

20. True.

Even when the truth you are telling has absolutely not one thing to do with the person you're replying to you are in fact free to say it.

No laws against wasting everyone's time... you're also free to be incredibly overly literal and think that someone telling you you don't get to use an argument actually means you are legally forbidden from doing so prompting you to indignantly spout off about your rights, as opposed to comprehending that that was just a colloquial way of expressing to you that your response was... how to put this delicately... freaking stupid.

By all means, continue on about your constitutionally protected demonstrations of your own lack of comprehension.

[UrbScotty]

21. And you're free to just ignore everything I said and post some discombobulated rant (nt)

[gcomeau]

22. Oh I'm sorry...

...were you actually expecting a response to a link to a wiki article on somebody that has nothing to do with this thread? I was just going to spare you further embarrassment and let that slide by, but alright... to expand up on my more generalized commentary on the stupidity of your responses I will specifically point out that linking to a Wikipedia article on a 90-years-dead Russian who has absolutely no relevance to this topic of discussion just because a poster's online handle is the same name was also stupid. It would be like me replying to one of your comments by posting this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotty_(Star_Trek)

Then condemning you for the fact that the warp engines don't go faster...


There, all satisfied now?

[UrbScotty]

23. Heh

a 90-years-dead Russian who has absolutely no relevance to this topic of discussion just because a poster's online handle is the same name

Not everything is a coincidence.

[gcomeau]

25. Uh-huh...

Beam me up.

[cleanhippie]

33. "continue on about your constitutionally protected demonstrations of your own lack of comprehension"

[beam me up scottie]

31. Marxist?

It's 'trotsky' not Trotsky.

[cleanhippie]

32. Sweet Jesus, how many times will he have to explain that?

Gotta admit though, it's pretty frikkin funny to watch people jump all over Trotsky (not trotsky), thinking they have some kind of a GOTCHA moment!

[beam me up scottie]

34. I think he picked that name just to trip them up.

Evil atheists will do things like that.

[trotsky]

43. Considering the people it pisses off,

I think it does a pretty good job.

[UrbScotty]

35. It's trotsky not 'trotsky'

[trotsky]

42. You praised this guy as a great example of religion.

He's a homophobic bigot. Disgusting to see that kind of bullshit held up on DU as a good thing.

[nichomachus]

52. Wow -- who said that?

Or is that a straw man? Not a very good one. With religion, the homophobia is institutional and systematic.

Without religion, good people will do good things and bad people will do bad things. But to get good people to do bad things -- you need religion.

[Lordquinton]

12. Never mind that, views are changing

Ignore the fact that opposition to marrige equality is 100% religion based.

[UrbScotty]

17. Wrong again (nt)

[Lordquinton]

24. Elaborate nt

[cleanhippie]

10. "...his undergrad degree in Biblical counseling".

My GED in Underwater Basket Weaving has higher scholastic value.

[Lordquinton]

13. I have an underwater basket weaving merit badge.

We make fun of underwater basket weaving, but really that's how you weave the best baskets.

[UrbScotty]

18. And what have you done with your degree (in whatever it is)?

He's using his background for good.

Of course, he actually *understands* some of these issues, like Ferguson.

[uriel1972]

30. Good as defined as "Beating up on LGBT people" it seems... nt

[beam me up scottie]

36. Yep. Homophobia is awesome.

[rug]

41. That doesn't surprise me.

[hrmjustin]

29. Edited. I got a pm from someone to say he has issues with LGBT people.

Last edited Thu Aug 27, 2015, 10:21 PM - Edit history (1)

He can have his faith but my being gay is no sin damn it.

[AtheistCrusader]

38. What, do you have everyone on ignore or something? You just kicked and recommended

A positive thread about a homophobic bigot.

[uriel1972]

39. I was like WTF! too... nt

[hrmjustin]

46. Iused ignore for a week so I did not see the responses.

If I had known he was a homophobe I would not have recced it.

[cleanhippie]

49. Knowing what you are talking about before expressing your opinion can prevent such instances.

[hrmjustin]

50. Yes.

[cleanhippie]

51. Oui.

[AtheistCrusader]

40. This artist sows hate and destroys life with his religion.

He's the worst kind of monster. He doesn't just sow hate of others, he sows self-hate, self loathing.

He's a fucking horrible human being and SHAME ON YOU for bringing this shit in here like it should be a good thing.

http://www.themusic-world.com/artist/flame/lyrics/desires_in_conflict

[Warren Stupidity]

48. I had no idea who flame was. Now I do. Shame on you for promoting homophobia here.

This is a disgusting op. Hateful. Vile. It makes DU suck. It is hostile to the LGBT community here.

[UrbScotty]

57. Keep distracting (nt)

[Warren Stupidity]

66. How the flying fuck is the fact that this person is a vile homophobe a "distraction"?

please explain.

[trotsky]

67. It's a "distraction" from his efforts to whitewash how he praised a homophobic bigot. n/t

[Humanist_Activist]

56. You know, its rather amazing that, rather than owning up to the fact that...

you didn't vet this rapper that well, you doubled down, and now you look like an apologist for homophobia.

Really, what did you hope to accomplish with this thread? It doesn't reflect positively on you.

[UrbScotty]

58. As a gay person I will not be lectured on homophobia (nt)

[Humanist_Activist]

59. That's not the issue, the person you are lauding is a homophobe, you, apparently...

weren't aware of it until pointed out to you by others. Why do you become defensive? Can you not admit to making a mistake, we all make them after all.

[UrbScotty]

60. !

[Humanist_Activist]

61. What are you talking about? Where is the attack? Shouldn't that have happened first...

before you can claim an ad hominem fallacy took place?

[trotsky]

64. Kind of bizarre, isn't it? n/t

[cleanhippie]

65. Take what you can get, HA. This is his way of getting out of the hole he's dug himself into.

It's cowardly, for sure, when caught red-handed with one's hand in the cookie jar, to run away. It's even worse to fling a dishonest accusation at someone as a distraction so you can leave the room.

At best, he has shown what kind of person he is, or rather confirmed what all were thinking already.

[mr blur]

62. Do you ever wonder why nobody takes the things you write seriously?

You should. You might learn something.

[Act_of_Reparation]

63. One who has so much trouble identifying even the most basic of logical fallacies...

...would be better served by books than witty images.

[AtheistCrusader]

68. Yes you will be.

I don't care if you lead the pride parade here in Seattle, that doesn't excuse you PROMOTING A HOMOPHOBE and his 'art' which largely consists of attacking gay people/homosexuality.

That piece of shit's lyrics are part and parcel of the identity crisis that lead LGBTQ youth to have the highest suicide rate of any demographic you can imagine. Higher than combat veterans. It's one more voice telling them they are broken, wrong, sinful, evil.

That's a voice no one should be promoting, particularly in this venue.

Shame on you for not deleting this thread. I can excuse your ignorance, just copying and pasting articles that sound positive about religion and not looking at the material itself, but your efforts to deflect and avoid, truly disgusting. Shameful.

[trotsky]

69. I'm glad he hasn't had the good sense to self-delete.

It's a perfect example of the ugly bigotry and hatred people are willing to overlook when precious religious belief is involved.

He's doing far more harm to his religion than he realizes, and for that I thank him.

[Warren Stupidity]

70. that plus the absolute certainty that one is correct, even when one is obviously wrong.