When hurting or killing people is the goal of religious fanatics

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

By Mel Seesholtz, Ph.D.
Online Journal Contributing Writer

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_989.shtml

<snip>

The great Irish novelist James Joyce was no fan of organized religion. His last enigmatic novel, Finnegans Wake, began where it ended. That approach seems appropriate here too. “Organized religion and the self-serving, self-righteous dogma it inevitably produces may be the worst ideas humanity has ever concocted: ‘Bounty’ For Killing Gays At World Pride.”

On July 5, SouthBendTribune.com carried a story by Associated Press writer David Eggert. The headline said it all: “Conservative group sues MSU for offering health insurance to partners of homosexual workers.”

The American Family Association of Michigan filed a lawsuit on July 5 “to stop Michigan State University from offering health insurance to the partners of gay workers.” According to the AP article, the Michigan affiliate of Don Wildmon’s American Family Association hopes “to get a ruling setting a precedent that would block domestic partner benefits at other state universities.”

Why? The only answer seems to be to demean, denigrate, disenfranchise, and hurt gay and lesbian Americans and their families as much as possible and in any way possible.

Don Wildmon’s American Family Association is well known for its anti-gay boycotts meant to hurt businesses -- and the families they support -- if they treat all their employees equally and/or advocate civil equality for all Americans...

[PoBoy321]

1. As reprehensible as the things in that article are

I think that to denounce organized religion as a whole because of the actions of fanatics is overreaching and unfair. Whenever a small group of liberal activists turns to violence or other unsavory methods, the right uses it as a weapon against us, and I think it is necessary to take the moral high ground and not use those same tactics against those who oppose us.

[China_cat]

2. It's perfectly fair

as long as the moderate, truly compassionate, trying to follow their religion's founder congregations refuse to stand up and denounce the fanatics.

[PoBoy321]

3. Well thankfully

many of them do.

[China_cat]

4. Where? When?

I certainly haven't seen any except for isolated single individuals. Even the universalists, who have wonderful ads against discrimination, have NOT stood up and said to Fallwell (deliberate spelling), Robert$son, Dobson and Wildmon, "You do not speak for us".

[Demeter]

5. Seeing As the Fundies Consider UUs the Spawn of the Devil

we don't have much interaction between the groups, if any. UUs are a very small congregation, and we'd rather fix real problems than batter against cultural insanity without hope of progress. We do not prostelyze.

[China_cat]

6. It's not proselytizing

to say publicly 'the fanatics do not speak for us, the sermon on the mount does'. And follow up with a few of the parts of that worthy sermon.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

7. Here's a short but great piece by Robert Scheer...

...from March, '04 where he describes a childhood memory of a punch in the nose he once received motivated by religious conviction. He goes on to describe his reaction to Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ," and closes with what I think are very wise and timely thoughts about religion.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0302-04.htm

[Demeter]

8. There is NO Orthodoxy

there are guiding principles, seven I think, none of which involves any of what you propose. It's just not done, and for very good reasons.

[PoBoy321]

10. Catholics have often

made it a point to distance themselves from fundamentalist Christians. I'm trying to find an article about it, but I specifically remember that when Falwell made his comments about 9/11 being the fault of gays in America, many Catholic leaders spoke out against him.

[NMMNG]

9. The extremists need to be stopped

before their power grab is complete. Otherwise it will be too late.