Death to christianity!

The wicked ones of religion have a saying they like to spout regularly. "Hate the sin, love the sinner." Balderdash. christians don't love the sinner. Well, to put it more accurately, christians don't love non-christians. Especially homosexuals. If these hate-mongers had their way all the fags would be killed.

You see, I was raised conservative baptist. Time and time again I was told that all gay people should be lined up and shot. Or, that they should all be shipped to one island in the middle of the ocean and bombed until they are all dead. Yes. I heard this all the time. Was I alone in this? No, unfortunately not. I still hear similar stories from those who escaped the disgusting grips of religion. Those who cling to the fantasy of their christian tenets are wicked, evil, hateful, and just plain mean. They talk incessantly of a battle between them and the secular world as if those who don't proscribe to their belief system are amassing weapons to destroy them. The world should be so lucky.

And their hatred knows no boundaries. They have been bitching and moaning for months about this new hate crimes bill. Yeah, you know, the one that says you can't physically harm homosexuals and transgendered folks. You can speak badly of them, you can disparage them, you can openly discriminate against them in 31 states, but you can't do to them what these horrific christians have been speaking of for eons. Now it's the law of the land and they are pissed off. They have just been itching to feed the fags to the lions and now they are told "no". Da Horra! But they're not done with their claims of "the world hates us" and everyone is out to get them; No, they are now claiming they have proof. This website tells the whole sordid story. A blogger writes idly and innocently about the build up of angst by the gay community and the church goes wild.

"When people are talking about violence to pro-family proponents, you have to take it seriously," said one in response to the blog.

Of course they take it seriously, they know how serious they are when they speak of killing homos. On a side note, I find it funny that this person considers religion "pro-family". These are the folks that are denying a whole group of people the right to marry and build family. These are the same folks that would rather have innocent children in Arkansas and Florida die in foster care without ever knowing family than allow a gay person adopt and love them. These are the same folks that evict their own underage children by the dozens when they come out as gay. Yes, this is what pro-family does, they hate the sinner AND the sin. That is truly what Jesus would do.

Now, I've read the blog in question and this writer was speaking hypothetically. Just like the christians that want fags lined up and shot. Would christians really kill gays en mass? I'd venture a guess that, no, they wouldn't, as much as it would bring them ultimate joy. He was writing of remote possibility and romantic conjecture. Just like the christians do.

The same "pro-family" hater goes on to say that they are taking this seriously because the events at Fort Hood show us how this idle chatter might mean something. Considering the crime he cites was committed by a religious zealot, maybe we should be more concerned with christians killing homos and less concerned with homos killing christians. It is the christians who are seeing their own numbers dwindle and their way of life in jeopardy, so they have more cause for killing "the enemy" than any queer I've encountered.

More irony in all of this is that religion is an amazingly protected institution in this country. Yet they are also amazingly evil and wicked. Our government gives them so many special rights and protections. What do they do with all of this special treatment? They bully others and work relentlessly to oppress the rest of us. While our soldiers are fighting for democracy and freedom, the christians are fighting for hatred and oppression.

Douche bags.

Chuck

Religious folks aren't very intelligent, are they?

The religious folks in the United States are all abuzz. Hate crime legislation was passed and signed by Mr. Obama. And the religious nut bags are all crying foul. They think that this new legislation won't allow them their First Amendment right to bigotry. This is only because, I think, they are stupid individuals. Of course this group gives complete credence to fairy tales, so what should we reasonably expect? They staunchly believe that there is this major war against them and so they attack before being attacked. They hate before any hatred heads their way. Preemptive strikes against the heathens.

The goons of religion don't get it. Speech is different from action. You don't like queers? Fine. You want to express your hatred of homosexuality? Great, have at it. You want to kill or maim or attack them? That's a whole different ball of wax. It is my personal conviction that religion should be outlawed from the public discourse and my First Amendment right allows me to express this. It does not, however, allow me to punch religious people in their faces. Sad, but true.

So hate away, religious person. Be free to be bigoted. Just make sure it stays oral. And if you don't, don't be surprised should the gays better the instruction you give and sock it right back at you.

Chuck

Why do THESE FOLKS get special rights???

Everyone deserves a second chance. If there is some manner of illness, maybe more than two. If it's mental illness, how about some kind of help; therapy can do wonders for folks looking to get their mental illness under control. Personally, I've known way too many people with this type of illness and medications have been quite helpful to them.

Unfortunately we immediately consider sex offenders to be merely violent criminals that deserve to be locked up or banished from society with no further question. I'm not a doctor or law enforcement official, but I wonder how many sex offenders suffer from some type of mental illness, like obsessive/compulsive disorder? Could these people be rehabilitated through therapy and medication? Could they be closely monitored and return from their banishment into a productive life of citizenry? Yes, we all agree that sex offenders have done some pretty horrible acts to innocent people, but is it at all possible that some of these people are acting beyond their own control and would benefit from psychological intervention?

In Georgia, these people are just pariahs. Exiled from any life they may be able to eke out by some of the most strict sex offense laws in the nation. I wouldn't have been struck by this Associated Press story in today's Chicago Sun Times if I hadn't read this particular line: "...Georgia law, which bans the state's 16,000 sex offenders from living, working or loitering within 1,000 feet of schools, churches, parks and other spots where children gather."

Churches? Really? Churches! Yes, religious organizations get special rights and privileges. These folks not only DON'T pay taxes, they get all kinds of special laws protecting them from everything and all kinds of people. Is there some reason that churches need protection from other people? What is so bad about churches and religious folks that they would need such special consideration? And what about the Church of Pedophilia? Do they have to stay away from themselves in Georgia? How can a state legally make such laws respecting all religious institutions in this manner if the First Amendment of The Constitution of the United States forbids any government, local and national, from making any law respecting religion or the free practice and expression of religion?

What I find to be more appalling than all of these special laws protecting religion is that they are not reciprocal. Religion and those who lead these heinous organizations are free to denounce, mock, lambaste, and HATE everyone around them. They engage in political rhetoric and fear mongering, they press for politicians to favor them, and they argue for more and more and more privilege and special laws to keep away the heathen masses who simply wish to worship, or not, in a way that doesn't agree with them. Americans who identify with religion is on the decline. Yet these people still see themselves as special and truly believe that everyone should worship as they do, even if it means via legislation. Yet if someone chooses to hate them back, those people could be breaking the law. If you wish to NOT HIRE a religious person because they belong to such a hateful group, you are breaking the law. If you express disdain toward religious organization in a physical way, you break the law.

While I agree that physical violence against any person or thing is wrong, I find it disturbing that the laws protecting religious property and people from this require stronger penalties against the perpetrator. Why? What is it about churches and religious people that demand such intense punishment? Surely it's not because religious people are so good and wonderful and blameless that acts against them are so much worse? They can't possibly think that they are so undeserving of disgust and hatred that any negative act against them is shocking and unwarranted? But, alas, they really do consider themselves special and deserving of privilege.

I think we should abolish ALL LAWS that protect the religious institutions and their hateful bunch. Let them reap what they have sown on their own. Why should they get special treatment while folks who may be working very hard to atone are thrown out into the muddy cold of exile? How many pedophile catholic priests are in that camp in Georgia? I'd venture to say not many. These people are special, they spread the love of their own warped and weird version of a god. So they are exempt from following the laws of everyone else. I'd say "fuck your god" to those folks, but I'm sure they already have.

Chuck

Constitution openly ignored by Illinois government

The First Amendment of our U.S. Constitution, as you've read here before, prohibits the government from sponsoring or championing one religion over another or promoting any religion at all. In the state of Illinois it goes much further and prohibits the state from funding religious institutions, in particular it prohibits funds being allocated for religious schools.

Article X, Section 3 of the Illinois State Constitution states:

SECTION 3. PUBLIC FUNDS FOR SECTARIAN PURPOSES FORBIDDEN

Neither the General Assembly nor any county, city, town,township, school district, or other public corporation, shallever make any appropriation or pay from any public fundwhatever, anything in aid of any church or sectarian purpose,or to help support or sustain any school, academy, seminary,college, university, or other literary or scientificinstitution, controlled by any church or sectariandenomination whatever; nor shall any grant or donation ofland, money, or other personal property ever be made by theState, or any such public corporation, to any church, or forany sectarian purpose.

And yet State Representative Maria Berrios, D-39th, feels that the state Constitution does not apply to catholic schools. One can only guess it's because she was raised catholic? One can only guess. This supporter of the Church of Pedophilia* has given tens of thousands of dollars of tax monies to aide in the infrastructure and capitol improvements of these schools. One can also guess that, perhaps, could Ms. Berrios have a problem with adhering to the State Constitution? Isn't she sworn to uphold this all-important document and law of our lands here in Illinois? What could possibly account for this level of disdain? Why does she loathe a state she was elected to represent and a constituency that believes in the Illinois Constitution?

Anti-abortionists will appose public funds for Planned Parenthood and other providers claiming that they are murderers and that it is against their religion. Yet I'm sure they are ok with the public promotion of pedophilia by giving money to the organization that was, and still is, wracked by massive payouts, debt and legal wrangles due to this outrages behavior. A double standard, not uncommon for religious folk.

One can only hope that the ACLU will challenge this. We don't need our state Constitution trampled like this. If you get a chance, phone Maria Berrios or send her an e-mail. Especially if you're not a pedophile or some other religion.

Chuck

(catholic)

Shades of Gray

Life is not black and white. There are gradations of all colors in all aspects of living. Nuances, some would call them. Nature is full of nuance. Look at rainbows. Inspect a couple of identical twins. Even cloned sheep are not exact when inspected closely. Even, sometimes, gender is not just male and female. This week we've been introduced to Caster Semenya and she has thrown our understanding of gender out of whack. We still don't know for sure that Ms. Semenya is fully female, or even female at all (though, out of respect for this individual we will consider her female). She may well be intersexed like many children born each year are. Your belief in God, or Buddha, or Muhammad, or any number of "higher beings" is irrelevant to this woman's plight. What is, however, is that there is question. There is question because she appears so ambiguous. Her "nuance" is not what one would expect in a black and white world.

In our American society there are those who only subscribe to the black and white. For them there is right and wrong, those who believe in their god and those going to hell. The case of Caster Semenya illuminates the gray in this black and white "reality" to which they adhere so strongly. You see, America is full of nuance. It is full of gray areas and full of "other" religions and non-religions. Because we are home to so many that believe in so much it is important that we extend respect for as many as we can.

In the public sphere this is not always easy. Those who only align with black and white wish to eliminate the gray. They wish to blacken that with which they disagree and whitewash anything with which they agree. Unfortunately this does not sharpen and enhance our world view but, alas, cheapens it and dulls the excitement we get from the experience of life. Those who embrace their own god and condemn those who embrace another short-change their own existence with blinders and rose-colored glasses. What they have chosen to see is not complete. Their experience is lessened. Cheapened.

Nature, however you choose to explain it, created nuance. Who are we to disallow it's existence?

Chuck

No great loss for the freedom of the press

Ah, the freedom of the press. It's a wonderful and much needed protection specified in our U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights. But the press treats this with utter disregard and amazing lack of importance and respect. Unless, of course, it suits a particular need. Usually not the need of the press to inform the public about important topics like government corruption or other immoral deeds done by elected officials. Usually it's self protection for their own misdeeds.

One of the most egregious abuses of this freedom was perpetrated by Robert Novack. He reported on Valerie Plame knowing that keeping her identity secret was paramount to her career. He willingly outed her with no thoughts about how this would affect her life. Or even how this would affect the security of our country. Now, he was passed this information by government officials because, I'm very sure, they felt confident he would print it. And print it he did.

Robert Novack is a dick. Or should I say correctly, WAS a dick. Robert Novack is dead at 78. I'm not saddened by this news. Good riddance to bad trash as the saying goes.

We still mourn the loss of Molly Ivens, but not this cocksucker of a reporter Novack.

Chuck

What is your god?

God isn't just the one of whom christian's speak. A god can be anything, what, or who, ever you hold highest in esteem. Totems and fetishes represent gods believed in by someone whether real or just imagined. Looking around your local area will reveal a great many gods worshipped by the masses. Some are completely enamored with their respective religious gods while a great many more prefer money or fame or prestige. Our politicians of all levels love and worship power, whatever trips the ego into high gear.

But suppose we chose one of these gods at random and demanded that all Americans worship that god as the highest of all deities. There would be all manner of revolt and outspoken opinions about our first amendment right to worship as we see fit. But judeo-christian leaders in our country look to do just that very thing. They pursue this kind of legislation in their efforts to ban abortion or gay marriage or prevent questionable religions from gathering in hotel conference rooms. When they demean others of different, or no, religious affiliations such as muslims or wiccans they are exerting a veiled attempt at religious censorship. When they cry about our country being founded upon christian principles they attempt to censor religious freedom.

The United States is a warm and wonderful melting pot. And in this diversity of culture we must learn to accept those who are different. We should embrace those differences because they prove the worth of all that we have worked to achieve in establishing a free nation with liberties and justice for all. It shows firsthand the importance of loving people.

Regardless of the god you choose as your own.

Chuck