Is society really as accepting as it claims?

[killersmom]

Who runs this so called church? Why isn't he out the door?

Because chances are the people who make up his church think the same way he does. Like attracts like.

[bubba]

Worley added, “It makes me pukin’ sick to think about -- I don’t even whether or not to say this in the pulpit -- can you imagine kissing some man?”




I would actually like to see JESUS, come back to earth and plant one right on his lips!!   

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Part of an interesting opinion piece touching on religion and politics:

Same-sex marriage offers no threat
May 21/Written by Ryan O’REILLY

[...]
Take recent political discussions as to whether same-sex couples should marry. Make no mistake about it, whether or not same-sex couples have a right to take their relationship to the highest legal, moral and liturgical level possible — manifested in the ability to marry openly and legally — is not really a discussion, or a political chestnut for the upcoming election. The opposition to same-sex couples being allowed to legally marry seems to be based in a mixture of religiously grounded bigotry and good old fashioned stereotyping. (Really, how are same-sex couples a threat to the institution of marriage? I’ve yet to hear a satisfactory explanation.)

Think of David Hume, who said that “the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous.” The ability of we, as a people, to derive moral imperatives based on our national philosophy has to be at the root of an issue like this. All else is a personal choice. Quite simply, same-sex marriage is not a threat to any person or the institution of marriage, and those who profess that it is are hiding some other motivation.

But to me, honest love is a better American quality than dishonest hatred. I personally look forward to the day when there is no same-sex marriage, or opposite-sex marriage. But an America possessing of the non-exclusionary and simply defined concept of marriage; a legal and moral expression of love and commitment between two consenting adults. That would be something Made in the USA.

http://www.news-leader.com/article/

[Lyle (Mooska)]

And this related piece from Andrew Sullivan:

Spitzer Recants; Cameron Comes Out
Why are anti-gay activists so impassioned?
19 May 2012

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/05/spitzer-recants-cameron-comes-out.html

[Ennis Del Mark]

Jess, I haven't been a steady reader of that strip, but I believe that character was around a while before Obama became president.

Try before CARTER became President!  If not Ford!  I remember reading FUNKY in the 1970s when I was in high school.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Hi, Mark!  I wasn't even aware of this comic strip until Chuck posted it here!

[Lyle (Mooska)]

I have a friend who works in an office at Disney and he gets occasional
free passes to go to Disney's California Adventure or Disneyland parks,
which are adjacent to each other, and he took the day off on Monday
and invited me along, so I spent the day there!

It seemed as though there were alot of "school" trips there for seniors
who were graduating--the parks were quite crowded.  We noticed some things
that in another time you wouldn't have seen at all.  While waiting in line for the
California Screamin attraction we noticed two young guys in line that were very
nonchalantly holding hands as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

I say it that way because when I was their age and had done that I/we would have
thought about it and if we did it it would have been a statement of defiance unlike
the casual way they were doing it. (I loved it exactly because it was the most
natural thing in the world for them.)  I even gave my friend a hug and a kiss a
couple times during the day with no compunction about it whatsoever.

We saw another couple guys doing something similar to that.  We saw a young girl
wearing a "Legalize Gay" shirt and we also saw a young blond boy wearing a very
colorful shirt that said "DON'T BE H8in ON THE HOMOS."  Referencing Prop 8, I
would gather.

My friend told me at one time those shirts wouldn't have been allowed to be
worn into the park; they would've been considered inflammatory and/or too
political.  Monday, everyone was just having a good time.

Referencing the topic of this thread:  Is society as accepting as it claims--in this
case if society is not accepting, at least it's keeping it's mouth shut, which is, in
essence, a form of acceptance. 

[gattaca]

Unfortunately some of us got to see this Christian approach firsthand on the local news.  The amount of hateful bigotry coming from the"religious right" is amazingly hateful and short sighted.  It was not more than 40 years ago these same bastions of Bible yielding, hell-fire and brimstones were preaching the same things about integration and people of color marrying outside their race. 

But this too shall pass as this hateful generation passes into oblivion.  To be fair some religious leaders did fight against entering hateful bigotry into the state constitution. But it was not enough given this vote was scheduled during a GOP primary to ensure it would pass as a token gift to the GOP and its supporters.

I know we are on the correct side of history.  Ciao Vincent

[jack]

my mind keeps coming back to one thought, like a penny on a turntable...

 it's the first fleet week after the repeal of DADT. OMG

this should be a pretty good indicator of how accepting society is or is not.

[bubba]

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1201301--moscow-police-detain-40-as-gay-activists-demand-right-to-hold-parade?bn=1


Not too accepting in Russia apparently..

[bubba]

http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/30/indiana-toddler-church-song-no-homos-heaven/?adid=hero2


Maybe the children's aid should step in on this one! 

[Lyle (Mooska)]

What I wonder about a lot is that the people who participate in opposing
anything and everything to do with gay people--they are not cut off from
the rest of the country.  They have televisions and computers--what do they
think of all the out gay people on television that put a name to their biases
and animus?  Do they really just ascribe it all to "oh that's Hollywood" or "that's
just liberals?"  Their actions mostly belie their words that they don't hate gay people.
I believe Andrew Sullivan once asked a spokesman for people like this what they want
gay people to do?  They certainly don't want gay people to marry (much less have
sexual relations), or be in the military.  They don't want you to be in leadership positions
in their churches, if they want you to be there at all (Mormons).  Are they like that pastor
in NC recently who wanted to pen gay people up, thinking eventually there wouldn't be
any more if you did that?  Or the other NC pastor who said he had nothing against gay
people and then said they should all leave the state.  They don't want you to adopt.
When pressed on these things they never come up with solid reasoning.  The Prop 8
trial was decided on reasoning that the pro 8 side could not come up with any legal evidence
as to why gay people shouldn't have equality.  They could only come up with statements of
animus toward gay people. (Their lawyer even actually said to the bewildered judge that
"we don't need evidence.")  It's almost like they have some mad brain blockage they can't
discharge.  Which reminds me of that quote I posted the other day from Harvey Milk:
"If [they] win [they] will not stop. They never do. Like all mad people, they
are forced to go on, to prove they were right! There will be no safe ‘closet’
for any gay person. So break out of yours today — tear the damn thing down
once and for all!”

[bubba]

I think you answered your own question, or Harvey did.   They are mad, you can't try to figure out madness!

[janjo]

I have every sympathy with your views, Lyle.
Where do they want gay people to go?
The pastor who wanted to put gay people in a pen so they wouldn't proliferate has no knowledge of basic biology.
Gay people, on the whole don't procreate, or at least not without help.
Biologically, that may well be the point.
For instance, the more younger brothers you have, the more likely you ar to be gay, it is thought so as not to over replicate the DNA.
Getting back to Harvey Milk, (thank you Bubba for reminding us),  he said:

I was born of heterosexual parents, taught by heterosexual teachers, in a fiercely heterosexual society.
 
So why then am I homosexual? 

It's a good question.
It isn't homosexual people who produce homosexual children, on the whole, it is heterosexual ones.
In that case, what do those heterosexuals want them to do? Where should they go?
Are the bigots really suggesting that heterosexuals kill their own children?

What greater cry could you have than for ALL people, regardless of sexuality, race, religion or disability to have full and equal human rights?
The alternative is too horrible to contemplate.

[jack]

apparently some parts of society are more accepting, especially when faced with good old fashioned LOVE.

http://youtu.be/qPyg1orcWBo