Passed by Protesters at the Supreme Court Today

[c.d.]

I passed by a small group of people at the Supreme Court today who were out protesting same sex marriage. They were having a prayer meeting and one guy was dressed up like Jesus. A bunch of signs with Bible quotes. Now certainly everyone is entitled to express their views but I was sorely tempted to say "holy **** don't you people have anything better to do with your time?" Go feed the homeless, visit the sick and elderly, teach illiterate people how to read etc. It seems to me the only people who get jacked out of shape by same sex marriage are gay people who want to get married and over zealous religious people who can spread intolerance and justify it up by saying they are doing God's work. Many of whom I think are in the closet and protest just a bit too much if you get my drift.

Under the circumstances, I think I showed remarkable restraint by simply walking past and not saying anything.

c.d.

[martin wilson]

In fairness, the Methodists in my town run coffee mornings, which is really to try to help the elderly feel less isolated.
They also run a youth club, and have been doing so for a while, even when there was a moral panic about feral teenagers.
Much unseen good is done by the church, but it's the actions of these wingnuts that taints them.

I'm an atheist btw, and if God conflicts with basic humanity, then so much for God.

All the best.

[Errata]

I passed by a small group of people at the Supreme Court today who were out protesting same sex marriage. They were having a prayer meeting and one guy was dressed up like Jesus. A bunch of signs with Bible quotes. Now certainly everyone is entitled to express their views but I was sorely tempted to say "holy **** don't you people have anything better to do with your time?" Go feed the homeless, visit the sick and elderly, teach illiterate people how to read etc. It seems to me the only people who get jacked out of shape by same sex marriage are gay people who want to get married and over zealous religious people who can spread intolerance and justify it up by saying they are doing God's work. Many of whom I think are in the closet and protest just a bit too much if you get my drift.

Under the circumstances, I think I showed remarkable restraint by simply walking past and not saying anything.

c.d.

Dressing up as Jesus is thing? Is this like an old Greek God thing where you fashion of image of the god so he can inhabit it and walk around, maybe release the Kraken?

[Mayerling]

I passed by a small group of people at the Supreme Court today who were out protesting same sex marriage. They were having a prayer meeting and one guy was dressed up like Jesus. A bunch of signs with Bible quotes. Now certainly everyone is entitled to express their views but I was sorely tempted to say "holy **** don't you people have anything better to do with your time?" Go feed the homeless, visit the sick and elderly, teach illiterate people how to read etc. It seems to me the only people who get jacked out of shape by same sex marriage are gay people who want to get married and over zealous religious people who can spread intolerance and justify it up by saying they are doing God's work. Many of whom I think are in the closet and protest just a bit too much if you get my drift.

Under the circumstances, I think I showed remarkable restraint by simply walking past and not saying anything.

c.d.

You truly did show restraint. Congratulations. You could have told the fool dressed as Jesus (THEIR idea of Jesus, anyway) that he should be more useful turning loaves into fishes or raising the dead!!

Jeff

[c.d.]

There was also a guy with a tee shirt listing sins like abortion and homosexuality. Also included on the list was evolution which I guess referred to believing in it.

c.d.

[GUT]

You truly did show restraint. Congratulations. You could have told the fool dressed as Jesus (THEIR idea of Jesus, anyway) that he should be more useful turning loaves into fishes or raising the dead!!

Jeff

Not sure anywhere says Jesus turned loaves into fish.

And also not sure we want too many dead raised, the disciples summed it up well when he wanted to raise Lazarus "Surely he stinketh".. Plus isn't the world over populated enough without bring back the dead.

[GUT]

In fairness, the Methodists in my town run coffee mornings, which is really to try to help the elderly feel less isolated.
They also run a youth club, and have been doing so for a while, even when there was a moral panic about feral teenagers.
Much unseen good is done by the church, but it's the actions of these wingnuts that taints them.

I'm an atheist btw, and if God conflicts with basic humanity, then so much for God.

All the best.

Lots of churches do good work as do lots of other organisations, many also do a real injustice to their cause, some achieve both.

We could say the same about a lot of charities and indeed political parties.

[c.d.]

Not sure anywhere says Jesus turned loaves into fish.

And also not sure we want too many dead raised, the disciples summed it up well when he wanted to raise Lazarus "Surely he stinketh".. Plus isn't the world over populated enough without bring back the dead.

Christopher Hitchens had an interesting take on Lazarus. He said that as the only person in history to be brought back from the dead that he would have been incredibly famous in his time with everyone asking him what it was like to be dead. You would think that he would have written a book and gone on talk shows but he only has a couple of lines devoted to him in the Bible and is never heard of again. Very strange.

c.d.

[c.d.]

Lots of churches do good work as do lots of other organisations, many also do a real injustice to their cause, some achieve both.

We could say the same about a lot of charities and indeed political parties.

Whenever Christopher Hitchens would debate a religious person and they got backed into a corner they would always try to counter by talking about all the good things religious people do. Hitchens would then issue his famous challenge which basically goes like this -- Can you name what we would call a moral statement such as we should help elderly people that a religious person could make that a non-religious person would not. Obviously the answer is no. He then says turn it around and name an immoral statement or action that a religious person could say or do that a non-religious person would not say or do. Everyone can immediately think of something such as death to all heretics and flying planes into the world trade center or throwing acid into the face of a woman they consider immodestly dressed. The list goes on and on. The challenge usually shuts up so called religious people quite well.

Man I miss Hitchens.

c.d.

[martin wilson]

Hi GUT

Won't disagree with that, although I think hate will out, if it's a question of selective reading, quote mining and interpretation, people will use religion as a way to justify themselves.
I think the problem lies with the people themselves rather than religion, piety covering what I would define as an anti social personality, and as you rightly say, it can be found everywhere.

We are what we are, and it's a long life without love in it, I haven't got much time for those who claim moral certainty based on something that doesn't actually exist.

All the best.

[GUT]

Hi GUT

Won't disagree with that, although I think hate will out, if it's a question of selective reading, quote mining and interpretation, people will use religion as a way to justify themselves.
I think the problem lies with the people themselves rather than religion, piety covering what I would define as an anti social personality, and as you rightly say, it can be found everywhere.

We are what we are, and it's a long life without love in it, I haven't got much time for those who claim moral certainty based on something that doesn't actually exist.

All the best.

G'day Martin

You won't get much argument on that from me.

Most people aren't even remotely aware of their own failings and look if they are they look for an excuse and religion can be twisted to hide a multitude of faults.

[Robert]

I can't help feeling that all these gay blokes marrying each other are missing out on an awful lot :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3126591/Listen-astonishing-rants-Britain-s-biggest-nag-wife-call-NAGSBO-caught-tape-berating-long-suffering-husband-Norman-63.html

[Pcdunn]

Dressing up as Jesus is thing?

Not really, but dressing up as Thor remains popular at Comic Con!

Seriously, I think the conservative right has a real problem with certain fundamentalists these days. They court their votes and promise to outlaw this or that, but then get into office and forget all about it (Bush Jr. as an example).

[Errata]

Do you know how often I think about other people having sex? When they make me. When someone walks up to me and says "hey you know a lot of stuff, I was trying a reverse wheelbarrow position with my girlfriend when I felt something pop, and she didn't. She we not try that again?" And then I'm like "wow. I hate you a lot right now. Did she lose any mobility?" The mere existence of someone has not to this day, made me think about them having sex. I believe they have it, but I don't find that interesting or remarkable.

Why can't these people stop thinking about it? I would say they have a serious socialization problem resulting in an obsession, and that may be true for a small percent. But what the hell is going on with the other 97% of people that just work at it like a sore tooth? You don't like it? Stop thinking about it. I don't like thinking about dental procedures, so I don't. It's very easy really.

[martin wilson]

Hi Errata

I'm being mischievous but I believe someone pointed out that straight people don't spend a lot of time thinking about what gay people get up to. An obsession with it may indicate certain inclinations that way.

Not that it matters, other than hypocrisy, I think if they shut up about it then people would get on with what is actually important, and couldn't care less what consenting adults do in the privacy of their own home.

All the best.