In which I go a bit ranty

[chimakwa]

If I see one more "it's all about me" homo try to engage in half-ass apologetics for the religious who are attempting to legislate their beliefs into my life, I'm gonna scream. For the record, my "bile" is not informed solely by "Richard Dawkins and Bill Maher", as one poster put it; I've spent well over a quarter of my life studying the history and tradition of Western religion and its intersection with gender and sexuality, and yes, I'm betting I know a great deal more about it than that guy. (Or Bill Maher, for that matter.)

Tolerance for beliefs is one thing; you can believe some whacked-out shit and I'm perfectly fine with it. Gods know I've got some kooky ideas about the nature of reality myself. But when an individual or group of people begin to enforce their religious beliefs on the rest of us, the correct response ceases to be tolerance and becomes well-earned scrutiny. There are some crazy people out there (some with lots of money and influence) who very much want to replace the laws and constitution of the U.S. with the book of Leviticus. (Google "Christian Dominionism" sometime: it's scarier than ghost stories.)

It's not a virtue to give these people a pass. What they're doing is not all right, even if it's part of their belief system. The political is the personal, as some 70's & 80's radical feminists were fond of saying, and when religion moves from the realm of belief to the realm of the polis it makes itself available for legitimate personal and societal criticism, both from within the belief system as well as from outside it.

"But Chris," some of you will be saying, "you can't paint all X's with the same brush." That's true; having spent a good deal of very frustrating time in a progressive Christian community I know it all too well. But because the majority of Christian sentiment worldwide trends toward intolerance, there is a responsibility for all of us, Christian and non-Christian alike, to be a light for the Church and for the world saying "your behavior is not Christ-like, this is not love." I marched in solidarity with gay Christians and helped reach out to queer seekers and still I hid under a bushel far more than I should have. That said, to those of my friends who are letting their light shine, and especially those doing it from the hardest place of all, the inside: thank you. You may be blazing against a pressing darkness that comprehendeth it not, but you're doing your part.

Comments

[madknits.livejournal.com]

I rather think this shouldn't be under a cut.

[gullinbursti.livejournal.com]

See, there's my bushel again... I'm feeling a wee bit crushable today despite my righteous bluster. ;)

[madknits.livejournal.com]

Far be it for me to quote a musical, and a '70s musical at that,

But if your light is under a bushel
Brrrrr, it's lost something kind of crucial
You've got to burn bright
To light the City of God

Preach it, brother!

[esprix.livejournal.com]

FLASHBACKS! FLASHBACKS!

[bluestocking.livejournal.com]

I can always righteously smite on your behalf, you know. I'm fond of smiting. :-)

[gullinbursti.livejournal.com]

And you do it so very well!

[bluestocking.livejournal.com]

It's a talent, what can I say...

;-)

[gullinbursti.livejournal.com]

Remind me never to go up against you in a talent contest. All I can do is play the recorder with my nose.

[bluestocking.livejournal.com]

Er...I can tapdance, and sing....is snark a talent? Hrm.

[bluestocking.livejournal.com]

Excellent post. Thanks for saying it.

[geofferbear.livejournal.com]

well put. i am personally frustrated by institutions heralding bigotry under the veil of religious freedom. how do we call them out on this and remain tolerant ourselves?

[profundis.livejournal.com]

This is the inherent problem with equating tolerance to passive acceptance. The truth of the matter is, we all have something we consider unacceptable and that "must be stopped" by the means we condone. Sometimes that puts people in direct conflict, and that is as it must be unless we wish to be pacifists and just let others roll over us. I for one, am not such a person. Not being Christian, I have no spiritual need to behave in a Christ-like fashion, though it does seem like a good idea most times. ;)

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

This post should be out there. Last night, I was ranted on by whom I thought was a good friend about how I am a hypocrite for having faith.

Regardless, I think this needs to be less about the Church and more about our light brought through Christ. I can no longer accept those who demand tolerance to be intolerant with my beliefs and put me in the same boat as those that would preach intolerance and hatred.

I am no longer able to remain where I am and stay silent.

[gullinbursti.livejournal.com]

Faith in itself has nothing to do with hypocrisy, in my book. I was raised as a Lutheran, and we agreed with ol' brother Martin that we realllly would have liked to see the Book of James slink guiltily away into the night and out of canon. Uncomfortably, though, James says that it's our works that legitimize our faith, and this is because they're the manifestation of our faith in the world, making it those works that are legitimately open for critique.

I recognize that it does leave you in an unfortunate position, though: the parts of the Church that need most to hear that the Body of Christ wants no part of what they're doing with it are the least open to hearing it, and are far more likely to expel you for rebuking it rather than do the hard thing and engage in tough self-examination. I suppose the whole rebuking thing probably worked better when there were only a handful of disciples -- it was harder to gang up on any one member!

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

Thanks...I knew you would bring some balance.

I'm going to be pedantic, here.

[talvinamarich.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I don't even like the word "tolerance" anymore.

I did some looking at the definitions and root of the word "tolerate", and while the various sources disagree, they all seem to fall in line with:

- to endure (pain)
or
- to suffer (something to be done)

So, after careful consideration, I have to say that I am not tolerant of the GLBT community. (They are tolerant of me, but for reasons that have nothing to do with sexuality and everything to do with my sense of humor.)

I have not suffered because of you. You have done nothing to cause me pain. You are my friend, and to say that I "tolerate" you would be an insult. It would be an insult if you were a complete stranger: I would be accusing you of making me suffer, even though I am going to do the polite thing and pretend you aren't.

The GLBT community needs to stop asking for tolerance, and start asking for the Big Stick of STFU +5. You have been too tolerant for too long.

Re: I'm going to be pedantic, here.

[talvinamarich.livejournal.com]

*raps self on side of head* I've posted this in your blog before, or something like it, haven't I? (I was re-reading, and saying, "Wait...did I do this already?")

Re: I'm going to be pedantic, here.

[gullinbursti.livejournal.com]

Quite possibly! It's a good point, though; I'm a much bigger fan of "acceptance", especially when it equates to "just ignore me already and go about your business as usual." ;)

Your Stick, Sir!

[talvinamarich.livejournal.com]

Use it with holy wisdom and sacred joy.

Re: I'm going to be pedantic, here.

[talvinamarich.livejournal.com]

Living apart and at peace with myself, I came to realize more vividly the meaning of the doctrine of acceptance. To refrain from giving advice, to refrain from meddling in the affairs of others, to refrain, even though the motives be the highest, from tampering with another's way of life - so simple, yet so difficult for an active spirit. Hands off! -- Henry Miller

Re: I'm going to be pedantic, here.

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

Wow...I like you.

Re: I'm going to be pedantic, here.

[gullinbursti.livejournal.com]

That's only because he's never punned at you. o.O

;)

[dhimahi.livejournal.com]

I think it's up to those of us who call ourselves spiritual to kick both the intolerant and outright psycho fundies (as in any religion that believes they have the right to choose EVERYONE's beliefs) in the aft end.

I knew we were going to have SERIOUS trouble with the Taliban when we allowed them to destroy all those centuries-old Buddhas in March 2001.

I'm hoping that the day will return when we no longer as a country ALLOW the religions beliefs of our politicians to be spoken in public. I watched yesterday as the former Republican VP candidate was going on and on and on about how they depend on God to open them doors so they can plough through.

This is the same candidate who hired a person whose sole claim to fame is going after a woman in his home town (actually, a village) by calling her a witch.

And there are those who claim to be pagan who bitch about the phrase, "The burning times. Never again."

Sorry for the rant, o cute and cuddly one, but I felt a need.

[cubmike74.livejournal.com]

Great post.
For me this all boils down to: Tax the Churches.
I think it's time to stop allowing religions to 'special' or on a 'higher level' just because they are religeous.

[soxpup.livejournal.com]

Belief is faith.
Apparatus is religion, no?

Punishing the apparatus for breaking the law should not damage the faith. Anyone who sees it otherwise may need to look at their own faith.

[esprix.livejournal.com]

Wait, who are these suddenly conservative queers telling you not to be judgemental of the radical right's judgementalism?

[dubhlainn.livejournal.com]

*applauds* You should go all ranty more often!

[barengeist.livejournal.com]

I could give a rat's bleeding asshole about tolerance, faith or any given ancient book of rules. Until these dung heaps can learn to separate the legal rights, benefits and responsibilities from the religious rights, benefits and responsibilities, we are going to have to do this the hard way.

It worked in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Out-of-state religious interests put a prop-8 style initiative in motion as soon as those pesky activist judges here on the supreme judicial court made their pronouncement that there is no compelling reason to deny marriage rights to anyone. The initiative never even made it to the ballot after the SJC bitch-slapped those out of state groups back from whence they came. They tried to amend our constitution. This is not a trivial process here. Even with then-governor Willard "Mitt" Romney as governor, the required two successive consitutional conventions came to nothing. The ballot phase of the process never even came to pass.

The only thing Romney was able to pull out of his Mormon Republican ass was an old law put on the books long ago to prevent interracial marriage. That law applied to anyone from a state where their marriage in Massachusetts would not be recognized by law or would be prohibited by law. That law was then used to deny marriage licenses to gay couples from all but a few states, notably New York and Rhode Island. Several months ago our governor Deval Patrick signed legislation to wipe that odious law from the books forever. Today is also a new day in Connecticut. I wish them well with the success gained there for equal marriage benefits for all.

[dragonzite.livejournal.com]

I have no problem with Christianity, my problem is with the ones who use it to spread hatred and bigotry.

I think we shoot ourselves in the foot when we try and condemn the "Christians". I don't think we should let them steam roll our rights away, but nor should we be trying to take away their rights to believe what they want.

[gullinbursti.livejournal.com]

The problem of course being that for some Christians, saying "you can't take away my right to do X because your religion says it's wrong" is equivalent to "you may no longer believe it's wrong." I grew up being taught that we were being persecuted for being Christian; somebody really needed to tell the adults around me that being told "your beliefs suck" is not equivalent to being chased out of your village or put up against a wall and shot.

[dragonzite.livejournal.com]

AH, memories of my days hanging around Evengelicals......

[greatscott09.livejournal.com]

Hey mate, just stumbled across your blog and it's great.

This is a very good post and it sums up my feelings on the subject really.

Basically, religious beliefs are fine. But religious convictions are another matter.

Have a good new year !