Mississippi lawmakers have been going back and forth over SB 2681. It’s one of those bills that claims “religious freedom” but is really just about making life difficult for LGBTs by legalizing discrimination by businesses like photographers and bakers. You know, one of those “no cake for queers” bills.
Now we have a glimpse at the tactics that some antigay Baptist leaders are using to pressure Republicans into signing it into law. And those tactics are … well, kind of normal and reasonable, to be honest.
Dr. Jimmy Porter, Executive Director of the Christian Action Commission, sent a pleading email to some legislators a few days ago. In it, he threatened to expose which people voted for the law, and which people didn’t. A quote:
The leadership of the House will take a lot of heat for its failure if that is the case but it will be undeserved. The Christian Action Commission will work diligently to ensure the blame will be laid at the feet of these 20 alleged Republicans. Approximately 60,000 Baptist households will read about it and know the truth. Add to that Pentecostal households, members of the Tea Party, followers of American Family Association, the Liberty Council and the Family Research Council, etc., and you begin to see the widespread interest in this bill.
That is actually a pretty good idea, and we totally endorse it! People should know where their representatives stand on this issue. Sure, some voters — particularly in Mississippi — regard support for discrimination as a good thing. But many do not, and in any event it’s important to know where your elected officials stand. Not to mention, the more that people talk about antigay animus, the more they come to see why it’s a bad thing.
So, yeah, Christian Action Commission, please do “ensure the blame will be laid”! In fact, we would be happy to join you in identifying the brave Republicans who took a stand for equality. We have a shared goal here! You list the Tea Party, AFA, FRC and Liberty Council as among those who will publicize the names of those lawmakers. Please add Queerty to that list! We stand with you, antigay Baptists!
Mezaien
Christianity is a mental illness.
Billy Budd
@Mezaien: It is not really a mental illness, but a genetic predisposition. Please read works by Steven Pinker, from Harvard University. It seems we developed our religious inclinations during our evolution.
It makes sense, because if you believe that someone or something is constantly helping you and being good to you and wishing you well, you will survive hardships better. God gives people an irrational hope and courage. Maybe this is why we survived the ice ages.
Religion is ridiculous and a superstition. It is used to promote hatred between humans. It is used to promote and justify wars between nations. It is used to force all people to behave in the same way.
Religion is poison. It may be hard wired in our brain, but it doesn’t make it a good thing. The appendix exists only to give you an infection. Religion is an appendix that we should get rid of.
aequalitasTN
@Billy Budd: I could not have said it better. Great comparison with the appendix too! Perhaps religion, like the appendix, served a purpose at one time, but that time has long passed.
DickieJohnson
@Billy Budd: @aequalitasTN: @Mezaien: There’s nothing wrong with true, basic Christianity, IF one sticks to the TEACHINGS of Jesus. It’s the misinterpretation of the mythologies, and all the various BS baggage heaped upon it by MANY different clergymen, bigots, fanatics, and other nut-cases, that are the problem. What is your objection to honesty, acceptance, love, tolerance, doing rightly towards others, helping your neighbor, and all the other positive things? Certainly we could use a great deal more of all that instead of the intolerant bashing of others’ beliefs because they dont align with your own. Not ALL religious people have your so-called “mental illness.”
Billy Budd
@DickieJohnson: Dear Dickie, you seem to forget that Christianity’s teachings and “policies” or dogmas are based on a book called the Bible. The first part of this book is EXTREMELY primitive, and recommends people to kill other people for ridiculous reasons, is extremely mysogenous, says clearly that homosexuality is an ABOMINATION, among other atrocities.
Christianity is not only the teachings of Jesus. You must acknowledge that there is whole package of SHIT that comes together with it.
I say NO to religion.
Atomicrob
One more reason not to go to Mississippi, not that anyone needed another.
blondeboyz
@Billy Budd: Well said! Your statement reminds me of my all time favorite quote from one of this nations most gifted authors!
“I have examined all the known superstitions of the world and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the earth.”
-Thomas Jefferson
Ben Dover
@DickieJohnson: Jesus also taught us to hate our parents! Among others: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” – Luke 14:26
Yeah, I like a lot of his little sayings too, but there’s an occasional one like that where he seems to have been on a bad mushroom trip.
DickieJohnson
@Billy Budd: @Ben Dover: Well, I expected just this type of criticism. Have it your way, but tolerance and positive action will always trump being a negative, bitchy, know-it-all.
Billy Budd
@DickieJohnson: Dear Dickie,
These were the same arguments used by the Vatican when they condemned Galileo Galilei for discovering Heliocentrism. Galileo was accused of being bitchy, arrogant, insulting to the knowledge of the pope, know-it-all negative bastard who went against the sacred book.
You are on the wrong side of history, my friend.
aequalitasTN
@DickieJohnson: I don’t think anyone is saying that there are not good and decent people who are religious, from any good number of faith backgrounds, but much like the books in which most of them proclaim faith (I speak of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, as I admittedly know little about other major religions), for every good religious person there are 5 more who are not, just as for every good idea in their books, there are 5 others that are ridiculous. I will, in fact, admit some of the good folks that are Christian do good things in their respective communities, but again, for every good act of an individual there are 5 more acts by Christianity as a whole that are crimes against humanity, or at best, legislated morality that imposes religious beliefs on people for no legitimate societal purpose.
To put it simply, and on a previous line of comparison, people are not going to worry about their appendix as long as it is not causing a problem, hell there is even a good bit of research to indicate that it helps in immune functions for the body, perhaps a hold over from its primitive, primary purpose; however, when it is infected and inflamed, no one needs or wants it anymore.