An editorial in this week’s NY Blade opens thus:
Every person who advocates LGBT civil rights and same-sex marriage equality must read The Bible. In the United States, it’s the primary weapon used against gays.
Sanctimonious Advocate journo Tully Satre also spills some virtual ink on organized religion:
Religion has had a profoundly positive impact on our cause. Although religion has led some people to hate us, it has also given gays and lesbians everywhere a sense of faith, hope, and community. It is unfair and out of character to shut religion out of the picture when it comes to advocating for LGBT equality.
In case you don’t remember, Satre’s the boy who wagged a finger at Jerry Falwell death parties.
BillieXX
Wasn’t he supposed be done with opining about politics?
ProfessorVP
Big news in case anyone didn’t know: The United States is not officially a Christian nation. It has no official national religion or official national language. I suggest more focus on the Constitution, less on the Bible or other crap.
dfrw
I agree with the Professor. Wherever religion is, trouble is sure to follow.
Gregg
All of the major religions think gays are evil. So WHY would we try to play by their rules? Reinterpret their bibles?
If someone’s religion says that we’re sinners, you’re not going to change that person’s mind using religion.
Religion absolutely needs to be kept out of legal debates.
thatguyfromboston
I think that what Blade is suggesting is that we take a “Know your enemy” approach. If you want to know how best to counter the religious right. you’ve got to at least have a basic understanding of them and of their ways.
hisurfer
This guy has close to no understanding of religious fundamentalism. It’s a naive suggestion to say that we just need to read the bible to counteract the anti-gay movement.
Fundamentalist readings of any of the texts are inherently flawed. The bible we know is based upon translations of translations. There are multiple versions of many of the books. The bible we have is a compilation. Most mainstream religions accept this. Fundamentalists who accept it as the One True Word of God are ignorant of the very well-documented history of the book.
And this leads to the flaw in this approach. Catholics, Muslims, Jews, and Mormons use the bible as a base, along with a plethora of teachings and commentary. Just reading the bible (or the other texts) won’t provide much of an argument against them.
The fundamentalists don’t even use logic, so logic won’t work against them. We’re up shit creek with them. The only path I see is to appeal to basic human values. That, or to bitch slap them & remind them that this is a secular nation & they have no right to impose their religion on us.
Believers who are torn can start with some of the analyses (Karen Armstrong is my favorite).
John C
If arguing theology solved anything you wouldn’t have a story just below this one about the current row between different factions of the Church of England. Doesn’t matter what you quote at them, they’ll come back straight away with a different quote.
Mr. B
Tully, in a nutshell: Not only am I a gay conservative, I’m a GAY CONSERVATIVE BELOW THE LEGAL DRINKING AGE! I’m SO CUTTING EDGE AND SUPERIOR TO THE WORLD!
I can’t bring myself to read a full Tully article anymore. The kid bores me to tears.
J
The irony and the arrogance of someone in the Blade pleading for more readers of the Bible.
Lots of us have read the Bible. Few of us bother to read the Blade.