Culture Warriors category archive
Tears of Fears 0
Catholic homophobic group unwittingly skewers itself.
Thinking about it, I realize that it’s not unusual for persecutors to see themselves as persecuted. After all, that’s how they justify persecuting.
All That Was Old Is New Again 0
The things that wingnuts and Christianists are saying about the gay marriage ruling remind me of what segregationists said after Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka et al back in the olden days, when I was young ‘un growing up under Jim Crow.
The tune is the same. Only the lyrics have changed, and they but slightly; the hate remains intact.
Well, That Takes the Cake 0
The ruling by the Oregon Labor Commission upheld a previous finding that Sweet Cakes by Melissa had discriminated against the couple based on their sexual orientation, Oregon Live reports.
“Under Oregon law, businesses cannot discriminate or refuse service based on sexual orientation, just as they cannot turn customers away because of race, sex, disability, age or religion,” the Bureau of Labor and Industries said in a press release.
The bakery owners, Melissa and Aaron Klein, were ordered to pay Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer $75,000 and $60,000 each, respectively.
They probably look at this as being punished for their convictions. I guess that, in some warped world, bigoted hate sincerely-held can be considered a “conviction.”
The “Traditional Marriage” Con 0
Tony Norman investigates the scam.
Never mind that most religions once defined marriage in ways that would scandalize even the most tradition-bound American in 2015. You’d be hard-pressed to find a religious tradition that didn’t sanction polygamy, child brides and treating women as property whose market value was determined by a set dowry price, their potential fertility and the perception of how a marriage would help the groom’s social standing.
It’s true that the rituals accompanying marriage ceremonies were designed to encourage the perpetuation of the species, but historically they were also about reinforcing whatever the presiding economic order happened to be.
More traditions at the link.
The Day of Gay 0
As I think I’ve mentioned before, nothing that ever happened in a homosexual bedroom affected a marriage of mine. I cannot say the same about heterosexual bedrooms.
Rights for Me, Not for Thee 0
In other news, someone else who was raised Southern Baptist, as I was, meditates on the hateful gospel of Franklin Graham. (By the way, we also had a beer truck driver in our church. Our pastors periodically had to assure him that he was welcome.)
Church and (Delaware) State 0
Speaking of freedom of religion . . . .
Had this been a religious institution or religious college, this would not be an issue. The focus of this lawsuit is on a taxpayer supported state university.
(snip)
Mendieta, raised Roman Catholic, was uncomfortable going to the coach’s protestant church. But she explains that she said little in protest, not wanting to risk her scholarship.
The story goes on to say that, when she eventually told the coach that she would prefer to attend a Catholic church, the coach became critical of her play and she eventually lost her scholarship. (There may have been other issues as well; the story mentions hints of a missed curfew, but coaches turn their heads away from missed curfews all the time, especially when it’s “boys being bros boys.”)
The coach is reportedly no longer at Del. State.
Twits on Twitter 0
I find this particularly galling, as I was raised Southern Baptist, back when Southern Baptists were Christian, before they became Christianist. My brother once said, and I agree with him, that our father was likely the most Christian person he ever knew, but, somewhere along the line, the definition of “Christian” seems to have changed, and the Gospel of Love has become the Gospel of hate.
These “They-Call-Themselves-Southern-Baptists” worship no Jesus that I know.
Graham (the) Cracker 0
The Raleigh News and Observer’s Barry Saunders sees unanticipated consequences to Franklin Graham’s latest antics. A snippet:
By attacking Wells Fargo Bank for its ad featuring two women in a same-sex relationship, Graham, president of his daddy’s Billy Graham Evangelical Association, has made the bank look progressive.
“No, No Place To Hide” 0
Franklin Graham cancels account at Wells-Fargo because it runs an ad with a same-sex couple, moves to BB&T, which sponsored a Miami Beach Gay Pride fundraiser. Where will he go next?
I reckon that life becomes complicated when you base your decision-making on hating persons for being.
Afterthought:
I have an account at Wells-Fargo. It didn’t start out at Wells-Fargo, but mergers and acquisitions made it that way.
I’ve been thinking maybe I should close it, because Wells-Fargo is a wannabe Bank of America, but moving your banking is a complex task and I’ve been avoiding the issue.
After this, maybe I’ll just keep it in memory of Franklin Graham.