Comments on: Beware the gay-bashing evangelicals

By: Larry Goodfella

Larry Goodfella — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:42:34 +0000

@ hds

You are wonderfully correct and you melt any desire for further argument on the issue of belief, so long as our capacity to be good and to do good is challenged and maintained.

We must all be grateful for religions that strive to create a ‘good’ society, and those that need this form of guidance, can at least be led to social obedience.
Those that can follow their own path of rightiousness without any external influence are enlightened souls who manage well on their own without a god or religion to guide them.

Done.

By: Frank Wilking

Frank Wilking — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:24:46 +0000

As a new born non-theist (Islam and the bunch of silly happy-clappers did the enlightenment) I normally keep my opinion to myself unless I am asked. I adore common sense above all and regard myself as a doer, not as a preacher. I don’t hate believers, I just avoid them when my Bull-Shit-Detector starts peeping. I have no problem with other people’s sex preferences as well as left-handers and vegetarians. It doesn’t need a prophet to see the demise of organized faith, after all.

By: Jon Story

Jon Story — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:04:57 +0000

@Larry Goodfella
Aha, after death there still is the state of finding nothing and of not being disappointed. So there must be some form of conscience after death after all. That is what you are saying, right?
Atheist are at pains to emphatically state that God does not exist and all this nonsense about belief in a God is mere cotswhallop. But even atheists have their gurus who lead the way into nothingness. Some writer of the bible, a book I have great respect for, wrote these words: the fool says in his heart there is no God. The wisdom of a couple of thousand years ago.
Was he right?
Well, nobody wants te be called a fool so atheists will say: NO!
A more prudent person would perhaps say: I will think about it, he might have a point – about the God part, not the fool-part of course.
Only seekers will find (that’s a fact, remember Tutankamon) and some atheists do not strike me as ardent seekers.

By: hds

hds — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:15:10 +0000

While certainly many atheists are of the live-and-let-live variety, a good number on here (like the good Mr. Walliser) seem to rival the worst religious folks in their smugness and confidence that they are right and that religious folks are poor, misguided fools believing in figments of the imagination.

To me it’s like debating how many angels dance on the head of a pin. You can’t prove there isn’t a God, and I can’t prove there is.

However, let’s take a pragmatic approach. Suppose I, as a Christian, believe I am called to live like Christ. I strive to be more patient, more kind, more loving to my fellow humans than my own short temper and sarcastic attitude would typically tempt me to be. I work for justice and regard true religion as care for the widow and orphan, ie the most vulnerable of society (see: James 1:27). I remain sharply aware of my own capacity for fallibility and am therefore cautious in my judgment, and more compassionate towards others who fail.

It would make me a better neighbor, a better citizen, a better friend. Now, whether this commitment arises out of secular “enlightenment” or a belief that little green men are whispering in my ear, why would you care? Wouldn’t you be pleased that I had found a course that challenged me to live up to high ideals and to try to incarnate them in my daily life? Simple pragmatism.

By: Palesa

Palesa — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:28:14 +0000

In an effort to educate myself, can someone explain to me the actual problem with homosexuality…
a)Is it that they are people of the same sex who love each other, be it physically or emotionally?
b) Is it the act of sodomy? and if so, should heterosexual males and females who partake in such activity be discriminated against too?

By: Melanie Nathan

Melanie Nathan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:27:08 +0000

As for the comment where Mr. Kaplan is asked – about would he criticize the gay man who decides sodomy is sinful. Let me educate your readers – in the US we call that ex-gay. Often but not always these are the people that the religious right like to USE – to undermine LGBTQI equality. Their argument is that gays and lesbians can change, but the educated know that there is no such thing as changing a genetic disposition. Reparatory therapy as it is called cause an enormous amount of suicide especially amongst youth, Secondly – In the bible it does indeed refer to sodomy. But it does not refer to a man loving another man in a loving relationship. Even some Orthodox Jews opine that men can form a relationship as long as they do not engage in sodomy. So as long as the ex-gay thinks it not okay – hallelujah for him – but please dont let him preach to others -and judge others who do not subscribe to his beliefs. melanie nathan

By: Melanie Nathan

Melanie Nathan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:18:38 +0000

Gay Bashing evangelicals are more dangerous than one can imagine – Did you see the maniac video of Scott Lively, an envangelical who hides his hate behind the bible. This is THE video that inspired the Ugandan Kill the Gays Bill – it was almost too hard for me to watch- but as an activist and blogger I had no choice but to expose it Here is the link http://lezgetreal.com/?p=24629 The here is more USA coverage of gay hate in SA http://lezgetreal.com/?p=25129 Then we ask to bocott SAWorld Cup http://lezgetreal.com/?p=25258
Melanie Nathan USA

By: Larry Goodfella

Larry Goodfella — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:36:11 +0000

@ Llewellyn Kriel

WRT your posts, you present as a very learned student of theology. You have ‘abhorrance’ for religious zealotry and the atheist zealot, which just leaves the rest of us to abhor the rabid theology student. Now we can all abhor each other equally. Except you are convinced that you are RIGHT.

Fortunately, the atheists do not have a reference or a wholly contrived course of theological course validity to defend. We have nothing to prove, whereas the study of theology as a career option can be likened to a course on poltergeists or astrology. You really are a waste of a good brain, but none will condemn you for it.
I can just imagine your dissapointment when one day you die; – and find nothing.

At least us atheists wont be dissapointed. But then maybe we will burn in hell. Scoff scoff.

By: Pieter Pretorius

Pieter Pretorius — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:18:09 +0000

Seems to me labelling goes hand in hand with generalisations. Many people think of God in religious or philosophical terms, therefore they don’t meet God in a personal relationship. They read the Bible from this religio-philosophical perspective and don’t understand what God is saying to mankind. That in itself is excusable, but when they start making gross, sweeping statements that misrepresents God and his Word then it is a different matter.
Uganda is to my knowledge the only country that has effectively turned around the percentage of people with AIDS. The government together with the Church faced up to this huge problem and did something constructive about it. But that is conveniently forgotten when you want to get at the church.
Cut God out of the picture, then there is no hope for anybody/ The life and death of Nietzsche is a good example.

By: robi

robi — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:25:32 +0000

The Onion has a brilliant satire on this topic

Gay Teen Worried He Might Be Christian

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/gay_teen_worried_he_might_be