Let’s please not call it “faith” sharing when a Christian group is so insecure in its religion that it must stalk Muslims who are minding their own business at a Muslim community event. That’s not a sharing of confident faith, Christians; it’s infliction of a deep inferiority complex.
The Thomas More Law Center sued a Muslim event organizer in Dearborn, Michigan, last year after the event confined Christian leafletters to a table at the entrance to its sizable gathering. A table wasn’t enough for the Christian ministry, who hoped to disrupt the event with leafletters stationed throughout the gathering. (Can you imagine the reaction of a Christian Right event if Muslim leafletters stationed themselves throughout?)
The Thomas More Law Center is an avowed enemy of individual liberty and religious freedom for non-Christians. Like the Alliance Defense Fund and Liberty Counsel, TMLC is a Christian Right legal attack squad that sues religious and sexual minorities. It labels Muslim civilians “jihadists.”
Ed Brayton at Dispatches from the Culture Wars notes that TMLC has lost its case. Its client, a Christian ministry, was afforded the same rights as any other leafletters and given ample opportunity to be present without interfering with Muslims’ own freedom of religion and expression. Indeed, the Christians were allowed inside the event — just not with literature attacking their gracious hosts.
“Let’s not call it faith”—let’s not call them “Christians” either, because they’re anything but.
And in the spirit of ‘what’s good for the goose’, if this Muslim meeting had taken place in a Muslim country, I doubt that proselytizers from any other religion (especially Christianity) would have been allowed anywhere near the place.
“let’ not call them “Christians” either”
Why not? They follow the Nicene Creed, I’m sure. You can’t tell us that Christians are forbidden to proselytize.
Big surprise, really. Christian group in the US, thinking that being Christian gives them special privilege over non-Christian groups, and that they should get full access in a non-Christian gathering even when said non-Christians are restricted in the same way. Can’t stand it when you’re not front and center everywhere you go, eh?
I support any Muslim’s right to free association without being menaced – just as I support the freedom of Danish cartoonists, heroes in my opinion, to ridicule their religion. The tenets of all Abrahamic faith tend to imply that tolerance is a one-way street.
What I have the BIGGER problem with is being so open-minded your brain falls out! Let me ask you, Uganda included, which group, either Christian or Muslim, actively MURDERS gays every day? Muslims do! People of the LGBT, perhaps it’s well past time for us to examine who is “tolerable” and who is INtolerable. Sure, Christian conservatives cause us problems. It’s wrong that we can’t marry, own property, have inheritance rights, be fired and all so on because we’re gay. I’ve EARNED the right to b***h because every single thing I mentioned and more, I’ve been a victim of on a very disruptive, life-changing way. However, I don’t have Jihadists burning my house to the ground, killing my partner or me, castrating me and publicly torturing me LIKE MUSLIMS DO.
To continue…because I hit the a key-combo that equated to “submit”… Muslims don’t come to Europe or America to assimilate. They come here to control and conquer. They make demands that we conform to their religion and that we change our schools and Universities to serve Muslims at the cost of non-religious and Christian students. Christianity is the only thing preventing a theocratic take-over of the entire world by Muslims, and I fully support the Christian side in the war. Why do gays support terrorists? Why do we side with those who would kill us when we b***h about those who disagree with us? This ultra-liberal insanity must stop. In this regard, Republicans are right!
Makyui-of course they proselytize, my point was about their ‘in your face’, arrogant attitude; and I’m sure your last sentence wasnt directed at me since I generally avoid being ‘front and center’ at all costs and I hate proselytizing for anything, religion or politics.
Merrel said “Christianity is the only thing preventing a theocratic take-over of the entire world by Muslims”.
Of course, the atheists and the other religions have no problem whatsoever with a Muslim takeover.
You idiot – you’re totally delusional.
Merrell,
I agree with Priya Lynn you are delusional. Yes Muslims should be called out for killing people they don’t agree with but the death penalty in Uganda is being driven by CHRISTIANS. In my opinion all religions are bad. I wish we were a secular country and religion didn’t exist. Athiests have an issue with any religion taking over. In this country it is the Christians so that’s who we fight.
It’s so weird when religious people criticize other religions and impugn their motives.
That being said, broadbrushing any religious group as, for instance, only coming here to “control and conquer” is usually a misguided road, and my pro-gay Muslim friends would probably have a bit of an issue with the characterization.
“I’m sure your last sentence wasnt directed at me…”
It wasn’t. It was just a general “you” aimed at the sort of smarmy folks like the ones in the article. Sorry about that, Gary. I get very muddly, sometimes.
Regarding the comments here, there’s a funny sort of irony in seeing marginalized people, who are marginalized because of fear and negative generalizing, pushing for marginalizing other people because of fear and negative generalizing. Fighting bigotry is important, but not by being a bigot, in turn.
Oh, I’m delusional? Like the 600 years of war between Christians in Europe and the Arab Muslims, which for the Muslims is ongoing? Typical leftist empty-headed wishful thinking! You’re against ANYTHING normal in your trivial efforts and hopes to bring your brand of abnormal more to center. Well, you’re making reasonable people stare, freak! Pryia and Tim, you’re the ignorant dumbasses here, not me. I’m GLAD I’m not on the freak-side on this issue. Enjoy it. Live it. The world is pointing and laughing at YOU, not me. If we’re not careful, as a movement, we’re going to lose even more ground trying to bring the tent over the heads of the truly perverted and insane. Let the normal gay and lesbians have their chance at equality and we’ll come back for the circus freaks afterward!
Now, I do wish to clarify that it’s not just the Christians which hold back the Muslims, but as noted, the atheists and other free thinkers.
We are losing in areas where we the Lesbians, Bi-seuxal and Gays could be winning if not held down and held back by the Transgender element of society. The abhorrent behavior of the “T” of the LGBT needs to be cut off so that the movement can progress. Once they have surrendered to everything logical, rational and normal, they then seek to color the world according to their brand of insanity. When you have an operation to mutilate your body because of your mental state, you’ve crossed the line from sane to insane. So long as we have these dead-weights pulling down on our hard work, we’ll never acheive true equality. They are broken and loud–a combination which is killing our hopes for family, for equality and for unity with straight people. Being born gay isn’t a choice. Having your ball sack cut off and your penis split and shoved inside you is.
Merrell,
Let’s see. Spanish Inquistions? Crusades? War in Ireland? The current genocide in Uganda? Jamaican violence against gay people? Last time I checked these were all professing to be Christians. Neither the Christians or Muslims have a great record. The problem with religion in general is people are raised to believe that their God is better than these other peoples’ god and they either need to be converted or killed. That by following their religion they are doing the bidding of their deity and they will have eternal life by doing it. That’s why religion is dangerous. Christians are no better or worse worldwide. Every religion has their loony fringe who feel it’s their duty. Here in the US most of them do it non-violently but we have violent ones too. Muslims-Fort Hood, plots to blow up buildings. Christians-murdering doctor’s who perform abortion, Bombing of clinics etc. The Christians have been no more of a friend than Muslims. In fact the Christians are worst here because they have the weight of lawmakers behind them.
Merrell,
In fact do a little research on Jamaica. They are considered one of the most homophobic nations in the world. When the government is challanged they say they are holding up Christian values. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have done excellent reports on this. And since you don’t have the facts right let me educate you. Uganda’s anti-gay violence etc are being led by Christians not Muslims.
Merrel:
So despite the fact my mental state is that of a girl, you would have me stay with my assigned birth gender forever? If only I could channel the anguish and humiliation I’ve felt, being forced to live in a man’s body, knowing full well that at my very core I am a female.
Even the little progress I’ve made so far in transitioning has been a tremendous relief, and yet you’d try to tell me that I’m mutilating myself. No, the mutilation happened when I was born a male, what I’m going through now is reconstructive and corrective procedures.
Several things unite the causes of gays, lesbians and bisexuals with transgendered folks. Primarily, we are all sexual minorities. But more importantly, we only wish to be treated equally in this society.
It is inconceivable to me to demand equality for myself as a gay man while simultaneously deciding that others are undeserving of equality.
I used to have an issue with transgender people, until I took the time to understand what being transgender actually is, where it comes from, what it means, and moreover, until I took the time to learn from transgender people what it was like to be them.
Then I got it. That being said, people transition in all different ways, but the description I read above of “having your ballsack cut off and your penis split and shoved inside you” is straight out of the religious right playbook.
Merrel the people that are laughing at us are laughing at you just as hard. To them there is no such thing as a normal gay or lesbian – you’re just as much a freak to them as we are.
Regarding your comment #12, that was an impressive frothing at the mouth display of bigotry. You’re just like the anti-gay bigots – consumed by hatred of innocent people. You use the imagery of sex change operations to stir up hatred of trans people just like the anti-gays use the imagery of anal sex to stir up hatred against gays – you’re no different than them.
You also demonstrated how truly delusional you are. Transgender people aren’t killing your hopes for family, equality, and unity with straight people, the straight people who hate transgenders are. Transgenders are doing nothing to oppose your wishes, they’re supporting your wishes. You’re blaming the victim instead of the oppressors. You’re a sad excuse for a man. As long as you perpetuate the oppression of anyone who is harmless you justify the right wingers oppression of harmless gays. Until you embrace the right of everyone to do as they please as long as they aren’t hurting others no one is safe. Your hatred of transgenders helps perpetuate the hatred of people like you.
Also, what’s it to you if having a sex change is a choice? You can’t justify discrmination against those who are hurting no one in any event. By the same token if being gay were a choice that wouldn’t justify denying gays equality either. If you’re so freaked out by sex changes then don’t have one and stop obsessing about it.
Your attitude about needing christians to oppose muslims is like having the choice between three world leaders, one who is a serial killer who’s killed 100 people, another who is a serial killer who’s killed 10 people, and one who has killed no one. You’re ignoring the leader who’s killed no one and arguing that we should support and worship the serial killer who’s killed 10 people because he’ll protect us from the one who’s killed 100 people.
Put aside the raging anger that blinds you and stop and think for a change about what’s really going on in the world.
Damn I missed Merrell’s diatribe about transgendered people. This is the same man who said that we were being held back by effeminate men too so I guess I am not surprised by this. Let’s see transgendered, effeminate men, and I am guessing butch women. In his world the only ones in the world who deserved full equality are “normal” acting gay men and women. It sounds like my brother would say though he would include any gay person as not being normal.
Merrel can’t seem to grasp the idea that if his theory is correct and straight people won’t give “normal” gays equality because of LGBT “freaks”, its the straight people who are depriving him of equality, not the “freaks”. Being a “freak” is a right, freakiness doesn’t justify inequality.
Jeez, Merrill, who said anything about transgendered folks? Are you trolling?
I noticed that too, Makyui, the post, Merrel’s original comment and our criticism of it had nothing to do with trans people but Merrel is so obsessed with his hatred of us he had to bring us up out of the blue.