Who Thanks "God" For Tsunamis And Dead People?
Who else?! Religious fanatics. Here's a link to some sick, sick shit from the Westboro Baptist pervo who has made a career out of worrying about how other people have sex. The headline?
Thank God for Tsunami & 2,000 Dead Swedes! How many dead Swedes are fags & dykes? vacationing on their fat expendable incomes without kids to bother with and spend money on. (the sick shit continues at the link)
In a way, it's better when hate-mongers like Westboro Baptist's Fred Phelps are "out of the closet" about their vile thinking. It's easier for the average person to give a pass to the George Bushes and Dick Cheneys of the world who use such polite language about why gays should be denied rights...but aren't they all really coming from the exact same place?
Balance the voices of the gay-haters (more or less diplomatic) against the "think globally, not just locally" voice of Princess Margrethe of Denmark from the following CNN.com report.
It is thought around 20,000 Swedes had travelled to Thailand this holiday season, to escape the harsh winter of northern Europe.While only 59 Swedes have so far been confirmed dead, authorities are fearing this tragedy may well become the worst natural disaster in the nation's history.
With a population of only 9 million, Sweden's expected loss of life proportionately matches that of Indonesia, and is exceeded only by Sri Lanka.
Along with Sweden, other Nordic countries have been hard hit by the tsunamis' impact in Thailand.
In neighboring Denmark, Queen Margrethe started her annual televised New Year's speech by addressing the tsunami disaster that has killed seven Danes and left 466 missing.
"We are just happy tourists seeking a warmer sun and a sea that is more blue than our coasts," the monarch said in her speech aired live on major television and radio channels.
"Let us not only just think of our losses but also of the many thousand people who now must see their whole existence broken into pieces."
Royalty might be a backward concept, but this royal, at least on the issue of sexuality, is sounding a lot more forward than the people we have in office, and the people who back the sort of gay-hating agenda, tacit or overt, that they do. Here's how being gay works in Sweden, a place gays have full rights, same as any other citizen, including gay marriage, which is a legislated right "equal with straight marriage" :
Compared to virtually any other country on the planet, being born gay, lesbian or bi in Sweden is a stroke of good genetic luck. The issue of alternative sexuality that evokes hysteria, hatred and bigotry in so many other cultures is, in Sweden, a non-issue. Homosexual behavior was legalized in 1944. and the first LGBT organization started in 1950--a time when the rest of the world hardly knew that homosexuality existed. Today, of course, Sweden has some of the most progressive laws and leadership regarding LGBT affairs. (See story #1 below.) This is not to say that all Swedes have smooth-sailing on this; there is ignorance everywhere in the world and rural Sweden is no exception. And not every gay youth flies out of the closet fully self-identified. (See stories #2 and #3 below) But once out, he or she is well protected by the law and is surrounded by a wide variety of rainbow organizations. Gay loving and living is mostly relaxed and safe here--about as good as it gets anywhere.
What a shame we're stuck with all these religious primitives over here; an unfortunately large number of which seem to be running the show at the moment.
Last week I heard a radio interview with Sam Harris, and I think he said that Sweden has a higher proportion of atheists in their population than does any other country in the world. It's kind of interesting how that's also a country without state-sanctioned discrimination against homos. I read a study last night by a political scientist named John Dorris who found that U.S. cities with higher proportions of Catholics and conservative Protestants were less likely to add homos to their anti-discrimination laws for public employment (over a 20-year period). Let's face it: Religion is fucked.
Lena and the Roaming Heathens at January 2, 2005 6:06 PM
One can only hope. I don't know what the stats say, but I feel a growing wave of primitive thinkers; an embracing of Puritanism and irrationality.
Amy Alkon at January 2, 2005 7:24 PM
Oh, by "religion is fucked," I meant that "religion is fucked up" -- not that "religion is doomed, done with, etc." One could, indeed, only hope that the end was in sight for world religion.
I've always been pretty tolerant of non-fanatical religious talk, but lately it's gotten to the point where I can't even listen to someone talk about "spirituality" (e.g., "After he finished giving me head, I really felt like we had some kind of, you know, spiritual connection") -- without feeling like I'm going to hurl chunks of last night's stew.
It's not surprising that a pro-faith administration would bring out the faith-hater in some of us. After all, advances in the gay/lesbian rights agenda have made the fundamentalist Neanderthals snort and stomp their hooves like never before. Perhaps what we all need is a good Orwellian Three-Minute Hate about once a week, just to blow off some steam, after which we can all peacefully resume the pleasures of our private lives.
Out here in the desert there are no stars. Out here Lena is stoned -- Immaculate! at January 2, 2005 11:32 PM
God is a closet queer.
Curtis at January 3, 2005 12:31 AM
On the AOL main news
there is a story that says in 2003 our government gave faith-based organizations 1 billion dollars.
chris volkay at January 3, 2005 12:41 AM
Lena- are you listening to An American Prayer?
Eric, who on Thursday will be on a vast radiant beach... at January 3, 2005 12:46 AM
That's horrible, Chris.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1155&slug=Federal%20Faith
I don't care how many little old ladies they can quote who feel all warm and fuzzy that there's a dead guy hanging off a cross on their bulletin board -- there are people who are not going to get care due to their feeling uncomfortable about the religious aspect or worried about possible attempts to convert them. And don't tell me none of that goes on.
Amy Alkon at January 3, 2005 1:15 AM
Eric, you are so friggin' cool. I haven't listened to An American Prayer in years. But living so close to Venice Beach, I find that the blasphemous spirit of Jim speaks through me every now and then. And it makes me wanna put on some black leather pants and wave my angry inch around.
Lena Cuisina, The Cross-Dressing Oracle at January 3, 2005 2:13 AM
I was writing to that Hedwig CD you gave me just today. Gets a girl in the spirit to kick some butt. And there are a pile of butts in need of kicking here in adviceland.
Amy Alkon at January 3, 2005 5:04 AM
Yes, the landscape is strewn with butts. Unfortunately, most of them more suitable for kicking than sticking.
Lena at January 3, 2005 5:21 AM