I have had to deal with two types of bullies lately.

[William769]

Those who attack me for being Gay & those who attack me for my faith.

Both are bullies and one is no better than the other. Bullies come in all shapes, sizes, genders & sexualities.

Tolerance goes a long way, intolerance will eat your life away until your an old lonely person.

Peace
Bill

[Sub Atomic]

1. I have never attacked you for your faith.

Your religion is another story.

Your blind acceptance of a 'religion' that would rather see you dead is a real mystery to me.


I shunned those who hated me years ago. Your allegiance with them is incredible.

[pnwmom]

4. You are being blinded by your own feelings.

Not every person of religious faith, and not every parish or church, is the same.

[Sub Atomic]

6. Am I being 'blinded by my feelings' or am I referencing my experience to form my opinions?

Those in charge refused to come to the aid of a young sexually confused boy when he needed adult intervention in something that was so very fucking wrong.


As a mother, I would think that you would understand that sometimes children don't understand what's happening and they don't know how to say 'no'.

But I guess you'd prefer to turn a blind eye to the realities of life.

Pretty much like my own mother did.

Thanks for your support.

[pnwmom]

7. You're referencing your particular experience to attack all the members of a large, diverse group.

I don't blame all men for some men's attacks on women, for example; and I don't blame all priests for the despicable actions of a few.

But I am very, very sorry that someone hurt you.

[Sub Atomic]

9. And simultaneously that 'large diverse group' attacks gays on their ignorance of our 'experience'.

This is my perspective.

This is my truth.

This is how I see ALL OF YOU jesus FREAKS.


You allowed my experience to happen.

You allow it to continue unabated today, over 40 years later.


Don't you dare try to tell me that me 'experience' isn't about your bullshit Church and what they allow and then cover up.

[pnwmom]

11. Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden are among the people you denigrate.

Do you really wish to alienate all the progressive people of faith who are trying to make positive changes in the world? Because that's what your posts do.

[Sub Atomic]

14. The supposed 'progressive' people of faith have been on this site in this forum telling us that we

should sit down, shut up, die of AIDS and worse.

You supposed people of 'faith' can fuck yourselves.

[pnwmom]

26. Link, please?

[Union Scribe]

2. Yep.

But only one bully got carte blanche from an admin to post whatever they wanted.

[pnwmom]

3. You're getting it from all sides. I noticed a bunch of OP's today.

Sometimes the best response to bullies IS just to ignore them.

(My father and his partner found a Catholic parish that has been very supportive of their family. So they do exist.)

[William769]

5. I haven't used the ignore button in 3 years.

I remembered where it was today & that really is a shame because it builds a wall that shouldn't be there but at times you are left with no choice but insulate yourself from the hatred.

[Withywindle]

8. I think there is a difference, and it has to do with power.

GLBT people don't have power in this country to institutionally oppress anyone.

Christians do. And SOME sects of Christians (not all by any stretch) are all too eager to use it. The people who attack Christianity are far more likely to have been directly, personally harmed by people calling themselves Christian.

The anger is misplaced when against you--but anger against Christianity isn't always unjustified.

Progressive Christians do get caught in the middle and get it from both sides, though, I hear you. I know that's true. This Pagan supports progressive Christians wholeheartedly.

:hug:

[Rowdyboy]

10. Hatred is like an acid that destroys the vessel in which it is stored........

And internet bullies are particularly pathetic, whether they hate you for your sexuality, your faith, your party, your skin color or whatever-they're all middle-school thugs with keyboards.

And you should dismiss them all with a few fast farts.

[qb]

12. Peace to you, Bill

Bruce

[William769]

20. ...

:hug:

[jwirr]

13. William many of us here on DU do not get into any of the religious

discussions because it just is not worth it. What I believe I believe - it is a personal faith and I make it a point to ignore what others think I should believe. It took me a while to learn that here. That is how I deal with it. Hope this will help you with at least that issue.

[William769]

17. Thats how I felt as of yesterday but when the board was spammed with nonsense

It was hard not to miss. I now realize the use if the ignore button fixes that.

Thanks.

[xchrom]

15. Fuck 'em, dude. They're assholes.

Don't let it worry you even a little.

[William769]

19. Just had to get it off my chest.

all better now.

I'm converting to your attitude.

[struggle4progress]

16. May the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your heart and your mind

[William769]

18. ...

:hug:

[struggle4progress]

21. ...

:hug:

[Quartermass]

22. You're still more popular than atheists are, sad to say. There's still a lot of hostility there.

I long for the day when bullying people for any reason will stop, period, and people will just learn to live with each other, instead of valuing conformity.

[William769]

24. It's not a popularity contest (at least in my eyes).

"I long for the day when bullying people for any reason will stop, period, and people will just learn to live with each other, instead of valuing conformity." All the people I know feel the same way.

[pnwmom]

27. You must have missed the hostility in the other direction.

The religion forum is full of atheists denouncing people of faith. That's why someone here recently asked for there to be a separate forum where people could discuss religious beliefs without fear of attack from atheists. (And I'd be all for a separate atheism forum, where atheists could discuss their beliefs without being harassed by believers.) It's sad that this seems to be necessary, though.

[closeupready]

30. The religion forum is ALREADY insulated from honest questions challenging Christianity.

I have had several threads locked that opened with, for example, "Is Christianity superstition?" or some such title, I didn't even expound on my own, the thread was polite discussion, and BOOM, it got locked.

[pnwmom]

34. That hasn't been my experience.

[closeupready]

36. Are you implying that I am lying about my own experience because it doesn't match your's?

The mods there interpret even quasi-skeptical language as 'trolling,' 'flaming', 'disrespectful', and lock-worthy.

[pnwmom]

37. No. Just saying your experience is NOT universal.

[closeupready]

39. Whatever

[RZM]

23. If you get fulfillment from both

You're probably way better off than anybody who is shitting on you for them. Even if they are happy with their own sexuality or (lack of) faith, the desire to jump on others for theirs shows that they have a problem they will never be able to solve. Take comfort in the fact that you'll never have to carry that burden.

[bluestateguy]

25. Here at DU there is even hostility from some toward liberal mainline Christians

We all dislike the fundies. That should be obvious to all.

Anyway, I remember the DU thread during the Tuscon memorial after the shooting in January. All was going well until Judeo-Christian prayers were recited at the service. Then look out! Here came the catcalls!

"Sky fairy!"

"Invisible man in outer space"

"Mythology"

"Oh, I feel so alienated!!! Waaaaaaah!"

I still get mad thinking about that thread.

[Aerows]

28. I'm sorry you suffered both indignities

And may you always be as kind as you have been "Intolerance will eat your life away". You are a very, very wise soul. Thank you for that.

[closeupready]

29. I look back at my own background, and often get angry that the Catholic Church wanted me

to end up so fucked up in the head about my sexuality and my relations with other boys my age. Seriously damaging to me and my self-esteem, and I can only imagine in horror how other young gay and lesbian Catholic children were fucked up by it, also, esp. when combined with the pedophilia to which they were subject, and to which they are still being victimized by the inaction and uncooperative strategy of the Vatican. :puke:

On edit, and William, you know I don't blame you or other Christians who are gay-positive. :hug: I am more trying to speak to Sub Atomic's recent threads and ideas about religion and how it harmed him.

[William769]

32. Trust me I get it there are bad and evil people in the world.

Am I suppose to go on a vengeance of every group of people that has ever harmed me? If I did that I'd be locked up in a insane asylum.

Am I just suppose to sit there while my faith gets raped? I don't think so. Jesus is only about compassion, love, healing.

Go after the bastards that deserve it, go after all and your no better that the bastards themselves.

There are people in the GLBT community that make my skin crawl and I have nothing but contempt for them (yes they have hurt me physically & mentally). So I guess I should hate all GLBT people even though I am one myself.

I come here to make friends, share ideas, promote a positive Gay community, fight for our equality, I would like to think this is a safe haven. I don't feel that way now.

I did not come here to have 20+ threads in a 4 hour period try to denigrate my faith.

I am normally a free spirited, fun loving person. But enough is enough.

[closeupready]

33. I understand.

:hug:

[JoeyT]

31. People being disrespectful to your invisible friend isn't bullying.

Christians are not oppressed, no matter how frequently they claim to be. The entire "Christians are the oppressed majority!!!!!" meme was invented by the fundamentalists to hammer people with when they don't let them harass gay people and control women.

If it's true that moderate Christians don't like fundamentalists, why do they automatically close ranks with them every time they decide their religion is "under attack"?

[pnwmom]

35. Whenever people like you make sneering references to "invisible friends"

they attack moderate and liberal Christians just as much as fundamentalists.

[Sub Atomic]

38. "People like you"

Yep.


Those people.