Let me be clear about this, especially for Matt S's sake. I do not condone the use of language that degrades anyone. I abhor it. Please read my prior comment again. My point is that one's misspellings, incorrect punctuation, etc. is not a reason to insult them. Tell them how wrong their attitudes and beliefs are, how wrong it is for them to use derogatory terms, etc., but leave the petty stuff out of it. You might as well criticize a person's accent. Its just not the way to make your point.
As to my comment on open dialogue, I belief that people with attitudes like tomcat's have those attitudes due to influences in their lives. Influences that are closed minded, misinformed or just plain wrong. How do you counter those influences? Engaging people, talking, dealing firmly but affectively. To make people feel insulted is to further entrench them in their beliefs. That gets us nowhere.
The first principle of the Unitarian Universalist faith is the inherent worth and dignity of all people; even bigots, racists and homophobes.
The reason for the action of the Unitarian Universalist church is because there are many who think that BGLTQ people deserve less than heterosexuals. We UUs think this morally wrong and are stating such. There is no hierarchy among people. There is no group that is better, no group that is worse. We are all people with different interests, wants and needs. History has proven that minority repression is wrong. Ethnic groups, different races, women have all been subjugated to ridicule and oppression through the millenia. Today, in America, the favored group to treat as inferior is the BGLTQ community.
Religion and the bible have been used to justify oppression. Interracial marriage was illegal in some states until 1967 when the Supreme Court ruled in Loving vs. Virginia. Many politicians and religious leaders justified their oppresive views by quotes from the bible. I am always amazed that religious leaders have not realized the amount cruelty and injustice committed in the name of religion and the bible.
That said, I apologize to those of you on this thread that have been personally attacked. Your thoughts and views are encouraged so we might dialogue about BLGTQ issues. Your grammer and punctuation are not germain and should not be made the issue.
Youngstown church welcomes gay, bisexual, lesbians to its congregation
Let me be clear about this, especially for Matt S's sake. I do not condone the use of language that degrades anyone. I abhor it. Please read my prior comment again. My point is that one's misspellings, incorrect punctuation, etc. is not a reason to insult them. Tell them how wrong their attitudes and beliefs are, how wrong it is for them to use derogatory terms, etc., but leave the petty stuff out of it. You might as well criticize a person's accent. Its just not the way to make your point.
As to my comment on open dialogue, I belief that people with attitudes like tomcat's have those attitudes due to influences in their lives. Influences that are closed minded, misinformed or just plain wrong. How do you counter those influences? Engaging people, talking, dealing firmly but affectively. To make people feel insulted is to further entrench them in their beliefs. That gets us nowhere.
The first principle of the Unitarian Universalist faith is the inherent worth and dignity of all people; even bigots, racists and homophobes.
June 22, 2008 at 10:01 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Youngstown church welcomes gay, bisexual, lesbians to its congregation
The reason for the action of the Unitarian Universalist church is because there are many who think that BGLTQ people deserve less than heterosexuals. We UUs think this morally wrong and are stating such. There is no hierarchy among people. There is no group that is better, no group that is worse. We are all people with different interests, wants and needs. History has proven that minority repression is wrong. Ethnic groups, different races, women have all been subjugated to ridicule and oppression through the millenia. Today, in America, the favored group to treat as inferior is the BGLTQ community.
Religion and the bible have been used to justify oppression. Interracial marriage was illegal in some states until 1967 when the Supreme Court ruled in Loving vs. Virginia. Many politicians and religious leaders justified their oppresive views by quotes from the bible. I am always amazed that religious leaders have not realized the amount cruelty and injustice committed in the name of religion and the bible.
That said, I apologize to those of you on this thread that have been personally attacked. Your thoughts and views are encouraged so we might dialogue about BLGTQ issues. Your grammer and punctuation are not germain and should not be made the issue.
June 21, 2008 at 1:43 p.m. permalink suggest removal