Comments on: Gay hate church picket Hollywood awards ceremony

By: AdrianT

AdrianT — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 20:23:00 +0000

360 days in my case! (Just back from 4 hours of solid drinking in town – go to ed.nl and see the carnaval pix, that is what every bar in the city is like!… I know it's off topic but, it beats eating a pancake…)

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By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:17:00 +0000

Adrian, I tempted to say that I thought everyone south of the Rhine dressed up in silly clothes and drank all day everyday, but hands across the ocean and all that, I'll bite my tongue.I should also stress that whilst I am atheist for 364 days of the year, I am more than happy once a year to pay homage to the baby Jesus, with excessive drinking, over eating, exchanging of expensive electrical good and perfumery – in the way that I am sure he would have wanted if he was still alive today.

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By: AdrianT

AdrianT — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:09:00 +0000

So Sister Mary, you're Nun too impressed with religion then?! Anyway, we have Carnaval over here till Wednesday – every city south of the Rhine here is dressed up in silly clothes drinking all day…. it's the only benefit religion has given us I tihnk…..

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By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:08:00 +0000

Adrian, I would put far more faith in the possibility of massive heavenly bodies exerting enormous gravitations forces, in some way effecting the microscopic mineral balances in our brains during development in the womb, and therefore having an effect on our personalities than I would some book of fables written two thousand or whatever years ago for people living in a world that is infinitely different from the one we live in today.At least astrology does have some semblance of scientific theory attached to it (although a little tenuous I grant you).If the Bible had a bit more about children not getting into kiddie fiddlers cars or watching too much television giving you eye strain, I’d be a bit more accepting of its relevance to modern living, but I struggle a bit with the water and the wine thing and the rising from the dead – I mean maybe he’d just passed out from all the wine he’d been drinking. Personally I’d never be off the stuff if I could make my own.I have no issue with religion when it is used as a force for good, but if someone wants to use the Bible to beat me over the head, I’ll beat them just a hard back with it.

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By: AdrianT

AdrianT — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:10:00 +0000

William and Sister Mary, thanks for your answers. And William I fully agree with you – the Bible is either a rule book or it isn't. "And it is nothing more than a crutch for weak willed individuals who cannot accept responsibility for their own destiny." – people can't though!! How many people today I wonder, consulted the horoscopes, some say up to 25 percent of the UK! It would be a help to the rest of the gay community of the believers amongst us would look at Sister Mary's analysis, as a basis for an article in e.g Catholic Herald, Daily Mail, Daily Torygraph etc.

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By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:32:00 +0000

"Or perhaps its people putting too much faith on a dusty book and not enough on their own ability to think for themselves." – I could not agree more, William.

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By: William - Dublin

William - Dublin — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:37:00 +0000

"none of the religious institutions agrees with your enlightened view of Scripture"Adrian, it doesn't mean trying to use the bible is some kind of "proof" for prejudice is acceptable. Bear in mind, these so called "enlightened institutions" once used the bible to condone slavery and racial intolerance, someting that is neither tolerated or acceptable in a modern society. A mistake? A Misinterpretation? Perhaps. Or perhaps its people putting too much faith on a dusty book and not enough on their own ability to think for themselves.Doesn't matter what you call it, the problem isn't misinterpretation of "scripture", its these fools seeing the bible as anything but a collection of antiquated stories and using such as proof for oppressing another, that's the problem.Using the bible as proof of gods word against gays is like using a Harry Potter book to prove the existence of magic… its a fools argument, no matter how many people cram a church and believe it isn't.

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By: Sean Pultz

Sean Pultz — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:55:00 +0000

The one thing I should say to Heath Ledger's family is to send a reply to that letter. Just a pice of paper that reads in huge letters "GO FUCK YOURSELF!"

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By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:30:00 +0000

qadesh means a male temple prostitute who engaged in ritual sex; it is often mistranslated as “sodomite” or “homosexual.” to’ebah means a condemned foreign Pagan religious cult practice, but often translated as “abomination.” Homosexual activity in the temple by male prostitutes is clearly prohibited by the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Prostitution, both heterosexual and homosexual is generally condemned. Sexual abuse of boys by adult males is condemned St. Paul considered at least some male and female homosexual acts to be forbidden, but it is unclear precisely which acts are included. He may have been referring to: temple prostitution, people who are not innately gay, lesbian or bisexual, but who engaged in homosexual acts, to child sexual abuse, or group sexual orgies. The Bible describes three emotionally close relationships between two people of the same gender. They appear to have progressed well beyond a casual friendship:Ruth and Naomi David and Jonathan Daniel and Ashpenaz Daniel’s relationship appears to have been a committed homosexual partnership; the others may or may not have been sexually active.In Biblical times, same-gender sexual interactions could take many forms. Some were:kings of conquered tribes were sometimes raped by the invading army as the ultimate symbol of defeat and humiliation. Homosexual rape was also a way of humiliating visitors and strangers. These were acts of power and domination and had nothing in common with consentual sex by gays and lesbians. some non-Jewish tribes in the area had male prostitutes in their temples who ritually engaged in same-sex activities; this horrified the ancient Israelites. it was common within the Roman Empire for male adults to keep boy prostitutes for the purpose of sexual activity. The boys were often slaves. Clearly people will read into the Bible whatever they want to hear, which is why I hold the view that its message is bankrupt. And it is nothing more than a crutch for weak willed individuals who cannot accept responsibility for their own destiny. If mankind cannot determine right from wrong without such guidance it is in a truly sorry state.

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By: AdrianT

AdrianT — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:02:00 +0000

"Could you point out where exactly?" o.a.:Lev 18:22; 20:13.Deut 23:17-18.Rom 1:31-321Tim 1:10They may well be increasingly and conveniently seen to be mistranslations – such is the wonder of religion, that it can poison the mind of even those whom it oppresses!Would you be so keen to excuse these verses as mistranslations or misrepresentations, if you were straight? Please, educate the likes Herr Ratzinger and his Vatican junta about this finding of yours!It is interesting what you say about mistranslations: here in the Netherlands, this has happened in the 'Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling'version of out Bible. Where Num 31:18 used to read about the Midianite virgins after the intended ethnic cleansing: 'keep them alive for yourselves'(i.e. for rape), this now simply reads 'let them live'. Just wallpaper the atrocities over to try and sell the message better!! Just as well it was all fantasy anyway, like just about everything else in the Bible.Speculate on my prejudice if you must, but look at the uncomfortable evidence: none of the religious institutions agrees with your enlightened view of Scripture. Day after day, bishops, priests, patriachs, rabbis, muftis and imams line up to express their hatred. If all the gay Christians just walked away, instead of loving their enemies, they could bring the pillars of these withering churches down faster than you could say 'Samson'.

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By: Roberto

Roberto — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:02:00 +0000

This is a wicked, evil and vile cult led by a total nut case. I agree with "exmormongirl" that Phelps is more likely than not a repressed Gay – hence all the fuss fuelled by his equally nutty family.What a bunch of total idiots they are and frankly, who gives a f*ck what the Phelp's say?

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By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:35:00 +0000

"'God hates fags'- the Good Book says you have to, many times over"Could you point out where exactly? The passages that purport to refer to this are increasingly seen to be mistranslations.Again, prejudice borne out of ignorance

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By: AdrianT

AdrianT — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:40:00 +0000

Like it or not, Fred Phelps is being perfectly consistent to the 'teachings' of the Bible. Yes, of course he will say 'God hates fags'- the Good Book says you have to, many times over. Arguably, the inventor of Christianity himself, Paul of Tarsus, was a person just as nutty and deluded as Phelps – a misogynist sadomasochist who hated the very idea of sex. Moderate and gay Christians are the ones who are inconsistent, picking and choosing the nice verses of the Bible, and more or less creating the kind of god and Jesus that suit their needs and consciences. Phelps is absolutely right, the supposed Jesus of Nazareth was not all gentle and loving (Matt 5:17-20, 2Thess1:6-9). Faith is the problem and Phelps is what you get when you say it's alright to hold beliefs without evidence, to base your beliefs on revelation, tradition and authority.It's time we realised that we don't need Bronze age superstition, invented by some backward illiterate little desert tribe in Palestine, to live our lives. Until we do, we shall always be plagued by fundamentalists like Phelps, suicide bombers, and bigotry promoted by a milti-billion dollar religious business, leeching the wallets of the needy and the credulous.Human goodness is within us, not mandated by some celestial dictator – it's super, it's natural, and certainly not supernatural!

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By: exmormongirl

exmormongirl — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:47:00 +0000

The only reason Fred Phelps puts up the front of hating homosexuals is because he is one. I am all for religious tolerance, but hate isn't a religion. The only solace I have is knowing that if America's going to be destroyed, the WB's will be destroyed to. I hope a tornado hits their church and then they can explain why God hates them too.

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By: Kate Ingleton

Kate Ingleton — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:37:00 +0000

I hope this vile man and his hate-fuelled followers come to Australia and even TRY to get close to Heath Ledger's funeral or family. So y'all come now, hell bring all the rednecks you have…and TWENTY MILLION AUSTRALIANS ARE WAITING TO KICK ARSE!

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By: OMAR KUDDUS

OMAR KUDDUS — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:07:00 +0000

Fred Phelps craves attention, and I only wish that he would kick the bucket, so we can picket his funeral and distress his minions.For he is definitely going to HELL, as no one deserve it more than this vile man.

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