It's been awhile since I touched on the topic of religion, but it is a major pet peeve of mine and I need to unload.
Last week, there was a Gay Pride Parade in Tel Aviv. By the way, you wouldn't find another Gay Pride parade in a 2,000 radius as Israel is surrounded on all sides by people still living in the 9th century.
Sadly, however one mentally deranged Orthodox Jew -- a redundant phrase -- took it upon himself to stab 6 of the parade goers, one has since passed away.
"Hey Shlomo Patheticowitz, we don't do that stuff."
Even worse, three days ago Jewish settlers torched a building and an 18 month old Palestinian baby lost his life.
That is some god-damned stupid shit. I like to think you'd have a hard time finding 10 Jews on the planet who sanction this kind of misguided butchery.
I go out of my way to point out Islamic terror, but the truth is I'm more disgusted when the blood is on the hands of fellow tribe members.
On a lighter note, a few weeks ago we got together with my nephew from Boston and my sister-in-law's family, to watch the Angels clobber the Sox at Anaheim stadium. On the inebriated walk to the parking lot we passed a man bearing a huge Trust in Jesus sign, between the two oversized batting helmets at the entrance to the park.
A couple of courageous young men started getting into it with the proselytizer, who countered each of their statements with Scripture.
"Jesus loved gay people."
"Thou shalt not layeth down with another man, blah, blah, blah."
Keep in mind this is in the heart of Orange County, California's own little Bible Belt. Turns out I was not the only one taking note of the "discussion". A wiry drunken man, I'm guessing from Vista Hills, threw himself into the fray and forcefully took up the cause of the God of Love and turn-the-other- cheekness.
"Jesus didn't love gays. He hated you faggots. If I had a stone, I'd bury it in your skull and leave you to die by the pop up tent selling Mike Trout jerseys and bobble heads."
Maybe that 9th Budweiser was not a good idea. Thankfully, the man's cooler-headed family pushed him away from the growing altercation so he could drive them back to their loving home of faith, tolerance and doing unto others.
I don't understand people.
Religious people, even less.
The other day I was reading an article from a physicist who had discovered what he believed was the largest known object in the universe. This Gamma Beta thingamajig was more than 18 billion light years from end to end.
18 billion miles is hard to comprehend.
And I spent two and half years commuting on the 405.
18 billion light years will turn your head to mush.
And yet, you want me to believe that God/Jesus/Allah goes all bonkers when Lance puts his hand on Chad's pee-pee? Or when Mary starts practicing scissor kicks with Betty?
I believe (see what I did there?) there are fringe and extreme interpretations in every religion, which is why I don't paint them all with the same brush. Joel Osteen, arguably the most influential pastor (and televangelist) in the world - and subject of a future post of mine - took a lot of heat for what he had to say about the church and unconditional love, particularly for including one word. See if you can guess which one:
ReplyDelete“For too long, the church in general has been known for what we’re against. We’re against this, and against that, and if you live like this you’re not welcome here. We’ve been good at telling people what we don’t like. But I don’t want to be known for what I’m against. I want to be known for what I’m for. I am for people, I’m for new beginnings. I’m for second chances, I’m for you becoming everything God’s created you to be….Our part is to keep showing this unconditional love. Not “I’ll love you if I agree with you, I’ll accept you if you fit into my little box.” No, our attitude should be if you have good morals or no morals, I’m still going to love you. If you’re clean and sober, or strung out and addicted, I’m still going to love you. If you’re gay or straight, Republican or Democrat, black or white, muslim or Christian, believer or atheist, it doesn’t matter. I’m still going to love you.”
Believers wearing sandwich boards and proselytizing against love acceptance are missing the point. I have it on good authority that's definitely not what Jesus would do.
If Jesus died for our sins – all our sins – doesn't that mean he died for the "sin" of laying with another man, etc.? Religion is too confusing. I'll stick to things I know. Like "dynamic engagement through first-of-its-kind data insights" and shit like that.
ReplyDeleteActually, I have no idea what that means either.